CVNP Fall Running Series

I signed up for the CVNP Fall Running Series simply to provide me with a safe opportunity to run trails in a group setting while enjoying all the Autumn colors. Tuesday night was the first night of the series and what a blast! We ran 3 very challenging, yet scenic, miles starting and finishing at the Octagon Shelter. Can't wait till next week!

Dirty Love 10k Trail Run

Brrrr! When I arrived at the race site, I initially sat in my car contemplating taking a DNS. I thought about running inside the shelter, picking up my race bib and mug, dashing back to my warm car, and driving back to my warm house! But when I went inside the shelter, saw all the runners hanging out, smiling and chatting, I knew I couldn't leave. Time to suck it up! Afterall, it was 18 degrees and the wind wasn't THAT bad...yet!

We lined up for a cross country-style start. As we listened to the race director say that runners will be crossing a creek during the first mile, I glanced over to my warm car. Hmmm...I could just slide out of the crowd unnoticed and drive away in my warm, DRY car. But alas, I reminded myself I do not DNS (except the one time when I had rotovirus. Today I was healthy so no excuse.) A couple more announcements and we were off trampling through the fluffy snow. This might actually be fun. Could that be?

The creek crossing at a quarter-mile in caused an 8-minute log jam for everyone to cross. No biggie because this wasn't a "race" to me, but rather was a great excuse to run 6.2 miles with company. After about 20 minutes in, I was over-the-top happy. All body parts felt good and I wasn't going to die of frostbite. Good fun! The volunteers were great at water stops at 2.5 miles and 4 miles. Loved the ups and downs of the trail and enjoyed the beautiful view afforded to all of us on this snowy morning.

I crossed the finish line with a huge smile and gave out many thank you's to all the kidnd volunteers. We are lucky to have such an active running community here in Northern Ohio.

Post-race, I grabbed coffee and hot cocoa for my girls and we had great fun playing Country Dance on the Wii. What a great start to Sunday!

Morning Trail Race and Cooking with Bridget

The Grunt Girls were at it again with a fun (and challenging) trail race. Loved all the excitement, yet the laid back atmosphere of a trail race. Road races are often so keyed up with fighting for a spot, lots of congestion during the first couple of miles, and focusing on a PR. With a trail race, you often have to wait your turn when it's single track, which forces you to just enjoy the scenery while reaping the benefits of an all-over workout. Even my shoulders are tired from working hard to maintain balance while navigating all the rocks and boulders. The Ledges never disappoint for a race location.

Post-race I spent time in the kitchen with Bridget making blueberry muffins. She did all the work from start to finish, except breaking the egg. I didn't even end up using the mixer - she did it the old-fashioned way with good old muscles! Pictures below tell the story - so much fun!





As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetit!"

April RAINN Run April 30

I am registered for the April RAINN 4.5 mile trail run sponsored by Grunt Girl Racing. If you have a spare $25 and an open Saturday morning, you should consider doing the same. See you on the trails!

Today's guilty pleasure: almond butter. I had been slathering my nutri-grain eggo waffles with this yummy goodness for the past month. It helped stave off those hunger pains that everyone gets around 10am. But now my jar is empty and I'm really missing my morning indulgence.

What breakfast item is your go-to to help keep you from eating your arm by 10am?

We Must Part Ways, Mr. Winter

As much as I've enjoyed our relationship, Mr. Winter, I think we both need a break. No, it doesn't mean our relationship is over. It's just time for both of us to move on. I have found Mr. Spring. I saw him last week - briefly. But that brief encounter just made me realize that I like him better...for now. But don't worry. Come holiday season, I'm going to want to spend time with you again. And maybe, just maybe, we can rebuild our relationship. But for now, I want sunshine and rainbows.

