Race Recap: Akron Marathon

It wasn't a PR. There. I said it. I've been brooding this weekend, and I've confessed it. The weather was PERFECT. The conditions were PERFECT.  I had TONS of support on the course. I didn't PR.


I took a personal day on Friday to go to the Expo. I know from experience that I should not be around anyone the day before a big race. I told my students right up front: I'll be crying and rocking in the fetal position for most of the day. You do NOT want to see this, so you will be happy to have a substitute teacher on that day. My students are wonderful kids, really, so they were very understanding about the whole thing. My own kids know the deal; they just made sure to steer clear of me that day.


I worked the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon booth at the Expo from 11-1ish. It was great to see all my friends and represent a race series that I love. I'm still mad that Ralph Staph, Race Director for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, didn't bring me a Frappuccino when I asked for it. Am I worth NOTHING????

Working it! #CleveMarathonAmbassador

I did get a prime picture with Zippy, the Akron Zips Mascot.

I also got my traditional 26.2 picture, courtesy of my friend Nick. You remember him; he was a pirate at the Burning River aid station.

And of course it isn't real until you see your name on the car outside the expo:

I spent the evening trying to relax, while eating everything in the house. Hey. I eat when I'm stressed. Actually, I eat when I'm not stressed, too.

The next morning was great! I got to say Good Luck to all my friends before getting in the corral.  We took lots of pictures.

Kelly, Me, Marta. We are excited because it is Kelly's first marathon.

I'm pretending that I'm not edgy or irritated or nervous. Or bloated.

The first 19 miles felt amazing, really. I was ahead of my desired pace by about 30 seconds per mile, and even though I told myself to slow down a bit, I really didn't want to, and I felt like I could handle it. I had started with the 4:40 pacer, and I left her because I didn't want to fight the crowd around her, and I felt so good.

You all know that this was a mistake, right?

I saw my friend Rob at the 16 mile marker, and I saw my friends Bees for Mary Relay Team at the various relay exchanges. I was still feeling great when I approached the designated meeting point to see The Kabyle Chef, Butterbean, and Punkin. I voice-texted Punkin, telling her that I had about two miles until the rendezvous, and then I realized that I miscalculated, and the rendezvous was straight ahead. Whoops.

This really bugged me, but I knew it was my own fault, and I tried to let go of the fact that I wouldn't see my family where I needed them. . . when I saw them! They had scrambled ahead, following the Blue Line until they could figure out how to intercept me!  What a great family.  I sobbed, of course.

Now, this is where I should have picked up the pace because I saw one friend after another, but I just couldn't do it. I was in so much pain, and for the first time ever, I could feel my quads seizing up.  I slowed down, and then I started walking. That is where I saw Pam and Steve. You know them; Pam is a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador, and Steve is a Pacer. They were riding their bikes, and they yelled to me to stop walking and go catch the 4:40 pacer (who had just left me in the dust). I shuffled along until I was suddenly attacked by a giant fox!!

OMG. WTF is that????

The Trail Sisters had stationed themselves at mile 22ish to cheer us on. They are amazing, right?

I passed Rob again going towards Heartbreak Hill. Just as I was contemplating walking the hill, I saw Kathy by the side of the road. I haven't seen her in at least 3 years! She told me that she came to that specific point to see me take the hill. I was so happy to see her that I remembered that I was supposed to make the hill my bitch. . .and so I did.

I was still going super-slowly, and I was in a lot of pain. When I made the turn onto Market Street, which is the start of the last 2 miles, I didn't even care. If the SAG wagon had approached me at that point,  I would have ditched the whole race. I sped up as much as I could on the downhill to make up for lost time, but then I started walking the uphill again when a young girl passed me, turned around and said, "Come on! You passed me on Heartbreak Hill, and you think you are gonna walk THIS?" She was right, so I started shuffling along again, and I managed to cut thirty seconds off that mile.

