Running Payday

Here it is, Peeps, my annual Payday Post!

Here is how it works:

I pay myself $.50 for every mile I run, $1.00 for every racing mile, and $5.00 for every PR.  I deduct my race fees from this amount, and I deposit the total in a special savings account for my big ticket racing goal.  Here and here are some previous posts. Go ahead and read them; I'll wait.

Ok, ready?  Step one is to calculate the total miles of 2019. I get this figure from Garmin and Strava, where I log my runs. This year I ran and walked 1,714 miles, which is a surprising decrease from last year, considering I added a 50K to my races. I think this isn't a bad thing, though, for two reasons:

1. I was sick and couldn't run a step for over two weeks during the summer. It was all in my chest. We all know that when it hits your chest, you don't do heavy workouts. That is a loss of approximately 60-some miles.

2. I did a better job of incorporating other activities besides running into my schedule. For example, I like to rotate among cardio and strength training activities like Zumba, Tae Bo, Dancing, Kettlebell, and free weights. I also did more swimming this year.

This is EXACTLY how I THINK I look as swimmer.

This is ACTUALLY how I look as a swimmer.

Step 2 is to add up the racing miles:

April: Forget the PR 50K= 32 (I got lost)

May: Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon = 26.2

May: Medina Half Marathon = 13.1

July: Burning River = 17 

August: One Hot Momma = 16

September: Race with Grace = 3.1

September: Akron Marathon = 26.2

October: Crowell Hilaka = 15.5

November: Home Run for the Homeless = 4

Total Racing Miles = 153.1 = 153

Step 3 is to subtract racing miles from total miles:

1,714 - 153 = 1, 561

Step 4 is to multiply non-racing miles by .50 and then add to racing miles:

1561 x .50 = 780 + 153 = $933

Step 5 is to add in $5.00 for every PR. . .and that would be one (FtPR): 933 + 5 = $938

Woohoo! I'm rich! I'm . . . Oh wait. I still need to add up my racing fees and subtract them from the total:

938-448 = $490

I am so happy with this! What this means is that I will be depositing $490 into my savings account dedicated to running the Paris Marathon. 

As my smart-ass brother has pointed out to me, I am merely paying myself with MY OWN MONEY, which I completely understand. . . HOWEVER. If you are remotely like me, you may want to pay attention to this part. 

I tend to be the person who takes care of everyone else around me: my family, my friends, my colleagues, my students. Running is one of the few ways that I take care of myself, and I have learned that I deserve rewards. Also, knowing that I have an account waiting for me to reach my goal of running the Paris Marathon gives me an incentive on the days that I don't want to get up at 4:30 AM to run or work out. I tend to punish myself pretty harshly when I don't achieve one of my gazillion goals, so I really use this system to remind myself that I am doing a great job.

How can you reward yourself for your goals, Peeps? One way you can reward yourself right away is by using my code, RUNCLESTEPHANI10, for 10% off any race entry for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. We can earn points towards our paydays together!

I'm looking forward to where my running year will take me. Wherever your running year takes you, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

Race Recap: Race with Grace 5K

I searched and searched for someone who would run with me; I never found anyone. I am the sad and lonely runner who feels compelled to try her best, even in the middle of a long run, even during taper.

Here is my secret, Peeps: I hate, hate, HATE 5Ks. Why? Because 3.1 miles are just short enough that if you choose to run that race, you should race the crap out of it. I mean balls to the wall.  Gasping. Trying not to throw up at the finish line.  If you aren't trying to block out some major pain during a 5K, are you really running it?

Sick, right?  This is how I think, Peeps.  So, I am tapering until the Akron Marathon, and I needed at least ten miles on the day of the race. Last year I got Marta to run it with me; we ran the course pre-race as a warmup, ran it again for the race, and then we ran four more miles while sucking down snow cones.

Here we are in 2018, coming in to the chute. This does NOT look like tapering behavior.

 This year Marta wizened up and said she wanted no part of that, so I thought, well, I'll just find someone who hasn't run a 5K before. . .or someone who doesn't want to race. . . or someone who is sick or hungover.  No such luck.

I knew I had no motivation to PR this race; on the contrary, I have fifteen extra pounds and practically ZERO speed work that say there will be no spectacular running for me any time soon.  GAAAAAAA.

