Sunday: 5 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 8 mile run
Saturday: 18 mile run
Total: 35 miles!
I have not been blogging much because I have been working more than usual, getting the girls adjusted to being back at school, dealing with a sick dog, and trying to keep up the training for Columbus Marathon. Whew! The running has been really erratic. In lieu of the usual morning run, I have had to squeeze in running in the late afternoon or evening. My body does not like that. I feel sluggish and it is soooooooo hot then. The biggest reason I don't like running in the afternoon/evening is that people are crabby. Really crabby. No eye contact, no friendly smiles, no cheerful banter. Just crabby, crabby, crabby.
Today was wonderful though! I was able to get out and running by 8 am. It was so nice and cool. I even had some goosebumps going! I did two 9-mile loops from our house. All my old morning peeps were out on the path and it was like old homeday. Gosh, I missed those smiling morning faces. One of the morning regular walkers noticed I had my fuel-belt on and gave a cheer as I passed him for the second time. I saw another couple that I have seen regularly since I started running marathons and we exchanged hellos and where-have-you-been's. I chatted with a man who had his 6-month old golden retriever off leash on the trail section. It was such fun that I hated to see the 18 miles pass by so quickly. Truth be told I was terrified that I would not make it through today's run, but it was pure joy. I was smiling all day.
In terms of family fitness it is pretty much status quo. Abby is in cross country mode and has her first meet on Tuesday. Go Tigers! It is looking like a nice strong girls team this year and that is exciting. She has a goal time of under 14 minutes for the 2 mile race. I think she will reach that with no problem if it ever cools down. Gina is on break from swim team and anxious to start up again. Her exercise is mainly coming from marching band lately - sweating away in the mid-day sun for an hour or so every afternoon. I think that's work. Jerry is running a few times a week. Nothing major. His recovery from BR100 has gone well and he is also anxious to start up again although no races have been set.
Vegetarian diet status is also being maintained and quite well at that. I recently read that only 3% of Americans claim to be vegetarians. Wow! We watched Food, Inc a couple of weeks ago and that just solidified the decision to not eat meat. The girls pack their lunches everyday for school and we are learning a few more ways to expand our food plans. The only downside I have discovered is not being able to fry eggs in bacon grease! I really miss that.......
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Burning River 100 Support Report
Jerry had a great day and surpassed his main goal of running 100 miles in less than 24 hours. His race report and several photos can be found here!
I wanted to take a few moments and write how the race went down from the perspective of his race crew which consisted of myself, Gina and Abby. Together we are typically a hormonal mess of peri-menopause and teenage angst and I don't know how Jerry puts up with us most of the time; however, we held it together for race day and did our very best to support him.
The first thing we did was decide on Thursday to not actually go to the starting line with him on Saturday morning at 3 am. This was a very rude thing to do, but he managed to secure a seat on the shuttle bus. We made the decision so that we could be at our very best during the night when he would need us to be in good form. The change in plan allowed us to sleep till 6am and then we loaded up the Subaru and headed towards South Chagrin Metropark.
We bought a few supplies at Walgreen and then landed at a little parking area we are familiar with on the road heading down into Sulphur Springs. This is a Williamson Family favorite where we have spent a tremendous amount of time. It was great to hang out in the cool morning air and watch the runners go by. Gina and Abby did some balance work on the fence rail! Jerry went by and asked us to bring him a bandana and "the Stick" from home. The girls were really a great help. One of their main jobs was to help me remember things like that. They also recorded his times in and out of aid stations, controlled the ipod in the car, texted and checked voicemails from my phone when I could not, and most importantly they helped me navigate and stay focused. They are really wonderful girls and I love being around them!
From there we meandered our way to Shadow Lake and then on to a surprise stop at Bridal Veil Falls. Jerry did not know we would be there but this is also a favorite family spot. It was not an official aid station so we just wanted to pop in and say hi. We stayed in the car a bit so Gina could read another chapter of The Scarlet Letter and Abby worked on a bracelet. When we made our way down to the waterfall we were completely shocked to see Jerry immediately come down the trail! Whew - that was close....we almost missed him! He was really trucking along and I was so glad we had reworked the pace chart to include the faster pace times.
