Run log: April 2015

Spring is here...but the weather has taken its time warming up.  I have run exactly TWICE in a skirt and t-shirt this month.  It's a little frustrating ~ and I may have put on the tights/capris just because I'm so afraid of being cold!  I know that I usually run long distances in a skirt & T when it's in the 40's and 50's.  I have been afraid to try that...

PTSD from the freezing winter we had.

I also did something this month that I thought I'd never do.  I returned a pair of running shoes.  I'm still a little upset about it, because I really liked the shoes.  They were a great purple pair of Saucony Triumphs ~ SOOOO amazingly cushioned...but on the second run {the first was my recovery run after the 20 mile drop ~ and everything hurt} the shoes were digging into my foot... right where the tongue attaches to the lace area.  I tried to mess with the laces & ran again...but it wasn't any better.  I think it was a bad stitch, but I didn't get another pair of those.  Instead I got a pair of Nike Air Zoom Vomero.  They are really cushy too and I think I like them.  When I was trying them on they also brought out a pair of my old blue Brooks Glycerin 11 ~ The first pair of Brooks I bought {three pairs ago}  They were not discounted at all...and I knew they were online ~ so I also bought a pair of $150 shoes for $87.  They will be in my rotation,  but not until after the marathon.  I will be wearing my Brooks Glycerin 12 for the marathon.  They've served me very well...so I'm sticking with them.

We are now in our taper.  Tapering is amazing, but hard.  It's hard to cut back on the miles, for me, because I think I need to be running.  I'm excited for this marathon & think I'm as prepared as I can be.  Looking forward to seeing what I can do.

April Totals:

149.34 miles for the month
551.17 miles for the year 

182.4 miles in my Gortex Ghosts hopefully I'm not needing Gortex shoes until November 2015 again.

441.35 miles in my pink Brooks Glycerin 12.  They'll be at their last...but this is the pair I run 26.2 in.

12.52 miles in the returned Saucony Triumph

17.2 miles in my Nike Vomero

Training for:  The Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015  

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Dear Sugar, Stuff You Should Know, & This American Life.

My WEIGHT:  The story remains the same.  137ish.  And I'm EATING anything and everything I can get in my mouth.  And I don't care.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:  21.01 ~ and I felt great afterwards...I feel confident (hopefully not OVER)

Highest  weekly mileage this month: 47.98 (4/12 - 4/18) ~ a Sunday race & a Saturday long run in the same week...

Favorite place to run this month: I think I have to say from Chardon to Fairport Harbor.  The 20 mile drop was great!

# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet:  Jacob found the Baby Ruth's...and they are gone.  I opened one bag of Candy Cane Kisses & they are almost gone...one more BIG bag left.
# of books I read this month: ONE.  I never finished the one I was reading at the end of March (In the Woods) so I had to put it on hold again.  I started two other books...and didn't finish those either.  Currently I'm about 1/2 way through the one I'm reading now.
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:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

April...

This has been an absolutely crazy weekend...but it just followed a crazy week.

Monday tennis was rained out {against South..so we were ok not playing that one} On Tuesday we were at Geneva, where Jacob lost to a very good Geneva #1 ~ on a very {very} windy day.

Wednesday Cheryl and I got in our run...with a very strong and cold head wind as we made our way west down Middle Ridge Road.  I then bundled up and went to watch Jacob play tennis against Mentor...made it through a game when it STARTED TO SNOW!  As the snow picked up, I got colder and colder {because it's all about me}  Finally, they called the match due to SNOW {UGH}  Wednesday's match never took place...because of cold and snow.  I think the weather caused a Madison-wide depression.  Thursday was just a ROTTEN day at school.  Everyone was in a grumpy mood & everyone was just BLAH.  But Thursday also brought the Band Concert ~ where Jacob played in the Jazz Band & the regular band and the concert band & even got to introduce a song.

Friday brought Lake Catholic & Jacob a 5-3 record.  The weather was better ~ the sun was shining & there wasn't any snow flying.  There was a hint of spring to come...and it was FRIDAY.

