After one awesome move, a lot of stairs, plenty of boxes and bruises, tons of dessert and a weekend with family, we're in! Neil and I—eleven strong with friends and family—moved to Euclid. And I'm ready to run!
Short of two runs, I took off training for the past week and abandoned pretty much all nutritional sense. The dessert emancipation has been pretty badly abused, but not too far from deserved.
But I think it’s time to get back to marathon training in my new land.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Road to Recovery Runs Through Stow
Have I mentioned that I've let myself be victim to stress lately? Well, on Tuesday, I let it get the best of me... and I kind of binged on desserts I had saved up in my freezer from the past several months of fasting. It was pretty intense.
While the binge highlighted my need to establish an incentive-based dessert plan, it also pumped me up with so much sugar energy that I continued packing my apartment and finally made it out for a recovery run kind of late on Tuesday evening.
Just 3 miles around 10:00 pace. And what do you know? My legs totally loosened and I feel just peachy today. I (heart) running. How did I ever diss you?
The best part was that I headed outside close to 9 p.m. It's been so long since post-7 p.m. running has been a possibility that I'm uber-raring to move to a sidewalk community where dark doesn't mean done for the night.
Post-7 p.m. running was supposed to continue on Wednesday night at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where I had hoped to join Monica for a fun race. My lack of Akron sense, however, turned me around on OH-59 and I couldn't make it to the starting line on time. Doh!
On the plus side, I had stopped pre-race to visit Melissa in the hospital and to see Melissa and Ryan's new sunshine, Emma Isabel. I spent a quality hour with the girls and enjoyed spending time with an incredible new mother and one sweet little bebe!
My training trailed off this week, however, in preparation for Sunday's move. I ran Tuesday's recovery and then about four slow miles on Friday. Thankfully, much of the week also involved stair reps, moving boxes to and from the car... and that should have offset at least some of the indescribable dessert damage from the week of stress, love and rocky road.
What's next? Movin' on up to the east side...
While the binge highlighted my need to establish an incentive-based dessert plan, it also pumped me up with so much sugar energy that I continued packing my apartment and finally made it out for a recovery run kind of late on Tuesday evening.
Just 3 miles around 10:00 pace. And what do you know? My legs totally loosened and I feel just peachy today. I (heart) running. How did I ever diss you?
The best part was that I headed outside close to 9 p.m. It's been so long since post-7 p.m. running has been a possibility that I'm uber-raring to move to a sidewalk community where dark doesn't mean done for the night.
Post-7 p.m. running was supposed to continue on Wednesday night at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where I had hoped to join Monica for a fun race. My lack of Akron sense, however, turned me around on OH-59 and I couldn't make it to the starting line on time. Doh!
On the plus side, I had stopped pre-race to visit Melissa in the hospital and to see Melissa and Ryan's new sunshine, Emma Isabel. I spent a quality hour with the girls and enjoyed spending time with an incredible new mother and one sweet little bebe!
My training trailed off this week, however, in preparation for Sunday's move. I ran Tuesday's recovery and then about four slow miles on Friday. Thankfully, much of the week also involved stair reps, moving boxes to and from the car... and that should have offset at least some of the indescribable dessert damage from the week of stress, love and rocky road.
What's next? Movin' on up to the east side...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Cleveland Half Wheezies
My calves and I are itching for a recovery run!
So, then, why have I let two days pass? Well, I have the Cleveland Half Marathon wheezies.
Part way through Sunday’s race, I started feeling a little chest-wheezy, and I teetered on the brink of something all day Monday. Am I getting sick?
I’ve heard that a few other people had similar symptoms, so I thought I’d share the gross details as a kind of PSA.
It was almost impossible to breathe deeply on Sunday and Monday, and I felt just plain beat, a little achy (more sick achy than post-race achy) and just almost, almost, almost stuffy. This must be some kind of running pneumonia, eh?
I came home after work on Monday, made some chicken and brown rice soup, slurped it down and napped away until How I Met Your Mother. Then I just slouched on the couch, sending notes to friends on Facebook until it was time for bed.
We’re still in Stow until we move this weekend, so I had to do the way-early morning thing again, and I had one heck of a time peeling myself out of bed. I’ve been slogging down hot tea all morning and think I’m seeing this thing break. Away with the wheezies!
Moral of the story: I think I’ll take a slight jog tonight and start looking for recovery hereafter. I mean, I do have to train for a marathon here….
