Race Recap: Shamrock 15k

Today I ran the Shamrock 15k, organized by the Summit Athletic Running Club.

When I last checked the Weather App, it said that the temperature would be forty degrees.  By one o'clock, when I estimated that I would have climbed the hill from hell, it would be forty-three degrees and sunny.  For an Ohio runner, this information means 1) no hat, 2) a long sleeve tech shirt, and 3) capris.  My favorite racing capris were in the wash, so I wore tights instead, but I made sure not to go with my gut and bring along a jacket.  "Stephani, " I told myself, "you ALWAYS wear too much clothing, and then you get really hot and irritated.  Don't do this today."  So this is how I dressed:

Shamrock, I'm coming for you!

Boy, was I wrong.  Apparently, "forty" means "really freaking cold and gray with lots of wind."  This was not what I was expecting.  I got on the phone and pleaded with my husband to bring me a jacket, but then Jone, one of my TORN friends and now my savior, came along and lent me her vest.  So, it all worked out.

I saw Heather, Laura, Erin, Suegene, and Brad.  I hadn't seen Heather and Laura in a long time, and it was so nice to catch up today.  I also saw Marilyn, Amanda, and Stacie, who are badasses because they ran four miles before the race.

Heather and I ran the Shamrock together (it was my first time) in 2013.

Erin and I seem to find each other at every race now.

There was a bagpiper:

I know some people don't like bagpipes, so I only gave you ten seconds.

Ok, here is the lowdown on the course:

The first 5k are completely downhill.  It would have been awesome except that I lost about thirty seconds in mile 1 because my pants kept coming down, and I had to stop THREE TIMES to retie the drawstring.  GRRRRR.

The next mile or so is flat, and then the rest of the race is uphill.  I'm not joking.  The first two hills are the stuff of which nightmares are made, and then there are little inclines until the end.  My goal is to never walk on a hill.  I allowed myself to walk through three water stops, but none of them were on a hill, and I never completely stopped.

The sun did come out when I reached the top of the hill, which was nice.

I did change up my strategy from the last time I ran this race.  My official goal was to do better than I did in the Hot Chocolate 15k (where I was hungover and I actually ran slowly enough to EAT HANDFULS OF CHOCOLATE on the course), but my secret goal was of course a PR.  The first thing I did differently was wear earbuds.  I know; earbuds are bad-the course isn't completely closed-yadda yadda yadda.  I can tell you that I was completely aware of any cars on the course well before they were anywhere around me.  I was alert.  Plus, I was much safer to be around because I had drowned out my Voices, which normally want me to do terrible things in the middle of a long run without music.

The other thing I did was let myself go in the hills of the first 5k.  I usually try to slow down and warm up in the beginning miles of a race; it's part of my hope that I will run a negative split, but you know what?  I never do.  I realized (from watching Shelby do this two years ago) that I should take advantage of the downhill start and let 'er rip.  I think it made a huge difference.

Judge for yourself:

Shamrock 15k 2013:  1:34:22  10:07/mile

Hot Chocolate 15k 2014: 1:31:32  9:49/mile

Shamrock 15k 2015:   1:29:15 9:35/mile

I think I'll take it!

This is a great race if you like hills (and I do).  There was soup and bread and fruit and popcorn (!) after the race, which was very welcome when I got the shivers.  The medal is sweet, and I can never have too many long-sleeved tech shirts.  Even though I really should be doing eleven or more miles on my long runs, I thought this challenging course more than made up for the fact that I ran fewer than ten miles today.  I am right on track to prepare for the Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon.  Are you?

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Year-End Goal Review

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately, Peeps.  The weather has been so nice that I've been able to run in the sunshine most days during my Christmas break from school.  One day I even ran in a t-shirt and capris!  During those runs, I've had lots of time to think about what I've been able to accomplish this year and where I fell short.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am reflecting on my goals.

Let me first say that I feel very, very lucky that I was able to run this year, considering my foot never really healed from the Horrible Nut Incident.  I still have an attitude of gratitude, so don't get mad at me if I gripe a little, too.

