10 Mile Drop Race Report & Marathon Training Update

This past Sunday I raced the Lake Health Running 10 Mile Drop race. This was my last race before the Toledo Marathon, which is coming up on Sunday April 26! I wanted to see what kind of speed/strength I have in me a couple of weeks out from the marathon. The good news is that it went well...even a little better than I expected!

My friend Jillian who is also doing Toledo and hoping for a BQ came out to run the race as well. My husband Steve dropped us off at the start on Ravenna Rd in Concord Township around 7:45. This allowed plenty of time to warm up, use the bathroom and say hi to some other friends. The start was at 8:25 and began with a slight incline heading up Ravenna Rd before a downhill and right hand turn onto the Greenway Trail. The start was fast but I was trying my best to hold back the pace.

Jillian was in the lead and the woman who ended up placing second passed me after a mile so I was in third for much of the race. Although the race is called a drop, there are some climbs throughout. Exiting the Greenway Trail and turning left onto Rt 84 is uphill. With the temperature rising and the sun shining down on me I knew it would not be an easy race. I was able to hold pretty steady. My 5K split was 21:51, which was faster than my planned pace. The next few miles I slowed down a little with my 10K pace slipping to 45 and change. I definitely started to feel some fatigue later in the race around mile 8 when I was passed by the third place female. Another woman had attempted to pass me too but I was able to hold my ground and push forward in front of her. I had hoped to regain third place but as the finish drew close she was out of sight. I just kept my goal as not letting any additional women pass me.

At the final turn onto Second St in Fairport Harbor there is maybe 1/4 mile to the finish. Or maybe a 1/3. I didn't look at my watch as I was focused on trying to finish strong. I saw Jillian cheering and saw the clock and I tried my best to break 1:14 but came up just a tad short in 1:14:02. My race average was 7:25 pace versus the 7:02 I started with. This was above my goal pace of 7:30 so I was happy with the 4th place finish and age group win. I was excited for Jillian to learn she had won the race with a 1:11 and change.

Postrace with Jillian and our friend Bryan (Lake Effect Runner)

We hung around after the race and talked to some friends that had run the 10 and 20 mile races and Steve came to hang out after his training run. After the awards we headed back to my house to change and then hit the Mentor Winking Lizard for some hard-earned hoppy beer and food!

This was my last hard effort before Toledo. I am hoping things go well there and I can celebrate my first BQ! I feel ready and just have to rest up now and get fresh for race day. After Toledo I will race the Cleveland Marathon Full or Half depending on how I feel and my goals. No matter which race I do, I am super excited to race Cleveland again as I love this race and especially with the new course!

2014 Northern OH Half Marathon Race Report

I can be stubborn. It's both a good and bad trait to have as an athlete. I had looked forward to the Lake Health Northern OH half marathon for months. I felt like it would be a great opportunity to go for a shiny, new half marathon PR. And it probably was a good opportunity for that; however, my circumstances had changed. Last Sunday I started to get sick and by the time the weekend rolled around I was still sick with a seasonal bronchitis that I tend to get each year with the seasonal changes. I told myself if I felt okay race eve and race morning I would go for the PR. As luck would have it I did feel better although not 100% so I made a judgement call and decided to give it 100% effort.

Prerace:

I had slept pretty well the night before the race and was up at 5:45 to get ready, which really just consisted of getting dressed, using the restroom and eating breakfast. Steve was racing as well and we left the house around 6:30. We parked near the start in Fairport Harbor at 6:45 and headed out for a little mile warm up and to meet my friend Jillian to give her the race packet we'd picked up for her the day before. It was a chilly morning with temps in the high 30s.

Start & First 8 Miles:

I lined up near the front of the pack a couple of rows back on the left side as the course started with a straight away quickly leading to a downhill ending with a left-hand turn. A few of my friends that were racing were nearby as well as Steve. I tried to stay warm until the bullhorn sounded for the start. It was a fast start and the downhill section was a little rough on my knees with the cold temps. My first mile was a little fast being sub seven but I knew I would slow down and settle in soon after and I did. My early splits were all between 7:25-7:35 so about right where I wanted to be. At mile 5 before the aid station I took in my first gel and felt pretty good heading into the little climb up Courdoroy road. I noticed my tempo starting to slow a little as we approached Headlands Beach for the turn-around so I took in another gel here at mile 8.

