Back on July 9 the Barton Family (minus the one in Cincinnati) went to see the
Tall Ships that were docked at Fairport Harbor. It was a day of waiting in line...but it was cool to see. We found a great parking spot (avoiding the $20 parking lot) and walked to the entrance on the Grand River...then walked a mile to the end of the line. An hour later we made our way back to the entrance and got in. Then we stood in line to get on a Tall Ship. And remained in that line as they snaked us around the whole ship. It was really neat. The crew are college kids on an adventure. They sleep in little hammocks ~ which would be the best night's sleep ever. After that ship, we stood in line to get on another ship. This was the one that looked like the pirate ship in
The Goonies. There were cannons and all sorts of cool stuff to see. When we got off that ship, Jacob wanted a lemonade. So we stood in that line ~ only to find out, they don't take cash, "You'll have to go get tickets." seriously? yep. Went to the ticket tent & stood in that line so we could return to the lemonade line & get a lemonade. At least it was good.
I do not have to go back to see the Tall Ships again, but I've very glad we saw them this one time.
Landon had a themed birthday party. Can you guess the theme? #twinning for me and Mike.
On July 21 Mike and I celebrated 26 years of marriage with very good steaks from
Bendelewski's
And then I went to Michigan.
We went in Bean's new car & she let us eat messy things like Combos and popcorn and Pringles in her new car. It took hours upon hours upon hours to get there because of stopped traffic (construction) on the turnpike & driving through storms ~ but we got there & had our customary dinner at
The Roadhouse. Yum. The waiter whom Kirsten outed years ago is now a manager type...very in charge.
It was HOT. Friday we spent at the beach and ate burned to a crisp steaks for dinner, which were not AMAZING. Saturday I took my 12 mile run into New Buffalo down past all the beautiful houses. There's lots of new construction...building these million dollar houses right on the sand. Seems silly ~ like I learned a song about that in Sunday School as a child ~ but they are beautiful with AMAZING views. We spent Saturday in the Lake as it was too hot to be anywhere else (unless you were Bean, but that's not a story for here)
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| The steps to the beach |
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| My turnaround point on my run Saturday morning! |
On July 27 I joined the MHS XC team on their annual Cedar Point "team building" trip. SO MUCH FUN. Got there right at 10:00 and headed to
Valravn ~ sat in the FRONT ROW & it was AMAZING (to use a Union Pier word) We waited for Valravn about an hour & that was the longest line of the day. Rode Millennium Force, Magnum, Top Thrill Dragster, Max Air... all the awesome stuff. And it was HOT. The girls wanted to go on the water rides, so we split up & let them have at it. John, Kelly & Becca spent the day catching Pokemon. SO FUNNY to watch them.
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| My Name's Not Jenny |
We ended the day at Starbucks & the Distler/Chandler clan have a rule that you have to give a Harry Potter name. I chose Ginny. The rest of them picked long obscure names (well, Becca was Luna) and everyone had theirs close enough...
Here's a drink that is better than an iced Chi Tea Latte from Starbucks...a Corona-Rita from
Compadres
Saturday, I was dressed and waiting for Mike to come home so we could go grocery shopping. He came home, ate and went upstairs to change his clothes. This is what he comes downstairs in. #twinningagain This time, I made him go change (after taking a picture & sending it to Jake...as this is his band's t-shirt!
#icecreammilitia
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| Four different Beach Glass Adventures. LOTS of beach glass. I think today was a record amount. |
Now that I've done my July Life Recap...I can get to the running. It's been rough this month. It's been HUMID. If you remember, I hurt my calf at the end of June & ran 12 miles the first week in July. After two weeks of taking it easy & not really running...it's better. I also have had three visits with the
Chiropractor & I think that will help me overall through this training. I have to be good about my stretching & strengthening & core work. I'm really good at saying that...not so good at doing it. I noticed last Thursday that my shoes are starting to fall apart. The sole is detaching from the shoe part. I called Brooks running and the lady told me they could help. I filled out a form...waiting to hear if I'm getting a new pair. She was very nice and helpful...and we'll see what happens. I usually can get well over 350 miles out of a pair of Brooks Glycerins, so it's disappointing that these are destructing at just under 250 miles. My big fear is this is the end of Brooks running for me. I can't spend $150 on a pair of shoes if they aren't going to last. And I LOVE my Brooks Glycerin shoes. So I hope it's an anomaly and not the norm.
Running has been Tuesdays with MMS, Thursdays with MHS & NERC, Saturdays with MGR ~ mostly me and Mike.