2014 Goals:

1.  Run 1,000 miles.  I did it!!!!!  Yay for me!

2.  Run a sub-2 hour half marathon.  Nope.  2:00:52, darn it.  Read about that experience here.

3.  Blog for races.  Nailed it!  I'm so happy about this goal.  This year I was part of Team Panera for the Akron Marathon, I was a guest blogger for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, and I was a Hot Chocolate Ambassador.  These were fabulous experiences--thank you to my sponsors!

Team Panera, Baby!

4.  Destination race.  Hot Chocolate 15k--Columbus.  Sooo much fun!  Click here to read about it.

Awesome Hot Chocolate swag!

Other than those four goals, I have one more little year-end wrap up to do: pay myself.  I will write about this next week.

Here are my goals for next year:

1.  Run at least 1,100 miles.

2.  Sub-2 hour half marathon:  Akron, I'm looking at you!

3.  Race blogging:  I'm hoping to be back for Akron and the C-bus Hot Chocolate.  I'd like to thank Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon for choosing me as a race ambassador for 2015!  My efforts to arrange an official blogging position with the Medina Half Marathon and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon were not successful last year, but I'm not giving up!  Hey, guys, guys, LOOK AT ME!!!

4.  Extend my longest run to at least 15 miles.  I know this sounds kind of dumb considering I can race 13.1 miles, but we all know that the mental blocks are the hardest to overcome.  I am thinking about signing up for a 30k trail race, but I would have to do the hard training in winter, and honestly, I'm not up for wading streams in the winter, especially if the Polar Vortex kicks in again this year.  So, I'm going to try to increase my mileage on the long run, and I'm going to SLOW DOWN to get there. I'm not ready to put in the time and hard work to run a full marathon until I can run the half in the time I want, so this will be a nice side goal for me.

Peeps, it has been a fabulous year.  Thank you so much for accompanying me on this journey; you make the hard runs easier and the gloomy days brighter.  I am a lucky runner.

I love you, Man.

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Best Hot Chocolate Ever!

Saturday I made my kids clean the house, and then I packed them off to the sitter so I could go to the packet pick-up and expo for the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k in Columbus.  I met Deidre, one of my running besties, at the Expo, and we crammed chocolate tabs in our mouths right away.  Then we scoped out any other food items there and crammed those in our mouths, too.  There were marshmallows dipped in chocolate fondue, mini Larabars, and sweet potato tortilla chips.

Then we took some silly pictures:

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am dreaming about Hot Chocolate!

We dressed up for the occasion.

I also spotted some Turtles there.  Fear them!

The expo was well-run.  I didn't have to stand in line for anything.   There were more vendors there than when I ran in 2012; I think the race is at least twice as big now.  Also, there were inflatable slides and things for the kids, but since I run to get AWAY from my kids, I didn't care about the inflatables.

After the expo, Deidre and I laid out our gear.  I agonized over my running outfit because I wasn't sure about the temperature, and I had packed several possibilities.  I went with this:

Flat Stephani appears to like blue this year!

Per our tradition, Deidre and I had dinner at Marcella's, a great Italian restaurant in the Short North, where I continued my personal pre-race tradition of stuffing my face with pasta carbonara.  YUM!!  It is also possible that someone consumed some wine.  Maybe.  We had a wonderful dinner, and we enjoyed catching up with each other, so much so that we didn't get back to the hotel until around midnight after walking several miles around the city.  In high heeled boots.  DOH!

The morning of the race was a little rough because of my lack of sleep and the cold.  I went down to eat a bagel for breakfast, but the breakfast bar wasn't open yet--GRRRRR.  Luckily, I am ALWAYS prepared when it comes to food.  I had brought a Cliff Bar, so I ate that and downed some coffee on the way to the corral for a 7:30 start time.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm freezing my dupa off in the corral at 7 AM.

As soon as the race started, I felt GREAT!!!!  The cold air woke me up, and running warmed me up quickly.  There was music in some parts of the course and plenty of water and sports drink.  At the beginning of Mile 2, I received some dark chocolate chips (a whole handful!), which I munched on for a bit.  In other stations, volunteers gave out Tootsie Rolls and marshmallows.  I took a Tootsie Roll for later, but I was afraid to try eating a marshmallow as I am clumsy, so I can just visualize choking to death on the marshmallow.

