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.

Jingle Bell Run 5K Race Report

The Jingle Bell Walk/Run 5K for Arthritis was yesterday. The hubby and I both signed up. We've been having some off season race fun and figured this was for a good cause and close to home so we would give it a go. The race takes place at Legacy Village and the surrounding area in Lyndhurst. It has a 9:00 start too, which is great for those of us that like to sleep in on the weekend yet still race.

Steve and I arrived at Legacy around 8am and parked near the race expo. We had plenty of time to get our packets, get in a good warm up and have a quick snack before the race. It was unusually warm at 65+ degrees at the start so I noticed after our warm up that I was awfully sweaty for just jogging. I figured it would be a warm one so I am glad to have been in shorts and a singlet.

That darn hill! LOL

At the start I actually "tried" to hold back the first mile. My plan was to run about a 6:30 or 6:40 but when I saw the timer at mile 1 - oops 6:15. Okay, okay no biggie I will just slow down a little. At this point around the halfway point at Hawken School (where I used to run track workouts years back with some of the Second Sole folks) I felt fatigued. I knew it was going to hurt for the rest of the race. And it did. Mile 2 I was at 13:00 so I had slowed down to 6:45 that second mile. Mile 3 did not go well - 8:18...yep, ouch. Of course when you decide to walk a hill that will happen. I don't know exactly what went wrong I just felt crappy, kindof overheated and lost my focus. It was too bad - because many people including my husband PRd. I think the sub 21 was there which would be a good PR for me but no dice as I ran it in for a 21:18. Not a bad time but not the time I was capable of.

Even though the race did not go as I planned in that last mile I was able to pull it back together for 4th place female and an AG win. I cannot beat myself up too much for that. I just have to learn from my mistakes. Learning from our mistakes is the only way we can grow as athletes.

I need to do regular speedwork sessions so it does not hurt "as much" during these fast races. This year races have been my speedwork. Next season I will do speedwork to be better prepared. I also have to ignore the negative thoughts that creep me in and tell me "who cares you're not fast enough to win this thing today just walk". I will never be my best if I listen to the negative self talk. I will work on having some positive affirmations for difficult times during my races.

I resolve to be better next season. I will work harder, smarter and believe in myself more. I will also accept that I will have off days in training and racing.

Huge congrats to be my speedy husband Steve who set a PR of 18:22 yesterday at 48 years old! It has been a pleasure to watch him grow and improve over these last 5+ years and I cannot wait to see where he goes next.

Never let your age limit you. Never let your mind limit you. Just keep moving and learning and you will accomplish great things - whatever that means for you.

Special thanks to my Snakebite Racing teammate and friend Mark Erzen for cheering and taking some great photos including the one posted above.

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 Johnnycake Jog Race Report

Prerace:

prerace with my speedy husband!

Although I've lived in Mentor for the last few years, I have never done the Johnnycake Jog until this year. I wanted to see what all the hype was about plus Steve and I have been using these 5 mile races as our speedwork this season so it worked out well being so close to home. With an 8am start we were able to sleep in a bit, get up and eat and then head over to the Lake County Fairgrounds where the race starts and finishes. We met my friend Jillian for a little prerace warmup and then lined up for the race.

Race:

It started to rain while we were lining up for the start. Although I wasn't super happy with the rain it may have been a good thing with the temperature already being high 70s and the air being very humid. The first mile starts out on Mentor Avenue and then you turn right onto Fairgrounds Rd. The rain was coming down pretty steadily and I tried to fight my inclination to go out too fast the first mile. My first mile was around 6:55, which is ideal for me. Once we turned onto Rt 84 also known as Johnnycake I could feel some fatigue setting in and it was also very humid. The rain stopped and I think this was around 3 miles. My legs were feeling heavy having done a 3 hour bike ride and 25 minute run the day before. I didn't feel super fast but I felt strong. My next few mile splits were between 7:10-7:20, which is okay for me.

The last mile running along Mentor Avenue back to the finish was the hardest mile for me for sure at a 7:21 pace. I wanted to kick it in for the last stretch but just really didn't have the energy to push any harder. I crossed the finish line in 36:31 (7:19 pace). Not my best effort but in looking at the results it seems like a number of us that had run Bay Days the previous week were all about :45-60 seconds slower - maybe from the heat and humidity. I was happy to place 3rd in my age group and add a new medal to the collection.

Steve also had a good race placing first in his AG. We both got really excited because they had told him he won male masters and they gave him a medal and $75 cash...but come to find out that was a timing error. It was disappointing for him when they said it was a mistake but at least he still won 1st in his AG. My friend Jillian also placed 3rd in her age group so the three of us did well!

