Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Let's start with my very first post, Peeps:

"Let go your heart; let go your head, and feel it now."  These are the words I sang along with David Gray on my playlist this morning.  I touched my heart, and I touched my head, and I pictured the pain, grief, and fear I have been feeling float away into air I left in my wake as I ran to the finish in my ten-mile run in the sun this morning.

Had you told me a year ago that I would be running ten miles in twenty degree weather in order to experience catharsis, had you told me that I would have willingly awakened early on a Sunday morning in order to do this, had you told me that the tears I shed were of joy, not sorrow. . . Well, I would have sarcastically laughed, poured another drink, and asked you if a bear would be chasing me when I did this.  I wouldn't have believed you because I didn't believe in myself.  Running can help.  Running changed my life for the better.  Run with me; run away from your troubles, and you may find one day that you are not running away from a problem, but running to a solution. 

 I did.

Touching, no? This was from 2012, and I've been running away from trouble ever since. My runs have taken me through 6 marathons, a trail ultra-relay, 3 Burning River relays, and countless half marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and I don't even know what other distances. Running away from Trouble has led me to making lots of new friends.

Trail Sisters 2018
Photo Credit: Steve Pierce

Mother Runners 2016
Photo Credit: Marta Pacur

Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors 2018
Photo Credit: Mary Sutter (?)

It has led me to feats of strength that I never would have imagined.

I never thought I would run a marathon, let alone 6!

Wondering why the heck I decided to run the night leg at Burning River

And it has led me to being a Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador.

I'm up front because I am more important than the others. I am.

Peeps, I am one of the lucky runners who get the "runner's high," and I want you to benefit from this while I am still in a good mood.

Here is how you can profit from my good mood. Do you want to run any of the races in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon series? (Choose from the 1 Mile Fun Run, 5K, 8K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon.) Here is how you may get lucky:

1. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @itibrout. Each day I will post an opportunity to put your name in the hat for a drawing.

2. Respond in the comments to this question: What do you run away from, or what do you run toward? (The English teacher in me is cringing right now at finishing two independent clauses with prepositions.)

On April 4, I will randomly pick a winner from all comments on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and this blog.

Don't want to wait? You can register right now using my code, SI2019, for 10% off registration for any race.

What are you waiting for? If you are like me, trouble could be stalking you as you read this post! Run! Run! Run!

No matter what you run toward or away from, I hope you Run Happy, Peeps!

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

Winner of Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Giveaway!

Here it is, Peeps! My kids will reveal the winner of one free race registration to any single event with the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon:

Congratulations, Renee! Contact me with your email address, and I will send you a code to register.

This has been a fun week, Peeps! I've enjoyed the interaction with you on various social media channels.

Didn't win yet? There are still many chances. You can follow my fellow Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassadors and enter their giveaways.

Don't want to take your chances? Register now with my code, SICLE10, for a 10% discount on anything, including the challenge!

I am exhausted, Peeps. I did 13 miles this morning, and I still need to finish laundry. I'm looking forward to wings, pizza, and the Super Bowl commercials. I hope you enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday. Meanwhile, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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

It's My Giveaway!

That is right, Peeps! This week I get to give away one entry to any race for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon! Let me spell this out for you so I don't have to answer a bazillion questions:

1. This entry is good for the 5k, 8k, 10k, Half Marathon, or  Marathon. One race only--no challenge series.

2.  If you already registered, thank you!  I can't reimburse you.

3. Look for opportunities during the week to enter this giveaway.

I am Ambassador of the Week with Pam (@hoprunner).  Pam and I met when we first became Ambassadors several years ago. I remember meeting her at an Ambassador party, and she was super-friendly and chatty, as was her husband, Steve.

Ambassadors at VIP Dinner in 2015. Pam is right behind me in the blue dress.

I remember realizing that Pam raced for Snakebite Racing, and that she is in fact a sub-elite. To a middle-of-the-pack runner, this can be intimidating. The thing is, Pam isn't intimidating at all. She is super-open and friendly. In fact, this year she mentioned running with me while she was training for the Canal Corridor 100 Mile Race, and I was gobsmacked. Pam inhales 7 minute miles for breakfast--how could I run with her?

This is EXACTLY how Pam looks when she inhales 7 minute miles for breakfast.

The answer is that Pam knows a lot about training. She knows that for a 100 mile race she is not going to be running 7 minute miles, so she was super-flexible about running my 10+ minute miles on the long run. The first time we ran together, I screwed it up by doing tons of goblet squats the day before, so I was very sore, and I was basically a crybaby in the last part of our 15 miles. Pam never once showed any exasperation with me, and in fact, she offered to run with me again. And she did. It doesn't get any nicer than that, Peeps.