This year, after the trauma of running REALLY HARD for both the Perfect 10-Miler and the Akron Half Marathon, I decided to just enjoy myself in this race, and I really did.  I loved looking at the course.  The first few miles were a run up High Street and through the Short North.  Then we moved to the University and along the Olentangy River for the middle miles.  My favorite miles were the last two, the residential neighborhoods.  I LOVED looking at the old houses, especially the Painted Ladies.  I'm so glad I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy this race because it could have easily gone another way if I had given in to my inner slave-driver.

I finished strong because the last .3 miles were downhill, and I was smelling the chocolate.  I was surprised and happy to see Deidre waiting for me, and we got our fondue together. I ate a little bit of it, but my hands started freezing up, and I couldn't hold the food, so I knew we had to get back to the hotel as soon as possible, which we did.  Unfortunately, that meant I had to skip the after party, which I remember from 2012 as being really fun with a great band.

All in all, this race was worth the 2 hour drive and the run in the cold.  I really enjoyed the course and the chocolate, and what I liked best was being with my friends (even though I couldn't find most of the Turtles--sorry, Peeps!).  Oh, and the swag was FABULOUS!

I LOVE my warm jacket, swag bag, and hat!

And check out my medal--SWEET! (See what I did there?)

I plan to make this a tradition, so I will be back next year--hopefully as an ambassador again so I can get hats for everyone and a free entry to a lucky winner.  Thanks for running with me and following the blog, Peeps!

Keep following me--I'll soon be blogging for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon!

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I'm Ok/ You're OK.

Today I ran ten miles on the Towpath in Merriman Valley.  It was just me, the leaves that are stubbornly sticking to the trees, the geese migrating overhead, and lots of good music.


This is my favorite song by Adam and the Ants.  Look at him:  he's so beautiful, and he's the Dandy Highwayman!


I ran most of my short runs of five or fewer miles by myself when I was visiting my father in Florida, and that was fine.  Lately I have grown accustomed to running the lsd without music and with at least one other person, if not with a group.  When I didn't get my act together to post a run in The Ohio Runners Network group page, I was a little bit grumpy about going out by myself for ten miles.  Don't get me wrong; I'm sure I could have posted and someone would have joined me, but I was worried that nobody would respond, and I don't handle rejection well.

It was after my typical, soul-sucking, hateful first two miles that I started to relax and enjoy my music and being inside my head.  I remembered what it is like to enjoy ME.

This is EXACTLY what it looks like when I start to feel good after two miles on a long run.

It was a perfect Fall morning, and I'm so glad I got out there to enjoy it.  It made up for the crappy food choices I made this weekend.  (Just a hint:  You should NEVER eat a chocolate-peanut butter bar AND a chocolate chip cookie within five minutes of each other.  Never.  Especially when you have no intention of cutting back for the rest of the day.)

Speaking of chocolate. . .

Have you registered for the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k?  If not, remember to use my code, TroubleRunHat, to score a free hat.  I'm so excited for this race, especially since I just found out that my friend Deidre is driving up from West Virginia to run with me!  We are going to have a nice dinner together (and some wine, no doubt), and then we will stuff our faces with chocolate.  Will you be there?

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I Beat the Blerch in Brecksville!

I didn't get to write about this when I did it because of the Hot Chocolate Giveaway (Congratulations, Erin!), but here is the lowdown on the Blerch:

You know that tempting voice in your head that tells you it's time to give up in mile 6 of your ten-miler?  The voice that tells you that Halloween candy doesn't count because it's so tiny?  The same voice that lulls you back to sleep when your alarm goes off at 5:30 to prep for your Sunday long run? That voice belongs to the Blerch:

He looks like he likes candy, right?

The Blerch is a creation of Matthew Inman, known as The Oatmeal, who is a cartoonist, grammar enthusiast, Nicola Tesla groupie, and runner.  The Oatmeal introduced the Blerch in his book, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances.  It is a beautiful comic that really captures distance-runners' feelings about the sport and explains why we do what we do.  As soon as I read this book, I had to buy a t-shirt and bumper sticker:

This is the front and back of my t-shirt.

This is my bumper sticker.  Everyone at my job thinks I'm weird, but now that I think about it, that may have little to do with the bumper sticker.  Hmmmm.

