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!

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!

20 Mile Drop Race Report

Last Sunday was a good running day for me! Sure the weather conditions to race the 20 Mile Drop were not ideal but what choice did I have? I needed a fast 20 mile training run for my marathon in two weeks and I had already payed for the race and stayed at a hotel in Mentor Saturday night with my hubby who was also planning to run the race. So even though it was dreadful (pouring rain and around 34 degrees when we got up in the morning) we bundled up and made the drive to Fairport Harbor at 6am where we would catch a bus to drive us to the Chardon Square.

On the bus we ran into our friend Deb (from Cleve Tri Club) and chatted with her about the race and other stuff going on this season so the time went pretty quickly. Once we arrived in downtown Chardon I needed to use the porta-potties along with most of the other runners so there was a 10 minute wait and the rain was coming down hard. I had a poncho on to try and stay semi-dry before the race start and the grass we were standing on was wet and muddy so I tried to keep my feet as dry as possible. I hate starting a race with cold, wet feet!

The downhill part of the big Chardon hill!

The start was kindof a mess for me. I came out of the bathroom and panicked a little because I saw everyone walking on the other side of the Square and I was afraid I would miss the start so I quickly ran over and put my gels in my Capris (Skirt Sports Pocketopia Capris) and set my watch and removed my poncho. Then we were off. It was cold and rainy so I went out fast around a 7:15 first mile just to warm up. The race loops around the square before it heads towards to bike path in Chardon. Once I got onto the bike path I was already getting warm and fussing with my arm warmers to remove them (while running) as well as tucking in my baselayer tank (Skirt Sports Free Me Tank). Once I was situated I was able to settle in for the first big climb in Chardon. Ouch! That one is a doozy!

I didn't really feel cold since I was keeping a 7:30 pace for these early miles and I just tried to stay focused - taking in a gel about every 40 minutes. Miles 8-11 or so were pretty hard mentally for me. I felt like crap running through Quail Hollow and then there is a big climb in Concord by the exploration center where I stopped to take a salt tab. Part of me had wanted to drop out at the 10 mile point but I knew I needed the run so I pressed on. Once I got to the Greenway Trail I felt better and since I spent so many miles over the years we lived in Mentor running on this trail it felt familiar and good.

I decided to see if I could hit the half marathon mark around my normal pace of 1:39-1:40 and I did so then I told myself to see if I could just hold it until 25K and I did. I was passing some of the 10 mile runners and then more and more and I just told myself to keep hammering the pace because it's only 4 miles and then I can get out of the rain and wet clothes. The last couple of miles were physically hard because my quads were cramping up some and I was tired but I was able to keep my pace between 7:40-7:55 through the finish. I knew I was in first place for the 20 miler so I was excited to hit the finish line and hear my name announced. I finished in 2:34 and change so a good time for me average pace of 7:43 and my splits were pretty consistent through the whole race.

post race with some cash! Woohoo!

My husband Steve had a good race too and finished 3rd place with a time of 2:19. We both won some cash and got a finisher cup along with our awesome medals. I was excited to get dry clothes on and then head back to our hotel for a hot shower. We went to lunch at Willoughby Brewing and had a very hard earned post race hoppy beer and some food!

I am excited to see how the Hall of Fame marathon will go next weekend! I feel like I am ready for another BQ  and hopefully also a PR! Right now the weather looks ideal (low 40s high of 60ish). I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way! You never know with the stupid weather we've had this spring in Ohio!

Now I just need to taper, stay healthy and wait for the big day next Sunday. Wish me luck!

Run for Home Half Marathon Race Report & Training Update

Sunday my husband and I raced the Run for Home Half Marathon in New Philadelphia, OH. It's been years since I have run this one and I'm happy to say that it was a course PR for me and an unofficial half PR as well (course was a little long).

It was a chilly morning but once we got in our 2 mile warm up I felt okay. My only real issue Sunday was that I had some GI distress before the race that lingered in the later miles of the race as well even after taking the trusty old Pepto.