Postrace:

post race celebrating with Jillian :)

After the race awards the three of us went to celebrate at Burgers, Beer & Breakfast in downtown Willoughby where we all had a hoppy beer with our tasty brunches.

Then we headed over for a coffee at Arabica and I went home for a nice catnap and some much needed pool time.

Successful & Fun Training Weekend this 4th of July

This 4th of July weekend was awesome! Complete with racing, lots of training, friends and family it was a very fun and productive long weekend.

Thursday night:

Thursday night Steve and I decided to take the night off before our hard training weekend and go out to eat at the Beach club and have a tasty beer. They had the Southern Tier Unearthly on tap. Yum! I'm glad that we took the night off because it helped us relax and recover a little before Friday morning's race and ride.

Friday:

post race with my friend Jillian

Friday morning we got up around 5:45 and got ready to race the Bay Days 5 Miler in Bay Village. We were out the door to make the trip over to the west side by 6:40 and got over there around 7:40 with plenty of time to pick up our packets, meet my friend Jillian and get our warm up in. It was perfect weather and lots of of friends were there running so it was great to see everyone. The race went smooth and as usual my first mile was my fastest mile. I ended up with a 35:45 (7:09 pace) so not a PR and with such a competitive field I was only 5th/37 in my age group so that was a little disappointing but it was still fun as it was a nice, flat course that finished on the Bay High track. Who doesn't love track finishes?! Steve had a great race at 30:51 (6:10 pace) and ended up placing 2nd in his age group so at least one of us got to bring home some new hardware.

Steve and Mark D. bringing home the hardware!

After the race we met up with some of the Cleveland Tri Club folks for a 20 mile group ride on the west side. It was fun seeing new things on our ride, chatting with friends and making some new friends. After the ride a group of us headed over to Fatheads Brewery for food and some Headhunter IPAs, which topped off an already awesome day. Afterwards Steve and I headed home for some rest and relaxation and I was not feeling well that evening so I ended up going to bed early and missing the fireworks.

Saturday:

I was glad to wake up feeling better and after a big breakfast and some coffee Steve and I headed out to ride. We started at 8 and were meeting our friend John at the Civic Center in Mentor to ride with us. After picking John up we headed towards Mentor Headlands. Not too much later Steve had a mechanical issue with his bike as one of his spokes came off and he had to wait for a ride from John's wife to head back home and change out his wheels. John and I continued on to headlands, turning around and heading back up to 283 and then Hopkins to 84 to Little Mountain where we met back up with Steve. We rode into Painesville, took the trail up to a loop that came out back to the trail and then headed back over towards headlands for another loop. Sections of the bike were hot and windy and the 4 hours went by pretty quick. I got in 72 miles, which was about an 18mph average.

After the ride we made lunch and relaxed for a little bit before heading to my Dad's house for a cookout. It was nice to see family and relax for a few hours before heading back home.

Sunday:

Steve and I got up around 7, had breakfast and headed out around 8 for a 2 hour run. It was a hot run and the back half of the route we did went through Kirtland Hills up some tough climbs including Baldwin Rd. Ouch! All went well except I started having some chaffing issues on my inner thigh around mile 8 or 9 so the last miles were not quite as fun. We finished up around 10 with 13 miles. Right after the run I downed a chocolate milk and headed out by the pool to relax and cooldown before lunch.

After a big lunch we got the kids ready to go to the beach at Fairport Harbor and met up with our friends Bill and Tony for an open water swim. We got in 1500 meters in 29 minutes and change and called it a day. After that we relaxed with the kids for a little bit and then headed home to get cleaned up and run some errands, make dinner, etc. Needless to say we were tired last night and probably in bed by 9.

Today is a recovery day and then we'll ease back into the training ramping up for another big build weekend. Yay!

Girls With Sole Lula 5 Miler Race Report - I Love Running Rain or Shine

Yesterday I ran the Girls With Sole Lula 5 Mile race in Rocky River. Girls With Sole Founder Liz Ferro is a friend and awesome person whose non-profit improves the lives of the many girls she works with. I wanted to run the race to support Liz and the girls and I am so glad that I did for a number of reasons!

First, it is an inspiration to see the Girls With Sole girls out there racing. Thanks to their relationship with Liz and Girls With Sole they are able to build confidence and truly "lace up for a lifetime of achievement" as the Lula tagline suggests through activities like running, yoga, triathlon, etc.

Second, it is always great to meet, see and hang out with friends. At races you always have this fun social experience that helps add to the memories.

Third, I was able to set a new PR for the 5 mile distance with a time of 34:51 and push myself. I ended up 13th overall (5th female) and 1st in the 35-39 age group. There were some really talented athletes that came out to run the 5K and 5 miler and that pushed me to do my best despite the rainy conditions.

