A love affair…

I was looking forward to having a long weekend to get plenty of miles in, but I cheated. I cheated on running with my bike. And I have to admit, I enjoyed it.

Back track, Friday after work I went out for what I thought would be a relaxing run,  I ended up doing more of a tempo run. I felt great, and since I can do the distance, I need to work on a quicker time. Saturday, after my morning class, Darren and I headed up to Eddy’s so he could finally get his bike. This is where it began. After numerous suggestions of things I think he may have needed, we got out of there and headed to South Mastick in Rocky River Reservation, my fav place in the parks. 12.5 miles later we were in love, with our bikes. I feel much better biking this summer compared to last, because I’m actually in shape, running and biking have turned my legs into beasts. Starving and energized we met up with my friend and her bf at Bonnie’s Lounge in Fairview Park later that night, good food and good company.

Sunday, usually a day I dread, was welcomed for once. We went and saw the Hangover 2. Good, still can’t decided if the first was better or not. Couldn’t waste the beautiful day, so we were out on the bike path again, this time south of Berea and into some not so populated areas. I won’t be going out that way alone any time soon. Only able to do 6. 5 miles, trying to beat the storm, but it still felt good to be out there.

Monday was my recovering day, I haven’t caught up on sleep since the Cleveland Half, leaving me exhausted, and my apartment starting to grow dust kittens. Ok, it could just be the fact that my cat sheds as much as I do, but I had a ton of things I needed to clean. Regardless, I had planned a productive day, until I found a stack of Runner’s World magazines and the Sex and the City marathon on tv. I did come up with some ideas for future races, more to come later this week! But an evening run was on the schedule and there was no way I could skip it after not running since Friday. Hello humidity! Probably one of the worst runs this year, overall I felt good, but couldn’t breathe. I was able to sweat out all of the bad food and drinks I had consumed this weekend.

Looking forward, this is pre-race week! The Girls with Sole 5k is Sunday. I’m hoping the humidity will calm down and the weather will cooperate. As of now it will be a low of 63 and a high of 77 with no rain Right now, it’s just carbo load, not a problem, and some easy mile the rest of the week.

Slowly becoming a runaholic…

Words can’t describe how excited I am for this summer and racing. But after taking a year off of running, I may have bitten more than I could chew. As I’ve mentioned, doing the Cleveland Half Marathon, was exactly what I needed to get back on the horse. I had originally planned four races between now and September. I won’t lie, I’m easily persuaded, and now have six, and looking for more. My aunt suggested the Columbus (Half) Marathon after I crossed the race in CLE. After looking into it, and loving the fact it is a fall race, I’ll be running that just five weeks after the River Run Half. Thinking I’d get bored in between and wanting to stay in shape, I was easily persuaded to do the Akron Marathon Relay with fellow Muskie alums (@mollyberries, @kimikay, @lilypea, @jess_rowland)

The gap between the Girls with Sole 5k and Duathlon is too much for me, so I’m looking into the Winking Lizard Shot in the Dark on July 16th, as well as possibly a race on July 9-10, any suggestions for races? And while all of these races I’ve lined up are great, I’m really looking forward to the River Run Half Marathon. Last year I rode in the Tour de Cure, a great experience for many reasons. This year I wanted to do something on my own, and call me crazy, but I prefer running a half over biking 30 miles. I’ve decided to run the River Run Half Marathon and raise money for Diabetes. The main reason I’m doing this is because my better half has Type 1 Diabetes, but he never lets that stand in his way. He lives life to the fullest and will let you know he’s always “having more fun than you.”

River Run Half Marathon, ADA Donation

So here starts my training for what seems to be an endless summer of races, but I’m looking forward to it.

Asics over heels

After a busy weekend, I’m looking forward to doing easy miles, and finally running after a week off. Saturday was filled with morning class and a wedding in PA, the night was filled with good food, good alcohol and a pretty handsome date. The downside of the night was my feet were not a fan of three inch heels, causing my left calf and arch to cramp up all night long. Lesson learned, don’t wear heels 6 days after running a half.

Luckily Sunday my feet recovered and I was looking forward to enjoying an evening work out. Made a stop at Eddy’s Bike shop in North Olmsted, looking for bikes for Darren, and I was sucked in to at least browsing the collection of items I would love to have. I ended up getting a CamelBak to take on the long, hot rides I plan on doing this summer. Can’t wait to try it out.

