The Cleveland Marathon is Rapidly Approaching

Marathon Recovery Week One:

It feels like just yesterday that I raced the Toledo Glass City Marathon and here we are only 10 days out from the Cleveland Marathon! Where does the time go?! I am happy to say that my recovery from Toledo is going very well. I took a couple of days off after just doing some light walking and stretching followed up by a swim day. My first recovery run was Thursday and it went decent. Friday I took it easy and did some more walking and a hike at North Chagrin with Steve that evening. Saturday Steve and I did a 25 mile bike ride followed by a 5 mile brick run (run was pretty hot). Sunday we rode 50 miles in the glorious sunshine.

Marathon Recovery Week Two:

Monday night we did a 10 mile run in the wicked humidity (that was a tough one). Yesterday I did a 2200m swim and a walk last night with the dog followed by some stretching. This morning I did a 6 mile run with 2 easy, 3 @ marathon pace and a cooldown mile followed by some stretching. I will be doing a second easy run of about 4 miles at lunch today. Tomorrow I will run 8 miles in the am before my morning meeting and then if my legs feel good I will do an hour easy on the bike in the evening. Friday I will swim 2000 meters in the am and do Bikram Yoga (Hot Yoga) in the evening. Saturday I will run 8 with some miles at marathon pace. Sunday I will ride 90 minutes.

Marathon Recovery Week Three Plan:

Monday I will run an easy 4 miles. Tuesday will be an easy 1200m swim, Wednesday and Thursday I will run 4 with .5 easy, 3 at marathon pace and .5 easy. Friday will be an off day with some stretching. Saturday will be an easy 3 mile shakeout run. Sunday will be go time!

My Cleveland Race Day Plan:

My plan as of now is to go out with the 3:35 pace group. My qualifying time is 3:40 but going with the 3:35 group gives me a little cushion as I really need about a 3:38 to be within the cutoff for Boston registration. At this point I am hoping for nice weather that is not too hot! I am eating and sleeping well and stretching often and staying focused and positive. Hopefully I will have a good day! Stay tuned for the race report!

Fools 25K Race Report & Marathon Training Update

The last two Sundays have been filled with long trail runs. This makes me a happy girl because I love trail running!

On March 29th, my husband Steve and I both raced The Fools 25K Trail race again in Peninsula. That is a terrific race put on by our friends at Western Reserve Racing. There is a 50K option as well for those who want to go longer - but the 25K distance on a hard course like this is a great effort to get ready for marathon season! Because of the difficulty of the course and longer time it takes to complete this race I consider it one of my 20 mile training runs. 

This year it was 14 degrees at the start. Brrr! We got down to Pine Hollow to park and pick up our bibs around 8am. This gave us plenty of time to get in a warm up, use the restroom, etc. The ground was full of frozen footprints on the warmup mile so I knew this would make for hard footing throughout the race. The 25K race starts at 9 so we lined up with some of our Cleveland Tri Club friends that were running as well. The race start is downhill into a field before you make your way to the trails so it's usually a fast start. I went out a little faster than planned but then quickly settled in after 2-3 miles into a more sustainable pace for this course. The temperature started rising and I quickly had to roll up my shirt sleeves and lose my gloves. 

My speedy husband w/ his award for winning Masters!

I felt pretty good through the half way point but then the frozen, uneven terrain started to weigh on me. By Salt Run, which is the hardest part of the course in my opinion (at least in terms of elevation) I was whooped. The stairs were especially tough and I ended up walking near the end more than I had anticipated. I think this was a combination of lingering fatigue from the GJ50K as well as the tough trail conditions for the day. While it was faster going than last year, it hurt more physically this year. I ended up finishing in 2:43 and change for 6th female, 1st in 35-39AG so it was a course PR and improvement over last year even though I was hoping to be closer to 2:30. Maybe next year I'll get there! Steve ended up finishing 7th overall and 1st place Masters so he had a great race with a time of 2:11. After the race we headed over the to the Winking Lizard with our friends Mark, Frode and Phil for some hoppy beers and hard-earned food.

Enjoying an Easter Sunday on the trails!

