run log MARCH

Lots of crazy running in March.  First: ran a ton due to the March Mileage Madness for Madison XC.  8 race entries and 10 car raffle tickets up for grabs ~ one entry for each mile run.  Second:  the worst run ever had the death of a dog a dog at mile 1 of a 17 miler.  And that's all I'm saying about that.  Third: ran a 20 miler from Mentor High school home in the rain {with Mike & Dodd & Kevin for the first 6ish miles}.  20 miles of rain.  Luckily, no wind.  I've run worse runs (see #2) and I've run worst weather runs.  But it was kinda sucky.  Fourth: entered the Marine Corp Marathon Lottery & got my NO email just minutes ago.  Dodd got his YES email early this morning & Mike got his YES around lunch time.  So we're going to DC in October.  I'm really excited for the both of them.  It will be a great experience.  Just sad I'm not included in on that. ~ yet ~ I'll search out bib transfers.  Not sure I want to go the charity route.  There are other marathons & there will be more Marine Corp Marathons.  Fifth: ran a preview of the Chardon 1/2 course with a large group of people.  Angela is an amazing running coordinator.  She put out snacks & water in two different locations.  Kinda amazing.  Mike wants to tell Kelly to up her game when she runs with us.  & I finally got to run with my arch nemesis, Leslie.  Sixth: ran Girdled Road Reservation with Dodd yesterday...yep, that's hill training. Seventh: a PR at the Greenway 10K ~ which was the first race I "co-directed".  Eighth:  March 21, 2016.  The day my friend, Janice Cassidy died.  And that's all I'm saying about that too.

March Totals:

150.36 miles for the month 
401.14 miles for the year 

237.32 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~no Gortex runs this month

406.61 miles in my Nike Vomero ~  and then I wore them to walk around DC.  Tread is gone and I think they are officially retired.

263.21 miles in my New Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ bled on the right side of the right show when my sock rubbed my ankle raw on the wet 20 miler...weird.

Training for:    The 20 Mile Drop...April 10, 2016 and the hilly Chardon 1/2 May 1, 2016.  Started to train those hills ~ the LAST 5k of the race.  Who does that?  Need to pick a fall marathon.

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, & SERIAL

My WEIGHT: I have no idea...but my pants fit.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   20.35 miles  

What hurts?:   my left hamstring is tight & when I run hills it causes my back to tighten up.  Stretching helps & then it feels better so I stop stretching & then it hurts after a hard run.  Huh?  Think I'll learn a lesson here?

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  43.80 miles March 13 through March 20.  

Favorite place to run this month: I think I have to say the Chardon 1/2 preview.  That was a great group run & showed me I can run those hills & most likely be under 2 hours (ran the training run in 2:02)

# of books I read this month: one ~ and started one ~ and then started another without finishing the first.  What is wrong with my reading?
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)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)

Greenway 10k

 

Brenda, me, Angela & the bear

My first experience as a "co" race director was so positive ~ mostly because Brenda is amazing & I was along for the well-organized ride.  This first picture is of us at packet pick up on Saturday at the Environmental Learning Center.  This bear was shot in the 70's and it is kinda decaying and rather scary...and the plaque is all about the guy who shot the bear & not anything about the bear.  Rather disappointing.  But this post is not about this bear.  This was just a funny picture with our scary/scared bear faces.  And it shows what wonderfully fun people I have met through running and NERC.

I've been half dreading this race because I've been struggling to run easily at my normally easy paces ~ 8:20 to 8:40 has been REALLY HARD & I've struggled to breathe & run fast & what if I can't do that anymore?  I love to be competitive & I'm getting on in my age group ~ especially if that age group is a ten-year span {as it was at the Greenway}  Kinda think that this is not going to be the year I repeat as masters division champion.  So I'm trying to accept that & find fun in running.  So come race morning I'm more focused on getting everything organized & making sure we've got everything covered.  Brenda is amazing...so we did & our volunteers were just the right people in just the right places & everyone showed up who said they would and it was GREAT.  I met some super people that I've just seen on facebook & it was so cool to talk to everyone after a winter away from most of them.

