This week ended my easy running! I had to do a few 5k tempos during the week and now it's back on! Back to back long runs were the story for this weekend and this coming week speed work starts back up. My tempo runs were good, and one was on trail (LOVE) with the RHS teacher's runnning group. I was a bit bummed as they were doing 8 miles and I only had the 5k on my schedule! Super fast running friend Crystal Basich was there as well - and I pretty much just spent my whole time trying to stick with her! Such a fast smart runner, Crystal knows her stuff! By the end of my run I was in near vomit mode. Probably a combo of running with Crystal and eating that Falafel right before the run! (Smooth move!) Not too bright. I'm now ready to get back to my pre race food plan. I'm pretty much just sick of food. YES I SAID IT!! Ask me again in 2 weeks if I feel that same way though - I'm sure I'll feel differently by then!
Saturday's 30k - Jeannette's longest distance!
Saturday's run was spent on trails (LOVE) with Jeannette Spada and Charlie Bolek. Jeannette was coming out for her longest run to date, and she rocked it! Girdled Road Reservation is not an easy place to run at for a lot of people - and to see Jeannette tackle a new distance there was amazing! We started running at 6 a.m. and it was pitch black outside. Raining. Cold. BRING IT! Not too long into our run I was shining my light into the woods and there they were. Two sets of glowing eyes staring straight back at us! It wound up to be some deer, but it was the most interesting thing seeing these beady little eyes staring at you! Later we saw another deer hanging out in the creek. Beautiful! I introduced my friends to the hill I do my hill work on. (I have named it, but will not divulge that info. Just think....bleep! bleep! bleep!) Charlie left after 12-ish miles and Jeannette and I continued on, with her kicking butt every step! We both were wearing new shoes so of course we had to christen them - we went down the single track and met some mud. BOOYAH! Congrats to Jeannette on her amazing run! And thanks Charlie & Jeannette for running with my chatterbox self!
Great Lakes Brewery
Charlie and I thought up a plan a while back during a trail run. We both had an ultra the same day, me with NC and Charlie with YUTC. So we thought - we'll celebrate! It was really supposed to be last week, but my husband's work plans changed (as our entire summer has gone). Once again my husband's work plans changed as his company shipped him off to Chicago for a few days and tacked on an extra day (Saturday). He made it just in time for Great Lakes, and my sis followed right behind him. Jeannette came as well, with us spending time at the West Side Market before heading to Great Lakes. While waiting for a table we headed outside. Our kids ran over to a small park right across the street while we watched. The kids were treated to something really incredible. There were some homeless people being helped out by a few people. Whoever these people they are incredible! They had tons of food for the homeless, set up shop in the bus shelter and feed everyone. A couple of people even asked the kids if they wanted something to eat as well. I'm hoping my son realized what happened. I tried to get him to think about it for a minute, so hopefully it sunk in. On one side you have these people with absolutely nothing, no home, no food, no clothes. On the other side there's us - waiting to get into an expensive restraunt, able to get out of the cold, out of the rain. Yet these people still offered whatever they had to the kids. It was SO incredible. How can you put something like that into words? I wish I knew where the people who were helping were from - a company? A nonprofit? I'm kicking myself now for not asking, and I'm sitting here wishing I would've done something, too. The helpers loaded up their unmarked white van after everyone had their fill and drove away. AMAZING is the best word I can come up with, and it's really not good enough.
Sunday's run
Sunday's run was a bit shorter than Saturday's and my husband ran it with me. He's in taper mode, and he's fighting the urge to run long. He'll have his chance soon enough! Again, the run was on trails. Again - it was cold! It rained a little, but we still saw tons of people out on the trails. We ran into an ultra runner who was hiking at the time - a very nice guy who I'm sure we'll see again. He actually wound up running with us for a bit so we could chat for some more. Great guy! We discovered some new to us trails at North Chagrin (and that meant new to us hills as well!) Now it's time for my husband to spend the week going crazy due to tapering! I'm completely pumped and ready to see him cross that finish line next week!