We all have a Blerch who lives inside us, and running (or any healthy physical activity) helps us to shut up the Blerch when he wants us to eat cake and sit in front of the computer clicking on mindless games.  Not that I do that. Ahem.

So, when I saw that there was a Beat the Blerch 10k/Half/Full Marathon, I was pumped.  Unfortunately, it sold out in ten minutes, so my dreams of traveling to meet a live Blerch (they chased runners on the course) were completely shot.  Luckily, The Oatmeal sold entries to a virtual race, so I was able to beat the Blerch on my own terms and still get a medal and some cool swag.  My friend/running Peep Jen also entered the race, so we decided to do a 10k together.  First, here is the swag:

Awesome, right?  All this for twenty bucks, plus, there is a mini-Blerch stress ball that I forgot to put in the picture.

Now I have even MORE bumper stickers on my car!  My kids aren't embarrassed AT ALL when I pick them up and their friends see my car.

Jen and I ran in Brecksville Reservation, and it was gorgeous.  The temperature was in the sixties, the leaves were colorful, and we were able to catch up after not seeing each other in a long time.  (Ah, the paths of trail runners and road runners don't often cross.  We must take advantage of the moment when they do.)  Anyway, here is my medal shot:

This is EXACTLY how I look when I beat the Blerch!

Jen and I had a fun time, and she celebrated by giving me some purple deliciousness for my kids (read the book, and you'll understand). Neither one of us drank it because--eww-but my seven-year-old will love it; he'll drink any kind of pop.

If you are into virtual races, this was a good one.  Jen and I are hoping to register for the real race next year where we will Beat the Blerch on his own territory.

Remember, Peeps, it isn't too late to register for the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k in Columbus.  Use my code, TroubleRunHat, to get a free hat with your swag.  I hope to see you there!

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Winner, Winner, Chocolate Dinner!

This is going to be a short post.  This week I am visiting my father, who is in the hospital, and I am very far from home.

The plusses:  The weather is beautiful!  Sunny skies, hot temps.  I was able to run every day so far.

The minuses:  I don't have time for a long run.  I pretty much don't have time for anything!  When I'm not with my father, I'm traveling to get to him.  When I'm not doing those things, I'm grading or monitoring my students online.

The running is keeping me sane, Peeps.

Now here is the news we've all been waiting to hear:

The winner of the Hot Chocolate Giveaway, generated randomly by Rafflecopter, is Erin M.!  Contact me for your entry code, Erin.  Congratulations!

Still want to register for the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k?  Click here and use my code, TroubleRunHat, to get a free hat!

Thanks for participating in my first (and hopefully not my last) giveaway.  Thanks for being my friends, and thanks for reading my blog posts.

Run strong, my friends.

Stephani

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I'm Giving away a Race Entry!

Helloooooo, Peeps!  It is a beautiful Sunday in Ohio, and I had a wonderful run with my Peeps from The Ohio Runners Network.  Those of you who know me also know that I have what I call "Bud Light Syndrome," which means I just want all of you to know this:

I love you, Man.

Are you creeped out yet?  Read this post to figure out what the heck I'm talking about.

I feel so good that I want to give back to you, my Peeps.

Hot Chocolate 5k/15k has given me a free race entry for the Columbus race on November 16, and I want YOU to have it.  Yes, you can stuff yourself silly with this:

And you can run away from a 15k with this:

And you can wear this while sledding this winter:

All for free, just for being my friend!

Keep in mind that the race entry is good for Columbus, November 16, ONLY, and it isn't redeemable for cash.  Join me, Peeps!  The random drawing (conducted by Rafflecopter) will be next Sunday, and I will announce the winner in next week's post.  

May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not a risk taker?  Register here for any Hot Chocolate race.  Use my code, TroubleRunHat, to get a free hat!


Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter @itibrout!  (It will also get you an additional entry into the drawing.)

Party in Columbus for the Columbus Hot Chocolate 5k/15k

It is getting close to the Columbus Hot Chocolate 5k/15k--November 16.  I'm  excited as I keep hearing that more and more of my running peeps will be there.  We will party in C-Town!

