tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88692872385039839502024-03-04T22:23:11.413-08:00Run Today Tri TomorrowRun Today Tri TomorrowPamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-32912147051167516922016-12-13T13:31:00.000-08:002016-12-13T13:31:29.322-08:00Recap of my 2016 Racing Season and a Farewell Blog PostIt's hard to believe it but this is the last post that I'm planning to write for Run Today Tri Tomorrow. Since I started the blog I've set and accomplished a lot of goals. I dreamed of running more marathons, an ultra and of completing an Ironman distance triathlon. I've done all these things and it's been a very fun and interesting journey. While I still plan to race for some time, I needed a change so I have launched a new blog that combines my love of running and tris with beer. Head on over there now to read it at: http://thehoprunner.blogspot.com/.<br />
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2016 went fast and so did my season. Here's a quick recap:<br />
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Multisport:<br />
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<li>I placed 2nd at the Great Western Reserve Olympic Tri</li>
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<li>I placed 3rd in the Munroe Falls Sprint Tri</li>
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<li>I had my best 70.3 run ever at IM Ohio where I ran 1:46 for a finish time of 5:38</li>
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<li>Milton Man Olympic Tri was rough and I was 2nd in AG</li>
<li>Nordonia Duo Relay - won co-ed although my bike time suffered due to a couple mechanicals</li>
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Running:<br />
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<li>I ran my second Green Jewel 50K and once again came in second place - albeit about 35 minutes faster this time thanks to better conditioning and weather conditions. </li>
<li>I ran my first Boston Marathon and it was an amazing and unforgettable experience. I will be back for more but unfortunately missed my BQ this year by few minutes. </li>
<li>I ran back to back marathons in Erie Sept 11 (3:44) and Lansing on Sept 18 (3:51). This was even harder than I thought it would be. </li>
<li>3 weeks later on Oct 11 I placed 1st in my AG at the Towpath Marathon in 3:42. </li>
<li>I ran my first trail marathon at Run With Scissors. Ouch that was hard! </li>
<li>I won my AG at the Hill Yeah 1/2 marathon and I placed 3rd in my AG in the inaugural Run for Chardon 1/2 Marathon. Both of these were hilly!</li>
<li>I placed 1st in my AG at Dirty Love Trail 10K, 3rd in my AG at Blossomtime Run and 4th at Run for Regis Trail 1/2 Marathon</li>
<li>This year I placed first in two 5ks, second in one and third in another. I should run more sprints as I tend to place better in these. Plus I wonder how much faster I could get if I focused on speed instead of aerobic work.</li>
<li>Cleveland Marathon I was fatigued and dropped down to the half. It was a tough day all around with that crazy weather!</li>
<li>My Trail 100K at Conquer the Castle became a trail 50K due to some lingering low back and hip issues.</li>
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I have been running some base mileage, lifting weights, doing yoga, spinning, getting massages and going to a chiropractor for treatments to get me ready for the 2017 season. I plan to limit my racing early in the year to allow for some extra recovery. For 2017 I plan to go for a marathon PR and I am signed up for my first 100 miler in July so it will be a lot of running this season and hopefully some shorter tris in the summer once I recover followed by fall marathons if I am up for it.</div>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-66919078023668254202016-09-09T13:33:00.001-07:002016-09-09T13:41:16.687-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been challenging to find the time to blog as much
lately but I wanted to take the time to post about the inaugural Ironman Ohio
70.3 triathlon. It was a race that I did not feel especially prepared for.
Between running my first Boston Marathon this April, starting a new job in a
new technical industry this May to spending the summer prepping for a move to a
town an hour away, I just couldn’t dedicate as many hours as I wanted to in all
three sports. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Whereas last year I was swimming 2-3 x a week 2000-4000 meters
each time and cycling religiously all spring and summer preparing for Beach 2
Battleship 140.6, this season it was maybe 1-2 swims a month of 1500 meters
each and cycling as much as I could manage mainly 3-4 fast lunchtime spins of
35 minutes and some longer stuff up to 50 miles on the weekends. The run base
was strong coming off of some long distance races so that was really the only
thing I felt confident about. I debated even not racing with it being within a week
or so of our planned move. But then I realized it was just a race and races are
meant to be not just results but also fun. It’s not just what place you end up
in but also seeing your friends out there and quite honestly taking in the
whole experience. Racing is a Zen thing. Sometimes you are more fit than other
times or more rested or more stressed out than other times. This was one of
those races where I was stressed and feeling not as fit as last season but I
could take some of the pressure off of myself to enjoy the race for the
experience versus killing myself for a PR or a podium spot. This race was for
me. It truly was about enduring and being. And it was one of the most fun races
I can recall in recent years – especially the running part!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My swim of 48:18 was slow but I expected that. The last
couple of seasons when I practiced more a 40 minute half iron swim was average
for me but with the lack of swimming I put in to train I am happy with this
result. Especially for it being a non-wetsuit swim. I expect that with a
wetsuit I would have been up to 5 minutes faster. One thing I took away a
couple of seasons of Ironman races is confidence in the swim. I will never be a
fast swimmer but I am a confident swimmer. I am not rattled by people kicking
or bumping into me. I don’t worry if I’ll beat the cutoff time. I know I can
swim for a long time at my slow pace and I am okay with this just as some are
okay with being slower on the bike or swim. This is triathlon and what makes it
interesting is our own unique mix of skills in each sport. So this swim I
thought went fine. The water in Lake Delaware was warm and almost soothing. At
times it was aggressive with so many people but it almost made it more interesting.
It felt a bit long but without a GPS in the water I cannot say for sure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My first transition is generally slow. I like to sit and dry
my feet off and I like to eat a snack before I hop on the bike this time was no
different. 3-4 minutes average. This was 4:16 – not a big deal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My 56 mile bike had some challenges. Namely my bike computer
was not working when I left <o:p></o:p></div>
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transition. This was not good so I stopped to
adjust the magnet to get my oldschool Cateye wireless computer to work. After a
minute or so it was good to go so off I went. Then I hit a bump and here we go
again. This went on a couple more times as the beginning of the course was
bumpy. I finally said forget it for a little while and just went by feel versus
mph. This explains why I had a negative split on the bike! I also lost one of
my water bottles in the first miles so I was down to one for the race. I
stopped at the first aid station to pee (I was hydrated) and I fixed my
computer again (this time it lasted) and grabbed a water for my empty cage. Off
I went to smoother riding for the rest of the race. And faster! I averaged
18.22 mph for 32 miles followed by 20.35 mph for remaining 24 miles for an
average of 19.06 mph with a bike time of 2:56:16. This was somewhat an average
half iron bike time for me so I was pleased given the little amount of work I
dedicated to the bike this season relative to the last couple of years.<br />
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T2 was 2:55. A bit faster but still a slower transition than
I could have managed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My 13.1 mile run was most certainly the highlight of my day.
I loved the course, which was a mix of <o:p></o:p></div>
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flat and rolling hills with a good
amount of shade. I went out faster than planned at a sub 8 minute pace for the
first 10K or so and then slowed down to about marathon pace, which was the plan
to try and use this 13.1 as a longer tempo run for my upcoming marathon in Erie
this weekend. It was fun to see so many friends out racing and volunteering and
that really gave me motivation to push to a personal best half ironman run
split of 1:46:25 (8:07 pace). I was very happy with this leg of the race. I
finished feeling strong and it was great finishing on the track!<br />
<br />
My final time
of 5:38:10 was better than I expected given my training. My run being 10
minutes faster than usual certainly helped with that! This gives me hope that I
can still PR this distance. <br />
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Post race it was great to hang out with the hubby who also had a decent race and our friends from Snakebite Racing, CTC
as well as Baucco Squad. Northeast Ohio had quite the showing of athletes and
volunteers! Special thanks to Dan Hopkins from CTC for the race photos!</div>
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I’m not sure what the next year will hold. Right now I am
focusing on my crazy fall running schedule:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sept 11 - Erie Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oct 1 – Doan Creek Trail 50K<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oct 29 – Run with Scissors Trail Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nov 12 – Conquer the Castle Trail 100K <o:p></o:p></div>
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If I survive all of that, I am taking a long hard-earned break!
