Do As I Say, Not As I Did

If you have a bicycle, and you don’t know how to repair a flat tire, you must learn before going out on your next ride. This is an order, not a suggestion.

I purchased my road bicycle in the early spring of 2009. Yep, well over 2 years ago. And up until last night, I have never changed a flat tire by myself. How completely and utterly ignorant of me. I have had my fair share of flat tires, they just happened to occur just a mile or so from my destination and then I would take it to my local bike shop and they would fix the flat and send me on my merry way. I attended a maintenance “class” once, basically it was a really annoyed guy that quickly demonstrated everything but didn’t have time for questions or to allow us to practice. Awesome. So basically I had witnessed someone changing a flat, but I didn’t know how. Up until yesterday, I didn’t even have all of the proper equipment needed to repair a flat. Thanks dude who sold me all of my cycling gear, way to not go the extra step to ensure I made a happy transition from runner to cyclist by fully educating me on the essentials. UGH.

Rewind a few days, Saturday afternoon I had quite a bit of time on my hands and decided to get in a decent ride at one of my favorite metroparks. I was really excited to use my Garmin too so that I knew how many miles I actually was riding. I was going along at a steady clip of 3:30-4:00 minute pace per mile and had just zoomed past the 12 mile mark when my rear tire went flat as a pancake. I stayed calm and realized I had a few options:

• I could lock my bicycle up to a tree and run the 12 miles back to my car, it would be uncomfortable and would take a while, but it could also prove to be dangerous as I didn’t have much water or gatorade left.
• I could walk with my bicycle back to the Nature Center, which was about 2 miles away and ask for help.

I decided to walk to the Nature Center, if no one could help me, I could lock my bike up there and run 10 miles back, and fill up my water bottles at the water fountain on the premises.

When I entered the Nature Center, I was actually taken aback by how unfriendly and unwilling to help multiple people were. A few volunteers had an attitude and before I could even state what my claim was said in a snarky voice ‘Do you need water or SOMETHING?! It’s over there’. I swallowed the lump in my throat and replied ‘Thank you for the water, but actually I need more help than that, I have a flat tire and…’ then I was rudely cut-off and told ‘We can’t help you we don’t have a repair kit’. I responded, ‘Well, actually I was hoping I could speak to a Park Ranger and see if he/she could give me a ride back to my car, parked at the Marina 10 miles from here’

Que the crickets. You would have thought with all the quizzical looks I received I was speaking a foreign language.

Eventually multiple people (who were not rangers) basically stated they didn’t think the Park Rangers would be willing to do something like that…

Um…maybe I’m wrong but isn’t part of a Park Ranger’s job description to ensure the safety of its visitors? I think on a hot as balls day with high humidity, that if I ran back to my car, things could have gotten dangerous. Yes, I realize it is my fault that I didn’t have the essentials needed to repair my bicycle, but you would think someone would be willing to help me, maybe just a bit? What if I did successfully repair my flat and got another one? Or what if I injured myself when I got my flat, etc.

They also said ‘Um, don’t you have someone you can call?’ and I responded quietly ‘Actually, no, I don’t, my husband is out-of-town and I have no one else who could help me’. I had almost given up hope and stated calmly that I would just lock my bicycle up in the bicycle rack and hoof it back to my car on foot. Then a Good Samaritan who overheard the conversation chimed in that she would happily give me a ride back to my car.

The volunteers looked at her like she was nuts. This woman was supposed to be helping out with a music program in a little over an hour, and one of the staff members she was supposed to be helping stated ‘Well, the music program is your first priority, do you honestly think you can drive her to the Marina and back and make it back in time for the program?’ I seriously couldn’t make this up if I tried. The musician assured them she would be back in time, as it was only a 20 mile round-trip.

I thanked the woman SO very much and we had a nice chat with one another as we piled into her car. Once we got in we discussed various types of music, as she wanted to ensure she played something that I would enjoy. John Denver was on the speakers, and I told her I couldn’t be happier.