Here is the 15k medal for this year:

Isn't it adorable?  You can tell it has the special Ohio touch because there is a buckeye on it.  They even got the candy right!  (On a side note, did you realize that there are people outside Ohio who don't know what buckeye candies are?  Me neither.  How can you live life if you've never eaten a buckeye?)

When I ran the Hot Chocolate 15k in 2012, I loved the course.  It took me through the Short North, part of the campus of The Ohio State University, and some residential areas.  I enjoy looking at the scenery when I run;  the houses were really funky and cool, and the campus was gorgeous.  Here is the course map for this year:

It is impossible for me to understand maps unless they are AAA Triptiks (remember those?), so I don't know where we are going, really.  The important part for me is the CHOCOLATE STATION!!!  Can you believe that there will be chocolate at mile 5?

I would include an elevation map for you, but I understand those even less than conventional maps.

By the way, I am not even good at following maps or directions on my phone!  Yesterday I tried to find a store that I thought was in Cuyahoga Falls, and somehow I ended up in Canal Fulton.  True but pathetic story.  Oh, and when my friend Joy and I tried to find my car after the Akron Half Marathon, we had to walk at least two miles out of our way because I got lost IN MY OWN HOMETOWN.  sigh.

The post-race party that year was so fun.  There was a great band and lots of chocolate, of course.  Here is what you get from the food tent when you finish:

This is a finisher's mug with hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, and dippables.  There are usually bananas, pretzels, crackers, and marshmallows.  It is soooo good!

Are you salivating?  Does a party in Columbus sound good to you?  Join me, Peeps; let's run the Hot Chocolate together!  Click here to register for the Columbus race.  Use my code to get a free hat:  TroubleRunHat.

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Will Run for Chocolate

Today I ran 10 miles on the Towpath from Lock 29.  It was so beautiful to see the colorful leaves, and this morning it was still warm enough to run with capris and a long-sleeve shirt.

This is EXACTLY how the Towpath looks in October

This is our starting point:  Lock 29 in Peninsula, Ohio.

I ran with Michael and Shelby, and while the run wasn't exactly relaxing (a bit faster for the lsd than I usually do), it was so nice to be with them both in the sunshine running next to a river.  Poor Michael had to listen to Shelby and me rehash the Akron Half Marathon.  He is a true gentleman; had I been in his shoes (very speedy shoes, by the way), I would have hit us both over the head.

Because I was able to whine and moan with Shelby about our disappointing times in Akron, I am not going to burden you with a more in-depth recap, which was originally my intention.  I will save you from the torture I have subjected myself to as I covered EVERY FREAKING INCH of the terrain to figure out where I lost those 32 seconds.  Enough.  Let's move on, shall we?

Let's talk about chocolate, the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k, to be specific.  I ran this in Columbus, Ohio, in 2012, and I loved every second of it!  Today I'd like to write about the Expo, and next week I'd like to write about the race and post-race events.  The expo was in downtown Columbus on a Saturday.  I arrived with my peeps: Teresa, Deidre, Julie, and Tina.  We had reserved two rooms through the race webpage, so we checked into our hotel, and then we went on to the expo. It was very big and user-friendly.  Even better, it was full of CHOCOLATE!  Chocolate fountains, chocolate tabs, hot chocolate. . . mm m m m m.

I picked up my bib and my swag.  Hot Chocolate always has a cool item of clothing as the goody bag.  In 2012 I got a windbreaker.  This year the goody bag is super cool:

Cute, huh? The hoodie is fleece-lined.  Perfect for the Polar Vortex.

The volunteers were so fun at the expo.  They were rocking out while passing out chocolate and bibs. They also encouraged us to try on our jackets to make sure they fit, which I really appreciate since I stink at guessing my size.

The Expo this year promises to be just as great (and full of chocolate).  There will be lots of vendors and the chance to buy more race gear, and there will be a DJ (our own dance party!) and a Kid Zone with inflatables.

As much as we enjoyed the Expo, my running peeps and I were anxious to move on to carb-loading in the Short North, so we did our photo-op and then left for pasta and wine.  And more chocolate.

This is EXACTLY how I look at the Hot Chocolate Expo after gorging myself on chocolate.