It was now nearing lunch and I had been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get from Bridal Veil Falls to Station Road via the Pulp Smoothie shop in Macedonia! It is a traditional pit stop for the girls and I and it just wouldn't be BR100 without it. We figured it out and it was awesome vegetarian goodness. On to Station Road where we set up a chair and a blanket and hauled the shoe boxes full of Jerry's supplies into the open sunny space. The place was pretty packed and we had a good chat with some of JPs crew. We were barely finished with lunch when Jerry came running in. He was right on a 21-hr pace and it was sort of freaking us all out. It seemed way too fast and I was hoping he would not crash and burn. As a family we have all been trying to step it up a bit this year - try running a bit faster, harder, push a bit more, go outside the comfort zone. Jerry had clearly stated his goals but a 21 or 22 hour finish was NOT part of this plan! Regardless, we fueled him up, changed his shoes and sent him over the train tracks to be on his way. His attitude was completely different this year - I kept looking at the girls and saying, "Dad's got his game face on today, I don't know what's happening." He was soooooooo serious. We went home after Station Road for a quick refresh.
The car had become a mess so I spent a few moments reorganizing the shoe boxes of supplies for each aid station. We made plans to pick up the first pacer, Andy, at 2:20pm at Pine Hollow so that left very little time to actually be at home. Our golden retriever was acting sick and it took a fair amount of time to get her out to do her thing. Before we knew it, it was time to get back in the car and head out again.
We picked up Andy and headed to Boston Store. It was wall-to-wall with people and cars and I could only hope for a decent parking place. We ended up along Stanford Rd which was great. By now it was about 3:00 pm and the sun was out. The heat in combination with the large amount of people was wearing me down quickly. Jerry finally had slowed down a bit and did not arrive till about 3:40. He made a quick pass through the aid station and set off for the loop. We moved everything over by the car and continued waiting. I was ready to order pizza and leave Boston Store!
I had planned ahead and brought the number for Winking Lizard. All we had to do was find a parking place in Peninsula on a Saturday evening at 6pm. That didn't take terribly long and we made our way to Happy Days. Happy Days parking lot was jam-packed. The theme of finding a place to park was starting to become a familiar one. A spot opened up and that was all I needed to start a big sermon about how God cares for us and will help us through anything! The girls are used to this sort of digression so they politely listened, prayed with me and then we ate our pizza in the quiet of the evening.
Jerry and Andy came cruising through the aid station and we met them with the shoe box of stuff. Again, Jerry was in and out and still very serious. We packed up our things and set off for BP where we needed some more water and ice to get us through the night. I also picked up a much needed cup of coffee.
From there it was on to Pine Hollow - really one of the greatest places in Northeast Ohio. We had plans to meet our neighbors there and also the second pacer, Mike and his family. We were a big crew by then with lots of cute little kids, glow sticks, and marshmallows. It was super fun. It really helped break up the anxiety and exhaustion that was setting in. One of the things I love the most is the thought of how natural this sort of thing is to our family. Since Gina and Abby have grown up going to these sorts of race venues and long days, they really can kick it in and make a great day when other kids might be grumbling about being away from the computer, TV or their friends. We always find some fun activity to do. Nothing will ever beat the pinecone and stick baseball game at Mohican but pony rides may be a new close second.
After Jerry passed through and changed his shoes and refilled his bottles, it was time to say good-bye to Andy and our friends and head off into the dark of night for Covered Bridge. My navigation skills were spiraling downward and it was quite an adventure getting there! We did, however, arrive only to find another parking lot completely full. Argh! It was nearing 11pm and I really wanted to snooze, but not while parked along Everett Rd in complete darkness. Eventually a spot opened and we wheeled the Subaru in, reclined the seats, set an alarm for 1 hour and enjoyed the absolute stillness of the night.
Soon enough the alarm sounded and we gathered our chair and boxes and headed for the bridge. It's quite a sight and I was excited for the girls to finally see it. Abby first had to face her demons though: she has had a rough time at Covered Bridge! A bizarre rash last summer after we hiked there, a puke-fest during Jim Klett 10K, the memory of my accidental step into dog poop during the Run with Scissors last fall. We barely made it past the port-a-pot and I heard her gagging. Poor girl. She said the smell of runners, port-a-pot, and all those memories was getting to her.
Jerry and Mike had slowed but they were doing just fine and set off for the Perkins Trail loop very quickly. This was starting to bum me out a bit! We were waiting and waiting all day and night and then whoosh....he would run in and leave so quickly! But I kept telling myself, the faster he gets in and out of these aid stations, the faster we are headed to the finish line. Upon returning from the loop, he announced he really had to use the bathroom. The girls and I rolled our eyes. The clock was ticking now and I made my infamous statement upon his return that he was eight minutes off the 24 hour pace time.
Getting to Merriman aid station was another navigational failure. Thanks to G & A for getting me out of that mess too! Same thing here: we pulled in, reclined the seats, set the alarm for about 1 hour and proceeded to snooze. By this point I barely wanted to leave the car, but I pried open my eyes to watch for Jerry and Mike. I heard them before I saw them and jumped out of the car. I ran with them to the aid station and once again, Jerry had one thing on his mind: get in and out as fast as possible. I returned to the car where Gina and Abby remained sleeping! I felt bad waking them up but it was time to go to the finish line and they had to buckle up for safety!