Much of last week I was fighting off a strain in my right calf from the Fools race so I mostly focused on my swimming and cycling and just got in an easy run later in the week. Then yesterday on Easter Sunday, Steve and I hit the trails of Penitentiary Glenn so I could get in one last long one before the Toledo Marathon. I ended up Taping my calf with KT Tape and that helped me get through it along with stretching it periodically. The weather was perfect for running and the trails felt good on my tired body. I am very happy to be officially tapering now on the run! 20 days to go and then 41 days until the Cleveland Marathon! I am unsure if I will run the half or full at this point as I have to see how I recover from Toledo. Either way I am excited because I love the new Cleveland Marathon course and the energy from this local race!

Today is my first rest day in a good bit of time. Then the balance of this week I will do some running including an easy one tomorrow and a tempo run and easier run Thursday then a tune-up race Sunday at Lake Health Running's 10 Mile Drop. I really loved the 20 Mile Drop last year so I am looking forward to running the shorter course this year and trying to find some speed. I will also be swimming 2 x 2400 yds, lifting once, and I have a bike TT tomorrow along with a 30 mile ride Saturday.

Green Jewel 50K 2015 Race Report

Saturday I ran my first ultra-distance race at the Green Jewel 50K. I had heard about this race and thought it sounded perfect for my first one since it was mostly on all-purpose trail called "The Emerald Trail" travelling North to South from Rocky River Reservation to Brecksville Reservation. The last part of the race is run on Valley Parkway on the road. The race has both a solo 50K option as well as a 2-person relay option. My husband Steve and I had both decided to run the whole thing as well as our friend Jillian.

With the winter we had it was a wildcard as to how the course conditions would be. Things were not looking promising as race day approached. With lots of snow and record low temperatures throughout January and February this year, much of the course through mile 16-17 was ice-covered, which really slowed things down. Even with the conditions being not ideal to race I enjoyed the race. You just needed to be prepared with proper footwear and slow down a little and it was definitely runnable.

Prerace:

Prerace photo courtesy of George!

My husband Steve and I got up around 5:15 for a hearty breakfast and then we drove to the finish at Oak Grove Pavillion in Brecksville to check in and pick up our bibs. We then boarded one of the comfy coach buses that the race directors provided for the drive to the start of the race in Rocky River. The bus was buzzing with excitement for veterans and first timers alike as we departed for the start around 7:40am. We arrived in Rocky River around 8:10 and stayed on the bus for a little while to stay warm and use the facilities then it was time to walk to the start and drop off our finish and half way point bags for Wallace Lake. We found our friend Jillian and lined up to listen to prerace announcements and put our trusty yaktrax on. Then at 9am sharp we were off for the journey!

First Half:

It was definitely icy right away once we got on the path. I was very glad that I decided to use the Yaktrax as the race directors had strongly advised being prepared for icy conditions. This definitely slowed me down as I wanted to be sure of my footing. Since the plan with my coach was to go out around a 9-minute pace this worked out very well. Had it not been icy I would have probably went out faster. The course was really beautiful albeit a little trecherous at times. I guess this made things more interesting for me since I could never really go into auto-pilot mode. I had to watch each step. There were a couple of stoplights that I got stuck at but other than that it was pretty straight forward with aid stations around mile 4.5 and again around 9 or 10. Our friend Jim was out running and cheering and checking on us to see if we needed anything.

At Wallace Lake, which is the half-way point where the relayers switch, I stopped and looked for my drop bag. I had a Coke in there as well as a small clip-on water bottle and some extra gels that I needed to grab. It took me a couple of minutes to get back to the path. I would say I maybe lost 5-6 minutes of time from the stoplights, this stop and a potty break after the second aid station.

Miles 15-24.5:

The next several miles I just tried to settle in to my run. Around mile 16 a woman had told me that the path was clear up ahead so I took off my yaktrax and proceeded to take a little spill. I was okay but a little annoyed with myself that I fell. I got up, kicked the snowbank next to me and that was that!

Tackling Ridge Rd Hill!

I was happy to see my friend Mel around mile 17 or 18 and then I realized I needed to go to the bathroom again. At least I was hydrated! So I ran until W 130th where there was a porto-potty that was a little off the course but manageable. I probably lost a couple of minutes here as well but it was worth it. Back onto the path this was around mile 20 or 21 I think and I was feeling some fatigue set in but didn't allow myself to walk except once to take a quick drink. I just trudged along at a 9-10 minute pace. Then I saw the infamous "Ridge Rd Hill" ahead and decided I would try to run it. I got up a little ways and then decided I would walk it until the aid station. That is definitely a hill! Again my friend Mel was out on the course cheering for me as well as my friend Jim so this along with the Coke and goodies at the aid station was a pick-me-up.