You, too can have this experience, Peeps.  Register now for either the 5k or the 15k!  Use my code:  TroubleRunHat, and you'll get a free hat with your goody bag!

Let's do this together!

Next week:  My memories of the 15k race and the post-race experience

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

Goodie Bag

The wait is over—check out the award-winning Hot Chocolate 2014-2015 goodie bag. It’ll become your go-to outer layer whenever you need to stay cozy and stylish. Pair it with the included reusable drawstring bag.
• Luxurious full-zip hoodie
• Fleece-lined material
• Men’s: cool green accent lining, piping, + drawstring
• Women’s: hot pink accent lining, piping, + drawstring
• Roomy front pockets

Goodie Bag

The wait is over—check out the award-winning Hot Chocolate 2014-2015 goodie bag. It’ll become your go-to outer layer whenever you need to stay cozy and stylish. Pair it with the included reusable drawstring bag.
• Luxurious full-zip hoodie
• Fleece-lined material
• Men’s: cool green accent lining, piping, + drawstring
• Women’s: hot pink accent lining, piping, + drawstring
• Roomy front pockets

Race Recap: Akron Half Marathon

     "You will never run a sub-2 half marathon if you start in Corral C," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.  I followed her and Shelby to Corral B, slipped in, started my music, and tried to get in the zone.  "There are your pacers," Elizabeth continued.  "Keep them in sight at all times.  You are going to have to fight the crowd to stick with them.  This isn't going to be fun; it's going to hurt.  You have to be focused at all times.  Don't think about anything but staying on pace.  I'll stay with you as long as I can, but this is just a training run for me, so I'm not going to go all out for 13.1 miles.  Good luck!"

I waited, deliberately breathing slowly, wondering, "Why the hell did I decide to do this?"

"This" was the Akron Half Marathon.  It was my second time running Akron, and it was my fifth half marathon.  Even though I ran two half marathons in May, I realized that every race, every training program, every bite of food I did or did not put in my mouth for the past nine months had led to this very moment.

In December 2013, Shelby and I decided that we wanted to run a half marathon in less than two hours.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am trying to forget about a time goal (by drinking lots of wine) at the Turtles' Team Dinner.  Shelby, on the other hand, looks MAH-velous.

You've read my goal posts (See what I did there?), so you know the ugly getting-there details.  This was the moment where it all came together.

The night before, I went to the Expo to pick up my bib, my shirt, and my racing singlet (Team Panera!):

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am panicked about running 13.1  in the early morning.

I laid out my racing gear:

See the VIP badge on the left?  Team Panera, baby!

And I did my best to get some sleep.  The next morning after I ate my pre-race Panera blueberry bagel, Joy and I got lost in my own hometown while I tried to navigate the closed streets to get to my VIP parking spot.  Alas, I gave it up and parked in one of the many available spots in a parking deck near the starting line.  Then came the the hurry-up-and-wait time with my peeps until the start.  I took some pictures in the pitch-dark:

Erin and I are posing under a tree that cast some weird pox-like shadows on our faces.  Remember Erin?  She ran Leg 3 (7.5 miles) on our Turtle Relay Team.

The Ohio Runners Network, Akron Half Marathon 2014

Then, after nervously high stepping in the corral, the race started.  I don't know if I am ready to write about everything I felt. . .It's too soon, and I think I need to digest some more.  This is what I can write about for now:

It was really, really difficult.  I carried my water bottle and never walked through a water stop, and that saved me a lot of time.  I ate two GU's on the run, one at 45 minutes, and the second at 1:30 minutes, and that saved me some time, too.

A consistent piece of advice I got from everyone who coached me was to stop calculating paces in my head. Instead of saying, "Wow, I'm running at a 9 minute mile right now, but I won't be able to sustain that for six miles/ten miles/whatever," I deliberately told myself, "You can run this pace for one mile.  That is all you need to do, just finish this mile."  I did that thirteen times.  Here are my results:

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Akron Marathon - HALF MARATHON