While we run, Pam talks to me about proper training and nutrition, and I soak it up. She once told me that if she could get me into a pool to cross train and then do speed work with her, I could break the 25 minute 5k time I'm thinking about. My response? I don't think I want it enough to get into a pool.  Sorry, Lady.

Another way that Pam and I bond is through beer.  Pam knows her beer, and I don't; I am a wine snob. Pam got me to try a beer flight at R.Shea's Brewery (right near where we live), and I loved it. I still don't know what the heck I'm doing in a brewery, but I really enjoyed trying different beers and figuring out what I liked.

Pam and I celebrate her husband's birthday.

Anyway, this is the point, Peeps: You never know what people are like until you get to know them. Pam (and her husband) intimidated me until I let down my guard and got to know them.  I'm so glad I did because I now have new friends at a time in my life where I thought I didn't want or need new friends. Are they better athletes than I am? You bet your dupa they are.  Does it matter? I don't think so. I am proud of my friends, and I don't need to compare my results with theirs.

Pam and I are suffering after the Home Run for the Homeless 5 miler.

Think about your friendships, Peeps. When did you take a chance and meet someone who was completely different from you? How did that work?

For one entry in my giveaway, tag one running buddy for whom you are thankful during your long runs. If you run alone, let me know in the comments.

Look for other opportunities to enter this week through Instagram and Twitter.  Want to enter the race, but you don't want to enter the giveaway? Use my ambassador code, SICLE10, to get 10% off any registration (5k, 8k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon, AND Challenge Series!). I hope you run happy this week, 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!

And the Winner Is. . .

Thanks so much for your comments on the blog and on Twitter this week, Peeps!  I'm so grateful to you for reading my posts each week and following me on my journey, and I'm so grateful to the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon for allowing me to be a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador.  Check further in the post for the winner of this week's giveaway.

After a lot of thought about what happened to me at the race last week, I decided that I was just going to monitor my situation. . . literally.  I poured through pages of data from my heart monitor to find the last time I had a similar episode, and I realized that it was in the middle of a trail run and I was lacking fuel. I think that this time I went out way too fast, and that is what triggered my reaction.  I am going to wear the heart rate monitor for my next race, which is probably going to be the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 8k.  If all goes well, I'm good to go for the half marathon the next day.

Looking forward to that 13.1!

Today I went running with Mandy.  We did the Covered Bridge Loop in the Valley.  It was soooo cold, but I really enjoyed the run.  Mandy is coming back from shin splints, so we took it nice and easy.  The route has a few hills in the middle miles, and then it is nice and flat.  In the middle of it, we encountered the Mother Runners, who were doing 40k or something crazy like that.

I call this shot "Oh, Mandy." 

Mandy finished after eight miles, and I kept going for two more.  Ten miles really makes it a good day for me.

Tonight my family is taking me out for dinner for my birthday (which is on Tuesday), and they are being extra nice to me.  I figure I can milk this for about a week since we can't actually celebrate on my birthday.  What did my husband get me?  Stay tuned to find out.

Well, here it is, the great reveal.  The winner of one race entry for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is


Nina D!

Congratulations, Nina!  I will contact you through email, and when you respond I will send you the entry code.

Didn't get lucky this week?  No worry, there is still one more week left in Cleveland Marathon Ambassador Giveaway.  Check here for the list of Ambassadors.  Of course, you still have plenty of time to register for your favorite race, OR you can click here to share in the fun by volunteering.

Join me, Peeps!  I'm looking to have tons of fun!  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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

Ambassador of the Week!

Next week is my birthday! How old, you ask?  I'm 98.  Thanks for asking.

This is EXACTLY how I look on my birthday.

Just kidding. This is ACTUALLY how I look.  Just not on my birthday.

To celebrate, I want to give YOU something, Peeps.  The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon has made it possible for me to give away an entry for any one race in the series. This means you can choose from the 5k, 8k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon. Pay attention to this next part, Peeps: If you already bought a race entry, I can't reimburse you, and I can't give you an entry into the whole series, just one race. Details for entry are at the bottom of this post.

I originally was going to post some bio info about me, since there may be some new readers this week, but something happened to me, and I want to know if it ever happened to you, too.