After the music selection was out-of-the-way, we got into a pretty deep conversation about how sad the world has become. I had no one to call to help me, I had my cell phone but I honestly don’t know a single other person in my town. I’ve lived in my apartment for almost 2 years and I ‘ve never met a single neighbor of mine, the only person I know in my town is my husband.

We discussed how sad it was that only 1 out of 10 people I spoke to offered to help me out today. 10% success rate? Awesome.

As our little journey came to an end, I thanked the woman a million times more and bid her good luck with her musical program. She said she was happy to help another soul out and said she knew I would return the favor to someone else in need one day. As she drove away I couldn’t help but notice the bumper sticker on the back of her Rav4 reading: Namaste. In Yoga class we bow and say ‘Namaste’ to one another at the end of our class. It is a greeting that essential means that the spirit in me respects the spirit in you. I made a connection with the amazing spirit of a stranger that day, and my faith in humanity was renewed by her reaching out and respecting me as her fellow citizen.

After this little bump in my day, I vowed that I would take my bicycle to a local shop, have them fix my tire and show me, step-by-step how to successfully change a tire and outfit me with the essential tools needed for the job. I can proudly say that last night I successfully changed my flat tire in less than 12 minutes. Not too shabby for a rookie, eh?

Morals of the story:

• Be safe out there folks, take the proper precautions and educate yourself. Be prepared!
• When you are in a bind, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There really are good people out there!
• Don’t turn a blind eye to a fellow citizen in need, have the balls to help a brother or sister out. Kindness, pass it on.

Have you ever been in such a predicament? What did you do?

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Race Recap: Beulah Beach 5K: 21:58

Saturday I had the pleasure of heading over to the quaint Lake Erie beach town of Vermilion to toe the line for the second year in a row at the Beulah Beach 5K. Last year I was clueless about the course layout, and just thought it would be a fun race to do with my buddy and V-town local Kimi. This seriously ranks up there as one of the toughest 5K courses I have ever run. But that’s the appeal, it is more of a cross-country race with the small amount of road, and it takes me back to my high school and college running days. Oh the memories!

This year they changed up the last half of the race to make it a little tougher. The race starts on the beach running through the sand, then up a solid hill to the road. Multiple turns snake you through the roads and then you fly down a grassy hill, around a corner and then shoot right back up another hill. You then proceed to run a short straight-away on road,  down another muddy hill, under a bridge and then it’s nothing but trail for the rest of the race. The trails were crazy muddy and full of puddles, and then out of no where we had to shoot across a wooden bridge which was holy slippery! I basically had to slow down to a swift walk for fear of slipping and falling. After the turn-around in the woods you back-track through the trails and finally end the race with a tough climb of a hill that is capped off with a 100 meter straight-away of pavement to the finish shoot.

My expectations going in to the race were just to push myself and have fun. I also had a title to defend as the previous year I won the race. Talk about pressure!

The race had a nice crowd of participants, the majority seeming to be teenagers which is great to see! At the beginning of the race I was in a little pack of boys who seriously were having an issue with me passing them. Each time I would come upon their shoulder, they would speed up to get away from me! I wanted to tell them that there was no shame in getting passed by a woman 10 years their senior, but I honestly didn’t have the energy. We zoomed through mile 1 at 6:14. I’m not sure what the rest of my mile splits were, but I did finish in 21:58, so they were much slower than that first mile. With the combination of heat, humidity and tough as nails course, I was rather pleased with my time. I finished 4th overall and was the 1st place female, take that teenage boys! The winning male participant didn’t even break 20 minutes so that made me feel even better about my time. Told you it was a tough course!

Highlights of the race?

• The boy wearing bermuda length jorts, a bright orange cotton tee and 1980′ style windbreaker who ran a pretty decent clip and was just out to have a good time. I hope for his sake he applied some body glide to some unmentionables.
• Seeing Mr. Slice of Kiwi complete his first real cross-country style race! He has always run road races in the past, so this was a special treat for him I’m sure. I love sharing my beloved sport with others!
• Our awesome race crew; Kimi & Miles cheered loud and took lots of great photos!

Workin' hard!

All and all it was a great way to kick-off my Saturday morning.