So, then, why have I let two days pass? Well, I have the Cleveland Half Marathon wheezies.
Part way through Sunday’s race, I started feeling a little chest-wheezy, and I teetered on the brink of something all day Monday. Am I getting sick?
I’ve heard that a few other people had similar symptoms, so I thought I’d share the gross details as a kind of PSA.
It was almost impossible to breathe deeply on Sunday and Monday, and I felt just plain beat, a little achy (more sick achy than post-race achy) and just almost, almost, almost stuffy. This must be some kind of running pneumonia, eh?
I came home after work on Monday, made some chicken and brown rice soup, slurped it down and napped away until How I Met Your Mother. Then I just slouched on the couch, sending notes to friends on Facebook until it was time for bed.
We’re still in Stow until we move this weekend, so I had to do the way-early morning thing again, and I had one heck of a time peeling myself out of bed. I’ve been slogging down hot tea all morning and think I’m seeing this thing break. Away with the wheezies!
Moral of the story: I think I’ll take a slight jog tonight and start looking for recovery hereafter. I mean, I do have to train for a marathon here….
Monday, May 19, 2008
Five Things I Learned at the Cleveland Half Marathon
1. Running in the rain isn’t half bad.
Weeks before any event, I track the weather day-by-day to see how my race day will fair. Even 2-3 weeks out, May 18 wasn’t looking good. And as a non-rain runner, I was making too much of the weather. I always do.
I woke up on Sunday morning, pained to hear lots of drops slapping the windowsill. To my surprise, though, I just got up, put on a baseball cap and rainy-running jacket, and piled into the car with my mom, who dropped me off at the starting line (thanks, mom!).
One of the biggest benefits of training in the blogosphere: getting to know plenty of non-wimps. Afraid of a little rain? Try Salty’s Nor’easter battle at Boston or a couple of E-Speed’s and Monica’s blustery races this winter. Plus, after running in the rain and traily mud with JenC & co. a few weeks ago, I actually thought this might be fun.
And it was.
I made it to the starting corral about 15 minutes before the start and waded through the crowd on an unsuccessful attempt at finding Landon (he ran a stellar full marathon) near the 4:00:00 pacer. By the time I made it to the front of the corral, the pacers had just put up their signs, and people really closed in behind me. So, I stayed put.
Because I ended up next to the 3:10:00 pacer for the start, I blew across the start after the gun and got out of the way. I had anticipated a blast of runners blowing by me, but the whole route seemed wide enough to accommodate the crowd and I didn’t feel slowed or cramped (or that I was slowing or cramping anyone else) the whole 13.1. Nice job, Cleveland!
The coolest part was that I could see the front of the pack for most of the first mile. Granted, it was a straightaway. For a middle-of-the-pack runner, however, that’s pretty cool.
And by the time I crossed the mile-1 marker at 8:17, I was pretty soaked and pretty OK with it.
2. It is possible to run into people you know mid-race.
After my last couple races, my friend Melissa (who’s about to have a baby in 1.5 hours!) reminded me not to over-think my runs and not to psych myself out mid-race whether I’m running too fast or too slow. So, I didn’t.
In fact, after I crossed the mile-2 marker at 16:56 (8:39 split) I stopped focusing on my pace and just ran. I’d check my time at each marker to make sure I was keeping my general desired pace, but I didn’t calculate my times or focus on how long each mile took.
I just ran, ran and absorbed the scenery of Cleveland’s inner East side, lakefront houses on the near West and about 30 guy runners lined up and peeing into the trees of OH-2 between miles 4-5. Ahh, where nature meets the city.
Often on the route, however, I’d get these jolts of energy. And it wasn’t the breaks in the rain, the GU or the prospect of first desserts (OK, maybe a little of the dessert); it was the awesome people roadside cheering us on.
I felt like a bleeping rock star under the West 3rd bridge (which is where, JenC indicates, E-Speed was leading the race’s best cheers!), down Lake Avenue and throughout downtown. Wow-ee. Plus, it was totally rad running into people like Greg on the OH-2 bridge and Kathy on Lake Avenue. What are the chances?
I wish I could have seen the scores of other people, including TriGuyJT, Charlie and JenC running the half, Monica volunteering at Mile 17, Salty and her mom rooting us on (and anyone else I'm forgetting), but I'm glad everyone braved the rain and joined the party!