We arrived in the parking garage about 3:30 and I set the alarm for 4:15. It was not restful at all, but we could hear the announcer calling people in as they finished down below. We gathered our things and set up chairs. According to the current pace he was keeping he would finish very close to 5 am but something told me I better get down there "just in case." Good thing we did because at 4:30 we caught our first glimpse and soon enough he came through the finish - still looking serious, game face on but with a hint of a smile!
We are all so very proud of him and happy to have been part of the whole thing. The life lessons that can be learned by spending a weekend as part of an ultrarunning event are too numerous to count. I wish I had time to speak to every runner and find out their story. It's an amazing community.
I wanted to take a few moments and write how the race went down from the perspective of his race crew which consisted of myself, Gina and Abby. Together we are typically a hormonal mess of peri-menopause and teenage angst and I don't know how Jerry puts up with us most of the time; however, we held it together for race day and did our very best to support him.The first thing we did was decide on Thursday to not actually go to the starting line with him on Saturday morning at 3 am. This was a very rude thing to do, but he managed to secure a seat on the shuttle bus. We made the decision so that we could be at our very best during the night when he would need us to be in good form. The change in plan allowed us to sleep till 6am and then we loaded up the Subaru and headed towards South Chagrin Metropark.
From there we meandered our way to Shadow Lake and then on to a surprise stop at Bridal Veil Falls. Jerry did not know we would be there but this is also a favorite family spot. It was not an official aid station so we just wanted to pop in and say hi. We stayed in the car a bit so Gina could read another chapter of The Scarlet Letter and Abby worked on a bracelet. When we made our way down to the waterfall we were completely shocked to see Jerry immediately come down the trail! Whew - that was close....we almost missed him! He was really trucking along and I was so glad we had reworked the pace chart to include the faster pace times.
It was now nearing lunch and I had been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get from Bridal Veil Falls to Station Road via the Pulp Smoothie shop in Macedonia! It is a traditional pit stop for the girls and I and it just wouldn't be BR100 without it. We figured it out and it was awesome vegetarian goodness. On to Station Road where we set up a chair and a blanket and hauled the shoe boxes full of Jerry's supplies into the open sunny space. The place was pretty packed and we had a good chat with some of JPs crew. We were barely finished with lunch when Jerry came running in. He was right on a 21-hr pace and it was sort of freaking us all out. It seemed way too fast and I was hoping he would not crash and burn. As a family we have all been trying to step it up a bit this year - try running a bit faster, harder, push a bit more, go outside the comfort zone. Jerry had clearly stated his goals but a 21 or 22 hour finish was NOT part of this plan! Regardless, we fueled him up, changed his shoes and sent him over the train tracks to be on his way. His attitude was completely different this year - I kept looking at the girls and saying, "Dad's got his game face on today, I don't know what's happening." He was soooooooo serious. We went home after Station Road for a quick refresh.
The car had become a mess so I spent a few moments reorganizing the shoe boxes of supplies for each aid station. We made plans to pick up the first pacer, Andy, at 2:20pm at Pine Hollow so that left very little time to actually be at home. Our golden retriever was acting sick and it took a fair amount of time to get her out to do her thing. Before we knew it, it was time to get back in the car and head out again.
We picked up Andy and headed to Boston Store. It was wall-to-wall with people and cars and I could only hope for a decent parking place. We ended up along Stanford Rd which was great. By now it was about 3:00 pm and the sun was out. The heat in combination with the large amount of people was wearing me down quickly. Jerry finally had slowed down a bit and did not arrive till about 3:40. He made a quick pass through the aid station and set off for the loop. We moved everything over by the car and continued waiting. I was ready to order pizza and leave Boston Store!
I had planned ahead and brought the number for Winking Lizard. All we had to do was find a parking place in Peninsula on a Saturday evening at 6pm. That didn't take terribly long and we made our way to Happy Days. Happy Days parking lot was jam-packed. The theme of finding a place to park was starting to become a familiar one. A spot opened up and that was all I needed to start a big sermon about how God cares for us and will help us through anything! The girls are used to this sort of digression so they politely listened, prayed with me and then we ate our pizza in the quiet of the evening.
Jerry and Andy came cruising through the aid station and we met them with the shoe box of stuff. Again, Jerry was in and out and still very serious. We packed up our things and set off for BP where we needed some more water and ice to get us through the night. I also picked up a much needed cup of coffee.
