Cleveland Marathon Contest Winner

It sounds like I'm not the only one that's excited to run the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 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!

To be fair I wanted to randomly select the winner so I used Random-ize. 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.

Reasons Why I Love the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & Giveaway

It has been an honor to be able to represent the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon as an ambassador for the past two years. The marathon staff are wonderful and my fellow ambassadors 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.

There are many reasons why The Cleveland Marathon is one of my favorite races:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cleveland is a great beer town so after the race you have a number of terrific options for post race lunch and brews!

I could go on and on but you get my drift. The Cleveland Marathon 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!

2016 Cleveland Marathon News & Quick Race Report

It was an interesting week for me. Some ups and downs. So let's start with the good news shall we?

I am officially back as a Cleveland Marathon 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 Challenge Series 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!

Hard earned AG Turkey Trophy

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 Twinsburg Turkey Trot 5 miler. 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.

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!

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!

Surviving not Thriving at The Cleveland Marathon This Year

Marathon # 5 is in the books! This year the Cleveland weather threw a lot of craziness at us brave runners including pouring rain, serious humidity and some hot temps late into the race but overall the whole marathon weekend experience for me was awesome thanks to the support of my husband, friends, Challenge Family teammates and marathon ambassadors.

Friday Evening:

Cleve Marathon Ambassadors

This year I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the Official Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors. In addition to a free race entry and swag, I met the nicest group of people ever! I already had a couple of friends in the group but am happy to say that I made a bunch of new, amazing friends as well. I really can't say enough how much fun we had and the incredible amount of support that I received from this group! I look forward to following these folks as they go on to take on their next challenges. Friday our group was invited to the Marathon VIP Reception at the Hyatt Arcade. It was a first class event all around with excellent food, beverages and company! Special thanks to Jack Staph, owner of the Cleveland Marathon race for his generosity. A few of us ambassadors also attended the pre-race happy hour with Great Lakes Brewing at Flannery's Pub. I want to send a big shout out to Great Lakes for sponsoring the marathon this year. It was wonderful to have a local craft beer after my race!

Saturday:

Green screen fun at the Expo

Saturday my husband Steve and I had a relaxing morning including some practice golf at the Blackbrook Driving Range followed up with a short 25 minute shakeout run. It was a very humid, sweaty run so I had a feeling we would be battling some tough race conditions. After lunch we headed downtown to the Convention Center for the marathon expo. We met up with my friend Jillian there and after the expo headed over to Barrio for a prerace IPA and some amazing chips and guac! Steve and I made a conservative prerace dinner and had another prerace beer with a lot of water and turned in early to watch a funny movie before bed. I slept pretty well waking up once to use the bathroom and have a little Powerbar snack.

Race Day:

The alarm went off at 4:30 and we were up right away to get dressed, eat a hearty breakfast and head out by 5:20. We arrived at the Penton parking garage around 6am and by the time we got ready and met up with my friend Jillian and walked over to the start area it was 6:30. I was supposed to meet my ambassador group but Jillian and I both had to use the bathroom before the race so we headed off to search for the ladies room. We met back up with Steve and chatted with some friends a couple minutes before heading into our corrals for the start. I lined up with the 3:35 pace group with friends Jessica and my new friend Jen who came in from Charleston, SC for the race. As we were waiting for the start, it poured down rain for about 5 minutes before it died down. It was tough just standing there but the rain probably helped cool us down as it was a very humid morning!

We took off after a quick 10-sec countdown and the first few miles went by super fast as I chatted with friends and our pacer. Things went smooth with my nutrition and water from the start. I made sure to get water early on as I knew I would need it later in the run. I felt on track but really had to use the bathroom so I stopped at the porta-johns at mile 13. Unforunately I had to wait a bit and then after my stop for water the pace group was too far ahead of me to catch up. I decided to just try and pace myself around 3:35. My goal for the race was 3:35-3:38. My BQ time is 3:40 but it's usually necessary to have a cushion to get into the race.

