Monthly Archives: August 2011

There are days when going out for a run feels like a personal Olympic journey: the skies are clear and cool, the road beckons, and the body just won’t quit—pounding pavement as if it were air—until it reaches the golden ribbon of victory ahead.  And then there are those other days, when everything seems to go wrong.  The past two weeks have been of the latter variety for me. 

I am usually the crazy chick who envisions a world full of complicit runners, waving my hand with pageant-like flair while smiling at anyone who crosses my path.  This month, all I saw were speed demons reminding me that my body has been really uncooperative of late.  My pace has eerily slowed and on more than one occasion—even on my regular five-mile route—all I’ve wanted to do was take a breather mid-run to avoid losing my dinner.

Sometimes, that’s just the way it goes.  The only remedy is to run more, but at a pace that feels fine and free of undue stress.  For me, the turning point on my mental and physical descent came yesterday during our Burke Lake Park group run.  Jennifer, Myrna, Heath, Ernie, and I set out for the first loop at a comfortable pace that gave me back my confidence. 

I was reminded that my body can indeed do this; that it has done this far, far longer and faster before; and that I have already reached solid personal goals on my life’s running path.  That reminder came loud and clear on the second loop and beyond when I realized that Ernie and I had just completed 11 miles in easy conversation.  My body seemed to say, “You can do this, babe.  Stop worrying—you can’t always win.”  As pithy as […]

It all started with a conversation at the Ridgewood community swimming pool.  I told Mollie and Byron Galloway, friends I met in 2006 when I joined the RidgeRunners, “I was thinking of getting the club back together.  What do you think?”  Mollie suggested the creation of a Facebook Fan page and as a freelance writer for Patch I wrote an article titled “Running on Empty” and invited readers to join me for a group run on Saturday, June 25. 

Luckily, on the morning of June 25, I told two Ridgewood Barracudas swim team moms and my friend and almost-neighbor Pat that I was planning a run.  Those three women showed up that evening, although Pat was recovering from a brutal morning workout session and just wanted to come say hello.  Trinity, Paula, and I ran up and down Hedges Run Drive.  We had a great time, even if I secretly despaired that recruiting was going to be a tough job.

On the following Tuesday, a dozen runners came out to run, including the Galloways, Ernie Fore, and Jose Campos, longtime RidgeRunners.  On Thursday, Pat invited members of her Wildcat hockey team, Ernie contacted some friends, and Patch readers finally showed up.  Two weeks into July, we averaged 18 runners.  Like a bad case of avian flu, neighborhood runners quickly caught the bug. 

In a shameless attempt to broaden our membership, I used my children’s swim practice time with the Ridgewood Barracudas to coerce over 30 parents to join our mailing list.  With the completion of the website and active social networking, it’s time to say it. The RidgeRunners are back.

Let me make one thing clear: this is not my blog.  This space was created to include thoughts on our group runs, fun […]