After Jerry passed through and changed his shoes and refilled his bottles, it was time to say good-bye to Andy and our friends and head off into the dark of night for Covered Bridge. My navigation skills were spiraling downward and it was quite an adventure getting there! We did, however, arrive only to find another parking lot completely full. Argh! It was nearing 11pm and I really wanted to snooze, but not while parked along Everett Rd in complete darkness. Eventually a spot opened and we wheeled the Subaru in, reclined the seats, set an alarm for 1 hour and enjoyed the absolute stillness of the night.
Soon enough the alarm sounded and we gathered our chair and boxes and headed for the bridge. It's quite a sight and I was excited for the girls to finally see it. Abby first had to face her demons though: she has had a rough time at Covered Bridge! A bizarre rash last summer after we hiked there, a puke-fest during Jim Klett 10K, the memory of my accidental step into dog poop during the Run with Scissors last fall. We barely made it past the port-a-pot and I heard her gagging. Poor girl. She said the smell of runners, port-a-pot, and all those memories was getting to her.
Jerry and Mike had slowed but they were doing just fine and set off for the Perkins Trail loop very quickly. This was starting to bum me out a bit! We were waiting and waiting all day and night and then whoosh....he would run in and leave so quickly! But I kept telling myself, the faster he gets in and out of these aid stations, the faster we are headed to the finish line. Upon returning from the loop, he announced he really had to use the bathroom. The girls and I rolled our eyes. The clock was ticking now and I made my infamous statement upon his return that he was eight minutes off the 24 hour pace time.
Getting to Merriman aid station was another navigational failure. Thanks to G & A for getting me out of that mess too! Same thing here: we pulled in, reclined the seats, set the alarm for about 1 hour and proceeded to snooze. By this point I barely wanted to leave the car, but I pried open my eyes to watch for Jerry and Mike. I heard them before I saw them and jumped out of the car. I ran with them to the aid station and once again, Jerry had one thing on his mind: get in and out as fast as possible. I returned to the car where Gina and Abby remained sleeping! I felt bad waking them up but it was time to go to the finish line and they had to buckle up for safety!
We arrived in the parking garage about 3:30 and I set the alarm for 4:15. It was not restful at all, but we could hear the announcer calling people in as they finished down below. We gathered our things and set up chairs. According to the current pace he was keeping he would finish very close to 5 am but something told me I better get down there "just in case." Good thing we did because at 4:30 we caught our first glimpse and soon enough he came through the finish - still looking serious, game face on but with a hint of a smile!
We are all so very proud of him and happy to have been part of the whole thing. The life lessons that can be learned by spending a weekend as part of an ultrarunning event are too numerous to count. I wish I had time to speak to every runner and find out their story. It's an amazing community.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monastra 5K
I've stated many times how much I love the annual Monastra 5K Refuse to Lose race in Hudson, OH. Saturday marked the 9th installment of that race. I have run all nine. Each year I love it more and more. I love how the family gets up and tells the story of their Dad who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1992 and died 4 weeks later. I love that 80% of the proceeds go directly to a lab at Johns Hopkins that is focused on finding out more about this disease. The lead researcher actually speaks briefly at the race. I think that's really great. The course is nice and this year they even had crates of fresh fruit at the finish line.
With temps nearing 90 degrees by the 9am start, this was not to be a day for racing hard. Not that I do much hardcore racing, but under the right conditions I am not afraid to give it my all. Today I would focus on staying with Abby for as long as possible. I was worried about her and the heat.
We always enjoy watching the 1-mile kids race that is before the 5K. We stood along the side and cheered for all the little kiddoes as they neared the finish. By far the sweetest thing we saw was a little girl about 4 years old running with her mom. The little girl was clutching her stuffed cow under her arm and it just brought back so many memories of Gina and Abby and their love of stuffed animals. Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I also have a thing for stuffed animals and carted my beloved Norman with me for years. Norman accompanied me on any trip I ever went on for a very, very long time! I've never run a marathon with him tucked under my arm though, but seeing that little girl actually caused the tears to roll down my face.
Anyways, the race was great. Abby and I stuck together. First mile at 9:30. Second mile at 9:19. I then gave her all control and told her if she wanted to go for it that now was the time. We rolled on out and started passing people. Up ahead we saw a girl that was presumably the same age as Abby. Without saying a word we closed the gap and ran by single file. I did my train whistle thingy in my head and just kept encouraging Abby. We made the last corner and she pulled away and I let her go. She finished about 8 seconds ahead of me and by the time I got there she was doubled over and dry heaving. The last mile for me was 8:05 so we really negative split nicely. According to Abby, it was the frying sausage from the Hudson Farmer's Market that did her in.
