Canal Corridor 100 err 50 & Training Update

After Canal Corridor 100 on July 7th I've been working through a couple muscular injuries that led to some foot pain especially in my left - but also in my right foot as well. Going into the race I was admittedly fatigued after running Charlevoix Marathon and Eagle up 50 within 4 weeks before. I didn't feel too bad at the start line or for the first hour or two but by 10-15 miles my feet were achy and I had a tight right quad so I knew I was in trouble. I took some ibuprofen at the 20 mile mark and headed back to Lock 3 from the first turn-around at St. Helena.

I hit the 50K mark right around 5 hours and hit lock 3 around 6.5 hours but was really hurting and didn't want to go back out there. MY friend Rich that was doing timing convinced me to get back out there after a good 30 minute or so break to eat, change, go to the bathroom, etc. I knew when I started back up it would not be pretty. I made it a couple miles then started walking and at 45.5 I turned around along with Steve and headed back in. It was a slow hobble back in and we called it a day with 51 miles. I was very sore and hungry so we went to get food at the Barley House with our friends Leslie and Larry that were planning to help crew for us. Some days just don't end how you think they will.

Fastforward to four weeks later and I am still fighting off the injuries so it's safe to say I did the right thing at CC100. I have been fortunately riding my bike a lot and was able to run 20 miles including a 13 mile run last week. I went in to Dr. Tim Pavlik in Cuyahoga Falls this week for some dry-needling, graston and ART. That seems to be helping. He wants me to try to get 30 miles in this week and increase my long run to 15 miles so we'll see how that goes.

In all honesty, there's been so much going on in my life and I've been so busy that a break from running hasn't been as bad as I thought it was. Although my race didn't go well, I welcomed a beautiful baby niece Lylah Anne who I adore, rekindled my love of biking with a new roadie and got some stuff done around the house like painting our patio!

I hope to be back to racing in a month or so - if my body is ready. If not, I'll wait longer because my next A-race is Boston 2019! I need to be healthy and ready to start a heavy training cycle in mid to late December for that.

Me with Lylah :)

My new bike Penny Lane

Summer patio living!

Charlevoix Marathon Race Report & CC100 Update!

It's hard to believe that I'll be running the Canal Corridor 100 miler again this week for the second time! But first here's a quick update on my last hard training run/race, which was the Charlevoix Marathon in Charlevoix, Michigan. I had run this race back in 2015 while I was on my first BQ quest and while I had come up a little short then - I had a better time this year and another BQ!

Prerace pic

This race was a real confidence builder for me because I just felt awful most of the race since it was only two weeks after racing my first 50 miler at Eagle Up.  I went out with the 3:30 pace group but just couldn't quite keep up after mile 5 or so. Uh-oh this was going to be a long, hard morning. And it was! The rain started too after about an hour of running and pretty much continued throughout. I was a soaking wet, sore, unhappy girl but I was determined to not let myself fall apart. Even if I couldn't do 3:30 I thought I could still break 3:40. This became my mission and I just pushed through despite some pretty tight glutes and hamstrings.

I felt like I needed this hard run to prep for the Canal Corridor race in two more weeks. This was my last hard effort. I finished in 3:38 and change for my third BQ since April 29! I was excited to finish and get changed into dry clothes. It was a bonus to find out that I was 2nd in the 35-39 AG (this was my last 26.2 in this category since I am 40 in August).

Someone looks happy!

The real exiting part of the day was my husband Steve's PR of 3:12 and change! And another BQ for him as well as an NYC marathon qualifying time! I am super proud of his hard work and have no idea how he accomplished that on such tired legs! I think he will have a great marathon season after another 100 and some rest!

Of course we went out to celebrate at a little pub right by the finish and enjoyed some hard earned food and IPAs!

Glad that was done! Cheers!

Saturday we'll both be running the Canal Corridor 100 (my second time with this race and the hubby's first). I'm hoping this course is a little easier on me this time around and that I arrive at the start healthy unlike last year. I also hope Steve has an easier time than BR100. Right now I am just tapering and keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather! Send me strong, healthy vibes this week you guys!!

How cute is this?

Beautiful area!