RUNNER

14026

STEPHANI ITIBROUT

FAIRLAWN, OH

Female / 44

Placed 88th in Women 40-44

Division
88

Gender
570

Overall
1531

Finish Time
Finish Net	2:00:52
Finish Gun	2:03:34

Location	Net Time	Clock Time	Pace	Pace Between
Start	00:00	2:43
3.9	35:36	38:18	9:07 /mi
				8:52 /mi
8.7	1:18:12	1:20:54	8:59 /mi
				9:43 /mi
12.75	1:57:35	2:00:17	9:13 /mi
				9:08 /mi
Finish	2:00:52	2:03:34	9:13 /mi

I knew by mile 11 that I would be really close to my goal, but at that point I was hurting pretty badly, and I felt like I was doing the best I could.  As you can see, I was very close--53 seconds away from reaching my goal of a sub-2 hour half marathon.

This is a major PR, and I am happy with it, but I am also very disappointed.  Somehow, I think it would have been easier to take if I hadn't been so close.  What was it?  Was it the blanket covering the field on the home stretch that didn't allow me to sprint because I thought I was going to trip?  Was it the hill coming back around mile 12? Was it my weight? I don't know.  I have to do some more thinking.  I'm hoping to break this down further in the post for next week; maybe it won't be so painful then.

I would like to thank the Akron Marathon and Panera for the opportunity to blog for them.  I would love to continue this relationship next year (I adore those bagels!).  I also would like to thank my coach at OneLife Fitness (and the Towpath Turtles), Sheila, for pushing me and giving me sound advice for my training.  I'd like to thank everyone in The Ohio Runners Network for being such a great running club.  Lastly, I'd like to thank Shelby, who has stuck by me this whole time, temper tantrums and all.  Thank you for saying you believe in me, Shelby.  We are still in this together for next year!

Hey, Peeps--what's next on your race agenda?  I'm going to run the Columbus Hot Chocolate 15k/5k  on November 16.  Join me by registering and using my code, TroubleRunHat, to get a free hat with your swag.  It's the sweetest race around!  I'll give you more details after I work out this Akron-thing in my head.

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Race Recap: Medina's Race with Grace

This week I got to indulge in Panera bagels TWICE:  On Saturday I ate a French toast bagel (new to me--yummy) because I did a long run, and on Sunday I ate a blueberry bagel because I ran in the Race with Grace 5k.

Saturday was the Towpath Turtles' practice relay race for the Akron Marathon.  This is where we support our Turtles Relay Team by running their legs of the race with them.  I chose Leg #3, which is 7.5 miles.  Our rock star relay runner was Erin, and this was her longest run to date.  She was fabulous!  We had a fun run in the sun, and Erin smiled the whole time.  She is going to have a great race on Saturday, September 27.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I yell, "RELAY!" instead of "Cheese!"  Erin is on the bottom right, next to me.

Bagel #2 (blueberry) was preparation for the Race with Grace, a 5k that provides financial support to those with breast cancer.  My friend Sharon, a Spanish teacher at our high school, organized a huge team of runners (over 50!) to race in the name of Brenda, a mother of one of our English teachers and a breast cancer survivor.  Sharon did a fabulous job of organizing Team Brenda, from nagging us for our entry fees to getting us team shirts and herding us (like cats) to a team photo.  I got a few photos of our team before the official group pic:

Some of Team Brenda before the official snapshot

Brenda, our namesake, with her husband and her daughter, Sherri

I tried to stir up some smack talk (and a possible betting opportunity) by attempting to pit two teachers against each other for the win.  Jordan (the chemistry teacher, and just a damn kid, by the way) predicted he would win the race in 16:30.  Ed (the math teacher) said he didn't feel like training to win (as he had just run in the 2014 Gay Games), so I felt rather deflated.  I've got a year to get this rivalry going.

Ed and Stephani: Who is the fast runner here?  Hint #1: Second place finish in the Gay Games Half Marathon.  Hint #2:  It's not Stephani.

Hanging out with my Medina running peeps for a good cause was really a great way to spend a Sunday morning, but as for the racing part. . .I'm not gonna lie; I wasn't feeling it, Peeps.  It was hot and humid, and I am kind of sick.  That's right; a week before the half marathon, and I don't feel well.    Nevertheless, I did the best I could.  I had to pull out my mantras extra early:  I can do this.  I can do anything for 25 minutes. . . 20 minutes. . .10 minutes. . .5 minutes.  You get the point.