Then came the moment I’ve been waiting for, slipping on those muddy Asics and lacing them up to go for a run. Much more comfortable than heels. Legs felt great, and my body felt fully recovered from the half. Only thing I wasn’t used to was the humidity, what happened to spring? Looking into the forecast, I couldn’t let the good weather slip and headed out for a bike ride. Unfortunately the roads in the metro parks are filled with potholes and cracks. Looks like I’ll be sticking to the pathway until the roads are fixed. Next item I need to invest in..new biking shorts. The lack of padding doesn’t make for a comfortable ride.

Hello WordPress, I think we could be friends

I decided to make the change from Blogger to WordPress, for a few reasons. Blogger was down last week, and everything was slow for a while. The other blogs I’ve read seem so much more professional in WordPress, so if I can make mine look better, then maybe someday it will be better. I’m still in the process of figuring out how to use it, but I’m so excited to find out the hidden tricks.

This week has been busy without running, I’ve started up in my summer semester of classes, three times a week for the next month, then down to once a week until August. December is getting here so slowly, but the three letters MBA mean so much I can’t lose focus yet. I’ve added some more races onto my calendar and I’m excited to share those next week. I’m also starting a new challenge for the summer and fall that I can’t wait to share!
I’m officially starting training next week and I’m looking forward to it. It will be my last run free weekend as I’ll be in a four hour Saturday morning class, then headed to PA for one of the five weddings I’ll be attending this summer. Enjoy!

>What’s Next?

>It’s a weird feeling coming home from work and knowing that I didn’t have to do anything. No workout, no stretches, no ab crunches. For the first time since January, I came home, put on sweats, drank hot chocolate and caught up on shows. It felt great, and I wasn’t guilty because I knew I deserved a day off. I’m still sore today, which I expected, but not as stiff as I was yesterday. Yesterday my lower half felt like I had standing in an ice bath for hours, today I just feel blah. The lack of sleep, and mixed up eating schedule from the weekend has caught up, hopefully not breaking down my immune system too much. Good thing I don’t have to run all week, I think it would make me feel worse.

As I mentioned, I already picked out a half marathon. But I’ve researched some more and found some races I’m interested in doing this summer.

Girls With Sole  June 5th, Located in Rocky River, this race features a 5k and a 1 mile family run/walk. Any race in Rocky River, I will gladly sign up to do. This is my only free weekend in June, and what better way to spend it than running for a reason.

Huntington Duathlon  July 24th, Located in Bay Village, this race features a triathlon- 1/4 mile swin-12 mile bike-5k run and a duathlon-5k run-12 mile bike-5k run. I’m opting for the duathlon, and hoping it will be a success. This will be my first duathlon, but I’m sure not my last, and it’s a great way to make sure I get use of my amazing road bike.

Classic at Mastick August 10th, Located in Rocky River Metroparks, this race is a 5k and personal favorite of mine. I ran this in high school and college and even now that I’m old. It’s on a Wednesday night and you run through the metroparks, always motivation for me. It’s a good time and a great way for cross teams to see where they stand before season officially starts.

River Run Half Marathon September 11th, Located in Berea/Cleveland Metro Parks, this race is a half marathon through the metroparks, starting in Berea and going north. I picked this because it’s far enough away to give myself better training, it’s in the fall so it shouldn’t be too hot, and the elevation maps shows it is a consistent down hill, making for a quicker time.

With these four races, I’m hoping not only can I get into a quicker pace, but really enjoy running again. They’re spread out to give enough recovery time, but also I won’t feel bogged down each weekend with a race. I’m looking to do a race every month, but I’ll just have to see how the summer goes. My ultimate goal is to run a half marathon in every state, but I’m not trying to rush it. I’d like to do a half each spring and fall, but who knows, maybe I’ll get one in the winter, just have to find a warmer state to run in.

>13.1 Miles

>13.1 Miles. Months of training and nerves at their highest, I can’t believe that in a matter of hours, everything I had worked for came together and is now over. This is the experience of my first half marathon.

Sunday started for me at 3:15am. I was so excited/nervous that I couldn’t sleep any longer. Got up to take a shower and there was no hot water in my building. Looking back, I think it was a way to prepare me for the cold I would endure later on that day. The weather was a perfect, for me at least, this was going to be a good day. Melissa and I arrived downtown around 5:30 and met with my Aunt Lori who would be running with me. Just walking from the car to the stadium was unreal. I couldn’t believe that the day had finally come. It was great to see runners in every direction, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that I was doing my first half.