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-4136715266071195222016-08-04T06:23:00.002-07:002016-08-04T06:23:32.400-07:00Return of the BlogSo...I am way behind on updating the blog. Between starting a new job and selling and buying a new home and racing, things have been a wee bit busy the last few months.<br />
<br />
Racing has been up and down this season - more good than bad. The Cleveland Marathon ended up being a bust for me. With the ridiculous weather we had that day and the cumulative fatigue I had from the season to date I made the call around mile 7 to just run the half. Some of my fellow ambassadors and my hubby had good races so I was happy for them.<br />
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Following Cleveland I ran the Chagrin Falls Blossomtime run on Memorial Day weekend, which is always a competitive race. Was happy with 3rd in AG with a tough field. Then I ran the very challenging Hill Yeah 1/2 Marathon in Kirtland. I had a crappy day as I was struggling with a little hip strain going into the race. While I was happy winning my AG, I was not happy with my time.<br />
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Next up was the start of Tri season at the Great Western Reserve Olympic triathlon at West Branch. It was hot as heck, I was not in great swim or bike shape, but I pushed as hard as I could and managed 2nd place female on a tough day. A couple weeks later was the Munroe Falls Sprint triathlon. That one hurt but I had a good day and finished 3rd female. My swim was crap, my bike was good and my run was on fire! My next race was Milton Man Olympic Tri where I had a crap day. It was my biggest running week to date leading into the race so I was probably doomed from the start but I wanted to at least get in a good training day, which I did. I raced nowhere near my potential but despite feeling like crap and wanting to call it a day I finished and earned myself some hoppy beer! Finally I raced the B'Nai B'rith 5K recently on a hot July day. I had no idea how this would go since I hadn't raced a 5K since March and really have not been good about my speedwork. I ended up running a 21:09 and placing 2nd female so I was pretty happy with that for where I am right now.<br />
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So, what's coming up next, you ask? Ironman OH 70.3 triathlon is rapidly approaching! I debated sitting it out because I do not feel half-iron ready and we are moving a week later. I have only put in a few swims, a few longish rides and then of course a boatload of running. I decided to say who cares and race it anyways. If I stink and it's just a training day, I will still have fun and get to see tons of friends and race the inaugural event. Following that I am hoping to race Erie Marathon again for the BQ. I am holding off on registration as long as I can to see what weather conditions will be. If it's 80+ degrees at the start...I won't hit my goal. I just don't do as well in the heat. If it is reasonable, I will go for it. Worst case, if weather sucks, I will run a later fall race and try for the 2018 BQ early. Lastly, I have that little trail 100K coming up in November at Squires castle! Yes, I am at that "what in the heck" did I get myself into phase of my training and thinking. At this point I still plan to attempt the distance and just try to finish in one piece. Wish me luck!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-73199088999387448462016-05-04T11:29:00.002-07:002016-05-04T11:29:27.406-07:00Run For Chardon Half Marathon Report<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWsNqbYq1asuGIHu6ePACoBxuNXidsQ53pQWX5XI994tWt3HR-z2IodKmz8R5P8khbkHQNCrACnL66LaPEK9rIgWUzhwbpkmHxloJh-SsovW4aXEz8QR3Q5U_-_eg-mBNkJtVmfe0Nv4/s1600/13139241_10154115856844431_3081697861153364371_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWsNqbYq1asuGIHu6ePACoBxuNXidsQ53pQWX5XI994tWt3HR-z2IodKmz8R5P8khbkHQNCrACnL66LaPEK9rIgWUzhwbpkmHxloJh-SsovW4aXEz8QR3Q5U_-_eg-mBNkJtVmfe0Nv4/s320/13139241_10154115856844431_3081697861153364371_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prerace with my speedy husband!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The decision to run the inaugural <a href="https://run4chardon.racedirector.com/" target="_blank">Run For Chardon 1/2 marathon</a> last Sunday was last minute. I wanted to see how quickly I recovered from Boston. But I also wanted to support my local community. After talking with the RDs, I decided to go for it. I was not well rested going into the race as I had done a few harder workouts on the bike and run that week so I wasn't sure how things would go. Plus with the course having some hills I figured my time might be a little slower than average. Steve also signed up because he loves the half marathon distance.<br />
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The race started at 7:15 at Chardon High School. We saw several friends that were racing so it was nice to chat with them before and after. The temperature was not bad although it felt very humid on our warm up.<br />
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The race went pretty fast. Before I knew it we were on the Chardon Bike Path running along some flatter section with some rollers mixed in. Unfortunately it started raining and did so for much of the race. My first miles were all between 7:25-7:45 so I was hoping to come in around 1:40ish. There was a really fast, flat section for a couple of miles along Rt 44 on the bike path and then the rollers started around 8-9 miles in. My hips started to yell at me and I was forced to back off the pace.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWWR9GZ6E-cuk3egQX-aAqE5EGln2OXK6BHZpnt89dW4l-96wLR-SwUibI-AKmQykgT1Ga4TgTWFMV66rdKd7vGNlfFMbZm8IRc6ddwRELGNloJqjhPtbu4RHsRWydMGu3NKBSeW24bE/s1600/13095866_10154118682049431_3766604355211485041_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWWR9GZ6E-cuk3egQX-aAqE5EGln2OXK6BHZpnt89dW4l-96wLR-SwUibI-AKmQykgT1Ga4TgTWFMV66rdKd7vGNlfFMbZm8IRc6ddwRELGNloJqjhPtbu4RHsRWydMGu3NKBSeW24bE/s320/13095866_10154118682049431_3766604355211485041_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">running on the course: photo by Kyle Johnson </td></tr>
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The last couple of miles I was crushed by the hills. I tried to strategically sprint the downhills and walk the steepest part of the uphills as I do in trail running so this added some time to the clock but in the long run I was trying to be smart with the Cleveland Marathon being only 2 weeks out. I tried to tell myself that it was okay to not have my best race that day because really I was there to support Chardon and my local running community (Northeast Running Club and Great Lakes Race Timing). The problem is that I always want to do my best and place as high as I can. That can be a blessing and a curse.<br />
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The race finish line was on the 50 yd line of Chardon High School's field. This made it a special finish. My time of 1:45:58 was slower for me than I had hoped but that wasn't what it was about anyways. Sure I would have liked to do better than third in my AG and 12th female but there will be plenty more chances to shine on a day when I am better prepared. In my heart I am just glad to have been a part of a special day for the Chardon community.<br />
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Steve had a good race finishing in around 1:28, which is great for this course and he won his age group and placed 6th male overall so I was glad he had done so well. He certainly deserved a good one!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OIfwCK2ik4GEcrxPNuR-RAnlT1rUnGFIyUgBCFXT0PJ-3vaMj7V2X4B8kaQw7C9lbw8d1Ee2tUYdCMnw-jMxQ1Zujkx7rfkMkbk4IXPdaSa6z6TYDviZRPQbiTchKhWqTNmBGScp0eU/s1600/13103257_10154116136319431_8733276189537751686_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OIfwCK2ik4GEcrxPNuR-RAnlT1rUnGFIyUgBCFXT0PJ-3vaMj7V2X4B8kaQw7C9lbw8d1Ee2tUYdCMnw-jMxQ1Zujkx7rfkMkbk4IXPdaSa6z6TYDviZRPQbiTchKhWqTNmBGScp0eU/s320/13103257_10154116136319431_8733276189537751686_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the great race swag!</td></tr>
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Special thanks to <a href="http://www.greatlakesracetiming.com/" target="_blank">Great Lakes Timing</a> for putting on a first-class event. The medal was impressive and we also received nice long sleeve Brooks technical tees, pint glasses and AG winners also got commemorative coffee mugs. I would also like to thank <a href="http://www.northeastrunningclub.org/" target="_blank">NERC</a>, <a href="http://www.achillesrunning.us/mentor-store/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=148" target="_blank">Achilles Running</a> and all the volunteers, the Chardon community and all who came out to support the race in some way, shape or form. I would add this one to your race bucket list for sure!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-55323956564012889472016-04-28T10:44:00.001-07:002016-04-28T10:44:48.436-07:00Inaugural Run for Chardon 1/2 Marathon & 5K is This Weekend!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7VC_CpdsJx9obCLNxHUhd_iTcHHjHjXQ5zUPPpvASVNSFRR4qgnDM9rWWK9XhQ4cY0OdIefWn5WXXsyie3D0UnndSjngtOgBFMb6bl-idlK_LX725g16jh2LLFcGw40Lp2mjSIHbtaU/s1600/Run-For-Chardon-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7VC_CpdsJx9obCLNxHUhd_iTcHHjHjXQ5zUPPpvASVNSFRR4qgnDM9rWWK9XhQ4cY0OdIefWn5WXXsyie3D0UnndSjngtOgBFMb6bl-idlK_LX725g16jh2LLFcGw40Lp2mjSIHbtaU/s320/Run-For-Chardon-Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sunday, May 1 is a special day for the Chardon, Ohio community. It is the inaugural <a href="https://run4chardon.racedirector.com/" target="_blank">Run For Chardon 1/2 Marathon & 5K</a> race. Proceeds from the race will be donated to the <a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/RunforChardon" target="_blank">Chardon Living Memorial Fund</a> to help remember the Chardon School Shooting victims and their friends and families.<br />
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Chardon is a small and lovely community with an adorable town square and cute neighborhoods among the rolling hills. This should be a fun and challenging course and there is prize money up for grabs! Top Five males and females in the 1/2 marathon have a shot at $500 for 1st, $400 for 2nd, $300 for 3rd, $400 for 4th and $100 for 5th. So, chances are you could win your entry fee back if you sign up! If not you still have a shot at top 3 in your age group awards! 5K awards will also be given out to the top three males and females thanks to <a href="http://www.achillesrunning.us/" target="_blank">Achilles Running</a>.<br />
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Even if you don't want to run or just can't find the time, you can come out and cheer and make a donation <a href="https://run4chardon.racedirector.com/donate/payment" target="_blank">here</a>. Hope to see you there!<br />
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-51897618020917925832016-04-25T12:15:00.001-07:002016-04-25T12:15:03.953-07:002016 Boston Marathon Race ReportIt's hard to believe it's already been a week since I ran my first <a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a>! The whole experience was incredible. First off I would like to thank my family and friends that supported me in getting to this big goal of mine. Your cheers gave me the energy I needed to have a good race!<br />
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<b>Day One:</b><br />
The whole race weekend was a blast. Steve and I made it a road trip and drove in this year. We had nice weather for travelling both there and back. We rented a great condo in Navy Yard this year right by the Charlestown Marina. We loved our place and it was great to have our own kitchen. Our first night in town we found a cute bistro around the corner from us called the Brewers Fork. They had an excellent craft beer list and wood fired pizza - what more could a couple or carbo-loading runners ask for?<br />
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<b>Expo Day:</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We met Scott Jurek!</td></tr>
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Sunday was race expo day. The Boston Marathon expo is world class! After picking up our bibs and shirts we walked around the expo for a while. The highlight of the expo was meeting one of our running heroes - Scott Jurek! We also hooked up with our friend Jillian who was running her first Boston as well. Then we hooked up with our friend and fellow Snakebite Racing mate Mark for some much needed post expo beers so we crossed the street and headed into McGreevy's (bar owned by the Dropkick Murphys). After that it was time to head back to the condo for some prerace prep and we made a high carb dinner of pizza, garlic bread and roasted potatoes.<br />
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<b>Race Morning:</b><br />
Race morning went pretty smooth. We got up at 6am figuring that we would Uber over to the finish area to drop our bags and load the buses to Hopkinton around 7:15-7:30. We ate a big bowl of cereal, got dressed and headed out. The energy was electric as we walked to the athlete tents to drop our finisher bags. There were people screaming and cheering already. We bumped into our friend Karen who was running and then walked over to the commons to catch the bus. We were lucky to run into my friend Jen from Charlestown who I had met last year at the Cleveland Marathon. We hung out with Jen and her friend Siobhan as we waited to board our bus to the start in Hopkinton.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre race before loading the bus</td></tr>