Eagle Up Ultra 50 Mile Race Report

Last Saturday I ran my first 50 miler. I had no idea going into it how it would feel since the only other time I ran 50 miles was in my 100 miler last summer. Since I am once again running the Canal Corridor 100 miler on July 7 I thought that running the Eagle Up 50 miler would be an ideal training run for me. I hope that it will better prepare me for this year's 100. My expectations for Eagle Up were low key and I did not put a lot of pressure on myself. That is one of the things I like most about ultras and ultrarunners - generally the races and people are easy going with these longer distances. It makes sense because a lot can happen with your body in 50 or 100+ miles plus some days you feel better than others so you just go into it with a flexible mindset.

race start I'm the pink skirt left side :)

I lined up Saturday with a goal of trying to maintain 9-10 minute miles for as much of the race as possible. Most of my miles were between 9:15-10 minutes so right on target. Of course stopping at the aid station added a little time to each loop. The course was setup in a 5 mile loop consisting of about 2.5 on the Towpath and 2.5 on another trail just like the towpath. I actually really liked this setup. The loops went very fast for me mentally.

After the first loop I ate a Honeystinger waffle and just dropped off my water bottle. After the second loop I also ate a Honeystinger waffle and picked up my water bottle again. By the end of the third loop I had to stop and use the porta potty and I also hit up the aid station for some pbj and watermelon. After the 4th loop (20 miles) and 5th loop I also hit the aid station for similar fare. During my 6th loop I felt like crap having some cramps and just decided to walk for a while to see if it would pass. I debated dropping down to 50k but figured I could at minimum walk a lap and see if it passed. I walked the first half of the loop (2.5 miles) and decided to run again following the aid station. I felt much better! From there on out I walked about 1/2 mile after each 5 mile loop to give my body a little break. This worked well because by mile 40 (start of 9th loop) I could grab a slice of cheese pizza and walk while I ate it.

All smiles for most of the race anyways!

I felt really good the last couple of loops and was super excited near the end when the guy who was winning the 100 miler told me that I was likely first female in the 50 miler! It had not dawned on me that I could finish first because there are people running 50k, the relay, 50 miles, 100k, 100 miles so it was hard to know where I was in the race. That gave me a little boost and I pushed on to finish the race in 8:44:44 (10:28 avg). I think if my 6th loop was better I may have finished closer to 8:30 but I was pretty excited to finish and also to learn from the timers that I was indeed first female in the 50 mile race! :) P.S. The Skirt Sports Lioness Skirt in Holiday print was a big success as probably at least 20 people said "Love that skirt" to me!

My friend and fellow Skirt Sports ambassador Mary had came to cheer and drop off some goodies she picked up from me at the Skirt Sports store in Colorado so it was nice to see her there at the finish as well as my hubby who also ran the 50 miler and was technically first in the 50 miler too so that was awesome! We ate some food and had a couple of beers/ciders before heading home for a much needed shower!

Weather wise it ended up being a pretty mild, cloudy day for the first 4-5 hours with some off and on rain the back few hours but it was manageable. The race vibe was fabulous - so many people cheering and great volunteers and also made some new running friends from all around while running and chatting. The race swag included a nice women's fit tech tee and goodie bag along with a 50 mile medal. I would highly recommend this race! It would be a great first ultra or great for a PR at any distance. I am thinking I will run this again next year although not sure what distance - perhaps the 50 again or the 100K. I guess I have time to think it over.

My recovery this week is on schedule. I took a few days off of running and got in 4 miles yesterday morning, which went fine. I've been walking a lot of miles and doing some cycling. Next up is the Charlevoix Marathon next Saturday in Michigan. It's a great small-town marathon. Another marathon PR right now may be too lofty of a goal but I'll see how I feel that day and run accordingly. I will get in a good training run and have some fun to say the least!

Finally two weeks later is the Canal Corridor 100 again (eek)! I hope to start healthier this year and take some hours off of my time as well as have some fun! This year my husband is running it also so it will be fun to see him out there on the course! After the 100 I am taking a summer break to rest and cross train more and will start ramping up for fall races when I'm ready. I have some ideas about what I'd like to do but plan to allow myself more recovery time this year.

Post race with my speedy husband!

Post race with my Skirt Sister Mary!

Hard earned adult beverage. MMM!

Training Update - April is a Busy Month & Another Race is on the Schedule

I thought I would do a quick training update before things get crazy this month. This Sunday I'll be running the first of three long races this month as preparation for my spring marathons. The Run for Home Half in Dover is a challenging half marathon with some good hills so it should be a good workout. I plan to get in a mile or two before and after to get in my mileage goal for the day.