3. Wearing a local college T-shirt, however, is also a good way to get cheers.
Not much thought went into throwing on my John Carroll T-shirt on Sunday morning. One T-shirt that doesn’t chafe is just as good as the next, right? Well, the crowds went wild.
At least 10-12 times between Lakewood (when I took off my jacket) and the finish, I had individuals or entire crowds cheering for John Carroll. I’d hear “Yeah, JCU!” and “Go John Carroll!” and “JCU! Woo hoo!”
The best cheer, however, came from a St. Ignatius crowd (the high school and college are closely associated) that yelled out “Hey! JCU!” and cheered loudly while performing an impromptu wave. I have to say my feeling-special-o-meter was off the charts there. It may not have been the Wellesley girls, but I’ll take this Cleveland version!
4. GU is easier to open than Hammer Gel.
I wasn’t too keen on the Hammer Gel version of gooey energy gunk. At least not the container. I hereby declare myself a GU girl.
Around mile 5, I walked through a water stop (actually, I walked through all water stops—some faster than others) to take down a chocolate GU and power through the next couple miles. Smooth as can be! But when I hit the Hammer Gel station closer to mile 9, it wasn’t so pretty.
Don’t get me wrong: the gel was plentiful, the volunteers rocked and I had my water ready to go. I just couldn’t get the stupid package open! My first try tore the gel right above the tear line and subsequent attempts got me closer, but got me no gel! I went for the second pouch and did the same thing. Grrr!
So, I just stopped running, walked and focused on the Hammer Gel. By the time I finally got the thing open, took it down and started running again, I had probably wasted—beginning to end—at least two minutes. At least I know, for next time, that I can shave off a couple minute by not letting the extra hammer-detailed tab on Hammer Gel defeat me!
5. An easy half marathon makes a nice distraction.
Except for the weather-worrying and a few moments of “have I trained enough?” despair, I didn’t spend much time thinking about the race. Between big work projects and the move, I didn’t have much brain left to focus on the race. And it actually turned out to be a good thing.
Not only did I avoid wasting energy being nervous about the race, I ran a totally laid-back half marathon, managed a PR at 1:53:27 (I hit the 10K at 53:55) and earned myself some major dessert-love in the process (still waiting on photos from my mom)!
Neil, my mom and Philip met me at the finish, equipped with smiles, a Boston Cream pie and spoon. Now that's love if I've ever seen it.
I walked away from the finish line still feeling pretty energetic, plenty proud and honestly thinking, “that’s it?” Who would have thought I’d come such a long way? I still remember when I finished my first full mile. Last year.
So, what’s a girl to do?
Full marathon.
Weeks before any event, I track the weather day-by-day to see how my race day will fair. Even 2-3 weeks out, May 18 wasn’t looking good. And as a non-rain runner, I was making too much of the weather. I always do.
I woke up on Sunday morning, pained to hear lots of drops slapping the windowsill. To my surprise, though, I just got up, put on a baseball cap and rainy-running jacket, and piled into the car with my mom, who dropped me off at the starting line (thanks, mom!).One of the biggest benefits of training in the blogosphere: getting to know plenty of non-wimps. Afraid of a little rain? Try Salty’s Nor’easter battle at Boston or a couple of E-Speed’s and Monica’s blustery races this winter. Plus, after running in the rain and traily mud with JenC & co. a few weeks ago, I actually thought this might be fun.
And it was.
I made it to the starting corral about 15 minutes before the start and waded through the crowd on an unsuccessful attempt at finding Landon (he ran a stellar full marathon) near the 4:00:00 pacer. By the time I made it to the front of the corral, the pacers had just put up their signs, and people really closed in behind me. So, I stayed put.
Because I ended up next to the 3:10:00 pacer for the start, I blew across the start after the gun and got out of the way. I had anticipated a blast of runners blowing by me, but the whole route seemed wide enough to accommodate the crowd and I didn’t feel slowed or cramped (or that I was slowing or cramping anyone else) the whole 13.1. Nice job, Cleveland!
The coolest part was that I could see the front of the pack for most of the first mile. Granted, it was a straightaway. For a middle-of-the-pack runner, however, that’s pretty cool.
And by the time I crossed the mile-1 marker at 8:17, I was pretty soaked and pretty OK with it.