The Last 5 Miles & Finish:

The sun was out and it definitely warmed up the back part of the race, which I was okay with. I was able to lose my arm warmers and focus on the task at hand. There is some climbing heading back toward Fairport over by Pickle Bills and then again a little later. These splits did not look as good as I had some 8 minute miles in there and I had been passed by one woman. I really just tried to stay focused and not over think those miles. I figured I had some time from the early miles in the bank and knew I could get back on track. I still felt kindof bonkish though and did a final gel coming up before mile 11. That one didn't sit as well in the tummy but did give me a little boost.

The course was changed from last year so instead of crossing the bridge to head back toward the beach, a decent little climb up to a side street was added. This was a little tough at mile 11 and I slowed a bit there but was able to quickly get back on track as my heart rate came down. The last two miles I focused on a nice, fast cadence and trying to hold steady around 7:30-7:40 pace. I did start to wonder if the finish would ever come as I was more tired than usual for a half. Finally made the turn onto 2nd street toward the finish and was happy to be done with the race. I had come up short on the PR with a 1:40:45 but that was good enough for 7th place female and first in the 35-39 age group. It was also a PR for this particular course where I had run 1:42 and change last year.


Postrace & Closing Thoughts:

Steve, me, Jillian, Courtney & Chris post-race

After the race was not pretty. I walked over to the car and basically coughed up a lung or two. I was pretty exhausted from pushing myself. Eventually I changed into warmer, dry clothes and headed to the finish area to hang out with my friends and get some food. Steve ended up PR'ing and having a great race with a 1:27 and change and my friends Jillian, Courtney & Chris had all PRd also. I was happy for them but definitely feeling disappointed about my own performance. Everyone had things to do or just wanted to go home and relax so Steve and I headed home. I was not feeling well at all and spent much of the day in bed resting. In hindsight maybe I should have either sat this one out or went a little easier given my situation. Lesson Learned. I guess I can't beat myself up too much as I was only a minute and change off from my PR and that was at the Towpath, which is more of a PR-friendly course.

To make up for this race I feel I owe it to myself to try again when I am healthier so I have signed up for the Buckeye half in Akron later this month. It is a pretty flat course and I have run it years back when they held it in the summer. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do at 100%. Hoping there's a sub 1:39 in me! If not, I may try again in late November.

Lakeland Clock Tower 5K Race Report

It's been a long time since I've run a 5K. In fact I think the last 5K I ran was in spring of 2012. I've just been so focused on endurance lately and haven't been able to fit in many shorter races. When I heard about this race I decided to do it because my daughter goes to college at Lakeland and I wanted to support the college and local community that I live in.

I had no real time to train for speed just coming off the Ironman recovery four weeks ago so I did not have high expectations for my performance. In fact I am surprised that it went as well as it did. Pleasantly surprised of course! It was a chilly day with temps around 45 degrees and some wind. Steve and I got in an easy mile warm up and tried to stay warm until the start. I lined up close to the front as it was not a big race. I told myself to have fun running and just do the best I could do that day. It was nice not feeling a lot of pressure and maybe that helped me to relax and enjoy myself.

The race started right in front of the clock tower that has become the symbol for the college throughout the community. The first mile was a little downhill and winding through the campus. It was a pretty fast first mile with my first split coming in at 6:40. I was pleased with this pace as I was not pushing as hard as I could but did not want to go out too fast and pay for it later not knowing how hilly the course would be when they mentioned running up Garfield Rd to the turn around. Fortunately the course was pretty flat with just one hill but then some gradual uphill heading back through the campus. I was able to see Steve around the half way point and he was in third place and looking strong. I took off after the turn around and hit the 2 mile mark with a 6:45 pace. I definitely slowed a little the last mile with the gradual uphill and wind but I was able to hold on to around a 7 minute pace for a finish of 21:17 (6:51 pace), which I believe is a new 5K PR for me. I was 2nd place female so that was a nice, unexpected bonus on a day where I didn't expect much from myself!

Post race picture with Steve and Lakeland in the background

Steve ended up finishing 3rd male with an 18:37, a new PR for him as well! I am pleased with how much the endurance work and cross training from triathlon has helped us with our running this season!

I got to see my friend Jessica (who I coached this year for Team in Training) and her family at the race. Her daughter Hannah came in 3rd place with a 23+ minute pace at 12 years old, which is so impressive!

