I was a lady in her 50’s who was searching for the “Fountain of Youth.” Along the way I discovered RUNNING. Read my blog and you’ll get to see how it all unfolds. (and 21 Things About Me)
Chronology:
April 2008 – I love playing tennis and started golf last summer. Now I’m on to running and hope to run a 5K!!! Am I crazy?
October 2008 – I’ve run 13 5k races. I love running but I’m taking the winter off. (I hate the cold more.)
April 2009 – After a long lazy winter, I’m back to running and signing up for as many 5Ks as I can. It’s an addiction. (BTW, I gave up on golf.)
December 2009 – 17 5ks this past year and I joined a gym so I plan to keep running on a treadmill through the cold weather months. I want to get faster by next year!!!
December 2010 – Between boating and tennis matches, I’ve still managed to squeeze in 21 5ks. I’ve also lowered my PR to under 28 minutes.
January 2011 – I ran my first Half Marathon!!! I plan to run another as well as other distances.
April 2011 – I’ve run 4 mile & 5 mile races, in addition to, my second half marathon. I now do yoga once a week.
November 2011 – Several 5Ks under 28 min but then an injury which curtailed my summer running. I did, however, complete my 3rd half marathon in September, my 4th in October and my 5th in November!! I also ran my first 15K race.
December 2011 – I fell on ice and broke my left ankle in several places and had surgery!!! Will I run again???
June 2012 – I ran again (slowly) but I ran. 🙂
October 2012 – Back into running. I ran 11 races including my first 10K. Now I have a stress fracture in my right foot and my running is on hold… again. But I’ll be back!
January 2013 – I’m back running…slowly.
March 2013 – I completed my 6th Half Marathon!! It was my first since ankle surgery when I was told I would never run a long race again (if I even could run again.)
June 2013 – I have entered a new Age Group, have completed 11 races and four 5ks so far this year under 30 minutes. I even won 1st in my AG twice. But I am on the DL AGAIN with a broken 5th metatarsal in my left foot. My running is on hold but I refuse to give up. Stay turned…
November 2013 – My foot has healed. I have run several 5ks, a 10k, a 15k. I even finished my 7th Half Marathon!
January 2014 – Still healthy… ran my first 10 mile race.
March 2014 – I completed my 8th Half Marathon and it was a PR!!
July 2014 – I have been running 5ks and winning Age Group awards. I even had a 10k PR. I also completed my second 10 mile race and my 9th (and hardest) Half Marathon.
September 2014 – A lot more 5ks and more Age Group awards plus a 5K PR!!!! Also joined a training group for the Troy Turkey Trot 10K.
November 2014 – Started volunteering with a Couch to 5K group and had a 10k PR!! I also completed my third 10 mile race and it was PR and PRed in a 15k race!!!
January 2015 – Completed my 10th and 11th Half Marathons. Both were PRs.
March 2015 – PRed at 4 miles and 5 miles. Getting old isn’t so bad!! Also joined a training group for the Freihofer’s Run for Women and became a running buddy for the GOTR program.
June 2015 – Ran my 12th Half Marathon in April, my 13th in May and my 14th in June, as well as, several 5ks. No more PRs. Slowing down, I guess.
October 2015 – Lots of racing. Joined the Troy Turkey Trot Training Group again, finished my 15th Half Marathon and started mentoring a Couch to 5K runner once a week.
December 2015 – PRed in a 15k race, ran my 16th (and hardest) half marathon. Completed 38 races in 2015!!
March 2016 – Lots of racing planned for 2016. Already completed my 17th and 18th half marathons.
July 2016 – A lot more races – all distances including 19th & 20th Half Marathons. No PRs but haven’t thrown the towel in yet.
November 2016 – Racing continues with 5ks, 10ks, 15k, 21st half marathon and PRed in my 22nd half marathon!!!
March 2017 – Winter started out mild and ended like a lion…. Spent a Girls Weekend in December in Panama City Beach while running my 23rd Half Marathon and then completed my 24th in Florida in March. Also had a 4 mile PR in February in between.
June 2017 – Completed a fun but difficult 25th half in Central Park in April but had a surprise PR in May for half #26. Also ran the FRW for the 10th time! Many more shorter races planned for the summer.
December 2017 – No more PRs for 2017 but ran half marathon #26 (a repeat one for the first time) and half marathons #28 and #29 as race-cations, one in Corning, NY and one in Las Vegas. Both were so much fun but the best part was sharing the experience with running friends. 35 races for the year – not too shabby.
March 2018 – Many course PRs and age group awards plus my 30th half marathon in Florida.
July 2018 – An surprising 5k and 5 mile PR in April, completed a rainy 31st Half Marathon in Brooklyn, and several course PRs and age group awards so far this summer.