Racing in Skirt Sports Redemption Capris & Truker Hat!

The start of the race is next to the stadium at Tuscora Park and I lined up near the 1:35 pacer. My goal for the race was 1:40 or better since this is a hilly course I wasn't expecting to PR. My previous course PR here was 1:45ish. As the first few miles ticked off I felt pretty good and was running around 1:35 pace (7:15s). I was able to hold this pace until about the half way point where it starts to get hilly and then I started to slow down a little to 7:20s and 7:30s, which was ok with me.

Around mile 8 or so I started to experience some GI stress again and had some nasty stomach cramps a couple times throughout the rest of the race that forced me to take a couple of short walk breaks. I was not happy about this but what can you do when you are in pain besides try to ease up?

I tried to stay steady and I feel I held back the last few miles a bit more than I would have needed to without GI trouble, which really stinks because I only lost 1st in my AG by 1 minute and 19 secs and she passed me with maybe 1-2 miles left in the race. I ended up 2nd in AG, 6th female with my race time of 1:40:19. My actual 13.1 time was 1:39:14 (7:35 pace), which would have been a slight PR for me! So despite a challenging course and GI issues I still had a good race and I'm happy with the effort!

Post race AG trophies for the two of us!

My hubby Steve also had a strong race running a 1:29:14 race time (real time of 1:28:12) for 6th male and 2nd in his AG also! We celebrated by going to FatHeads in Canton for some hard-earned hoppy beers!

My recovery this week has been rapid, which is good because I am also racing the 20 Mile Drop in Lake County this weekend. It will be a great last hard effort for Steve and I before we race the Hall of Fame Marathon April 29 because this one is a real quad buster! I'm hoping to have another good race even if it is supposed to be a rainy day (who knows maybe it will force me to run faster!?!)

As far as training last week I was a little under my goal but got in 45 miles of running, 53 miles of cycling and 2 strength workouts. This week I am hoping to get in 45-50 miles of running, 70-80 miles of cycling with 2 strength workouts.

My taper for Hall of Fame starts Monday but next week I will still be cycling a lot early in the week especially as I recover and just cut my running back to maybe 30-35 miles and try to get in 3+ strength workouts because the following week will be pretty light leading into the race. I hate tapers but they are a necessary evil!

I am looking forward to a little break in the racing in May until the Cleveland Marathon on May 20th! This is always one of my favorite races of the year because so many of my friends are out there running with me and Steve! If you need to sign up use my code (PMCLE10) for a 10% discount!

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

Buzzard Day 25K Trail Race & Training Update

Last weekend I made a last minute decision to run the Buzzard Day 25K at Hinckley Reservation. My long runs have been boring and uninspiring and I just wanted a change and wanted to support local race director Roy Heger so the hubby and I went to packet pick-up Friday after work and signed up. After a pre-race IPA we headed home to make dinner and get our race day stuff ready including the race day outfit! I picked out my Skirt Sports Redemption Capris and I also ran in my new Skirt Sports Super Girl tank albeit underneath two other shirts and arm-warmers and my sweet new trucker hat.

On race morning we got to Hinckley Reservation around 9am and since the 25K start is at 10am we had plenty of time to catch up with friends, get warmed up, etc. It ended up being pretty cold around the start like 25 degrees so I was glad I had brought arm warmers and extra layer shirt because I definitely needed it. We took off into a field to head into the trails and my eyes were watery and breathing a little strained from the cold but just for a mile or two. I took off around an 8-8:30 pace, which was comfortable - slowing down for hills, icy patches and other obstructions like trees.

I have not been trail running as much as I should be so I almost forgot how fun it is as compared to just hammering it out on the roads. I do like that too but this race made me remember why I fell in love with trail running. All the twists and turns and climbs and jumps and beauty of nature coupled with the exhiliration of running in the woods with a couple hundred other people and making friends along the way.