July Running Log:
JulyTotals:
117.03 miles for the month
826.2 miles for the year
242.32 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~no Gortex runs this month
431.67 miles in my Old Brooks Glycerin 13 (the gray ones)
251.60 miles in my PINK Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ that have a defect going on...
Training for: MARINE CORP MARATHON, October 31, 2016! and along the way ~ Rock Hall Half Marathon, August 14 & Northern Ohio Half Marathon, October 2.
Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, & Story Corp, Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, More Perfect, Invisibilia & Reply All
My WEIGHT: 141 at the doctor's office. The only time I've stepped on the scale this month.
Longest run this month: 14.45 yesterday. The longest I've run since the 20 Mile Drop
What hurts?: Thank God the calf is better & the hamstrings are working out. Cora (dear masseuse Cora) found a spot in my back...it's working itself (with her help) out.
Highest weekly mileage this month: 34.10 July 17 - July 24
Favorite place to run this month: The little bit of hill work I did at Lake Erie Bluffs...finally didn't hurt. & it was my fastest run all month. Not telling the pace (S. L. O. W.)
Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time: 26.36 ~ May 17, 2015 The Cleveland Marathon
PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14)
10K: 49:40 (Greenway 10k 3/20/16)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
20-miler: 2:45:15 (20 mile Drop 4/10/16)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)
And then there's Mike...who always has this little grin on his face when he runs. Here he is finishing the 10k. He finished in 54:01.
Last Sunday I told Mike I was not running our 14 miler on a treadmill ~ so we went to the Greenway Trail in Ashtabula. There was a little snow (an inch or two) by the parking lot. We headed north & the snow got deeper and deeper. The trail end to the north about 6.25 miles from Jewels Dance Hall. And it's kinda a scary place...Like I think the Gallaghers live there. As we near the end...we notice more and more footprints in the snow. We know these people are not out walking their dog or taking runs...These footprints were many and probably not good purposed. Luckily for us...it was early morning. Everyone knows bad people sleep late. Anyway...we don't turn around at trail's end...we're not at 7 miles. We run through the scary neighborhood ~ houses with broken out windows...and four cars in the driveway. Sad conditions for many of these folks. But we turn around and trudge the 7 miles back to the car with no bad situations to report. So maybe my stereotype needs to be altered. But this is a prime example of why I always take my Mike with me.
It's RICK. Well, maybe it's Rick. Lydia has a deer she's named Rick who hangs around her yard & likes to run in the field across her street ~ which is also toward my backyard. He certainly wasn't afraid of me...much like Rick doesn't seem afraid of people. So it must be Rick. Eat the apples, Rick. Clean up the yard.
1986 was 30 years ago. Hudson High had a reunion...which I didn't attend ~ I'm just not a reunion type of girl ~ but my friend, Judy came from Georgia to attend & we spent the day in Geneva-on-the-Lake. It's good to have old friends. 
Kelly is a klepto ~ After we had walked around the whole fair, signed up for the auction, walked around the fair again, Kelly found she was carrying a set of keys which were not hers. So we turned them into the auctioneer...not sure if the key owner got them or not. {there was a Giant Eagle tag on them, so they can be found eventually} Rather funny tho. No idea where she got them.
First day of school picture for Patrick in Cincinnati and Jacob by our tree before we drove to Alliance.
Landon had a themed birthday party. Can you guess the theme? #twinning for me and Mike.
Here's a drink that is better than an iced Chi Tea Latte from Starbucks...a Corona-Rita from Compadres
Now that I've done my July Life Recap...I can get to the running. It's been rough this month. It's been HUMID. If you remember, I hurt my calf at the end of June & ran 12 miles the first week in July. After two weeks of taking it easy & not really running...it's better. I also have had three visits with the Chiropractor & I think that will help me overall through this training. I have to be good about my stretching & strengthening & core work. I'm really good at saying that...not so good at doing it. I noticed last Thursday that my shoes are starting to fall apart. The sole is detaching from the shoe part. I called Brooks running and the lady told me they could help. I filled out a form...waiting to hear if I'm getting a new pair. She was very nice and helpful...and we'll see what happens. I usually can get well over 350 miles out of a pair of Brooks Glycerins, so it's disappointing that these are destructing at just under 250 miles. My big fear is this is the end of Brooks running for me. I can't spend $150 on a pair of shoes if they aren't going to last. And I LOVE my Brooks Glycerin shoes. So I hope it's an anomaly and not the norm.