Between figuring out where I needed to be in the starting line, and visiting the restroom half a dozen times, the hour to wait until the official start time seemed like forever. We were all packed like sardines, waiting to get this thing started. It took about 10 minutes to cross the starting line, and I could begin my journey. The first mile or so was crowded and to me didn’t really count. There was no way you could get to your pace, and most of the time was spent dodging people trying to get into some open road.

Around mile two I was finally in my pace, sub 10:00. I didn’t have a goal time, but I was hoping to do a 10 minute pace and just finish. I think for the first time in my life I was ok with going that slow. It would be a long hard run, and after mile 10 I didn’t know what to expect, I’d never run that far. The next couple miles seemed to be going all well. I had a good pace and didn’t need to stop at the first drink station. However, I was trying not to let the amount of miles left get stuck in my head or else I knew it’d be downhill from there.

Between mile 4 and mile 8, I think I had the most activity/changes/whatever you want to call them. We got off of the main roads and started in on some side streets, the change of scenery was good, especially when I looked up right before the 4 mile clock and saw one of my best friends cheering for me. Such a great surprise, considering how early it was, and how iffy the weather had been all morning. I noticed the streets where beginning to show true Cleveland spirit with potholes at almost every step. In the game of trying to avoid other runners and the potholes that were like a hidden mine search on the ground, I noticed that my arch in my left foot wasn’t too happy about what I was doing. I just decided to ignore it and continue on.

Mile 5 drink station was well needed and somehow I lost my aunt. I knew the pace I needed to continue on so I kept going, thinking she was ahead of me. About a mile later she came up from behind and we were able to keep our pace and make it through the halfway point of the half. Quarter of full marathon down, but still had to spend another hour out on the roads.

Closing in on mile 8, my body was slowly starting to resist wheat I was doing. The pain in my arch was getting worse, my knees were starting to question if I could make it the whole way and my sides were taking turns cramping up. I did what I knew I was allowed to do, but wasn’t too proud of, I walked. Luckily a drink station was right around the corner and I was able to full up and get another mile in the books.

Looking back now, I don’t remember much of mile 8-11. I know that I slowed down, I was cramping and I had doubt that I would be able to make it. But I kept telling myself, Pain is temporary, pride lasts forever. I had come this far, I had to make it the whole way. The crowds were amazing, just when you mentally start to break down, they’d be cheering you on. One woman in particular would ride her bike to different spots throughout the race, holding up signs to cheer us one. The one sign that kept me going was along the lines of “millions of people didn’t wake up early when you were on the starting line today” Very true, this is what I love, this is who I am. I run, and I was determined to cross that finish line. Coming back into downtown, my aunt and I separated, but I started to think that after two miles, I would be a half marathoner. Not sure if it was the rain, wind or cold, but I started tearing up just thinking about all I had done to get ready. I was putting my all into this race, I wasn’t going to stop. The last two miles, I’m sure I had a steady 12 minute pace, at least it felt like it. I couldn’t open my stride, and there was no way I was going to have a sprint finish like I was able to do in college. Seeing the blue tower at that last turn was incredible. I don’t remember getting there but I crossed the finished line. 2 hours 15 minutes and 46 seconds later I had become a half marathoner. I was exhausted, sore and freezing. My aunt gave me a huge hug and I told her I wanted to do another one.

The feeling afterward was beyond what I had expected. I knew I’d be sore, I knew I’d be tired, but I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard for anything in my life. My arch and right knee are shot, along with many muscles in my legs being stretched and sore. But it’s a good pain, an “I gave everything I had and then some to make sure I crossed that finish line” sore. And knowing that I wasn’t in the shape I used to be in two years ago (Goodbye 7min. mile repeats) I think I did great.

So what’s next? I plan on taking this week off completely. As much as I’d love to hit the treadmill, yes, I’ve started to have a change of heart. I need time off to let my body heal. I’m looking forward to getting my road bike out and doing some cycling through the metro parks. I also plan on running another half in the fall, and of course I already have one picked out. After going online, I’m really interested in doing the River Run Half Marathon. It starts in Berea and goes through the metro parks and an almost continual down slope for the 13.1 miles. Sounds like a perfect run to do in the fall. I’m looking forward to doing some 5k’s and some possible 10k’s this summer. But one thing is for sure, I have no desire to run a full marathon….at least not this year.

