Mo' training week in review: Week 14 and the Cleveland 1/2 Marathon

One more month until my first 50 miler! I can't believe it's coming so fast. I started worrying a bit during the week, but calmed down by the time the weekend arrived. I got a hard long run to do this weekend, and it was amazing! Unfortunately due to my busy schedule this week I had to do it on the treadmill, but it did get done. Put the treadmill on the "hills" setting and just did it. 5k x 6 in the a.m. (5k hard/5k easy alternating) and 5k x 6 in the p.m. I can't believe I did it! My longest mileage in a single day yet! It calmed my nerves quite a bit. When Ray told me what to do I had to send an email back to him just to make sure I heard right. What's funny is I think I had a minor breakthrough. I didn't even think about the distance I needed to run for the day, I just simply ran it. Nuff said. There were a few moments in between my runs that I just shook my head in disbelief though. I LOVE IT! I can't wait to see what this weekend brings :) This week also meant a run with Guy Gadomski. He's always fun to run with! We ran @ Girdled Road which was perfect!

The Cleveland Marathon/Half Marathon

The festivities started on Friday! Stan Hembrough came all the way from B.C. to run the Cleveland 1/2 with me and my family. My husband had off on Friday, I took off, and we all headed downtown on Friday morning to get our race packets/bib, etc, etc. We visited the Rock Hall and showed Stan the West Side Market. We ate at the Galleria, but if I would've been thinking we would've just ate at the West Side Market. Oh well, next time!

Saturday

We spent the day sightseeing a bit, taking Stan to some parks and also dealing with my fidgety son! He had so much energy from his taper, and was acting pretty wired. Seriously -I almost told him to just go run! He was excited about the upcoming 1/2 marathon and was driving me nuts. Dinner was spent with some NERC friends and was organized by Jeannie Rice who was running her 70th marathon at Cleveland. I was so tired during dinner as my running and my nasty cold started taking its toll. Of all the weekends to get sick! Seriously it's not like it's my busiest weekend ever or anything! SHEESH!!!!

Sunday - 1/2 Marathon day!

We woke up early and left the house around 5 a.m. Good thing we did though, because once again the battle for the port a potty was on! The first person we saw was Mark Anson who I'm happy to report had a good run in the marathon! I was nervous for Mark as he is just coming back from an injury, but so glad to hear he made it through pain free! We then saw both Charlie and Edie while standing in the infamous port a potty line. I'm glad I got to see some NERC peeps before the race! Even if it was screaming across lines of people! We made it out of the port a potty with 2 minutes to spare. Again. Same as last year. Hell, we'll probably have to leave at 4 a.m. next year just to make sure we have time to use the bathroom in an acceptable amount of time. UGH! Panicked and in line (way to close to the front, I might add) the race began!

My husband and Stan took off never to be seen again, and my son and I trotted along at a very steady pace. We were so busy talking and laughing at things that we didn't even realize we had already run three miles! My son was shocked and happy. When we passed bands or speakers blaring music, we ran by dancing and/or playing air drums. Along the way we saw Carole and Beth who both looked strong and did well! Congrats to them both!

Throughout the run I was constantly trying to yell and scream and get the crowd pumped up for the other runners, but due to my cold my shouts were coming out quiet and sounding funky. Going through Edgewater my son started to panic a bit as his foot started hurting. The road was slanted and there was no way of getting around running on that slant. After it flattened out his foot was fine, and we had only 2 miles to go! He was still feeling good and pumped that he ran his furthest distance ever! He said quite a few times that he can't believe he was doing what he was doing, that he never ever thought that it would be possible. He was extremely proud of himself and I was extremely proud of him! I wondered where how my husband was doing, hoping his knee was holding up. Then, we saw him! It was around mile 12 1/2 and he was standing on the side of the road waiting for us. He ran with us, and we turned the final corner. My son the sprinted all the way to the end! I could barely keep up with him! He grabbed his medal proudly and all three of us gave each other giant hugs (awwwwwwww!) We chilled on the grass for awhile, then ran to see some NERC peeps finishing. Celebration
We celebrated at the Hard Rock Cafe afterwards with some friends. I'm thankful to those who made it out after being tired and sweaty! We all displayed our medals proudly :) While we ate a young boy came in with his father. He had just ran the marathon in 3:05! Holy Geez! I said, "So you qualified for Boston, huh? Congrats!" He told me he had no idea, that this was his first marathon. I told him many times to double check that qualifying time. He was pretty excited about the thought of that. When I came home, I double checked and sure enough, HE QUALIFIED! I sure hope he checked! My son, who I thought would be just exhausted after his run didn't even go inside. He jumped on his bike to go play with his friends. I couldn't believe it! He wore his medal all day while he played, still so proud and accomplished.

