Recap: Medina Half Marathon

It was a chill kind of race.

To give you an idea of it, I didn't even wear my Garmin that day. For me, that is UNHEARD OF.

I had come off the Cleveland Marathon with a time far above what I wanted. I was trying to recover. I was suffering. I got lucky.

I got lucky because I convinced a fellow Mother Runner (Amy) to run with me. She said she wanted a steady 11:00/mile pace, and I knew I could do that. Thank goodness for Amy.

We had a great time running in horrible heat (again), and I actually didn't worry about it because. . . hey. I said I would run an 11:00/mile, and that is what I did.  Thank you, Amy.

Lake Medina. Amy and I pretend that the freaking humidity isn't bothering us.

Finish line. See what a false friend I am? I had to sprint ahead.  Sorry, Peeps. I am just built that way.

 I would like to give a shoutout to the race director, Beth Bugner. I have run this race every year (with the exception of 2016, when I gave up my bib because I had to attend my friend's funeral). Each year truly gets better. I was in doubt that the Medina citizens would be able to handle a half marathon in their neighborhoods because their behavior was questionable and dangerous in the early stages of the race. This year I had no reservations whatsoever about cars or any dangerous situation, and I attribute that to Beth's hard work.  Thank you. The Medina Half Marathon is my goodbye to the school year, and the efforts of the coordinators and volunteers allow me to say goodbye in the best possible way.  I have already purchased my bib for next year, and I encourage you to do the same.  Let's meet at PJ Marley's afterwards for beer and omelets.

As soon as I finished the half marathon, I took off for Salt Lake City for a side gig scoring essays. Salt Lake City is gorgeous, Peeps. I was only able to run up to 5 miles each morning, but gosh.  I can't even describe the mountains as they turned from red to pink to orange.  What a great week.

I ran as far as I could go towards the foothills before 5:30. This is where the road stopped.

Capitol Building at 5:00 AM

For the past two weeks, I have tried to get back to a long trail run, but it has been difficult, Peeps. I am training for the 17.5 mile leg of Burning River, but I just don't have the time. Last week I ran 10 trail miles on Sunday, and this week I ran 13 trail miles. That will have to do because I am leaving for Houston for the National Education Representative Assembly next week. Then I have family vacation (thank God!), and then we have Burning River.  I'll be ready.  I will.

The Stepping Stones at Sand Run. Marta, Rae, Caroline. We had a great run today!

I wish I could be more clever, but I am dealing with a bit of writer angst this week, Peeps. I feel like I should have written on my education blog, and I feel like this post should have happened last week. Deadlines suck.

In any case, embrace the weather! I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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20 Miles in. . . Let the Taper Begin!

Huh. So this was a post I started a week and a half ago, Peeps. I don't know why, but I never hit the publish button. Enjoy!


Saturday was a busy day. I knew it would be a busy day, so I cleaned my bathrooms Friday evening after I got home from work and before I took my son to the football game to watch my daughter march.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I clean the house before the football game. . . in the 1950s.

Actually, this is EXACTLY how I look when. . .AHAHAHAH!  I can't even write it! No. Just. No.

I woke up early on Saturday to pouring rain. This was the morning of my 20 miler for the Akron Marathon. Great. I almost went back to sleep (something I am rarely tempted to do), but I got up and made breakfast. The rain let up a bit, so I kept going with my pre-run routine (coffee, bathroom, etc.).

It's raining in my soul.

I was a bit nervous about running the Blue Line for 20 miles because my Trail Sisters (at least those who are willing to run roads with me) were in Hell. . .Michigan, that is, for the Woodstock Race Series. I didn't go because I didn't want to miss Vertical Runner's Blue Line Training Run (or my 30th year high school reunion). Anyway, I didn't officially have someone with whom to run.  I tested out a few people:

Me to Jennifer: What's your pace today?
Jennifer: I plan to run the 20 in a 12 mile pace.
Me: Yeah, bye.

Me to Cassie and Beth: So, are you doing the 20 miler or the 12?
Cassie: Well. . .we're not really. . .
Me: Yeah, bye.