The following Sunday I'm racing the 20 Mile Drop in Lake County, which will be a good quad buster and then I'll be starting my two week taper for the Hall of Fame Marathon on Sunday, 4/29.

I then get a few weeks off. Well racing that is! I'll still be running a lot until the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday, May 20! This of course is one of my favorites because it was my first half and full marathon and I get to run with all my awesome fellow ambassadors. If you still haven't signed up use my code PMCLE10 and get 10% off your registration.

I also just signed up for the Eagle Up Ultra in Canal Fulton on June 9. I signed up for the 50 miler to get in a good training run for the Canal Corridor 100 in July! It's shaping up to be an epic running season!

As far as my training goes, last week was decent. Although we traveled to Louisville, KY for some fun we still got some running in so I ended the week with about 40 miles of running, 60 miles of cycling and a couple of strength workouts - down a little from the previous week.

These next two weeks although I am racing I will not taper much for either because I need the mileage. I will just do my best to race being fatigued and while that may not be ideal it will help me build strength for my summer ultras.

I have front-loaded my week with two strength workouts and a big chunk of running so I can cross train more and just get in an easy run or two before the race Sunday. I'm planning to end the week with 45-50 miles of running and 50 miles of cycling and of course my 2 strength sessions.

I'm sure I will be sore Monday and will cross train on the bike or in the pool as active recovery and try to build up mid-week and taper off Friday and Saturday leading into the 20 miler.

Pam Versus 100 Miles Part 2 and Training Update

Ever since last year's 100 mile race I have had mixed feelings on attempting another go at it. In the few weeks after my finish last year I wanted to do it again. I think I was riding the high of the finish. Then a few weeks later I decided that I needed to take a year off of such a big race. Maybe get back into triathlon - race a half or maybe even another full iron distance. And then I changed my mind again. And again. And well you get it.

Training for a full ironman is also a large time commitment and when I started to weigh it out I realized that I have some unfinished business with the 100 miler. Sure, I finished last year but not under ideal conditions. I know I can run a better 100 if I am healthy! I'd like to break 24 hours at least and on the Towpath I am sure that I can do that if I have a good day. So I took the plunge this weekend and I signed up once again for the Canal Corridor 100. Why? Because I loved this race and I want to give it another go and see if I can do a little better this year. My priority will be to train smart and take good care of my body so I can hopefully arrive at the start this year healthy and ready for a good race.

As for triathlon, I'm still getting back to multisport this year...just taking my time getting there. I plan to maybe race Vermillion in mid August if I am ready and definitely Portage Lakes in September. And I may attempt my first stand alone bike tt if it works into the schedule and cyclocross race. I plan on logging more bike miles this season and less overall running miles and I will continue to swim and lift as well. I think it's important to cross train - not only is it better physically but I also think it's better mentally for most people.

Digging the new tee!

Last week I had a decent training week. I got in 48.5 run miles, 68 on the bike and a few core workouts. I finished my first 20 mile run of the training cycle yesterday and overall feel pretty good today. I am cycling today between 25-30 miles easy as my recovery. This week I will plan to get in around 50-55 miles of running with a solid amount of cycling and some lifting. April is going to be an intense month of racing with a half marathon on the 8th, a 20 miler on the 15th and HOF Marathon on the 29th. I then will have a few weeks to freshen up a bit for the Cleveland Marathon and then really get into the core 100 mile training! It won't be easy - but nothing good ever is!

It was nice to see my fellow Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors Saturday at Sarah's Vineyard. We had a nice little meetup and got our 2018 ambassador shirts and goodies. I'm excited to think of running in warm weather after the crappy winter we've had! Have you signed up yet? If not use code PMCLE10 and save 10% off your registration!

Cleve Marathon Ambassadors with Race staff at Sarah's Vineyard

Canal Corridor 100 Mile Race Report

This may be the first of several posts about a little race I ran last weekend in Akron called the Canal Corridor 100 Mile Endurance Run. Last week was bittersweet for me. I trained for months for my first attempt at the big 100. I thought I had it in me but I wasn't sure. After all before last Saturday I had never run more than a 50K. My attempt to run the 100K last year resulted in a DNF albeit more related to a lingering hip/lower back injury. So this was a bug jump for me mentally and physically to take on a 100 mile event.