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NYC Marathon Training: Week 3

Monday: 45 minute pool run, 40 minutes elliptical

Tuesday: 8 mile run

Wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical, 60 minutes yoga

Thursday: 10 mile run

Friday: 60 minutes yoga, 8 mile run, 60 minute massage

Saturday: 2 mile warm-up 3.1 mile race, 12 mile bike ride and got a flat tire, 2 mile walk and 10 mile ride from a good samaritan (more on that later)

Sunday: 12 miles at 8:34 pace, 30 minute deep water run

Week 3 total running mileage: 43.1

This week was a nice little recovery week to prepare me as I head into another higher mileage week including my first 18 miler of the training program! The recovery week couldn’t have come at a better time with Mother Nature being so hot-headed. I honestly don’t know if I have ever been so sweaty in my entire life than after my runs this week!

Overall I am pleased with my workouts. Heat and humidity are my kryptonite, I’d seriously rather run through a torrential downpour or blizzard. But I am really proud of myself, I gutted it out through some miserable weather, and dug a little deeper than I thought possible. My long run was a tad slower than I had hoped, but not from lack of effort. I seriously felt like I was running 6 minute miles, but alas they were between 8:10-8:45 pace. A younger version of myself would have given up at some point today during that 12 miler and slipped into a slower, yet more comfortable pace. I dealt with some cramps in my side for 11 of my 12 miles, and nothing alleviated the pain, so I just grunted through it the best I could. There were moments that I wanted to stop and just throw in the towel and try again tomorrow, but then one of my favorite quotes popped into my head at one of my lowest points:

“The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.” ~ U.S. Soccer Champion Mia Hamm

Don’t ya just love that? It really boosted my mood and lit a fire under my tush. I have race goals that I want to accomplish and they aren’t going to come without me putting my nose to the grindstone and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I want to be the best runner I can be and really RACE a marathon. After all of the 26.2′s I have accomplished, I can safely say that I am finally starting to understand the distance and race strategies a little bit more, and I am ready to put it all out there, to push past my pain threshold, to blow through the walls that will pop-up in front of me and race to my fullest potential.

104 days until I toe the line in Staten Island!

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Daydreams & Heat Waves

Running the past week or so has been uncomfortable for obvious reasons, but know what helps me break out of my comfort zone on these scorching hot days? Daydreaming, that’s what.

One of my favorite things to do on runs is visualize things that I have to look forward to in the coming months, here are some of my favorites!

Visiting one of my oldest friends in the Windy City!

Friends since 6th grade!

Autumn, my favorite season by far is lurking around the corner somewhere and will be here before we know it!

Coco loves Autumn and carved pumpkins!

Vacationing in Denver to help the broski complete his first 26.2!

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

Columbus Marathon! Duh! Though I’m not racing, I’ll be getting in a good solid half-mary by helping pace a certain someone.

Muskie ballllllers

Girls only trip to NYC! And maybe, just maybe a little 26.2 mile jaunt that ends in my favorite park.

Oh I wish I could build a tree house in Central Park and live there forever and ever!

College football games! Even amidst all the scandal, I can’t deny how much fun it is to go to OSU-themed parties and cookouts and just be engulfed by the Scarlet & Gray madness! O-H-I-O!

Hang on Sloopy...

Of course some Harry Potter parties will be thrown into the mix.

Yep. We know how to get wild & crazy on the weekends!

So many exciting things to look forward to, don’t ya think? However, with all of these wonderful plans swirling in my mind, I do make time to check back into reality. Hot temps aren’t so bad when you get up to run before the sun rises, have plenty of popsicles in your freezer, access to iced lattes and beautiful sunsets on the regular.

Yes, this really is Lake Erie!

How are you staying sane during this heat wave? Any big plans for later in the year?

And one more thing! If you haven’t already, go check out my guest post that I wrote for Page at Twenty-Six & Then Some: ‘26 Things I Have Learned Through Running’ 

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NYC Marathon Training: Week 2

Monday: 60 minute deep water run

Tuesday: 9 mile run

Wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes strength-training, 60 minutes yoga

Thursday: 3 mile warm-up, 5 x 1600m with 800 m recovery in between, 3 mile cool-down (13.5 miles total)

Mile repeat breakdown:

mile 1: 6:58
mile 2: 6:54
mile 3: 6:46
mile 4: 6:42

mile 5: 6:31

Friday: 8 mile run through Highbanks, 8:54 pace – hello killer hills and trails!