No worries. I ran with my friend Deb for a while, and then I decided to run alone, but there was always someone I knew or someone with whom I could chat along the way, so I wasn't LONELY.

I went really slowly, and I told myself that the only goal was to get this done without killing myself.  I stopped at all the aid stations, run by wonderful volunteers who braved the yucky rain--THANK YOU!

In the last 3 miles, I saw Tamra, my running partner from Burning River, and we ran together until the end, which was very nice.

In the past, I have felt very defeated after the Blue Line Practice Run, but today I felt. . .fine. Not great, not terrible.  I think this is a good sign; I've respected the training, and my expectations are realistic.

I even mustered up a smile!

Ok, so I have about a week and a half to go before the Akron Marathon, and the tapering hasn't been too terrible. I've cut down my mileage by about a third last week, and this week will probably be the same.

Last Sunday I ran the Race with Grace 5k, and that review will be my next post.  Until then, Run Happy, Peeps!

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Race Recap: Burning River 100 Mile 4 Person Relay

Let's just get this one revelation out of the way: 25.72 miles on trails is NOTHING LIKE 26.2 miles on a road. I found this out the hard way this weekend at the Burning River 100 Mile Race, sponsored by Western Reserve Racing.

This is my third year running Burning River with the Mother Runners, and this year I decided to try for a new goal: I ran in a 4-person team instead of an 8-person team. After all, I thought, I've already run 4 marathons, and this is just under marathon distance. I got this.

Anyway, I trained for this in the same way as I would for a marathon, except my long runs were on trails. Another difference in my training for this event was that I tapered for three weeks instead of my usual two weeks, but I'm not sure that made much of a difference since I spent two of those three weeks on vacation where I was on my feet for 10-15 miles a day.

I wasn't really worried about the racing factor; my team is usually around last place.  I don't consider Burning River to be a race; I look at it like a great big community event where I see every runner I have ever known either on the course, at the finish, or at the aid stations. It's a tremendous party. . . that involves a tremendous amount of pain and suffering.  Speaking of parties:

Mother Runners Intersect with Trail Sisters: Me, Marta, Jennifer, Melissa
Photo Credit: I don't know, but it's Melissa's phone.

Trail Sisters at the Pre-Race Dinner
Photo Credit: Steve Pierce

I chose leg 4, which consists of  legs 7 and 8 (25.7 miles) of the 8 person team,  for several reasons: 1. I love night running, and this would be an all-night run. 2. I've already run leg 7 in the past, so I would be familiar with this part. 3. It would be nice to come into the finish.

I predicted that each leg of our team would take roughly 6 hours, so I thought I'd start around midnight and run until 6 AM. That would give me plenty of time to fuel properly and rest before waiting for the previous leg. Of course, in my world, things never go as planned. My daughter had her wisdom teeth out the Thursday before the race, and by early Saturday morning, she was screaming in pain from a reaction to the combination of ibuprofen and antibiotic. That was fun. So, no rest for Stephani. (Punkin is fine, by the way.)

As for the fueling, I did a pretty good job EXCEPT that I didn't drink any water at all for the three hours I waited for my team mates. This turned out to be a big mistake.

Anyway, my partner Tamra and I took off from Pine Hollow at 1:07 AM when Amy and Erica came in. I was able to see Marta come in from her legs 5 and 6, and I saw Jen off for her legs 7 and 8.

Marta, Me, Renee after Marta's finish
Photo Credit: Steve Pierce

I had spent the last hour in the heated bathroom fighting sleep and questioning my life choices.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am in a bathroom at midnight questioning my life choices.

Tamra and I settled into an easy rhythm, taking lots of care not to fall or trip, and chatting as we ran. In retrospect, I realize now that Tamra had asked me a few times if I was drinking water, and I said I was but I wasn't thirsty. When we pulled into the first aid station at the Covered Bridge, my water bottle was full, but I rationalized that by saying that it was "only" five miles and I was drinking ginger ale at the aid station. I ate some grilled cheese and babbled to my friends Kelleigh, Marta, and Nick (who was dressed as a pirate). I yelled a thank you to the awesome volunteers at Covered Bridge I, and we were on our way.