My custom trophy!

Finally, the absolute best reason for running the Lula race was winning my age group and getting the coolest, most unique award ever, which was a hand painted trophy made by one of the Girls With Sole girls! How awesome is that? That alone was worth the effort and then some!

We also got a really cool tech t-shirt as well, which I love and already wore after the race.

After the race my friend Jillian and I did a little cooldown run and then tried to stay dry underneath one of the tents while we waited for the awards. After changing into dry clothes we headed over to Sweet Melissa for an awesome brunch and then a little shopping at a couple of the cute shops in Beachcliff Market Square.

Thanks to Liz, the girls, Peace racing and my friend Jillian for making it a fun day. I definitely recommend this race and hope to do it again next year!

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!

Hill, Yeah it's the Lake Health Half Marathon Race Report!

A little bird told me that the Lake Health Half Marathon was going to be a hilly one. That little bird was not exaggerating! Holy Hills is all I can say and I have the medal to prove it. When your medal says "Hill, Yeah!" on it and shows the elevation chart on it, you know it was a tough race!

Prerace:

Prerace pic with the hubby

With the race starting at the Lake Farmpark in Kirtland at 8am we didn't have to get up ridiculously early as we do with some races. We set the alarm for 6am just like any other normal workday. After a quick shower and some breakfast of waffles, peanut butter and honey, we were off. We had picked up our packets the day before too, which made for an easier prerace. We arrived at the Farmpark around 7:15 with plenty of time to get warmed up with our usual 1 mile easy run, use the restroom, chug some Biotta beet juice and line up. The only negative for me was that my back has been bothering me a lot lately and this morning was no exception. I was a wee bit cranky and debated not even running but am glad that I toughed it out.

Start & First 4 Miles:

In hindsight I should have lined up closer to the front but as I mentioned earlier I was cranky and kindof forcing myself into racing. I thought to myself I am just going to run this easy as a training run and then a minute or two later I decided to go for it and sprinted ahead. My first mile was about 7:15. Not a bad pace but a little fast for me in a half. My half PR was at a 7:30ish pace so I had to slow down a little. I felt pretty good through the first 3-4 miles and then as we entered the first trail I knew I was in trouble. I absolutely love trail running but I did not love it at that moment. I walked one of the hills and my friend Amy Sullivan came up next to me to say hi and see what was going on with me. I am so glad that Amy showed up when she did as chatting with her helped me take my mind off the pain as the rest of the course was pretty much all hills with a combo of road and trail.

Miles 5-11:

Amy and I both felt like we didn't have it in us to really push that day on that course and after talking for a little while and running an easier 8:30-9min pace we decided to stick together and just run the race as a good training run. We stopped and had a couple of Powerbar gels and water along the way and I had to stop around mile 8 for a potty break but aside from that we ran the whole time. Steady as she goes. In retrospect running this as a training run was probably a good idea since I am racing the Rev3 Williamsburg olympic triathlon this weekend!

The Finish:

Post race with my hubby and friend Amy

The last two miles or so went through the Farmpark some road and some trail. It was mentally tough to run back through the start and loop around as the finish felt so close yet so far away. I was very happy to see the Finish ahead at 13 miles and I was unable to sprint the finish as I often do. I just didn't have the gas that day. The course was challenging and I definitely got in a good workout even running it as a 2 hour pace! Maybe next year I will actually race it. I definitely recommend this race to any Northeast Ohio folks looking to get in a challenging half in June. For the money it is a great value as we got a sweet tech shirt and a huge medal for like $35 and you can't beat that!

Post race we headed to Pulp for a well deserved delicious protein smoothie - yum!

2012 Will be a Big Year for my Triathlon and Marathon Ambitions

I said I would post the 2012 race schedule soon and here it is. Although I finished this a few weeks ago, I look at it now and realize I have a LOT of training ahead of me! Holy moly this is a packed season! I have never used a coach before but this is the year I am going to do it. To make all this happen but not just happen. I want to make it happen in a big way. Be sure to follow my blog all season to see how I am performing and to give me a swift kick in the ass when I need it!