Saturday Jacob {and Mike & me a little later} was up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to his Robot competition.  I have to say that I found out on MONDAY about this competition when the high school teacher in charge sent out an invitation to the whole staff.  Supposedly Jacob had no idea when this competition was...That being said, I had plans to run my last long run before the Cleveland Marathon {21 miles in 3:01!}  When I got back from my run, the text from Mike said, "This is pretty cool."  So I quickly showered and caught two rounds of Jacob's team destroying the competition, literally.  Sunday morning we woke up to Jacob Barton's picture on the front page of the News-Herald!:

Saturday afternoon I helped out with packet pick up for the Run for Riley 5k. Sunday morning we got up early, dropped water along the road home & went to Mentor High School.  I worked registration and Mike ran the 5k.  He placed SECOND in his age group, but wasn't there to pick up his prize because he RAN HOME.  I picked him up in downtown Madison... What a great run for Mike {and he's smiling!}

Then we went to Newbury for Megan's gender reveal party {IT'S A GIRL}  But on the way there we encountered a drunk driver  ~ going from the left lane to close to the ditch...she pulled over & let us pass...while passing Mike rolled down my window & I asked if she was ok.. SLURRING her words she made up some, "I'm looking for a house." story...when she almost rear ended us at the light, Mike got out & told her to get off the road.  I called 911 with her license plate {I actually took a picture of her Ford Explorer & license plate}  I hope she didn't hurt anyone.  SCARY!

Then...on our way from Newbury to Chardon for Kim's open house...I got a flat tire.  Thank goodness Walmart was able to fix it in half an hour {for less than we spent on the other stuff we bought while we were there}

THEN, because we were starving we decided to treat ourselves to Panini's.  There was a group of REALLY DRUNK people {maybe they knew the Ford Explorer driver from earlier in the day} who were SO VERY LOUD.  My left ear is still ringing.  It's a good thing I love a Panini's pastrami sandwich...

Now I'm home & it's been a LONG weekend & I'm ready for bed {it's 8:00!}

#10 ~ the age of miracles

With a title like the age of miracles, you would think #10 would be a happy book...but it's really not.  SPOILER ALERT  as this whole post will tell the story {I'm not recommending you read it} The premise is very interesting; the earth's rotation slows down...first by only a few minutes, but by the end of the book the days are about 70 hours long {I may be exaggerating that time...but it was a long day & then then a long night}.  The earth can't take the heat generated by 35 hours of sunlight followed by the cold of 35 hours of dark...
Just as the earth is falling apart, so are the characters in our story.  The main character, Julia, is a middle school student who struggles socially at school.  Her parents' marriage is falling apart.  She loses her only friend.  Grandpa dies.
UGH.  I need more happy in my stories.

fl: We didn't notice right away.  We couldn't feel it.  ll: We dipped our fingers in the wet cement, and we wrote the truest, simplest things we knew--our names, the date, and these words: We were here.

20 Mile Drop

Today was Race #1 of my 2015 race season ~ and I was nervous & anxious.  Fell right to sleep around 9:55 and at one point I woke up & the first thought I had was, "oh good, I slept"  and then I looked at the clock.  10:45.  HA!  I eventually did sleep, but I was tossing and turning and trying to decide what to wear.

Woke up and asked myself what I'd wear if I were just going for a training run ~ so I put on the capris and long sleeve shirt.  Good choice for the 40* to 50* temperatures.  The weather was PERFECT ~ sunny and very little wind.

I started off faster than 8:40 ~ but not too fast {I'd love to see my splits...but my Garmin Connect is being very weird.}  I had enough to push at the last 1.5 miles & I felt strong at the finish.

I am extremely pleased with my time & IF I can maintain this pace for 6 more miles...  I felt good and I had a great run.  It was fun & I placed second in my age group {stupid 45 year old took first by a LONG time {18 minutes ahead of me}  

Prize Winner ~ a coffee mug &
$10 bucks to my favorite running shop!

The Barton Family Runners!

Spring Break

So Spring Break started early with the annual 8th grade trip to DC ~ Another crazy trip to our nation's capital.  We went to the National Cathedral, Jefferson Memorial, National History Museum, FDR Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, The Marine Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Lincoln Memorial, The White House, The Vietnam Wall, The Korean War Memorial, Air and Space Museum, American History Museum, The Capitol, WWII Memorial & off to Gettysburg.  I'm sure I forgot something...but I'm exhausted from just trying to remember.
At the Vietnam Wall there was an older gentleman bend over a name silently crying.  His wife was rubbing his back.  Totally moving.  My XC girls were in tears ~ as was I.  We forget that grief doesn't really go away and there are still people who hurt everyday at the loss of their loved ones.  Really hit home as to why the memorials are so important.

My favorite picture is of me resting on the 'couch'!

Chad played a Great April Fools joke on Dodd ~ a year in the making.  I have a picture of  us waiting for the Domino Day meeting...and then the after shot of Chad and Dodd ~ I'm not telling the whole story here, but I'll be happy to share if you ask.

And Spring Break has consisted of me 'cleaning' {ha}, organizing computer stuff, hopefully completing taxes, paying bills... and finishing How I Met Your Mother on netflix.  I watched 9 years of TV between Christmas and Easter...not sure if I should even share that because it sounds pretty lame.  

Amy and I did go on an adventure to The Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  They were beautiful & now I've been to every museum in University Circle.