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The bus ride went smooth and before I knew it we were in Hopkinton at Athletes Village. There were thousands of runners everywhere along with hundreds of porta potties, tents, snacks, etc. We ran into our friend Ryan walking in to the village and after using the bathroom we found a place under the tent to sit down in the shade. It was probably about 8:45-9 am but it was already getting warm quickly. Our time to leave the village was 10:20 or so with a wave start at 10:50. I was a sweaty, nervous mess. I had heard all the warnings about the race. Watch the downhill, don't go out too fast, beware of the Newton Hills. When the gun finally went off I was ready to get going.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Focused look!</td></tr>
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Running Boston is unlike any marathon I've done. You are literally running with a sea of people for the whole race. Not to mention the hundreds of thousand of fans cheering. The crowd support was unbelievable...for the whole race! The miles ticked by quickly. I was overheated from the beginning and knew a PR was not likely and that a BQ might be a stretch but I had set a goal of 3:35-3:45. I just tried to soak the experience in and keep within a pace that was comfortable given the heat and later the nasty headwinds that we battled.<br />
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My favorite part of the race was Newton. I actually enjoyed the hills (does this make me weird?). I also laughed through Wellsley as I read all the goofy signs and listened to the loud screams. I also really liked the last few miles. I picked up the pace a little in the end hoping to run a 3:40 but came across the finish in 3:43:11. Not a BQ or my best time but a time I am happy with for my first Boston and on a tough day for many.<br />
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<b>Post Race: </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snakebite after-party!</td></tr>
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We Ubered back to our condo to shower, change and eat and then met our Snakebite teammates Mark and Dan and Dan's wife for some post race celebratory beers and more food. Our first stop was a cool bar called Mead Hall in Cambridge followed up with the Cambridge Brewing Company. After that it was time for some much needed sleep.<br />
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The day after we walked around Boylston Street and shopped and took in the city - the streets filled with Boston finisher jackets (including us). I was pretty excited to have my finisher jacket embroidered with my time at Run Base at no cost! They were also doing free medal engraving at Marathon Sports but there was a long line and we did not have our medals with us anyways.<br />
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The next morning it was time to drive back. That was not much fun. Definitely not as fun as the drive there but we were ready to go home.<br />
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<b>Closing Thoughts:</b><br />
I was part of something special in Boston. It was the 120th year and the 50th year since the first woman Bobbi Gibb ran the race. I am pretty excited to say that I am a Boston Marathon runner! No doubt I will be back for more! My goal for the next Boston is to start in a faster wave (#2) and PR for the course.<br />
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Thank you to my teammates, family and sponsors this year especially Pearl Izumi, Nuun and Freeplay Magazine. My next big race is the Cleveland Marathon on May 15. I am hoping to run a BQ time there. Fingers crossed for cool temperatures and no rain this year!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-58611256173561607222016-04-14T09:33:00.001-07:002016-04-14T09:34:25.950-07:00Boston Marathon Weekend is Almost Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For years I have watched the <a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a> streaming on my computer each year on Patriots Day. Last year I was there in person for the first time as a spectator cheering for my husband as he ran his first Boston. The energy in the city on Boston Marathon weekend and race day is magnetic. Boston people LOVE their marathon and so do the thousands of runners who come from all over the world to lineup in Hopkinton on "Marathon Monday" as the running community affectionately refers to the race. In four short days I get to lineup in Hopkinton for my chance to run the best marathon in the country and probably the world!<br />
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What makes Boston so special is that you have to qualify to be there, running with some of the best marathoners in the world. You can also run Boston for charity if you raise $5000+ for one of their charity partners but as a competitive runner I wanted to earn my spot there. My qualifying time as a woman in the 35-39 age group is 3:40. After four tries last season (Toledo 3:46), (Cleveland 3:52), (Charlevoix 3:42) and Erie (3:35) I finally got the job done. Prior to last year I had run the Cleveland Marathon three other times including the previous year. </div>
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I am both excited and nervous with the race being just a mere four days away! I have had a pretty good running season so far and I am hopeful that my Boston experience will be a good one. I am tapering and my body feels pretty good this week...for a taper anyways! I have been warned to take it easy for the first half of the race, which is largely downhill and to save some energy for the Newton Hills and of the course for the final miles. If you're interested in tracking me Monday I am in wave 3, which starts at 10:50 am and I am bib #19350. I want to enjoy the race and not put too much pressure on myself so goal for the race is to run between a 3:35-3:45 depending on the course and weather (right now forecast looks to be on the warm side at 72). </div>
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If I don't BQ in Boston that is okay. I will have more chances to BQ again for 2017 at the <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a> on May 15 and then again this fall at one or two more races. My big marathon goal for the year is to run a 3:25 or close this fall in Erie. I still have some work to do for that but I don't mind hard work! </div>
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Special thank you to the folks that have helped me this season including <a href="http://www.pearlizumi.com/" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi</a>, <a href="https://freeplaymagazine.com/" target="_blank">Freeplay Magazine</a>, <a href="https://nuun.com/" target="_blank">Nuun</a>, <a href="http://www.honeystinger.com/" target="_blank">Honeystinger</a> and of course to my teammates and sponsors on <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a>! It takes a village to achieve big goals!</div>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-11177025754455129922016-03-18T11:34:00.000-07:002016-03-18T11:34:21.708-07:00Cleveland Marathon Contest WinnerIt sounds like I'm not the only one that's excited to run the <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon</a> this year! There were 31 people who entered the contest for the free entry. There were so many heartfelt stories and all around terrific reasons to want to race with me this May in Cleveland. I wish I could give everyone an entry!<br />
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To be fair I wanted to randomly select the winner so I used <a href="http://random-ize.com/pick-from-list/" target="_blank">Random-ize</a>. The winner is one of my fellow Northeast Running Club (NERC) members. Congratulations Annemarie Cvijanovic! You won yourself an entry to the Cleveland Marathon race of your choice. If you already registered you can pass it on to a friend or loved one so they can join you. I will be in touch soon with the registration code.<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-46924828428549030042016-03-14T07:44:00.000-07:002016-03-14T07:44:57.638-07:00Reasons Why I Love the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been an honor to be able to represent the <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon</a> as an ambassador for the past two years. The marathon staff are wonderful and my fellow <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/CLEmarathon_Ambassadors/" target="_blank">ambassadors </a>are some of my favorite friends. This week I am the featured ambassador, which means that I will be having a contest to give away a free entry to the Cleveland Marathon race of your choice. To enter simply read my post and leave a comment stating which race you would like to run and why. The winner will be randomly selected this Friday.<br />
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There are many reasons why <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">The Cleveland Marathon</a> is one of my favorite races:<br />
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First and foremost, it is our hometown marathon. I am proud that Cleveland has an awesome marathon that people from all over the world come to run! Some cities do not have the luxury of having their own marathon but we do. The marathon is good for the city because it brings in tourism.<br />
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Second, Cleveland was my first marathon in 2010. That race sparked a love affair that I hope lasts a lifetime. The marathon is my favorite distance running race because it is challenging and fun. You have to train hard to meet your goals and the race experiences are so amazing.<br />
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I also love the Cleveland Marathon because I love the course. It takes you through some of my favorite areas of Cleveland including Tremont, Lakewood and Rocky River as well as downtown. Probably the coolest part is running on the shoreway for the last few miles. It gives you a view of the city you don't normally get to experience while running.<br />
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Cleveland fans are awesome! There are many Clevelanders out volunteering and cheering during the race, which creates a fun, party-like atmosphere. At the finish there is also a post-race party with beer and music.<br />
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Cleveland is a great beer town so after the race you have a number of terrific options for post race lunch and brews!<br />
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I could go on and on but you get my drift. <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">The Cleveland Marathon</a> is awesome! So, which race would you like to do for free this year? The full? The half? The 10K? Leave me a comment below and you might be selected this Friday! Goodluck!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-15868720102168914882016-03-08T13:18:00.001-08:002016-03-08T13:18:57.620-08:00Green Jewel 50K Race Report & Training Update for Spring Marathon SeasonSaturday was the <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/events/green-jewel-50k-and-2-person-relay/" target="_blank">Green Jewel 50K</a>, which was my first big race of the season. I am happy to say that it went well! I feel like the training I've done this year helped me to get to the start confident, stronger than last year and better rested.<br />
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Steve and I parked our car at Oak Grove Reservation in Brecksville to catch the bus to the race start at Rocky River Reservation. We stayed on the bus to keep warm and use the bathroom before the 9am start. We quickly dropped off our bags for the halfway point in the race and said hi to some friends. We knew a number of people running the 50K and 50K relay. I was a little cold waiting for the start but as soon as we took off I was fine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early miles</td></tr>
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The first few miles were slick with some snow that had fallen in the middle of the night, early morning hours so this forced me to hold back a little and watch the footing. It felt great to be out there racing. I think I must have been smiling ear to ear as I had waited for this race for months. I took in a gel just before the first aid station and then started to pick up the pace a little. I caught up to my friends Jillian and Brandon and tailed them for a while as we weaved around the Emerald Necklace. At the 10 mile mark or so I did another gel and stopped for a drink and decided to slightly pick up the pace a little. I said hi to my friends and off I went back into my little running groove.<br />
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I felt pretty good arriving at Wallace Lake at 15 miles in. I located my bag and reloaded gels, grabbed some salt tabs and my little handheld bottle for the rest of the race. According to my first split I ran the first 15 at an 8:11 pace so I was happy with that and figured I would end up slowing down the back part of the race to at least an 8:30-9 min pace. Getting going again here was a little tougher but I got back on track and ran a few miles with my friend Mike before hitting a burst of energy and speeding up around mile 18 or so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaL_BNo_LZbF8PH_E6v2q3wj8U7HKwTTbb9hDuZ1dSoKaCF7pMJ6fcz2Sta0Aynf5XerEsZlPQ470y1KPdHZyk9bcbLwtZHFx5zr5EW-n8GrNrXlOo_aaFxcWflR7Fhd4ZT5HUk5GlQ/s1600/10006944_10153941745689431_3078599823031854062_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaL_BNo_LZbF8PH_E6v2q3wj8U7HKwTTbb9hDuZ1dSoKaCF7pMJ6fcz2Sta0Aynf5XerEsZlPQ470y1KPdHZyk9bcbLwtZHFx5zr5EW-n8GrNrXlOo_aaFxcWflR7Fhd4ZT5HUk5GlQ/s200/10006944_10153941745689431_3078599823031854062_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful scenery!</td></tr>