Saturday: Long run: 16 miles, 8:26 pace

Sunday: 4 mile recovery with Kimi

6 miles just for fun, 8:27 pace, 10 miles total

Week 2 total mileage: 56.5 miles

Woo hoo! I am REALLY pleased with this week’s training. All of the workouts went well, even despite the high temps and humidity. Overall, my long run is the workout that I am most pumped about, especially after last week’s less than stellar run. I was in Columbus this weekend for multiple reasons, which allowed for me to meet up with sista from anotha mista for my long run on Saturday. Normally I’m a Sunday long run kinda girl, but it was the only time Amy could meet so switched the schedule up a bit.

Amy and I ran all around Westerville, through various parks, stayed mostly on the bike trails that snake through the city, and even hopped on Otterbein’s cross country course for a bit. We chatted away the entire time, and the run went by rather quickly. I felt like I was pushing myself a little more than I would if I was by my lonesome, and I am really glad I did. My overall pace was 8:26, and I felt awesome! Post run I took a 20 minute ice bath with 22 pounds of ice, sipped on a soy vanilla latte, and stretched. I woke up both Sunday morning and this morning without a tinge of soreness. Holla!

When I lived in Columbus I met Amy through working at a running store together, and the first time we hung out we went on a 20 mile run together. Seriously, if you want to get to know someone, I mean really get to know them, do something like this. After that run we knew we would be life-long friends and training partners. By running with Amy, I also met a handful of other awesome women, and amazingly our paces are all very similar.I always thought I enjoyed doing all of my runs on my own, but that all changed when I joined the ranks of this group of ladies. After getting married, I had to move to CLE for the hub’s job, and doing so, I left behind my training buddies who I try to run with whenever I am in town. One day I know I will be back residing in the Central Ohio area, and those ladies will welcome me back with open arms to regular training runs. In the mean time, I meet up with one or all of them when I am in town, and when I am back in the CLE I am a solo runner.

Me, Nate & Amy at the 2010 Columbus Marathon

Do you prefer to exercise alone or with a group? Or does it depend on your mood?

110 days until ” I wake up in a city that never sleeps” and run the largest marathon in the world!

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I Have a Confession…

Uh oh. I should have known this day would come. Over the years I have noticed a tinge of desire here and there, but nothing major, I would just sweep it under the proverbial rug and literally run away from the temptation. As time moved forward, it has invaded my psyche on an increasingly regular basis, and by now there is quite a mound under said rug. It has grown larger and stronger and morphed into a huge monster that wants out, and I can’t ignore it anymore. My friends, I have succumbed to Garmin envy.

To Garmin or not to Garmin? That is the question.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to get faster. I have successfully completed 8 full marathons without much integral data on hand. I don’t run so I can win races, or constantly get a PR, if races didn’t exist, or if I couldn’t afford to pay the entry fees, I would definitely still run. But ’something has changed within me, something is not the same’…I feel like I am only scratching the surface of figuring out the beast better known as the marathon. I know I can run faster, and while I’m still young, I want to take advantage of my increasing speed while I still can. I’m knocking on 30′s door, and there is no turning back! As Mommaberries would say, ‘Girl! You are no spring chicken!’ 

While in grad school I worked at a specialty running and walking store. I loved my job, I got paid to help other people get more physically active, and help outfit them with new kicks and gear. I really enjoyed the majority of my customers, but there was a certain demographic that could single-handedly ruin my day. The main similarity they all shared? – They all had Garmin’s strapped onto their wrist. When chatting with them, the usual small-talk, they would say things like ‘My finish time was X:XX:XX but my GARMIN said the course was long so I really ran faster than that’ Or, “My run was horrible today, my GARMIN couldn’t find its satellites’ Or ‘My race was ruined! My GARMIN didn’t charge fully and died half-way through the race!’ Statements like this would make me shudder. I wanted to shake them out of their Garmin haze and wipe the drool from their chin and help them snap out of their tech overload. I never wanted to be like those people. Sure I wanted to get faster, but I wanted to enjoy my sport for what it was, and not muddy the waters with unnecessary gadgets that clearly would drive me to the brink of insanity.

