My 2018 Racing Season in Review...as a Skirt Sports Ambassador

As some of you may know, I was fortunate enough to become an ambassador for Skirt Sports in early 2018! At the time I had a few products that I liked by Skirt Sports but in the last year those few items have multiplied into a fun, new wardrobe of cute and high-performance women's athletic attire. I thought it would be fun to highlight my races from 2018 and which Skirt Sports products I was wearing for each one.

The season started off with a fun St. Patty's Day-themed race called St Malachi. It's a 5-miler through the streets of Cleveland followed by a big after party in the Cleveland Flats. For this race I wore my Skirt Sports Redemption Capris and managed to set a new 5 mile PR of 34:35 and snag 3rd in my AG in a competitive race so I was very pleased.

Next up was the Hinckley Buzzard 25K trail race, which was a last minute add that turned out very well for me. I got in a great workout once again in my Skirt Sports Redemption Capris and my Skirt Sports Trucker hat and managed first female overall! Of course I went out to celebrate with my hubby and friend Stephanie afterwards!

Then it was the Run for Home Half Marathon in Dover, OH, where I had high hopes of a 1/2 PR but came up just a little short. I raced this time in my Skirt Sports Pocketopia Capris and Trucker Hat along with my Cleveland Marathon Ambassador tee. With a time of 1:40 and change and I placed 2nd in my AG so it was a good effort for me.

Then about a week later I really surprised myself at the 20 Mile Drop race in Chardon, OH where I placed first female overall with my fastest ever 20 miler of about a 7:40 pace! It was really a nasty day to race weather wise and I debated sitting this one out but forced myself to line up and do. Once again I raced in my Skirt Sports Redemption Capris and my favorite brightly colored Skirt Sports trucker hat.

I was able to wear my Skirt Sports Lioness Skirt in romance print with my ambassador tee and hat as I set my Marathon PR of 3:29:33 at this year's Hall of Fame Marathon! I crushed my BQ and we definitely celebrated with beers at Fatheads Brewery after! 

The Cleveland Marathon is always one of my favorite events of the year and I am lucky enough to be a race ambassador for them as well! This year I raced in my Skirt Sports Lioness Skirt in holiday print and my ambassador tank and trucker hat in nightdive print. The race started off very strong for me and I thought I was on pace for my second sub-3:30 but I struggled in the later miles and ended up with a 3:38 (still good for a 2nd BQ this year). It was fun to celebrate with Steve and my fellow ambassadors and friends after the race at the Great Lakes Brewing beer tent!

I raced the Eagle up Ultra in Canal Fulton for the first time this year and it was a great event! I opted for the 50 miler and most of the race went well for me, except one loop where I needed to walk about half of it to work through some issues. I ended up finishing first female in the 50 miler in 8:44 so I was definitely happy with my effort. It was great to have Steve and so many friends out there running and fellow Skirt Sports ambassador Mary Sutter even stopped by to cheer for me! My outfit was the Skirt Sports Lioness skirt in holiday print and Freeflow tank in black and my nightdive trucker hat. I got many compliments on the outfit!

I probably overdid it by racing the Charlevoix Marathon 2 weeks after the 50 miler. I did not feel the greatest during the race but I guess my Skirt Power helped me! I ran another 3:38 and managed 2nd in my AG and got a 3rd BQ this season! I ran in my Skirt Sports Lioness skirt in romance print with my freeflow tank in Razz and my Skirt Sports ambassador visor. My husband Steve set a new PR and also BQ'd so we celebrated afterwards at a local pub that had great IPAs...and food.

The Canal Corridor 100 Miler did not go as planned for me this time around. I completed 50 miles due to some foot pain and took the DNF. I wore my Skirt Sports Lioness in Wave print but I did not have my Skirt Power that day :(

The Potato Stomp 9 Mile run was my first race back after about 2 months off of working through foot issues so I was very pleased that I ran a 1:07 and placed in the top 5.  My Skirt Sports freeflow tank and Ambassador visor must have made me strong!

I had a tough day at the Northern Ohio 1/2 Marathon as I suffered through some nasty GI issues the day before and race morning as well as lack of sleep. How I was able to muscle through in a 1:46 I am not sure, but I looked like a zombie. I managed to place 2nd in my AG, which was a definite win for me on this day. 

The Run With Scissors Trail 1/2 Marathon was a blast. I dressed up like a Skirt Sports Unicorn and harnessed the magical powers to come away with the female win. Yay! My Take 5 tank in Temper Tantrum print made the outfit I think!

Not long after I ran the Conquer the Castle 25K Trail Run in Willoughby Hills and also enjoyed this race despite some bad GI issues leading into the race. I raced in my very cute Skirt Sports Lioness in Safari print and my ambassador tee and nightdive trucker hat. I ran as hard as I could and ended up with 2nd female overall so I earned myself a post race beer at Willoughby Brewing!

And finally I closed out the year at the Akron Hime Run for the Homeless Turkey Trot, where I felt like I was going to die literally of bad GI issues pre-race and somehow ran a semi-decent race. Good enough to win a turkey for 1st in AG 40-44! Once again I raced in my Skirt Sports Redemption capris to close out a very fun season of racing!