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Around mile 20 I remember feeling like I was on top of the world. Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" came on my playlist and I was singing out loud and playing the air guitar. This is generally a sign that I am having a great run. This went on for a few miles and then I came back down to reality as I approached Ridge Rd around mile 24. That is a tough hill. I walked most of it and hit the final aid station for a quick potty break and some final fuel.<br />
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The rolling hills of Brecksville were as hard as I remembered from last year. I got emotional a couple times as was the case last year. Something about these really long runs can dig deep into your soul. I love that feeling. It's like healing from the inside out - all the hurts and disappointments of my life just melting away bit by bit. This may be why I am in love with running and in some ways I feel it is a gift that was given to me to help make my life better and more rewarding.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQse0fkPDWrIHYpHuERTuaiWZNGMfldm1YlM_XRXGj-9JXJixdtc0KXyPHaGcEXR_9dZYAtXo56qtKViSMmBDuB9rvyG53QE8Oyo4UR26go2DYZUtZ0DyJ513JzPAOvnfQ7tiN5t_wU24/s1600/12801243_10153940034774431_1932277963328030102_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQse0fkPDWrIHYpHuERTuaiWZNGMfldm1YlM_XRXGj-9JXJixdtc0KXyPHaGcEXR_9dZYAtXo56qtKViSMmBDuB9rvyG53QE8Oyo4UR26go2DYZUtZ0DyJ513JzPAOvnfQ7tiN5t_wU24/s200/12801243_10153940034774431_1932277963328030102_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd & 3rd awards!</td></tr>
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Towards the end of the race I knew I had to make up some time so I picked up the pace the last 5k as I generally have been doing in my long runs this season. With the last couple of miles being down hill it worked out perfectly. I wasn't sure what place I was in - I actually thought I might be in first but with the relay it is hard to tell and when I crossed over I asked and learned that I was second again. Of course I wanted to win but the top spot went to a younger woman who certainly earned it with her 4:18. I was happy with 2nd having a nice PR with my 4:38. My friend Jillian ended up not too far behind me in 3rd.<br />
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After the race we headed over to Fatheads to meet some friends. I really enjoyed the tangerine-infused Headhunter and food. Then it was home to shower and head in for a massage. Needless to say I slept pretty well! Special thanks to my Sponsors: <a href="http://www.pearlizumi.com/" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi</a> and <a href="http://nuun.com/" target="_blank">Nuun</a> and to my teammates on <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a> and <a href="http://teamfreeplay.com/" target="_blank">Team Freeplay</a> that sent cheers!<br />
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I have been recovering pretty well this week. Sunday we walked the dogs. Yesterday I did an easy spin on the bike trainer for 50 minutes and again walked. I also did the trainer today for 50 minutes and walked a couple of miles at lunch. Tomorrow I will swim and if I feel well enough I will do a short recovery run otherwise I will walk and try to run Thursday. I would like to race this weekend but have to see how I feel later in the week and maybe I will go and use it as speed or tempo work. I am anxious to get back to the training! <a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx" target="_blank">Boston</a> is like 6 weeks away and <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland</a> is about 10 weeks out so I still have some work to do to ensure successful races. Speaking of Cleveland, I am excited to see my fellow marathon ambassadors tomorrow night for a meet up! Love these folks!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-38014689713777158462016-02-29T12:59:00.001-08:002016-02-29T12:59:41.811-08:00Cabin Fever 5K Race ReportI try to force myself to do speedwork, but sometimes I talk myself out of it in favor of longer, easier workouts that I like more. What can I say I am an endurance junkie! Running shorter races like 5ks forces me to get out there and get out of my comfort zone. Such was the case with the inaugural Cabin Fever 5K yesterday. I was both looking forward to it and dreading it! With Green Jewel 50K this weekend I knew it was my last chance to get in speed work for a week or two so I signed up.<br />
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With the race being nearby at Mayfield High School and having a 9:30 start, it really was a laid back race morning. We got there to pick up our packets and bumped into some fellow <a href="http://www.northeastrunningclub.org/" target="_blank">Northeast Running Club (NERC)</a> members and got in a couple of easy miles to warm up. One thing I did not like was the wind. In fact the race begins by running around the high school and then on the second loop you take a path over to some residential streets. The first half of the course was gradually uphill directly into the wind. I recall not being able to breathe very well but just pressing on. It appeared that all the young ladies struggled and I was surprised to find myself in the lead before the turnaround.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1-LfBU8yYWVobRjDLJW3LUDm9DVhDgYE8DqEtgotTJfzSzuyDAleOx8MC0NCgqUL0DlGTnu3eNHul1Ot3AjAw_Pjp4OBklb1MwFLwldxwF1OwM_aTKtwo1dTIXt7jsAGK8cU-oGaSLw/s1600/12806005_10153924684344431_2315055299685664951_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1-LfBU8yYWVobRjDLJW3LUDm9DVhDgYE8DqEtgotTJfzSzuyDAleOx8MC0NCgqUL0DlGTnu3eNHul1Ot3AjAw_Pjp4OBklb1MwFLwldxwF1OwM_aTKtwo1dTIXt7jsAGK8cU-oGaSLw/s320/12806005_10153924684344431_2315055299685664951_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome prizes :)</td></tr>
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From the turnaround on the winds were behind us so I was able to get back into a solid pace after a not so stellar middle mile of fighting off wind. I was a little overheated and agitated but I knew I was close to the finish so I tried to stay on pace between 6:50-7. My goal had been 6;45s but with the winds it was clear that wasn't happening. I was happy to hit the high school parking lot and as I rounded the corner to the finish a gentleman yelled "first female" and I heard my husband Steve yelling for me. I pushed as hard as I could and was surprised my time of 21:49 was the best time of the day for the ladies but nevertheless I was happy with the outcome.<br />
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After the race Steve and I went for a cool down jog and then headed into the school for the pancake breakfast and awards. We sat with our NERC friends Angela and Stephanie. It was fun because each of us had a good race. Steve had run an 18:22 and won his age group and Angela and Stephanie had each won in their age groups too. For placing first female I was awarded a $50 gift certificate to <a href="http://www.achillesrunning.us/" target="_blank">Achilles Running Shop</a> so that was pretty exciting. I also was picked for a $25 Amazon giftcard in the raffle! Later on to celebrate a good day at the races Steve and I headed to Willoughby Brewing for some tasty brews including the sensational Nutsmasher Imperial Peanut Butter Cup Porter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UWMozrMjrLwa6ddeZCVlHnx0vOFlCQBv5WlNYynPsIFt0dvwVkTFAgv-l1ZJwL2u0GJqn0ECfojGMkLNzjqRDRwqhR0YhU6J77cyo3lnpd3vZqhyphenhyphen5WJj4KZomWTbUK6mOwUI1jAQRGI/s1600/12805968_10153924729294431_225069418297304290_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UWMozrMjrLwa6ddeZCVlHnx0vOFlCQBv5WlNYynPsIFt0dvwVkTFAgv-l1ZJwL2u0GJqn0ECfojGMkLNzjqRDRwqhR0YhU6J77cyo3lnpd3vZqhyphenhyphen5WJj4KZomWTbUK6mOwUI1jAQRGI/s320/12805968_10153924729294431_225069418297304290_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Steve, Angela and Stephanie w/ our awards :)</td></tr>
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-53166909290030931732016-02-22T12:43:00.000-08:002016-02-22T12:43:24.685-08:00Dirty Love Race Report & Training UpdateWhat running couple doesn't want to kick off their Valentine's Day with a race? Especially a trail race close to home such as the case with the <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/events/dirty-love-10k/" target="_blank">Dirty Love Trail 10K</a>. This was the 3rd or 4th time my husband Steve and I have run it. Last year we missed because we were on vacation but this year we were ready to tackle the sloppy, snowy trails again. And just as I recalled it was a tough one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the down hill!</td></tr>
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Steve and I got in a little warm up, used the facilities and lined up in the field of snow to head into the woods of North Chagrin Reservation. As always the start was fun and crazy. Sprinting in a field of snow in cleats will sure spike your heart rate! I tried to position myself close to the front of the ladies. I think I started in 2nd or 3rd and pretty much stayed in that position until late in the race when a couple of ladies overtook me. I ended up finishing 5th female, 1st in my AG. This was pretty consistent with the last times I have run it. Steve also finished 5th or 6th male and 1st in his AG so it was a good way to start the Valentine's day festivities.</div>
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Following the race we got in a cool down with our <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a> teammate Ken Hagan then we headed into the shelter for some food and the awards. After that we headed over to <a href="http://willoughbybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Willoughby Brewing</a> with some <a href="http://www.clevetriclub.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Tri Club</a> friends for some hard-earned Peanut Butter Cup Porters! </div>
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In general my training for the upcoming <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/events/green-jewel-50k-and-2-person-relay/" target="_blank">Green Jewel 50K</a>, <a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a> and <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a> have been going well. I just wrapped up a close to 60 mile run week including a tough 20 miler on Saturday and a hard week of core work/lifting. This was the second 20 miler Steve and I have done in the last couple of weeks so I am feeling pretty good going into the Green Jewel next weekend. I am cutting back the running to about 40 miles this week and adding a little more bike then next week will be pretty light with a couple short runs and rides leading into the race on Saturday. I am hoping for a speedy recovery as I have been recovering from the 20 milers pretty quickly. We are running a local 5K this Sunday so that will be a nice change of pace to do something short and fast versus longer and slower. I am hoping for semi decent weather for that because in Cleveland in February you never know what to expect!</div>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-35270718962734319182016-02-01T08:10:00.000-08:002016-02-01T08:10:44.745-08:00New Year = A New Challenge to ConquerMy husband Steve and I have been talking for a little while about doing a longer ultra. With one of our big goals now being to complete a 100 mile ultra for his 50th bday in 2017, we decided to sign up for the inaugural <a href="https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=37292" target="_blank">Conquer the Castle 100K</a>, which takes place conveniently close to our home in November of this year. This will be a big challenge for us but one that we can have a lot of fun training for all year. The timing is good since it's late in the year we can have a great spring running season, a fun summer triathlon season and then close out the year with a challenging fall running season and then hopefully shut it down for a little while.<br />
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I am excited and also admittedly a little nervous about running a race that is 62 miles long, but I also have 9 months to prepare myself so I feel that it is doable. The goal will be to just finish in one piece with no major injuries. In order to reach the goal I have a plan. Lots of running, some cross training, weekly yoga and strength training, planned recovery weeks every 3rd of 4th week of training and some good old fashioned rest days/weeks. I will be posting updates on the training throughout the season. Wish me luck!<br /><br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-61520129989625910702016-01-29T11:52:00.002-08:002016-01-29T11:52:16.496-08:00Run for Regis Race Report & Spring Training Update<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prerace with my love</td></tr>
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<b>Regis Race Report: </b><br />