The first half went pretty smooth except I came to a section with signs pointing both directions and took the wrong turn, which added about a half mile to my day. I came into the first aid station and they told me I was first female but I didn't think much of it because in a longer race and especially on trails anything can happen. I've had some races where I faded at the end but fortunately this was not one of them! I felt strong throughout and the last few miles were not too bad for me. 

Post race with trophy in my Skirt Sports Hat & Capris

I loved the course! It was a mix of single track, bridle trails, grass and pavement so it was never boring and I enjoyed running the asphalt sections too because I was able to make up some time there. The last mile seemed to go on and on and there was a steep little climb right before the end but I was excited to see the finish with Steve and my fellow Cleveland Marathon Ambassador Eric Geyer cheering for me! Then of course I got to say thanks to my friend Rich who was doing the timing. Roy gave me a trophy for first female and Sydney brought me some hard-earned ramon noodles, which tasted very good after 16.5 miles of running! My time of 2:40 was an average of around 9:40 I think. I should have been about 2:35 or so without the bonus half mile so I'm happy with the effort. It was definitely not another boring long run!

Later on that afternoon we met up with my friend and fellow Cleveland Marathon ambassador Stephanie Itibrout for post race St Pat's day beers and dinner. It was an awesome St. Patrick's Day!

Steph celebrating with me at Ray's Place in Fairlawn

I ended the week with 38 miles of running, 45 miles of cycling and two core workouts so it wasn't a big week for me volume wise and I think that helped my effort.

I opted for cycling on Sunday along with a recovery walk with the dogs and I also rode the bike yesterday. I did a short 3-mile recovery run this morning and an hour bike at lunch. I hope to start kicking the run mileage back up tomorrow. I am signed up for a 10K this weekend but I am not sure if I'll race it or not. Will see how I feel plus I think i need to focus on mileage more then speed this week. If I'm lucky I will get in a shorter long run Thurs or Fri and be able to race Sunday. Either way I'm getting excited because spring races are here and it's only 60 days until the Cleveland Marathon! If you haven't signed up yet feel free to use code PMCLE10 to save 10% off your registration. Oh and if you want to try anything from Skirt Sports you can use code 588McGo to save 15% off any regular priced items.

St Malachi 5 Miler Race Report and Training Update

It's been a few years since I've run the St. Malachi 5 miler, which used to be my season opener pretty much every year in my earlier 30s. This was my final one in this decade since I'll be 40 in August.

Rocking my Skirt Sports Redemption Capris!

My time of 34:35 is a personal best for me. I'm happy that I ran a good race for me and was able to place 3rd in my AG as well! This is the first time I've placed in my AG at this race because it's competitive and many talented local runners come out to test their early season fitness.

My result surprised me a little because my training has been spotty the last month or so. I was travelling for work back to back weeks and then last week I was nursing a hamstring injury until Thursday and only had a couple of easy test runs on Thursday and Friday. I did my best to rehab the hammy and taped it up with KT tape to stabilize the muscle. Fortunately this worked. I felt good the entire race and my first mile of 6:38 was a good start to the race. According to the splits, I ran a 6:41 for the first 2.5 miles and a 7:10 for the back 2.5 miles - averaging a 6:55.

It was great to see so many friends out running and winning AG awards including my other half Steve who also had a 5 mile PR with his blazing fast time of 30:49! After the race we headed over to Masthead Brewing to enjoy some post-race hoppy beer with some of our Cleveland Tri Club and Snakebite Racing friends. It was a great day all around!

So the race went better than expected this weekend...but my long run yesterday was a fail and I only got in 9 miles. My legs were just too tired and I didn't want to risk re-aggravating the left hamstring. Today I did 45 minutes of core this morning and plan to do an easy 15 miles on the bike at lunch. I'll hopefully be back to running tomorrow and really have to build up my mileage now since marathon season is rapidly approaching! I think we are 7 weeks out from Hall of Fame and 10 weeks out from the Cleveland Marathon! Eek! I still have some serious work to do!

Post race with my friend Sasquatch and hubby 

Building up for the Spring Racing Season

The new gym aka pain cave!

If you live in Ohio or anywhere in the Northern part of the country then you probably know it's been a cold and snowy winter so far meaning that most of my training has been indoors. When you work 8-5 in Ohio in the winter it does not leave a lot of daylight hours to get the weekday workouts done but that's no excuse to skip them. Thanks goodness my awesome husband Steve finished remodeling our basement into a nicer indoor gym we can utilize during these long, cold months! I'm also getting in outdoor training as the weather allows such as last week's thaw out.

I am excited to once again be back as a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador for 2018! I think this will be my fourth year as an ambassador and I always look forward to this race and seeing my fellow ambassadors. This year the race is on Sunday, May 20th and I will be doing a giveaway contest in the coming months so stay tuned for a chance to win an entry to the race distance of your choice!

In addition to Cleveland I will be running the Hall of Fame Marathon again as a warm up for Cleveland. I am hoping for better weather conditions this time around and a faster time! I will also try to get in some shorter races in February/March/April in preperation for the spring BQ attempts. Last year I missed by about a minute in Cleveland but since I turn 40 this year I now have an extra 5 minutes if I need it (yippee).

I also am planning a return to multisport racing this season since I am on a multisport team and all (Snakebiteracing). I missed the fun of triathlon last year and especially logging all the bike miles. I think I must have went a year without even swimming but I have been back in the pool at least once a week this month and will increase that frequency soon. I don't know exactly which races I will do yet but am considering a bunch of sprint to longer races. I also bought a new tri bike so that's exciting! I really love my new Blue Norcross SP Cyclocross bike so I purchased a Blue Triad SP tri bike. So far I really dig it and feel like I will be speedy on it  especially with my race wheels.

My new bike :)

Here's a glimpse of my training for the last couple of weeks below:

Week of 1/1:
1/1 - Bike 14, Run 3.5 easy
1/2 - Core for 40 mins, Bike 16, Run 6.5 Speed ( 5 x 5 @ 7:30-7:45 pace and 4 x 1 min at 5k pace)
1/3 - Run 4.5 medium effort
1/4 - Run 3.25 easy, Bike 21 medium, 45 minutes Barre class
1/5 - Run 9.5 medium effort
1/6 - Swim 1600m easy, Bike 26, lift 30 mins
1/7 - Run 10.25 easy
Weekly total: Run 37.25, Bike 77, Swim 1 mile, Core x 3 days

Week of 1/8:
1/8 - Core 40 mins, Bike 20
1/9 - Run 9.25 with speed (tempo run with 400s alternating pace MP, faster than MP), Core 20 mins
1/10 - Run 9.5 easy
1/11 - Run 4.5, Bike 14
1/12 - Run 5.25 easy, Bike 10
1/13 - Run 2.5, Core 40 minutes
1/14 - Swim 1300m, Bike 27, Run 10
Weekly total: Run 41, Bike 71, Swim 1300m, Core x 3 days

This weekend is supposed to be warmer so I am hoping to get my longer run in outside! We'll see how it goes. Happy training everyone!

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.

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!

Want to Run Faster Again? Me too!

If you read my last blog post you already know that I've been in a little running slump. For a couple of months things just haven't been easy for me and running. I've had some okay days and some crappy days. I ran an okay 9 miler in early Sept and was hoping for a good marathon Oct 1 but with hip/low back issues with my left side I was forced to back off and just finish that one as a training run. Then I sat out my planned trail 25K/50K. I just didn't have it in me to do it. When a last minute free 5K entry came along for the Beechbrook 5K I just signed up without even really thinking about it. I decided not to take myself too seriously. I figured it would be a small, low-key race and I could just run my hardest and force myself to get in some "speed work". This plan worked out well for me.