Final Miles:

The aid station folks told us to stay on the road on Valley Parkway after we crossed Ridge Rd so the final 6.5 miles were on the road, which consisted of pretty much all rollers heading back into Brecksville. I remember hitting a mentally hard point where I actually shed some tears but continued to push forward. The song "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynrd was playing and all I can say is that running this far into the race I really had a sense of freedom and strength that filled me with emotion. I worked hard to train for this day and I knew in that moment that I would be done soon so it was one of those sweet moments that you don't want to end.

Then around mile 27 or 28 the second wind kicked in as Pantera's "This Love" came onto my playlist and I took off. I think this was my favorite part of the race. With a few miles to go I felt energized and strong. I looked down at my Garmin to see that I was running 8-minute miles again. Wow - where did that come from?!

The Finish:

Finishing it up!

I felt strong and excited to finish my first 50K. After a long day of running I saw the turn into Oak Grove for the finish and I had a good stride going into the finish. My husband Steve and friend Jillian were there cheering and I actually felt pretty good when I stopped after 5 hours and 4 minutes of running.

I headed over to the finishers tent to pick up my awesome medal and shirt and then eat some of the terrific soup that Kelly from Western Reserve Racing had made as well as having a hot apple cider that was the most delicious thing ever after running 31 miles! I then learned that I was one of the top females in the 50K race, which was pretty exciting and unexpected! Originally they had said I placed third and my friend Jillian was second but we were later contacted and notified by the race director that she was first and I was second! I guess the lead woman hadn't run and let a guy friend run with her bib. Second place in my first 50K?! Wow, what a day! Hard work does pay off! The awards are really magnificent too and handmade by Kelly and her sister Kirsten!

Jillian, me and Steve with our awards!

Steve also had a great race finishing 7th male and first in the masters division! I'm very proud of the progress he has continued to make as an athlete and the strong start to the 2015 season he has had already!

Post Race:

After changing into some dry clothes, Steve, Jillian and I headed over to Fatheads to meet Jillian's husband Brian and some other friends. We definitely earned the burgers, fries and hoppy beer that we enjoyed! After a couple of hours it was time to head home, eat again, shower and turn in early for some much needed rest and recovery!

Closing Thoughts & Thank Yous:

These memories will be with me for a while. I would definitely run this race again. In fact I think it may be in my list of favorite races ever! Western Reserve Racing did a wonderful job with this event. It is a beautiful course and there was plenty of aid on the course and the post race food and awards and everything were top notch!

I want to thank everyone that helped with my training this season...especially my sponsor Powerbar for fueling countless runs leading up to this day. Also thanks to coach Chris Martino of New Level Coaching for the guidance and of course for believing in me! A huge thank you to my husband Steve for slogging through the three hour treadmill runs with me this winter and coming along for the double long run weekends! We did it! Those long hours paid off! And finally to our Cleveland Triathlon Club friends that cheered us on and checked on us to make sure we were comfortable, thank you!

So now I am in recovery mode this week and planning to run St. Malachi Saturday. That is one of the most fun races of the year mainly because the huge afterparty at McCarthy's afterwards! And later this month I'm racing the Fools 25K again. I am looking forward to hitting the trails with this warmer weather!

My 2014 Cleveland Marathon Race Report

I had a great experience at the 2014 Cleveland Marathon! This was my third time running the full marathon in Cleveland. I loved the new course although the hills on the shoreway were tough coming back towards the finish. We had perfect weather. It was chilly at the start around 49 but I quickly heated up enough to lose my longsleeve shirt and armwarmers. The sun was shining for the whole race and it was probably high 50s, maybe 60 degrees.

The Start:

Steve and I parked at the lot on West 3rd and jogged up to the start as our warmup. We used the restroom and lined up around 6:35 for the 7am start. We hung out for a while together and then I lined up around the 3:35 pace group and he moved up to the 3:20 pace group. The girl next to me was from Chicago and going for the BQ also. It would be her first time qualifying too so we had that in common. As we started I felt like I needed to use the restroom again. The first mile went fast and easy at around an 8 minute pace. Mile 2 I stopped to use the restroom quickly and rushed to catch back up to the 3:35 pace group.

The First Half:

I stayed just ahead of the 3:35 pace group as I wanted to have a little cushion in my BQ time. The first 10K felt nice and easy. My 10K split was 50:53 (8:11 pace). Somewhere around mile 12 or 13 the pace group got ahead of me but I didn't worry as I just tried to stick to my comfy pace and not worry about the pace group. My half time of 1:47:33 was on pace with an average of 8:12 and I was not worried as I was staying consistent at least.

The Next 7 Miles:

I stayed pretty consistent over the next 7 miles, slowing some around mile 17-18 and just trying to push through as steady as possible through the 30K. My 30K split time of 2:35 (8:19 pace) shows that I was not on pace anymore for a 3:35 but could still pull off the 3:40. I tried to remind myself of that as I felt the fatigue of 19, 20 miles setting in and the 3:40 pace group passing by. I'll just keep them in my sights I thought. I can still get Boston.

The Last 10K:

They say the second half of the marathon starts at mile 20 and yes it does feel this way to me. Through 20 I was able to force myself to hold on but mile 21, 22 and 23's splits tell a different story. They tell the story of a woman trying like hell to hold on yet wanting to let go. My hips and quads were aching. My spirit was breaking. I agreed to let myself walk for a minute or two a mile if I needed to but I would still need to go for the PR. My first marathon was 4:17, my second (last year) was 4:09. This year I would do better even if I wouldn't get Boston.

Miles 24 & 25 came and the hills of the shoreway hurt but I ran them. Not fast but steady. I gazed at my watch and told myself I could get 3:50. I focused all my effort on 3:50. It's not Boston but it's closer to Boston I told myself.

The Finish:

Mile 26 ticked off on my watch and I made myself run faster. Almost there I thought. 26.2 came and I was still going. I saw the finish line. There was a woman cramping up and shaking trying so hard to get there so I stopped to give her a pat on the back and a word of encouragement and then I ran it in and did some fist pumps as I crossed the line. My garmin said 26.52 and an average time of 8:44 pace. My official finish time from the marathon says 3:51:06 (8:48 pace). That is 18 minutes better than last year. I'll take it. Not a BQ but the best I could do that day.

Steve ran up to hug me as I cried tears of disappointment and yet tears of joy for the PR. I asked how he did and he told me he did a 3:16! He only needed a 3:25 to BQ and had done a 3:30 last year. He took 14 minutes off his time this year. As his coach and his wife and best friend I was elated for him!

Post race celebrating with my BQ fast husband!

Post Race:

Even though I didn't meet my goal of qualifying for Boston I still had a big PR and that alone is something to celebrate as was Steve's awesome race. We met our friends Jillian and Bryan afterwards for beers and burgers. It was an excellent day for sitting on the patio and conversing over IPAs.

Final Thoughts:

My coach says that a full in the fall will be difficult after the Ironman race but maybe in November or December I can run another. I will see how I feel and start looking at my options. I'd still like to BQ this year if possible. I know one thing I won't give up until I get it! It will be that much sweeter when I meet this elusive goal of mine!

Flapjack & Jill 15K Race Report

Last Saturday was my last opportunity to race prior to the Cleveland Marathon. The 15K distance is long enough to challenge my endurance and yet short enough to allow me to see if I could muster up some speed. I've been feeling a little slower lately running many of my runs at marathon pace or slower. Coach said to go for it so I did my best. My thinking was to go out at around a 7:15-7:30 pace and I pretty much stuck to that with my first mile being a little faster and my last a little slower.

The Flapjack & Jill 15K took place in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) on the Towpath Trail. I love this section of the park and ran one of my first ever 20 milers on it years back so I was excited about the chance to do a race on this mostly flat, softer surface.

Prerace:

Steve and I got in a couple of easy miles to warm up before the race. It was a little cool at 50 degrees or so but I decided to race sans armwarmers as I figured I'd work up a sweat. We lined up around 8:00 and we were off.