So there you have it - my first year as a Skirt Sports Ambassador is in the books and it was a good one. I am looking forward to racing in 2019 as a Skirt Ambassador again! Cheers!

Looking Back on 2017's Race Season

Last year was an interesting year for me. I basically ran a million miles training for spring and fall marathons and some crazy ultras like the canal Corridor 100 miler in July. I did not participate in any multisport races, which was weird since I have been doing tris since 2010. Here's a recap of my racing season below.

• Austin Marathon - This was an early season (February) marathon to see where the fitness was and start building up the mileage for the ultra training. The race went okay. I overheated and came in about 10-15 minutes slower than my goal, finishing in 3:50. It was at least a good training run and Steve and I got to experience Austin for a long weekend.

• Shamrock 15K - This is a tough early season road race around St. Patrick's Day with some good climbing. I was not feeling it before the race due to some "female issues" but was able to run decent anyways at about a 7:29 pace - good for 5th female, 1st in AG. 

• Run to the Beach 5K - I need to force myself to get in my speedwork sometimes so I signed up for this 5K to get in some fast running and test my fitness leading into the Hall of Fame and Cleveland Marathons. It did not go as well as I hoped. The last mile was more trail and beach running so I ended up running over 22 minutes on the course, which is not great for me. I ended up 3rd female overall with Steve also being 3rd male. The awards for this were pretty cool!

• Hall of Fame Marathon - This was one of those races where you can almost perfectly execute but still not hit your goal due to outside forces as with this case unexpectedly hot weather for April in Ohio. My goal was to PR with a 3:30 and I was on track until about 20 but just overheated, cramped and felt a little dehydrated. Steve paced me for this one and our splits were dead on for most of the race so this was disappointing to run a 3:46. Hint - PR will be one of my goals again for 2018. 

• Cleveland Marathon - This race went better for me than Hall of Fame. I really liked the new course. I thought it was a humid day and then of course the rain later in the race was not ideal. I was close to a BQ here with my 3:41 finish. This was my fastest time I've run in Cleveland so it was a good effort for me.

• Green Jewel 50K - This race nearly killed me. I was originally planning to run as a training run and then at the last minute decided to attempt to race albeit in the heat of June and on extremely tired ultra training legs. Not my best idea or effort. My first half was okay but the back half was not pretty. I added about a half hour to my time from 2016 finishing in over 5. Somehow I managed to win my AG but this was a rough one for me and so was the training run I had to do the next day!

• Canal Corridor 100 Miler - This race also almost killed me as you can imagine. I trained as much as I could for it and as luck would have it I got a bladder infection two days out from the race. That made for an even harder effort than it should have been. I debated dropping at mile 75 but somehow convinced myself to walk basically most of the final 25. I was glad to finish this one. It was hard earned and just an awesome and difficult experience. This was definitely the highlight of my season as was helping Steve with his BR100 finish! 

• Moebius Green Monster Trail 50K - I was probably still recovering from my 100 and then pacing Steve for his 100 but I decided to run this 50k in August. I really liked the course. It ended up raining for a while and making footing slick and then it heated up and got pretty hot. I ended up missing a turn on one of the loops and added an extra mile too. This is a nice, little ultra and I did better than I thought I did when I checked the results I was 3rd female.

• Potato Stomp 9 Miler - After a summer of slower running this was my first attempt back at speed. It's a great little race that draws out some competitive runners since they hand out cash awards to the top finishers. It's also a hilly road course. I finished 9th female and 5th in my AG (ouch) so I did not win anything this year with my pace of 7:39. 

• Northern OH Marathon - This race was in early October and I felt pretty strong but was having some low back/hip pain similar to the issue I had last fall. My first half was on pace at 1:46 but by mile 16 I knew it wasn't my day. I had to walk some to relieve the pain and I debated dropping out entirely. At mile 19 my friend saved me with some ibuprofen and I was able to run the last few miles. Still I think I walked almost 5 - leading to my slowest ever marathon time of about 4:30. It was still a finish and I am thankful I could suck it up and get it done. Needless to say I did not win my AG :(

• Beechbrook 5K - This was a last minute race and another opportunity to get in some speed work. It was a good weather day to race and I ran okay - finishing in 21:40ish and actually placed first female, which was a nice surprise. This was fun because my friend and fellow marathon ambassador Steph finished 2nd!

• Buckeye 1/2 Marathon - This was the first 1/2 marathon I've raced in a while and I forgot how much they hurt. I had set a goal to break 1:40 but was unsuccessful - finishing in 1:41 and 3rd in my AG. The two runners ahead of me were both within a minute so at least I was close.

• Made in America 1/2 Marathon - This one kicked my butt. I liked the course it starts with rolling hills on the road and then the rest is on the Towpath. I really faded at the end but I held on to run 1:39 and change so I was happy and I won my AG so it was a good race for me! 