Saturday I ran my first race of the year, the Hop for Hope 10k in Peninsula.  I LOVE 10Ks.  The year I ran the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon was freakin' SWEET(Click here to read about it).  I hadn't signed up for any races before Cleveland, yet I've been in real training for the half in May.   This is a first for me as I usually just run a lot, as fast as I can.  Hey, I do yoga and strength training, too.  Ok, I know I'm not smart.  Anyway, I've been putting in more miles and doing concentrated speed work by the book, and I wanted to know if it would pay off.

The weather was perfect for my running today--40-ish but feeling like 30-ish.  I run faster in colder weather.  The race was in my 'hood, so I could get more rest before leaving the house.  I watched my diet and my hydration. . . yadda yadda yadda.  This was supposed to be my race.

This is EXACTLY how I thought I would look in the race.

This is EXACTLY how I looked in the race.

The siren went off, along with some fireworks (!), and I took off like a shot.  It took me about half a mile to calm down to what I thought was a reasonable pace.  Suddenly, in mile 2, I started feeling faint and nauseous, and my vision was blurrier than usual.  My heart was palpitating, and I had trouble breathing.  Now, I wasn't wearing my heart monitor, but the last time this happened to me was during a training run, and later I checked the data and noticed that at that moment my heart rate had shot up to 245 bpm.  WTF.  I knew what I had to do, but I was disappointed.  I had to switch to running for two minutes and walking for one, something I have NEVER done in my life.  I have never resorted to walking during a road race (except occasionally through the water line, but if I'm being serious at the race, I don't stop for the water).

Ok, I'm not a sloth, but you'll notice my time is about the same as the sloth's.

I was able to come back in the last two miles, but at that point my race was over. I had the WORST. FINISH TIME. EVER.  I just don't get it: I did everything I was supposed to do, and yet I had a sucky race.

I have always thought that a "sucky race" meant that I didn't make my goal time.  I've never had this experience where, for no apparent reason, I feel like I can't even finish the race.  Has this ever happened to you?  Did you cut back on training (my husband's stupid suggestion) or did you just keep on keeping on?  I'm curious to know, Peeps.

Well, I'm also curious to know who is going to win this giveaway!  To enter, click the Rafflecopter and follow the instructions.  May the luckiest runner win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Don't feel like taking your chances in the drawing?  No worries, you can register right here.  Don't want to run, but you want to share the fun and excitement?  Click here to be a volunteer!  We LOVE volunteers--they are the icing on our cake.  Our runner's cake.  Of pain. Ummm. . . That didn't come out the way I intended.  Until you join me in Cleveland, run happy, Peeps!

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

Pro Football HOF Relay and a Giveaway!

Beast Mode 5 got the job done on Sunday, 4/26, the day of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Relay.  It was my first experience with a relay, and I'm glad it was this particular race.

I was a bit worried about running my 10k leg (#1) because I had run the Gold Jacket 5k the day before, and I ran it hard enough to just miss a PR.

I know I had written that I was going to go bright and early to Belden Village to take the shuttle, but Michael (Leg 3) lives just across the park from the starting line, so we parked at his house and I used the park as a warm up.

This is Michael.  He saved us from shivering in a parking lot at 4:00 AM.

We met the other members of The Ohio Runners Network (TORN) on the Hall of Fame steps for a photo op:

We are fresh and ready!

And then we got a special Beast Mode 5 pic:

Check out the headbands. Beast Mode 5: Does the name scare you?  NO????

After that we waited for the start.  And waited.  Unfortunately, the lines for the shuttle were super long, and rather than start without all of those people, Jim chose to give them another ten minutes.  I think that's a really difficult call for a race director to make because you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  Some people were really cold, but I felt ok because the sun was coming out and I was crammed next to a bunch of runners in the corral.  Plus, I was excited.

If you read my post about the Gold Jacket 5k, you know that I was irritated that I couldn't get around the walkers in the first mile of the race.  I was really worried that I would have the same problem, and because I was the first leg of the relay I didn't want to screw up our team by having a slow start.  Luckily, starting in the 9:00/mile corral was exactly what I needed; I was able to get into my groove soon after crossing the starting gate.

I felt great running my 10k leg.  The course had a few small hills, but nothing a Beast Mode 5 team member couldn't handle.  I stayed at a pace I thought I could handle for six miles and still push myself at the end, and as a result, I PR'd the 10k by over three minutes!  Unfortuately, my time isn't officially recorded because even though I crossed a finish mat,  the slap bracelet I was wearing didn't register my individual leg--just the overall time of the team.  I'm disappointed, but at least I know what I can do for my next 10k (Akron Rubber City Series).

The exchange points were really well-organized, but that didn't stop Beast Mode 5 from screwing it up right away.  I lost at least 30 seconds, maybe a minute, because I couldn't find Brad.  I suspect he was in the Port a Potty, but I would never say that publicly.  Oh wait. . .

