Turkey Trot 2014

A tradition I simply won’t miss.  My first TT was Thanksgiving 2003.  This would be my 11^th.  Some Turkey Trots I ran with Greg, some alone, a few with B in the jogging stroller, I even ran during the pregnancy (only the 1-miler), and most recently, a few with Megan completing the 5-mile distance with me.  Whether she understands it or not, she’s locked in from here going forward.  Her reward is a calorie free day of eating and a venti Starbucks post-race.  Hello, Thanksgiving Day tradition!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brrr! It was cold and icy!

Another Halloween Race in the Bag

I love our little tradition of running a Halloween race in costume.  B and I have been doing this since our first race in 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with me pushing B throug a hilly 10k race.  This year, we ran the Brecksville 5k Trick or Trot race and B was amazing.  We both made our costumes this year - she was Batman (Batgirl!) and I was Robin (oh, the irony, I know).  Best of all, she scored her first PR by besting her previous 5k time by 2 minutes!  So next year, the goal is to break 39:xx!

Half Ironman Training Update

During January I've been able to reach my target goals for training.  I'm surprisingly not as exhausted as I thought I would be - strange, right?  I am surprised how much laundry I generate - hardly any from my work clothes, but wow the WORKOUT clothes are multiplying.

So during January, I am averaging 3 days a week swimming and I can swim 1500 yards without stopping.  No, I can't do flip turns without having the coordination of an elephant in water.  I tag the side of the pool and hope I'm counting correctly.  And counting? Holy crap, my math skills suck and I know this from trying to figure out the difference between swimming laps in a pool that's 20 yards length versus 25 yards length. The good news is I signed up to be a part of the Ohio Masters Swimming group and I am excited about doing drills and having help to impove my stroke. I have A LOT of work to do.

Biking.  Phew, what an ass pain! I fortunately have "toughened" up my "seat" and can now bike on the trainer for an hour with minimal squirming. I'm like a Starbucks cup of tea, though - I feel better if there's double insulation versus just a sleeve, if you know what I mean! I'm bored out of my mind.  I have tried to watch TV, but I hate the commercials.  I can't read because I slow down to turn the page and, before I know it, I am spinning at 11-12 mph pace and that just won't help me finish.  I think I'll have to go to a spin class or maybe take 2 classes back to back to get in a good session.

Running is funny.  I am completely disarmed by the fact that I don't have a long run.  I have been running half marathons and marathons since 2006 and my mind just can't adjust to only doing 3-5 miles regularly. The training plan I'm using got Greg through the Wildflower Half Ironman, so I know it's tried and true and well-tested. I do have to admit I like my body not taking the constant pounding of running - so that part I sure can adapt to.

For strength training, I've been going to Pure Barre classes once a week for the past 3 weeks.  I'm in love with this class.  Each instructor has had slight modifications, but I love that I'm really working my core (abs, arms, legs) without wrecking my knees.

Best part of all this is I'm down 4 pounds since the New Year!

Columbus Half Marathon

I'm not sure it could have been ANY colder at the starting line.  It was 36 degrees with brutally cold wind (and that comes from a CLE girl). Brrr...

Greg dropped me off around 6:30am. The race had strict rules that all athletes had to be in their corrals by 7:00am for the 7:30am race start.  I wandered my way along Broad until reaching High to drop off my jacket in the clear bag.  I've never wanted to hold on to a possession like I did my jacket! I paced for a good 10 minutes before finally succumbing to the line and handing my warm Northface jacket over to the kind volunteer.  Thank goodness my gloves and I would not be parting.

7:30am came and went.  I was in Corral C, but there was no movement.  Usually in large races it takes about 5-10 minutes before movement occurs.  Sometimes as much as 20 minutes (Kentucky Derby 1/2, Marine Corp Marathon).  I heard fireworks but couldn't see anything around the buildings.  Come on, folks, let's get this thing started!

7:45am and still no movement.  Finally at 7:55am my group started moving a few steps forward.  It wasn't until 8:00am that we were fully released into the streets of Columbus.  By this time, I had spent a half hour fidgeting and jumping around to stay warm (a relative term).  Would I have the energy to do well or did I just expend all I had?

The first two miles were miserable.  Walkers 3-4 wide blocked many stretches. It was tough finding my stride between feeling arthritic from the cold and scooting between runners to find an open space.