There is a part of me that loves data. I obtained my Masters in Exercise Science and have worked as an Exercise Physiologist. Now as a Health and Wellness coach, my professional life revolves around goal-setting, strategies and data. I can’t escape that side of me, but I have never fully allowed that side to blend into my running life. Or so I thought. But I was only fooling myself. I realized that my entire life as an athlete, I had coaches, and those coaches tracked my performance data for me, I never had to. Until I started my blog, I never really tracked my workouts in any sort of log, I never thought I needed to. I just did what my training schedule dictated and crossed off the workout on my calendar. While training for Boston, I began to document all of my workouts, and reflected on how I felt, what I ate, what the weather was like, etc. I ran my fastest marathon time, and had the time of my life doing so. I’m fairly certain there is a direct correlation between the increase of interest in my training data with my improved performances.

I run alone the majority of the time. I know the distances of some of my favorite training routes near my home broken down into mile increments but once I go somewhere else for a run, like a metropark, I have zero clue about my actual mileage, and it is all based on feel and estimation. Not exactly a science.

So. I did something that I never thought I would do. I bit the bullet and ordered myself a Garmin. And I can say with 100% confidence that I didn’t experience a single ounce of buyer’s remorse. I am excited to take my training and race performance to a new level, and see what I can do come November. But I’m only going to use this new gadget in moderation. I vow that I won’t let myself become obsessed with my shiny new toy and let it take over my life. I promise that I will strap on my trusty old non bells and whistles running watch for at least one of my runs each week and all runs while I am not training for a specific event. It’s a delicate balance.

Looks like now I’m going to have to eat some of my previously published words.

Do you think I made the right choice?

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Squash Those Feelings of Guilt!

So today I experienced something I’m sure we all do, financial guilt. Ick. Just so happens that all of my major bills are due in the same week this week and I had some unexpected expenses with having destroyed my side-view mirror on my car, and accidentally running over my road bicycle, yes I passed my driver’s exam fair and square! But that’s not where the guilt crept in.

On top of these aforementioned necessary evils, I splurged on some things that many would deem unnecessary: a few race registrations, new running shoes, a new running top and a plane ticket to visit an old friend. After I typed in my credit card numbers multiple times and clicked submit on various transactions, I crunched the numbers and how much I had spent. Oh vey. Now I’m very good about keeping an insanely low credit card balance, as it has never gone over $500 because debt totally freaks me out. I love saving money, but don’t get it twisted, I’m pretty darn good at spending it too. However, nothing gives me a thrill like seeing my savings account grow while my credit card balance stays at zero. Growing up I was the little girl who squealed with delight at the mere thought of feeding my piggy bank, and would regularly dump all of my loot out into a pile on the floor and count my grand totals. Please tell me I’m not alone with this behavior.

Well I allowed myself to feel guilty for oh about 5 minutes before I snapped out of it and realized something huge, the items I purchased were all linked to life experiences, not just things that would get tossed aside with a changing fashion trend, or when I would lose interest in it:

• Race registrations – some of the best moments of my 28 years on this Earth have been made in races! How could I feel guilty about that?
• Running shoes – Running is more than a form of exercise for me, it’s a way of life, and I have officially begun training for a huge, thrilling race – the NYC Marathon! So new kicks were a must, to help me stave off injuries and put a little extra pep in my step! And how can you beat overnight delivery from Zappos?! – Hello instant gratification!
• Running top – I am running in a Marathon Relay with some pretty rockin’ ladies, (ahem, @kimikay @LillyPea @jess_rowland @masher52 ) we want to all match and represent our Alma Mater in style! Also, I will literally wear that top until it wears holes in it, no joke. I still wear running shorts I have had for 8 years!
• Plane ticket – I don’t get to see one of my oldest friends very often, as she lives in the Windy City, and I have only gone to see her once in the past 5 years that she has lived there. Um, if I feel guilty about anything, it should be that I don’t see her more often!