Nick is a pirate. Or an admiral. Or something. Photo Credit: Marta Pacur

We went out for our second loop through the woods, and I felt awesome by then. Again, I wasn't drinking enough water, but I thought that I had drunk enough at the aid station. We showed up again at the Covered Bridge, and I ate another square of grilled cheese and drank some Mountain Dew. At this point we were at 11ish miles, and I felt really awake and happy. We thanked our awesome volunteers and started out for the next aid station.

Kelleigh is a great volunteer! Photo Credit: Marta Pacur

This section took us past Hale Farm into O'Neil Woods, and as we ran in the dark and fog past the graveyard, we could hear a pack of coyotes howling at the big, full moon. I had never heard so many coyotes in my life! It was so cool and also a bit eerie.

These five-ish miles weren't as scary as I had remembered them to be; maybe it's because I was so jazzed from night running, or maybe I have better training under my belt this year. Anyway, we pulled into the Botzum aid station, and I was a little bit delirious at that point because I remembered that I wasn't finished this time. I still had 9.6 more miles to go. The volunteers there were amazing. One woman took charge because I looked confused, and she asked me what I wanted and if she could fill my water bottle. "I don't know what I need," I said, "and my water bottle is full, I think."

"Then you aren't drinking enough water," she replied. Then she got me some warm ramen broth, and that was perfect with a piece of watermelon. It gave me liquid, salt, and sugar: the three very things I needed at that point. We thanked the volunteers and ran outta there.

As we ran, the sun started rising. We were now on the Towpath, and I was able to turn off the headlamp and Knuckle Lights, which was a relief. We passed my friend Felicia, running the Back 50 with her boyfriend Michael, and my friend Ken, also running the Back 50. They all seemed in remarkably good spirits.

We arrived at the last aid station, Memorial Parkway, and I got a nice surprise seeing my friends Sydney and Teresa. They took pics of us.

I have food in my hand, of course. Photo credit: Sydney Chinchana

Tamra and I are a bit dazed, I think. Photo Credit: Teresa Sroka

At this point we had about 4ish miles left, and I was ready to get 'er done. I was super-tired and ready to sleep.  I didn't care that I was running towards the beer and my friends. I didn't care about anything; however, I made sure to keep my negativity to myself as much as I could because Tamra was amazingly positive for this whole run, and I didn't want to scare her.

We ran through The Chuckery with some wicked steps and uphills and then some flat parts up until mile 25.

I'm running away from the previous 24 miles!
Photo Credit: Tamra Harrison

As we ran towards Front St. and the finish, we caught up with a young man running the 100. Tamra wanted to perk him up, so she asked me how far we had to go, and I said, "About 2 miles." At that point, he suddenly started running again, and he continued UPHILL to the finish, running and grunting very loudly the whole way. That dude was an incredible BEAST!

Anyway, we made the turn onto Front St., and my heart sank when I saw that we had to run uphill toward the finish line. I ran about half of the hill, and then I saw Angela and Melissa, Mother Runners, waiting for us to run us in, and that is when Tamra and I let it out. It felt good to finish strong.

Renee meets me at the finish line. I'm too emotional to talk.
Photo Credit: Marta Pacur

Tamra, Me, Lisa, Melissa: Mother Runners!
Photo Credit: I forget, but it's Melissa's phone. Sorry!

After I changed my shirt, I joined the Trail Sisters for a beer (or two).

Which picture do you think is post-beer?
Photo Credit: Michael Szloh

When I got home, I took a shower, drank some water, took some ibuprofen, and dared anyone in the house to disturb me for the next three hours. And I slept. When I woke up three hours later, I had a whopping headache, and now that I think about it, I'm sure that I didn't hydrate properly. Lesson learned.

I'm pretty sore even two days later, and it took a while for the headache to subside. I've managed to swim, walk, stretch, and even run a little bit since the race, but I admit that these trail miles took a toll on my body. I told the Trail Sisters that I thought it was stupid on my part to run a 4 person relay when I could have stuck with one leg and volunteered at the aid stations. . . But the reality is that race amnesia has already set in, and I'm thinking about doing it again.

