Run Log

Running in August.  One Word:  sweaty.  12 words: hot, miserable, steamy, humid, moist, wet, drippy, thick, soupy, gunky, slow and ugly.  I can't remember a summer that didn't have days where it was cooler; when it was 60 degrees in the morning.  Where I would wear a sweatshirt to morning XC practice.  This month has brought 75 degree mornings.  And then school started and it was 85 to 90 in the afternoon sunshine.  But with each passing day we get closer and closer to fall.  Looking forward to it!     I got two new pairs of shoes in August.  Another pair of Pink Brooks Glycerin 13 to replace my defective pair {FREE}.  They have become my long run pink shoes {Marine Corp Marathon here come the pink shoes}  And these teal/blue Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ which I got from Runner's Warehouse for $75!!!   Good shoe month! 

Had our first cross country meet yesterday.  We continue to be contenders.  It's nice to know we'll represent well at a meet ~ the kids are good and encouraging to each other and their opponents.  And they are strong runners who are doing their best.  It's always fun to see who surprises us at the first meet ~ and who improves the most during the season.  Good to be racing after four weeks of HOT practice.

Two months from yesterday ~ Marine Corp Marathon!  We did 18 two Sundays ago and are headed to our first 20 in two weeks.  Getting stronger.   I started running hills (on purpose) this month...as MCM is not flat.  The 6 mile 'loop' from Stig to Hog Back to 528 to Ledge, back to Stig has long gradual uphills and sharp uphills as well as a few downhills.  It's a great hard run & I've done it three times now.  I feel so beastly when I've gotten to the top of those hills!  

To be honest, I'm scared.  I'm scared I don't have 26.2 in me.  I'm scared my body will fail.  I'm scared I'm not mentally tough enough.

And I need to work on that.

August Running Log:

August Totals:

125.92 for the month 
952.12 miles for the year 

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

457.12 miles in my Old gray Brooks Glycerin 13 My Camp Stig Shoes {they are headed to be mess}

299.72 miles in my old defective pink Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ that I got replaced

49.35 miles in my NEW not-defective PINK Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ replaced by Brooks!

3 miles in my NEW teal/blue Brooks Glycerin 13 ~ $75! 

I won't have to buy a pair of shoes for a while now!

Training for:     MARINE CORP MARATHON, October 31, 2016! and along the way ~ Northern Ohio Half Marathon, October 2.

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, Story Corp & Reply All

My WEIGHT: 139.6 this morning ~ which was better than the 140.3 the morning before.  It's all in my belly & I'm marathon training ~ so I'm not dieting.  But I do need to limit my sugar {need but don't want}

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   18.  It was a tough run.  First 10 were tough mentally & then I tried to vomit up a lung.  Last 4 were pretty good.  

What hurts?: Tight legs, but nothing hurts!

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  43.10 August 14 through August 21

Favorite place to run this month: White Trail at Stig.  Gotta love how much the kids love the White Trail.  And my hill loop to Hog Back.  

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)

August

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. 

August means Cross Country.  I coach the best sport with the best kids with the best head coach.  

His car was dirty.

As was mine!

Just a note...It's been hot and humid all month.  Expect to see more about this in my run log for the
month.  It's been WET and the kids have whined.  Oh wait, that was the coach.  Tuesday is our first meet ~ excited to see what this season brings.

I'm still Beach Glass Obsessed.  I'm getting better at throwing back the pieces that need to be thrown back.  I've collected A LOT of beach glass this summer.  

Coolest piece I've found.

RACES ~

Mike and Dodd ran The Dark Horse on August 7th.  It was another hot humid day...and Angela and I spent the afternoon setting up.  She had the coolest foam light sticks...which we taped to all the trees & fences & grass...all along the trail.  It was a cool untimed race.  You earned 'tickets' for doing certain things...crossing the river...boxing...bear crawl up the hill...dancing and holding hands and skipping across the finish.  Here is a great video of Mike and Dodd finishing 

Since I haven't been running many races this summer ~ I was really looking forward to running the Rock Hall Half on August 14.  Lots of NERC peeps were running & Angela was pacing the 10:15 m/m group.  It was 75 degrees when I awoke at 5:00am...and it was steamy.  You think I'd be used to this.  But I'm not.  I bought a cooling towel at Target...not so cooling... but I had a good attitude.  I was going to have fun.