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Last weekend was the the first race of 2016. Steve and I ran the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RunforRegis/" target="_blank">Run for Regis</a> trail half marathon in Peninsula. This was our second time doing the race or "fun run" as they call it. It was not as cold this year with temps in the 20s and there was not much snow on the trails but there were icy sections and the trails were frozen with jagged footprints that kindof hurt to run on.<br />
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Prior to the race we had done a warmup and I twisted my right ankle pretty good so I was nervous about it holding up for the 13.1 but fortunately it was not an issue. The course is very hilly and technical in some sections and has several sets of stairs. This made for a slow run for me. I would have liked to have been faster but I was a little extra cautious with some big races approaching including Boston Marathon and I got lost on the second loop and had to stop and talk with the RDs so I lost some time here. It wasn't a huge deal since this was a "fun run" race anyways and really just an ass kicker of a race to get me toughened up for Green Jewel and Boston.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out on the course</td></tr>
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My time of 2:13 was a few minutes faster despite getting lost so I think I could have done a little better without the screw up. I ended up 4th female overall and in my AG. Tough AG! Steve ended up 3rd in the guys field.<br />
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After the race we changed into warm, dry clothes headed over to the Winking Lizard in Peninsula with friends for food and beer. I felt okay the rest of the day but was pretty sore Monday and Tuesday so went easy with the running. By Wednesday I was able to get in a double run as well as today so I am back to good now.<br />
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<b>Quick Training Update:</b><br />
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Overall my training has been going well. Two weeks ago I was up to 50 miles of running. Last week I ended up at 38 with the race and I will have 50 in again this week. I've been riding my trainer for 45-60 mins 3-4 times a week to keep the bike fitness and I am lifting at least twice a week. I have not been in the pool much yet this year as I had a neck strain for a few weeks and was working with my chiropractor to correct that. I seem to be better so I will likely add the pool back in at least once a week for now. With <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/events/green-jewel-50k-and-2-person-relay/" target="_blank">Green Jewel</a> 50K, <a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a> and then <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a> I am focusing more effort on running for obvious reasons. I am also doing the <a href="http://champracing.org/2016_tri_schedule/the_gwr_triathlon" target="_blank">Great Western Reserve 70.3</a> tri in mid June so I will start to add longer bike rides by early March as I plan to use the bike and swim a good deal to aid in my recovery for all my long running races. This is where triathlon really pays off! This will lead into Ironman OH 70.3 in August followed up by some fall marathons and a new challenge I will be posting about next week so stay tuned for details!<br />
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-27672068910337276742016-01-21T08:34:00.001-08:002016-01-21T08:34:26.711-08:00Recap of the 2015 Race Season2015 was a good year for me. It was also a challenging year. I learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. I hope to take some of that wisdom with me this year and hopefully have an even stronger season. <div>
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The year started off with <b>Run for Regis</b> in late January. I opted to run the trail half marathon. It was below zero degrees at the start, which made for a slow and frigid race for me. While its referred to as a "fun run" I still tried to push myself as hard as I could. I ended up 5th in the race and 4th in my AG with a not so fantastic time. Steve finished 2nd male. After the race we rewarded ourselves with Winking Lizard food and brews with a group of friends. This was the "fun" part of the race!</div>
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A week later (early February) I ran a cross country half marathon in Lakeland, FL called the <b>Holloway Half Marathon</b>. It was maybe 55 degrees at the start so naturally Steve and I raced in shorts and tank. The locals were in tights and long sleeves. This was also a tough race. I started fast and led the race for the first 7 or 8 mile before a couple of women passed me. The last miles I was overheating and fading and I slipped to 4th female but managed 1st in AG. Steve ended up finishing 2nd overall and 1st in his AG. After the race we drove back to Clearwater Beach where we were staying and flew home the next day.</div>
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Next up was the <b>Green Jewel 50K</b> in early March. It was my first ultra distance race and it is a road race that starts in Rocky River and travels along the Emerald Necklace finishing in the Brecksville Reservation. It ended up being a snowy, cold and very icy day which made for a slower race than I expected. My friend Jillian ended up winning and my time was good enough for 2nd place female. Steve finished 7th male, 1st in Masters. After the race we headed to Fatheads for some hard earned food and hoppy beer! This was one of my favorite races of the season! </div>
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Then it was the <b>Fools 25K </b>trail race just before April Fools, which was painful. The ground was not snow covered or muddy this year but rather frozen and jagged and icy in spots, which really got into my ankles after 16 miles of running. I was a little faster than the previous year and finished 6th female, 1st in my AG. Naturally we headed to the Winking Lizard after this race with it being in Peninsula.</div>
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Then I decided to run the <b>10 Mile Drop</b> in mid April since I had done the 20 the year before as my last preperation for the Toledo Marathon. This was 2 weeks out or so. I had a decent race finishing 4th female and 1st in AG. My friend Jillian won the race and we headed to the Winking Lizard in Mentor for post race food and beers.</div>
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The <b>Toledo Marathon </b>in late April<b> </b>was the first of 4 consecutive marathons I ran last year to qualify for Boston. I had high hopes for Toledo and ended up PR'ing by 5 minutes but still had a ways to go to BQ. My friend Jillian ended up getting her first BQ so that was exciting but I knew I had work to do. Overall I loved this course and would definitely run it again!</div>
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A few weeks later it was time to run the <b>Cleveland Marathon</b>. I was lucky enough to be an ambassador for the race last year, which was a lot of fun. I am happy to be on board again this year! It ended up being rainy, hot and humid so I did not have the race I had hoped for here but still managed a decent time for the conditions that day. Steve ended up getting his BQ again for 2016 here. Afterwards a group of us met at the Winking Lizard downtown for post race food and beer. Typical M.O.</div>
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A week later for Memorial Day weekend it was time for the <b>Blossomtime Run</b> in Chagrin Falls. We met up at my friend Ginny's house with a group of Cleve Tri Club folks before the race. This is a tough 5.25 mile road race and my legs were pretty trashed but I had an okay day and placed 3rd in my AG. Steve placed 3rd in his AG as well. </div>
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Then it was on to the first multisport race of the season, the <b>Twinsburg duathlon</b>. I did the first run and the dropped out of the race because Steve had flatted and I thought he said he was out. After a miscommunication and learning that he changed his wheel and jumped back in I had lost too much tine and opted to get in a longer run while they finished up the race.</div>
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My first triathlon of the season was in June at the <b>Great Western Reserve Olympic</b> tri at West Branch. I would say I was definitely not in tip-top tri shape yet here with the big focus on running and also training for another marathon later in the month so I was pretty excited to finish 6th female and 1st in my AG despite a tough day.</div>
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<b>Rev3 Williamsburg,</b> also in June which was Challenge Williamsburg has been one of my favorite races the last few years. This year I got a sinus infection a week before the race so it ended up being a last minute call to even race or not. Needless to say it was not my best day. Racing with a sinus infection in 90+ degrees and high humidity was a pretty icky experience. I did not even place in my AG here but just racing was a win that day. And of course seeing my teammates was fun.</div>
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The <b>Charlevoix Marathon</b> in late June was a great race. I fell in love with Northwest Michigan. It is gorgeous and the race was perfect. I fell just a little short of my BQ but PR'd by about 4 minutes. Steve raced the half and won his AG so it was a successful race for both of us and we made a fun long weekend out of it.</div>
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July was a month full of ironman training and short races. First up we ran the <b>Johnycake Jog 5</b> <b>Miler </b>where I finally won my AG. The next weekend we ran the <b>Painesville Sunrise 5 miler</b>, which was a hot and hilly race. I ended up placing 3rd female there as well as the <b>Mayfield Wildcat 5K</b> the next weekend. This was all part of my plan to not let the IM training make me slow this season in preparation for Erie!</div>
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The month of August started off with my first multisport win at the <b>Greater Cleveland Olympic Triathlon.</b> It actually turned out to be a duathlon with the swim being cancelled but this worked out for me since running and biking are my two strongest events. This was fun and afterwards we headed out for food and drinks with some Cleve Tri Club folks. Next up was the <b>Miller Marut 5K</b> in Concord Township on my birthday which was hot and hilly and I placed 3rd female there. The last race of the month was the inaugural <b>Rock Hall Half Marathon</b>, which I used as my final speedwork leading into Erie. I ended placing 4th in my AG here with some tough competition. </div>
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September was an intense month. First I ran the <b>Erie Marathon</b> and finally got that almighty BQ with a PR time of 3:35:15 - knocking about 7 minutes off my PR time in Charlevoix! Needless to say there was a celebration for Steve and I at Willoughby Brewing afterwards! Two weeks later it was time to race the 70.3 triathlon at the <b>Deer Creek Fall Challenge</b>. This was a tough race in terms of winds on the bike and it was a hot run. I started having some bladder pain about halfway through the run which caused me to slow down and even walk a couple times but I managed a PR time of 5:34 and ended up 2nd female so it was a great day and we celebrated afterwards at Matt the Millers by Polaris in Columbus on our drive home.</div>
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October was a tough month as I fought some health issues with my bladder and trying to balance out the final training days for <b>Beach 2 Battleship 140.6 Tri.</b> I was not sure if I would be able to race and/or complete the race so when I got the go ahead from my urologist I was a happy girl. He told me to just go out there and race and we would figure things out after. Steve and I made a vacation out of the race in Wilmington, NC. It was a lot of fun as it is a great town, we had a terrific place on the water and lots of friends there. Despite having to stop a lot to pee and some discomfort I was able to finish in 12:17 a nice PR and just a little short of my 12 hour goal. I was totally smashed for a couple days following the race so it was a tough recovery. I guess that's what I get for racing while sick.</div>
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A few weeks of recovery led into some shorter races in November and December to close out the year because it is too boring to sit around! First <b>Twinsburg Turkey Trot 5 miler</b>, which did not go great for me due to some allergy/breathng issues and also probably some lingering fatigue. Still I placed 2nd in my AG and Steve placed overall. Then we both raced the<b> Painesville Turkey Trot 5K </b>to win our AGs again. Then we ran the <b>NERC relay at Westwoods </b>with our Snakebite Racing teammate Mark Erzen and placed 2nd co-ed team after losing by less than a minute to some high school XC kids! Next up a 4th place finish/1st in AG at the <b>Jingle Bell Run 5K</b> at Legacy Village, a 2nd in AG at the <b>Frosty 5 Miler</b> in Hudson on Xmas eve and finally a 5th place female/1st AG place at the <b>Great New Years Eve 5K</b> in Stow. </div>
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That was a busy season and 2016 looks to be the same with maybe a marathon less and no 140.6. Plus I am spacing my big races out more to allow some extra recovery time. I hate resting but I need to work on that because maybe I will race even better if I can learn the art of recovery! </div>
