Wrap up & recap of 2019 Race Season

My last race of the season was this past Saturday at the Reagle Beagle 25k in Bath Township. It was a challenging and fun course and I was happy to walk away with the masters win and 5th female. Steve was also first master male and 5th overall. Many of our friends were there racing or volunteering and there was R. Shea beer at the finish so it was a good day all around!

The year went quick and it was full of highs and lows as most seasons are. Overall I had many successes including setting some new records in various distances, another BQ, some overall and masters wins and a lot of blood, sweat, tears and fun along the way. Here's a quick recap below:

March: ran the Leprechaun dash 5k in downtown Willoughby, took 2nd female won $40 and a pair of St. Patrick's Day themed Goodrs. Race started and finished at Willoughby Brewing so enjoyed a post race beer among friends. Next up was the Hinckley Buzzard Day 25K, which was a mudfest this year. I suffered and also managed a 2nd place finish. Finally March wrapped up with the inaugural Get Lucky 50K. It was my longest run for Boston Marathon prep and I managed a small PR of 4:37 and change and first female. Post race food and beer were provided at a tavern in downtown Canal Fulton.

April: ran my second Boston Marathon and it was not my day. Struggled with GI, overheated and walked some of the hills this year finishing in a 3:54. Decided to race the Canton Hall of Fame Marathon and try again for BQ, came up a little short at 3:42 thanks to a stop in the med tent around 16 for calf cramp. Managed 3rd ag versus 2nd in 2018.

May: survived the Cleveland Marathon. It was just way too hot to race the second half. Finished 4ish and enjoyed friends and post race beers. Raced the Medina 1/2 about a week later. Great and challenging course - also a hot day. Ran first half fast died on second half ending up around 1:44. Good enough for first in AG. Went to PJ Marleys post race for hard-earned breakfast and brews.

June: Eagle up 100k became 50 miler thanks to a really bad GI day. Not sure how I survived the 50 only adding maybe 10 mins from previous year. Still finished 1st female in 8:50ish. Then ran the inaugural Mingo Madness 15K, which was a tough and fun race. 1300 ft of elevation in 9ish miles. Manged 1st AG on dead legs.

July: Recovery month. Raced the Andrea Teodosio 5k in downtown Akron. Tried to remember how to run fast. Hot day. Ran 21ish, 1st AG.

August: this was a good month for me. Set new PR of 1:37:23 at Hofbrauhaus half marathon. Fun post race party with friends. Steve also PR'd and we we both won our AGs. Then we raced the Winking Lizard Shot in the dark 4 miler in downtown Cleveland. It was hot and I felt like hell before the race but managed to run 27ish and win female race! That was fun although running that fast hurts. Post race Great Lakes beer was delightful. Then ran the Moebius 50k as last long run pre-Erie. Twisted ankle then fell on 3rd lap so called it at 18 miles.

September: this was an up and down month. Erie went well. Although a little warm I felt strong and managed a little marathon PR too of 3:29:04 versus my 2018 time of 3:29:33. Got my BQ. Steve also PR'd so we celebrated post race. The Akron Marathon was not a success for me. I felt crappy early on in the heat and legs were flat and I cut it short to the half. A couple days later my sinus infection hit so I think I was fighting that during the race.

October: Rough month. Missed Doan Creek 25K due to being sick. Then ran the Crowell Hilaka trail half. Got lost on second loop so turned into a fun run but nice to run with and see so many friends.

November: The year ended on a positive note with Veteran's Day 1/2 masters win, good for $150 for me and also Steve won the men's! It was a tough, hilly course in the Ravenna Arsenal. Then the Reagle Beagle last week we both won masters again and it was about 1200 ft of gain. So, the legs are tired :)

Now I am ready for a break! I know Steve is too. We will recover in December and keep a base heading into 2020. Next season I will race less but longer beginning with Get Lucky 50k, Boston Marathon # 3, Cleveland Marathon, Eagle up 100K then Canal Corridor 100 round 3 in July. After that I will take a break and regroup for fall. I am debating a triathlon in September to mix it up but we'll see how my training goes.

Speaking of the Cleveland Marathon, I am excited to once again be a race ambassador! If you are signing up make sure you use code "RUNCLEPAM10" to save 10% off registration!

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!

11 Things Running 100 Miles Might Teach You

100 Miles gives you a lot of time to think. And to feel. And it's not just during the race. It's also the journey of getting to the start line. And then of course the finish line. Even then you may still think and feel things weeks later. At least that's how my experience was. It's hard to put into words what this accomplishment means. I finished something I worked hard for. It wasn't as fast or as glamorous as I had romanticized...but who freaking cares?! I did it! Here are some things I learned along the way that I hope may help you if you take on the 100:

1. Running 100 miles is physically hard - I know big surprise right? It is actually even more difficult than I imagined it to be. I don't mind physical suffering but this is a new level of discomfort. The longer you go the more things that may hurt along the way.

2. It's as much mentally difficult as physically difficult- Yep, the legs are fried long before 100 miles so the mind has to stay strong and tell the tired body to keep going.

3. Aid station volunteers are really angels in disguise - Without these volunteers these races would not be possible for most of us. They feed you, give you words of encouragement, fill your water bottles and sometimes even fix you so that you can continue on your journey. Running 100 miles will give you a deeper respect for the sacrifice these people are making so that you can succeed at achieving  your goal.

4. You can do it but you have to believe - Of course you hope you can do it when you sign up...but you don't really know for certain you can do it until you cross the finish line. Until that moment there is the belief that you can do it and the determination that you will do it.

5. Ultrarunners are good, caring people - You will meet some of the nicest, most supportive people on the planet during your race. Everyone cheers for each other and says good job or looking good, woohoo or whatever they can say to help you because they care and they know how you are feeling.

6. You will make friends - If you talk to people during the race you will have an instant friendship because seriously where else can you make friends as freaking crazy as you are that are obviously as addicted to running as you are?!

7. No, it's not boring - Seriously people there is too much to think about, people to talk with, food to eat, things to see, aid stations to visit and then of course aches and pains to keep your mind occupied. I don't recall boredom really ever being an issue.

8. Walking is okay and expected even - I mean it's 100 miles! You will need to take some breaks to drink, eat, change up the muscles working and conserve some energy. Walking in an ultra, especially 100 miles, is normal and encouraged. In fact many of the training plans out there and experienced ultra runners will tell you to practice your power walking skills too because it helps during the race.

9. Training is important but will only take you so far - a lot of things can go wrong during a race that lasts as long as 100 miles. You can't always train for every circumstance but you should try to get in a decent amount of running as per any beginner to intermediate 100 mile plan, figure out what fuels work best for you, gear, etc in advance of race day. Still it will be your utter determination that will carry you across that finish line because if everything falls apart you will still keep moving forward because you said you would.

10. It takes a village - Maybe some people can train alone for 100 miles or without anyone's support but I would day they are probably few and far between. For most of us it takes running friends, family support, understanding from your work, etc to see this thing to fruition. You need that support network to be successful.

11. Run often, run long, listen to your body and slow down - It's good to have a training plan but let's face it life happens. And aches and pains happen during training. It's okay to take a day or two off especially if something feels icky. Cross train or rest - it will only help you. But when you feel fine do not skip out on the training. Those double long runs really prepare your body (and mind) for what's coming. It build your strength and confidence. Also, most of your running should be easy, conversational pace running.