2012 Schedule:

March:
3/10/12 - St Malachi - 5 mile road race - done 35:55
3/25/12 - Kirtland Strides of March - 5K - done 22:33 - 3rd overall female

April:
4/15/12 - Dover Run for Home Half Marathon - done - not officially timed but 1:58

May:
5/12/12 - Nordonia Hills Duathlon
5/20/12 - Cleveland Half Marathon
5/26/12 - St Johns 5K (maybe)

June:
6/3/12 - Twinsburg Duathlon
6/10/12 - North Shore Border War Sprint Tri
6/13/12 - Mentor Flag Day 5K
6/16/12 - Captains 5K (maybe)
6/24/12 - Akron Tri (maybe)

July:
7/1/12 - Milton Man Triathlon Olympic Tri
7/22/12 - Fairport Harbor Tri - Sprint

August:
8/12/12 - Rev3Tri Wisconsin Dells 70.3 Half Rev
8/18/12 - St Gabriel 5K (maybe)

September:
9/9/12 - Rev3Tri Cedar Point 140.6 full rev (aka the BHAG)

October:
10/7/12 - Towpath Half Marathon
10/28/12 - Rev3 FL 70.3

November:
11/4/12 - Autumn Leaves 5 mile (maybe)
11/22/12 - Painesville Turkey Day 5K

So there it is. At least all the planned races and some maybes. Although I hope to get in even another Rev3 race or two so I can represent my team and get to know everyone! Needless to say I am training and ramping up for tri season now! Hope the season meets my expectations as I have some lofty goals of a 5-1/2 or better 70.3, finish first full in decent time (12-13 hours) and enjoy some other PRs at various distances. Hell, if I'm lucky I will even win some new hardware along the way! Fingers crossed!

Reflections on the 2011 Season

Wow, I cannot even believe that it is December 20th! Santa Claus will be here in five days! And I haven't updated my fitness blog since June (gulp...don't judge!)I can at least throw out some lame excuses like starting a new job and getting married or better yet TRAINING! Clearly one of my 2012 resolutions is to update my fitness blog more regularly!

So, for those of you who wonder if I just fell of the map after June, I assure you I was busy racing. Additional races completed since the last post in June were as follows:

• 6/26/11 - Akron Crossfit Sprint Tri - bombed the swim on this and had ridiculous cramps during the run. Should have most definitely won age group but was 4th in age group. Fail.
• 7/17/11 - Milton Man Sprint Tri - decent swim, decent bike, decent run. Took first in age group. 
• 9/11/11 - Revolution 3 Cedar Point 70.3 - finished first 70.3, had a blast. Swim was decent, bike was decent, dogged the run but had fun finishing with hubby.
• 9/18/11 - Portage Lakes Sprint Tri - swim was off, bike was terrible. legs sore from previous week's 70.3 so walked some of the hills, run was fine. Not happy here but managed third in age group.
• 10/9/11 - Towpath half marathon - Great race, crushed my old half PR by finishing with a 1:39:37 despite lack of serious training. Was 13th of 581 women. Not too shabby. Fantastic race course and weather conditions. definitely doing this one again!

I had a very up and down season with the heel stress fracture in April/May and came back to race strong in June-October. I am happy with how the year ended given the circumstances and learned some things along the way. Overall I feel my biggest successes of the year were The Twinsburg Duathlon, Miltonman Sprint, Completing the Rev3 Cedar Point 70.3 and finishing strong in the Towpath 1/2 marathon. 

I am training strong right now in the off season and gearing up to train for some serious stuff in 2012! watch for my next post NEXT WEEK (promise) about the 2012 schedule!

Mentor Flag Day 5K - Easier Said Than Done

My friends and loved will know this about me...that I sometimes have unreasonable expectations of myself when it comes to racing. They accept that about me because I have been known to throw a temper tantrum after a bad race (I'm working on this). The Mentor Flag Day 5K was one of these instances. It was a last minute decision to sign up and I wasn't really trained. I know what you're thinking...train for a 5K...who needs to do that? It should be easy right? That is what I thought too! Considering I had just started running again two weeks before and hadn't run more than 2 miles I somehow did not think I would stand the chance of bombing this race. In fact, I thought I might even be able to win if the super fast chicks stayed home. I thought I could pull out a 21 or 22 minutes easy. I thought wrong.

The race starts downhill and I mean downhill! So my first mile was 6:03! Just a wee bit more than the 6:45 I was aiming for. So by mile 2 I was pooped out and took a little break. Back to it and holy crap was it hot and hilly that last mile. Clearly I had underestimated this little 5K. I walked a couple more times that last mile and figure I easily lost 2+ minutes because of it. I was not a happy girl at the finish when I looked up and saw 23:57. Yuck! Not a bad time really but I was certainly capable of the 21 or 22 I had hoped for had my race went better. So I was mad and wanting to leave.

Steve on the other hand had a great race of 19:36...a personal best for him. I didn't think there was anyway I would place but thought he might so we stuck around for the rewards, which took a while. He placed third in his age group and amazingly I took first in my age group. The winning female times were 20-22 minute range. So while I should've been happy I even placed I was mad at myself for having a bad race. This is just me. I knew I could have done better.

Another one in the books. Lesson learned. The training continues and I hope to get my endurance back soon and to learn to be a little easier on myself.