Turkey and Shenanigans

So, I wrapped up my racing season with the Homerun for the Homeless 4 mile race on Thanksgiving day. I was wondering if I would race it or run it, and when I saw my friend Jennifer at the start, I decided I would be much happier running with her, so I did. It was great. Poor Jen. I vented about my life for about 40 minutes as we ran through the hills of Glendale Cemetery. When I apologized for talking so much and said I'd shut up for her, she responded, "No! Just keep talking so I don't think about these hills!"  I'm so glad that my messed up life could help someone.

I saw many friends at the race.

Crooked River Trail Runners at Home Run for the Homeless: Damn, we are a good-looking bunch!

Of course I took a pic with Pam and Steve, per our tradition. Pam and Steve each won a turkey, and Steve won a gift card! I won nothing.

Me, Steve, Pam. We are happy that it is over.

On Sunday after Thanksgiving, I ran the Tryptophan Run sponsored by Vertical Runner. I love this free event. A hundred runners or so show up at Vertical Runner Hudson on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and run 1, 2, 3, or 4 mile loops for two hours, dropping tickets into a tub after each loop for a chance to win prizes. This year, I ran ten miles with Marta.

Me, Mark, Marta, Wendy post 10 miles (for me)

For the first time EVER, I won something!

I won this awesome hat!

Thanksgiving weekend was a wonderful running opportunity for me because the weather was nice. In fact, the great weather continued through the next week, so I was able to run some trails at night with Crooked River Trail Runners, and I had a fun morning exploring Hinckley Trails with the Trail Sisters. As usual, shenanigans ensued:

There are faces carved into the ledges in Hinckley. Check it out, Peeps!

I have significantly cut down my mileage lately, but it's all good. I am taking this time to do other things that I like (or don't like. I'm talking about you, swimming.): I am doing more Tae Bo, walking, dancing, and yoga than I normally do.  I know I will have to step up my mileage pretty soon. Why?  I'm not going to tell you this week, but I will give you some hints:
1. I did something stupid.
2. Peer pressure was involved.
3. Alcohol was possibly involved.
4. It seemed like a good idea at the time.


Ok, this is the most important part of the post. What spring race will you train for this winter? Will it be the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon or any of the races associated with it? If so, I have a code for you! Use SI2019 for 10% off registration for any race, including the series!

How are you handling the holidays? No matter the weather, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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Night Running Again

I've had some great runs in the past few weeks:

10 miles at the Vertical Runner Tryptophan Run.  The first 4 miles were with Joy; then I did 2 miles with Joy and Rob:

We aren't sweating; we are glowing.

The last 4 miles were with Ken, who kept me going at a 9:30 or under clip:

In other words, he tried to kill me. 

The next week I ran with Kristin on the Towpath. It was a bit chilly, but other than that, it was just like old times!

You can't tell because she is wearing sunglasses, but her eyes are googly-wide, just like mine.

On Thursday evening, I decided to try something different: I ran with the Crooked River Trail Runners. They are a crazy bunch who meet at the Brandy Wine Clubhouse in Peninsula to run trails at night. Kelleigh promised me she would guide me, so I gave it a go. Luckily for us, there was Mark on the trails to help us when we got confused and basically started bushwhacking our own trail. I loved that run! Running at night jazzes me; I feel so full of energy running in the dark, even after a full, exhausting day of work. After that run, I went home and signed up officially for club membership. I'm telling you this now because if you never hear from me again, it's because I got lost on a Thursday night run.

Kelleigh and I are a bit rosy-cheeked after our run/trailblazing.

Today I decided to do something seriously crazy: I ran two loops of the Bills Badass course with Marta. Holy Shmoly! It was really hilly.  I can't imagine what it would be like to do all six loops AND run up Candy Ass Mountain at the end. Plus, the wind was making my eyes tear up, and my nose wouldn't stop running (even when I stopped running).

Here is Marta at one of the stream crossings. We were lucky that it wasn't thigh-deep, like it was during the race!

And here we are at the finish. This is EXACTLY how I look when I am more than relieved to be done.

I've been looking for a new challenge before I start race training, and I think these Thursday night runs will be perfect. My goal is to attend every Thursday night run, unless it rains. I hate rain.

