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!

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.

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!

Building the Spring Running & Triathlon Endurance Machine

After a good week of endurance training I am feeling pretty good about where I am for the end of February! I am building the endurance machine as I did last season. Despite a rougher week last week with a cold/flu bug I was able to rest a few days and quickly get back up and running. Sometimes getting sick can be a little blessing in disguise as it allows for extra rest days that I would never actually take off if it were up to me. Our bodies tend to let us know when a rest is needed. So I listened and bounced back to a great training week including a terrific weekend.

Saturday the weather was perfect to run an easy 13.1 with Steve. Yesterday we killed our 3200m swim and it was a hard set too! Following the workouts we recovered well and I am ready to attack the week! I have a very hard training block leading up to our vacation next Wednesday.

Since I need to get in a quality long run again this weekend I am considering running the Youngstown Millcreek Distance Classic Half Marathon. It has 17+ hills and is known to be a tough course. I think this is a good opportunity to get in a hard, hilly training run prior to vacation. Right now the weather shows 26 and no snow so this could be a good one. Additionally I have a number of other tough workouts scheduled for the week including Masters Swim tomorrow, and doubles & triples for the rest of the week including a good bit of core work again this week as we get ready to head to the beach!

Once on vacation I will have no scheduled workouts although plan to do a good bit of running on and near the beach with Steve. It will be nice to get up and run and then relax in the sun all day! Coming home is always tough and I have a hard week before heading out to see my Rev3 Triathlon family at the 2014 Team Summit in Virginia. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and plan to get in some group runs there too.

The following 2 weeks it's back to hard, focused training with a lot of running as we ramp up to the Fools 25K on March 30 followed up quickly by the 20 Mile Drop and Cleveland Marathon. That wraps up the spring running season as we head into Multisport and prepare for Rev3 Williamsburg 70.3 and build all summer to Rev3 Cedar Point 140.6!

I am so excited about this season and  my #1 priority is to stay healthy so I can accomplish my goals and to have some fun along the way!