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!

Hall of Fame Marathon Was a Successful Race

I'm happy to say that my race at the Hall of Fame Marathon in Canton, OH went well! I was a little nervous heading into the race because I had picked up a little cold last Monday and didn't feel very well for a few days. I just did everything I could to fight it (ZiCam nose spray, zinc lozenges, Emergen-c, extra rest, no running, lots of fluids and healthy food). By Thursday I was feeling better about my chances of trying to race versus sitting it out or doing it as a training run.

Friday I felt pretty good so my husband Steve and I headed to the expo at the Stark County Fair Grounds (where the race also starts) to pick up our bibs. I had done an easy 4 mile run before work in the morning so the rest of the day was rest and I took Saturday completely off because I was busy and wanted to be as fresh as possible going into race day. I had a very light week of running (only two 4-mile runs), about 30 miles of biking and a couple of core workouts beforehand so it was a very easy week for me and I felt rested. Saturday night I finished getting my stuff ready and we went to Melt for dinner. I love a good, carby plain grilled cheese sandwich (no fries for me though). We got to sleep early and were up at 4:30am Sunday to get ready.

Chillen pre-race with Steph & Steve

I always have GI issues the morning of any big race and this one was no exception. After going to the bathroom a few times and after a large dose of Pepto I was okay. I ate a bowl of cereal and drank my coconut water and we got ready to leave when my friend and fellow Cleveland Marathon ambassador Stephanie met us at my house at 5:20. We were on the road by 5:30am - figuring this would allow ample time for parking and a stop at the porta-johns prerace. We arrived and parked by 6:30am and we had plenty of time. It was a cold morning (low 30s) so I kept on some throw-away sweats until the race start. After a trip to the bathroom we made our way to the start and ran into some friends. We started about 10 minutes after 7 and the sun was coming up and finally warming us so I lost my throw away stuff and off we went!

Having some fun on the course!

After the 20 mile drop going so well a couple weeks back I had made up my mind that I wanted to run between 3:25-3:30 for the race (assuming the day went okay). I took off at around a 7:45 pace to see how that would feel and it felt pretty good albeit maybe slightly faster than I wanted. By mile 5 I had locked in a 7:50-7:55 pace which was my sweet spot. This is an ideal pace for me right now in the marathon and I was able to hold it through 22. I was disappointed that my last 4 miles I slowed down to an 8:27 average but it was hilly and very windy so it was hard to get any speed here.

When I finished and looked at my garmin it said 3:29:33 for 26.39 miles (7:56 avg pace) versus my race chip time of 3:29:33 for 26.2 (7:59 avg pace). Maybe the course was a little long. Had I held even an 8 minute pace for the final 4.2 miles I would have finished a couple of minutes faster but I can't complain about a new PR of almost 6 minutes! And since I am 40 in August my BQ qualifying time was now 3:45 so I beat my standard by more than 15 minutes! I was also excited to see that I was 2nd in my AG because 2 of the women in my AG were overall winners. So 2nd in AG, 11th female - I'll take it!

I'm also happy to say that my husband Steve had a BQ too by almost 10 minutes. Unfortunately he did not have the race he had planned but I know he has that PR in him. He'll be pacing the 3:35 group in Cleveland if you want to run with him. After the race we headed to Fatheads Canton with my friend Stephanie and enjoyed some hard earned burgers and hoppy beer!

The finish!

I'm excited to head back to Boston next year. It took me longer than I expected to re-qualify but I have made a lot of changes to my training this year that I think really worked well for me. I tried running super high mileage last season and that did not make me faster plus oddly enough I gained weight and wasn't as happy with my physique. This year I ran about 60-70% of the mileage, biked more between 3-5 days week and also added in core/lifting work 2-3 x a week. I feel much stronger and I also am leaner than last season. I also listened closely to my body and rested and cross trained when I felt I needed it and tried to eat cleaner especially during the week. I think all these factors added up to make me a stronger, better runner this season.