Dodd, Mike, Me & Cheryl ~ so awesome to see Cheryl again {my former run club partner}

Brenda & me.  Super race director & her sidekick

Madison Teachers represent ~ with a great photobomber

 The race was along the Greenway trail along Ravenna Road just south of 84.  The race first headed north "downhill" to 84 & then u-turned and headed uphill to Ravenna Road ~ where we u-turned again and ran the last .7 or so downhill back to the Environmental Learning Center.  I had a great first mile.  Slowed a tad second and then slowed way down each progressive mile as it was UPHILL.  Still, I've been struggling to run 8:40's and that was my slowest mile.  Then you can see where it turned downhill at 5.5 ish & I was able to speed it back up.  At the turn, there was one woman in front of me.  She was running REALLY well & I just couldn't catch her on the uphill.  John Distler says to me, "Come on, Becky, You've got to pass Lindsay.  She ran 20 miles yesterday."  Lindsay holds up two fingers and shouts back, "22".  This was not encouraging...I was giving it all I had as it was.  With about .5 to go, Dodd run back to me & tries to speed me up.  I do maybe a smidge.  I just didn't want to work any harder! BUT.  Christine is behind me and starts shouting, "you can do anything for 20 seconds."  and she counts me down.  I do surge past Lindsay right before we turn onto the trail back to the center...and she didn't catch me again.  So.  I can beat someone who just put 22 miles on their legs before a race {oh boy}  

And with an overall time of 49:40 ~ PR! for the 10k I placed first in my age group.  {really I was second because the first place female was 40 to 49...and ran 7:07/mile pace?!} Really.  That's pretty amazing.  And incredible.  And it was a great start to the race season.  And what's PR without PR ice cream.  A small Oreo blizzard with Reese's peanut butter cups with peanut butter syrup.  Yep.  That's amazing.

RUN JUMP ~ caught on film!

February Run Log

I broke myself.  I guess I can't claim to have chronic back pain because a day and a half isn't really chronic...but, holy cow, I don't know how people live with back pain.

The worst part is what did me in felt so AMAZING & BEASTLY.  A week ago, Monday, Dodd and I joined Kelly on her hill workout day.  That was BEASTLY because we ran uphill for 60 seconds & I really pictured me being halfway up the hill at 60 seconds when Dodd & Kelly were all the way up.  So I was cockily surprised when I wasn't really that far behind Kelly...who wasn't that far behind Dodd.  "I'm amazing." thought this 47 year old woman.  So I get it in my head that the weekend 'short' long run will be my Hill, Yeah training 12 mile loop {528 to Doty ~ which becomes South River to County Line}  Because I had a meeting Saturday morning our run group split up with Mike & Kelly running 15.4 at a 9:15 m/m pace in the morning {yeah, he'll speed up for Kelly}  & Dodd & I running at 1:00.  Of course I make the mistake of telling him how fast Mike & Kelly ran.  And he is so strong on the hills.  We ran just under 9 m/m, and pounded the hills.  We reached the top of County Line with 2 downhill miles to go & opened up.  8's and under for the last two & IT FELT GOOD.  A runner's high like I haven't had in a long time.  I was on top of the world... until around 6:00pm ~ when my back just froze up.  And stayed that way all day yesterday {tried to run to loosen it up...got a mile}  I was grumpy & in pain all day.  Mike's working on getting the knots out of my hamstrings {as Dr. Becky has decided this is a direct result of tight hamstrings...running hills...fast} and I'm stretching {wishing stretching was a daily activity and not just when I'm hurt} and finally this afternoon it has loosened up a little.  This morning I was pretty sure I'd never run again.  Now, I think I'll manage tomorrow.
So February was good...but ended in pain.  Hopefully, like the last two times I've broken myself, it won't last long.

February Totals:

118.27 miles for the month 
250.78 miles for the year 

237.32 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ five runs this month...including a calf killing 7 miler in the snow.

382.15 miles in my Nike Vomero ~  ran a 5 mile speed workout at Spire this month.

137.3 miles in my New Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ 

Training for:    The 20 Mile Drop...April 10, 2016...with a training plan as if it were a marathon. Have run the first 16 & 18...20 still to come in the training.  First race of the season ~ Greenway 10k on March 20.  