I paced pretty well until before the turn around in Rocky River. I was super excited to see my husband pass and see that he was on pace for his BQ! The 3:40 group ended up passing me and I figured I could maybe get back on track so I pushed on. Somewhere around mile 18 or 19 it started pouring rain again. It was bitter sweet because it cooled me off but it was also soaking my clothes and feet. My shoes rubbed and I knew I was in trouble with blisters. I also started to labor a bit around mile 21 or 22 and the rain didn't make it easier. Then the sun came out full blast as we headed to the shoreway. I baked and baked some more and I got very nauseated and stopped to throw up. I wanted to quit but that wasn't an option. I wanted to PR but that was a long shot. So I ran and I puked and I walked. I was happy to see my friend Jillian on the course. With a hug and a sip of water from her as well as good news that Steve had a BQ race, I drudged on reluctantly. The last mile was bittersweet as I fought to try to at least run the same time as I had done last year for this race. My thoughts went to beer. I just want a beer and my husband! I was pretty elated to see the finish to say the least!

Post race with my hubby!

Unfortunately I was about a minute slower than last year with a 3:52:30. Not a time to celebrate but certainly an accomplishment for just surviving the day. Instead of celebrating right away I threw up several times. I ran into my friend Jen who had a rough day too and had actually pulled out of the race early (poor thing).

Finally after about 30-40 minutes of relaxing and icing my neck I was cooled off enough  to get a post finish picture with Steve and then walk over to the beer tent for my Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale. Beer after a race that hard is amazing!

We walked to the parking garage and got cleaned up and changed into dry clothes before heading to the Winking Lizard to meet up with some of our Cleveland Tri Club friends and my friend Jillian. I enjoyed another beer and a burger and some great conversation. After heading home I was just hungry all day basically and ready for bed at 8:30! Aside from a throbbing toenail and a little overall fatigue, I feel good. I will take it easy for 2-3 days then ease back into my training. I have a duathlon and a couple tris approaching but I may try one more marathon in late June to see if I can BQ before the serious Half & Full Iron training starts this summer. But for now it's rest and recover!

Steve and CTC friends Jim, Frode, Dan & Jason post race!

Cleveland Marathon Race Week is Upon Us!

Wow, it's Cleveland Marathon race week! Needless to say I have a lot of excitement and emotions swirling around in my head and heart. After coming up a little short of my BQ goal in Toledo a few weeks ago I am anxious to give it another go. This will be race #7 for me this season. I don't think I have ever had such an intense race season this early in the year. It's been a good year already and I need to stop and appreciate that in itself. I am fortunate to be healthy this year and able to push myself to new achievements. Hopefully I can do that again this Sunday.

Five years ago I ran my first full marathon in Cleveland (my beloved hometown). Back then I hoped to finish but had a glimmer of hope for a BQ too. Needless to say I survived but was nowhere near a BQ! I never realized how hard it would be for me to achieve this goal. Five years later, I line up in my hometown again for marathon #5. Maybe this is the one where it will all come together for me. Toledo was close but maybe I am supposed to BQ at home. I guess that will make it even more special for me to know that it's going to happen as I run the shoreway back into downtown. 

No matter what happens this Sunday, I will put my heart and soul into my hometown race and give it everything that I can. I will walk (or hobble) away after the race knowing that I worked hard. I won't be stopped by the heat or anything else. It's me versus me, and I have a goal. Stay tuned to hear how it turns out!

For everyone racing in Cleveland this weekend - especially those brave souls taking on the full 26.2, I wish you luck. Stay strong and fight through the finish. 

It's Cleveland Marathon Race Week

In case you haven't heard me say it like 100 times on Facebook or Twitter or instagram, it's Cleveland Marathon week! I should not be nervous to run a marathon. This is not my first or even second full. It's actually my third. Back in 2010 I ran it and thought I would qualify for Boston easily on my first try. Much to my dismay it was a lot harder than I estimated and my time of 4:17 and change was not even close to good enough to BQ.

For the next two seasons I battled injuries as I built my endurance. Last year after a breakthrough in training and staying injury free I think I was more ready to attempt a Boston worthy race but alas it was a brutally hot day and my last 10K wasn't too pretty. I had assumed I would at least break 4 and wasn't able to do it. My time of 4:09 was not up to par.