Still, it's a good cause.

MHS Team Brenda. I am clearly not a team player because I didn't wear the long-sleeved race shirt in 75 degree weather. 

So, I decided to do what I could. I showed up early and ran four miles, looked for someone to run with me, failed miserably, and resigned myself to a painful run where I would continually tell myself that I didn't have to run hard, but I would do so anyway.

I think I did ok.

This is SO DIFFICULT TO SEE!  I ran it in 27:27.

This is about a minute off my 5K PR. . .but I don't care. I don't. I feel like I did the respectable thing by running a middle distance between my comfort zone and my racing zone. This is my half marathon tempo pace, but I am no longer in that kind of shape, so. . .I'll take it.

I immediately switched my Garmin to walking mode after the finish, and I walked a mile to take off the nausea. Then I drank some water and ate some pizza, and I took pictures of some of the finishers. After that, I couldn't stall any longer, so I ran two more miles for a total of ten miles that day.  

I am currently in my last week of taper before the Akron Marathon, and I feel ok. I'm trying to keep an open mind about the race, and I'm trying to visualize a marathon PR and a good time. This is kind of against my nature, but I'm giving it a shot. Wish me luck!

Next week will be the recap of the Akron Marathon and all the fun things that go with it. Stay tuned!

What are you training for? Whatever is keeping you running, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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It's Pay Day!

Happy New Year, Peeps!

2018 has been some year.  I'm not even sure I want to process what that means, to tell the truth. I prefer to focus on the good stuff right now, so first a photo:

My last day of running this year was 12/30 with the Trail Sisters:

There were some real shenanigans going on here.

We ran the trails of Sand Run. Marta and I decided to finish our twelve miles with a 1/4 mile long hill because we are just badass that way.

Also, I jacked up my knee somehow, so I'm taking it easy today. There will be stretching and foam rolling on the agenda.

Ok, for those of you who haven't read my posts on Payday, here is the gist:

I pay myself $.50 for every mile I run, $1.00 for every racing mile, and $5.00 for every PR.  I deduct my race fees from this amount, and I deposit the total in a special savings account for my big ticket racing goal.  Here and here are some previous posts. Go ahead and read them; I'll wait.

Ok, ready?  Step one is to calculate the total miles of 2018. I get this figure from DailyMile.com, where I log my runs. This year I ran and walked 1,848 miles, which I'm very happy with because my goal was 1,700.

Step two is to add up the racing miles:

Home Run for the Homeless: 4.06
Run with Scissors: 13.3
Akron Marathon: 26.42
Race with Grace: 3.07
Burning River: 25.76
Medina Half Marathon: 13.12
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon: 26.48
Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon: 13.26
Fools 25K: 15.94

Total Racing Miles: 137.35

Step three is to subtract racing miles from total miles:

1,848 - 137 = 1,711

Step four is to multiply non-racing miles by .50 and then add to racing miles:

1,711 x .50= 855.5-> 856 + 137 = $993

Wow! This is a lot of moolah, but I'm not finished yet, Peeps. I still need to add up my racing fees and subtract them from the total:

Total: 993
         -351
           642

642 smackeroos!  Holy Shmoly! But wait!!!  I get to award myself 5 bucks for every PR, and I had 1 (The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, thanks to Marta!), so. . . .

647 dollars!  Whoa!

I will be depositing that money as soon as I get paid! My dream marathon account is certainly adding up! Paris, I will be running your streets soon!

So, I do this for myself because I am driven (shocking, right?), and I tend to punish myself for my shortcomings. It is super-important that I acknowledge my accomplishments, and this is a way for me to see real improvement. This is the highest paycheck I've earned to date, and I intend to earn more next year.

What do you do to reward your accomplishments, Peeps? It doesn't have to be money, and your goals don't have to involve running. You could practice mindfulness and meditation. You can take up a new sport or start walking or swimming. The thing is that OF COURSE the rewards to your body and spirit are obvious, but that doesn't always help when you want to sleep in and you know you should be training for a 50K by doing hill repeats (guilty). Find something you can use as an incentive (try not to make it donuts), and reward yourself for your effort. It can be gradual (at the end of each week that you accomplished a goal) or it can be the biggie at the end of the year (like my payday). Just do it!  You deserve this.

