Crazy running weekend

Our first adventure as race directors went off pretty well.  We need to do better with a few things...but overall it was great.  The day started with POURING rain, but it stopped by the time we ran the kids race...and other than a little wind, the conditions were perfect.  We ended up with over 160 people running & tons of same day entrants. I would not have come if I hadn't already paid (or been in charge)  Kelly and I decided we couldn't pass up the Grand Prix points (well, she got the max amount & I did not) but it's hard to pass up a race.  I still haven't totally recovered from my Chardon Sore, so it felt good to run sub-8 min miles.  But at 24:02, it was my slowest race in a LONG time.

Our sweeper took some fun pictures!

trying to be under 24...didn't make it

Kelly, Mike & Dood, pre-race

JB, running the mile clock.

Kelly placed second overall.  Dodd and I both placed first in our age groups.  Great video of a puker. 

Then we woke up VERY early Sunday morning for Mike to, once again, try to not let the Cleveland Marathon win.  In 2013...the heat did him in and he drug himself to the finish.   In 2015...a repeat of the heat ~ a better finish, but still.  The marathon beat him mentally.  So we went from the HEAT to the COLD and SNOW and WIND and WET.  It hailed.  It sleeted.  It sucked.

Dodd and I were Mike's crew & promised to meet him every 6 miles.

Start selfie

First we waited in line to get into Quicken Loans areana as we had to pass through security?!?!?  and they had TWO people working for 15,000 people.  Really?!?  Strike one, Cleveland Marathon.  Then we went to the anti-climatic start {I knew the Columbus Start would ruin any and all marathon starts} Strike two, Cleveland Marathon.  It was rather crazy that after watching the start for 5 minutes or so...we started to ride toward Tremont.  There were still people walking to the start...pausing for pictures...laughing...not hurrying.  Dodd and I just couldn't understand the mentality.  We rode to Tremont & got some coffee/hot cocoa  and watched the elites come through.  It was fun to cheer for all of the runners.  We cheered for Mike & I ran a little bit with him.  Then off we went.  Saw just how the water stop works...kinda makes me wonder about taking water from water stops...There are big Rubbermaid tubs filled with water.  Pitchers to scoop out the water and pour into the cups.  Just seems like it would have lots of ways to get dirty.  But I'll still take water...as I've never had any problems in the past.

This is a picture of the snow.  I know you can't see the snow, but it was snowing.  Sleeting.  Hailing.  Ice pelleting.  Winding.  Colding.  It was miserable to be riding.  We were soaking WET.  Literally.  Standing at mile 17/19 we couldn't feel our fingers or toes.  My gloves were just soaking,   After we saw Mike on at Mile 19 we rode to Dunkin Donuts so I could use the bathroom.  The first thing I did was put my gloved hands under the dryer.  It didn't dry my gloves, but it warmed them enough.  Then Dodd decided to find a place to buy new gloves.  We went into a CVS and asked for gloves.  No dice.  

They don't sell those in MAY.  She took us to the rubber/dishwashing gloves.  As we were looking at them and deciding if that would help between our hands and gloves an ANGEL handed me her very nice and very dry gloves.  With the rubber gloves, my hands did not get frost bite.  

We realized we had to book to the finish, so we took off.  Passed Mike at 24 ~ and waited at a very windy finish.  4:09:52    Almost a PR in another Red Flagged race.

I refuse to sign Mike up for another Cleveland Marathon, strike three.

This is us post-race.  The only time we saw the sun.  We got back to the car and I took off my shoes and socks.  Literally {YES, Literally}  I wrung out my socks and water poured out.  I need to go change the newspaper in my Gortex shoes.  side note: Gortex does work to keep the water out.  However, it also works to keep the water in.  As we were standing by the car loading our stuff.  Mike sorta bends over and says, "I want to take off my shoes, but I can't untie them.  Who's going to untie my shoes."  After a beat a dude, fairly clean cut, I might add, says, "I'll untie them for two dollars."  and I'm pretty sure he was serious.  Truly, it's pretty sad.  But it was oddly funny too.