By mile 6 I was trying to have fun.  We turned onto MLK around mile 7... MLK is relatively shady and downhill.  I don't know why the race didn't get significantly easier at this point...but it didn't.   I stopped to use the port-a-pot because every time I coughed {trying to clear my lungs due to the left overs of a cold} I felt the urge use the port-a-pot.  I found a port-a-pot in a construction area by the Natural History Museum.  They are building a really cool outdoor suspended walkway called the Perkins Wildlife Center. {which I just learned because I wanted to save a link here}  It looks really amazing.  Their outdoor area was cool when my kids were little ~ I really want to go see the new center.  I saw all this, because I was walking away from the port-a-pot admiring all around me & thinking, "Yep, I could just walk from here."  But I didn't.  I decided I'd run to the next water stop at which time I would drink a Gatorade and a water.  I took both and walked until they were both gone.  then I begrudgingly started to run again.  My legs were tired.  My heart was pounding.  I was coughing.  I was soaking wet.  And other people were walking.  I ran and walked the water stops for a few...then we turned onto North Marginal ~ running next to Lake Erie and route 90.  It's kinda  a cool place to run.  So I thought I might be a cool place to walk to.  I tried that.  Another NERC member went WALKING by me {seriously, I couldn't keep her walking pace}  We chatted for a while about our walking and the race.  I was fine physically {because I was walking} I just didn't WANT to run.  I walked past a traffic cop and informed her, "My give-a-damn is busted"  And it was true.  At mile 10, I seriously considered walking the last three.  Then I realized that Mike and Dodd would not be very happy with me if they had to wait 45 minutes {or more} for me to walk in.  So I ran.  Walked the water stop...but ran in.  Slowest half marathon ever.  But I finished with a smile on my face.  

Dodd had a great race & Mike did very well.  I had a green icee ~ quite refreshing.

Then we took our baby to College on August 19, 2016.  Drove to Mount Union in the morning and were home by 3:30.  It's a good thing.  I keep telling myself that.  He is happy and playing tennis and going to classes and making friends and lifting weights with the team.  It'a all good.

To celebrate our empty nest status...we went to the Lake County Fair ~ not to be confused with The Great Geauga County Fair ~ and bought a pig.  Of course the pig was one of the last to be auctioned off...and we spent the maximum price we were willing to spend {which may have been because we told the grandparents of the pig owner what our max price was}.  But the money goes to the kid who raised the pig & we get to eat the pig.  So it doesn't really matter in the end. I have a video of our pig in action, but since she's now in my freezer, I don't think I can watch it.  So I'm not posting it here.

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.

Cheers

Rounding out July & run log

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)

The steps to the beach

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.

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

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.

Some interesting facts:

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)

Addiction

Beach Glass.  It's an addiction.  I have always liked to look for it when we go to the beach...but until this summer, I've never just gone looking for it.  And I've found the perfect place where I can walk a good mileish up and down the shore & find all sorts of treasure.  This picture is just today's haul.  Yesterday afternoon the sea was angry & the waves were high & the beach glass was HUGE.  My bag got heavy.  I knew today would be good because the water would go back out & I'd be able to search new ground.  And I was right.

I don't know why it's so addicting.  It is like a treasure hunt and when I find a piece it's such a rush...especially when it's a big piece or blue or the neck of  bottle.

This is what I've found so far this summer.  It has filled the Milk Bottle I won at Hill, Yeah about 2/3 of the way.  The goal would be to fill it completely.  

Run log & life

June has been an exceptional month with lots of excitement.  Our NERC Thursday morning group run has attracted more NERCers than just me and Kelly this summer.  (and John & Mike, not because they wanted to be there, but because we dragged them)  This particular Thursday started with a bike ride...and a storm rolling in.  We sent the HS girls home & waited out the storm doing core work in the pavilion.  Then we ran.  Fun to exercise with Angela, Leslie & Brenda!  All people I've met through NERC.

But the most exciting Cleveland happening is that we FINALLY have a champion sports team.  It's been almost two weeks...and it still gives me goosebumps & feels unreal.  We fell down in the series 0-2 at Oakland, came back to Cleveland and only won 1.  Went back to Oakland down 1-3.  No team in NBA history had EVER won the series when down 1-3.  We won game 5 in Oakland.  We won game 6 in Cleveland.  And with 10 seconds to go in game 7 we were winning.  LeBron went down {like he always does} and all I'm thinking is...so this is how we lose with 10 seconds left to go.  LeBron breaks his arm.But he didn't.  He made a foul shot.  Kyrie sinks a 3.  Cleveland Wins.  WHAT?!?!  CLEVELAND WINS it's first Championship in 52 years.  Here's the USA Today story ~   Mike asked Jacob if he wanted to haul the old couch into the road and burn it.  But he was the only one thinking destruction.  The streets of Cleveland filled and people danced and partied.  We looked good to the rest of the world.  