This is such a fun race. The route is gorgeous and the volunteers are amazing. I will definitely run the relay again. . . but which one?

How's your running? I hope that no matter where, when, and how far you run, you run happy, Peeps!

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So Sick of Running in Bad Weather

It is April, Peeps. I should NOT be running on a treadmill!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, OHIO, PLEASE STOP RAINING AND SNOWING!!!!

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm throwing a tantrum because: Ohio weather.

Last week I had 18 miles on my to-do list for Sunday's long run. To shake things up, I decided to join a training run in the Bedford Reservation for Burning River. It was 15 miles, and I figured I could add on 3 miles pretty easily.  To make it even better, Felicia and Angela (from the Mother Runners) agreed to run with me because they also needed 18.

The weather was a problem. It was 27 degrees at the start time, but the prediction was that we would go up to the 40s or higher, so I couldn't figure out what to wear.  To make matters worse, the weather was NOT what was predicted at all. It probably didn't help that I looked up the weather WHERE I LIVE, not in the Bedford Reservation. Duh. So, we did start at about 27 degrees, and then it got colder. And colder. And then it started snowing. That was our weather for about four hours of trail running. It wasn't until about mile 16 that the sun came out, and that was glorious.

The only moment when the sun came out. These ladies are amazing!

Trail running can be challenging. Trail running in the snow (in April) for 18 miles is exceptionally challenging. I am giving us a pat on the back for being so badass.

Today I had 18 miles again, and of course it was freaking POURING outside. I decided to run the treadmill, so I made a plan, just as I would for an outside long run. I listened to  Wait, Wait! Don't Tell Me! for five miles, and then I peeked outside, where it appeared to me to be just drizzling. I changed into dry running clothes and went outside to finish the rest.

MOTHER NATURE IS A LIAR, PEEPS!

As soon as I was about a mile in, it started pouring again. I was wearing a rain jacket, but damn! I decided that I was going to power through it, so I kept going. I ran 11.3 more miles in the cold, pouring rain before I decided to call it quits. I want to thank Peter Sagal and Mo Rocca (my crush) from Wait, Wait! Don't Tell Me! for getting me through this. I didn't run 18; I ran 16.3 total, and that is just fine.

Next week I need about 19 to feel respectable. Will I do it? Stay tuned to find out!

Whatever horrible weather Ohio is throwing at you, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

Psst! Hey! Are you going to run with me for any of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon races? Use my code, SICLE10, for 10% off any registration!  I hope to see you there!

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16 Miles!

Well, the mileage is ramping up.  Last Sunday Shelby and I ran 16 miles--the farthest I've ever run!  You know what?  It wasn't too terrible.  In fact, our last mile was our fastest, and overall we finished 48 seconds sooner than last week's 15 miler.  Damn, we're good!

I hear a lot about training burnout, but the novelty hasn't worn off for me yet.  I'm doing my best to stick to the plan and take care of myself while still doing interesting things to shake it up a little.  Like what?  I'm glad you asked.  Here are some of the ways I am preparing myself for the Akron Marathon:

1.  Track work

Wednesday Night Hell. . .er-- I mean Fun!

Wednesday is track night, and the members of TORN have been meeting to do a little speedwork in 90-degree weather.  Why?  Because we are awesome that way.

2.  Recovery-Wear

I love my compression socks!  I wear them after speed workouts and long runs.

















3.  Protein

I like chocolate.

I've upped my protein, particularly after workouts.  Muscle Milk isn't the most delicious shake on Earth, but it was on sale at BJs, and it has only 130 calories per carton.  Sometimes I eat plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with Grape Nuts, but frankly, I look forward to this shake.