Chardon 1/2 and more

As the school year winds down, there is so much to do!  Last Thursday was my LAST ever band banquet.  We actually bought tickets to eat dinner (usually just show up for the awards) because it was senior recognition night...Jacob would be given a dinner...but the ROBOT wasn't yet working well...so Jacob was at robotics until 7:00, when I had to insist he come to the banquet (he would have rather stayed at robotics).  Sat with friends and had a good time.  It was a nice evening and about all the kids.  What a great group of kids Jacob has gone to school with.  Pictures ~ Mrs. May and JB; JB with Sam and Hannah; Audrey, me, and Olivia; Kent, Taryn and JB.

The Western Reserve Conference Tournament was suppose to be the same day at the band banquet...but due to rain it was postponed to Friday...to start at 9.  Then moved to an 11:00 start time...then moved indoors because it was still raining.  Finally around lunch time, the first matches were played.  Jacob won against Brush, Chardon and was in the finals against Mayfield.  He lost the first set and was down 5-0 in the second set...with the wheels falling off.  It was match point.  JB 15-40.  Match point.  JB 30-40.  Match point.  Deuce.  Ad in.  JB 1-5.  JB 2-5.  JB 3-5.  JB 4-5.  Mayfield won 6-4.  What a come back over a better tennis player.  Second place in the conference ~ which makes him All Conference.  If you have to lose, this is the way to do it.  It was a very exciting match.The whole team, except for a third place for second singles, placed second.  Madison places second in the whole tournament.  It was a great day for tennis.

Saturday brought us Robotics ~ a day of exploding medal.  Here is the 10 hour video... I found the Madison matches (missing some at the beginning...) at 8:28 Cleveland Heights ~  8:53 Ashtabula ~ 9:21 Beaumont  and then every 20 minutes or so...  Jacob was the driver & it was REALLY exciting for 40 seconds...and then 3 hours of sitting there.  We had really cocky t-shirts "Our Robot can Beat up your Robot"  and Dreadnaught could.  They lost first place because of a faulty wire ~ but their robot was clearly superior to all the others.  Exciting day.  

Craig Ayala took some GREAT pictures.

A second place finish for Team Dreadnaught ~ off to the National Competition (on the day of Graduation) in Pittsburgh

The driver (Jacob) and the chief mechanic (Zak) ~ the only seniors on the team

As I was pulling into the driveway after robotics, I surprised to see Patrick's car parked next to the garage.  PATRICK came home.  What a great surprise!  He brought Mags home for the summer ~ stayed until Tuesday and is currently looking for a co-op job for the summer in Cincinnati.

Sunday morning took us to Chardon to run the inaugural Chardon Half Marathon.  In the drizzly rain.  BUT it was 50+ degrees, so the drizzle wasn't bad at all.  This was a good race with a really hilly 5k to finish it.  Dodd took off from the start.  I sort of ran with Mike for the first two miles or so.  Then he took off.  My legs were tired from the start, and Mike was on fire.  He just kept getting further and further ahead.  I did see him do an awesome run jump for the photographer...and it inspired me to do the same.  Unfortunately the photographer didn't get either of us.  But I enjoyed watching Mike...and it's always good to run jump yourself :)

Finished in 1:50:35 ~ within my goal time up under 2 hours.  Enough time to go back and see Angela come in with almost 6 minutes to make it to the finish line and get her Birthday PR and break the 2 hour mark for the first time.  Exciting to see people make their goals.  Mike almost PR'ed on this very tough course...if only he didn't have to stop and tie his shoe (still didn't catch him)  We were SOOOO wet when we finished.  There wasn't a dry spot on me.  We went back to the car & all changed out of our race clothes.  Good race for Madison Group Run ~ I may have come in last, but I placed SECOND in my age group and won a little coffee mug.  I've been nursing sore hamstrings all week.  My first run back (Tuesday) had me slapping the pavement with my right foot.  It was weird.  

Got home and Jacob asked how we did.  He found it very humorous that I kept up the second place theme of the weekend.

Monday brought an all day AP Calc study day for Jacob 

Wednesday took us to Mayfield to play the kid who beat Jacob for the conference title.  Jacob beat him in two sets.  Jacob's game was ON FIRE.  Fun to watch him win that one.  Might have been the highlight of the season.

Thursday Jacob too the AP Calc test and Friday he had a field trip with the Jazz Band to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.  Tomorrow is Prom...it just doesn't end.

But to end this post ~ it was teacher appreciation week this week and our PAK did an amazing job making us feel special.  The best part:

our boss sent us a bag of chips and a jar of salsa to share.

So Lori brought me one chip dipped in salsa every period all day long.