Joined the March Mileage Challenge ~ maybe I'll win a race entry or two. (or none)

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, & SERIAL! ~ 'cept we've even run as a group at the Y ~ so I listen around the house while I'm cleaning.

My WEIGHT: weighed myself once this month...137.  ugh.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   18.08 ~ and then we drove to Columbus.  My left hamstring wasn't happy.

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  46.21 February 7 to February 14.  Two long runs recorded that week.

Favorite place to run this month: Even with the pain...the 12 mile hill route was AMAZING when we ran it.

# of books I read this month: none...but I'm reading.  Just can't seem to finish one.
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: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14 & TIED the time Run for the Hills 6/21/15)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)

Bruuuuuuuuuce

Springsteen Show #11 ~ at Quicken Loans Arena in CLEVELAND {not Pittsburgh, Bruce}  And WHAT A SHOW!  This is The River Tour {take 2} and he is playing the double album straight through ~ all 20 songs.  It was a good show...an album that I rarely listened all the way through very often ~ but certainly favorite songs.  The one I was looking forward to most, was Sherry Darling ~ because I have very fond memories of dancing around my kitchen on Moseley Road with my little babies.  I'd play that CD when I cleaned up & that is just such a party song.  I  just looked back in this blog to find my list of concerts...and found this post ~ where I put my song wish list ~ "Here are my hopes:  I hope he plays Sherry Darling and Roselita and Thunder Road"  ummmm...he played Sherry Darling, Roselita & Thunder Road.  OMG TRIFECTA.  So I might as well put in the set list here:

Setlist:
Meet Me in the City
The Ties That Bind
Sherry Darling
Jackson Cage
Two Hearts
Independence Day
Hungry Heart
Out in the Street
Crush On You
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
I Wanna Marry You
The River
Point Blank
Cadillac Ranch
I'm a Rocker
Fade Away
Stolen Car
Ramrod
The Price You Pay
Drive All Night
Wreck on the Highway
Prove It All Night
Lonesome Day
Candy's Room
Because the Night
Youngstown
The Rising
Thunder Road
* * *
Growin' Up
Born to Run [with Joe and Johnny Grushecky]
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Bobby Jean
Shout

Kirsten, Max and I had GREAT seats! {as you can see}  Could see the whole stage & Bruce was right there.  

Bruce played for 3 1/2 hours ~ without any break.  Amazing.   After the show we walked back to the hotel... and just like the last time we saw Springsteen & parked at the hotel...the parking lot guy got fired.  I'm thinking you don't want to work that job the night I go see Springsteen.  Starting to feel like bad luck.

My BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN History

 I've seen him in concert:

1. The Born in the USA Tour July 9, 1984 ~ at the Richfield Coliseum

2. The Tunnel of Love Express Tour March 14, 1988 ~ at the Richfield Coliseum 

3. The "Other Band" Lucky Town/Human Touch tour August 22, 1992 ~at the Richfield Coliseum (Mike's first show)

4. The Reunion Tour November 14, 1999 ~ at The Gund Arena 

5. The Rising Tour August 14, 2002 ~ at The Gund Arena

6. The Devils and Dust Tour May 15, 2005 ~ at The Wolstein Center (CSU) 

7. The Working on a Dream Tour November 10, 2009 ~at Quicken Loans Arena (same place as The Gund)  ~ where he played this song, just for me.  (Mike's second chance show)

8. The Wrecking Ball Tour April 12, 2012 ~ at Quicken Loans Arena ~ Best Show Ever 

9. The Wrecking Ball Tour October 27, 2012 ~ at Consol Energy Arena, Pittsburgh, PA

10. The High Hopes Tour April 22, 2014 ~ at Consol Energy Arena, Pittsburgh, PA

11. The River Tour February 23, 2016 ~ at Quicken Loans Arean, Cleveland, Ohio

the twitter

It's a known fact that Jake Clemons reads all his tweets ~ so the fact that he LIKED my Tweet means that he LIKES me and I'll probably get a shout out at the concert tomorrow.  I won't be surprised if I'm summoned to the stage to become an honorary member of the E Street Band.  

Social Media is the greatest.