Coming into the stadium felt great, and I was able to give it a little kick, but I knew that it wasn't a PR, and I was pretty disappointed. I had time to stretch, rehydrate, refuel, collapse, and then find Marta. After taking post race pics with my friends, we moved the party to Lockview, where I ate all the grilled cheese and tater tots I could hold.

Me, Nick (the Pirate), and Marta. You be the judge: Am I laughing or crying here?

I had some time to process this race. I realize that I should have started more slowly than I did--15 more seconds per mile in the first 15 miles would have helped. I realize that I never lost the weight I intended to lose before the race (there is that number 15 again). Could I have controlled both of these factors? Yes. Did I ? No. But.  I trained really well with the right balance of miles, strength training, and swimming. I finished that baby, and though my time was not a PR, it was a course record for me--by 5 whole minutes! I think that I will take it.

I'm so grateful to all the volunteers at this race. They were always loud, cheerful, and fun. I'm also grateful to all of my friends who helped me through this long training cycle and my friends who cheered for me on the course. You all are wonderful; I love you.

As for you, Akron Marathon, next year I will conquer your hills and come back with a shiny, new PR!

Peeps, I hope that while I am hobbling along and soaking in Epsom Salts to recover, you will be running happy!

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Dial It Back Week

After pushing the mileage for several weeks, this week I decided to take a rest, although "take a rest" may be relative.  Here is what I did this week:

Monday: 2 miles running in place with 2 lb. weights to warm up for yoga.

Tuesday: 4 treadmill miles in the morning; 6 trail miles in the evening. This was super-fun.

Wednesday: 2 miles running in place to warm up for strength training. Then, as it was a snow day (first day of Spring--what???), I went directly to bed after working out, woke up two hours later, ate breakfast, and then put in 4 miles on the treadmill.

Thursday: Tae Bo. It felt amazing.

Friday: 4 treadmill miles

Saturday: 5 miles on the hills of Sand Run (after day-drinking with the Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors! Shhhhh)

We are a fun bunch! 

Sunday: Goddess Trail Run for 13! Yay!

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am happy to be running with the Goddesses.

40 miles of running + strength training + Tae Bo. Not a bad week!

Next week I have the Fools 25K, which I will probably be running with the Goddesses. After that, I need to bring my mileage up to 19 before the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon in April. Then, I've got the 20 miler the week after the half marathon.  Gaaaaa.  Am I ready? I don't know yet. I haven't gone beyond 16-point-something, but I'm pretty comfortable there, so I think I'll be ok in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile, I'm trying not to eat everything in sight. I weighed myself after today's long run (I ALWAYS go with the Sunday weigh-in while I'm still dehydrated), and I have lost about 6 pounds. Of course, that is water, but last week I was six pounds heavier even in the same dehydrated state, so I'm going with it. I'm trying to log all of my food intake. Some days are better than others (cough, cough, notthisweekend, cough), and I'm getting back on track.

This week is my Spring Break, so I look forward to lots of running and sleeping and reading trashy literature.

One last thing. . .there were people I didn't see at the Ambassador Meetup (and I miss all of you), but I was glad to see old friends and meet new ones.

Pam and I are together again. 

Andrew would never forgive me if I didn't post this picture of us. He really looked forward to talking to me; you can tell.

The wine was lots more interesting than I am. These damn kids.

Have you registered for the race of your choice (even the series) in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon?  If not, there is still time! Use my code, SICLE10, to get a 10% discount on any race or the series. Come on, you know you want to run with me!


Have you run your 20-miler yet, Peeps? Are you looking forward to it or dreading it?  However you feel about that one run, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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Race Recap: Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

I started training for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon without even realizing it. I was doing long runs with a friend, who was training for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and there came a point where I realized I should just go the whole way.  So, I did.

Here is my disclaimer: This is my third year as a Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador. This means that in exchange for sharing my training for the race, I got a free entry, one to give away, and some sweet swag.

I have always enjoyed being an Ambassador, and I ran the Cleveland races before I ever officially blogged about them. You can read about my 10k experience here. I loved that race!