Are you looking for new challenges? What are you doing to enjoy your workouts? Whatever it is, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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Tryptophan Run

Last Sunday I ran off some Thanksgiving weekend irresponsible eating.  The Tryptophan Run, sponsored by Vertical Runner Hudson, is held the Sunday after Thanksgiving every year in Hudson.  The weather was perfect--not too cold and a bit sunny.

The Tryptophan works like this: There are three routes you can run in any combination during the two-hour run.  You drop a ticket with your name in a bucket for each mile of your run.  At the end of the run there is a drawing for cool prizes--t shirts, shoes, and race entries.  I didn't win anything, but I sure had fun.

My first fun surprise was my reunion with Joy, with whom I haven't run since our Ragnar Trail Appalachians race.  She messaged me the night before and said she was coming with me.  Yay! Here are some pictures of our running history in case you've forgotten:

We ran with Jen, and I was so happy because I haven't run with her in forever either.

Jen and I are at the Natatorium 5k here.

My second fun surprise was a playground on one of the routes.  We climbed up a cool rock wall and went down the slides:

Joy didn't get the memo that you aren't supposed to land on your dupa.

It was great to run nine miles with my peeps:

And I really appreciate the generosity of the businesses and race directors in our running community:

This is Jim Chaney, Race Director for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon, Half-Marathon, and Relay.  He was offering STEEP discounts plus giveaway entries at the Tryptophan.  Check out this race, Peeps!  The swag is amazing and the event is a good time.

Seriously, Peeps, think about the local business owners when you do your holiday shopping this year.  Our money goes to people who in return support our community. I can't think of a better way to make a direct difference in our local economy.







I'll leave you with one last picture from my run this Sunday with Shelby and Mandy.  We ran on the Towpath, and we had a great conversation.

Post-run.  10 miles for me

The weather is starting to get cold, and I figure I have maybe one good long run left before I have to take a short hiatus for some minor surgery.  I'm sure you are eagerly anticipating how crabby I will be when I'm not running, since you remember how gracefully I waited out my broken foot a few years ago.   Get those runs in now while we aren't freezing our butts off.  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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2015 Home Run for the Homeless

Ah, Thanksgiving morning.  The day one can sleep in, have a lazy breakfast in pajamas, read the paper, smell turkey cooking. . . unless you are a runner.  Let's try that again.

And watching the Macy's parade.  Who doesn't love that?

Ah, Thanksgiving morning.  The day a runner gets up extra early, fuels and digests, downs some coffee, and heads out in running gear to shiver her way through a Turkey Trot or some such race.  And so it was for me.

This isn't AT ALL how I look when running a Thanksgiving race.

This was my second time running the Gennesaret Home Run for the Homeless in Akron.  Gennesaret helps homeless people with all of the details that go into getting housing--deposits, furniture, appliances.  Home Run for the Homeless is a four mile run and a one mile walk, and it is their only fundraiser all year. Many businesses (donations came from Giant Eagle, Mustard Seed, and Papa Joe's, among others)and people in the running community (Jim Chaney, director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame race series is one) devote their time and talent to this race. This year about three thousand people participated, and one of them was me.

The weather was fantastic, starting in the forties and rising.  I got really hot after the first mile, which is quite different from last year.  There were people running in ugly Christmas sweaters and elf and Santa outfits; I don't know how they did it.  The race winds through a VERY hilly cemetery for miles two and three, so I was extremely proud of myself when I bettered my time.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm proud of myself because I bettered my time.

After the race there were lots of door prizes from the donors. I didn't win any of them.  I don't care; I just wanted to run in the nice weather and then eat a bunch of pizza and chicken wings for dinner.  What?  We don't eat turkey, ok?

Between this race and the 2015 Tryptophan Run sponsored by Vertical Runner of Hudson (which I ran today), I have a lot for which to be thankful.  Running sometimes with my friends and sometimes alone at this fun, free event reminded me that I don't have to train for anything in particular to be a runner.

Jen and me warming up in Vertical Runner before the run

Jen, me, Renee, and Carrie just before starting the run (in the dark)

Thanks for enjoying the run with me, Peeps!  Run Happy!


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Short and Sweet

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving!

I also can't believe that five days ago I ran in capris and a long-sleeved shirt, and today I ran in tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved shirt, a jacket, a hat, and gloves.  And honestly, it wasn't that cold; I'm just not used to it yet.

Today I ran the Towpath from Lock 29.  Gorgeous as always.