Boston Marathon cancels deferement policy
Running friend Kattya looked into deferring her registration for the 2011 until 2012which is what I had planned. This is the bad news she came up with!
Email from the BAA:
The BAA does not defer times for runners who qualified, but cannot participate during the year which they are qualified.
Also, our policy regarding deferments for runners entered in our marathon has changed. The BAA will not offer deferments of qualifying times to participants of the 2011 Boston Marathon or future races.
In past years, runners who knew that they would not be able to participate in the upcoming race registered to "save a spot" through our deferment policy, thus preventing fully qualified runners from registering. With the high demand for participation and early closings of registration, the BAA decided to eliminate deferments for the Boston Marathon.
If a runner registers for the 2011 Boston Marathon and then becomes unable to participate, they will need to re-qualify to enter the 2012 Boston Marathon. The qualifying window for the 2012 Boston Marathon will begin on September 25, 2010.
Please keep in mind that entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to future races.
Good luck with your running endeavors and thank you for your interest in the Boston Marathon.
Sincerely,
Boston Athletic Association
The Starting Line
One Ash Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748
508-435-6905
Sandi Nypaver - 1st female overall at Grindstone!!
The course was 101.85 miles. Eleveation gain and loss of 23,200 feet. The time limit? 38 hours. Sandi finished her race in 23 hours and 05 minutes to place first overall/females! (Not only that, but she finished in the top ten OVERALL!) I don't think the people down at Grindstone knew what was coming: A tornado! Big congrats to Sandi on her awesome finish at Grindstone - she is truly an elite athlete! HUGS SANDI!!!!!!
XC invitational at Mentor
This past week my son went to a cross country invitational at Garfield Park in Mentor. The temps were good, the air was good - perfect running weather! Considering the circumstances I knew my mini would do well and most likely PR. He did just that! Yes the weather was good and he made good food choices that day, but the thing that REALLY fueled his fire was a couple of coaches from Mentor-Memorial Junior High School (unfortunately, my old school.) During his run he was running alongside a couple of Memorial boys. The coaches started yelling - (in regards to my son) "This kid's NOTHING! He's WEAK! He's NOBODY!" Well a younger Radames would've been really hurt by this. But, that has changed. He said he passed those kids up and felt amazing when he saw the look on both coaches faces! He refused to let those ADULTS talk down to him - refused to let them hurt him. BRAVO mini! I'm not really feelin' the love for my old alma mater right now. I'm pretty disgusted actually. They fail to realize what running really is about. They have NO CLUE. I hope it doesn't rub off on the kids, hope that the kids will realize for themselves what running is all about.
What exactly is running about?
RUNNING is about not giving up.
RUNNING is about thinking "No way can I POSSIBLY do that." Then DOING it.
RUNNING is about conquering those demons inside - the ones that tell you "STOP. You're not good enough. You'll never be able to do it."
RUNNING is about friendship.
RUNNING is about solitude.
RUNNING is about pushing yourself to your limits and then pushing some more.
RUNNING is about not backing down from a good fight.
RUNNING is about your own personal goals. Not coming in first, second, or third place - but it's simply about beating yourself. Getting that P.R., finally being able to run up that hill instead of walking, and going further than you've ever gone before.
RUNNING is realizing that despite the fact that you may not be as fast as before, you are STILL out there doing it.
RUNNING is about not meeting your goal, but still being proud of yourself. Knowing that you did everything in your power, used every bit of energy to try and get to where you wanted, but sometimes, just sometimes - shit happens.
RUNNING is about getting a DNF, then waking your ass up the next morning looking for a new race.
RUNNING is about getting first place and hanging out at the finish line to congratulations those that came after you.
RUNNING is about not winning a medal, but still hanging out at the awards ceremony to cheer on those who did.
RUNNING is about determination.
RUNNING is about realizing there are no limits, no boundaries, no borders.
Happy running everyone!
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