I enjoyed another good trail run. Karen and I tackled Salt Run and Lake Trail. It was a decent effort, running most of the time and just walking the hills. But it was freaking cold and I'm really getting tired of always having to wear running gloves, two layers of shirts, vest, and a toboggan. I look forward to running without ear covering! Winter in Cleveland this year was just unkind. Of course, looking at this week's temps, we still have two days calling for snow. Damn you, March. But April is greeting us with 45 degrees. Wait...isn't that April fool's? Could that be a cruel joke?

Today's guilty pleasure: Starburst. Each of us have a favorite flavor. As the mom, I'm at the bottom of the pecking order in selecting which color I get. Bridget gets pink. Meg gets yellow. I just don't care for red so that leave me with orange.

What's your favorite Starburst flavor or do you have a candy that you eat only by color?

Whew, Did That Weekend Fly By or What

Quite a diverse and multitasking weekend. I managed to sew curtains and pillows and make a Disney-size princess happy on Saturday. Spent a little time at Anthropologie with the older one and all of us enjoyed a ridiculously good burger at the B-Spot. Sunday, was my morning Om time. I joined a friend and a rowdy bunch of girls for a trail run clinic and 3.5 mile romp through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. What a great group of girls. Even better was the post-run trip of a private shopping experience for all the runners who attended this Grunt Girl-sponsored clinic/run at Vertical Runner. I scored a half-price Patagonia lightweight long-sleeve running shirt (may even become my "going out shirt" - you know you have a dressy running shirt...come on), a pair of running socks and a new flavor of CLifBar.

The weekend flew by, but in a good way.

Best of all, I'm back in double digits for running. With no pain. I managed to eek out a 3 miler on Wednesday, a 4 miler on Friday afternoon, and 3.5 miles today. By my simple math, I chocked up 10.5 miles. Considering I logged in a whopping 11.2 miles during the entire month of February, if all goes well I should double that number in March and be back to normal business in April. I think what I'm looking forward to most is completing a simple 10-mile run on a Saturday morning and meeting my daughter for coffee afterwards. That's my normal.

Today's guilty pleasure: Hands down, red velvet cupcakes at Main Street Cupcakes. And to shower the wonder of Main Street Cupcakes on my family, I brought everyone home a Reece cupcake made with little reece's inside. Mmmmm....

Did your weekend go quickly, too?

Fool's 25k Race Recap

What a wonderful race! The course was so well marked and the volunteers/aid stations were so amazing that I almost forgot that it was cold, wet and rainy. The race started in the open field at Pine Hollow. I don't know what it is about morning races, but I love the excitement and anticipation. Wondering how you're going to fare...will the body hold up...will a new injury surface (please No!)...will I set a PR (uhm, no, not when the final leg is Salt Run). So off we went along the path to Little Meadow (which was lotsa muddy), Cross Country trail, and Lake Trail. The mud was thick and I swear there were a few times that I actually heard suction noises as I pulled my leg/shoe out of the mud. I ran with a couple nice girls and we laughed about how exciting it was to get all muddy and each of us were excited about taking pictures of our shoes at the end of the race. After crossing Truxell, we went through Ledges Trail. Simply beautiful and technical (that's code for rocky and rough). Before I knew it, we were at the Happy Days Aid Station and 5+ miles completed. I love ultra aid stations - the PB&J is so fantastic. I mean, at road races you're lucky to get water AND gatorade and possibly a Gu packet at like mile 11 or so. My aid station excitement would soon come to an end as I began to feel the first rain drops (oh crap!).

It's funny, even though I've run the Boston Trail a couple times previously, I can't explain how exciting it is to finally finish the loop and pop back out to Happy Days. It's like seeing sunshine again! We retraced our steps back to the Ledges Trail, Pine Grove Trail, then Kendall Lake. Around Pine Grove, I was running with Karen and Mitch, then Eddie joined us. Having company certainly made the running much easier and much more enjoyable. I was beginning to feel the pull of a tight left hamstring so the company was greatly appreciated. It was also about the time we crossed Truxell to Kendall Lake that the rain was really coming down. I was too focused with thinking about what lies ahead of me (Salt Run Trail) that I didn't realize just how wet I was getting. Salt Run was tough, but at this point Eddie was starting to have trouble. I found that helping another runner muddle through took my mind off my hamstring and I started having additional energy. Even though Salt Run was a tough 3-3.5 miles, at least this time, I can say that I walked with purpose. At Regis, I walked like I was in the desert without water.