Saturday

Saturday started with an 18 mile run...Which involved the boys in their matching Northern Ohio half marathon shirts {I need to note that I wore mine to school on Friday ~ so I'm the trend setter}  Finally a Saturday for running!  Tuesday we had a snow day & missed school.  {ran 7 in the snow & my calves have yet to recover}  Thursday morning it was a whopping 0 degrees as I drove into the parking lot at school.  But Saturday morning it was 48 degrees when I woke up.  I ran in ONE layer!   Would have been a skirt if the wind hadn't been blowing at 15 miles an hour.  Had a few notables this day:

Along the way we ran by a dead squirrel right next to a broken Budweiser bottle...which Mike thought was hysterical.  He would love to snap a picture of such a find, but no one in the group carries a phone.

As we were running along The 20 a pickup truck slows way down with the window rolled down.  There's a old guy, grinning from ear to ear blasting some old country music song about running. {Dodd knew it}  He cruises with us for a minute or so...our own personal musical escort.  Now that's a Fan!

Then we drove our cramping and tired legs to Columbus to meet Patrick & Maggie to celebrate Patrick's 21st birthday.  We went to Texas de Brazil and ATE.  There is nothing like an all you can eat meat place.  And it was all delicious!  Maggie called it the Best. Meal. Ever.  But she's never been to the fondue place on the top of Keystone Mountain.  Patrick still says that's the best...but this was a good substitute.

Flying through February

Madison Run Club

Dodds & Bartons

Winter Party Fun!  These Photo-Booth pictures were just posted on Facebook today & I couldn't resit posting them here.  It was a fun, fun night.

Frienemies

I may have had the greatest week of my teaching this past week.  First was the excitement of the table scandal, which reached it's two and a half year fruition this week with the return of the square table to the teacher's lounge.  

That same day an email went out in which we were informed that each teacher was receiving a Chromebook.  Wow.  Technology I can use.  Pretty exciting since my dreams have been of getting tape.  Still waiting on the tape, but I think a Chromebook is pretty awesome.

AND that SAME day...Liberty & Autumn knocked on my door fifth period and handed me a copy of the Middle School Paper.  They said, "We named you Teacher of the Week, so here's your complimentary copy".  I really don't have the words to say what this means to my heart.  

I've worked for years to get Tony to like me & here's the text message we exchanged last week.  Saved for all of history.  & he can't take it back!

Kid stories:

"Hey, KID, please go in the hall and tell THOSE KIDS to come back in the classroom." {I had three kids in the hall because we were going over work they missed the day before}   

KID goes in hall.  The kids were around the corner working at the tables so KID couldn't see them.  He stood in the hall and, much like a brother calling his brother for dinner, yelled, "HEY, COME BACK TO MRS. AYALA'S ROOM!" 

Back in the room, a kid looks at me and says, "He's yelling."

I go into the hall and give KID a hands up, what's up kind of look.  

"What's the problem?" he asks, "Wasn't I loud enough?"

I could only laugh.

KID working on science project was having a very hard time getting a parent to drive the very large project to school.  I was ready to go get it, but mom said she thought she could get it.  Mike was 'on call' to go get it if something happened with mom's plan.  But it got into school & KID got an A+ on it.  I explained to KID how The Bartons were going to have his back on this one {teacher was giving him a hard time because he wasn't working on anything during class time}  and he says, "You know, Mrs. Barton, I wouldn't be doing so well in school if it weren't for you."  

Healing for my heart.

Needed some heart healing  & I'm sure these things happened because God knows how my heart is hurting as we went thought this rough week since my friend was told there was nothing more the doctors could do to treat her cancer.  There will be more rough weeks to come and I just pray for peace and love to fill the moments.

Running.  Because Running keeps me sane & fit for society.  This is Madison Group Run.  We meet on Saturday or Sunday mornings depending on our schedules.  We ran 16 miles last Sunday.  Today.  I called Bullshit.  Snow last night, temperature at 9 degrees with 20 mile an hour winds.  We ran inside.  Cost me $1 because I told Dodd I'd pay $1 of his guest fee at the Y {really, $10.  seems steep}  Kelly only had 8 on her training plan, because she is on the team & has a coach & everything.  We have my plan, which called for 12.  Fun that we could all do our thing & still run together.  The treadmill can be made better with friends.