Official Time:  26:49 (the start wasn't chip timed, so I lost more than 20 seconds by my Garmin), 8:39/mile
9th in my AG and on Team Brenda (!),  183/694 overall

I'll take it.  I'll also take a nap as soon as I get some laundry done.  (I'm just kidding about the laundry.)

Jordan was right: he won the 5k in 16:31--amazing!  Ed was right, too; he took second place (but only because he wasn't feeling it either).  Lauren (intervention specialist) took first place in her AG, and Allison (math teacher) took second place for women.   Team Brenda won for fastest race results!

This was a great day for a race, and I will definitely do this again next year.  Now for a real taper, and then I will see you at the Akron Half Marathon on Saturday, September 27!

Don't forget, Peeps, that I will be blogging for the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k in Columbus, which is on Sunday, November 15.  If you want to register early, use my code, TroubleRunHat, to get a free hat with your swag.  Join me--it's the sweetest race around!

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

Race Recap: Natatorium 5k

I normally don't like 5Ks.  In fact, I usually HATE 5Ks, but today was different.  Today my family came with me to a fun run, and then they stayed to watch me finish the race.  This is the first time in three years of racing that they have done that.

I was surprised last month when I casually mentioned doing a Family Fun Run (1 mile) on a Sunday morning for the Natatorium 5k, and my husband said, "Yep.  Let's do it."  The kids objected, of course, but they really didn't have a choice.  They were just as excited as I was this morning when I pinned on their bibs, although I admit that I bribed the 12 year old with a Dr. Who commemorative medal.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm happy that my family is running with me.  The kids are faking it well.

The kids did a great job!  I ran with the seven year old, and we got 'er done in about twelve minutes.  When we crossed the finish line, I could hear Turtle calls from The Ohio Runners Network, and it made my day.  My son was so excited that people were cheering for him, and I'm not gonna lie, I had tears in my eyes because he was smiling so much.  Thanks, Turtles!

Even if you are a long-distance runner, it is always good to test your speed with a 5k now and then.  I haven't run the Nat since 2012, so I wanted to see if the changes to my lifestyle (Dropped fifteen pounds and counting! No more broken foot!  Speed work at the track!) brought any improvement to my pace.  Since I am tapering for the Akron Half Marathon (September 27), I thought a PR would improve my rotten mood.  Plus, the swag for this race was awesome!

The race was only 25 bucks, and I got a track jacket!  Plus, the  Family Fun Run was only 20 bucks (for all four of us), and we got two tee shirts and two long sleeve shirts!  Wow!

PreRace Fuel:  Panera blueberry bagel with cream cheese, coffee with Thin Mint creamer.  Don't mess with tradition.

No fuel during race.  Come on, it was three miles.

Post Race Fuel:  There were lots of snacks:  tiny Larabars (so cute!), bananas, apples, chips, pretzels.  The kids ate some pretzels, and I took home a bag of Fritos (don't judge) and some mini Larabars.  I didn't eat any of it. . .yet.

The best part about this whole race is that as I rounded the corner in the last part of mile three, before I started my kick to the finish, I heard and saw my family cheering for me on the corner!  That gave me the motivation to finish strong (even though I was cursing myself for running a 5k, as I always do).  Plus, my husband took some pictures of me as I ran by, and that was great because I almost never get pictures of me during a race.

Here I come!  Ready to finish!

There I go!

To sum up:  I finished in 26:12 (my time, not official time), which is an 8:22 pace.  Much better than I had thought I would do!

Honestly, even though I am in cranky taper-mode, this was the best day ever!

Congratulations to Shelby and Brad from The Ohio Runners Network for taking Age Group awards.  Brad, aren't you glad I told you to dump your long run and do the Nat?

Preview:  Well, Peeps, I can't hold it back any longer.  I will soon be blogging for the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k.  I will be glad to share more with you later about this fabulous race, but I wanted to give you a preview gift.  If you use my code when registering, TroubleRunHat, you will get a free hat with your swag.  This goes for any Hot Chocolate race in the country, although I plan to run the Columbus race.

Tune in next week when I write about the Race for Grace 5k and the Towpath Turtle Relay Test Run.

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