My husband Steve was also racing so we arrived early to get our packets and did a mile warm up followed by a few quick strides. The weather was pretty mild so I just raced in shorts and my Snakebite Racing singlet. I wasn't sure how it was going to go but that almost made it more fun. When the race started I just ran hard. Not overly hard to the point where I thought I was going to die just hard enough to feel the burn in my lungs, about a 6:40 mile. Mile two was in the low 7s and then I was able to run about a 7 flat for the last mile coming in at 21:43 (6:59 pace). Usually I am between 21-22 so this is good time for me right now. Last year when I felt a little faster I ran a 21:06 and a 21:09 about (6:48-6:50 pace).

With it being a small race I was able to win and take home a $25 fleet feet gift card. My friend and fellow Cleveland Marathon ambassador Stephanie came in second place so that was fun with us both doing well. Steve had a great race until the end he was in the lead and finished with a 19:01, good for 1st in AG, 4th male. Last year he ran an 18:05 as his fastest time so he is about 45-60 secs off his goal.

Steve and I have decided to include some more short stuff next year and work on our speed again versus just taking on long distance all the time. I'd like to run a 5K time of at least 20:45 next season and I think I can get there with some work. Steve would like to run a sub 18 and I think he can do that as well. This will be a fun challenge. For now I am focusing on getting healthy and strong and seeing what I can accomplish with 13.1 and under for the rest of the year.

So, if you find yourself in a running slump like I did - maybe the answer is really just to pick a shorter race and just limit your expectations and see what you can do. You might just surprise yourself!

Post race with the hubby and friends!

Northern Ohio Marathon Race Report - A Tale of Two Races

Some races just don't go as planned, which was the case with this year's Northern Ohio Marathon. This can happen for several reasons: weather conditions, illness or injury. For me, it's a combination of late season fatigue and injury. I've been dealing with a hip and lower back problem for the last few months. It's actually an injury that affected me late last season as well. I was able to do some rehab and correct it last fall/winter but in truth it is something that was still there (just not as bad).

According to my chiropractor and the x-rays taken this August, my left hip is rotated in about 20 degrees. While I am able to run okay for a while at times when I run long or fast I sometimes get a pinched nerve from the hip that feels awful - almost like sciatica. My left low back gets tight and the hip presses on a nerve that also affects my piriformis. This makes is pretty painful to run at times.

At Northern Ohio I had no ambitions of a PR but I did think I could run between a 3:35-3:45 without

These splits say it all!

too much trouble. And the race started out pretty well. In fact my splits through the first half were perfect. Even through 16 I was on track but the hip was not cooperating and I had to slow down in order to keep going - even walk at times.

This made for a very boring, frustrating and long second half of the race. Between 17-20 I could hardly run but I could walk pretty well. I had made up my mind that I would walk it in if I needed to.

My friend Brenda saw me walking and checked in on me a couple of times. The second time I saw her she gave me some ibuprofen, which I am sure got me through the final 10K. By mile 22 I was able to run again and run it in with some miles in the low to mid 8's, which helped me to bring my finish time down a little more than I thought it was going to be.

While this was a personal worst for me in the road marathon I am happy with the effort and the fact that I was able to finish even if it was a bad second half. Some days things just go wrong and all you can do is try to hang on and finish. Who knows maybe this race will make me stronger for the next one. It certainly has reminded me that I need a break too sometimes and that I am not super human as I wish I could be.

Following the race I went in to my chiropractor and I have started lifting a few days a week. I think this coupled with lower running mileage and more cross training will get me back to fighting shape for next season. For now I have altered my late season running plans. Instead of running Doan Creek 50K this weekend I bumped down to the 25K, which I think I can handle. I also signed up for a couple of half marathons and will likely sit out the Bills Badass 50k in November as well. My body just doesn't want the high mileage right now and I need to listen to it. For the rest of the year I will run for fun and not be too hard on myself with expectations.

I leave you now with the tale of two races:

First half:

Feeling good early on in the race!

Second half:

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!

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!