Cleveland Marathon Weekend and Race Report

There are so many things that I love about the Cleveland Marathon! It's not just a race. It's a whole weekend of festivities with terrific people - the Marathon staff, my fellow ambassadors and tons of friends that are either running or fanning at the race. This means it's one of my favorite events of the year and I am always a little sad when it's over.

My husband Steve and I kicked off race weekend with a visit to the race expo on Friday late afternoon and got to see many of the staff, ambassadors and friends. The expo is always fun and there are some good deals to be had for us gear-loving runners! They also setup some pretty cool photo opps as well.

After that we headed over to the Hyatt Regency Arcade to get changed out of our casual clothes and grab a drink at the hotel bar until it was time for the annual Cleveland Marathon VIP dinner.

The VIP dinner is always a great time and I am glad that they include all of the ambassadors because it's a chance for us to chat about the race and our goals and to cut loose and have a good time together before the races begin. Here are some pics from this year's dinner. The one on top is of the race ambassadors. Can you pick me out? The one below is of my hubby and me.

Saturday was a relaxing day for us as we got all the housework and shopping done and picked out our race day outfits and made sure to carb load on some healthy, tasty food and maybe a beer or two.

Sunday morning we were up at 4am to get dressed, eat and get out of the house around 5. Because Steve was pacing the 3:35 group we had a parking pass for W. 3rd street right by the finish, which was nice! We ended up arriving around 6 with traffic and headed over to the start about 1/2 mile away for pre-race photos. Here I am below with the race ambassadors. Do we look excited?!

Unfortunately it was raining all morning and for much of the race but that didn't stop us from running and having some fun. I really felt great for the first 8-10 miles but I could feel the fatigue in my body and I was fighting a piriformis issue this week so I was forced to back off from running 7:50-8 min pace to 8:15-8:45 pace for the back half of the race. Steve finally passed me around mile 18 or 19 and I just tried to stay focused and keep on my pace. It was a hard fought finish of 3:38:10 for me (about 9 minutes slower than my HOF marathon time a few weeks back).  But this is still the best Cleveland marathon race I've run yet (course PR) and a second BQ for me in the last three weeks. I definitely am happy with that! Thanks to my friends out cheering on the course yesterday and taking these photos! The top one was taken by Elizabeth Miceli and the bottom was taken by Lesli Barni. I got a lot of great comments on my new Skirt Sports Lioness Skirt in holiday print!

After the race we headed over to the beer tent for our free Great Lakes Brewing beer! You can't beat a great race followed up with a good hoppy beer. We ran into many friends at the post race party including some Snakebite Racing teammates and CTC friends and my friend and fellow ambassador Stephanie below (bottom picture) who had a pretty big PR and our NERC friends Julio and Rosa (top photo) who also both had PR races! It was a great day to run for sure!

Finally Steve and I stopped on the way home at Winking Lizard for a late lunch and post race celebratory beer together.

It was a busy and fun Cleveland Marathon race week and I can't wait to do it all over again next year! Who's with me? Oh and check out this awesome medal below! I'm a little sore today but it was definitely worth it!

It's Cleveland Marathon Giveaway Week & Quick Training Update

January is nearly gone and before we know it May will be here! And you know what May is right?! On May 20th I'll be running the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon with my fellow marathon ambassadors including my friend, running buddy and craft beer snob in the making - Stephanie Itibrout who writes a blog called Run away from Trouble (@itibrout on IG) and about 20K other people!

Are you thinking about running Cleveland this year? If not you should be! If so, it could be your lucky week! Stephanie and I are both giving away free entries this week to the Cleveland Marathon race of your choice. You can go long with us and run the full and then drink a tasty Great Lakes Brewing beer in the beer garden post race, or run the super fun half or 10k - totally up to you (and there is still beer available after these races too)! All you need to do to enter my contest is leave a comment below. One lucky winner will be announced on Sunday via the blog and my social media channels! And if you don't win - no worries...you can still save! Use my code PMCLE10 for 10% off your registration!

To enter Stephanie's contest head on over to her blog and enter there as well because two chances to win are better than one! Plus you should follow her because she is fun and is always getting herself into crazy exploits like running the Burning River 4-person Relay this summer!

In terms of my marathon training so far I'm feeling pretty good. I have been getting in speed work and my long run every week as planned (including sprinting 12 x 400 last Tuesday and 16 miles at a 9:00 avg yesterday on the roads in Akron-Peninsula). I ended the week yesterday with 46 miles of running so I am taking my time to build up the run mileage. I'm also cycling quite a bit usually between 75-100 miles a week, swimming and doing core work such as lifting or barre. More to come on the training but for now enter the giveaway!!!

Dreaming of summer running days w/ Steph!

Cleveland Marathon Race Report

It was a very busy and exciting Cleveland Marathon race weekend this year! I finally got off the plane Friday from California around 7:15PM, hurried up to change into a dress and head downtown directly to the Marathon VIP Reception. It's always wonderful to see my fellow race ambassadors and their significant others as well as the marathon staffers. Although we were later to arrive than I hoped it was a fun and exciting night. Shortly after taking our annual group photos, my friend and fellow ambassador Melissa's boyfriend surprised us all and proposed right there in front of us!

The following day there was lots to get done including unpacking, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, hitting the race expo to pick up our bibs and goodies and then we had my Aunt Shelly's surprise 60th birthday party at 5:00. We got home around 8:00 and finished getting our stuff ready for an early race morning.