When all is said and done, when I leave this Earth, I can’t take my bank account with me. Life is too short, and while being conservative and forward thinking with my money in terms of long-term goals like buying a home come into play, what kind of life would I lead if I never spent my hard-earned dolla dolla bills on life experiences and memory makers?

Black & Magenta running kicks?! Holllllla!!!

How about you, do you ever get the dreaded buyer’s remorse? Financial guilt? 

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Sweet Potato Stuffed Shells

I’ve been meaning to post this lil’ recipe I whipped up awhile back. Since realizing I no longer can consume dairy products, and committing to a vegan lifestyle, I am constantly trying to think up ways to alter recipes that I loved in my previous dairy-consuming days. I decided to try making stuffed shells and thought sweet potatoes would be a nice cheese substitute! This turned out DELICIOUS and was insanely easy to make.

Ingredients:

• Pasta shells
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 can of whole tomatoes (or diced if you prefer)
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F
• Boil as many pasta shells as you would like in a large pot of water for 15 minutes (or follow instructions on the box of the shells you purchased)
• While shells are boiling, combine pasta sauce, can of tomatoes and spinach into a saucepan and heat over low to medium, stirring occasionally
• Wash and chop sweet potatoes, and place in pot of boiling water for up to 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain potatoes, then put them in a bowl and mash. I sometimes add a pinch of Earth Balance vegan buttery spread to make them a bit creamier. Put aside
• Once noodles are tender, drain and rise with cold water and allow them to dry for a few minutes
• Spread sauce mixture on bottom of glass baking dish
• Fill each shell with a spoonful of sweet potato and arrange in baking dish
• Once all shells are placed in baking dish, pour remaining sauce over shells
• Place baking dish into oven uncovered for 15 minutes

Serve and enjoy!

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NYC Marathon Training: Week 1

It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here! I have officially kicked-off my training for the 2011 ING NYC Marathon! I decided to go with an 18 week training plan, and this first week was solid, and I was really happy with the results!

• Monday: Smiles for Sophie 5K, 3 mile warm-up, 3.1 mile race, 1 mile cool-down = 7.1 miles
• Tuesday: 9 mile run
• Wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical, 60 minutes yoga
• Thursday: 3 mile warm-up, 4 x 1600 hard w/ 800 m jogs in between, 3 mile cool-down = 12 miles total

Mile repeat breakdown:

mile 1: 6:45
mile 2: 6:55
mile 3: 6:53
mile 4: 6:53

• Friday: 60 minutes yoga, 8 mile run
• Saturday: Run for the Pierogies 5K, 3 mile warm-up, 3.1 mile race, 2 mile cool-down = 8.1 miles
• Sunday: Long run: 14 mile run, in 2:02:57, 8:46 pace per mile,

Run with the hubs: 2 miles

Week 1 total mileage: 60.2 miles

Snap! What a big training week! This was a unique week as I had 2 races thrown in there. I felt rather great on all of my runs, with the exception of today’s long run. It was already rather hot and humid at 7:00 am when I headed out to the roads. It literally took me to around mile 10 to feel any sort of relaxation, which was a total bummer, I live for my weekend long run! But alas, I needed to be reminded of a key component for summer training, I melt in the heat and I need to get on the roads before the sun comes up. Also, I need to refocus on proper hydration, I was pretty lazy about it this week, and I definitely felt the repercussions of my actions this morning. Lastly, I was reminded why I rarely consume alcohol and fried food. Last night the hubs and I attended a charity event that included various wine, beer and mixed drink tastings. I literally had 2 ounces of Skinnygirl Margarita, 2 sips of a wine that was nasty and maybe 3 sips of a slighty better sangria. I ate a veggie burger the size of my face that was OH so tasty, with a side of sweet potato tater tots and also had some fried pickles gross, who am I?! My stomach has become increasingly sensitive with age, and I just feel horrid after dining on these particular unhealthy options. Last night before falling asleep I literally thought I was going to toss my cookies, and broke out into a sweat. Be jealous. I eventually fell asleep and woke up feeling mediocre, which quickly turned to horrible once I started pounding the pavement.