The Start:

Race start I'm in the yellow hat and red shirt & steve is on my right

The start was fun as it started at the Stanford house and went straight down a little hill across the street onto a trail leading to the Towpath where we then took a right and ran toward the Ohio Turnpike Bridge. I started in the front next to Steve since it was a smaller race. One woman who ended up in second passed me right away and I just stuck to my pace.

The First 4-5 Miles:

Maybe another mile or two later another woman passed who ended up being the overall winner. We pretty much stayed in that position for a couple miles and then a couple other women passed. I just kept telling myself to stick to the pace. It's impossible to know whether they'll slow down or not later depending on their endurance and intensity. My hope was to at least place in the top three although I wasn't sure if that was going to happen.

The Back 4-5 Miles:

I did a gel around mile 5 at the water stop and kept steady (thanks for the race fuel Powerbar). I think one more more woman passed me here and she was in front of me the rest of the race just outside of my reach. I was feeling a little fatigued around miles 7-8 and my right calf was cramping up. I thought this might happen as it was a little achy following my Wednesday longer run. I just tried to maintain as I knew the finish wasn't too far off!

The Finish:

post race with my adorable & fast husband!

I enjoyed the finish. Running back up to the Stanford House there was the little hill but a lot of people cheering including my speedy husband. I finished a little slower than my goal time at 1:10:41 (7:36 pace) but was happy with the finish. I was 7th female and 3rd in the 35-39 age group. Both other women in my age group were within a minute of me and the woman who placed third was only 90 seconds ahead of me with an average 7:26 pace so it was a small but competitive womens' field.

Post Race & Closing Thoughts:

Steve had a great race and placed second overall so we headed out to Kent to visit Ray's Place for some post race celebratory IPAS and food.

It was a good day and we were lucky that the rain held out for the race. As usual Western Reserve Racing did a nice job with the event. There was an optional pancake breakfast after which we skipped and we received nice gender specific tech tees. I will definitely consider doing this one again - hopefully a little faster the next time! Next up is Cleveland in 10 days!

A Quick Training Update for Cleveland Marathon and Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 Triathlon

The weeks are flying by and I'm only about three weeks out from the Cleveland Marathon and seven weeks out from the Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 Triathlon. The training has been going well even on big weeks and I'm happy to be injury free. My appetite has been pretty big as well. I don't even want to know how many calories I am consuming on a daily basis now. I've also hooked back up with my old running coach and that has been helpful in keeping me more grounded and also more focused and relaxed.

My original goal for Cleveland this year was just to run a PR time but now I have Boston in my sights following a decent performance at the 20 Mile Drop race a couple weeks back.  I've run some tough races this season in terrible conditions including my first trail 25K at Fools and I've been able to get through them and come out stronger physically and mentally. This will be my third full marathon and I actually feel ready to at least make a strong attempt at the coveted BQ. I have one more tune-up race next weekend two weeks out from the race, which is the Flapjack & Jill 15K race in Peninsula that Western Reserve Racing is putting on. I hope to have a good, hard race with a mile or two warm up and 2-3 miles of cooldown for a total of 13-14 miles.

For the marathon training, my peak running weeks including this week have been in the 40-45 mile range. Last night coach had me run 16 as 2 easy, 13@  MP (marathon pace) and then 1 to cooldown. It went well and my legs feel good today. I'd like to get in a bit more running mileage but I have to focus a good amount of time now on the bike as well. My weeks for the bike are averaging about 100 miles now and quickly growing to what I expect will be closer to 200 miles a week in the 140.6 build. I have been trying to get in at least two swims a week for a total of about 4000+ meters. And then whenever I can fit it in or physically need to do it I also add in a weekly yoga session. I also try to get in two strength sessions a week for 30-40 minutes each.

After Cleveland coach says I will be off running for a week and having an easier week. I don't even think I will mind this as it will give me a chance to heal and refocus for Williamsburg. This will be an early season 70.3 for me but the fitness should be there. I'd love to see a PR but will have to see how the day goes. As for the training I've got in a couple of 3 hour rides already and I have several more weeks of these ahead. This weekend I'll be doing 3.5 hours and will probably have at least one or two 4 hour rides in before my the race. I'm hoping this helps with my bike endurance. With swimming it's mostly just consistency with me. I need to swim 2-3 times weekly to see an improvement in my times. I am definitely strongest in freestyle but have been working a lot on my breaststroke this season and plan to use that more during race starts, for sighting or even for fatigue during the 140.6 race.