We sat for a long time in the grass with Jerry and Gina. A long time passed and then there was an enormous eruption of cheering and applause as the last participant crossed the line. We had seen him before the race and let's just say he was quite elderly. He was dressed in old school running gear complete with khaki shorts and a belt. The back of his t-shirt said 2700 road races and I have no doubt that he actually completed them all. The crowd gave him the equivalent of a standing ovation. Another teary moment for me as I tried to grasp the beauty of the running community - from the little girl clutching her stuffed animal in the 1-mile race to the elderly man finishing the 5K at 52 minutes. I love being part of that camaraderie. As Linus would say, "That's what fitness is all about, Charlie Brown."
Abby ended up first in her age group and I was third in mine. Not bad for a Saturday morning.
Sunday rolled around and I managed my 14 mile run before church. Jerry joined me for the first lap and it was great to run together and chat about Burning River 100 next weekend. I even tried his chia seed gel and I must say it is quite good. The second lap was lonely and I went completely and totally inside my head. So much that at one point I could not remember if I had run the loop correctly. But then I remembered that I had dropped my fuel belt by the highschool while trying to loop my visor through it. I had definitely covered my course but I must have been really in the zone.
Now the big week leading up to the racing highlight of the summer. The girls and I have a pretty good plan for the day and Jerry is working through all the what ifs in his head. If all goes well he will have a finish time of less than 24 hours. We can't wait to get this thing going!
With temps nearing 90 degrees by the 9am start, this was not to be a day for racing hard. Not that I do much hardcore racing, but under the right conditions I am not afraid to give it my all. Today I would focus on staying with Abby for as long as possible. I was worried about her and the heat.
We always enjoy watching the 1-mile kids race that is before the 5K. We stood along the side and cheered for all the little kiddoes as they neared the finish. By far the sweetest thing we saw was a little girl about 4 years old running with her mom. The little girl was clutching her stuffed cow under her arm and it just brought back so many memories of Gina and Abby and their love of stuffed animals. Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I also have a thing for stuffed animals and carted my beloved Norman with me for years. Norman accompanied me on any trip I ever went on for a very, very long time! I've never run a marathon with him tucked under my arm though, but seeing that little girl actually caused the tears to roll down my face.
Anyways, the race was great. Abby and I stuck together. First mile at 9:30. Second mile at 9:19. I then gave her all control and told her if she wanted to go for it that now was the time. We rolled on out and started passing people. Up ahead we saw a girl that was presumably the same age as Abby. Without saying a word we closed the gap and ran by single file. I did my train whistle thingy in my head and just kept encouraging Abby. We made the last corner and she pulled away and I let her go. She finished about 8 seconds ahead of me and by the time I got there she was doubled over and dry heaving. The last mile for me was 8:05 so we really negative split nicely. According to Abby, it was the frying sausage from the Hudson Farmer's Market that did her in.
We sat for a long time in the grass with Jerry and Gina. A long time passed and then there was an enormous eruption of cheering and applause as the last participant crossed the line. We had seen him before the race and let's just say he was quite elderly. He was dressed in old school running gear complete with khaki shorts and a belt. The back of his t-shirt said 2700 road races and I have no doubt that he actually completed them all. The crowd gave him the equivalent of a standing ovation. Another teary moment for me as I tried to grasp the beauty of the running community - from the little girl clutching her stuffed animal in the 1-mile race to the elderly man finishing the 5K at 52 minutes. I love being part of that camaraderie. As Linus would say, "That's what fitness is all about, Charlie Brown."
Sunday rolled around and I managed my 14 mile run before church. Jerry joined me for the first lap and it was great to run together and chat about Burning River 100 next weekend. I even tried his chia seed gel and I must say it is quite good. The second lap was lonely and I went completely and totally inside my head. So much that at one point I could not remember if I had run the loop correctly. But then I remembered that I had dropped my fuel belt by the highschool while trying to loop my visor through it. I had definitely covered my course but I must have been really in the zone.
Now the big week leading up to the racing highlight of the summer. The girls and I have a pretty good plan for the day and Jerry is working through all the what ifs in his head. If all goes well he will have a finish time of less than 24 hours. We can't wait to get this thing going!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Too Darn Hot
Sunday: 10 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Friday: 4 mile run
Saturday: 12 mile run
Total: 35 miles
Too Darn Hot! Love that song from Kiss Me Kate and it really sums up the weather we have been having. The only way to conquer the heat is to get up and run as early in the day as possible, but honestly lately it is hot and humid then too. Take Friday morning: dragged myself out before 6 am and was out the door within 15 minutes, the air felt hot and spongy. First mile took over 10 minutes and to add insult to injury it started to sprinkle. Then it started to pour. Then I saw lightning. By the time I returned home I was soaked but somehow still in a sleepy stupor!