Speaking of what you deserve, why not treat yourself to one of the races in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon series? Use my code, SI2019, for 10% off registration. Let's do this together!

However your year ended, I hope you ran it happily, Peeps!

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Pay Day 2017

It is once again my Running Pay Day, Peeps. This means that I need to do a bunch of math to figure out how much money I can put into my special running savings account.

The background to Running Pay Day is this:

I once read of a running blogger who pays herself for each mile she runs. Needing some motivation that doesn't involve food, I thought this was a wonderful idea. Of course, because I am complicated, I must have many rules about how to pay myself. So, here is how it works:

First, I calculate the number of miles total I have run in 2017. This is easy because I log my miles into DailyMile.com. This year I ran 1,694 miles. Not bad considering my goal was 1,500!

30 more miles would have taken me to Salt Lake City, UT!

Next, I subtract the number of racing miles I ran because I pay myself $1.00 for each racing mile. I love going over the races I ran this year because it brings back ALL THE FEELS for each race. Here are the races I ran this year (Click on the links to revisit my recaps):

Pro-Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon: 13.1
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon: 26.2
Medina Half Marathon: 13.1
Green Jewel 2-person relay: 14
Burning River 8-person relay: 16.5
Leave No Trace Half Marathon: 13.1
Medina Race with Grace 5k: 3.1
Akron Marathon: 26.2
Run with Scissors Half Marathon: 13.1 (I actually ran 16.5 miles for this, but that is another story.)
Home Run for the Homeless: 4

I have a total of 142.4 racing miles. I'll round that down to 142. That means I've earned $142 in racing miles--but wait! There is more!

I subtract my racing miles from my total miles, and I pay myself $.50 per training mile:

1,694-142= 1,552 miles x $.50= $776 dollars.

Then I add that to the racing miles:
$776 + $142 = $918 dollars

Wow. That is a chunk of change! Unfortunately, that is not how much I get paid.

Now I have to deduct the amount of race fees I paid this year. Booooo. I didn't keep EXACT track of the racing fees (because it is painful), but I do have a good idea. One note: for two of these races, I paid more in order to donate to a race-affiliated charity, but I will not count that as a racing fee since it was voluntary.

The total for these races comes to about $446.  Honestly, not bad for ten running events that gave me hours of pleasure (WHAT????).

Ok, 918-446 = $472.   BUT WAIT!!!!

I award myself a $5.00 bonus for every PR, and I had two this year, soooooo. . .

$472 + $10 = $482

This is the most I've earned in a year. I am super-pleased with myself, particularly since the 300+ extra miles I've run this year have clearly made a difference in my paycheck.


Here is the thing:

I realize that I'm paying myself in my own money, but I am going to put that money into a savings account that I've had for years, and it will go toward my dream race: the Paris marathon. Normally, I wouldn't dream of spending any of that money on myself.  Too often women, especially mothers, refuse to reward themselves or put themselves first in any situation. I will not be a part of that. I worked damned hard this year, and I will reward myself with the promise of something that will be just for me.

Not only that, but the hard cash that I earned actually benefits me twice: All of those training miles helped me to build my endurance and (rarely) speed. I learned so much about what I'm capable of doing by training and racing, and even though there was some pain involved, I wouldn't change any of it. . . even getting lost in the woods during a trail race. I deserve to celebrate me.

How can you celebrate yourself, Peeps? What goals have you set for 2018? How can you reward them? It doesn't have to be as complicated as my system (Lord knows there are easier ways!), but you should find a way to fete your accomplishments and reward your work. It can make the difference between getting outside in the snow. . . or staying in bed and regretting that decision.

As for me, I have goals for 2018, and I am already getting started on them! This will be the best year. . . and the best ME yet!

This is clearly not the best me. . .but I'm working on it!

Whatever your goals and rewards are, I hope you run happy, Peeps!


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Race Recap: Race with Grace

I was dreading this moment; I would have to race the damned 5k as opposed to just jogging it out. I tried everything I could think of to get out of it: I looked for new runners, I tried to get my husband and/or kids to run with me, I told myself that I really shouldn't exert myself during the taper for the Akron Marathon.  None of it worked. I knew that I would have to actually try to run fast, something I haven't really done for a while.