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2016 starts up this weekend with Run for Regis half marathon again. Forecast says 17 degrees, Brrr. Should be painful I am sure!</div>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-56737975065754582512016-01-07T08:26:00.000-08:002016-01-07T08:26:06.246-08:00Holiday Race ReportsBecause we had such great weather for December my husband and I decided to do a couple last minute races to end the year. First we ran the Frosty 5 Miler in Hudson on Christmas Eve then we ran the Great New Years Eve 5K race on New Years Eve. Below is a quick recap on both races.<br />
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<b>Frosty 5 Miler:</b><br />
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The <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/events/frosty-5-and-mistletoe-mile/" target="_blank">Frosty 5 Miler</a> is put on by my friends at <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/" target="_blank">Western Reserve Racing</a>. It takes place in downtown Hudson, which is a really cute area. This was our first time doing the race and I was not sure how challenging it would be. The weather was great a little chilly - in the high 40s/low 50s but warm enough to race in my <a href="http://shop.pearlizumi.com/index.php" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi</a> ultra shorts and a tank top so that was great! The first mile was slightly up hill, the mid miles were flatter with some small hills and it seemed like the last mile was the most uphill but maybe I was just tired. I was hoping to break 35 minutes but felt a little sluggish towards the end so I ended up at 35:39 about a 7:08 pace. This was good enough for 2nd of 59 in my AG so it went fairly well. My friend Jen ended up winning our AG so it was nice to have some friendly competition!<br />
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Steve ended up placing in his AG also. All in all it was a great race and the conditions were perfect to run that day! For our AG placings we both received medals, which have now been added to the collection! Overall we both liked this race and would definitely run it again!<br />
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<b>Great New Years Eve 5K:</b><br />
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Several years ago I had run this <a href="http://www.summitathletic.com/races/great-new-years-eve-race-5k-results-runner-survey-free-photos-finish-line-video-12-31-2015" target="_blank">Great New Years Eve race</a> so I could not really recall what the course was like until running it again this year. It's a tough course but I liked it! I think the elevation chart has it at 300+ feet of gain over the 3.1 miles so it's not a PR course but it sure was a challenge trying to sprint up the hills! The course starts and finishes at the Stow/Munroe Falls High School. It is a fairly big race too with more than 700 runners. We were happy to see some friendly faces around. The weather was chilly in the 30s so I opted to race in my Pearl Izumi Ultra 3/4 tights and a tee with some armwarmers, gloves and a <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a> headband.<br />
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The first mile or so it was sleeting in my face as I was running up the hills. I was with the leading ladies for this first mile before dropping back a little to a pace more comfy for me. At the turn around I felt okay so I just tried to maintain a decent pace. The last mile was hard. It was mostly uphill. My legs would not go as fast as my heart wanted to. But I vowed to run that stinking hill as best as I could after the blow up at Jingle Bell a couple weeks back. Taking the right back toward the school was a little downhill but it seemed far away and I didn't have much kick left in me so I was passed by a chick at the last second to finish 5th place female and 1st in my AG with a time of 21:44. After the race SARC had a nice spread of food including some veggie soup to help warm us up. Steve also won first in his AG. SARC gave the AG winners blankets versus medals, which was kindof cool.<br />
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So that wrapped up the racing for 2016. It was a hard but fun and successful season for me and Steve. I will be working on my 2016 recap in the coming week or two. I am excited for another challenging season ahead in 2016 and lucky to be part of a new team (<a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a>) and also have some great sponsors lined up including <a href="https://freeplaymagazine.com/" target="_blank">Freeplay Magazine</a> (<a href="http://teamfreeplay.com/athletes/freeplay-ambassadors/pam-mcgowan/" target="_blank">Team Freeplay)</a>, <a href="http://shop.pearlizumi.com/index.php" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi</a>, <a href="https://nuun.com/" target="_blank">Team Nuun</a> and the <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a>.<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-61321223739360102962016-01-05T12:09:00.000-08:002016-01-05T12:09:02.726-08:00Pearl Izumi Champions Run Team<div>
I was fortunate enough to have <a href="http://www.pearlizumi.com/" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi </a>as a sponsor for a few seasons when I raced with <a href="http://rev3tri.com/" target="_blank">Team Revolution 3</a>. Pearl makes fabulous products for running and cycling! I use a number of their products and have since I first learned about them. </div>
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I am pleased to announce that I will be am ambassador for their running group "Pearl Izumi Champions" for 2016! And I even have some of my old Rev3 teammates as fellow ambassadors with me so that is awesome!</div>
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Check out the products <a href="http://shop.pearlizumi.com/index.php" target="_blank">Pearl Izumi</a> makes and try them out. A few of my favorites are the Ultra running shorts, the Ultra jacket and the Tri Fly Carbon bike shoes. But then again I pretty much love anything they make! Trust me you will not be disappointed!</div>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-9000694502620085032015-12-18T13:43:00.000-08:002015-12-18T13:43:22.496-08:00Friday News - Team Nuun and Training Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This hasn't been the best week for me. I've been extra stressed with the holiday stuff and trying to get my training plan in order for the first part of next season. My week was definitely improved when I got news from <a href="https://nuun.com/" target="_blank">Nuun </a>yesterday that I was selected as an ambassador for Team <a href="https://nuun.com/" target="_blank">Nuun</a> in 2016. If you have not tried their products you are missing out! And they have hydration options for everyone not just runners and triathletes. Nuun All Day for example is good for anyone. It tasted good and is low calorie unlike many sports drinks out there.<br />
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It's been an average running week. I will probably end up around 35 miles. I've got in a couple of bike rides and plan to get in another tomorrow for a total of 60-65 miles. I also took kickboxing Wednesday and got some lifting/core work in Monday. I have been a bad girl and not been swimming much. But I will get back to it.<br />
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I just read an article in <a href="https://freeplaymagazine.com/" target="_blank">Freeplay Magazine</a> about the importance of having an off season. So, I am doing that for a little while longer! I will start more structured training in the first week of January. I will be run heavy through spring since I have a number of running events including Run for Regis, <a href="https://www.westernreserveracing.com/race-registration/green-jewel-50k-and-2-person-relay-registration/" target="_blank">Green Jewel</a>, <a href="http://www.baa.org/" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a> and <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a> as well as some shorter things. I don't have a tri on the schedule until June so in my mind I have plenty of time to build that fitness for the bike and swim!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-87632951625663735672015-12-14T08:04:00.002-08:002015-12-14T08:04:33.131-08:00Jingle Bell Run 5K Race ReportThe <a href="http://www.jbr.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1139433" target="_blank">Jingle Bell Walk/Run 5K</a> for Arthritis was yesterday. The hubby and I both signed up. We've been having some off season race fun and figured this was for a good cause and close to home so we would give it a go. The race takes place at Legacy Village and the surrounding area in Lyndhurst. It has a 9:00 start too, which is great for those of us that like to sleep in on the weekend yet still race.<br />
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Steve and I arrived at Legacy around 8am and parked near the race expo. We had plenty of time to get our packets, get in a good warm up and have a quick snack before the race. It was unusually warm at 65+ degrees at the start so I noticed after our warm up that I was awfully sweaty for just jogging. I figured it would be a warm one so I am glad to have been in shorts and a singlet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That darn hill! LOL</td></tr>
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At the start I actually "tried" to hold back the first mile. My plan was to run about a 6:30 or 6:40 but when I saw the timer at mile 1 - oops 6:15. Okay, okay no biggie I will just slow down a little. At this point around the halfway point at Hawken School (where I used to run track workouts years back with some of the Second Sole folks) I felt fatigued. I knew it was going to hurt for the rest of the race. And it did. Mile 2 I was at 13:00 so I had slowed down to 6:45 that second mile. Mile 3 did not go well - 8:18...yep, ouch. Of course when you decide to walk a hill that will happen. I don't know exactly what went wrong I just felt crappy, kindof overheated and lost my focus. It was too bad - because many people including my husband PRd. I think the sub 21 was there which would be a good PR for me but no dice as I ran it in for a 21:18. Not a bad time but not the time I was capable of.<br />
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Even though the race did not go as I planned in that last mile I was able to pull it back together for 4th place female and an AG win. I cannot beat myself up too much for that. I just have to learn from my mistakes. Learning from our mistakes is the only way we can grow as athletes.<br />
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I need to do regular speedwork sessions so it does not hurt "as much" during these fast races. This year races have been my speedwork. Next season I will do speedwork to be better prepared. I also have to ignore the negative thoughts that creep me in and tell me "who cares you're not fast enough to win this thing today just walk". I will never be my best if I listen to the negative self talk. I will work on having some positive affirmations for difficult times during my races.<br />
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I resolve to be better next season. I will work harder, smarter and believe in myself more. I will also accept that I will have off days in training and racing.<br />
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Huge congrats to be my speedy husband Steve who set a PR of 18:22 yesterday at 48 years old! It has been a pleasure to watch him grow and improve over these last 5+ years and I cannot wait to see where he goes next.<br />
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Never let your age limit you. Never let your mind limit you. Just keep moving and learning and you will accomplish great things - whatever that means for you.<br />
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Special thanks to my <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a> teammate and friend Mark Erzen for cheering and taking some great photos including the one posted above.<br />
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-36269121704806446632015-12-10T12:24:00.000-08:002015-12-10T12:24:54.516-08:00Ending the Season With Some Fun RacesMy officially planned race season really ended with Beach 2 Battleship 140.6. Since then I have been trying to get healthy and back to myself. An Ironman distance race can really take the life out of your legs for a while. After the Twinsburg Turkey Trot and my stupid allergies, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I had to put things back in perspective and remember that I already had a productive, good season and it's okay for me to not be at 100% of my fitness level 100% of the time. I mean this is a hobby - albeit one I take seriously.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8sw_p6q1bEppzeZeF_IlX6a3_rtPGwYUKjBZIxQF1JVoH1Zue7zOpElwB02t1QP00DmmzG_JprdHTyvBBJ93rAQNjpFxcVBdxGyuXnl4cSdpXcfMr0eh4Q29dAPh2UGXXOp2NSACnbM/s1600/12308285_10153710609964431_1636832153890603396_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8sw_p6q1bEppzeZeF_IlX6a3_rtPGwYUKjBZIxQF1JVoH1Zue7zOpElwB02t1QP00DmmzG_JprdHTyvBBJ93rAQNjpFxcVBdxGyuXnl4cSdpXcfMr0eh4Q29dAPh2UGXXOp2NSACnbM/s200/12308285_10153710609964431_1636832153890603396_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre Turkey Trot </td></tr>