I finished in 3:48 alongside Eddie and behind Karen and Mitch. The best part of this is that I finished 13 miles in 3:47 at Regis and finished 16 miles in 3:48 at Fool's. The courses are almost identical in the trails run, the conditions at both races were tough for different reasons. At Regis, the snow made your footing tough and the ice was tricky to navigate. However, the mud wasn't any easier. I was slipping, sliding and sticking through a great deal of the course. When I came upon gravel sections, I couldn't contain my excitement. But it was pretty cool learning where to find your footing and learning how to power through. I can't wait till July's Muddy Paws 5-Mile Trail Race. I'm running with Jameson (puppy) and Greg (the hubs).

The course was great and the overall experience was wonderful. I was very impressed with the effort that went into the course markings. At no point did I ever have to guess which way to go. Even better, there were signs on adjacent or connecting trails that read "Wrong Way" so you knew exactly which direction to go. The scenery was breathtaking. There were times I just wanted to pause to take it all in and to snap a quick picture. I really hate that I didn't snap a picture at the beginning of the race while on Little Meadow. I was toward the back of the pack and it was so cool to see the runners winding through the trail. I couldn't help becoming nostalgic for my cross country days. So awesome.

Meg was a volunteer at this race. She was quite the trooper. We had to get up at 5:00 am and leave by 5:30 so I could have her checked in at the volunteer station by 6:30am. I would like to say this arrangement required me to make a Starbucks bribe to her, but that wasn't the case. She actually did it to hang out with me. Plus, she's good at cheering on the runners and knowing how to work an aid station. She worked at the start/finish, which also served as the second loop for the 50k runners. So thank you, pumpkin, for spending the morning with your mom! Hope my blue, shivering lips at the finish didn't scare you too much :)

This race certainly made me excited about my April triple challenge. Best of all, I'm not sore the day after and I can't wait to get back on the trails!

Cold Weather Mileage

Another run with puppy during this very cold, snow-laden winter. The picture above was along the bridle trails, which I found funny. Look closely - the sign says No Bikes. It's kind of funny considering I could barely run in the snow since it was like running in sand. At one point I seriously felt like I was running sideways or at a slope. After struggling for 2 miles (which is not like me), and logging in a 16-minute mile, I gave up and hit the all-purpose trails. Not a great deal better, but I'll take it!

The warmer temps were at least better in comparison with last weekend's run at -3 degrees. It hovered around 20 degrees during my run today which was just fine by me.

One week till the trail run. I'm thinking about just going the half marathon distance, maybe even adding on the 5-mile look for 18 miles. Depends on just how cold it gets...and whether Staci and Clinton from What Not to Wear ambush me mid-trail for my abysmal running gear selections!

As Ice Cube Said, "Today Was a Good Day"

I rested my calf for two very long weeks with no running and no high heels. This morning was my first test run to see if my injury was too bad and would require me to cancel my November 8 race. But as one of the greatest rappers so wonderfully said, today was a good day. The 5-mile run was at Munroe Falls Metro Parks at 8am as part of the Ohio Outside Trail series consisting of two scenic loops of "rolling hills". I took it very easy on the first loop so as not to reinjure myself and to just see how my body responded after being dormant. I kicked it up a notch on the second loop, still not too hard, and actually felt like a little kid letting it loose running down a couple short hills! The race schwag was pretty cool - everyone received a pint glass instead of a boring white race shirt, a water bottle and a sample packet of the new Gu chomps. Post race they had hot mulled cider, cookies (my favorite gingernsnaps!), bananas and bagels. With the temps hovering between 38-40 the cider was fantastic. I enjoyed this course and small crowd so much, I will probably sign up for the rest of the series. Finished in a conservative 57:13. I would like to shave 4 minutes off that for the November race.

