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! |
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| trying to be under 24...didn't make it |
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| Kelly, Mike & Dood, pre-race |
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| JB, running the mile clock. |
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.
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.
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| 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.
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