Cuyahoga River

I ran two miles alone, met up with a group and ran with them for about three miles, then ran the rest alone.  It was nice to run with people, but it was also nice for me to run with silence and then with music.  Yesterday I had a reflexology session, and while I can pinpoint my problems and "blockages," I still have some work to do on getting rid of those blocks.  I feel like alone time might be a good thing for me for a while.  I plan to do some more journaling and meditation to see if I can work through my issues instead of ignoring them, as I usually do.

Stacy asked me today what I'm training for, and I said nothing; however, when I started listing what I committed to for next year, I realized that I will have a full plate.  Just this week I will run the Home Run for the Homeless and the Tryptophan Run.

This is EXACTLY how I looked in last year's Home Run for the Homeless.

  The following week I'll run the third race in the Ohio Outside Series and the next morning I'm going to run an eight-mile stretch of a trail relay.  And that's what I called nothing.  Huh.

Well, Peeps, I said this would be short and sweet.  I'd like to finish by listing what I'm thankful for:

1.  My family and friends
2.  My ability to run
3.  My career
4.  My enjoyment of reading and writing

Lastly, I'm thankful for YOU.  Don't think I haven't noticed what a difference your presence has made in my life.

Before you think that I'm getting all mushy, I'll post something that I think comes directly from my heart:

Until next week, run happy Peeps!

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Celebrating the Running Community

If you know me, you know that I really don't like people.  I used to really enjoy being in a crowd, but being a teacher has taken its toll on my enjoyment of social interaction.  Plus, I'm grumpy.


This is EXACTLY how I look when I am a loner, a rebel.

You would think that I would avoid group runs like the plague, but I happen to like them very much.  I also really like the group atmosphere at races.  There is nothing quite like being crowded into a starting corral with a bunch of like-minded people, all intent on accomplishing a personal best.  The running community is awesome.  For the most part, runners are supportive, kind, and sometimes crazy as hell (the part I to which I can relate).  I love the fact that I can show up at any running event in NorthEast Ohio, and I will recognize somebody there, and that person will actually BE NICE TO ME.  Remember; I'm a teacher, and I'm not always used to that.

Thanksgiving Day I participated in my first Turkey Trot, Home Run for the Homeless, a four-miler in downtown Akron.  It was a benefit for Gennesaret, an organization that provides housing for homeless families.  Gennesaret doesn't take any government funding, and the Home Run is their only fundraiser for the year.  This year 3,000 runners and walkers participated, and many more people donated time, money, prizes, and food.

I had heard of the Home Run for the Homeless, but I had never run it before. . . and I really don't know why.  Yes, it was cold; yes, it was hilly (VERY hilly), and yes, it was FABULOUS!  To see that many runners gathered together to benefit the homeless. . .it was very moving.  Plus, the giant piece of coffee cake I stuffed in my head after the race wasn't too shabby either.

Today I ran the Tryptophan Two Hour FREE Group Run sponsored by Vertical Runner in Hudson, an event I have been eagerly anticipating since I last ran it in 2012.  In the Tryptophan, runners and walkers can run/walk a two-mile and three-mile loop in any combination for two hours.  For every loop, the runner drops one or two tickets into a bucket for a drawing after the event.  The drawing had super prizes, such as fleeced-lined shirts from Vertical Runner and race entries.  Additionally, Saucony had a booth there, and they allowed runners to try their shoes for the run.  Jen, Shelby, and I got our picture taken at the Saucony booth, and I sent it to my email, but I never got it. : (

About three hundred runners showed up for the run, and I recognized many of them.  It was so nice to spend the morning running and chatting with my peeps.  Vertical Runner even supplied coffee, donut holes (which I DIDN'T eat), chocolate, and protein bars!

The Ohio Runners Network represents at the Tryptophan.

Vince Rucci, owner of Vertical Runner Hudson, is one of the reasons why we have such a strong, supportive running community.  I've seen him (and the Vertical Runner truck) out and about at different running events, and I know that he realizes the importance of giving back to the community.  Small Business Saturday is over for 2014, but I believe that every day we decide to consume, we should consider any local businesses first.  That goes double for the running community.  Let's thank Vince with our spending dollars.

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Deer, Turkey, and Goats OR Run While You Can.