November 2018 – Not an exciting summer. Not as many short races as usual but I did run a new 15K. In the fall, I completed my 32rd Half Marathon in Montreal, two races in NYC and a bucket list race in PARIS and my 33rd Half Marathon in Pelham, NY! A 15K PR and several age group awards.
May 2019 – In February, I finished a wet 34th half marathon in Florida. After a calf injury, I ran one of my favorite halfs so far, the United NYC Half Marathon. Then in April I ran my 36th, an inaugural local downhill half marathon. At the end of the month, a bunch of us spent the weekend in NYC and ran the Hot Chocolate 15k. Finally in May, I ran #37, my 4th half marathon of 2019, another local inaugural one. Totally enjoyed this one, even won a trophy.
November 2019 – Ran my 38th Half Marathon in RI and my 39th as part of my marathon training. And yes, I completed my FIRST full marathon – NYC. It was an amazing experience.
May 2020 – Though I was experiencing foot pain, I ran half marathons #40 & #41 – one in NYC in January and one in Bermuda in February. I had planned on another in March, April and May. The Corona Virus Pandemic nixed that plan. I continued to run…but alone and only “virtual” racing.
October 2020 – Still no races though I have been doing my weekend long runs with friends. My NH race-cation only included a virtual half marathon (my 6th this year – do they count??)
December 2020 – The year is finally over. But the pandemic is not! I finally ran a local in-person half marathon in November #42 (and #48 if you count all the virtuals) and a 5k in NYC in December.
May 2021 – Races started to happen (with restrictions.) I ran a half marathon in Florida in February and one locally in April (#49 & #50). I also ran a 5 miler, 5.67 miler (up a mountain), a 5k and an inaugural 10 mile race.
November 2021 – I ran several short races over the summer (even had a 4m PR), then a new local half marathon (#51) in September and a race-cation in NH with my running friends in October that included another half marathon (#52) and finally a repeat half in November (#53).
February 2022 – A new year has begun. 2021 brought good health, 1018 miles run which included 22 races (5 of which were half marathons). Already this year, I completed three half marathons (2 in NYC and 1 in Fla.) – #54, #55, #56.
June 2022 -My racing calendar has been filling up. Many races of varying distances including two 5 milers, a few 5ks, a virtual half (to qualify the 2023 NYC Half) and Half marathons #58 and #59.
November 2022 – Three more half marathons (#60, 61, 62), a few other distance races and a girls race-cation in Maine. An excellent fall.
August 2023 – 2023 was supposed to the year of the half marathons and full marathon. My plans got derailed when I broke my foot in Florida in February and had to skip three half marathons. I got back on track with the rainy Brooklyn Half Marathon in May (#63) and ran a few other distances after that and then started training for the NYC Marathon in July.
December 2023 – I ran a few races while training for the NYC Marathon and two included a local half marathon (#64) and then my 65th as part of a girls race-cation in the Finger Lakes. And yes, although things didn’t go as planned, I did finish my second NYC Marathon. A few weeks later, I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k as part of a race-cation in Tampa, FL.
May 2024 – Unfortunately after my last race of 2023, I fell and sprained my ankle. Instead of my usual Florida Half in February, I ran a 5k but recovered enough to run the NYC Half Marathon (#66) in March, the H2H in April (#67) and the Brooklyn Half in May (#68).
You can contact me by e-mail at dsc59@nycap.rr.com
More about me:
My First 5K and More... 
Great articles, thanks for sharing it! Would love to feature you on Wellsphere.com, a site that helps people to live healthier. Can’t find a contact form so thought I’d comment; look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Larisa
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Go and jump tha hurdle. If I can do it, so can you. Completing a 5K will be the start of an addiction. Try to stay at or below 30mins.
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hey! I’ve been searching your page for an email address, but I can’t seem to find one! ( if you want to email me, you can at thenheathersaid at gmail.com )
I’m not sure if you already have a race scheduled for July 17th (a week from today) but a few of the local bloggers I’ve recently met and myself are going to be running the Schenectady/Greater Glenville YMCA 5K. It’s in Scotia, and starts at Freedom Park. We are thinking of doing a sort of potluck brunch/lunch after the race as well – (I live less than two blocks from the park, so if anything needs to be kept cool we can store it at my apartment) – either outside at the park or if the weather is gross, we can have the meet up at my apartment.
Let me know if you’d be interested!
xo
Heather
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my email is dsc59@nycap.rr.com
That sounds like so much fun but I’m away that day. Hope you can do it again and I’ll be there with bells on (or running shoes).
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awesome blog! I’m planning on running (and PRing at) the Bethlehem Turkey Trot too! Woohoo! It will be my first 5K since June….haha!
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Me too – at least running it & maybe PR. I don’t know the course since it’s the lst annual. See you there!