Anyway, this year I upped the ante, even though I knew thorough training for a marathon would be difficult for me given that most of my miles take place before 5:30 AM.  I did it, though:

I ran the miles, sometimes on a treadmill, but more often not.

I did the speedwork.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I do speedwork. I am often chasing a gazelle.

I did the strength training.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I lift weights.  I use my moustache to wipe the sweat from my face.

What I did NOT do was watch my weight, which is what I should have done. I ran this race 10 pounds over my racing weight, and I could feel that difference. In fact, I'm feeling it now!

Anyway, let's not talk about me; let's talk about the race.

I got into Cleveland at 5:30 AM. I was nervous about finding parking at that time, so I decided to park in the Muni lot. This was silly for two reasons: 1. It's a mile away from the start and finish lines. 2. There was PLENTY of parking available.  Anyway, I'm a dufus, and it was probably good for me to walk the extra mile back to the car to stretch my legs a bit.  Yeah. Right.

The weather prediction was thunderstorms, but the sky looked ok at the start, although it was humid. I lined up for pictures with all of my amazing peeps, some who are Ambassadors:

Stephanie, Melissa, Sara, Pam, Jessica, Me, Jamie

and some who are teachers:

Laina, Me, Katie. What is up with my hair???

I started in corral F, and I found the 4:55 pacer there. I asked him about his pacing strategies, and while he seemed like a really nice person, I realized he was a wild card when it came to pacing. My goal was to start with his group and then pull ahead if I was feeling it. It took me all of two miles to decide that I wasn't sticking with this group because a woman kept cutting me off in order to run RIGHT NEXT TO THE PACER. God forbid she get two steps behind or ahead. It didn't matter where I went; she would cross in front of me. I pulled ahead.

My goal was to stick with 11:00/miles, especially in the beginning miles. I felt super good, but I managed to stay between 10:45 and 11 most of the time. At Mile 4, we hit the Flats. This may be my favorite part of the race. We ran up the hill to the Columbus bridge, and the hill was pretty awesome. I am used to hills, so I kept my pace and breathing steady, and I watched the spectacle around me, namely the Pope (or a bishop?) with a pitcher of beer, a man yelling, "Get up that hill!" and some fun signs. Check out this awesome video from Share the River that shows exactly what it was like:




When we reached the top, I made my signature move: I threw my fists in the air and yelled to the almost-silent runners, "YES! I MADE THIS HILL MY BITCH!"

I also enjoyed running through Ohio City, Tremont, and Gordon Square, where I found a man in a Speedo standing on a wall yelling, "Let's have some laughter and fun! C'mon! I'm wearing a Speedo! Look at me!"I am also grateful to Didi (with whom I ran Burning River last year), who found me and cheered for me there.

My second favorite part of the route was the out-and-back on Clifton, even though it started to rain when I got to Mile 14. I like out-and-backs because they give me the opportunity to look for my friends, who are all faster than I am. For the miles going down to Rocky River, I was able to spot Steve (pacing), Ed, Andrew, Stephanie, and Marta. Coming back I concentrated on the gorgeous houses, which definitely helped me take my mind off the pain I was feeling in my legs and feet by Mile 18.

I found a burst of energy at Mile 21 because I had reeled in a man with cool dreadlocks. For a minute we ran side by side, and then I started to drop back and let him go so I could fuel, but I noticed that he also dropped back with me and kept pace. At this point I wondered if we were pacing or racing each other, so I sped up a tiny bit. He sped up with me but didn't pass me, so I realized I had a new running buddy. He kept me going for that mile at a faster than usual pace, and then I decided to go through a water station, so I lost him. I found him after the race and thanked him for getting me through a tough mile.

Coming into the city was hard, but not because of the route, which was fabulous. Aerobically I felt fine, like I should have picked up the pace, but my legs and feet were really hurting, and I knew it wasn't possible to run any faster than I was going. I saw Didi again, and I yelled to her, "I'm dying, Didi, seriously!" but she assured me that I wasn't.