In my first year of teaching, I was in the middle of a lesson on Comparison/Contrast with my sophomores.  They were very giggly, unusually giggly for 8:00 in the morning.  As I taught, I cautiously checked my fly, my hair, my nose, anything that I thought might be the reason for the mirth.  Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.  "What?  WHAT?!  What are you laughing at?" I demanded.

"We thought you did it on purpose," they said.

"WHAT DID I DO ON PURPOSE?"

"Look down," they said, and then the whole classroom lost their minds.

I was wearing two different shoes.  One was brown; one was black.  One had a buckle; the other didn't.  They had two different heel heights.  I had been wearing them since 6:30 that morning, and the only way I noticed was after the class told me.

I would like to say that I have grown since then, but this morning, as I got out of the car to meet my running peeps, Shelby took one look at me and said, "Are those two different shoes?"

Jen said, "I wasn't going to say anything.  I thought there might be a reason."

I looked down, and this is what I saw:

I meant to do that.

At least they are the same kind of shoe this time.  Sigh.

This did not stop me from having a fantastic morning run with Shelby and Jen.  We started on the Bike and Hike and quickly changed our minds when we saw the ice coating the path.  The roads in Peninsula were perfect for an eight mile run in 40-something degree weather.  We all agreed to take our time, and we were rewarded with plenty of sights, starting with some deer on the Bike and Hike.

Our next stop was to look at these turkeys:

I wanted to tell them, "Fly!  Fly for your feathery lives!"  Then I remembered that turkeys can't fly.

It was really cool to make gobbling sounds at the turkeys until we noticed that they were pecking at a downed turkey, and then it turned really creepy when we realized that turkeys are cannibals.

Then we saw some adorable goats:

After owning goats as a child, you would think I'd be immune to them because, really, they are nasty, but just look at them! LOOK AT THESE GOATS!

We spent the time talking about future races and catching up with our lives.  I loved my run with Jen and Shelby.  It's so good to be out with other runners during the long run.  I often convince myself that I'm better off by myself, but when I can find a group where I feel I belong, well, that is incredible.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I feel I belong.  Also, we look like we just finished an 80's Jazzercise video.  I promise we aren't wearing leg warmers.

Up next week:  The Home Run for the Homeless on Thanksgiving Day and Vertical Runner's Tryptophan Run on Sunday.

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Community Running Stores: The Best Small Businesses

Today was the Tryptophan Run, sponsored by Vertical Runner in Hudson, Ohio.  It is a free social running event in which runners have two hours to run a two-mile loop as many times as they wish.  For each loop, the runner drops a number in a hat, and at the end of the two hours there is a drawing with lots of free prizes.

Post by Vertical Runner.

I wanted to walk a few loops this year, but I was afraid of damaging my broken foot.  Last year I ran five loops, and then I took a break for coffee in one of the local coffee shops.  After the running, we all gathered in the store for the drawing, and while I didn't win anything, many of my friends did.  It was a great time.

Runners are a close-knit community.  Many of us know each other from running groups, races, or just passes on the road or trail.  There are many runners I recognize on Facebook whom I would never recognize face to face (well, maybe with running gear on).  We know about each others' injuries, race victories, and digestive problems.

Runners are weird, right?

A good running store is a part of the local running community.  Vertical Runner is a chain, but the owners are all local runners who encourage the community.  Vince Rucci, owner of Vertical Runner Hudson, has no idea who I am, but he makes sure to invite me to every Vertical Runner event.  I have seen Vince on the Pine Run trail, I have seen him among groups of runners, and I have seen his back-end as he blew by me numerous times on the Tryptophan Run last year.  He has provided water, Gu, and Gatorade on practice race runs, and he gives out awesome prizes in the Tryptophan drawing.

When you see this truck, you know something fun is going on.

Sure, I can go online and order Saucony Guide 6s (not anymore) for a small discount, but the question is, why would I?  Vertical Runner gives a ten percent discount to my running club (The Ohio Runners Network), and I can get great service there.

American Express started a tradition of supporting small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving, called Small Business Saturday.  While I don't own an American Express card, and I rarely step out of my house for at least two days after Thanksgiving, I would suggest that we can support small businesses at any time of the year.  Running stores like Vertical Runner (and Second Sole) invest in the community, so I would like to return the favor.

Thank you, community businesses.  Thank you, Vertical Runner!  I'll be running with you at the Tryptophan Run in 2014!