I had been feeling run down the week leading into the race and noticeably going to the bathroom more. I thought it might just be prepace nerves but finally Thursday I made the decision to go in and get checked out. Wouldn't you know I had a freaking UTI (urinary tract infection). I was pretty upset. I had trained so hard for this event. I didn't want to miss out. So I decided to see how I felt after a couple of days on antibitoics. The first day and a half was pretty brutal as I had a lot of nasty side effects from Macrobid such as nausea, loss of appetite and probably one of the worst headaches I've ever had.

Since my drop bags were already packed I decided to check in Friday at Lock 3 and just see how I felt Saturday morning knowing that I could always back out of the race if I didn't think I was up for it. I took it easy Friday and had a good meal, hydrated well and went to sleep around 8:30PM. When the alarm went off at 3:30 Saturday I didn't even think about anything. I knew it was go time. Since I was feeling well enough to hit to the start I told myself I would just give it my best. If I had to drop after 25, 50, 75 or whatever that's what I would do.

prerace with Steve

I got down to Lock 3 to check in for the start right around 4:30am. Steve and I snapped a couple of pictures and I used the bathroom and lined up with excitement among the other 60 or so runners ready to take on what the day might bring. After a couple announcements from the RDs we were off at 5am sharp. The first leg of the race starts at Lock 3 and head south on the Towpath headed towards Canal Fulton where we turn around about 20 miles out. It was dark when we started for about an hour or so and I enjoyed chatting with some of the other runners and learning about them.

I was fortunate to have my hubby Steve crewing for me at the allowed aid stops so I could have specific items that I wanted throughout the race such as chocolate almond milk and of course cranberry juice to keep my system flushed out. There were also race aid stations either full service or self serve (water) stops about every 5 miles, which made staying hydrated easy.

around mile 35 going strong!

I felt pretty good 20 miles in around 3:45. The next big stop was mile 30 followed by mile 40 at Lock 3. I was still feeling pretty decent here but did take a longer aid stop break to change socks, tape up my left hip and get something more substantive to eat like grilled cheese. Mmm! The next stop at Portage Path/Second Sole I tried to eat part of a Subway sandwhich but it was not happening. I had to fix a blister and also tape up my left arch, which was starting to bug me. Off I went towards Botzum, Hunt Farm and finally Boston Store at mile 57 where there was a bigger aid stop. Along this stretch I talked for a bit with other runners and ran into my friend Margie who was riding on the Towpath before Winking Lizard. That helped pass the time. Making it to Boston Store was mentally good for me as I started to struggle more after 50-55 miles.

I was so happy to have Steve crewing and at Canal Exploration to pace me. He had brought me a Melt Grilled Cheese, which tasted like a slice of heaven after running that long! Not to mention that he paced me the last long 34 miles. Getting to the turn-around wasn't too bad with him (mile 70) but then I started feeling pretty bad with cramping (GI and bladder) and when we made it back to Canal at mile 74 I thought that I might have to call it a day. I wanted to finish, but I also did not want to permanently damage my body. So I stopped here and lied down in the backseat of my car for a while. Like an hour. This was good and bad. As I layed there my body felt good. To good. I throbbed and rested. I wanted to be done like nothing more. Texts and calls from family and friends urging me to keep moving kept me thinking and then I decided to just try it. I was 75% done. I changed clothes, taped up some blisters, grabbed some food at the aid station and then off we went toward Station Road.

Mile 71ish with Steve

It was dark on the trail but the moon was full. The sounds of bull frogs and even coyotes howling in the distance filled the night air and made me want to keep moving fast. It was mostly a power walk at this point. Once we made it to the Boston Store again at mile 82 or so and had some food and a much needed bathroom break (GI was pretty bad) I was able to run a few miles. Then the GI started acting up again and I had to stop a couple more times including Botzum and Big Bend. It seemed like an eternity until we made it to the final aid stop at Portage Path/Second Sole at mile 94. At this point it was morning although still a chill in the air. I felt wasted but was in decent spirits knowing I was going to make the cutoff. After some cold macaroni and cheese, which was divine we were off to do the last miles including the hills leading to downtown Akron including that detour, Cascade finally making it close enough to see downtown. What a feeling. I was finishing. I was exhausted. I was able to muster up a little jog for the last 1/2 mile or so to the finish line. It was a long day/night and I finished in 27 hours and 23 minutes - longer than I expected but who cares. I did it!! The real goal of a 100 is to finish the damn thing and I DID IT!! Wow!

The finish!