By now I was in the last two miles and it was pouring (but no hail or lightning, thank goodness). I found Lyndsey, who was running this after the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon, and I told her that we were going to finish strong. I was thinking of walking a few steps, just to stretch my legs, when I heard a dreadful, familiar voice behind me: It was the 4:55 pacer. WTF!!!! I looked at my watch; he was ahead of schedule. I KNEW that guy was a wild card. That was when I decided to get my ass in gear because there was NO WAY that pacer was going to finish ahead of me.

Coming in to the finish was amazing. I heard John Adams, the Indians' drummer, and that was definitely enough to put a smile on my face. I LOVE hearing the drum at the Indians' games.

I ran through a row of American flags, and I found the energy to pick up my legs and the pace for a strong finish. I got my medal, my food and water, and a super-cool towel, and then I got my gear and started back the mile to my car before the stiffness could set in. I looked absolutely pathetic draped in a beach towel, carrying a bunch of stuff and a gear bag, and shuffling painfully to the Muni lot.

I did it. I ran this marathon all by myself like an adult, and I did it without crying and without music. My fellow Ambassadors encouraged me and told me that I had it in me, and they were right. Thank you, Friends, for believing in me when I found it difficult to believe in myself.  I PR'd that bitch by almost a minute and a half. I am proud of myself.

Overall, I have to say that I LOVED this experience. The race course was so interesting and fun for me that I didn't need any music or conversation. The medal and the swag are fabulous. There were plenty of water stops, fuel (including waffles!), and portapotties. The spectators were kind and fun. This has been the best Cleveland race experience I have ever had.

As the race amnesia sets in, I realize how difficult it was for me to train for a full during the schoolyear, but honestly, if the race next year is like this year, I intend to do the full again. Thanks, Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon for an empowering race!

Look at my medal! LOOK AT IT!!!

I'll be back! Will you be there with me? Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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20 Miler!

This was my second 20 miler ever. The first was the Akron Blue Line run just before the Akron Marathon, and with the heat and the sidewalks and the concrete and the chafing. . .it was brutal.

This is the Blue Line.

This time I decided to run 20 miles on my own terms.

Normally I should have run the 20 miles last week, BUT I DO THINGS ON MY OWN TERMS; didn't you just read that? Instead I ran the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon, and yes, I know you are waiting for Part Deux of the race recap, but that isn't happening this week, ok?

A few months ago when I was running with Jen and Renee, they both volunteered to help me with the 20 miler, and they suggested I invite the Burning River Goddesses. I did, and they generously stepped up. I did a bowtie of five miles in each direction from Lock 29, and I had a crowd to help me along in the beginning.

I'm a Goddess! I'm the Goddess of NO CHILL!

Marta, who has run OVER 30 MARATHONS and is running the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, stayed with me for the full 20 miles.

We saw deer.

We saw turtles.

We saw herons.

The weather was beautiful, sunny with a chilly wind. Marta and I ran when we wanted to and walked when we needed to, and it was a great time overall.

Marta and I took a pic at the Beaver Marsh (14.44 miles in)

One thing I like about running with the Goddesses is that they are incredibly chill. We all know that I have NO CHILL WHATSOEVER, so it is important to me that I have someone to calm me down.

For the first time in a long time, I woke up this morning excited for a long run.

When we finished, I hugged Marta repeatedly and thanked her and told her how much it meant to me to have someone so experienced running with me. Then she gave me candy. WHAT????

You want this awesome Goddess with you when you run 20 miles.

So, now I am trying to relax with a recovery drink while my intuitive husband takes the kids to the mall and then to dinner so that we can have a nice dinner of steak and wine together.

Today was a good day. If the weather holds out, I feel I will be ready to tackle the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Will you join me? Click here to register!  Don't want to run? Try the link to volunteer; it's so fun to be in the midst of the action without having to hurt yourself.

I feel good, Peeps. I feel like I want to run. I want to run with you. Will you run with me?  I'm waiting to hear from you.

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @itibrout!

Flat Is Where It's At

I've focused a bit on hills lately, which is totally good for me in every way. . .