I feel like I am in a good place right now physically and emotionally. I just need to put the work in, eat and sleep well and recover well from races and hard workouts. I'm excited to see how the next couple of big races unfold. Now back to it!

Drop it Like it's Hot - the Lake Health 20 Mile Drop Race Report

Sunday I was able to run and experience the inaugural Lake Health 20 Mile Drop race. My expectations heading into the race weren't super high. My coach and I had talked the week before about this being an easier training run for Cleveland but I expressed my disappointment in just running it easy. After some discussion we decided that I'd run the first 10 easier and then race the back 10 if I was feeling good.

Prerace:

Prerace at home 

The race started in downtown Chardon (close to our house in Concord Township) and ended at Mentor Headlands Beach. It is so nice having a race in your backyard because you can sleep in and leave later for the start. Because it was a point to point, we had dropped one of our cars off at Mentor Headlands Saturday night then headed home for some carbo loading including pizza and beer. We set the alarm for 5:45 and were up getting ready by 6. After breakfast we headed out for the short drive to downtown Chardon. We got there around 6:45 and found a great parking spot. The buses from Mentor Headlands were just starting to arrive and we were able to get in a warm up, use the bathroom and hang out with some friends before the race. The weather for the start at 7:20 was around 60 degrees.

The start & first few miles:

Prerace with my friend Amy

We lined up for the start. Steve was out front and I was back a little with my friend Amy. As we took off I reminded myself that I was supposed to go easy, which any runner knows is not an easy thing to do at the start of a race. But this was 20 miles so sprinting too fast the first few could make for a long, painful race. So I held back and watched as people moved ahead. I reminded myself that this was my race and not to get caught up in anyone else's race. The first few miles through Chardon I felt great and I held back more than I wanted to. Around mile 3 as we started one of the climbs in the race (yes there were climbs!) I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I felt great and I enjoy running hills so I went for it. I didn't sprint I just figured I would run by feel, which was around a 7:30-7:45 pace. I had passed all of the girls I could see and then finally caught up to another girl around mile 4 who looked strong and was able to pass her.

Miles 3-13:

I felt wonderful running on the Maple Highlands trail and up through The Hunt Club but that area was a rough section for me where I had to dig in mentally. It was getting hotter and I knew I had another 11-12 miles to go. As we crossed over to the Greenway Bike Trail, which is one of my normal running spots I felt a sense of relief. I knew the next three miles were almost all downhill. I had stayed pretty steady for these miles and as I hit the 13.1 mark I was repassed by the girl I had passed around mile 4. My half time read 1:41 so that was pretty consistent with my half marathon pace, which was both a good thing and bad thing. With my half marathon PR being a 1:39 I figured I was going to pay later in the race for the speed.

Miles 13-20:

The last seven miles were hard. Coming off the trail and crossing onto the uphill section on Rt 84 W headed towards Mentor was tough. A few people around me were walking but I told myself to hold steady and just keep moving. It was hotter and windy and I was relieved to turn right and head towards Painesville. Crossing over Mentor Avenue at mile 16 was also a hard section. My right foot had badly blistered along with one of my toes on the left foot so I was trying to keep my mind off the pain and tell myself that four miles was not a lot of running. You're almost there I thought. Around mile 17 my quads cramped up pretty bad and I stopped to stretch and walk for a few seconds. Again I was around a few guys walking and I shook it off and forced myself to get going. At this point I wanted to finish strong.

one of my worst blisters ever!

Towards the end miles 18-19 had some hilly sections that were no easy feat. I felt myself slowing to a 9 minute pace and as I hit the top of the hill headed onto the street that leads to Headlands I saw a woman back maybe 400m behind me. Kick it into gear I told myself. I was not prepared to lose any ground this late in the race. I only had a mile to go. That last mile my split was 7:57 although with the pain of my blistered feet and the heat and exhaustion it felt like I was running a 12-minute mile.

The Finish:

Turning right to enter Mentor Headlands I was focused on the finish. Stay strong, hold steady, get it done. I saw the finish and it made me motivated to run as fast as I could. I saw Steve running towards the finish to watch and cheer and I was FINALLY done in 2:42:26. It had been a hard but good run. My average pace of 8:08 says there's a chance I can qualify for Boston next month when I run the Cleveland Marathon! When I talked to coach Pete he agreed that we would try for the BQ on May 18. Hopefully this race along with the Fools 25K Trail race a couple weeks ago have made me strong and ready to perform my best that day.