Lock 3 was hopping with race staff and runners and family members. I was beyond happy to be done and have Wild Bill hand me that very hard-earned belt buckle! I chugged a smoothie and sat down for a while taking it all in and cheering for other finishers including some first timers like my friend Brian I met. It was pretty emotional. Finishing 100 miles is not an easy feat. Some of us suffered out there for a long time but the joy of the finish is worth it. After a while I got changed and then headed home. My awesome husband cooked me eggs and bacon and we celebrated with an IPA. That may have been the best breakfast and beer ever. A long, hot shower and then a long nap were up next. Later that night we went to dinner with my daughter to celebrate. I was done. It was really over. What a great race!!

Getting up and walking really sucked for the first couple of days! But I forced myself to keep moving. Monday I walked 2 miles, Tuesday I walked 3 miles and cleaned the house, Wednesday I walked 2 miles and biked for 20 minutes. Yesterday I ran 4 miles (slow with some walking). I am happy that my recovery is going well. And of course now I am sad that it's over. Next up is the hubby's first 100 at Burning River where I get the honor of crewing and pacing. Then who knows. I may run another 100 for time at some point. Probably not this season as I want to stick to 50K and under but you never know. Now I know that I am strong enough to run 100 miles. That opens up a lot of possibilities and curiosities in a person I think.

I'll have to dedicate a whole post just to the emotional side of the race. I feel like it reawakened something in me. More to come on that!

The blimp was out on race day!

My hard-earned finisher buckle! 

Canal Corridor 100 Prep

Pre-run selfie with Stephanie

The last week and a half I have been winding down my training for the quickly approaching Canal Corridor 100 mile endurance run. I completed my last long run last Sunday on the Towpath. My friend Stephanie ran the first 15 with me and I did another 5.5 before calling it a day. It was a 50 mile week, which seemed light compared to the previous week which was about 85 miles with two long runs.

This week is lighter with probably less than 30 miles of running. I kicked off the week with a 90-minute recovery ride on my bike on the Towpath and have just been doing one short run a day of 4-5 miles. I got in an easy 30-minute spin at lunch today and plan to run a short one tomorrow along with some core work and maybe 8-9 miles of running Sat or Sunday.

Next week will be very light with just a couple easy shakeout runs and a couple of rest days before the race, which is Saturday, July 8. I have been so nervous about getting injured with the higher mileage of 75-100 miles week of running so I have kept all of my runs easier in effort and I feel pretty good aside from an occasional ache here or there.

Now I am focused on shopping for and packing up the gear I need to have with me during the race and for my drop bags. I am trying to get mentally prepared to take on this big challenge. I feel like I have done a good amount of physical prep for the race but I also know that a lot of the outcome will be not based on my physical strength but more on mental strength and my ability to stay strong and keep calm even if the shit hits the fan so to speak.

I am stalking the weather and of course worrying that it will be too hot (high 80s) and that they show thunderstorms. Still we are more than a week out so I am hoping for more favorable conditions!

I have to check in at the race start at Lock 3 next Friday after work then head home to eat a good meal and attempt to get some sleep. I need to be back at the start to check in around 4-4:30am and the race starts at 5am. It's going to be a long day at the races!

I have no idea what to expect from myself time wise. We get 30 hours to complete the race. Essentially you can power walk it if you want to. I would like to run as much as I can with scheduled walk breaks. The goal is really to survive this and cross the finish line as quickly as I can without injuring myself. I will be taking a longer break from running after this event - it may be two weeks before I am back out there. Only time will tell.

I'll be posting updates online as I can and I am sure Steve will be posting too. He is allowed to pace me from mile 66-100 so it will be nice to have his company in those later miles. I am sure I will need all the mental support I can get! Please send positive thoughts and energy my way next weekend! And if you happen to be on or near the Towpath Trail you may even see me!

Part of the beautiful Towpath Trail I will be running on for 100 miles!

Nothing to it now but to do it! Send me good vibes!

Green Jewel 50K Race Report & Training Update for Canal Corridor 100

Prerace selfie with the hubby!