To make matters worse, I am tapering, and instead of making me nervous and jumpy, it is making me eat everything in sight. Sigh.

Every year Medina High School assembles a team to run the Medina Race with Grace, a race to benefit the Mary Grace Foundation, which supports those battling all forms of cancer. Click here for more information about the Mary Grace Foundation and how you can contribute. Our team is named Team Brenda and Mary, to support the mothers of two of our teachers.  This year we had a total of 62 people contribute to the team, although not everyone who contributed actually participated in the race.

Team Brenda and Mary

I came early and ran the course as a warmup. Then I took pictures with the team and chatted for a while. This is where I think I could have done things differently.  I should have timed my warmup better so that I didn't have about 40 minutes of waiting to start. I think I would have performed better if I had transitioned better.

As we took off, I told myself that I would be doing this as a tempo run, and half-marathon pace was what I was shooting for.  I hit the first mile at 8:44, which was right on target for a tempo run. At the halfway point, I could feel the humidity, and I was uncomfortable, but I could tell that I wasn't pushing myself to reach a 5k pace. I kept chanting, "In in in out out," so that I could focus on my breathing.

Mile 2 came at 8:46, still HM pace. I felt really hot and humid. The nice thing about this race is that the course is relatively flat. Sure, there are a few inclines, but the downhills absolutely cancel them out.  I was glad at this point that I had run the course ahead of time because I knew that the last mile was a lot of slight downhill.  I also reminded myself that in most previous races, at this point, I would be telling myself that I had 11 more miles to go at that pace. Then I thanked The Universe that I had one more mile to go.

Mile 3 motivated me. I did it in 8:26, so I felt like my old self again. The last part of the race wound around the hospital, and I tried to gauge where I would kick. I was pretty much done when I saw the finish line, but I did manage to speed it up somewhat.

My official time was 26:31, 16 seconds longer than my PR. I'm not gonna lie; I did not run this race the way I should have to get a PR. I feel like I could have cut at least a minute off my time if the weather were less humid and if I had done a better-timed warmup. All in all, though, I'm not unhappy with this time.

I ate a chili-cheese dog, courtesy of Dan's Dogs of Medina, after I cooled down a bit. It was fabulous. I talked with some fellow teammates, and then I walked back to my car with Laura, a friend and teammate. When Laura left, I finished out the mile for  a cooldown and an even number, and then I went home to shower and sleep.

I ran 6th out of 42 in my age group (Who knew there are so many women alive at my age????), and 145/322 among women.  I'll take that. Even if I had PR'd in this race, I still would have been 6th, so I'm fine with my efforts and the results of those efforts. I'm also happy with the fact that I eked out 4 more miles when I could have just punked out today.

On a last note, I didn't post any pictures from last week, so here is proof that I ran 16 miles with my friends (and yes, I do have friends):

The Mother Runners see me through.

This is the big week, Peeps. The Akron Marathon is on Saturday. I waited up for the Kabyle Chef to come home from work on Friday, and I told him that I expect that he and the kids will be at mile 20ish to cheer me on. I've made my peace with my training; I've done all that I can do. I'm taking the day off work Friday to get my packet at the expo and get my head together, and then Saturday is the moment. Will I run away from trouble? Will I succumb to the Voices in my head that tell me I should give up?  Stay tuned to find out.

I hope that if you run Akron, you will find me and say hello (or share a post-race beer with me). Even if you aren't racing this week, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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Recap: Race with Grace 5k

Sunday was the annual Race with Grace 5k in Medina. Last year I ran it with the Kabyle Chef, but I knew that with his crazy hours he wouldn't be getting up early to run or walk 3.1 miles with me on his only day off, so this year I asked my friend Katie if I could run with her.  It was Katie's first race, and well, that's always a special moment.

I got there early so I could put in a few extra miles.  I only had time for two miles because our team had to meet for pictures, but hey--two miles is better than nothing, right?  After all this is taper week.

Did I mention this is taper week?

This is EXACTLY how I look during taper week.

I guess some of my team members saw me running before the race, and somehow a rumor went around that I ran to the race.  From Akron.  Yeah.  I guess there are worse rumors.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I run 13 miles from my house to a race.