This is EXACTLY how I look when I run hills.  See that look of joy? See the little kids in lederhosen?  

But for my dial-back run this week, I wanted something flat and easy. And pretty.  And so I chose the Towpath. I did five miles myself for the first hour, and because I didn't bring my earbuds, I did it without music!

Views of the Cuyahoga River from the Towpath

I love running in Merriman Valley; it's so beautiful, and the Towpath never looks the same from day to day.

After my first five miles, I met up with Kristin for the next ten. We agreed that the purpose was to relax and chat. We certainly chatted.  It was a surprise to both of us when the turnaround seemed to come so quickly, and it was definitely a surprise to Kristin (who has never run that section of the Towpath before) when I told her that we were in the home stretch.

Of course we had to take a picture:

Shiny, happy people

As a bonus I saw some fellow Turtle alumni who were coming in as I was going out. Ladies, you were looking strong today!

The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, the company was fabulous. All in all, I give this run an A+.  Thank you, Kristin, for being so awesome; you made 15 miles feel like 2.

I am almost at the 20 mile point for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Peeps.  Won't you join me by registering here? 

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @itibrout!Tow

Hills and More Hills

I had a dilemma:

I had 18 miles to cover on Sunday, and it looked like I was going to run them alone until. . . Rachel came along. Rachel is another Cleveland Marathon Ambassador; you can check her out here.

What a happy coincidence that Rachel had to run 18 miles, too. . . except she wanted to start at 7:00 AM.  In Chagrin Falls, which is 40 minutes away from my house.

This is EXACTLY how I feel when I realize I need to get up before 5 AM to be ready for a long run on my day off.

At first I said no, but after watching Moana with my kids, I decided to call it an early night, and I told Rachel I'd meet her in the wee hours of the morning.

We did two loops of 9 miles. I liked the idea of doing these loops because it wasn't the same loop, and I got to stop by my car to eat a banana and consider a wardrobe change (which I didn't need after all). The hard part (besides getting up so early) was that both loops were ALL HILLS.  SO. MANY. HILLS.

This is EXACTLY how the hills looked.  Maybe.

It was so pretty running through Hunting Valley, and we decided to take some pictures of the river.

My morning view

It's difficult to find a good running partner without too much adjustment. There is so much to think about: pace, personality, stamina, training needs. I was really lucky because Rachel and I seemed to mesh pretty well, and we stayed strong for the full 18 miles of freaking hills. I'm really glad I gave the 7 AM call a chance.

We look pretty good for being about 6 miles from the finish.

Because I was on Spring Break, I put in some good miles this week. I actually got a nine-miler in midweek by running part of the Blue Line in reverse. It was a great way to shake up the routine. I ran 40 miles, and I'm still alive and thriving.  Not bad at all. Maybe I'll be ok in this marathon after all.

Will you join me, Peeps?  Register here for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  I promise we will have fun! Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @itibrout!

Still Got It!

First, this has nothing to do with running. Thursday night my friends and I attended Puddles Pity Party at the Cleveland House of Blues, and this happened:

Best. Concert. EVER. I highly recommend you see him if he is in your area.

Second, I was worried that my foray into trail running would give me a sense of false confidence. That is, because I allow my self to walk any time I like on a trail, I worried that I would not be able to run on a flatter surface for an extended length of time. To test this theory, I decided to run 17 miles on the Towpath today (Sunday). The Burning River Goddesses have been so kind to me; they offered to either run the full 17 with me (Marta and Kelsie) or join me for part of the fun. Jen's husband Steve, who is an honorary Goddess and a rock star trail runner who is training for Burning River (the full Monty, folks), also offered to join me for the first 12 miles.