Again I'm so proud of my guys. I wish I could've been there to see my husband cross the finish line. With his knee issues he had a tough battle during training and triumphed. Anything is possible when you put your mind to it and work hard to accomplish your goals. My guys are living proof out that! Congratulations to everyone who ran Cleveland this past weekend. You have achieved something so amazing and should be so proud!

Mo' training week in review: Week 13, The Step Forward 5k Race Report, and the Cleveland 1/2 Marathon!

Mo' training

Ray put me on a running vacation this week, no more than 30 minutes a day to keep the joints loose. So nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary to report on training this week (other than the fact that 1/2 hour turned into an hour when I got lost on Wednesday at North Chagrin!) Yeah that stunk.

Step Forward 5k Race Report

This race held a special place in my heart as well as my son's. The race was held to recoup funds a PTO mom stole from the school. Basically, money stolen right out of the kids hands. We had to run this. My son went to this elementary school and it is the most wonderful school. The principal is the greatest (Mr. Miley or, Smiley as the students call him) and the teachers are the best. I truly believe you couldn't find a better school than this one. This being said we came home on Friday and got ready for the race. It was held Friday evening. Evening races are always so unusual to me. What to eat before or what NOT to eat? Evening races during the week are also crummy since I wake up @ 2 a.m. during the week. I was going to sleep at lunch, but was too awake at that time so I couldn't. Was going to sleep a little when I got home, but was then too excited - so I couldn't. My son came home and we both got ready, then sat around until it was time to go. (By the way - the fuel of choice was decided. Power Bar before, dinner after) I was pleased to see so many NERC people at the run, and I have to say the race director noticed as well.

The start
My son and I took our respective places at the start. I was feeling either 1. gung ho or 2. stupid. I think it was more like #2. The race started and I shot off. Faster than the fastest guy even! All I could think was, "What the HELL am I doing!" AND "What the HELL am I STILL doing!" It didn't take long for the first place runner to catch me, and then came Weber! "We're only going at a 5-something pace you know!" I wanted to puke. I made an all too common mistake, my excitement got to me and I started out too fast and it cost me. Soon Rick Webb passed, and after awhile Mike. ARRRGGGHHH! (I have to admit I was having fun though!) I'm not sure what mile it was that Cassie came along, but she did and she was looking so strong! She passed me and I just thought...."Awwww shoot." I didn't realize it was Cassie until the end of the race! She ran smart and strong and absolutely deserved her 1st first place overall victory! Congrats Cassie! I was happy with my 2nd place, but am a little bummed that I can't record it as a PR, since the course was short. My Garmin had 2.81. YIKES! No matter though, this race was more about helping the coolest kids ever-the ones that attend Hale Road! As soon as I was finished, I turned in my card and went to grab my camera. Like a flash he came by, and I wasn't even ready! I so didn't expect to see my son so soon, but I did! I didn't get a pic, but I sure did yell! He did awesome and came out 2nd in his age group. I'm so proud of him! He did really well! It really pumped him up for his weekend long run, too.

The Step Forward 5k was a nice event, and kudos to Candice Richards for organizing and being the one to step up and take action for all those kids. I'm sure they all appreciate it and the effort will not be forgotten! Mr. Miley stated that between both the walk and the run there were 200 people. Not too shabby! Congrats Hale Road!

The Cleveland 1/2 Marathon

This is it. The time has come, the time for my husband and son to run their first ever 1/2 marathon! They've both worked so hard, pushed themselves further than they ever thought was possible. They ran their last long run this weekend and both felt really good afterwards. My son got his first blister after Sunday's run, and like a true runner he was quite proud of it. My son told me today that he can't wait until Sunday, that he thinks it's going to be so much fun. I'm glad he'll be starting out with a smile! When your last long run goes so well it does so much for your confidence level. I'm so glad for them! I'll be there and running alongside them, being the bag lady, lol. I'll carry water on my back in my hydration pack along with any supplies I think they may need - Gu Chomps, bandaids, etc. Yeah I'm still a mom and will probably overpack :) I just want to ensure that the experience will be really amazing for them!

The weekend is shaping up to be quite a busy one. Stan Hembrough is coming all the way from Surrey B.C.! (Vancouver-ish area) He and his friend will be staying here until Tuesday, so hopefully we can find him enough things to do! