Back around the IBM Poughkeepsie Lab

No Malibu Breakthrough this year.....No LA trip! And I don't like
walking outside in hot weather, so I haven't been in a 5K for months.

But the IBM 5K loomed! On the right, you'll see me incognito (i.e., face obscured by the microphone) near the start.

 And, on the left, the non-dramatic finish for 2nd place with a time of 35:06. Notice the improvement from last year's race: about 18 seconds faster and my shoelaces are tied. I moved up a spot (but that was because last year's first place finisher didn't walk.)

Front leg is straight, but arms seem a little tired. I should stand up straighter!

The top three...on a pretty fall day in the Hudson Valley.

I'm back after a summer of indoor treadmills!

Lap4Life 4 Mile walk

First place Male Walker

48:15

A 4 mile successful "walk" on a stony trail with some inclines. A hot day! At each water station, I grabbed a  cup,  sipped and then poured the rest of the contents on my head.  A lot of friendly people, a worthy cause, excellent organization, a great race and very enjoyable food!

Lap4Life 

Treetops to Rooftops 5K

Over 500 runners and walkers beat the rain and had perfect conditions for a 5K jaunt over the "Walkway over the Hudson." See the Walkway web site for details about that scenic attraction.

Starting was a challenge. We lined up on an adjacent road by expected minutes per mile, so the actual start was kind of slow. The start rippled through the crowd and there was congestion (i.e., slow times) until the crowd started crossing onto the bridge itself.

There was no walker division, but my finish at 418 out of 494 "runners" was probably 2nd as a walker. The Woodstock races  time of two weeks ago is no longer my best time ever for a 5K. Today's time is!

34:38

It's hard to believe that I've done a walking 5K at about 11 minutes 11 seconds a mile.

My form in the last half mile:

2010 Woodstock Races

The second annual Memorial Day walk for the Aaronsons! Not only did California Emily join me again, but spurred on by her, Lauren and Carol, I posted my BEST 5K time ever:

34:54

Starting and finishing at the Zena Elementary school is nostalgic and fun. The roads - traveled many times by car on the way to the Zena Rec - are shaded and blessedly downhill on the return. A keeper of a local race. The tradition continues.

Races raise money....

Most races raise funds for charitable causes. The entry fees, plus the contributions of businesses in donating goods and buying advertising, provide the expenses, food, and awards of the event and the proceeds go to the cause. Many walks and runs raise money for health support (heart and cancer are common) and some are for local athletic scholarships in high schools. Some are for communities.

Today's  Annual Off-Broadway Run & Walk ( http://www.safe-harbors.org/event.cfm?page=190 )was for community support of  "Safe Harbors of the Hudson" in Newburgh in conjunction with St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital. See http://www.safe-harbors.org/ .

The timing of this positive event was apt. Six days ago, the NY Times published "In Newburgh, Gangs and Violence Reign" . On  Thursday, May 13, the headline read: "Agents Swarm Newburgh in Raid Against Gangs ". One of the pictures showed FBI agents raiding a house about two blocks from the race registration. 


Sometimes a race is more than a fund-raiser. The mayor of Newburgh started both the 1 mile race and 5K races and heartily thanked people for participating. There was a friendly police presence, but that was to handle traffic. The volunteers, bystanders and participants were all enthusiastic. A worthy cause and a worthy event.


How did I do? I tried something different. I entered both races, hoping to get an official sub-eleven minute mile time, rest up for 15 minutes, and then do the 5K (with the expectation of not getting my best time.) 

I won both events in the walking division:  10:46 for the mile and 36:26 for the 5K!  Got a nifty windbreaker in addition to enjoying being part of the races. 

Shorter race progress continues....

Within the past six days, I've reached personal bests in two different categories:

• Minutes per mile:   About 10 minutes 40 seconds in last Sunday's Ray's Run. The approximately 3.1 K (1.9 miles) course at Dietz Stadium was done in 20 minutes 22 seconds
• 5K time: 35 minutes 12 seconds, achieved Sunday at the Washingtonville 5K . (The official results finally corrected the walkers start time, dropping my original time by a few seconds. )

Both races were solid 2nd place finishes, behind an excellent formal race walker. A lot of my walker friends were present today and it was fun introducing them to each other.

I had been training "faster" on the treadmill, building on the conditioning from the preparation for the recent Half Marathon. But I don't like warm weather, so don't know if the spring/summer races will continue these times!

I had some fans today. When returning to the car, two parents said to brother and sister toddlers, "Here's the walker in the yellow shirt that you were routing for!"  I said hello and attempted a high (low?) five with the 2 year old boy. I now remember shortly after the start a mother telling her kids to wave to the walker and I passed them again towards the finish. I guess I was flamboyant in my bright yellow T!  (But, I should note, that one of the kids was in yellow.)

Back to the "shorter" races

Looks like training for a Half Marathon has paid off in getting my legs back in shape for the shorter, faster races. I did a 35:55  (about 11 minutes 34 seconds a mile) yesterday for my 2nd fastest 5K ever! And on a much hillier venue than for the IBM Poughkeepsie flat parking lots!

The movie of this past year's walking is in production and slated to open in Woodstock, LA and NY within the next month.