Our team consists of high school staff members and their families.  We are called Team Brenda because we run to support Brenda Hufford's fight against cancer.  The race is in honor of Mary Grace, who was an active Medina Community member.  You can read about her struggle with breast cancer and the race's mission here.

Team Brenda 

We had a good showing this year; team Brenda raised over $1,200 for the Mary Grace Foundation.  I am so proud of my colleagues.

The best part of the day was running with Katie for her first race.  I remember my first race; it was the Mother's Day 5k in Munroe Falls. I remember how nervous I was the night before, and I remember how keyed up I was during the race, so I asked Katie if she would like me to run it with her, and she said yes.

To seal the deal, I gave her a running tattoo.  I'm not a tattoo person, but I do believe in war paint, so my tradition is to wear temporary tattoos when I'm racing.

I got this tat from Bondi.  Order yours as well as some headbands (see mine below?).  Make sure to use my code (TroubleRun) for a 10% discount.

Another team member, Jess, joined us, and the three of us chatted while we ran in the sun.  Katie was tough, and she managed to save enough in the tank for a kick to the end, which is always exciting.  I am so proud of her; it's not easy to train for any race, and it's not always fun, but Katie did it with class.  I hope this is just the beginning of her running journey.

Look at this Badass!  She ran a 5k!

After the race, I got a FREE chili cheese dog with my former principal, Paul.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm standing in line for a free chili cheese dog in the morning.  I'm on the right, by the way.

All in all, I can say that this race is such a fun experience for me.  The course is nice with just enough incline to make it interesting.  The food and entertainment are amazing for a small-town 5k.  The opportunity to run with my colleagues is even better.  The best part was that Katie allowed me to share the experience of her first race.  Katie, you are amazing.  I hope you had fun, and I hope this is something we can do again in the future.

Next year I want to find someone else who has never run a race.  Who will it be, Peeps?  I'm betting on one of my kids.

This Saturday is the big day: The Akron Marathon.  I am in taper mode, and it is UGLY.  If you want to find me before the race, look in a dark corner where I'll be rocking in the fetal position and crying. Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Race Recap: 2015 Medina Race with Grace

Today I got to sleep in.  That's right--no long run for this girl.  Today I woke up at a leisurely 6:30!  Then I had to scramble to wake up the kids, get them fed and ready for church, and motivate my husband to get out of bed and ready for his first race.  Geez, it's harder to get him out of the house than it is to get my two kids out of the house.

Months ago I registered my husband for the Race with Grace 5k.  Then I told him about it.  Despite the warning, he didn't train a bit.  I don't think he has run for over a month.  When I would remind him that training would be appropriate, he always responded, "It's only 3 miles.  I'll be fine."  This is EXACTLY the attitude he had when we were moving to the U.S., and I told him that studying the language might be appropriate.  His response then, "English is easy; it will take me a couple of months.  I'll be fine." I am happy to say that I was able to rein in my "I told you so" both times when he got a wake up call about his procrastination.

We were part of Team Brenda with Medina High School.  Brenda is the mother of my colleague Sherri, and she has been fighting breast cancer.  Our team wore shirts with her name on the back to remind us of why we are participating.  Brenda was there to cheer us on:

Sherri and Brenda, both looking MAH-velous!

It was nice to see so many friends on a Sunday morning.  The air was perfectly crisp at 56 degrees.  I was more excited for my husband than he was:

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am more excited than my husband about his first race.

After a bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace," we started.  Nacer tore off like a bat out of hell, and I reminded him to hold back so we could safely navigate the gazillion little kids who were in front of us.  Running with kids scares me; they stop on a dime right in front of me, and I'm always afraid that I won't stop in time and I'll mow them down.  Anyway, I followed his lead, and he was feeling the adrenaline rush.

In mile 2, the reality started to hit him (along with some hills), and he slowed down a bit.  I encouraged him to think about his breathing, and I DIDN'T say, "This would have been a lot easier on you had you trained for it."  I'm such a great wife.

Mile 3 was where I saw Nacer relax and settle in, and that relaxation really helped because he then picked up his pace.  I told him, "You only have one mile to go; that's less than ten minutes.  You can do anything for ten minutes," which is my mantra in races.  The last mile was full of downhill runs, so I was happy with it.  When we got near the finish line, I told Nacer, "When you see that finishing clock, I want you to tear ahead of me and give it your all."  He looked at me like I was nuts, and he kicked a tiny bit.  I was so proud to see him cross the finish line.