Miles 3-6 were nice taking us past the Governor's Mansion and some breathtaking homes in Bexley, before spending some time on Capital University's campus.  Eventually we were back on Broad Street (pretty boring stretch).  It was around mile 8 that I had an "uh-oh" moment.  Now where were those port-o-potties? I saw them EVERYWHERE when I didn't need to go.  Then they were nonexistent.  Damn...this is going to be awkward and a serious change to my running stride! Finally, I found one between mile 8-9 and spent a quality 3-4 minutes.  Prior to finding the port-o-pottie, I was worried I would spontaneously combust.  When I was inside one, nothing...it took what felt like forever to do my business.  But when I was done, I had a little sprite in my step and knew I would finish. 

German Village has always been one of my favorite places.  Meg and I spent many Saturday nights at Cup-O-Joe's and the bookstore next door wandering room to room before finding just the right kids book.  Finally, we were back to High Street for our final 2-mile stretch.  Now how did that incline get here? High Street always seemed flat to me until I was having to run it.  Oh dear...my shoe is untied.  Great.  Better stop since I have the coordination and lightfootedness of an elephant. 

Is that the corner? Can we really be at Nationwide Arena? Oh, thank goodness.  And just like that, another half marathon was completed!

Me and my girls post-race.  Look at that medal - it's a weapon!

April Was a Very Busy Month

Very little blogging happened in April because so much activity was swirling around that I barely had enough time to check email and keep up with my mindless twitter account.

But here goes with a quick recap of April:

Mom's weekend with Megan at Miami University. I even slept in her dorm. So much fun and thankfully no Natty Light was involved (several Sam Adams', yes).
 

Greg celebrated a birthday and B decorated each of his envelopes.  He is the proud owner of Indians tickets, Brew Kettle brew-your-own-beer experience, and a round of golf!
 

Bridget posing in front of her school's kindergarten art show.  She was so proud of her work!
 

No month would be complete without attending a concert. This time it was Taylor Swift.  She played for 2 hours (who would've believed?!) and it was actually very entertaining (and wholesome).
 

I got a new pair of shoes to help me suck up the Cleveland Rite Aid half marathon training (wow, who knew 13.1 miles could be so far after completing 24 half marathons already?!).

Last, but not least, we're moving! What an exhausting process, but I am totally organized this time.  Every box is labeled with contents and room assignment so that, when the movers arrive, they only have to move actual furniture. Whew - what a month!

Post Run Fun

Now that I'm back to training for the Cleveland Rite Aid half marathon (can it really be 6 weeks away?!), I needed to get back on track with my long runs and start sprinkling in some weekday runs with regularity.  My, how I've gotten lazy.  Sunday, with the help of B in the jogging stroller, I churned out 6 very slow, very sloppy miles.  My reward for this? A glass of old vine zinfandel.  And B's reward for hanging in there for an hour of pure boredom? A cup of Mitchell's ice cream, of course!

Workout Wednesday: Back to the Basics

So I got on the scale today.  Let me just tell you, processed food in the form of cookies and other little nuggest of craptastic tasting goodness catch up to you.  I am 12 pounds over my half marathon weight.  Now mind you, this is 12 pounds over my NORMAL half marathon weight.  That number still doesn't make me slim...it just means I'm dragging less arse around.

So it's back to the basics.  I completed my first weekday 3-mile run last night.  For the rest of the week, I will pass on processed stuff.  I am going to make a diligent effort to eliminate pasta and bread this week and stick to protein and vegetables.

I can't commit to full-blown workout sessions as my work life and family life have taken on a new meaning of busy. Plus, this weather in Cleveland has been anything but kind to the outdoorsy types.  Instead, I will try to do leg lifts, calf raises, squats and lunges while I'm waiting for my coffee to brew in the morning.  By my estimation, I should be able to squeeze in 20 leg lifts (10 per side), 20 calf rasies, 20 squats and 20 lunges before pouring my first cup.

It's a start.  Care to join me in getting back to the basics?

Travel Thursday: Running Races App

The Husband sent me a most wonderful email the other day, inviting me to download a new app that he paid for.  The Ultimate Running Races App is AMAZING.  If you love to travel and, of course, you love to run, this app is for you.  The app lists 500 of the "biggest, strangest, most loved, and most extreme races from around the world."

The app allows you to search by all, location, time of year, type of terrain, distance, favorites, races completed, recently viewed, and then basic search. I'm loving it already!

