Cleveland Marathon 2012....Goodbye Demons

As many of you know, I have had some bad karma the past two years at Cleveland Marathon events.  I decided I was going to take on my demons from the past by running the 1/2 at the Cleveland Marathon this year.  I figured this was the perfect event to take on for my May 1/2 marathon. 

Race morning came early as it always does.  When we got to Brown's Stadium around 6:30 or so it was already 71 degrees.  It was nice to use the restrooms inside the stadium instead of port-a-potties for once.  After using the restroom we all headed to the start line where I saw my friends Bill and Kristin and gave them both hugs and wished them luck.  After I said my hellos we took a few pictures.

Kim, Becky, Missi, Me, and Bick

Our running shoes



As we were standing at the start line, talking with Dave who had come downtown to support us during the race, we decided we were going to try and run a sub-2.  During this discussion Jenn was trying to make her way to us as she wanted to run with Kim.  Eventually Jenn caught up with us and shortly after that the race started.  My plan was to run with the girls and run by feel.  The start of the race is straight uphill and we were all feeling it.  I was quite happy with our 9:33 for the first mile.  Once we had the first mile behind us I settled into a good pace and we were all running together.  I would check in with the girls every so often to be sure everyone was doing okay.  The next 8 miles we ran between 8:35 and 9:34.  The sun was beating down on us and I was definitely feeling it.  I had started dumping water on my head and down my back around mile 6 to try and keep my body temperature down.  I was still doing okay until we hit a crazy hill at mile 10.  I knew once we hit that hill I needed to slow it down and run smart due to the heat and lack of breeze not to mention the fact that I had witnessed several people passed out and ambulances on the course at this point.  I made the decision to walk the hill at mile 10 and I am glad I did.  Even with walking the hill my mile split was under a 10 minute mile.  At this point I had no idea if anyone was still running near me.  I had lost all sight of everyone.  During mile 11 I did a 3/1 run/walk and managed to pull of a 10:11 mile.  Mile 12 was my slowest mile all day at 10:57, but I am totally fine with it because I did stop to walk with a girl that looked as if she may go down.  I gave her some of my water and she seemed to be doing better so I continued on.  At the last water stop around mile 12.5 I grabbed two glasses of water as I had been doing since mile 6.  I would dump one on my head and one down my back.  However at this particular water stop they ran out of water and the girl next to me had a full marathon bib on so I told her to go ahead and take both of my cups of water as she had a long way to go.  I figured I could walk to the finish line if I had to.  She was very appreciative and thanked me.  I was more than happy to do it as she needed that water much more than I did at that point.  She went on her way for the full and I continued on towards the finish line.  As I was approaching the stadium I came upon a girl that was walking and told her she could do it because we were almost there.  She started running with me and the next thing I knew she was long gone.  I just ran a steady pace to the finish line.  She had to be running fast because I ran mile 13 in 9:21.  I vividly remember the final tenth of a mile because I realized I hadn't been affected by Cleveland event demons past one single time.  I was in fact finishing the Cleveland 1/2 Marathon with a smile on my face with an official time of 2:06:17.  I say "take THAT Cleveland!"  I noticed Missi in the finisher's chute right in front of me so the two of us waited for everyone else to finish.  I wasn't feeling the greatest so I downed a bottle of water, a chocolate milk, and a banana.  I slowly started feeling better once I had a chance to sit down.  After everyone was done we talked a bit more and had some pictures taken.

Never so happy to be done!!

Congratulations 1/2 marathoners!!

In the end I was actually incredibly happy with my 2:06 finish in Sunday's conditions.  The best part is that I didn't experience any demons of Cleveland past! Oh and my time was actually a PR for the Cleveland 1/2 course so I will take it.

Will I ever run another event at the Cleveland Marathon again?  Well all I can say is never say never....

Oh and for those that read my post prior to the 1/2, I did not meet my secret goal.  In fact based on the temperature at the start line I didn't even try!! 

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Never Say Never

Remember last year in this post when I said I would never run another event at the Cleveland Marathon?  Well, I should never say never because I just received the following email.

Dear Jodi:
Please take a minute to read these final instructions for the 35th Annual Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and the Rite Aid Cleveland 5K presented by the Organization for Autism Research. Our website, www.clevelandmarathon.com , is also a great resource for the most up-to-date event information.


Your bib number is 12546. You are registered for the Half Marathon.

See the Cleveland 1/2 Marathon was the first half I ran after returning to running in 2009 and I finished issue free with a smile on my face so I decided I would return to Cleveland for my May 1/2 marathon.