Lakeland did a great job with the race and had lots of terrific snacks for the runners as well as a nice upbeat vibe with music and awards. I hope to do the race again and see it grow as this was only the second year they've had it.

After the race Steve and I headed over to Chapin Forest for another 5 mile run on the trails. It was the perfect fall day to run! After that we stopped at the Kirtland Diner and had a hard-earned, delicious breakfast. We of course had some celebratory beers later as well!

Next up is the Lake Health Northern Ohio Half Marathon this weekend! I'm hoping to earn myself a shiny, new PR there as well but have to see what the day and these legs bring. Stay tuned!

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!

Inaugural Lake Health Northern Ohio Half Marathon Race Report

Lake Health and Second Sole Mentor did an excellent job with the inaugural Northern Ohio Marathon/Half Marathon. It was a very well-organized event, the course was marked and easy to follow with plenty of aid stations and volunteers. I was planning to run the full marathon originally but due to health issues I needed to scale back this fall. Lake Health was very easy to work with in switching my registration to the half.

Race Morning:

The race starts at Fairport Harbor very close the the beach (minutes from my house), which was a definite bonus on race morning. I was able to sleep until almost 6am. As I was up late the evening before following the Kona coverage I needed this sleep! I got up, took a quick shower just to get moving, had a cup of coffee, got dressed and ate breakfast and was ready to run out the door by 6:45. Steve and the kids were coming to cheer me on so this was exciting. 

hanging out with my stepdaughter prerace

We arrived near the start and parked on the side of the road at 2nd street. It was still dark at this time (around 6:55-7am). I got out of the car and immediately did my 1 mile warm up. A bit faster than planned at an 8:30 pace but I was definitely warmed up after that. A little stretching and a quick potty break and it was time to lineup at the start. I said hello to some running friends and got my garmin ready to go. My goals for the race were to try for a PR of 1:38 and/or a top 10 female finish.

The Start & First Half:

The start was fast with a pretty decent downhill at the beginning of the race and a nice flat section. I had intended to pace myself around 7:30 the first mile. Glancing at my garmin I could see that I went out a little fast at 7:08 first mile. Still I felt good and slowed the pace down to that sweet spot of 7:30-7:45.  I felt great the first half. I had gotten passed by a couple of ladies but not many so I just wanted to stay in a good position and try to finish in the top 10. Around mile 5 I took in my first gel (thanks Powerbar) and felt an immediate kick. I felt very strong coming up the hill on Corduroy Rd entering Mentor Headlands. 

The Back Half & Finish:

The next few miles went pretty well also. I liked running by Headlands Beach but was a little disappointed we didn't run down by the water. I felt steady and each time I looked at my watch I was on target with the 7:30-7:40 pace. At mile 9 I took another gel. It must have been about mile 10 or 11 that I could feel a change in how I was doing. I slowed down to closer to an 8 minute pace and tried to hold steady. At that point I wasn't sure the PR would happen but I still wanted to try for it. Mile 10 went ok, mile 11 was tough and mile 12 was not pretty. I had gotten passed by one woman who just had it that day and in the last 1/2 mile or so two more women passed me. It is rare for me to let someone pass me this late in a race but I honestly didn't have my usual kick left that day. I didn't fall apart but I just didn't have my drive. 

the stats were available instantly!

After making the turn back onto 2nd street I could see and hear the crowd and I heard Steve and the kids yelling for me so I pushed as much as I could until the finish. My time was not a PR but I was happy with the 1:42:29. It was not an easy course and it was a little warmer than I would have liked but overall it was a good race and I was able to capture 2nd in my age group although I dropped to 13th overall female. 

Post Race:

Lake Health generously had set up a tent with massage tables and pools with ice water so I was able to take advantage of both of those two things to start the recovery immediately. I also had a water and a snack. 

Getting my age group award!

We hung around for a little while and waited for my award. Second Sole Mentor provided gift certificates to the overall and age group winners, which was very nice of them. In addition to the awesome medals Lake Health also provided a high quality 1/2 zip tech shirt as well. 

On the way home we stopped at Pulp so I could get my favorite smoothie and I went home to take a recovery bath, nap and use my Normatec MVP recovery boots.

It was a good day. I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a fall race for 2014!