The Ultimate Running Races App is just $0.99 and can be downloaded from the iTunes store.

Happy Thursday!

Nike+Fuel Band Update

Just a little snapshot of last week's activity. I wasn't as active as I *should* have been, as you can see, I still logged in 27,996 steps or 11.5 miles in 5 days of activity. Being able to see my progress has made me become more active this week and, wow, did I really need that!

I'm also learning what gets logged and what somehow doesn't get logged as much. Running on the treadmill does not have the same results as forward motion running on pavement. Also, I enjoyed an hour of Hot Powerful Yoga this week, a very exhausting class/practice, and yet the Nike+Fuel Band credited me with less than 100 fuel points. I was pretty bummed about an hour of intense activity not scoring many points, but I also realized that I was mentally and physically in a better place after yoga, so it's all good.

I Gave Myself Permission to Quit

I gave myself permission to quit marathon training and it was the absolute best decision.

Two weeks ago, at the end of a 17-mile long run, I found myself yet again in the grass outside Starbucks laying there in pain. My calves had tightened up so badly that I couldn't move any farther. Hell, I couldn't even walk inside to get me a bold cup of coffee to wait it out. Stretching was useless. And this was the third week in a row that this problem had wrecked me. I had ruled out all the usual suspects - hydration, nutrition, stretching. But alas, one issue had constantly surfaced - I was only running once a week and my fitness level simply couldn't improve with only one weekly run. I had spent the past four weeks not being able to push beyond 15-17 miles. How on earth was I going to finish 26.2 miles if 17 was crippling? And, worst of all, running was no longer fun...and had become work...painful, long and lacking in smiles.

I registered for the Akron marathon early in February before some major life-changing events had crept into my schedule. And before I knew it, the last weekend in September was sneaking up on me. Between an unexpected promotion requiring additional hours of work and taking away from my usual lunchtime run, family commitments, the heat, and a myriad of excuses (some with merit, some just whiny), I finally decided that running the marathon was not a smart choice and would only result in continued misery and/or injury. Once I made the decision to quit, I cannot even describe the weight that lifted from my shoulders and how liberating it felt. And that's when I had my first enjoyable run in MONTHS. I ran pain-free, smiling, and with a pretty decent spring in my step.

I won't be toeing the line September 29 in Akron, but that's ok. It's more than ok! Since I am in good shape and my long runs have been in the 15 mile range, I decided to go ahead and knock out a half marathon in a state that I haven't checked off yet. And besides, I enjoy the half marathon distance. I've never enjoyed the marathon distance, and sadly, always thought that you needed to add marathons to your accomplishments to be considered a real runner. Screw that! I've run 22 half marathons, numerous 10ks and countless 5ks - I am a real runner. But I'm also a wife, mother, worker bee...and somewhere, in between it all, there must be balance.

Enjoy the weekend!

Pretty Good Week, and You?

Not a bad week for fitness here at the casa. Managed to sneak in two lunchtime runs as well as a longish run on Sunday, banking 12 miles for the week. Biked around the block with my girls and even met up with one of Bridget's friends and her mother on our ride. Enjoyed a yoga class Saturday afternoon with Megan, and learned that I have let my core go to hell. Holding a plank nearly killed me. And my down dog? Geesh, heels no where near the floor. Got lots of work to do! But five days of activity makes me one happy girl!

And we're getting back to eating cleaner here. Meg and I are trying to limit our "processed" foods and up our fruits and veggies. We've even decided to adopt the Meatless Mondays movement. Got some great ideas and I think we're leaning toward a nice frittata with fresh fruit this Monday. Mmmm - sounds good!

Enjoy the week!

Scioto Miles: First 10k of the Year

When I signed up for the Scioto Miles two-race package, I originally selected the 5k as Race #1 and 10k as Race #2 since there would be 4 weeks between the two races. In my advance-planning-mind, I figured 4 weeks was PLENTY of time to ratchet up the mileage from being 5k-race-ready to 10k-race-ready. Where did the time fly?! I don't know who was more surprised - me or Megan - regarding my finish time! I figured the 6.2 miles would take me 70 minutes due to only completing 3-4 miles runs the past couple of months. Surprised myself when I finished in 1:05 and still felt fresh. It has to be the cycling that gave me the legs to finish this 10k. Thank you 30 days of biking! I have to say, I really enjoyed the course provided by the Scioto Miles Challenge. Runners are offered the option of 5k, 10k or 15k distance on a 5k course starting and stopping at COSI. The course has a nice mix of rolling hills, straight sections, and plenty to see along the Scioto River and downtown. I would recommend the series and, best of all, I snagged a wonderfully bright, and highly useful, Brooks windbreaker jacket, which I've used for both cycling and running this season so far. Looking forward to more races this summer!