4.  Friends--Old and New

I still run with my TORN peeps, but I decided to branch out, and I recently joined the Canal Rats.  They meet around 5:30ish AM, which suits my schedule. The only problem is that they are MUCH FASTER than I am; however, for two weeks in a row, there has been a kind soul who waits for me at the turnaround point and runs back with me.  Today that kind soul pushed me to an 8:39 mile in the last mile, and I am grateful for it.  I have decided to label my Canal Rats days the tempo run.

Thankfully, not this kind of Canal Rat.  Yuck.

5.  New Challenges

Of course the marathon is new, but I'm also running two new races in August: The Burning River Relay (Leg 7, 15.6 miles in the dark!) and the Ragnar Trail Appalachians ultra relay (3 loops of 10 miles each in 24 hours).  Trail running is a different animal than road running, and I'm looking forward to these weekends to see what I can do.

If I say it enough, I should start believing it.

6.  Rest

I am doing my best to get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Since it is summer, I also get to incorporate my favorite form of recovery: naps! God, I love naps.

All in all, I still have about eight weeks to go before the Akron Marathon, but I feel that I have a lot of exciting stuff to do in the meantime.  Let's hope I can keep a positive attitude.

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Outside Again!

     First of all, congratulations to Vera, who won the SLS3 Belt Giveaway.  For those of you who didn't get lucky in the drawing, check them out on Amazon while the price is still reduced!  

 Last week I did thirty miles, all on the treadmill.  All. On. The. Treadmill.  When the snowstorms started up again Monday night, I felt like I would never see the sun again, but then Saturday happened.

The sun DOES exist in Ohio!

     When I finished my cleaning, I put on a tee shirt and capris and ran part of Sand Run Park.  It was windy, hilly, muddy, and glorious.  Usually Saturday is my take-it-easy-day where I walk on the treadmill while watching Supernatural, but NO WAY was I going to let a 68 degree day go by without running in the Metroparks.  I told myself that I would run super-slowly, but I lied.  Going up and down those hills in the first 2.5 miles made me feel like I was flying, and I just let myself go.  Of course, what goes up must come down, so the next 2.5 miles after the turnaround were considerably slower, but WHO CARES????

This is EXACTLY how I look when I feel like I'm flying down Sand Run.

Do you see me?  

     As a bonus, I ran 10 miles today in the sunshine for part of the Medina Half Marathon route with my running buddy Kristin.  We had a great time running around Medina, mostly streets but a bit of trail by Lake Medina.

     While we were running, I told Kristin the following story about her daughter, to whom I taught AP Literature and Composition:

     We (AP Lit. students and I) were analyzing Carpe Diem poems, looking at how different poets use the same motifs to convey the theme of Seize the Day; then we talked about how we could embrace the moment.  I told the students that I had recently signed up to run a leg of the relay for the Akron Marathon, and that next year I could probably run the half marathon.  Mattie said, "Wait. Haven't you already run more than any of the legs of the relay?"
     
     I replied, "Well, yes, but I don't think I'm ready to take on the half marathon this year."

     And then Mattie said, "Then what the hell are we doing talking about Carpe Diem?"

     Huh.

     That day I went home and registered for the Akron Half Marathon, and the rest is history.

   

I teach some pretty smarty-pants kids.

     I remembered the lesson of Carpe Diem today as I ran with a fun group of people because I was thinking of how I'm seizing the day this year:

1st time running on Burning River relay team (Leg 7--holla!) with the Mother Runners
Ragnar Trail Appalachians WV ultra team relay (woot!  First time on an ultra team! 30 miles of trails!)
1st time running back-to-back races (8k and half marathon for Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Series)
My first marathon (Akron Marathon)

     All of these goals scare the hell out of me, so I know they must be worthy.  Now I'm going to work my ass off to achieve those goals because-- CARPE DIEM, Peeps!

This is EXACTLY how I look when I say, "Carpe Diem, Peeps!"

How will you seize the day this year? This week?  Tomorrow?  Start by running happy, Peeps!

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What's on the Table?

It is January 24, 2016, and I haven't finished figuring out my racing goals.  This is what I've got so far in actual registrations:

May 14: Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 8k

May 15: Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Half

I'm really excited about these two races for several reasons.  The first reason:

I'm a #RunCLE Ambassador!  Yay!