Post Race:

Post race with Steve

After the race Steve and I had a recovery drink and then celebratory beers. We both had good races. I had finished 6th female and 1st in the 35-39AG and Steve finished 11th overall and 1st in the 45-49AG with a time of 2:23. We hung out with friends including my beastly friend Kristy who won the women's race in 2:13!


Thoughts on the Race:

Lake Health gave out nice medals, finisher awards and had good snacks and beverages available post race. It was a nice course and I think they did a great job. They also have a 10 mile version of the race as well. I would definitely do this race again.


What's Next:

It's two days later and I'm still sore. Especially my quads. Coach says it's from all the downhill running. We lost 700 feet (thus the drop) but we also gained about 500-600 feet. Yesterday I took the day off and had a massage. Tonight I will do an easy spin on the bike and hopefully flush the rest of the lactic acid from these legs. Hoping for a recovery run tomorrow and by the weekend I have a 50 mile bike and 11 mile run (some at MP) on the schedule. The main goal for the next month is staying healthy!

The next race will be a road 15K on May 3 in Peninsula. That's two weeks prior to Cleveland so I am anxious and excited to see how that goes and then of course the Cleveland Marathon will be on May 18 and again I hope to break 3:40 and qualify for Boston (fingers crossed). And then multisport season kicks off in June with the Twinsburg Duathlon and Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3! After Williamsburg it's the build for the Rev3 140.6 at Cedar Point. This is certainly shaping up to be an exciting and challenging season!

Not a Tough Mudder...but a Tough, Muddy Race at the Fools 25K/50K Trail Race

When people hear that I'm an endurance athlete they usually ask me certain questions like have you ever done Ironman Hawaii. To which I must sadly reply "no" or "not yet". A lot of people also ask if I've done a Tough Mudder race. In all actuality I have not done a Tough Mudder or any of the related mud races. With so many options out there for racing I just don't have the ability to do everything I see or hear about. Ironically the Fools 25K race, which was my longest trail race to date was in some ways a Tough Mudder because it was tough and muddy for much of the race!

Prerace:

Prerace shot with the hubby!

Word had it that the trails in Peninsula were gonna be muddy. But then it snowed Saturday and I don't just mean a little bit! We got at least 4-6 inches throughout the Northeast. That would make for an interesting variety of conditions on the trails of the valley! The 25K'ers were to start at 9am - an hour after the 50K runners. Steve and I got up and ate a high-carb breakfast and headed out around 7 to arrive a little before 8. We were able to catch the start of the 50K race as we picked up our bibs and goodies. It was a chilly morning at 29 degrees and the field where we would start was covered in a blanket of fresh white snow. We got in a little warm up, used the bathroom and lined up for the 9am start.

The Start & First Couple:

The start was a slippery and snowy wet mess in the fields heading toward the trails of Pine Hollow. The terrain quickly shifted into a mixture of snow and mud. Lots and lots of mud. I tried to keep my feet dry as long as I could but it was a useless battle. By mile 2 my feet were soaked and would remain that way for pretty much the entire race.

The next 6 or so Miles:

Running through the ledges!

The trails were muddy but the scenery was beautiful - especially running through the ledges of Virginia Kendall. They were snow covered and slippery but breathetaking and actually they were my favorite part of the run. At least the first time we ran through them. You can see on the picture here that I was smiling and enjoying this portion of the race. A truly magical part of the trail!

The Back Half:

This was my longest trail race and trail run ever with my longest trail run before this being 13. I definitely struggled with the last 3-4 miles that went through Salt Run, which is a hard section of the race with lots of hills! I just tried to pace myself and walk some of the hills. I wasn't expecting to hit the podium at this race - just wanted to push myself and enjoy the experience and use it as a great training run for Cleveland.

The Finish:

Coming out of the woods and up the hill to the finish line at Pine Hollow, I was elated. Elated to be done but also elated for pushing myself through a tough day and a tough race! My first 25K trail race wasn't pretty but it was done! I finished slower than I expected at 3:02 but with the walking the last few miles it just slowed down my average pace. I was 8th female and 2nd in the 35-39AG so I still did okay all things considered.

