Buckeye Half Marathon Race Report

It's been a while since I raced a half marathon. I forgot how hard this distance can be and I don't think I am particularly good at the half. With this race I really just wanted to see what I can do given my current fitness level and despite nursing this nagging left hip issue. I'm pleased with how things went on race day and it's nice to run a race that's in our backyard now as well.

It was a chilly morning in the CVNP and Steve and I had picked up our bibs the day before the race so we arrived on site at Howe Meadow around 7:30 - enough time to use the bathroom and to get in a quick warm up. The race starts on Riverview Rd maybe a mile or 1.5 mile from W. Bath Road. I lined up towards the front with hopes of maybe breaking 1:40. Things started off well. I wanted to start fast but not too fast so my first mile was about 7:16, a good hard mile for me. My next couple miles were between 7:20-7:30 and I decided I liked this pace. I wanted to hold it for the first loop and maybe the second if I could stick with it.

Around mile 4 on Akron Peninsula Road my hip started to hurt and I was worried about even finishing the first loop (6.5ish miles). In my mind I had thought about calling it a day and waiting for Steve but I didn't want to quit. I wanted to see what I could do so despite being uncomfortable off and on for the rest of the race I pushed. The first loop went by and I started the second hoping that I could perservere. Fortunately the first few miles of the second loop felt okay and I was happy with my choice to stick with it. About mile 10 I started to see my pace slow a little to 7:50-8:00. At that point I consciously tried to just keep it under 8 minute miles. Not too hard, not too easy - kindof being mindful of the bad hip.

I was able to pass a couple of women the last mile or so only to be re-passed by a couple of younger ladies on the hill before the finish. I just didn't have the kick to try to go after them but I was hoping to come in sub 1:40. I forgot there's a dirt road stretch to run into the finish and I lost some speed there. I finished in 1:41:20 but on my Garmin it said 13.22 miles/7:40 pace versus the 7:44 pace the race recorded for 13.1 miles. I placed 3rd in my AG only a minute behind first and second. Steve also had a solid day - not his fastest effort but good enough to place 2nd in his age group.

This was a good effort for me right now and I am happy with it - especially with this stupid, nagging hip injury. I am running a half on Nov 12 in Massillon and hope to break 1:40 there assuming the body holds up. Next season I have set a goal to try and run 1:38. I think when I am healthy I can do it. For now I am just happy to be running and able to push myself at all! Plus we earned a couple of hoppy post race beers...Green Flash West Coast IPAs...cheers!

Post race with awards, Stave was 2nd in AG, 3rd in AG for me

Post race rewards! So good! Hard earned!

Naples, FL Craft Beer Tour

My husband and I took a much needed week long vacation to Naples, FL from Christmas Day until New Years Day. The weather was terrific and we enjoyed our daily runs, bike rides and even got in a couple of swims in the gulf. We also got in our fair share of beer tasting throughout the town.

A lot of the breweries and local bars were closed on Christmas so we made our way to downtown to a restaurant and split a bottle of wine since the beer selection was weak.

The next day we had dinner and flights at a really cool bar called the Brass Tap. We tried a bunch of different IPAs including the Evil Twin Molotov Heavy, which packs a big punch at 18%! We also tried some Belgians that were good too. They also have their own brewery onsite called South Cypress Brewing and they had some good beers as well including their IPAs and a Peanut Butter & Jelly Stout!

While shopping for some snacks at the local Whole Foods we discovered that they have a full bar and restaurant so we enjoyed some of the taps there. The Green Bench Sunshine IPA was a crowd pleaser after a hot day at the beach! They had a pizza and pint night for $8, which we could not pass up! 

Beers after our bike ride!

One of my favorite stops after a long day of bike riding was to Fit & Fuel, a cute little cycling-themed cafe owned by the folks that own the Naples Cyclery. Fit & Fuel has really good and healthy food and really good and healthy beer! 

We also checked out a few other breweries. We liked Bone Hook Brewing especially their Double IPA. I think it was called Dave's Dirty Double. Their Belgians weren't bad either. And it was a cute little place.

We were not as impressed with Riptide, although their beer was definitely drinkable they were just out of the IPAs we really wanted to try.

Naples Beach Brewing was a big disappointment for us. I didn't even drink all of the beers in my flight. The flavors were all over the map and some of the beers just tasted like Miller Lite. That and I did not really like the industrial park feeling to it either. But hey to each their own!

All in all it was a fun vacation, full of of sunshine, running, biking, swimming, tasty food and craft beer! 

Austin Marathon Race Report

This past weekend I ran the Austin Marathon in Austin, Texas. My husband Steve and I were there on a short vacation and when we heard the race was open we figured it would be a nice opportunity to test our early season fitness. And test our fitness it surely did! It was certainly not an easy course... probably not a PR course unless you've heat acclimated and done a good amount of hill work, which we had not. Still, it was a fun challenge to take on and a way to see a lot of the city. Fortunately we did have a little time before the race to relax by the pool at our resort in Barton Creek.