The second reason is because I've never run two big races on consecutive days.  The closest I've come is running two trail races, a 5 miler on a Saturday and an 8 miler on a Sunday.  This race series excites me because it gives me a new kind of mental and physical challenge.  How will I race them?  Will I treat the half marathon as my weekly long run?  My gut tells me that I am not capable of running a race without trying to PR, and the Cleveland course has a special place in my heart.  It is much more runner-friendly than the Akron course.  The only reason I haven't done so well in Cleveland is because of the weather (last year) and the time of year, since I don't train well during the winter months.  This year I have a treadmill, so things may be different.

May 28: Medina Half Marathon

I signed up for this half on the day that I ran it last year.  It has been a tradition for me since it started three years ago.  I haven't PR'd on this race either for pretty much the same reasons as with Cleveland.  I enjoy this race, though, because I work in Medina and I love to see my colleagues, my students, and my former students on and around the course.

The medal is pretty sweet, too.

August 6: Burning River 100 Mile Relay

I will be leg 7 in an 8-person relay team for the Mother Runners.  My leg is about 15 miles, and it will happen in the wee hours of the night.  I'm really excited about this because I've volunteered for Burning River twice, and it was fascinating to see the runners.  This distance will be the longest racing distance I've ever done at one time.

August 12-13: Ragnar Trail Appalachians WV Ultra Relay

Ok, I know that in my review I said I'd never run this again, but This. Is. Different.  I have got to get this one done right, and these are different circumstances:

1. It is in August, not June, so hopefully it will be warmer with no monsoons.  Thank you, Ragnar, for changing the date after years of Tent City devastation.

2.  My father won't be in a coma in the hospital, so I won't be frantically trying to get cell phone reception in the middle of a forest in the mountains so I can find out if he is alive.  I'm putting the rest of my family on notice: You all had better take care of yourself during this weekend.  I have to take the whammy off this race, and I can't deal with your problems, too, while I'm doing it.

3.  This time I will be part of a 4-woman ultra team with Jennifer, Leigh, and Joy.  I enjoy running with these ladies, and based on last year's race, I enjoy camping with Jennifer and Leigh.  I'm anticipating a more relaxed experience this year, while pushing myself physically.  This time I will be running a total of 30 miles in 24 hours, about 10 miles at a time.

4.  This time I will bring more hoodies, more towels, and lots more food.  I will enjoy myself.  I will eat lots of Smores, and I will drink beer and take naps, and do yoga, when and if I feel like it.

I will run through this arch with flaming torches again.  Oh yes, I will.

You can see that my calendar is concentrated in May and August.  Yes, I am still stupid, but this time I will be smarter about being stupid.

I'm not finished with races.  There will be 5Ks and 10Ks and maybe a 15K sprinkled in there, but the race I haven't registered for yet, well, you know what that is.  And if you don't?  Wait until I write about it next week.

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Race Recap: 2015 NERC Interclub Relay

Today I ran 10 miles on the Towpath. . . in capris and a t shirt.  Last week at this time, I wore tights, shorts, a long-sleeved shirt lining, a t shirt, a jacket, a hat, and gloves--and I was still freezing my tuckus off. Welcome to Ohio, Peeps.

Last week was the Northeast Running Club (NERC) Interclub Relay and Fun Run at The West Woods Park.  I'd tell you where that is, but I haven't a clue; Sheila drove me so I didn't pay attention.  She could have just dropped me somewhere by the side of the road, and I would have died of hunger there after I ate my one GU.  It's a good thing she didn't, or she and Shelby would have had to run the eight mile leg of the relay.

I knew nothing about this race when I signed up for it.  I thought, "Yeah, trails, a relay, I'll do eight miles.  No biggie.  No pressure."  Then I looked at the list of runners: Snakebite Racing Team with my fellow Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador Pam and her husband.  Crap.  They are serious badasses, often taking first place in their AG or even overall in races.  My only consolation was that Pam finished her second Iron Man not so long ago, so I thought maybe she'd back off today.  Yeah, right.  Also I saw Nate and Giovanna, who are ultra runners (and Nate is a tri-athlete).  They both ran the Ragnar Appalachians Trail Relay this summer as part of an ultra team, and I see Nate zipping by in the neighborhoods when I run in the mornings sometimes.  Lucky for me, Giovanna told me she was taking it easy that day, so I was able to relax a little bit when we started.