Steve had a great race and finished in 2:23 and won second place overall so it was great to see him do so well!

Final Thoughts:

I definitely love trail running and much prefer it to grinding it out on the roads. I think it makes you a tougher runner for sure and you can learn to appreciate the raw beauty of nature no matter what the conditions are. Western Reserve Racing does an excellent job with their events and I highly recommend their races!

Next up is the Lake Health 20 Mile Drop, which is a road race that has an elevation loss of almost 800 feet. Looking forward to seeing how I do going downhill versus so much uphill!

Cautiously Ramping up the Training - So Far So Good!

For those of you you who know me or have followed my blog for a year or two it will come as no surprise to you that the spring season worries me. I have had serious injuries the last two spring seasons that caused me to cut back on my training (especially the run). I am doing my best to avoid that this season!

I have made a number of changes over the last year to help keep me healthy and able to ramp up nicely into racing season. For starters, I changed my running shoes. While I still tend to run in a lighter, neutral style I do not run in the minimal shoes anymore. I think they work great for some runners but not for me. I need a little something more for training...especially for my longer runs. The second big change I have made is in my strength training and core work. I spent a good deal of the off season working on my strength and core - generally at least two to three workouts weekly. Now that triathlon season is approaching I cannot dedicate as many workouts to core but do plan to maintain one or two workouts weekly (most likely yoga and a short strength session focused on sport-specific fitness). Another thing I have improved upon this year is recovery. After a hard session I am doing my best to replenish with ample carbs and some protein within 10-15 minutes of activity. This really seems to help. Finally I am just listening to my body more and staying flexible. If I have a couple days of calf pain I back off the run.

So far my training is going well. This week I was able to swim a good amount at CSU, ran some solid mileage including just under 16 yesterday and got a few bike rides in - including a hilly ride Saturday. I am ramping up nicely and pain free for Rev3 Knoxville and the Cleveland full marathon next month and Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 half in June. Depending on how that goes I will make some decisions about fall.

I am looking forward to the weather warming up again for the weekend so I can get in some solid mileage and my old coach and bike mechanic Sean will be heading out Saturday to get the bikes tuned up and ready for racing action! Exciting stuff!

Running for a Cause - Where Fitness Meets The Heart

We run for many reasons. We run to be physically fit. We run to be mentally fit. We run to be free. We run with friends. We run to blow off steam. We run to celebrate things. We run to mourn things. We run to commemorate special things or people. We run to test ourselves and our limits. We run to feel good about ourselves and the world around us. We run to have some time alone for ourselves to think or reflect or just be. All of these reasons are terrific reasons to run. When we run we are better because of it. We make ourselves better physically, mentally and maybe spiritually. Another very good reason to run is to run for a greater purpose, a cause that helps the world be just a little bit better for someone or something.

There are many worthy causes out there from raising funds for cancer survivors and cancer research to autism to helping those less fortunate than us who need shelter or food. Anything we do to help support these causes makes the world a little bit kinder and better for someone. This year I am supporting a very special organization and cause called Girls With Sole (GWS). GWS was started by fellow athlete and Clevelander Liz Ferro. Liz knows firsthand how much running and fitness in general can help to develop a girl's self esteem. 

GWS mentors young girls and women that have been abused or are at risk and helps them to develop self-esteem and a lifelong love of fitness and achievement. With the help of your generous donations, Girls With Sole will provide things like running shoes and clothes, race entry fees, ongoing coaching and mentoring and even a new bike to these well deserving young women. By running the Cleveland Marathon as part of Team Lula, I can help GWS raise funds to help these girls learn the power of fitness and self-esteem. That makes me feel happy inside knowing that my sweat and tears are helping to serve a higher cause beyond myself. I like to call this where fitness meets the heart!

I am proud to be a member of Team Lula for this year's Cleveland Marathon. Please consider making a donation to make the world a little better place for the GWS girls! Any amount from $5-500 helps and is much appreciated! To Donate simply click on the link below, select the amount you wish to give and fill out the form.

http://www.imathlete.com/donate/PamelaMcGowan?z=1360700962967

Thank you for supporting me and Girls With Sole and their girls! I will think of all of you and the difference we made together as I cross the finish line!