Northern Ohio

The Northern Ohio is a special race for me.  In it's very first year, 2013,  it was my very first marathon.  That year it started and ended in Fairport Harbor.  In 2014 it also started in Fairport & I ran the half.  I remember how excited I was to only be running the half.  I was not near as tried passing the 22 mile marker as I was when I passed it the year before.

Then in 2015 they changed the start/finish to Mentor Headlands.  That is my PR 1/2 marathon.  It was a great day; I was fast; everything fell into place.  I remember Leslie passing me around mile 6 & Dodd holding me back as I started to take off after her.  He said, "We'll get her."  And we did.  Funny how so much can change in a year.

I've been so slow.  I've struggled to breathe.  I've quit running 5k's ~ so I'm getting zero speed training.  The fastest I've run up until this week has been 9:15...and that was pushing it.  A calf cramp woke me up in the middle of the night...and I worked all morning just to get it to stop hurting ~  at the start I meet up with Leslie ~ who has become my "frienemy" this past year ~ and she says that she's going to keep 9:15/mile pace.  I haven't discussed it with anyone, but I really really want to run sub-9:00 for the race ~ with no idea if I can actually maintain.  I figure if I can't go under 9, I'd enjoy

Leslie's company.  We start together with lots of, "If you need to go ahead, please don't let me hold you back"  We ran 8:26 for the first mile & pushed each other most of the race.  I could not have maintained sub 9 without Leslie there.  It was a gift to be running with her.  At 10.5 she ran ahead, but I kept her in sight & finished just 30 seconds or so behind her.    At mile 12 I got a little emotional.  I did it.  I ran sub 9 ~ and it didn't kill me.  I haven't felt that accomplished in a very long time.  I'm a runner again.

And we end up in the same post-race shirt. 

It was POURING rain at 6:30 when we drove into the parking lot at Headlands.  The rain stopped around 7:08...Just time enough to hit the port-a-pot (where there wasn't a line) and get a little warm up in.  Then we started.  Dodd had an amazing run & was first in line for a massage when I finished.  I got in line for one too...loved Al's magic fingers.  We were not good with a pre-race in the rain selfie so I took this one as we were waiting for Mike to finish his full.

And we waited as the sun came out and it got a little hot.  Then this huge storm rolled in over the lake & with Mike in his last 2.5 miles...it down-poured.  He finished with a smile on his face & very wet clothes.  The man is a beast and he's talking about joining our 20 mile training run next week.  

A great day & I'll be back!