The routes had been posted a few days before the race, but I am not at all familiar with this neck of the woods (see what I did there?), so it meant nothing to me.  Guy Gadomski, the race director, explained our eight-mile leg to us, but that meant nothing to me either.  I just hoped the course was clearly marked and I wouldn't be completely alone for eight miles.  I didn't need to worry; there were volunteers pointing us in the right direction, and I was able to run with and/or near a group of nice ladies for most of the race.

I'm smiling here because A) it's in the first few miles and B) I'm relieved that I'm not lost and alone.

The course was ALL HILLS.  If it had been snowing or icy, I wouldn't have run this race because there were also stairs.  My music died in the first 200 feet, so it was me counting my breaths and trying to make conversation with the runners around me.  Then I realized that they didn't want to talk to me, so I went back to counting my breaths.  It wasn't so bad running without music, even with the brutal hills and tired legs from my trail race the previous day.  I walked some of the hills, more at the end, but I feel like I finished strong and made a decent showing for my team.

At least I mustered up the energy for a thumbs-up towards the end of the race.

Those aren't fat rolls you see on me.  I put my gloves and phone in my pockets.

After the race there was a chili cook-off.  I didn't eat any chili, but I did shove a cookie in my head, as well as a homemade energy bar that was the bomb-diggity.  Then I did my selfies:

Team TORN: Shelby, Sheila, me.  Shelby is REALLY happy to be there.

Look!  I found CleMarathon Ambassador @pam_mcgowan!

All in all, this was a very nice day in the woods with some very nice people.  I've told you before that trail runners are good people, right?  Plus, you can't beat a free race, which this was. It was good to know that I can do eight miles of up and down, up and down because guess what?  I just signed up for Leg #7 in the Burning River 100-Mile Relay.  It's fifteen miles and change, and I'll be running at night, Peeps.  Crazy, ammirite?

I'll start panicking in a few months.  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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SuperFanning It

Today was a significant race for the Towpath Turtles, the Perfect 10 Miler.  They have already run eleven miles on the long, slow run, but as we all know, racing is different.

Here we are AFTER the race, looking pretty. . .pretty badass, that is.

I was incredibly frustrated because I was supposed to run this race, and well, you know what happened.  The course is largely fast and flat (with a little hill at the end for some added torment), and I had planned to really push myself as a practice run for the Akron Half Marathon.  Needless to say, events did not go as planned, but I really wanted to be there. . .as a SuperFan.

One thing that makes our running club different is that we celebrate all runners.  That means that we cheer for everyone, and we cheer to the end.  Lauren and I met the Turtles before the race to wish them luck, then we drove to the midpoint of the race and cheered EVERY RUNNER who passed us.  Then we drove to the end to cheer everyone through the chute.  There were other supporters there who didn't seem to do much supporting.  They stood around silently while Lauren and I lost our voices hooting, hollering, joking with runners, promising beer and cookies at the end (we were lying about the beer) and uvulating every time we saw a Turtle.  No link here, folks, look it up if you don't know what it means.  Shannon was down the course from us doing the same thing, plus she had a cowbell (I have a fever . . for more cowbell).

It really was a lot of fun.  So many runners thanked us or laughed or smiled at us, and I remembered what it feels like when someone, ANYONE, acknowledges me in a race.

So far I have been able to SuperFan one race and volunteer twice for the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run.  Each time I have given my time and effort, I have received a return that was greater than my investment.  In the case of Burning River, that is literally true: I arrived with nothing and left three hours later with a watermelon, a case of ginger ale, and two jugs of water.  Anyway, you know what  I mean.

Well done today, Towpath Turtles!  You rocked the 10 Miler!

This is Shannon and me, with one good pair of legs between us!