Run Cleveland!

Last year, I ran the Rite Aid Cleveland 10k.  It was incredible!  Here are some reasons why I liked it so much:

Parking:  I parked in the Cleveland Muni lot (cost was only $5.00), and it seems that NOBODY else did.  It was difficult to get to the lot because I had to go through the city first, but it was super-easy to get out because I could get directly onto the expressway to go home.  THAT IS A BIG PLUS.  People in front of me were waiting in line to get into parking garages that cost $15.00 or more.  Suckas.

Bathrooms:  There were several huge lines for the portapotties and the bathrooms just inside the stadium, but I walked about 500 feet farther around the stadium, and I NEVER had a line.  And I went at least four times, just sayin'.  Oops.  Was that TMI?

Course:  The last 1.2 miles were COMPLETELY downhill.  How awesome is that?  I felt GREAT in the last kick, partly because of the hill and partly because of the St. Ed's Trash Talkers, who played cadence on trash cans as we came in.  Also, it was a great surprise to see this guy:

John Adams,the Tribe drummer, is the bomb-diggity!

This year I am stepping up my game (See what I did there?), and I'm going to run the Half Marathon. I'm so excited about this race, and here is why:

The Course:  The course has changed this year, and I'm excited to see how it looks.  My favorite part last year (aside from running downhill at the end of the race) was Tremont/Ohio City.  My grandmother grew up in Tremont when it was the Polish/Ukrainian ghetto, and I am going to think about the many stories she and Uncle Frankie told me about life on Literary as I pass through that area.

The Training:  It has been seven months since I broke my foot in an unfortunate nut incident, and I have been slowly working my way back.  Last week I raced a train for ten miles in the Valley, and this Sunday I did a long, slow run of 10.25 miles, and I feel great.  Now that I know my foot will not snap in two, I am going to work on my speed.  The half marathon will be a great way for me to push myself.

The Weather:  I am probably jinxing all of us here, but I have to say it.  I am sick and bleeping tired of this weather.  This winter BLEW, literally and figuratively, and I am anxious to forget about it.  I look forward to running in the sunshine.  I DEMAND TO RUN IN THE SUNSHINE!!!

It's not too late to register for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  Join me (and 22,000 other people who are, I guess, possibly as fun as I am) in a great run in the sun.  Join me for a beer afterward, too.


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Nuts

There are so many ways to approach the title of this post. . .

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, it was 63 degrees--every necessary component for a successful eleven mile run with the Turtles.

"Look out for these nuts," Renee said.  "They are treacherous."    The nuts were covering the side of the road, slippery little suckers.  As soon as Renee warned us, I stepped on one and my right foot rolled in.  I saved myself from outright falling, but I knew as soon as I stopped that something was very wrong.

Nuts

"Nuts!"  I said.  Ok, at this point if you know me at all, you know that I didn't say that, but hey, what if a kid is reading this?  I tentatively started walking, and the pain was intense.  Maybe you've stumbled or overextended a muscle and you knew that you would be ok in a few minutes?  Yeah, that wasn't me.  I KNEW that I had jacked myself up.  Again.

I told my fellow Turtles (who were kind enough to offer to run for a car for me) that I'd be able to make it to my own car (which was over two miles away).  They looked at me like I was nuts, and I realized that they were right when I limped to Szalay's Farm Market about a third of a mile away.  There was no way I could walk to my car.  I borrowed a cell phone from a kind couple on the Towpath ("What?" they said.  "You don't even own a cell phone?  That's nuts!"), and called my husband, who already thinks I'm. . . well, you know.

Nuts

One trip to the emergency room later, and I know I'm going to go. . . batty (see what I did there?) from not running for two weeks AGAIN.  My foot is broken.

The good news is that the emergency room doctor thinks I'll be able to run in a couple weeks, but I have to see an orthopedic doctor right away to make sure I don't need surgery.

The bad news is that I already paid for the Perfect 10-Miler for next Sunday.

The good news is that this is my chance to be a SuperFan for the Turtles in the race next Sunday.

The bad news is that without running away from trouble, I may be driving those I love. . .

Nuts