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Your blog is an inspiration!
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Thanks.
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Hi Darlene. I am really enjoying your blog!
I’ve been nominated for Liebster Award and wanted to pay it forward by nominating your blog for one too!
The Rules:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.
Happy blogging!
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Be inspired!
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Hey !
Marina here, from Airia Running (www.airiarunning.com), the Swedish company behind the fastest running shoe – Airia One. It’s not just a marketing claim – rigorous testing shows that 8 out of 10 runners run faster in Airia One running shoes (shaving anywhere from 1% to 7% off their run time).
But this email is not about that.
I want to recruit you personally to run an independent test of Airia One. I’ll bribe you with a free pair. I also respectfully request that you do a write up about your run for your readers.
Please try a long distance race to really feel the difference of running in Airia One. I’m emphasizing the racing part because it’s really important that you actually race in them. We spent decades engineering and designing Airia One to specifically be the best running shoe – and you are a runner and an early adopter. You are the real life chance to test our years of work. I am counting on you to push both yourself and Airia One to the limit.
Please send your address and shoe size to get your free pair of Airia One.
I really hope you take me up on this offer/challenge and have your best run ever.
Kind regards,
Marina
Airiarunning.com
m.gorodishcheva@promodo.com
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Hello Darlene, great to see all the photos from races in one place. I’ve added you to my list of running blogs (working my way through the list you gave me) http://runyoung50.co.uk/us-running-blogs/
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Thanks so much.
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Hi…just found your blog and am now following. Your athletic history and mine look similar, tennis, golf, running. I gave up golf too. A) I sucked at it, B) it takes SOOOO long and C) no cardio! Tennis I still like, but I’ve really cut back on it b/c I think it is VERY bad for running legs. I know too many avid players who’ve had to have surgery, while very few running friends who’ve had surgeries. Anyway, I’ve started a new blog about running and travel. I hope you have a chance to visit sometime. https://travelrunstyle.wordpress.com/
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Agree with all your reasons to give up golf. I may take it up again when I am old and can’t go anything else. Same with tennis, I hurt my knee playing and that influenced me to play less so I could run more. Love your blog!
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Hi Darlene! So nice to connect with another LOCAL upstate NY blogger via the blog hop. I live in Guilderland – what a small world! Looks like you’ve accomplished SO much on your running journey – that’s so great! Look at all those PR’s… wow. Good for you!
I teach group fitness classes at the Guilderland YMCA and VENT Fitness (as well as Free Style Fitness and Yoga Center in Albany), so maybe I will get to meet you one of these days at some of their events! Would be great to connect with another local blogger in person. 🙂
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Wow. I’d love to meet you. I take yoga classes sometimes at HeartSpace in Albany. Where is the Yoga Center?
I have a lot of friends who belong to the Guilderland Y. I live near the Bethlehem Y. Some day I’ll join.
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Free Style Fitness & Yoga is at 1800 Western Ave in Albany. I teach Muscle Up (a pure strength training class) on Tuesdays at 5:30pm. They have a bunch of yoga classes and a variety of different pilates and megaformer classes too. Check them out: http://www.freestylefitnessyogany.com.
Who are your friends at the Guilderland Y? I wonder if any of them go to Body Sculpting on Tuesday mornings? If so, I’m their instructor! Would love to meet you too!
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Thanks for the info. I’ll have to look into the yoga classes there.
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LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!!
Your photos are awesome!!! I love how you bounced back from your injuries and ROCKED it!!! Congrats on it all!!
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HI, I couldn’t find a contact page so I am going to post my question here. I have been doing a lot of thinking and want to try out the running skirts you wear with the compression shorts underneath. Do you have a recommendation for one that isn’t horribly expensive, but a good starting one? Also the same for compression socks? Sorry if this is a weird place to post this question. I wasn’t sure where else to ask. Thanks!!
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I current love Skirt Sports. Check out the ones on SALE. You can also use the code SSMFK20 to get 20% off the regular price. Read the reviews. They’ll tell you honestly what wearers think. I like Gym Girl Ultra but others may like the shorter ones or the longer ones.
I wear procompression. And the same here. The have sales each month. You can buy the calf sleeves and wear your own socks.
Good luck. Keep in touch. Let me know what you picked and how you liked it.
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Love your blog. Working full time gets in my way-haven’t read through enough of your posts to see how you do it!
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It ain’t easy. Especially in the winter.
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Loved reading your blog! I put my first pair of running shoes on at 57… Never looked back and ran my first full marathon last year at 66. I used to live on LI but now reside in the great state of Colorado and run with an amazing group of women @Coloradocolumbines.
PS I got a bunch of those skirtsports too!
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Nice to meet you virtually. I am running my first full at 66 too. I grew up on LI. Colorado is beautiful. Lucky you.
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