Laughing Out Loud

Mojo, Where Are You?

My excuses have been many. Injured? Check. Traveling? Check. Busy due to horrible work demands? Check. No clean running clothes? Check (I know this is lame because I've worn the same running shirt more than once - don't hate, you've done it, too!). The excuses continue to mount. I've had 3...maybe 4 good runs since January. And now it's March. March? How can it be March and my mileage is only tipping in at...hmmm...lemme see if I can calculate this right...16 miles.

Running mojo, where are you?

Funny Stuff Worth Watching

Haven't had much to post lately, but came across this funny clip. Enjoy!

Working on Year 9

2011 will be my 9th Turkey Trot here in Cleveland. I just love this race. Last year, it was just me and the girls. The rain was so heavy that I finished the short 1-mile race sans jogging stroller. Since having Bridget, I've been running the 1-mile race with Greg and Megan while pushing Bridget in the jogging stroller. This year, I convinced Greg to join me in the 5-mile race. Can't wait! This is one tradition I love keeping up!

Good Week of Running

For the most part, Mother Nature was kind to us Northern Ohio runners. I enjoyed the sunshine for my 3-miler on Monday and had a comfortable 10-miler today. Wednesday's 4-miler was in the pouring rain, but it was 60 degrees - so I'll take it. I'm going to try to fit in a quick 3-miler with B in the jogging stroller on Sunday (and maybe even meet Greg during his long run!) to round out an even 20 miles. What a good week!

Thank Yous All Around

Thank you Mother Nature for providing such spectacular colors and autumn temps.

Thank you Metroparks for providing me with a well-maintained all-purpose trail to run.

Thank you to my husband for the massage gift certificate that I used last night. It gave me the needed flexibility to knock out an amazing and enjoyable run today.

Hope your week was just as great!

Thank You, Mother Nature

Not only did I have a great 4-mile run during my lunch, but I was treated to the most beautiful colors of leaves that Mother Nature could provide. Spectacular!

Carry On Wayward Son

Back-to-back racing weekend includes not only a 10k in Oklahoma, but also a half marathon in Wichita, Kansas. Believe it or not, I am running the half sponsored by Taco Bell, and my instructions say to follow the Taco Bell signs along the route. I find it humorous that Pizza Hut (marathon course and Pizza Hut opened their first store in Wichita) and Taco Bell (Half marathon course) are sponsoring a running event!

So here we go. Kansas was so interesting that I included extra fun facts about the 36th state that this family is tackling!

1. A ball of twine in Cawker City measures over 38' in circumference and weighs more than 16,750 pounds and is still growing. How is this even possible?!

2. A grain elevator in Hutchinson is 1/2 mile long and holds 46 million bushels in its 1,000 bins.

3. South of Ashland the Rock Island Bridge is the longest railroad bridge of its kind. It measures 1,200 feet long and is 100 feet above the Cimarron River.

4. Kansas won the award for most beautiful license plate for the wheat plate design issued in 1981. Wheat is such a big deal here that in 1990 Kansas wheat farmers produced enough wheat to make 33 billion loaves of bread, or enough to provide each person on earth with 6 loaves.

5. Dodge City is the windiest city in the United States. You know I'm going to have to check this out for myself!

6. At one time it was against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas. How is this even possible?!

7. The first woman mayor in the United States was Susan Madora Salter. She was elected to office in Argonia in 1887. And to think, this was way before women had the right to vote!

8. The first black woman to win an Academy Award was Kansan Hattie McDaniel. She won the award for her role in "Gone with the Wind."

9. Smith County is the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states.

10. Amelia Earhart, first woman granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Associate and first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean was from Atchison. There's actually a neat Century ride held in Atchison in her honor.

11. Dwight D. Eisenhower from Abilene was the 34th President of the United States.

12. Wyatt Earp, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok and William B. "Bat" Masterson were three of the legendary lawmen who kept the peace in rowdy frontier towns like Abilene, Dodge City, Ellsworth, Hays, and Wichita.

I'm looking forward to visiting this great state!