• Bills Badass 50K - Bills is a tough race that follows the Perkins loop of the CVNP. The weather was pretty dreadful as it ended up being rainy and muddy. After 3 of the 6 loops Steve and I decided to call it a day and head to the Winking Lizard to warm up and refuel. Kudos to all who stuck it out and finished this one. This was my one DNF of the year. Some days are just better running days than others. 

• Home Run for the Homeless 4 Miler - This was my first time running Akron's famous turkey trot, which is a challenging 4 mile course. Cool temps and hills made this one a toughie. I was hoping to be a little faster than a 6:57 pace but was happy to place 3rd in my AG. There is some strong competition at this race. Steve won his AG and brought home a turkey!

• Miracle on Erie Street 5k - This was the last race of the year and we decided to do it because they had a finish party at Willoughby Brewing after. I wasn't sure how it would go but I felt pretty good for most of the race and was able to win the female race in 21:07. It was a nice way to wrap up the year.

My plans for 2018 are still in development but I will write a post in the next week or two with an update. I plan to add multisport back in so that I am cross training regularly and not just running 24/7. I'm excited about next season and building my base as we speak for spring marathons!

Training and Racing Update - from Rainy Trail Runs to Fast, Fun 5Ks

It's been a busy few weeks of training and racing and I've been all over the place just enjoying the run again. Here's what I've been up to:

1) Bills Badass 50K

A week after the Made in America half marathon my husband Steve and I took on the famous Bills Badass 50K trail ultra in the CVNP trails of Peninsula. This is a not a race for the faint at heart. We had decided to run it together since we had both been nursing injuries (bad hip for me and ankles for him). It was a miserably rainy day and the 5 mile loop we had to run several times was a real doozy with multiple stream crossings (some deep enough to be level with my hip) and some gnarly, muddy uphills and downhills.  3+ hours of running and slipping and sliding was enough for us and we made the decision to just do 25K of the race and call it a day. It was lovely to see a couple of our favorite local RDs Wild Bill and Rich and all the crazy runners who came out to run on a tough day! Getting changed into dry clothes and refueling at Winking Lizard Peninsula after the run was glorious!

BBA50K 

2) Home Run For the Homeless 4 Miler

We earned our turkey by racing the Akron Home Run for the Homeless 4 Miler! This was our first time running it and it is a tough course! I nearly died the last mile. I wanted to break 7-minute miles and I was barely able to do it finishing in 27 and change (6:58 pace). I was happy to place 3rd in my AG and win some Smuckers Jam since this is a bigger, competitive race and I did not feel too great during the run. Steve won his age group and won a big turkey so that was exciting!

Post race with my jam

3) Vertical Runner Trytophan 2 hour Run

Each year VR sponsors this run the weekend of Thanksgiving and I have wanted to make the event every year but have had things going on. This year Steve and I put it in the plan and went out to support VR since they are a sponsor of the Snakebite Racing team and some of our friends would be running there as well. Our plan was to get in an easy 12-14 miles and then grab a coffee with my friend Stephanie. I ended up running a little harder than I planned but I felt good. We decided to run the 4 mile loop as many times as we could and for each completed loop we would get 4 tickets for a chance to win prizes from VR after the run. The first loop we went out about a 7:15-30 pace slowing a little to 7:40ish second loop and then I kindof bonked and we averaged about an 8:30 for the last loop and finished with a cooldown mile for a total of 13 miles in 1:45. So it ended up being a nice training run and I won a hat in the drawing! After we had coffee with my friend Steph we headed over to Hudson's for breakfast with our friends Tracy and Paul and Hasani. That food hit the spot and no it did not involve adult beverages! That was later ;)

4) Miracle on Erie Street 5K

Last but not least Steve and I decided to run the Miracle on Erie Street 5K in downtown Willoughby last Saturday. With nice weather, an 11am start and a free beer from Willoughby Brewing after, this race was made for us. Plus it was nice to go "home" and see many of our friends from Northeast Running Club. I wanted to push myself and see what I could do but I was really sore from my first Barre class I had taken at Tru Barre in the Valley two days before so I was not sure how it would go. I lined up in the front of the pack and a couple other females were there too. Starting out two others were in front of me for about 1/2 mile but I thought the pace was too slow and passed them. I was shooting for 20:59 or 6:45 pace and I was pretty close. My first mile was a 6:46, second mile was a 6:50, last mile was a 6:47 and I just tried to hold on for the last .1. I was excited to break the tape as the first female finisher with my time of 21:07, 6:48 pace. I'm very close to my goal and think it will happen soon. For the win I received a stocking with "First Female Overall" on it and a mini Christmas tree to decorate but the best part was the free beer at Willoughby Brewing! It was nice to see our Snakebite Racing teammate Natalie and our friend and RD extraordinaire Rich.

Post race with Natalie and Steve

What's Next? 

Since then I've been running pretty well but cycling a good deal more and doing barre and strength work. I am trying to lean out now for vacation and spring marathon training so that I will be faster next season! I am excited for next season and looking forward to a long off-season. I may do another race or two if weather allows but after New Years Eve it's the off-season and I am not racing again until March! This is a much needed off season since I have run high mileage most of the year prepping for marathons and the 100 miler.