Late Summer Race and Training Update

Summer is flying. I can't believe it's almost Labor Day already! Where does the time go? I've had a pretty good training cycle for Erie. I'll be doing one final race this weekend to prepare, which is the Moebius 50K in Aurora, OH. I ran this a couple years back coming off of my 100 and pacing Steve for BR so hopefully I'll be a little faster this time - although my main goal is to get in one last kick ass workout leading up to race day at Presque Isle in a couple of weeks.

A few weeks ago I raced the Hofbrauhaus Half Marathon in Cleveland and that went pretty well. Despite some nasty cramping the last few miles I set a new personal record of 1:37 and change and although the course was a smidge short I am counting it :) I was able to grab 1st in my AG in that race and enjoyed the post race beer in the mug that they gave me for winning the AG. Steve also set a new smoking fast PR of 1:25 and change and won his AG. That's a pretty good birthday present! After the post-race party there we headed over to Masthead Brewing with friends for lunch and another pint.

post race celebratory beer at Shot in the Dark!

Next up was the Hermes Shot in the Dark 4 mile race in downtown Cleveland. I was not sure how I would do in a night race but it went better than I expected especially because my warm-up was so crappy! I took off fast with a 6:23 first mile then slowed down when I realized this pace would crush me for 4 miles. I had some GI cramps last mile or so but was able to stay on a 7 flat pace to finish it up in 27 and change (6:54 pace) and finished first female (woohoo)! The post race Great Lakes Holy Moses was refreshing after that warm sufferfest. Steve ended up placing 3rd male and we both won gift certificates to Winking Lizard and Dicks as well as a bottle opener (you can never have too many of those). The morning after the race we suffered through a hot and painful 20 miler but got it done ending the week with about 60 miles.

Last week was a little lighter and partly because my long run Saturday was a fail (was going to do 18-20 but dropped at 11 due to a tight hamstring). This week I will get in about 20-25 before Moebius and then run my 31 there to end the week with 50-55 miles before starting the taper for Erie! I am actually looking forward to the taper I think, which is weird for me but will see how I feel closer to the race.

The next post will probably be an update about Erie so wish me luck!

Kicking off the 2019 Training and Race Planning!

It's January, which means the race planning for 2019 is in full swing. I am thankful to once again be on board as a Cleveland Marathon ambassador as well as a Skirt Sports ambassador! I'm also excited to run the Boston Marathon for the second time this spring!

Save 10% off registration with code PM2019!

My marathon training is underway and I must admit I'm having a tougher time getting into it physically and mentally this year. In addition to my foot injuries last summer, I had some health issues in the fall and I am still not feeling 100% myself. I have lacked my normal strength and energy levels, which means some of my workouts have suffered or been postponed. I am doing my best to get in my planned mileage and workouts. I hope in the coming weeks I will feel stronger and more confident in my training.

I must accept that as an athlete there will be ups and downs. Clearly I am in a down period at the moment but this too shall pass. I am strong and I will persist! I am planning a fun race season and will do my best every time I toe the line (even if that means not being as fast as I want). I would love a shiny, new marathon PR in the spring but if it does not happen I can try again in the fall...or next season.

Here is what I have planned out for 2019 so far:

The season will most likely start with the Hinckley Buzzard 25K in mid March unless I jump into something sooner to test my fitness.

My big race in April will be the Boston Marathon of course!

May will be the Cleveland Marathon about 4-5 weeks after Boston. If you are thinking about running feel free to use and share my code PM2019 for 10% off your registration.

In June I will be running a new race called The Forgotten 25K followed up with the Eagle up 100K in (if I can swing it otherwise I will run the 50k or 50 miler).

I am leaving July and August open for now for recovery and lots of summer bike rides! I may sign up for a 1/2 marathon and some shorter stuff to help with my training for the Akron Marathon in September but will play it by ear. I then have Doan Creek 25k in early October.

The rest of the year is TBD or rest if needed. As much as I wish I could commit to more I am learning that my body needs some rest periods too. I will wait and see how I feel later in the year. At minimum I hope to run the Akron Turkey Trot and maybe a Christmas and/or New Years race.

What races are you planning in 2019?

Canal Corridor 100 Prep

Pre-run selfie with Stephanie

The last week and a half I have been winding down my training for the quickly approaching Canal Corridor 100 mile endurance run. I completed my last long run last Sunday on the Towpath. My friend Stephanie ran the first 15 with me and I did another 5.5 before calling it a day. It was a 50 mile week, which seemed light compared to the previous week which was about 85 miles with two long runs.

This week is lighter with probably less than 30 miles of running. I kicked off the week with a 90-minute recovery ride on my bike on the Towpath and have just been doing one short run a day of 4-5 miles. I got in an easy 30-minute spin at lunch today and plan to run a short one tomorrow along with some core work and maybe 8-9 miles of running Sat or Sunday.

Next week will be very light with just a couple easy shakeout runs and a couple of rest days before the race, which is Saturday, July 8. I have been so nervous about getting injured with the higher mileage of 75-100 miles week of running so I have kept all of my runs easier in effort and I feel pretty good aside from an occasional ache here or there.

Now I am focused on shopping for and packing up the gear I need to have with me during the race and for my drop bags. I am trying to get mentally prepared to take on this big challenge. I feel like I have done a good amount of physical prep for the race but I also know that a lot of the outcome will be not based on my physical strength but more on mental strength and my ability to stay strong and keep calm even if the shit hits the fan so to speak.

I am stalking the weather and of course worrying that it will be too hot (high 80s) and that they show thunderstorms. Still we are more than a week out so I am hoping for more favorable conditions!

I have to check in at the race start at Lock 3 next Friday after work then head home to eat a good meal and attempt to get some sleep. I need to be back at the start to check in around 4-4:30am and the race starts at 5am. It's going to be a long day at the races!

I have no idea what to expect from myself time wise. We get 30 hours to complete the race. Essentially you can power walk it if you want to. I would like to run as much as I can with scheduled walk breaks. The goal is really to survive this and cross the finish line as quickly as I can without injuring myself. I will be taking a longer break from running after this event - it may be two weeks before I am back out there. Only time will tell.

I'll be posting updates online as I can and I am sure Steve will be posting too. He is allowed to pace me from mile 66-100 so it will be nice to have his company in those later miles. I am sure I will need all the mental support I can get! Please send positive thoughts and energy my way next weekend! And if you happen to be on or near the Towpath Trail you may even see me!

Part of the beautiful Towpath Trail I will be running on for 100 miles!

Nothing to it now but to do it! Send me good vibes!

Cheers to New Beginnings!

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

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

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

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