I guess I did say that publicly. Way to go, Brad!

Anyway, Brad, Michael, and Mandy were awesomely speedy in running their legs, but I still had a few hours to wait for Joy to come in.  The day was beautifully bright, but there was a cold, cold wind blowing.  Luckily, I had brought a change of pants and I already had my amazing finisher's blanket, which I immediately wrapped around myself while I huddled on the field and ate some food.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm huddling on the field with a blanket and a hoodie.

Great food, by the way:  Subway sandwich, spicy rice chips, Caveman bar, bananas, chocolate milk.  Yum!

When it was time for Joy to come in, we were waiting for her at the entrance to the stadium for our relay team finish, and it was fabulous!  We loved running in together while the announcer called our team name.

Beast Mode 5 races in.  What you don't know is that my pants were falling down here.  What a dork.

We collected our medals and posed for our post-race pic:

Tired, dirty, and happy

Would I do this again?  Yep!  I loved running with a team, and this was a fun race to try.  The pluses: the course (challenging, some nice residential parts), the medals (sooo awesome), the food, the finisher's blanket (soft and warm!).  The minuses:  the unexpected wait at the start, no record of times on individual legs.  I think these could be easy fixes when Jim gets together with his team to plan for next year.  I do have one more suggestion that would have made the cold wind, the wait, and the lack of an individual finish time much more bearable: BEER.  Michael, Brad, and I agreed that beer would have really helped us feel better about waiting in the cold wind for Mandy and Joy, but it certainly isn't a deal breaker as there are a lot more positives than negatives about the race.  Maybe I'll bring a deck of cards while I'm waiting next time.  And a space heater.

I'd like to thank Jim Chaney for giving me the opportunity to blog for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay.  I hope this is only the beginning of our partnership, and I intend to continue blogging about the Gold Jacket 5k when I run another one.  Would you like to run one with me?  You have a few more days left in my Giveaway.  Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This week I ran my last long run until the Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon.  Eleven miles (eight of them on the trails), and I'm ready to collapse.  My taper starts. . . NOW.


Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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

RunCLE Giveaway!

That's right, Peeps!  This week I get to reward you for sticking with me by offering up a chance at a free race entry for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  Yay!  First, you'll have to read about my trail run, though.

What?

Today I ran part of the Fools 25k course in Peninsula with Renee, Cassie, Deb, and Darrell.  We actually started with about fifty other people, as it was a Vertical Runner event, but those fifty people dashed by very quickly and left us in the woods.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm relieved I can stop to pose for a picture.  Oh, and this is Darrel and Renee.
Photo credit:  Cassie Baldwin

The trails were gorgeous; I had never seen this area in Peninsula before, and frankly, I felt like I was running in Narnia.

Mr. Tumnus is waiting on the other side of the bridge.
Photo credit:  Renee Milhalyov

It was soooo crazy-difficult!  The snow was deep in many places, and despite the fifty people who ran just before us, the trail wasn't as packed down as I had hoped it would be.  It was also very. . . slide-y.  No, I don't mean slippery; I mean that our feet slid in the loose snow (no ice).   I thought I would be able to run ten miles with Renee (who is a badass trail runner), but at mile 5, instead of fueling, I decided to take the shortcut back, and we got in almost eight miles.  Renee kindly reminded me that eight trail miles are definitely equivalent to more than ten road miles, even if we walked the hills.

I'm not particularly fond of trail running, but I think it's important for me to switch up my runs, and like most of you, I have been dying to get outside.  Trail running is a good strength workout, and I'm pretty sure that those hills gave me the strongest glutes EVER.  I'm really looking forward to my yoga recovery workout tomorrow, and I'll definitely be spending some time this evening in my legs-up-the-wall pose.

Renee and me about two miles away from the finish.  Notice my rosy glow from the tropical 20-degree weather?
Photo credit:  Renee Milhalyov

So, here we go, Peeps.  You know that I am lucky enough to be writing these posts as a Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador.  Each week one of us will be hosting a giveaway ( so follow these wonderful bloggers) and this is my week.  Here is the deal:  You can't redeem or trade this prize for cash, so if you've already registered, I can't reimburse you.  Enter the Rafflecopter (only once), and score extra entries for commenting on this post and following me and the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon on Twitter, and next week Rafflecopter will randomly generate a winner.  Questions?  Ask me in the comments.  Of course, if you don't win, or if you can't wait, you can always register here!  Good luck, Peeps, and thanks for running with me!


a Rafflecopter giveaway