On another note, good luck to Elizabeth today at the Columbus marathon!

I Can Now Say I Am A Trail Runner

I just finished my first 10-mile trail run and it was exhausting AND exciting at the same time. I will definitely do this again (and again and again)! The Ultra Trail Run at Holiday Valley was a very technical and challenging course. Last night it poured buckets of rain so the course was so muddy that it was difficult to truly get any good footing on the trails. This was also the first time that I ran a course so rocky that it was tough to maintain balance and not slip on the wet, uneven rocks. With that said, I still rocked it and finished!

Before the race began, the race director made an announcement that this race was not for new trail runners (uh oh). He said that he wanted to be very clear that the course was intended for intermediate to advanced trail runners and that if you had any doubts whether you belonged to this group, then it would be best to not start the race. I looked at Megan and really wondered if I made the right decision to enter this race...or maybe I should take the race director's advice and run back to my car. Well, I'm two things - a redhead and stubborn. I started the course. And I finished the course.

The first 1.5 miles was a brutal hill. I actually had a brief hesitation that maybe a DQ might not be so bad afterall. Forget that...bring on the pain. We entered the Allegheny State Forest from Holiday Valley Ski Resort and spent most of the mileage in the State Forest. The trail was mostly single track with a lot of "rolling hills" (whoever coined that term should be shot!). Many sections were no wider than my hips and I'll be surprised if the poison ivy fairy doesn't visit me. One of the difficulties about my running level is that I am a back of the pack trail runner and spend a lot of time by myself. On the other hand, it was wonderful just listening to the trees swaying, birds moving, rain drops falling and basically just listening to nature. Even though the course was rough, I found myself enjoying each minute.

I may not have tipped the PR meter, but I didn't come in last in my first long distance trail run. I will keep at this and work on improving my time, balance and general consistency with mileage. I loved the comraderie of trail runners. Wow! Even though I finished a half hour or hour after many, I was surprised how many people I heard applauding as I finished. The loudest was Megan, who I always look for! Afterwards, when I realized my calves were not going to disown me afterall, I sat down and had the tastiest Coors Light from a can. I was surprised how many runners had brought coolers and lawn chairs and were just making an afternoon of their run...pretty cool vibe, to say the least.

The promoters of this race also had a great sense of humor, as evidenced by the sign I'm standing next to.


Me and Meg before the race.


The thrill of the finish line.


It was a good Sunday.

Muddy Paws

This morning was awesome - just me and my dog running the Muddy Paws 5-mile trail run with my daughter Kid A and friend E cheering us on! I have such respect for trail distance runners after this morning - wow, what a challenging course! I knew going in that this wasn't like an all-purpose trail or a bridle trail, but I didn't expect the hills to wreck my hamstrings like they did! Did I mention I would definitely do this again?! Plus, I figured a challenging 5-miler would be a good tune-up for my 10-mile trail run in August. Puppy was a rock star navigating the terrain with excitement. Below I've posted a picture of my biggest cheerleader Kid A before the race began and a pic of Me & Puppy coming into the finishing chute. The course was technical for most of it, but had a nice grassy finish. Afterwards, we hit the farmer's market for fresh strawberries, watermelon, crisp celery, carrots, juicy tomatoes and cherries, and corn which will be tasty on the grill later! Great morning!

Trail Running Newbie

To spice things up a bit, I have signed up for a 10 mile trail run in New York at the Holiday Valley Ski Resort. I've tackled a 5k Xterra trail run before, but there's a big difference between 3 miles and 10 miles. The good news is that I'm physically able to do a 13.1 mile road race. Obviously, I will want to add a lot more hill work, lots of squats and switch my weekly long run to trail running. I'd like to get some feedback or advice from runners who switch it up every now and then with trail work. Definitely looking to this new challenge!