Hello, everyone! May has
flown by and our summer months will be jam-packed with lots of activities. Looking ahead, our Pathfinder calendar is
filled with our Pathfinder Produce markets, end-of-the-year Pathfinder School
celebrations and summer session, our 21st annual Summer Concert
Series (free, live music on Saturdays in July and August at 7 p.m.), and
getting ready for Camp Pathfinder, our adventure program for young adults with
disabilities that helps them build confidence and independence.
If your life is super busy too, then it’s important for you and
your family to eat well. Pathfinder
Produce, open each Thursday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. at our Village Commons,
is here to help. Our market will start
adding on fresh picked items grown at our hoop houses, so there will be an even
greater selection of fresh items for you to try. And don’t forget our convenient online
ordering system … just place your order, make your secure payment, and we’ll
deliver delicious pre-picked veggies and fruits to either the Edmeston or
Morris pick-up location.
Below, my colleague Sally Trosset offers some training tips for
those who are staying active this summer.
***
Powering
through Puddles
It’s been a little over a week since the amazing fifth
annual Splash Path 5k and Fun Walk. I
think I can say I am finally dry. The
two raincoats, the socks, both pairs of sneakers, and the two hats I wore are
finally dry too! Not only was there a
lot of rain, but was it chilly too.
Nonetheless, we had a great turnout and it was a memorable day all the
way around!
In remembering Splash Path, it’s a perfect time to review
smart tips for a rainy run, especially for those who do 5ks and other
events. Running in the rain can be
exhilarating, but if you’re not prepared, your run will become a miserable
slosh. There are so many things you CAN
control when you are training -- your weekly regimen, diet/caloric intake, gear
and footwear -- but you can’t control the weather on race day, so don’t let wet
weather get you down! (The 2018 Boston
Marathon had horrible weather with heavy rain and wind gusts up to 25mph. Many runners wore trash bags over their
clothes…as if Heartbreak Hill wasn’t enough for a Boston Marathoner!)
Some advice to follow if Mother Nature throws you a puddle
or two while you are splashing toward the finish line can be found at the
website of Women’s
Running. (Rain doesn’t
discriminate; these tips apply to both genders.) I had no idea that spraying water repellent
on shoes would help keep them dry (obvious, but something I wouldn’t think to
do)! Another informative article comes
from Very
Well Fit; they note, and I agree 100%, that the hardest part of running
in the rain is just getting started.
Once you’re warmed up, you may find you actually enjoy it. I find I run a little faster in the rain!
Before I sign off, just a shout out to all the runners and
volunteers, donors and sponsors, and Pathfinder residents/students, families,
staff and board members who took part in Splash Path ... the rain and cold did
not get anyone down. We even had 36
people sign up on race day! Our
fantastic race directors sprang into action to modify plans to move events
inside, and our camera crew had plastic bags coming out of every pocket to
cover their camera equipment. Nothing would stop the awesome
pictures!
In the end, it’s all about community, and what a fantastic
one we have at Pathfinder Village. Historically, Splash Path has raised funds
that support community wellness and inclusion projects, and this year continues
that tradition. Proceeds will go towards
a new Mobile Market for Pathfinder Produce so that we may expand our fresh
fruit and produce market to serve a larger audience and help families and
communities get greater access to affordable, healthy fruits and
vegetables. Celebrating our fifth year,
we extend a huge thank you to all our sponsors, donors, participants and
volunteers. This year was definitely our
splashiest, but Mother Nature’s wet, cold weather certainly did not deter
anyone from coming out and having fun!
Until next time, happy trails, puddles and rain drop
dodging!
Sally (and Lori)