A little R & R prerace

The race started downtown on Congress. We parked about a half or three quarters of a mile out and used that little walk as a warm up. Then we dropped our post race gear bags, used the bathroom and lined up just in time for the national anthem. I wasn't really sure where to line up so I ended up around the 3:35-3:40 group, thinking this would be good and I could always push the pace later if I felt okay. The race started quickly and I recall thinking "oh no, it's only mile two and I am breaking a sweat...this may be a long race". And it was. The weather was about 80 degrees with 90% humidity and I definitely felt it.

I was pacing pretty well despite the heat and hills through the 15k and then the wheels started to come off a little. I recall seeing the half split off around that time and wishing I was almost done. I was pretty drenched by them and stopped to remove my race singlet and pin my bib to my sports bra. After that I felt a little cooler. I just remember thinking "oh hey another hill" quite a few times. The good news is that there is also some downhill running.

Toughing it out!

I stopped around the halfway mark to use the bathroom so at least I know I was hydrating enough. At every water stop I had Nuun and sometimes a water too. I think this helped tremendously in the late miles. I also took in six gels and a few orange slices as well as some Hammer Endurolites during the race, which really help me avoid cramping in the heat. I didn't want to walk so I tried to just walk the aid stations as needed and would limit my break to a minute. I normally do not need the breaks but in this heat I did. I think if I was better acclimated that would not have been the case.

Miles 13-18 were particularly hard for me physically and mentally. At times I was asking myself why I do this running marathons thing for fun. Then I was able to get comfortable again in the later miles and pick up the pace some to bring my average pace back down into the 8:40s. I was hoping for 8:10s to finish around 3:34-3:35 but on this day a 3:50ish finish was okay by me. It was a challenging race and I think I did okay and feel I am track to possibly PR one my cooler, flatter 26.2s this spring in either Canton or at the Cleveland Marathon. 

Even the last mile or two were uphill and I passed a lot of people walking and I can't blame them. It was a hard one. I was able to push through and was elated to see the finish and to drink my Oscar Blues IPAs after with Steve, who also had a tough go of it. But we finished it and it was a hell of a training run for these spring marathons quickly approaching! Next up...the Shamrock 15K in a few weeks. I think those hills may feel a bit easier now.

Post race Oscar Blues finish line was hoppin'

Inaugural Trip to Royal Docks Brewing

A few weeks ago before the holiday my husband and I had a dinner event to attend in Massillon. Since we were in the area we decided to stop ahead of time at Royal Docks Brewing in Jackson Township. We had recently tried their Vlad the Impaler Russian Imperial Stout and loved it so we were excited to explore some of their other beers.

Now this is a nice paddle! 

In my opinion the best way to try a variety of beers is to order a paddle. Generally you get 4-6 5-oz styles to try for around $10 or so. This was our approach at Royal Docks. Their flight comes with six selections, which is generous. I started with the Vlad because it's now one of my favorite imperial stouts and although it's 13%, it is quite smooth and drinkable. I also tried the Baba Yaga Porter, Prodigal IPA, Tanglefoot IPA, Yuletide Ale and they brew fresh Kombucha, which is non-alcoholic but I could not pass that up as I really enjoy Kombucha.

All of the beers were smooth and drinkable. I enjoyed the IPAS, they were well-hopped. The porter was smooth. I am not the biggest fan of holiday ales but theirs was spicy and good, garnished with fresh rosemary and cranberries. The Kombucha was also good.

Love this hat!

We did not try the food yet as we had a dinner following our visit but the menu sounds enticing. The service was good, the facility is clean and modern and overall we had a great experience so we will be back!

In the meantime I can show off my new Royal Docks beanie, which is helping to keep me warm on these cold Ohio winter days! I couldn't resist the tagline "Mind the Tap". Indeed!

Cheers to New Beginnings!

A lot of things in my life have changed recently. I started a new job in a new industry this summer. I moved from the Mentor area to West Akron this fall. Why not change my blog too? I think I've been writing the Run Today Tri Tomorrow blog for at least five years and it's time for a change. I started moving in this direction when I changed my twitter and instagram names from "tripam" to "hoprunner". I wanted to have a blog not just about running and triathlon, but also about one of my other favorite hobbies...craft beer!

This new blog will allow me to address both topics - together or alone. I will still talk about my training and racing with whatever is going on but I will also start some other fun things such as a "Beer of the Week" feature that will allow me to share some of the exciting, new craft brews that I have tried. Some of these will  be local brews, others will be from my travels or just sampling beers from all over as I fortuitously stumble upon them.

With the beginning of 2017 closing in, I plan to fully transition to this new blog by January 1. So please bookmark this new blog address! I would like to invite my friends and followers to submit ideas for the new blog at any time. If you're interested in writing a guest post, I am open to that as well. I will still leave my Run Today Tri Tomorrow blog active for referencing old race reports, results, etc.

The big goal for 2017 will be completing my first 100 miler at the Canal Corridor endurance run in July. I will be prepping by running the Hall of Fame Marathon in Canton in April, the Cleveland Marathon in May and the Green Jewel 50K in June among other shorter races and specific training activities. If all goes well with the big race and I recover in time I will try to fit in some shorter triathlons and a few more running races in the late summer and fall.