One of my high school coaches always used to tell us ‘Garbage in, garbage out’, basically meaning, if we don’t fuel our bodies with quality calories, our running performance would suffer, and I am always reminded of this valuable lesson I picked up over a decade ago on mornings like this. Some people can handle eating and drinking basically anything they want and not be impacted negatively, but I guess I am not one of those folks, and I’m okay with that. I am really looking forward to having a great training season and a stellar race performance. I will do whatever I can do within my power to ensure that this all happens. Sayonara adult beverages, fried food, and sleeping in! 

What foods/beverages would you give up if you knew it would help you perform better in your sport?

118 days until I’m racing through all 5 boroughs of the Big Apple!

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Race Recap: Run for the Pierogies 5K: 20:45

This morning the hubs agreed to be my taxi driver  cheerleader/photographer and headed over to Parma with me for the First Annual Run for the Pierogies 5K. This race was unique as it was held in conjunction with Parma’s Relay for Life. When I first heard about the race a few months ago, I was all on board. As this week progressed, I was on the fence; I hadn’t registered yet, I had just raced on Monday, had a workout consisting of mile repeats on Thursday, and haven’t had a weekend where I didn’t have anything planned in a long time, and the allure of being plan-less for a few days was tempting. Then as the weekend drew nearer, I had a change of heart. I knew I had to do this race, cancer has rocked my boat multiple times, and being completely honest with myself, I knew I would be disappointed in myself if I ignored a great opportunity to raise money and awareness to fight this horrid disease.

When I arrived to the race site, I picked up my race packet, did a 3 mile warm-up, stretched, and before I knew it, it was time to toe the line, where I was lucky enough to bump into@MojaMala2 and @CLECraftBeerRun !

Prior to the start bell, the race director expressed his immense gratitude towards all the race participants. Being the first year of the race, he was nervous about how it would turn out. He would have been thrilled with 150 participants, which a few weeks prior, was where the registration number was. As the days leading up to the race clicked past, the participant field grew to 400+! How awesome! Having recently lost his mother to this ridiculous disease made the great turn-out that much sweeter. All of the registration fees will go to the American Cancer Society, and will be used to fund things like programs for cancer patients as well as research.

The race course wound through Cuyahoga Community College’s Western Campus. The course included 2 loops and its fair share of hairpin turns with very minimal shade cover. Going into this race, I had zero expectations, I knew it was going to be a struggle, my legs were toast from hard efforts just days prior, and I melt in the heat. When the race started I heard a handful of groans because it was a tight squeeze, and it was hard to break free of the pack and get a good placement early on in the race. Within seconds of the start I pulled out to the right side so that I could get around others and not have to bob and weave or stutter-step too much in the beginning. From the get-go I was neck and neck with the race’s eventual overall female winner.

Still early on

I lost her shortly after the first mile after we came blazing through at 6:12. Half-way through the second mile, the monkey jumped on my back, I started cramping up in my upper thighs, and I just felt horrible. I slowed way down and clocked my second mile at 6:57. I tried my hardest to get my mojo back in the last 1.1, and struggled to finish the last 1.1 miles in 7:36. My overall finish time was 20:45, a 6:40 overall pace per mile. I managed to place 2nd overall for women, which completely shocked me, but I will totally take it!

Trying to finish strong!

Post race I did a 2 mile cool-down by running out on the course and cheering for everyone else out running and walking. I got to see Jess finish, and I spotted Kali with just under a mile to finish! Great job ladies!  Post-race I also had the pleasure of meeting multiple tweeps in real life! @HungryInCLE @poiseinparma @whycle ! Social media rocks.

And yes, pierogies were plentiful post-race, say that five times fast, made fresh and also of the frozen variety – Jess won some in a post-race raffle! But don’t ask me how they tasted, as I did not indulge, these pierogies weren’t on the vegan-friendly list. Maybe next year?

All smiles!

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