New Year, New Me?

Happy 2016, Peeps!  This is the moment where, ten days into the new year, we are all deciding whether making those goals while under the influence of bad champagne and pork and sauerkraut was a stupid idea or just freaking brilliant.  I dunno.  I tend to make goals all the time, so I'm not going to say that the new year was vastly different for me.  Let's review last year's goals:

1.  Run at least 1,100 miles.  Result: Yes!  I think it was 1156.

2.  Run a sub-2-hour half marathon.  Result: No.  I did worse at the Akron Half Marathon this year than I did last year.  Ok, it was worse by about 20 seconds, AND the course was way tougher, but still.  Fail.

3. Race Blogging: I was shooting for Akron, Cleveland, and Hot Chocolate.  Akron never contacted me, and I decided not to do Hot Chocolate this year, but I did have some great bonuses.

Bonus #1: I blogged for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Race Series, and it was a fun experience.  Jim Chaney, race director of the series, is an incredible guy (read my post about him here), and I thank him for the opportunity to pick his brain about what goes on behind the scenes of a race.

Bonus #2: I was so happy to be a #RunCLE Ambassador this year.  I met some amazing people (who are also amazing runners), and I learned a lot from them.

PR shot at the VIP Reception for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  We clean up!

Our first meeting.  In a bar, of course.

Before the race.  We were already wilting in the heat.

This year, I am proud and excited to announce that I will again be #RunCLE Ambassador for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, AND I am lucky enough to be a part of their new race series.  As of right now, I have decided to run the 8k/Half Marathon series.  I would love for Cleveland to be the site of my first full marathon, but the training season for a spring race doesn't work out for me.  Stay tuned to my blog because every week one of the Ambassadors (including me) will be offering a race entry giveaway.  I will post links to each giveaway.  Better yet, follow them on their blogs or social media sites:

Official Ambassadors

• Emily Baumgartner - Blog; @emilyebaum
• Melissa Bixler - Blog; @MBIX66
• Melissa Carney - Blog; @koskim
• Christine Cassar - Blog; @ratherbsweating

• Joe Fell - Blog; @ClevelandJoe
• Jill Gruenwald - Blog; @Jill_Grun
• Andrew Hettinger - Blog; @andrewrunsalot 
• Stephani Itibrout - Blog; @itibrout 
• Jamie Johnston - Blog; Facebook 
• Stephanie Lesco - Blog; @StephPlusFour
• Debi Lantzer - Blog; @DebiL1611
• Jessica McCartney - Blog; @thetamburarunner
• Pam McGowan - Blog; @pam_mcgowan
• Rachel Frutkin - Blog; @running_onhappy
• Doug Picard - Blog; Facebook

4. Extending the long run to 15 miles.  Result:  I didn't do this, but I will have to this year because--Peeps:

2016 is the year of the marathon for Stephani!  

Yep.  I will be running away from trouble and running towards 26.2.  

I have plenty of ideas on how to get there, and I have lots of plans for improving my running and strength.  I won't share all of my plans with you now, but be prepared for some experimentation with doses of runner's high, sweat, and possibly some swear words.  Nothing you haven't seen/heard from me already, right?

My mom sent me this hat.  It lit up until I broke it.  I'm adorable, right?

Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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

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.

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

To Set or not to Set a Running Goal

I'd like to clarify something about my last post:  But Was It Fun?  I guess I assumed that most people who read this blog know me, but you know what they say about ASSUME.  In my last blog post I talked about losing the fun factor in the Akron Half Marathon because I am pursuing a time goal.  This didn't sit well with some runners, and believe me, it doesn't sit well with me either; that's why I'm still thinking about it.

Those who know me would kindly say that I am goal-driven.  When I have a goal, and I have a goal for every aspect of my life in which I have some control, I do everything I can to hit that goal.  Once I do hit it, I release myself from it. . .until I find a new goal.  In the case of the Akron Half Marathon, my goal is to run it in 1:59:59.  This will be tough for me, and that is why I wrote the post about what it takes to achieve the goal.  I have seen plenty of running bloggers post race recaps in which they talked about "taking it easy" by walking, posting selfies, visiting the port-o-potties, and then I see their overall times, and they are always way faster than me.  Usually around 1:50.  It drives me insane to know that it doesn't come easy for me, and that is one reason why I need to prove to myself that I can do it at least once.  Once I accomplish this goal, I will absolutely be glad to let it go; there is no way I want to top a sub-2 hour half marathon.  I will be happy to enjoy every half-marathon I run for the rest of my life.

I'm still a fairly-new runner; I've only really been running for three years, and that was with time off for the broken foot.  What this means is that when I race a 5k, a 10k, or a half marathon, I have to PR it, or I'm angry with myself.  I know that I will eventually be able to let these goals go, too, but I need to push myself a little more while I can.  There will come a day when I will be able to look at my results in a race and do this:




That day is not today or even tomorrow.

Let's talk about you and your goals.  You don't need to set goals in races.  Maybe your goal is to socialize more by running with a group.  Maybe you want to increase or maintain your fitness level.  Maybe you want to increase your distance or try a new trail or justify those brightly-colored shoes that you couldn't resist.  None of these goals involve a certain time in a race, and nobody says that your goals aren't right.  When I write about my goals, I don't expect anyone else but me to focus on them (except for you, Shelby--you are going to crush this goal).  What I hope is that you are thinking about your own goals and what you intend to do to achieve them.

Today's run:  11.5 miles with the Turtles

Pre-run fuel:  Panera chocolate chip bagel with Panera cream cheese (Yay for change; change is good!), coffee with Thin Mint creamer, 16 oz. water

Fuel during run:  Chocolate Outrage GU, lots and lots of water

Right around mile 9, I started obsessing about food.  As you have read before, I have a difficult time keeping to the right kinds of post-run fuel (especially if there is any kind of pasta in the fridge).  Panera, as a sponsor of the Akron Marathon, has a training menu, and in my mind I was running through all the different foods I would like to eat from it.  This became my focus at mile 10:

Egg and Cheese on Ciabatta.  Hello, Beautiful!

Because I was completely disgusting after my run, I didn't stop at Panera on the way home, but I did make myself an egg and cheese sandwich. Not as good as what you see here, but very satisfying, and not tortellini salad, so I suppose I am improving.

It's a goal.

Turtle Season Open!

Today marks a full year that I have been a runner.  I'm not counting all the walking and sissy-running I did before I joined the Towpath Turtles.  When I started the running season last year, I did not even know what I did not know.  Shoes?  Fuel?  What the hell is Gu, anyway?  Tapering--does that involve duct tape?  It was so overwhelming.  Each Sunday that I ran with the group, I picked the brains of the runners around me.  I pestered them with question after question, and they were always kind and honest with their answers.  Now I pester them with teasing and mocking. . . and they are still always kind and honest.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I look out the window on a rainy day.

Today started the new Turtle season, and I was so happy to see so many beginning runners.  I know what they are in for, and I know how much they will learn about themselves in one year.  It made me happy to see so many future friends gather to investigate why people run.  (Can you tell the endorphins from my long run haven't faded away?  I love you, man.)

This is my message to new Turtles:  Don't make goals right now; just be.  Any goal that you make will not truly measure your capability.  You do not understand right now how great you will be at the end of just one tiny year.  Just follow the group on Sundays and work into your weekday runs.  Sign up for as many Turtle races as you can when they happen.  Don't look ahead to them now.  Let your success surprise you in the beginning, and then expect it when you have learned more about your extraordinary physical and mental powers.

I am running away from trouble, and you are running to self-discovery.  We can do it together.  Run with me.