So, no pressure on this third try, right? I only need to take off 29 minutes off my best time. Easy Peasy. I kindof laugh when I think about it. My coach says based on my races this year I can qualify. The 20 Mile Drop last month was a good indicator that I'm ready and now it's time to see if I can do it. They say the third time is the charm and I sure as hell hope that is the case for me this weekend as I line up at the start of my third full marathon (all in Cleveland). 

With the new course and projected temperatures of 20-30 degrees cooler things look promising. I just need to contain myself during this taper, load up on the carbs, stay calm and run 26.2 according to the plan. Steady as she goes at around an 8:15 pace. Should be easy, right?! Wish me luck!!

sporting marathon colors!

And as some extra motivation this week I have created a kick ass new playlist, ordered the coolest sports bra ever invented that stores multiple gels in it and had my nails done today in Cleveland Marathon colors! You gotta look good and feel good when you're running a big race, right?! 

Watch for the race results on Twitter and Facebook and I'll plan to have a full report on the blog next week.

2013 Cleveland Marathon Race Report - Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

I'm a little late with this post but better late than never! So as I revisit the Cleveland Marathon race day in my mind I have good memories. It was a fun race - very well organized and a great turnout. The weather was perfect for the first hour or so and then it definitely heated up!

Prerace:

Steve and I were up at 5 to get ready. Our plan was to be on the road by 5:45 to get downtown to park by 6:15. We feasted on some waffles and peanut butter with honey and watermelon along with some coconut water. Once we parked it was time to chug some Biotta beet juice for the extra endurance boost! We parked about 1/2 mile from the race and used the time to get a warm up in. As usual I needed to use the restroom before the start. So we made our way to the stadium to use the facilities and lined up together around 6:50 for the start at 7. I love this race because you can always just feel the energy bubbling as people sing along to that song "Cleveland Rocks" from the Drew Carey show!

Start & First Half:

The start was fast and fun. Steve wanted to run the first mile or so together, which put me a little ahead of my planned 8:30-9 min pace but it was nice being close to him for a little bit. After that he took off and I settled into my groove. There was a good vibe as we ran through the city. My pace was pretty much on target and I felt very good through the first half. Around mile 7 or 8 it got as little warm so I tossed my singlet and ran in the sports bra. Needless to say I did have some fun tanlines after the race! I liked the course all except that we literally ran with the halfers almost to the 13 so it was a bit tough mentally as they were turning left to run their last 1/2 mile or something and we were turning right to start the second half. My half time was 1:55ish with my plan being to finish a tad under 4 hours.

The Back Half:

Running with my friend Andy towards the finish!

The back half started off pretty well. It was getting hotter but was tolerable. I made friends with a guy named Andy and ran about 7 miles with him before I faded a little. Right before MLK I started to cramp a little. I remember glancing at my watch around mile 19.5 so I stopped to do a Powerbar double latte gel and get a sip of water. This kicked in shortly and I was back on track. The breeze running through the park was welcome. I really tried not to stop and walk. I did pretty well until mile 22 or 23 and then I really felt hot and fatigued. From there on it was really a run/walk. I didn't want to push past my limit as there were plenty of people getting medical attention from heat exhaustion. I made sure to take a sip of water at every stop since I knew it would be a hot race. It felt like the last mile would take forever and I caught up to my friend Andy so we were able to push each other a little at the end.

The Finish:

Happy to finish!

Crossing the finish line of my second full marathon was a great feeling even though it was a little slower than I wanted. My time of 4:09 was still better than my first marathon despite the heat. I was very happy and proud to have raised over $1000 for my friend Liz Ferro's nonprofit Girls With Sole by running this race. Knowing that my sweat and pain would help these young girls really helped me push through some hard times.

Post race with my love!

My friend Mickey Rizmek from Northcoast Multisport was there and gave me a hug and Steve cheered me on as I finished. We also ran into our friends Amy and Chris who had run the half. I was tired and ready for some post race food and beverages! After downing a chocolate milk and some snacks we headed to the car to get changed and headed over to the Winking Lizard for pizza and a tall IPA to wait for my longtime friend Jill Earle as she finished her first marathon. We met up with Jill and her friends at Flannery's for another beer and then headed to home sweet home for some well earned rest and some Normatec and Compex recovery!

Post race with Jilly!

I am looking forward to running my third marathon in the fall and hopefully it will be a little cooler and I'll get that sub 4 hour PR!