4:15am Sunday came early and we were up getting ready to race. I had been worried about the weather and how I would run all week. I had been pressuring myself to get the BQ again this season. The night before I decided if a BQ happened it happened but there is much more to running than that and certainly much more to life. There are the friends and family that make us feel special and inspire us so I decided to make my race about more than a BQ. I wrote down the names of my friends and family members that have had cancer and I dedicated the race to them. Perhaps that helped me to have a better race then I would have otherwise...

Prerace with fellow ambassadors

Steve had to be downtown by 6 to pace the 3:35 group so we got here early enough that I was able to see many friends before the race including most of my fellow race ambassadors. I even made the pre-race photo this year! Around 6:45 I ran over for one last potty break before lining up in the corral with the 3:35 group. Instead of worrying myself I tried to take in all the excitement.

The first couple of miles didn't seem too bad to me and then I started to feel hot and labor on some of the hills. I thought to myself this is not good. It's too early to work this hard...you're doomed! Then I told myself to just be quiet and steady. I got a pick me up around mile 8 or 10 when we saw our friend and Snakebite Racing team member Eric fanning in his speedo and cowboy hat!

Focused on the finish!

Around the halfway I just started running out of steam. I am not sure why. I decided to allow myself to slow down a little. I thought who cares if you can't hold onto the pace group you can just run alone at your pace. That's not that bad. So that's what I did. I held on and worked quietly at the pace that felt right for me. Before I knew it I was on mile 19 and I was working through the fatigue. I never really bonked. I never walked - just stopped for a quick drink or gel as needed. Most of my late miles were 8:40ish versus the 8:10 I hoped for but I did what I could do. There were more Snakebite, CTC and other friends out on the course cheering so it really helped me stick with it. I want to say thank you to everyone that volunteered at the race or came out to cheer. The crowd support was really solid this year!

The last few miles I thought I still had a chance to BQ so I ran my heart out and came up a little shy with a 3:41:21 - less than a minute and a half off. I finished with mixed emotions over doing my best but not succeeding at the BQ. In the end this was still a Cleveland course PR for me and it's the second fastest 26.2 I've run out of about 15 now so I am happy with my effort.

The weekend went so fast and there was so much excitement. After the marathon my friend Dan and fellow ambassador Stephanie got engaged also! You may have seen the video. It was super cute. He waited for her at the finish line and proposed right there! Even if she didn't have a PR this year I know she'll never be able to forget this year's race! And it brings me back to my point that there is more to running than just the numbers and the goals. It's the people we meet that become our friends and sometimes significant others that really make these events special. In fact when Steve and I first met our first official date was on my birthday several years ago at the Perfect 10 Miler race. Who would have known that running would bring me my very best friend and husband?!

I'm sure I will be back next year for another Cleveland Marathon - and with the extra 5 minutes I'll have to qualify for 2019 maybe I can actually BQ. Or maybe I will just run it for fun. I guess we'll see. I'm not giving up on that second BQ. I know it will come but now I have to switch my focus entirely to training for the Canal Corridor 100, which is only about 6 weeks away...eek! I have the Green Jewel 50K next, which I will likely use as a training race versus racing it. I need to practice my 25 minute run/5 minute walk approach for the big race! Plus I will have to get in another long run on Sunday.

The hard earned 40th anniversary medal! The race started just before I was born in 1978!

Cleveland Marathon Contest Winner and Training Update

Last week I posted my Cleveland Marathon giveaway and there were a lot of runners hoping to win an entry. I wish I could give one to all of you but unfortunately I can only give away one entry. To make it fair I also use Random-ize.com. This year's winner is ChelseyKelsey! Please reach out to me and I will give you your code to sign up for any Cleveland Marathon race distance of your choice. I hope that you have a fabulous race! For everyone else, keep following along with the ambassadors each week leading up to the race and there are still many entries to giveaway!

As far as my training goes, I got in another great effort last week of 71 miles, including my first 20 miler of the year yesterday! When I started the long run I felt awful and wasn't sure I was going to get it done but I stayed strong mentally to overcome the physical struggles I was dealing with (mainly GI issues but also a headache and some fatigue). The second half of my run went much smoother and I was able to get in some fast miles at the end. Today, I am resting and not running. I will do an easy spin on the bike just to get the legs flushed out and ready to run in the morning. 

My husband and I planned a last minute trip to Austin, TX in a couple of weeks and we we learned that the Austin Marathon was still open we signed up! Of course I am excited and nervous! This will be a good early season test of fitness and it's always fun to run a marathon - especially in a new city and when there's an Oskar Blues beer tent at the finish! Since we're running the marathon we're tapering back the next two weeks, which is always bittersweet. I know my body needs the break but those taper days can be a challenge. Wish me luck! 

Congrats to Random-ize.com winner ChelseyKelsey!

Cleveland Marathon Training & Race Giveaway

It's that time of the year again... I am all signed up for the RiteAid Cleveland Marathon! It's become like a right of passage into spring for me. This race was my first half marathon in 2008 and then my first full marathon in 2010 so I have many fond memories of running through the streets of Cleveland each year in the Cleveland Marathon!

Some years I've PR'd the course and other years like last year I've hardly survived. This year I will be running the HOF marathon a few weeks before to get ready for what I hope will be a strong 26.2 in Cleveland! So far my training has been going really well so I'm excited to see how I will do!

This year is the 40th anniversary of the race so they are giving away some really cool swag including a nice commemorative key chain to all participants and as always each participant will receive a high-quality tech tee and access to the fun after party! Want to join me and race on May 21? As an official ambassador for the marathon, I have a free entry to give away to the race distance of your choice. Simply leave a comment on this post and I will randomly select a winner next Monday. Goodluck and Happy Running!