Saturday I ran the Green Jewel 50K for the third time...although this time it was a much different race for me than the past two years. For starters, it moved to June instead of March as originally scheduled. As you can imagine this made for a much warmer race. Also, the course was reversed to start in Brecksville and end in Rocky River. This means most of the climbing is done before you hit the Emerald necklace. Finally, I have been training intently for the Canalway 100 next month and never really planned to race this so I ran my first ever 100 mile week last week and then only tapered for two days leading into this. A friend of mine suggested that I race the 50K and then run the next day early on tired legs to simulate how I will feel at the end of the 100. Okay, I thought that made sense so I listened. I decided to attempt to race this thing even thought I figured I would pay for this decision being as fatigued as I am.

Somewhere in my irrational mind I thought I might even be able to beat my time of 4:38 from last year. We started off in the park running straight up hill from Oak Grove at about an 8-8:15 mile pace. Ouch. This hurt. My legs were not happy and I was laboring from the start. Once you get off the trail you run some miles on Valley Parkway. There are some decent sized hills and I can recall my calves cramping up into painful little balls so I decided I would take a little walk break. I remember one of my splits being about 10 so I think I ran about 8 and then walked for 2 minutes. That helped. But this continued. It was the worst my calves have ever felt in a race and I debated dropping out and heading back to the car. Noway! I told myself you HAVE to run this race! What if this happens during your 100? You can't just give up! So onward I went. Fortunately I had a water bottle with Nuun with me as well because it was getting hot early on and without water and electrolytes the cramping in my calves probably would have been worse. Either way I knew this was going to be a long sufferfest!

By the first aid station at Ridge Road I was feeling a little better about my chances of surviving the race - mainly because we were heading downhill then. Although it is not the easiest thing to run fast down Ridge Road either. Ouch! Onward I went after a gel and some Tailwind. Around that time I was still trying for sub 9 for a bit but by 13 or 14 I really wasn't feeling great. I was sore, hot and just kindof apathetic about my chance at having a great race. Onward I went just trying to walk a little as needed to rest my tired body. I remember thinking it was taking forever to get to the check point at Wallace Lake. I was pretty excited to get my drop bag and get my Smuckers Uncrustable for a snack along with my GU Rocktane gel. But when I got there my bag was not there and I think we were at about 16.5-17 miles not 14 since the course was reversed. This was not good for my psyche and I was again cursing my decision to race this thing and I decided I would just survive it.

My friend Tony ran by and motioned for me to run with him and his group as I was walking and I said "I'm not racing it, just gonna finish it." Part of me wanted to quit, part of me wanted to walk it in and part of me just wanted to get it done as fast as possible. So I ran as fast as I could and then took walk breaks when I wanted to. I reminded myself that this race is the best training run I would have before Canalway. I couldn't just give in. I drudged on in the heat, took in some gels and tailwind and eventually found myself at the mile 27 aid station. I was pretty excited then to be close to the finish and my friend Jim was working the aid station and gave me some cheers and energy to move on.

I was able to run most of the end but did walk some of the uphill as I was pretty exhausted and hot. I was trying to break 5 hours at least but came up a little short at 5:08 and change. I finished 4th female, 1st in my AG. But really I was just happy that I pushed myself through a very, very tough day for me physically and mentally. I assume this is how it will feel during the 100. I am sure I will hurt like hell and I will want to quit a million times but will need to dig deep and find the strength to continue on towards the finish. I hope that this training I am doing now will make me strong enough physically and mentally to remain as focused and strong as possible.

Steph L, me and Steph I post race

After the race I went to the bathroom to change into dry clothes and then walked back over to the finish to watch for my friends (and fellow Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors) Stephanie L and Stephanie I. Both of them were standing there when I walked up. I was excited to see that they had both done well! Stephanie L had run her first 50K and rocked it and came in not too far behind me placing 2nd in our AG! Stephanie I and her teammate were the 2nd place womens' relay team! Steve also had a good race considering that he too is very fatigued he still placed in the top 10 and in his AG!

Post race Steve and I headed over to Fatheads for some hard earned burgers and hoppy beers! Then it was time to go home, shower, sleep and get up early to run on tired legs. Our plan was to get up in the wee hours of Sunday am and head to the Towpath for 8-10 in the dark. But at 3am I just couldn't drag myself out of bed so we snoozed and instead ran around 8am. It was already hot and muggy and we did 9 slow miles before having a snack and heading out on the cross bikes for an hour of fun biking. The week wrapped up with 60 miles of running, 30 miles of biking. Today I am resting but got in a nice lunch walk on the Towpath. I will try to get in one last big week of 90+ miles and start my taper about 2 weeks out on Sunday.

hard-earned hoppy beers at Fatheads post-race!