As many of you know my 2010 Cleveland Marathon experience ended in an ambulance.

Followed by my 2011 Cleveland experience ending at the finish line after almost 6 hours filled with anxiety attacks and frustration.  To this day, I stand by the statement that I would not have finished the race if Dave hadn't been with me every step of the way.  I am forever grateful for his support that day.

I do have a secret goal for this Sunday's half marathon but that goal is between me and my running shoes.  I will let you know how it turns out!!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

April in Review

I seriously can't believe it is May 1 already.  Where did the time go?  Before we know it we will be wrapping up another school year and I will be enjoying my summer off.  The start of a new month also means another month in review is in order.

April 2012 stats
95.3-- running miles
0-- bike miles
0-- pool workout
0-- core fitness workouts
95.3-- total miles
151.8-- weight as of April 30, 2012 (same as March)
Current 2012 stats
353.60-- running miles
6-- bike miles
1-- pool workout
56-- core fitness workouts
359.60-- total miles
151.8-- current weight

2012 "to do list" April check-in
2012 Running Goals
1. My number one running goal is to run a sub-1:50 half marathon
-I attempted this at Louisville over the weekend but had to back off at mile 10 due to a hamstring twinge.  We will see what happens over the next few months in regards to this goal.
2. Secondary to the goal of a sub-1:50, I would like to attempt to run another marathon PR (sub-4:10:11) with a stretch goal of running a sub-4:00:00
-I haven't really thought too much about this one lately

2012 Mini Running Challenges
1. Run 100 miles per month
-95.3 miles run in April- Less than 5 miles shy this month but I am trying to listen to my body and my heel basically screamed at me yesterday when I even considered hitting the treadmill for those final miles.  I still have a slight ache in the heel so I will probably take today off as well and hope for the best tomorrow.
2. Run a half marathon each month
-Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon (1:53:47)
2012 Non-Running Mini Challenges
1. Increase the amount of cross-training/strength training I do on a monthly basis
-0 cross training/strength training workouts done in April- huge fail on my part.  I even watched a core video with the intention of doing the workout a few times a week in April.  I really have no excuse, I just simply didn't do it.
2. Focus on choosing and cooking healthier foods
-8 well-balanced meals prepared in April- not too bad considering there was Spring Break and Easter thrown in there.
3. Drink more water
-I continued on the right track with this one for April.
4. I promised a certain someone that if they ran a marathon with me I would learn to swim so I intend to make good on that promise this year.
-There was some discussion in regards to this one as my mom pointed out that I can tread water, float on my back, and swim a bit like a frog.  I think my problem is that I don't know how to breathe properly and I don't like getting water up my nose so I need to take lessons to fix this.

April was another great month running weather wise!!  Although I fell short of 100 miles, April ended on a great note with our trip to Louisville to knock another state off our quest to run a 1/2 in all 50 states.  9 states down, 41 to go.  Looking foward to deciding which state we are going to conquer next!
Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon Race Report

This past weekend found me in Louisville, KY with Deb and Nikki to knock out yet another state on our quest to run a 1/2 marathon in all 50 states.  Nikki and I got into Louisville in the early afternoon and headed to the expo to pick up our packets as well as Deb's.  After getting everything we needed at the expo we checked into the hotel and then we headed to the airport to pick up Deb.  Deb flew in from CT after visiting her dad after his recent heart attack.  We all agreed it was definitely good for her to get away from it all and just worry about her for a change.  It has been a very long three weeks for her.  I truly think the race was a much needed break for her.  Yes, I realize I just said 13.1 miles was a break.  Once we picked up Deb we headed to dinner.  Nikki had done some research online in regards to the best places to eat in Louisville.  We ended up at Lynn's Paradise Cafe.  It was a very quaint, artistic restaurant with absolutely wonderful food.

Believe it or not the flowers are not real

A round of drinks

After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed for a little while and then decided to go to the hotel bar for a drink before calling it a night.  We didn't stay downstairs too long before we were back in our room, setting the alarm for 5:30 AM.  The plan was to leave for the start line by 6:30 AM and I do believe we were within a few minutes of that time.  Once we got downtown we had a bit of a problem finding a place to park.  Eventually we ended up parking next to a meter and feeding it all of the change we had in the car.  We agreed that if the meter ran out and we got a ticket we would just split the cost and with that we started our walk to the starting line.  We didn't get to the starting line until after the race started but our corral hadn't gone yet so we were good.   

Ready to conquer another state!