Today I ran my last run before the 20 mile drop.  I'm really stressing about this race!  I ran an easy 6 miles between the thunderstorms {I thought} but at mile 3 the skies opened up & it rained pretty hard for 1/2 mile.  But it was 60+ degrees...so it wasn't so bad.  I wore capris and a light long sleeve shirt...trying to decide what to wear Sunday.  It's going to be in the 40's at start time, but sunny & highs in the 60's.  

Proud

Jacob has received a few awards recently:

He was invited to attend the Board of Education meeting where he (and 70 others) were recognized for their superior rating & then he was invited to attend the Board of Education meeting the following month, where he (and 10 others) were recognized for their participation in Academic Challenge.

Then he was admitted into National Honor Society.

And Tennis season has started.  He started with a win against Mayfield followed by a loss to Perry.

March Run Log

We're three days into April, but due to the 8th grade DC trip, I'm just getting the chance to do my March log now.
March running has been a combination of ~ "Oh, finally spring is coming."  and "UGH, when will this cold ever end?"  Which is how March generally is.  I ran outside all month except for the last run of the month; I hit the treadmill for the last 8 miles of March to post a new personal best for most miles in a month. ~ 156.69 miles ~ and I'm feeling good.
I ran with run club, Kelly, Amber, Beth and Dodd has been pacing the last half of my long runs.  I really appreciate how he's encouraging and pushing me to achieve that BQ.  I like running with Kelly because I think our paces are very similar.  It's just hard for us to get our schedules to match up!
Mike has started to run his longs on Sunday {boo for Saturday work} and we've run parts of that together as I get in my Sunday three.  But I know I'm holding him back speed wise ~ so I've stopped joining him for those.  I do miss our easy three together.
Cheryl and I have hit April and we both say that our abs definitively look better than they did at Christmas time when we decided we'd have 'abs by April'.  I know that if I really want abs, I need to work on eating less...but I feel that with the Cleveland Marathon coming up, I need to fuel my body and not worry about losing the last inch (or two) of fat.
Marathon training take 2 ~ is definitely different than the first time around.  It's not as all consuming (yet) as it was the first time.  There's the knowledge that I CAN and WILL complete the race.  It won't be the first time I risk that mileage.  Yet, when I go back and look at my fist attempt at 16 and 18, the times are not much faster now.  But I do know that my recovery from those distances is not as long and the soreness is not as bad.  This may be mental, but I'm hoping it's that my body is better equipped to deal with it.
Physically I'm feeling strong, but my allergies are kicking in and my head is stuffy & throat is dry from the drugs.  I hope I can get through allergy season without it going to my lungs {Mucinex is my friend}  I also have the hugest blister on the side of my right foot, just below my big toe.  It's crazy to have such a blister from a pair of shoes with tons of miles.  Luckily it doesn't hurt & I'm surprised it didn't pop with all the walking we did around DC!
Tomorrow I run 12 and next Sunday is the 20 mile drop.  The goal is 8:40's to start and finish running 8:30 to 8:25.  I don't want to push it and have to take extra recovery time, but I do want to run a BQ race pace to simulate May 17.  I'm nervous and excited.

March Totals:

156.69 miles for the month
401.83 miles for the year 

171.32 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ only 19.2 miles in those this month

332.81 miles in my pink Brooks Glycerin 12.  I hope they make it to the full...I may need a new pair of shoes so I'm not running on shoes with almost 500 miles on them.

Training for:  The Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015  ~ Signed up for the 20 mile drop April 12, 2015.

Podcasts I'm listening to:  Invisibilia, Marathon Training Academy, Stuff You Should Know, & This American Life.

My WEIGHT:  The story remains the same.  137ish.  I'm attempting to cut out sweets, but not doing real well.  Part of my brain is saying, 'now's the time to eat, after the marathon you will have to cut back because you won't be running 30+ miles a week.'  So, knowing how very true that is, I'm trying not to worry about it.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:  18.1 miles ~  Doing good with the length increasing

Highest  weekly mileage this month: 38.54 miles (3/24 - 3/30)

Favorite place to run this month: Today I ran to Geneva State Park.  It was Amazing to run long roads after the winding around we've done the past two Saturdays.  How many times have I driven to run the bike path...today I ran up to it {and discovered they do plow it...so it had less snow on it than the woods}  Also saw all the fire trucks and police and ambulances at the beach...doing the polar bear plunge...oh my...now THAT'S CRAZY.
# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet:  There are two & a partial bag of Baby Ruth and a partial bag of York Peppermint Patties.  Same as last month {just a few Baby Ruth's missing}
# of books I read this month: Two {and the one I'm reading now...I'm on page 70 (of 596) & it's due in 3 days.
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:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)