My first race, at the Cleveland Marathon when I was 4 years old

My first half marathon, also at the Cleveland Marathon

>Speed is good for the legs, and good for the mind

>I did my first track workout yesterday….in about a year and a half. I used to do these probably twice a week during college and high school. Once I graduated and controlled my own training schedule, I didn’t seem as excited for this and brushed them off to the side. But one thing I miss is 200′s. It was a beautiful 80 degree day, something I am not used to, at least not since August.

We got 6 200′s in and it felt great. My thighs and calves were burning, but it is such a great feeling getting the speed workouts done. Even though I don’t get the mileage in, I know I worked hard. Speed workouts are also a great way to get your mind off anything. I honestly don’t think of anything while I’m sprinting. Compared to other days when I have miles of things to think about. These next few days will be runs in 2 or three miles. Then comes Sunday!

>It all comes down to this

>I can’t believe that the past four months have gone by so quickly. I feels like just yesterday it was 20 degrees and snowing. Ok, more like two weeks ago it was 40 degrees and raining. But the time has come. I’m about to start my last four workouts before the big race. I have to say that I’ve tried to get my mind off of it. I’ve also been taking a few days off to make sure my legs will be alright come Sunday. These next few days will be easy workouts and just getting my legs relaxed and ready. The weather is looking at a high of about mid 60′s and rain. It’s Cleveland, you can’t expect anything less. I’m also starting to get my delayed allergies, but I’m hoping with the rain the next few days, all of the pollen will be washed away. My aunt who is running the half as well, contacted me and would like to run the race together. This makes me feel much better, we’ll be able to pace and push each other to the end. Well, four days left. I hope all of this will pay off. I can’t wait for the feeling of accomplishment at the finish line.

>10 miles is well….10 miles

>I completed my first and only long run before the half marathon. Stupid for waiting this long to get a long run in, but honestly, I can’t do those for fun. I have mixed thoughts on the run and post run, so let me break it down for you.

The weather was almost perfect for running, sunny, mid 50′s, but the wind was cold and in some spots, I had to fight against it. The first half was great, except knowing in the back of my mind, this was going to take a very long time. I started to feel great and knew it would be worth it once I finished. But then on the way back in, my body started to question what I was doing, cramping up in my side and legs, I took many moments to stretch.

Seeing my car in the distance after what seemed like hours of being gone, I had the adrenaline to finish strong, even though my body wanted to shut down. I finished, and felt relieved, I did it. What an accomplishment. I had run 10.8 before….in a foot of snow, where my body was numb. But after feeling every ligament, muscle and tendon in my body, I knew I worked hard, and would feel the effects.

I made sure to drink water and gatorade after and decided it was worth it to break my carb diet with a chocolate and strawberry crepe. I did work off all those calories My legs felt like jello, my knees sore ( as they are after anything longer than 3 miles) and it felt great to sit in my car.

I feel better knowing what to expect, not only from the run itself, it’s going to be long, hard work, but it will feel great when I’m finished. I know my legs will be jello and I’ll be sore the next day. But I’m not as nervous anymore. I know I can do this, running is my thing.

>Nightmares, nerves and the unknown

>It’s hard to believe that in 10 days I’ll be running the most important race I’ve ever done. It’s starting to get to me. Every time I think about the race, my stomach starts to turn, I feel like I’m going to throw up and I panic. I get this feeling at the beginning of every race I do, usually only on the starting line though. Now, with under two weeks until the race, I get this feeling multiple times a day. It’s even starting to get to me in my sleep. I have nightmares of being at the race and it keeps getting delayed or I’m not in the right running clothes. Hard to run a race without your clothes, unless you’re the naked man in the Flying Pig race  this past weekend in Cincy.

My biggest fear is the unknown. No clue if I can do this or how I’m going to feel during the race. I got a treadmill workout in yesterday. Pushed myself, trying to find which pace I could keep for the whole race. I found my pace, slower than what many would like to be doing a half marathon in, but honestly, I just want to finish. 10 days left, and I’m all for the carbo load. I’ve picked up multiple sports drinks that I plan on using before the race. Here on out its a pasta diet, my favorite part of running.