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Since then I raced with my hubby on Thanksgiving at the <a href="http://www.lakecountyymca.org/mission-advancement/turkey-day-5k/" target="_blank">Painesville Turkey Trot</a> 5K. It wasn't a PR but my 21:46 was good enough to crack the top ten for females and first in my AG. This made the second year in a row that I won my AG and got a pumpkin pie for it so I have to keep this streak alive! Same with my hubby.<br />
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Then this past weekend we raced the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1646003765687157/" target="_blank">NERC Interclub Relay</a> at The West Woods Park in Novelty. Steve and I raced with our <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a> teammate Mark Erzen. Steve ran the 8-mile leg, I ran the 5 mile leg and Mark ran the 3 mile leg. We ended up placing 2nd in the co-ed division as we had the previous year when we ran with our friend Jillian. We were less than a minute off the co-ed win but a group of high school runners edged us out. At least us old-timers can feel good about the effort!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post Relay w/ Our Awards </td></tr>
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After the race there is a chili contest so there was lots of tasty chili, soups and other treats. We hung around for a little while to catch up with friends and for the awards and then headed home.<br />
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Next up we will be running the <a href="http://www.jbr.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1139433" target="_blank">Jingle Bell 5K for Arthritis</a> this weekend. If you don't have plans this Sunday it is a great little event that takes place at Legacy Village at 9am. Visit this link <a href="http://www.jbr.org/faf/home/waiver.asp?ievent=1139433&lis=1&kntae1139433=9D8DAA09F468440DBB6E99A421ECB2A3" target="_blank">here</a> to register.<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-15743808660933107972015-12-07T13:19:00.000-08:002015-12-07T13:19:08.918-08:00Exciting News for 2016 - Freeplay MagazineI am so excited for the 2016 season to start already and now I have more good news to share. I have been selected as an ambassador for Freeplay Magazine! Team Freeplay is a team of elite and sub elite women focused on endurance running and triathlon. There are ten ladies on the racing team out of California and another five of us ambassadors added this year from all over to help spread awareness of the team and magazine. Head on over to freeplaymagazine.com to check out this awesome publication that is completely devoted to endurance sports for women. You can also visit www.teamfreeplay.com. My information should be live on the team site after January 1.<br />
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The team includes some pretty amazing female athletes. From 2:50 marathoners to Kona Qualifiers, you can read more about the new 2016 team and ambassadors <a href="http://teamfreeplay.com/freeplay-announces-its-2016-roster/" target="_blank">here</a>. I am looking forward to getting to know these fast ladies and hopefully picking up some guidance on how to improve myself.<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-84621022430398807112015-11-30T11:11:00.000-08:002015-11-30T11:31:30.573-08:00Get in the Holiday Spirit with the Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis at Legacy VillageThis time of the year can be tough. The days are shorter and we don't get to run or walk outside as much as we want. To help keep the winter blues away, I like to stay active by doing fun races around the holiday. This year I plan on participating in the <a href="http://www.jbr.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1139433" target="_blank">Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis</a> at Legacy Village. The race takes place on Sunday, 12/13 at Legacy Village. It's a 9am start too so you can even sleep in. Since it's at Legacy you can get some of that holiday shopping done afterwards!<br />
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The race is ideal for competitive runners as well as those who would rather walk. For those who prefer chip timing advance registration is $35 or $30 for the untimed 5K. There is also a 1 mile family fun run/walk option, which is great for getting the family members involved. Registration for that event is $30. </div>
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Arthritis is a disease that affects many people. The Great Lakes Regional <a href="http://www.arthritis.org/" target="_blank">Arthritis Foundation</a> has this <a href="http://www.arthritis.org/get-involved/jingle-bell-run-walk/jbr-mission-video.php?_ga=1.91202782.550849147.1448910123" target="_blank">event </a>to help raise funds for research and treatment So, throw on a costume or your best red and green race attire and come out and celebrate the holiday with a fun run for a great cause! To register visit www.JBR.org/Cleveland. </div>
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I will be giving away two race entries to some lucky winners! To enter simply comment and tell me why you would like to run or walk in the Jingle Bell 5K. Winners will be announce early next week! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images from previous Jingle Bell 5K walk/run</td></tr>
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Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-25458039129264793772015-11-23T12:42:00.003-08:002015-11-23T12:45:17.738-08:00News for 2016 Racing Season - I'm Joining Snakebite Racing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the holiday week and I have some exciting news to share! I will be racing as part of <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/Home.asp" target="_blank">Snakebite Racing</a>'s Multisport Team for 2016! I am excited to join my husband and many friends on the team next season.<br />
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The Snakebite <a href="http://www.snakebiteracing.com/TheTeam.htm" target="_blank">Team</a> consists of a diverse group of athletes from multisport (triathlon and duathlon) and cycling (road, cyclocross and mountain biking) disciplines. From placing in local races to AG nationals and worlds, Ironman Kona, Boston Marathon, State Cycling Championships and even Beer Miles, this is a team that is not afraid of hard work!<br />
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But what I love about the team is that the people are all friendly, passionate about their sports, humble and fun to be around. I also like that this is a local Cleveland based team so I already see these folks on a regular basis whether it's a training day, race or a <a href="http://www.clevetriclub.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Tri Club</a> social event. I am looking forward to rocking the Snakebite Racing kit next season.<br />
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If you are interested in sponsoring Snakebite Racing for the 2016 racing season I believe we still have some spots open for monetary and product sponsors. Send me a message and I can connect you with the right folks to speak with.<br />
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Happy Racing!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-33584698932007960262015-11-16T08:51:00.000-08:002015-11-16T08:51:15.319-08:002016 Cleveland Marathon News & Quick Race ReportIt was an interesting week for me. Some ups and downs. So let's start with the good news shall we?<br />
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I am officially back as a <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Marathon</a> ambassador again for 2016! This is great news as I love this race and the friends that I made last year that were also ambassadors. The race, which takes place on 5/15/16 is a month after the Boston Marathon so I figured why not run the full again. New this year for the adventurous folks there is a new <a href="http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/news/entry/72115_-_USA_Today_Sports_Active_Alliance_Officially_Launches_Includes_Cleveland_Marathon/" target="_blank">Challenge Series</a> where you can run multiple races such as the 8K and full marathon or 8K and half marathon, etc. I thought about doing this but with running Boston and prepping for a half ironman race in June I decided to stick with the solo 26.2. Watch my blog and social media posts throughout the season for updates on the race, meet ups and a chance to win a free race entry to the distance of your choice!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard earned AG Turkey Trophy</td></tr>
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Now the not so good news. Since Beach 2 Battleship I have struggled to get my running mojo back due to "dead leg" syndrome. Finally this week I had a couple of decent paced runs and my husband and I signed up to run a local race called the <a href="http://champracing.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/tfc1.31794552.htm" target="_blank">Twinsburg Turkey Trot 5 miler</a>. It's a fun little race that combines some road and trail running into one tough little race. The last time I ran it in 2013 I had a good day and won the female race in 36 and change. This time was not as fortuitous for me.<br />
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My respiratory allergies had flared up last week and I struggled with my breathing. I knew this going into the race Saturday but decided to take my albuterol inhaler and chance it anyways. Things started out pretty well for the first couple of miles then around the 2-2.5 mile mark I had a tough time getting in oxygen and had to stop and walk to get my breathe back. This happened a few times during the race so I quickly went from 2nd place down and ended up finishing in 6th with a time of 39:31 (7:54 pace). So, it's not the day I wanted to have but I am glad I hung in there and finished the race and managed to place 2nd in my AG. Steve ended up having a great race and took 3rd male with his time of 33 mins. I was happy that at least one of us had a great day!<br />
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I'm hoping my allergies clear up and my Turkey Day 5K race goes a little smoother! I am now at the point where seeing an allergist has become necessary because it's interfering with my training, racing and general enjoyment of life at times. Not cool, right?! So, I will be doing a cleanse following Thanksgiving and then experimenting with a vegan diet to see if that helps. I will also be seeing an allergist and may even try some accupuncture at the suggestion of a friend. Stay tuned for more on the healing journey in future blog posts!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8869287238503983950.post-57279327276624268522015-10-29T13:16:00.000-07:002015-10-29T13:26:20.499-07:00Beach 2 Battleship 140.6 Race ReportIt's funny how you look back on a big race once it's completed and think how fast it came and went. My whole year or at least summer for that matter was focused on one big task - taking on ironman distance race #2. After <a href="http://rev3tri.com/cedarpoint/" target="_blank">Rev3 Cedar Point</a> last year I was disappointed. Sure, I was a finisher but I knew I had a bad day and was disappointed in my time. This left me wanting redemption so in December of 2014 I signed up for <a href="http://www.beach2battleship.com/" target="_blank">Beach 2 Battleship</a> in sunny Wilmington, NC. I had heard wonderful things about the race so I figured it would be a good experience.<br />
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Countless hours of training and racing went into the biggest race of my season. An Iron distance race requires commitment and focus to be successful. I am pretty happy with how my training progressed but of course there are variables that one cannot control...such as getting very sick a few weeks out from race day. Several doctors visits and procedures left me wondering if I would even be able to race let alone meet my goal of a big PR. I battled with myself because at first I did too much and was not getting better and then I had to be honest with myself and rest and allow my body to heal. That is not an easy task for me but after a couple weeks I was feeling much better albeit not 100% and really just needed my doctor's approval to race pending some test results. I pretty much had decided I wanted to at least attempt the race. I had worked hard for months and it would have been depressing to sit out the biggest race of my year. I figured if worse came to worse I could do as much as possible and DNF. Fortunately my day went better than expected!<br />
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<b>Prerace Thursday:</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our condo on Water Street</td></tr>
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Steve and I packed up the car and started the drive to Wilmington around 6am. With a few stops along the way and after hitting the expo we arrived at our condo downtown around 5:30pm. The place we rented from Trip Advisor was perfect. We had a full apartment right on Water Street overlooking the Cape Fear River and conveniently located a couple of blocks down from the expo. After unpacking we headed over to a local Brewery to have a pint and then later we met our friend Elisa for dinner at a local place downtown called Fat Tony's, which the locals rave about. After getting back to our condo Steve and I took on the big task of getting our race bags (transition, post race and special needs bags ready). After that it was time to call it a night.<br />
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<b>Prerace Friday (Race Eve):</b><br />