I am totally looking forward to the Joseph Monastra Refuse to Lose 5K this saturday in Hudson. Abby and I have discussed our plan. We probably will not run together for this race. I think it will be a good pacing experience for her. My mother's guilt may creep into the day. I still feel bad about the Jim Klett 10K. I kind of want to "keep an eye on her" in case her stomach talks back again, but I would be making the assumption that I could somehow keep her in sight. It will be an interesting day for sure!
I worked everyday this week so I had to really think through the meals. Sunday was our picnic at Blossom. We used a gift card from Giant Eagle and loaded up last minute on cheese, bread, fruit, pie, hummus, etc. Monday we did a quick and easy pasta salad. Tuesday was meatless chicken patty sandwiches and baked veggies. Wednesday we had another quick and easy dinner of mexican casserole. Thursday was potato skins and an after dinner trip to DQ! Friday I redeemd myself with the labor-intensive Indonesian Pilaf. Saturday we returned to Blossom but made our own food: ciabatta rolls with avocado, sprouts, cheese, tomato and russian dressing; strawberries, chips, asian coleslaw and brownies for dessert. Another awesome night under the stars with the Cleveland Orchestra! My favorite summer activity in Cleveland!
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Friday: 4 mile run
Saturday: 12 mile run
Total: 35 miles
Too Darn Hot! Love that song from Kiss Me Kate and it really sums up the weather we have been having. The only way to conquer the heat is to get up and run as early in the day as possible, but honestly lately it is hot and humid then too. Take Friday morning: dragged myself out before 6 am and was out the door within 15 minutes, the air felt hot and spongy. First mile took over 10 minutes and to add insult to injury it started to sprinkle. Then it started to pour. Then I saw lightning. By the time I returned home I was soaked but somehow still in a sleepy stupor!
I am totally looking forward to the Joseph Monastra Refuse to Lose 5K this saturday in Hudson. Abby and I have discussed our plan. We probably will not run together for this race. I think it will be a good pacing experience for her. My mother's guilt may creep into the day. I still feel bad about the Jim Klett 10K. I kind of want to "keep an eye on her" in case her stomach talks back again, but I would be making the assumption that I could somehow keep her in sight. It will be an interesting day for sure!
I worked everyday this week so I had to really think through the meals. Sunday was our picnic at Blossom. We used a gift card from Giant Eagle and loaded up last minute on cheese, bread, fruit, pie, hummus, etc. Monday we did a quick and easy pasta salad. Tuesday was meatless chicken patty sandwiches and baked veggies. Wednesday we had another quick and easy dinner of mexican casserole. Thursday was potato skins and an after dinner trip to DQ! Friday I redeemd myself with the labor-intensive Indonesian Pilaf. Saturday we returned to Blossom but made our own food: ciabatta rolls with avocado, sprouts, cheese, tomato and russian dressing; strawberries, chips, asian coleslaw and brownies for dessert. Another awesome night under the stars with the Cleveland Orchestra! My favorite summer activity in Cleveland!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Hi Ho Hi Ho.....
My client had her baby so now it's back to work I go! I really enjoyed having June to regroup, although it was extremely stressful being on call 24/7. After returning home on Sunday, I did my 11-mile run sans cell phone. That in and of itself was wonderful. The extreme heat and sunshine also felt really good for some reason. Maybe something to do with the birth of a new baby and the awesomeness of that beautiful event. From there we headed to Blossom Music Center for a night outside listening to the Cleveland Orchestra. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
So now my schedule returns to being hectic for a few weeks. Squeezing in runs will be tricky but I'm not afraid. I have officially signed up for my 5th Columbus Marathon which will be held on October 17. WooHoo! Last week's long run of 11 miles will gradually build over the next couple of months. I will try to follow Hal Higdon's Intermediate program which will include 5 days of running each week.
In the short-term, Abby and I are registered for the 9th Annual Refuse to Lose 5K race held in Hudson. I have done the race every year since it's inception. I absolutely love it. Anyone interested in walking or running in this great event can find out more at www.hermescleveland.com .
Jerry is in full taper mode for Burning River 100. It's time to start all of our logistic conversations and planning. The girls and I are really looking forward to helping him have a great day!
So now my schedule returns to being hectic for a few weeks. Squeezing in runs will be tricky but I'm not afraid. I have officially signed up for my 5th Columbus Marathon which will be held on October 17. WooHoo! Last week's long run of 11 miles will gradually build over the next couple of months. I will try to follow Hal Higdon's Intermediate program which will include 5 days of running each week.
In the short-term, Abby and I are registered for the 9th Annual Refuse to Lose 5K race held in Hudson. I have done the race every year since it's inception. I absolutely love it. Anyone interested in walking or running in this great event can find out more at www.hermescleveland.com .