My goal was to run another sub-2 hour half with a huge stretch goal of running that sub-1:50 or at least a PR.  The course was really nice and the weather was perfect.  Even the short-lived pouring rain was wonderful!  It was also really fun to run through Churchill Downs, however I was a little freaked out by the narrowness of the tunnels we had to run through.  I was pretty much sandwiched between two other runners and I couldn't get out of there fast enough which was a challenge due to the sand that was in the tunnels.  I did take a minute to admire the horses that were running on the track before heading back onto the city streets to finish the race.  Soon after we came out of Churchill Downs, the two lead male runners came flying past us behind the clock that read 1:37 and they were a good 18+ miles into their race already.  I don't think I saw the third place runner until at least 20 minutes later.  It was fun to be able to clap and cheer for them as they went past.  Around mile 10 I felt a slight twinge in my hamstring so I backed off the pace a bit and decided sub-2 would be sufficient for the day.  I still have time to hit that sub-1:50 mark.  One 5K later and I crossed the line in 1:53:47 with a smile on my face.  I was happy with my time and I was happy to be done.  I collected my medal, blanket, and some water and headed to the family reunion area to wait for Deb and Nikki.  Once I found Nikki she decided to head to the car to make sure we didn't get a ticket and then she was going to come and pick us up.  I waited for Deb and once she finished we left and met up with Nikki for our ride.  When Nikki was researching restaurants she also came across Cake Flour, a bakery known for its flourless chocolate cake, so we stopped in and grabbed some sweet treats to enjoy.

Yes I will admit that I ate all three of them by myself in one day!!

We finally made it back to the hotel to get cleaned up and then we all took a nap.  I think it may have been the best nap I have ever taken!  We decided on dinner at the Corner Cafe where we once again had really good food.  After dinner we ended up going downtown to the Garage Bar for a drink.  We were sitting outside as it was quite a lovely night and then out of nowhere it started pouring and hailing so we headed inside the restaurant to wait it out.  Once the rain slowed down we headed back to the hotel and called it a night. 

Sunday morning we got ready and headed back to Lynn's Paradise Cafe for breakfast.  Bourbon Ball French Toast and BLT Home Fries, need I say anymore?  Since all of us had eaten everything we purchased at Cake Flour on Saturday we had to head back so we could buy more pastry to bring home and share.  We made one final stop at the Louisville Slugger Museum gift shop to buy a few things and then started our journey home.

Holy baseball bat

And a glove and ball to go with it

It was another great weekend getaway with amazing friends!  As always I am looking forward to the next one!

1/2 marathon in all 50 states status:  #9 completed
Bring on #10

So Deb, where are we going next?

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

March in Review

As March comes to a close, I am once again grateful for the very mild winter we have had in Ohio this year.  It makes for pleasant running conditions!

March 2012 stats
73.1-- running miles
0-- bike miles
0-- pool workout
27-- core fitness workouts
73.1-- total miles
151.8-- weight as of March 31, 2012 (an increase of .4 but I certainly can't complain about that since I added sweets and chips back into my diet)

Current 2012 stats
258.3-- running miles
6-- bike miles
1-- pool workout
56-- core fitness workouts
264.3-- total miles
151.4-- current weight

2012 "to do list" March check-in
2012 Running Goals
1. My number one running goal is to run a sub-1:50 half marathon
-I am considering attempting my sub-1:50 at my April or May half marathon
2. Secondary to the goal of a sub-1:50, I would like to attempt to run another marathon PR (sub-4:10:11) with a stretch goal of running a sub-4:00:00
-I haven't really thought too much about this one lately
2012 Mini Running Challenges
1. Run 100 miles per month
-73.1 miles run in March- I fell short again this month but a nagging hamstring and foot influenced my decision to take additional rest days and I'm happy to report that both the hamstring and foot are feeling better.
2. Run a half marathon each month
-Rock CF Rivers 1/2 Marathon (1:53:15)
2012 Non-Running Mini Challenges
1. Increase the amount of cross-training/strength training I do on a monthly basis
-27 core workouts done in March
2. Focus on choosing and cooking healthier foods
-15 well-balanced meals prepared in March
3. Drink more water
-I further increased my water intake for March so I am moving in the right direction here
4. I promised a certain someone that if they ran a marathon with me I would learn to swim so I intend to make good on that promise this year.
-I looked at the swim lesson information again and am trying to figure out when I can take lessons.