17 miles and .4 cool down walk on the Towpath with these badasses! Lots of turtles 🐢 on the logs. #akrun #secondsoleakrun #clevemarathonambassador @jennpierce517

A post shared by Stephani Itibrout (@itibrout) on Mar 26, 2017 at 8:51am PDT

So it was that Steve, Marta, Kelsie, and I started from Lock 29 at 8 AM. I was worried that I would hold them back, and I told them all to leave me whenever they felt that they needed to. . .but they didn't. One of my big problems is that I CAN run a good mid-pack pace, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I SHOULD run that pace, especially on the long runs. My goal was to finish strong and feel good, and to accomplish that, I knew I had to run much more slowly than I normally would like to run.

We all had a great discussion on the Towpath, sometimes running fast and sometimes running slowly. I was wearing my Cleveland Ambassador long-sleeved tech shirt, and within two miles I was ROASTING, although I looked super cool.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm roasting, but I'm rocking a super cool shirt.

After 9.5 miles, we were back at Lock 29, where I ate a banana, changed into a short-sleeved shirt, and used the bathroom. Then we joined up with Jen and Tracy for the rest of the run.  I'm not going to say it was easy because it wasn't, but I really enjoyed my run with everyone.  We saw turtles, lots of turtles:

This was one log of four in that section--all full of turtles. 

And we talked and bitched and laughed.

At mile 16.9, I decided that the kick had to come now, and I actually picked up the pace and ran very quickly (I'm not going to say I sprinted because I didn't) to the end. Then I had .4 miles to walk as a cool down. I am very pleased with how I finished. I felt strong, and although I felt sore, I still think it was a good run.

I have a while until I need to hit my 20 miler. While talking it through with Jen today, I decided that I'm going to hover around these middle miles for a while, which is what I did when I trained for my first marathon. I would like to get to a point where I say, "Oh. It's only 16 miles." Maybe then my 20 miler won't feel as awful as it did when I ran it for the Akron Marathon.

How is your training? Have you registered for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon?  NO??? Well, you can register here today, or you can check out the Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors to see who is giving away a race entry. Join me! You know you want to see how I handle running this marathon by myself (unless you want to run with me???).  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @itibrout!

And the Winner is. . .

Congratulations to Ron, the winner of a race entry to the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Series!

Want an entry of your very own? You have two choices:

1. Register here
2. Follow the Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors (info linked here). We each host a giveaway every week.  

May the odds be ever in your favor!

This week I finally got my mileage up past 30--33.5, to be exact. It helped that the weather is turning nicer. On Friday the weather wasn't so great (at 4:30 AM), so I ran on the treadmill. I decided to do intervals, something I haven't done in a while, and I FREAKING NAILED them! I have 12 sets scheduled in my watch, and after running the Akron Marathon, I lost my motivation to complete the sets, often punking out around set 8.  This time I did ALL 12 LIKE A BOSS!  So proud of myself.

Sunday Shelby and I ran 14 miles, and it was a beautiful day for a run.

Me before the run, rocking the Cleveland Marathon capris. I love these pants!

Shelby and me, post 14-miles. So glad it's over.

I feel really good about my training this week. I feel like I incorporated the right combinations of strength training, speedwork, and lsd running.  This week was a win!

Will the weather motivate you in your training? Will you join me in Cleveland in May?  I hope so. Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @itibrout!

A Giveaway!

This week I get to give away one entry to any one race in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon series!  I am so excited, Peeps.

As many of you already know, I am an ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. The lovely people in charge gave me a free entry and one to give to you, and that is exactly what I want to do this week. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I want to spread the love, Peeps.

I only say this because I am still on a runner's high after 12 miles this morning.

In the spirit of the season, I'd like to make LOVE the theme of this post.  Whom do you love?

I love. . .

1. My husband. He is a dufus, but he is MY dufus. And he bought me a phone charging cord today because I mentioned that mine is toast.

My husband: the Kabyle Chef

2. My kids. They are awesome even though they make me want to stick a screwdriver through my brain pan most days.

My son

My daughter

3.  Shelby. She runs with me on Sundays. She handles the long runs. When I tell her to f--ck off, she doesn't even blink.  She listens to me complain about my family, and she alternates between indulging me and telling me to get a grip on myself. I love you, Man.