Jerry is in full taper mode for Burning River 100. It's time to start all of our logistic conversations and planning. The girls and I are really looking forward to helping him have a great day!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy 4th of July!
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 3.5 "speed workout" with Abby
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: 1 hr yoga, 6 mile run with Abby and Jerry (who had already run 25 miles in the morning!)
Total Running Miles: 23.5
Seems like every year I arrive at the 4th of July in desperate need of a nap! All day I have been thinking that I should go lie down, but I know that it will not happen. Coffee is brewing as we speak and it is destined to be another late night with fireworks and good times.
My one hour of yoga this week was heavenly and left me super sore. The class was called "Peaceful Living Through Breathing" from Yoga Today and it was just perfect. I have neglected my yoga but for good reason. My church had a schedule for reading through the New Testament in May and June and I decided that I would once again attempt this challenge. The only way for me to add something that is going to take a good half hour a day is to get rid of something else. I took a break from yoga so I could start my day with some reading time. If I could have done both at the same time I certainly would have, but I could not. It was a good decision.
The meal plan was somewhat interesting this week. Sunday we were so excited to try some new vegetarian hot dogs and sausage that Abby and I located while shopping at the Mustard Seed. We had high hopes but we were somewhat disappointed in the result. While the hot dogs were somewhat edible, the sausage which was made from eggplant and other vegetables really did not go down so well. Poor Jerry once again ended up with way too many lunches from this failed attempt. Tuesday we picked it back up with a great pasta served with lots of fresh herbs and parmesan cheese. Wednesday we made wraps with avocados, cream cheese and sundried tomatoes served with zucchini fries. That meal was deeeelish! Thursday was simply huevos rancheros (eggs with rice and hot sauce). Friday we went to Blossom Music Center with a big bag of take out from Panera Bread and fresh cherries, Santa Cruz Lemonade and chianti. Saturday we returned to the grill with soy burgers served with potato wedges and bean salad. Much better! Much much better!
Anyone going to be in Columbus on July 10? I can't but I wish I could. There will be an event called Run Fest at Frog Bear in the Arena District. Its free and family-friendly. Food, drinks, music, giveaways and the unveiling of the new Columbus Marathon logo. I wish I could be there - I really love Columbus Marathon! To see their facebook page go to: http://bit.ly/9FwUUO.
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 3.5 "speed workout" with Abby
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: 1 hr yoga, 6 mile run with Abby and Jerry (who had already run 25 miles in the morning!)
Total Running Miles: 23.5
Seems like every year I arrive at the 4th of July in desperate need of a nap! All day I have been thinking that I should go lie down, but I know that it will not happen. Coffee is brewing as we speak and it is destined to be another late night with fireworks and good times.
My one hour of yoga this week was heavenly and left me super sore. The class was called "Peaceful Living Through Breathing" from Yoga Today and it was just perfect. I have neglected my yoga but for good reason. My church had a schedule for reading through the New Testament in May and June and I decided that I would once again attempt this challenge. The only way for me to add something that is going to take a good half hour a day is to get rid of something else. I took a break from yoga so I could start my day with some reading time. If I could have done both at the same time I certainly would have, but I could not. It was a good decision.
The meal plan was somewhat interesting this week. Sunday we were so excited to try some new vegetarian hot dogs and sausage that Abby and I located while shopping at the Mustard Seed. We had high hopes but we were somewhat disappointed in the result. While the hot dogs were somewhat edible, the sausage which was made from eggplant and other vegetables really did not go down so well. Poor Jerry once again ended up with way too many lunches from this failed attempt. Tuesday we picked it back up with a great pasta served with lots of fresh herbs and parmesan cheese. Wednesday we made wraps with avocados, cream cheese and sundried tomatoes served with zucchini fries. That meal was deeeelish! Thursday was simply huevos rancheros (eggs with rice and hot sauce). Friday we went to Blossom Music Center with a big bag of take out from Panera Bread and fresh cherries, Santa Cruz Lemonade and chianti. Saturday we returned to the grill with soy burgers served with potato wedges and bean salad. Much better! Much much better!
Anyone going to be in Columbus on July 10? I can't but I wish I could. There will be an event called Run Fest at Frog Bear in the Arena District. Its free and family-friendly. Food, drinks, music, giveaways and the unveiling of the new Columbus Marathon logo. I wish I could be there - I really love Columbus Marathon! To see their facebook page go to: http://bit.ly/9FwUUO.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Speed Workout with Sheila
Abby and I had a great little run planned for this afternoon. She was somewhat sluggish from a sleepover last night and I only had a 3 or 4 mile run on the schedule. We decided to head to Liberty Park and run a loop through the woods.
