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!