One of our many pictures together. I have to run on Sundays because Shelby will be there.

Peeps, I love you, too. I love your comments, and I love your private messages. I love when you say that you read my blog (I have a huge ego, you know), and I feel like you are my friends.

Ok, that is enough. I can't take any more sweetness; I need to clean my teeth as it is. Let's get down to business. This giveaway opens at midnight, 2/14, and it closes at midnight, 2/21. Here are the rules:

1. If you already registered, don't enter. I can't reimburse you.
2. Entry is good for ONE race, not the series.
3. I received an entry (and some other swag) in exchange for writing about the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Nobody buys my opinions, however. Any thoughts on the race series are my own and do not represent the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.
4. I will contact the winner by email.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Don't feel lucky today? You can register here for the race(s) of your choice.  Hurry, kids! Join me while you can! I don't want to be the only person complaining about training in the cold. Until then, run happy, Peeps!

Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter  @itibrout!

Dial It Back

Not gonna lie, Peeps. I'm exhausted.

This is one of those weeks where I haven't wanted to do anything, but I had to do everything. I didn't want to go to work (although this was one of the funnest weeks I had planned this year), I didn't want to come home from work, I didn't want to shuttle my kids around, I didn't want to shop for, plan, or prepare meals of any kind, and I CERTAINLY didn't want to run.

My motto for the week

Of course I DID do all of those things, including running, but it was a struggle every. damned. step. of. the. way. Normally, I love to run; I look forward to it, and even when I don't immediately love it, I'm always happy after the second mile.  Not this week.  It seemed like I spent every second trying to talk myself out of running. Of course I did the other workouts in my weekly routine: weights and strength training, yoga, Zumba--but I didn't even really want to do those either.

People often say to me, "I would love to run, but I don't have time." We all know this is bullshit. What you don't have is motivation to make time. My running time (and all workout time, really) has to happen around the needs of everyone in my house, so guess what? I run at 4:30 in the morning.  It wasn't easy for me to decide to run so early, and there were times I wanted to cheat and tell myself I'd get it done after work, but I pushed on. Now my morning workout time is a habit, so even if I want to skip it (and OH BOY did I want to skip it this week), my body goes on autopilot and gets out of bed before the alarm. Most days this sets me up for a fabulous, energetic workday (until about 3:00).

This is EXACTLY how I look when I set myself up for a fabulous, energetic workday.
Today, I am the gravedigger from  Hamlet.

Here I am excited to play Horatio. I kind of wanted  to be the king or queen so I could die.
Then I could just lay on the floor for a long time. It was not "to be." See what I did there? 😜

The point of this post is this: Sometimes you've got to fake it 'til you make it. . .and sometimes you just have to keep fakin' it.

Don't want to run on the dreadmill?  Me neither.  Let's dial it back together, like I did on Friday and Saturday. On Friday I couldn't bring myself to go down into the cold basement to run on the treadmill, even with the promise of the 9th season of Dr. Who on DVD, so I stayed in the living room and popped in a Leslie Sansone walking DVD. I ran while she walked and talked (boy, does she talk), and I carried 2 lb. weights while I ran around the living room. On Saturday, I allowed myself to walk the first and last mile of my treadmill run.  Both workouts were less than optimal, but at least I got it done.

Today, luckily, was a dial-back week in the long run, too.  Shelby, Joy, and I ran the Covered Bridge Loop, which is eight miles of really pretty scenery around Hale Farm and Village.  I took our traditional pics:

The church in the Valley at Hale Farm

Our Covered Bridge selfie

I thought the run would be a breeze, but it wasn't.  You know what? I still made that run my bitch.

Sometimes a run is hard, and sometimes ALL the runs are hard, but perserverance is a cool thing. I know that I will feel better (with some rest and maybe pizza and wine), so I'm going to look forward to the next run.  Join me.

Have you registered yet for an event in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon series? Are you checking out the Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors' pages?  Who has a giveaway this week?  How is the training going for you?  Feel free to gloat comment about your awesome runs.

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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