Upon starting our run, we noticed five or six older folks positioned at various locations along the outer loop of the park. They had binoculars and were staring intently up at the very lovely blue sky. This sort of thing makes me nervous though......what are they watching for? Is a meteor about to tumble from the sky and bonk me on the head? Abby thought maybe she remembered Jerry saying there is a bald eagle nest in the park. I had no recollection of that, but I tend to believe whatever she says. Her brain is 30 years younger and much sharper than mine.
As we passed one of the women standing watch at her position, I asked what she was looking for? She lowered her binoculars and flatly said, "hawks." OK. Fine. I'm cool with hawks. Red-winged blackbirds not so much, but hawks are okay.
A little further ahead was yet another man standing at the entrance to the trail we wanted to run on. This guy was serious about his hawk watching. He even had a megaphone thingy that apparently was equipped to squawk like a hawk (cute, huh?) by pressing a button or something. As Abby and I approached, he starting making it squawk like crazy and then he started walking really fast down the trail and holding the megaphone thingy towards the ground. Abby and I stopped and tried to figure out what was going on. Hawks are usually in the sky. He was looking in the wrong place.
Then we saw that he was chasing a 5 or 6 ft black rat snake down the trail. His friends all started running towards us. Abby started formulating alternate routes knowing that I really really really do not like snakes, especially big black ones like that! That thing was huge!
Then Abby said, "Hey I think that's Shelia!" We remembered that the city naturalist who helped in her 5th and 6th grade classroom often spoke very highly about his snake friend, Sheila. He even brought Sheila's shed skin into the classroom and stapled it onto the wall. Sheila was not just a snake, she was his friend and would often visit his little office in the Old Stone House located at the other end of the park.
At this point, the hawk observers asked if we would like to see the snake also. I replied that I would prefer to NOT see the snake but we would head down the trail anyways. Hence the title of this blog - I don't think I have ever run that fast! We were laughing and squealing all the way down the trail just thinking about Sheila chasing us! I charged up those hills, through the stream and over the roots and rocks like never before.
So now I'm wondering if I can somehow turn this into a new type of workout. Buy my new workout program for $19.95 and we'll include a real rubber snake at no extra charge. That's right a REAL rubber snake. You just need someone to hide in the trees and toss it out at you as you run by!
And by the way, if my husband or daughters try this I will make their lives miserable for a long, long time! I would not appreciate that at all.....
Upon starting our run, we noticed five or six older folks positioned at various locations along the outer loop of the park. They had binoculars and were staring intently up at the very lovely blue sky. This sort of thing makes me nervous though......what are they watching for? Is a meteor about to tumble from the sky and bonk me on the head? Abby thought maybe she remembered Jerry saying there is a bald eagle nest in the park. I had no recollection of that, but I tend to believe whatever she says. Her brain is 30 years younger and much sharper than mine.
As we passed one of the women standing watch at her position, I asked what she was looking for? She lowered her binoculars and flatly said, "hawks." OK. Fine. I'm cool with hawks. Red-winged blackbirds not so much, but hawks are okay.
A little further ahead was yet another man standing at the entrance to the trail we wanted to run on. This guy was serious about his hawk watching. He even had a megaphone thingy that apparently was equipped to squawk like a hawk (cute, huh?) by pressing a button or something. As Abby and I approached, he starting making it squawk like crazy and then he started walking really fast down the trail and holding the megaphone thingy towards the ground. Abby and I stopped and tried to figure out what was going on. Hawks are usually in the sky. He was looking in the wrong place.
Then we saw that he was chasing a 5 or 6 ft black rat snake down the trail. His friends all started running towards us. Abby started formulating alternate routes knowing that I really really really do not like snakes, especially big black ones like that! That thing was huge!
Then Abby said, "Hey I think that's Shelia!" We remembered that the city naturalist who helped in her 5th and 6th grade classroom often spoke very highly about his snake friend, Sheila. He even brought Sheila's shed skin into the classroom and stapled it onto the wall. Sheila was not just a snake, she was his friend and would often visit his little office in the Old Stone House located at the other end of the park.
At this point, the hawk observers asked if we would like to see the snake also. I replied that I would prefer to NOT see the snake but we would head down the trail anyways. Hence the title of this blog - I don't think I have ever run that fast! We were laughing and squealing all the way down the trail just thinking about Sheila chasing us! I charged up those hills, through the stream and over the roots and rocks like never before.
So now I'm wondering if I can somehow turn this into a new type of workout. Buy my new workout program for $19.95 and we'll include a real rubber snake at no extra charge. That's right a REAL rubber snake. You just need someone to hide in the trees and toss it out at you as you run by!
And by the way, if my husband or daughters try this I will make their lives miserable for a long, long time! I would not appreciate that at all.....
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