Cleveland Marathon Race Report - That was a Doozy!

This year's Cleveland Marathon was bittersweet. It was a fun running weekend of seeing so many friends (my fellow Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors, Skirt Sports Ambassadors, Akron folks, etc) before and after the race. I kicked off the weekend festivities with the Cleveland Marathon VIP dinner at the Arcade. This is always a great event and this year was no exception!

Sunday I met up with the ambassadors for a pre-race photo by the start line. We had a nice group running both the half and full this year. Everyone was excited and there was a lot of energy. I also ran into some old friends and made some new ones while we waited in the corral for the race to start.

This year's marathon was a tough race with many people including myself falling short of our goals. The heat was relentless. According to my garmin data it was 75 at the start, reaching 91. Some said it only got up to the mid 80s but either way it felt like a million degrees out there - especially the last 8-10 miles!

While I've been training this year for a 3:30 full I decided to go out a little easier with the 3:35 group and just go for my BQ (3:40). I knew with the weather it was not going to be a good day to try for my A goal. I hydrated as best as I could and carried a bottle with me along with some salt tabs. Still, by mile 8 or so I was struggling to keep the pace. I had debated dropping down to the half but I needed the long run anyways since I have a 100K in a few weeks. So, I reluctantly drudged on in the heat for some more miles.

I stopped at all the aid stations to fill my bottle, took in gels maybe every 5 miles but I could not hit my goal pace and around mile 16 I really started to fade. Around mile 17 or 18 my husband passed me (he was passing the 3:45 group). I ran into my friend Connie Gardner from Akron and just tried to keep up with her. As an elite ultrarunner, Connie knows how to run a smart race. So we ran, chatted, walked the hills and aid stations to keep our heart rates down and counted down the miles. I was hoping to break 4 and we were close - coming in at 4:01.

Post race w/ Akron peeps

I was elated to hit the beer garden where the Great Lakes Brewing IPA was flowing! That may have been the best tasting beer ever...so refreshing after such a long, hot run! It was fun to hang out with our running friends and my fellow Cleveland Marathon ambassadors post race and we also stopped at Masthead Brewing on the way home for some more beer and tasty Pizza.

While I am a little disappointed in my time, on a hot, miserable day like that it was a win just finishing in one piece. I can recall seeing a lot of people getting medical attention during the race from mile 8 on. Upon finishing we learned that a young woman Taylor Ceepo had lost her life near the finish. That was so sad to hear and my heart aches for her family. I can't imagine what they must be going through and I am keeping them in my thoughts this week.

More friends & ambassadors hanging post race 

I'm recovering this week and need to get in a back-to back long run this weekend as well as nest in preparation for the Eagle Up 100K on June 8th. My goal is to get to the starting line healthy and just do my best that day. Last year I ran the 50 miler and did pretty well so will see how I do in the 100k. I sure hope that it is not as hot as Cleveland was!

Marathon Season is Underway & Cleveland is This Weekend!

It's been a busy spring and I am long overdue for an update on training and racing! Since my last post I have run the Boston Marathon on April 15 and the Canton Hall of Fame Marathon on April 28. This weekend I will be taking on one of my all time favorites...the Cleveland Marathon! This will be my 10th time running this race - 3 times in the half and 7 times for the full!

I've also been lucky enough to be an ambassador for the race for the last 5 years. I will be attending the awesome VIP dinner with my fellow ambassadors tomorrow night so I am looking forward to seeing everyone all dressed up in something besides our runner attire! :)

Boston Recap:

Photo by Akron's own Joey Phillips!

Boston did not go as planned for me. My goal of 3:30 was way off. I ended with a 3:54, a pretty crappy time for me but with rain, heat, humidity, GI issues and cramps I am lucky to have just survived. To be honest it is a privilege just to be there in the first place and I tried to remind myself of that during my struggles. It was great to see so many fellow Akron runners out there as well as friends from all over - even some of my fellow Skirt Sports Ambassador ladies!

Canton Recap:
Canton went better but still missed my BQ. I was on pace for maybe 14 or 15 and then dealt with some calf cramping that resulted in a stop at the Mercy Health tent around mile 17. I got back on track for the most part after that but ended up with a 3:42 and change versus the 3:40 I needed to BQ. The weather was rainy and chilly for this one. I was happy that Steve got his BQ - although he didn't have a great race either.

Cleveland Goal:
This weekend is trending hot as of a few days out. I am prepared to try for my BQ and know that I will have to dress and hydrate appropriately to have a shot. I'll do my best but I will never sacrifice my health for a race because there is always another one! I will also try to enjoy the journey because I am know I am fortunate to be healthy enough to even take on another 26.2! And I will have another chance to BQ for 2020 in Erie early September!

Canton - special thx to the Mercy nurse who gave me this tee!

Next up:
On June 1 I am running a new trail race in Cleveland called The Forgotten that our friends at Running Forward & Giving Back are hosting. Steve and I plan to run this together as one of our last long training runs for our Eagle Up 100K on Saturday June 8! After that I am resting and cross training a bit before ramping up again for Erie and Akron Marathons in September!