I'm recovering well this week and depending on how I feel and the weather in Cleveland I may go for another PR attempt to see if I can get closer to 3:25. No matter what I plan to have fun and not take myself too seriously. I also am learning to do that more. At HOF I actually had fun for much of the race and smiled and posed for the camera people and really just tried to stay positive and be thankful that I am healthy and fit right now. It's not always about the end result as much as it is about the journey in getting to our goals. My whole journey this season has been a good one so far!

Cheers to hard-earned PRs and BQ's! And Good IPAs!

Hall of Fame Marathon Race Report - Hall of Fame 1, Pam 0

Sunday was a big day for me. I was ready to accomplish a couple of big goals including my second BQ and a shiny, new marathon PR. I have trained with determination for months. Through ups and downs, health concerns, foreign business trips. There were many obstacles this year that threatened to get in the way of my big goals - but I got through each of them. I never gave in. I never skipped my training - when I could control it.  Most weeks of the year I have run 50+ miles - sometimes reaching 70. I added in more cross training to avoid injury. I've biked hundreds of miles to keep my legs strong. I went to the gym all winter - lifting heavy a couple of times each week to avoid injuries mid season. I feel I did everything I could to achieve my goal. Yet, I didn't.

Prerace photo with my cute pacer!

I lined up at the Hall of Fame Marathon ready to give everything I had. Even after I knew the weather forecast wasn't ideal I could not bring myself to back down from my goals. My brain just doesn't work this way. I instead tried to acclimate to the heat as much as I could - running hot tempo runs at lunch and hydrating more than usual. I thought maybe if I ran a smart race with even splits I could beat the heat. This worked for a while. But then the heat and lack of water on the course got to me. Going two or three miles after 13 miles of running around an average of 8:08 without water caught up to me. Thank goodness my husband snagged a Gatorade bottle for me that I was able to refill and run with for the rest of the race. If not, I don't think I would have made it much longer.

The heat was heavy, my body sweaty, stomach sick from Gatorade, calves cramping and I just gave in a little around mile 19-20. Not a complete "I don't give an F" give in but an "I can't keep going this hard or I am going to pay for this" give in. So I walked a little. Then a little more. I did what I could do. I let my big goals go around mile 21 or 22. I negotiated with myself. Just break 3:45 I told myself. At least you will get in a good training run for Cleveland I told myself. You can try again. It's okay. Everyone is hurting. Not just you. Just do what you can do today. So I listened to my inner voice. I tried to run slower and steadier and just bring it home. I finished in 3:46:07. My husband was cramping and wanted to sit down for a few minutes. I couldn't. I just walked for a little bit and then stopped. And cried. Tears of frustration, exhaustion, disappointment, relief. The pressure that I put on myself temporarily removed. Until I try again. Soon. In less than three weeks - in Cleveland.

At times I wish I could just not care. Why can't I just do this for fun? Why do I need to compete? What makes me push myself so hard? So often? Maybe the need to control my environment? Maybe to prove to myself that I am good enough? Maybe something else? I can't say exactly what drives me. As long as I am competing I will compete against myself. I will set bigger goals.  And I guess that's okay. I just want to achieve things so I set big goals and then I work hard for them. I take them seriously. I make them part of me. It's not right or wrong. That's just how it is. Thank goodness I am an amateur - I can't imagine the pressure of being an elite and having my paycheck depend on meeting my goals.

So now, I rest and recover. I prepare for the Cleveland Marathon, Green Jewel 50K and the Canal Corridor 100. One day at a time. One run at a time. One mile at a time. Who knows what the future holds. Maybe bigger things than I can even imagine in this moment. Maybe more disappointment. No matter what, the journey won't be boring. And I will learn something new - even if it is something as simple as accepting myself and my failures. At least I earned a sweet finisher medal, right? I also earned my hoppy beer at R. Shea Brewing after the race!

Best part of this race is the medal for sure!

Post race at R. Shea enjoying an IPA!