And then 1.3 million people filled the city on the following Wednesday for the victory parade and rally.  I tagged along with the Ayala family & we stood for hours waiting & finally were witness to the party.  A day to remember & hopefully the next one isn't 52 years in the making.

Last Friday and Saturday we were in Alliance, Ohio attending Jacob's Mount Union Preview Weekend.

He had a good time & so did we.  Met some great parents & visited The Hood & spent a great deal of money getting more Raider Gear.  It still feels like home & I'm excited for Jacob to begin his adventure there.

Finally, back to running!  Run for the Hills 10k was last Sunday.  After two pretty rotten 5k's, I decided I would sit this race out.  I volunteered to work registration (and it's a good thing, as only Phil and I showed up to help)  Mike and Dodd both raced and did well.  I got in 4 miles and was able to see the winner of the 5k (former XC runner) and then both boys finish.  I'm glad I didn't run, but there were so few people who did, I would have placed & gotten some good NERC points.  However, I would not have enjoyed myself, so I still think I made the right decision.

Knowing that I had MEA negotiations this week, I tried to pack a lot into Monday...a super hot run, HIIT class, and then Kelly said she'd join me stand-up paddle boarding.  I've always wanted to do this & it was so much fun.  It was easier to stand up than I thought it would be, but we found you went faster if you sat down.  The lake was taking us out and east at a pretty quick rate of speed, so we had to work to paddle west.  The people who went out right before us had to be rescued, but Kelly and I have fantastic skills so we were able to successfully make it back to shore unaided. {I did think that it might  be a good idea to wave our paddles & just let them come and get it...but we persevered}

Negotiations...always an experience...are done, hopefully with a contract the membership will like.  Completed in two days instead of 3 ~ so today is a 'free day'.
Yesterday I went out on my run and at .38...my right calf decided not to work in a very painful way.  I tried to stretch it out & hobble on, but quickly decided it would be stupid to risk further injury.  So I made a mile total, mostly walking back and have been icing & biofreezing and stretching ever since.  Today I went on a 18 mile bike ride to Lakeshore Reservation, where I found a great amount of beach glass.  Collecting beach glass is the most addicting thing I do.  It's a think I could do it all day, but my neck gets sore from looking down so intently!

The beach a Lakeshore is very peaceful.  I only saw one other person while I was there.  I will have to do that little adventure again.

So I'm nursing my calf & hoping to try & run tomorrow so I can get in a long run on Saturday.  Marathon Training has begun!  Did I mention I GOT A BIB FOR MARINE CORP?  Yes, I did.  So excited.

June Running Log:

JuneTotals:

101.85miles for the month 
709.17 miles for the year 

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

411.40 miles in my Old Brooks Glycerin 13 (the gray ones)

154.84 miles in my PINK Brooks Glycerin 13

Training for:     MARINE CORP MARATHON, October 31, 2016!

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Dear Sugar, & Story Corp, Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder, More Perfect & Invisibilia is BACK!

My WEIGHT: I need to stop eating.  141.  but my clothes still fit...which is not good, because I won't try real hard to eat better.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   Hill, Yeah half marathon

What hurts?:  tight hamstrings all month...and now this right calf thing.  

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  35.84 ~ June 5 - Jun 12

Favorite place to run this month:Hogback Ridge.  I love that off the path trail

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)

Flag Day 5k

2 5k's.  2 over 25 minutes.  I'm getting slower.  My mind is telling me not to run so fast.  My mind doesn't want to work so hard.  a 9&1/2 minute mile is so easy to run.  a 7:40?  not so much.  After Johnny's Run, I wasn't sure I wanted to race again...until I got faster...but, you can't get faster if you don't run fast.  And what better way to run fast than to race.  This course is hard because there is a really long hill in the woods.  But it's pretty in those woods and shade.  And the start is a sharp downhill.  And you run that downhill twice.  I just need to let myself GO and run.  Or be happy with times of 25 minutes and more.  That's where I am.  Learning to get older.

This is me and Leslie, who has gotten faster as she ages.  She has always beat me in the 5k...but she's speeding up.  And she's super fun.  And I love this picture of us...at the bottom of the first big hill.  I actually look like I'm enjoying life.  Leslie sure is.

Mike at the finish.  He a racing rock star ~ with a hurt knee.  And I know it's really hurt because he had me make a doctor's appointment for him.

.  

So even with my slow time of 25:05, I placed second in my age group.  Dodd also placed second and Mike placed third.  We complain...but we compare pretty favorably.

NERC friends...Mary on the left who didn't race but was forced to hold Mike's third place finish plaque