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There is a certain energy you wake up with the day before you take on an Iron distance race. So we were up to have a coffee, eat and get everything organized for the day. We did a shakeout run and bike. We checked in our T2 bag and special needs bags at the convention center. We checked our bikes and T1 bag in at the beach transition area. Beach 2 Battleship has two transition areas because it is a point to point race. This makes the logistics a little more challenging but doable as long as you are organized.<br />
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After we checked the bikes in Steve and I headed to Wrightsville Beach for a little while to enjoy the sun and sand. We had a nice relaxing walk on the beach and then headed back to town to the condo to get cleaned up for dinner. We ended up eating at Fat Tony's again and it was a very nice low-key prerace dinner with lots of carbs including a dessert! One must eat well before 140.6 miles! After dinner we walked back to the condo and headed to bed. I slept reasonably well for the night before a big race.<br />
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<b>Race Morning:</b><br />
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The alarm went off at 4:15am, which was actually not that bad. I woke up right away and so did Steve. After a cup of coffee, some food and a shower it was time to get dressed and put on the race tattoos. Our plan was to meet our friend at the Hilton where the race shuttle would drop us off at T1 by the beach. We were right on schedule for the shuttle, which was a trolly. I was in a very chatty mood and feeling pretty excited that I had made it this far despite the challenges over the last few weeks. This was happening! We arrived at T1 to finish setting up and then we had to catch a second shuttle over to the swim start a few miles away since this was a point to point swim. When we arrived at the swim start it was dark and chilly and there were not many athletes there yet. We hung out and stayed warm with some throw away sweats and shoes. After about an hour or so later it was time to chug some beet juice, eat one last snack, ditch the throw away clothes and walk over to the beach.<br />
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<b>The Swim: 2.4 Miles - 1:05:01 clock time (1:01 watch time)</b><br />
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As we positioned ourselves for the start at 7:30 the race director played "Lose Yourself" by Eminem <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan_jU_lDF8nCta9Hn8PAqD8rbe68LkSJI-yiuzAR6J-UyaZPNNzNZVlqCEDoXozHjFAVE_LkYNo7bBNIBX8SA2tQ0yBwScoM-M_1giFw9zUF4d7_mUc45iRps2xo_TR_KTpw1c1x_MkI/s1600/1610893_10153648586369431_7336911570057037637_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan_jU_lDF8nCta9Hn8PAqD8rbe68LkSJI-yiuzAR6J-UyaZPNNzNZVlqCEDoXozHjFAVE_LkYNo7bBNIBX8SA2tQ0yBwScoM-M_1giFw9zUF4d7_mUc45iRps2xo_TR_KTpw1c1x_MkI/s320/1610893_10153648586369431_7336911570057037637_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Swim start photo by race photographer</span></td></tr>
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and this got us incredibly pumped up. I was jumping and dancing and ready to get this thing started! Steve and I lined up close together and walked up to the water. It was go time. I ran in as long as possible and then started into a freestyle stroke right away. With it being a mass start of about 800 people there were no shortage of bodies around me throughout the whole swim. In fact it got a little physical a couple of times but I quickly repositioned as needed. It was a fast swim with the current in our favor especially for the first 2000-2500 meters. Once we made the first big left turn though the wind was not in our favor and the water was choppier. This wasn't too big of a deal since we had been practicing in good old Lake Erie a fair amount over the summer. My goal was to try to finish the swim in about an hour. At the end of the swim you have to climb a ladder up to the dock. I glanced at my watch time and it said 1:01 so I was almost exactly on pace. After the swim you have to get your wetsuit off and run through the showers to rinse the salt water off then you run a couple hundred meters across the street before you hit the timing mat. This added a few minutes to my time but no big deal.<br />
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<b>T1: 9:29</b><br />
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This was a little longer than I planned but T1 is a pain. You are soaking wet and a little discombobulated from a long swim so it takes longer to change, get a snack, etc. Then you go grab your bike and wait a few seconds for the people in front of you so that you can mount your bike.<br />
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<b>The Bike: 112 Miles - 6:26:23 clock time (6:12 watch time)</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the bike fighting the wind!</td></tr>
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The start of the bike was slow as there was a good bit of weaving in and around roads and people until we finally made our way onto a straight-away when I was able to focus on hitting my pace and getting in some nutrition and fluids. My goal was to average around 18 mph for the race.<br />
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The first 60-70 miles were mostly flat and into the wind. I thought that flat would be easy but in all actuality you never really get a break to coast. If you let up on the cadence you lose power and slow down. I was pretty much on pace as we hit the first aid station at mile 25 or so. Unfortunately my aerobar mounted drink holder cracked and broke so I had to lose one of my two bottles. This was not ideal but I refilled my bottle and then chugged some water before I was on my way. I probably only lost a minute or two here.<br />
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At the next aid station around 45 miles I had to use the porta john. Unfortunately there was a line so I racked my bike and took care of my drink refill and then waited a couple of minutes to go. I maybe lost a few minutes here because the clock doesn't stop for you to pee.<br />
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Around mile 60 we got the special needs bags. I had a vanilla iced coffee in mine and some gummy lifesavers. Weird combo perhaps but it got the job done with a sugar burst. Then I used the bathroom again. So here I lost maybe 3-4 minutes as well but worth it.<br />
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I ended up hitting one more aid station for a third potty break so at least I was hydrated and this was around mile 75 or 80 and was my last stop. The wind had become more of a tailwind at this point so that was a good thing but of course I was ready to be done.<br />
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My last hour was my fastest hour I think. We were on a flat highway with a tailwind so I was averaging 19+ mph in that section. I was stoked to see the bridge at mile 111 and coast into the convention center for T2.<br />
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<b>T2: 5:02</b><br />
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At T2 they had bike catchers, which was nice and then there was a decent 200 meter or so run to the bags. From there I hit the changing tent and changed from my Powerbar bike jersey into my Powerbar run singlet. I also took in a Powerbar energy blend gel and hit the restroom quickly before starting the run.<br />
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<b>The Run: 26.2 Miles - 4:31:16 clock time</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting 2nd lap of run</td></tr>
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I felt pretty good for the first hour of the run. Maybe too good. My GPS watch died right around then which may have been a curse or a blessing - not sure yet which it was. I had felt pretty good on the run through mile 13 and then I kindof bonked. I walked a little to the special needs bag and was very happy that I had put a redbull and some Aleve in there as I needed both. My left achilles had started bothering me around mile 8 or 9 so the Aleve definitely helped. I also rubbed on some Biofreeze as well. That stuff is magic.<br />
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I got back on track for a little bit but started to feel the pain again around mile 18 from some pretty gnarly blisters on both of my pinky toes. My Hoka Cliftons were not kind to me late in the race. Luckily the aid stations had vaseline so I was able to stop a couple of times to coat my toes.<br />
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I made sure to take in a lot of salt from Base as well as the chicken broth and water. This definitely helped keep me from cramping. I tried to keep my walking to the aid stations or very short little 30 second breaks a few times in the later miles. I had hopes of being closer to 4 or 4:15 but it just was not happening this time. While running is definitely my best sport it is also the hardest thing to do when you are sick and I was still not 100% so this did not work in my favor.<br />
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One thing that was great about the run was that I got to see Steve and all my <a href="http://www.clevetriclub.com/" target="_blank">Cleve Tri Club</a> friends that were racing several times, which was a real boost.<br />
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<b>The Finish & Post Race:</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CTC 140.6 Racers & fans!</td></tr>
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My last mile of the run was a good one and emotional. I went from not even knowing if I would be able to race, to not knowing if I could finish to a PR! I was pretty close to my goal of hitting 12 hours. I ended up with a 12:17 and if it was not for the bike stops I would have been 12:03 or so. I ended up 6th in my AG out of 18. This was a big improvement over the mess that was my first 140.6. And I was recovering from being ill. I will take it. I was teary-eyed at the finish so Steve was worried and I just explained that I was happy. Happy to be done with the race. Happy to be done with this big goal. Happy to be strong enough to do this.<br />
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Steve had brought me some warm clothes to put on and a Fatheads Trailhead beer. I downed some pizza and a hot chocolate and then walked back to the condo to get showered. Shortly after we headed back to the finish to meet up with our Cleveland Tri Club friends and celebrate and wait for our friend Elisa to finish her first 140.6! She had a tough day but she finished and I was ready to call it a night when we got back to our condo at 12:30 or so in the am.<br />
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Unfortunately I was very sick after the race. I was in bed most of the next 36 hours but did make it out for one celebratory beer and food with the CTC/Bicycle Hub folks. Then it was back to Cleveland the next day. Then back to work the day after. How quickly it came and went.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts:</b><br />
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<u>On the Race:</u><br />
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The race was awesome! It is very well organized. The swim is fast and I like the point to point swim layout versus the old double loop. The bike course is windy and flat at around 1400 ft of gain. Flat and windy hurts. The run is a nice course albeit hilly in some sections, was a little warm in heat of the day at around 70s. The aid stations were fantastic. Setup Events and the volunteers make this a great race. The town is scenic and fun with lots to do. The beach was nice too. I wish we had more time before or after the race to enjoy it!<br />
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<u>On Racing my 2nd 140.6</u><br />
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Your health is more important than anything. I probably pushed myself beyond what I should have but my Dr. gave me the go ahead because even he knew how hard we train to complete an ironman distance race. I had debated sitting it out and playing it safe but that's just not who I am. I definitely paid the price after for a few days. I am now well into my recovery and want to thank my husband Steve for all his love and care, my friends who raced with me for the cheers, my friends I raced and trained with all year, my mom for her support and encouragement and also to <a href="http://www.powerbar.com/" target="_blank">Powerbar</a> for being a top-notch sponsor once again this season.<br />
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After some thinking I will not be competing in a 140.6 next season. I need to give my body and mind a little break. There is a good chance I will do another in 2017 or beyond but for next season I am looking forward to some long run races, olympic and 70.3 triathlons, and some new stuff like bike time trials and cyclocross. This old girl needs some variety and more recovery. I plan to space my big races out at least 4-6 wks apart next season because taking on a BQ marathon, 70.3 and Ironman in five weeks time frame was just a little too aggressive for me. Lesson Leaned. Now it's time to enjoy the off season! Finally! Horray!<br />
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<br />Pamela McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13870885929401194403noreply@blogger.com0