2. It is possible to run into people you know mid-race.
After my last couple races, my friend Melissa (who’s about to have a baby in 1.5 hours!) reminded me not to over-think my runs and not to psych myself out mid-race whether I’m running too fast or too slow. So, I didn’t.
In fact, after I crossed the mile-2 marker at 16:56 (8:39 split) I stopped focusing on my pace and just ran. I’d check my time at each marker to make sure I was keeping my general desired pace, but I didn’t calculate my times or focus on how long each mile took.
I just ran, ran and absorbed the scenery of Cleveland’s inner East side, lakefront houses on the near West and about 30 guy runners lined up and peeing into the trees of OH-2 between miles 4-5. Ahh, where nature meets the city.
Often on the route, however, I’d get these jolts of energy. And it wasn’t the breaks in the rain, the GU or the prospect of first desserts (OK, maybe a little of the dessert); it was the awesome people roadside cheering us on.
I felt like a bleeping rock star under the West 3rd bridge (which is where, JenC indicates, E-Speed was leading the race’s best cheers!), down Lake Avenue and throughout downtown. Wow-ee. Plus, it was totally rad running into people like Greg on the OH-2 bridge and Kathy on Lake Avenue. What are the chances?
I wish I could have seen the scores of other people, including TriGuyJT, Charlie and JenC running the half, Monica volunteering at Mile 17, Salty and her mom rooting us on (and anyone else I'm forgetting), but I'm glad everyone braved the rain and joined the party!
3. Wearing a local college T-shirt, however, is also a good way to get cheers.Not much thought went into throwing on my John Carroll T-shirt on Sunday morning. One T-shirt that doesn’t chafe is just as good as the next, right? Well, the crowds went wild.
At least 10-12 times between Lakewood (when I took off my jacket) and the finish, I had individuals or entire crowds cheering for John Carroll. I’d hear “Yeah, JCU!” and “Go John Carroll!” and “JCU! Woo hoo!”
The best cheer, however, came from a St. Ignatius crowd (the high school and college are closely associated) that yelled out “Hey! JCU!” and cheered loudly while performing an impromptu wave. I have to say my feeling-special-o-meter was off the charts there. It may not have been the Wellesley girls, but I’ll take this Cleveland version!
4. GU is easier to open than Hammer Gel.
I wasn’t too keen on the Hammer Gel version of gooey energy gunk. At least not the container. I hereby declare myself a GU girl.
Around mile 5, I walked through a water stop (actually, I walked through all water stops—some faster than others) to take down a chocolate GU and power through the next couple miles. Smooth as can be! But when I hit the Hammer Gel station closer to mile 9, it wasn’t so pretty.Don’t get me wrong: the gel was plentiful, the volunteers rocked and I had my water ready to go. I just couldn’t get the stupid package open! My first try tore the gel right above the tear line and subsequent attempts got me closer, but got me no gel! I went for the second pouch and did the same thing. Grrr!
So, I just stopped running, walked and focused on the Hammer Gel. By the time I finally got the thing open, took it down and started running again, I had probably wasted—beginning to end—at least two minutes. At least I know, for next time, that I can shave off a couple minute by not letting the extra hammer-detailed tab on Hammer Gel defeat me!
5. An easy half marathon makes a nice distraction.
Except for the weather-worrying and a few moments of “have I trained enough?” despair, I didn’t spend much time thinking about the race. Between big work projects and the move, I didn’t have much brain left to focus on the race. And it actually turned out to be a good thing.
Not only did I avoid wasting energy being nervous about the race, I ran a totally laid-back half marathon, managed a PR at 1:53:27 (I hit the 10K at 53:55) and earned myself some major dessert-love in the process (still waiting on photos from my mom)!Neil, my mom and Philip met me at the finish, equipped with smiles, a Boston Cream pie and spoon. Now that's love if I've ever seen it.
I walked away from the finish line still feeling pretty energetic, plenty proud and honestly thinking, “that’s it?” Who would have thought I’d come such a long way? I still remember when I finished my first full mile. Last year.
So, what’s a girl to do?
Full marathon.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
1:53:27
I came. I ran. I finished.
Congrats to all who ran (big high fives to Landon and Greg for awesome full marathon runs) and thanks to everyone who cheered, volunteered and watered us.
More later. Especially about the dessert (there are photos).
Congrats to all who ran (big high fives to Landon and Greg for awesome full marathon runs) and thanks to everyone who cheered, volunteered and watered us.
More later. Especially about the dessert (there are photos).
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