This guy ran 28:23 in his first 5k!  Without training!

While I am proud of him, I'm prouder of myself for not rubbing it in during or after the race when I saw him suffering a bit.  Men should suffer; it's so good for them.  Just kidding.  I was happy that when we were stretching, he said, "I didn't think it would be that hard."  Duh.

All in all, he was happy with his race, and so am I.  I informed him that he has to train from now on because I am going to register him for the Home Run for the Homeless, which is on Thanksgiving Day and consists of four miles of hills in the Glendale Cemetery.   He didn't seem unhappy with this idea.  We shall see.

Team Brenda had a fantastic showing; we were the number one team yet again, largely due to the fact that the winner of the 5k, Jordan Olsen, is a chemistry teacher at our school.  We mostly hired him for his 5k time.  This year he finished in 16:04.  Amazing.

I am so happy that my husband has started his journey with racing.  I look forward to many more races together in our future.  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Blue Line Training Run

After an exhausting week at school, I dragged my butt out of bed at 5 am on Saturday to prepare for the Blue Line Run, hosted by Vertical Runner.  This is an annual free event in which runners practice for the Akron Marathon and Half Marathon by running 12 or 20 miles.  The Blue Line is literally a blue line painted on the roads to show runners the route.  This year there were about 400 or so runners who showed up at 7 am for a fun morning of running and socializing.

Group shot (well, what the photographer could fit in).  Can you see me?  NO??
Photo Credit: Christy Wilmoth

TORN Peeps before the run.  Can you see me now?

We started our run by leaving downtown and crossing the Y-Bridge.  I'm sure the drivers were not pleased to see hundreds of runners crowding the bridge, sidewalks, and streets.

Coming across the Y-Bridge.
Photo Credit:  Jim Blake

The routes for the marathon and half-marathon are completely changed from last year.  I ran the half-marathon route, and I'm TORN (see what I did there?) about my feelings for it.  There are some hills, more like inclines, which are kind of nice to break up the run, especially since there are downhills after every hill.  I felt like I got through the course pretty quickly because I wasn't bored.  On the other hand, there isn't much to see in the first nine miles.  I hope there are bands in some of the more secluded areas because I don't think there will be much crowd support.  The full marathoners said that they liked the second half of the route because it was in residential areas, and our Akronites on the Blue Line know how to throw a PARTY.  I just wish I could see it.  Well, maybe next year when I train for the full. . .

There were photographers along the route--how nice is that?  For once I was able to see pictures of myself running.

Photo Credit: Christy Wilmoth

Me, Mandy, and Joy.  See the Blue Line?
Photo Credit:  Joseph Kiggans

I put the smack down on Mandy and Joy: I told them there would be NO sub-10 minute miles on this practice run.  I wanted to slow down, relax, and enjoy, and we did just that.  I saw so many of my friends:

Shelby and Elizabeth are training for the full.  It's Shelby's first road marathon!
Photo Credit: Christy Wilmoth

Debi Glinsek, who is my hero.  I don't know how many marathons and ultras she's run.
Photo Credit: Christy Wilmoth

Since our cold snap last week, I've rediscovered my pace and my endurance.  Last Tuesday morning it was in the 50s, and I was finally able to run sub 9:30 miles without wanting to die.  Thank God.  It was the heat and the humidity.  This week is supposed to be in the 90s and humid, but I'm not going to panic about it.  Now that I know I haven't lost my mojo, I'm just going to stay the course.  I may or may not PR this year, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

I've got two 5Ks to run before Akron: the Natatorium 5K, in which I will attempt a PR, and the Race with Grace, which I will NOT attempt to PR because I will run it with my husband.  That's right--I signed my husband up for his first 5K!  I'm so excited to run it with him!

This morning he and I ran an easy three miles after breakfast, and although he hasn't trained in over a month, I think he'll do fine.  By doing fine I mean that he will not stop running and he will not drop dead of a heart attack.  Please, God, I can't take any more heart attacks.

Were you on the Blue Line?  What did you think of the course?

Run Happy, Peeps!

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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!

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