March was a decent month with lots of amazing running weather!  I am excited to see how April goes since I have finally created a plan to work towards that sub 1:50 1/2 marathon goal!  Next stop for the 1/2 marathon in all 50 states is Louisville, Kentucky at the end of the month!  I'm definitely looking forward to another trip with Deb and Nikki!  Should we take our Derby hats?  LOL!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Rock CF Rivers 1/2 Marathon Race Report

In keeping with my 2012 mini running challenge of running a half marathon each month, I headed to Gross Ile, Michigan last weekend with some of my Sunday morning running partners so we could participate in the Rock CF rivers 1/2 Marathon.  Once we arrived in Michigan on Saturday we checked into our hotel, freshened up and then headed to packet pick up.  After we had everything we needed from there we made our way to the restaurant where we would be eating dinner.  We ended up arriving early so we spent some time walking around and taking some fun pictures by the water.

After Missi, Kim, Jenn and I finished taking pictures and checking things out we headed back to the restaurant to meet up with the rest of our party.  Kim grew up in Michigan so we planned to meet up with some of her friends for dinner.  The food and the company were absolutely fantastic which made for a great evening!  I have to say the hot fudge ice cream puff I had for dessert was divine and definitely worth every last calorie!

Once dinner was over, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel to get some rest before our 4:45 AM alarms.

The alarm went off all to early on Sunday and I pressed snooze I few times but eventually got up and made coffee, had my usual breakfast, and got dressed for the race.  The plan was to meet in the lobby of the hotel at 6:00 AM.  We made it on time and headed out to the car when I realized I had forgotten my gels in the room so I had to quickly run back in and grab them.  At least it wasn't my Garmin that I forgot this time.  I tend to have a habit of doing that more often than I would like to admit.  I finally made it back to the car and we headed to the airport so we could take the shuttle to the race start.  The shuttle ran very quickly and efficiently and we were to the start before we knew it.  We spent some time using the restroom and taking pictures before we headed to the start line of the race.  We met numerous others during this time and every single one of them was just wonderful.  There's just something about the bond between runners that never gets old!  It often seems like you have been friends for years with the people you meet!

The race started right on time and my goal was to run a sub-2 again so I could make it 3 for 3 sub-2 for 2012.  We all started out together and after a few miles we were all running our own races.  It was a beautiful course with wonderful course support and great cheerleaders.  Everyone on the course was very kind and willing to chat for a few minutes during the run.  Around mile 11 or so I asked a guy that was running next to me if we were almost done.  He assured me that I was looking great and then we chatted about marathons and such and then it came up that I was in town from Cleveland and he mentioned that his friends Dave and Nell had some friends in from Cleveland.  It was a bit comical when we realized that I was one of the people that had come in to town and had dinner with Dave and Nell.  At this point we introduced ourselves to one another and I learned that his name was Jeff.  He was pretty much my running angel at that point as he basically ran the rest of the race with me!  Thanks again Jeff for pushing me to that finish line in a very respectable time of 1:53:15!!  Once I received my medal and caught my breath, Dave and I headed back out on the course to find our friends.  Before I knew it Missi was approaching and she was on pace for one heck of a PR.  I don't think she was real happy to see my at first but when she saw that she ran a 2:00:59 (over a 6 minute PR) she was very happy!!  Shortly after Missi finished Kim came flying by on the track and ran a 2:05:10 and earned herself a PR as well!!  I asked Missi if she wanted to head back out and get Jenn and she said no thanks.  I completely understood and set out to find Jenn.  It wasn't too long before I found her and I ran her the rest of the way in.  She ran a very respectable race and was quite happy to finish right in the middle of her goal time.  We took the obligatory post-race pictures of course and then headed back to the hotel to clean up and head home.

Overall, it was a great quick weekend with the Sunday morning long run girls.  We were all very impressed with the organization of the event and we will return! 


Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Final February Challenge Check In and A March Challenge

Today marked the 30th day of my February challenge.  So how did it go?
I challenge myself to not eat any sweets for 30 days.
I did not eat ONE SINGLE sweet for 30 days
I challenge myself to not eat any potato chips for 30 days.
I did not eat ONE SINGLE chip for 30 days
I challenge myself to complete a 30 day fitness program in addition to my February running.
I did a core fitness workout EVERY SINGLE DAY for 30 days

In the end I am very pleased with my successful challenge.  An added bonus to sticking to my February challenge was losing 5.4 pounds.  I definitely can't argue that!


So what does March have in store for me?  Well, I'm going to take a shot at this challenge!

Who wants to join me this month?


Keep running, you're simply the best, and you isnpire me!!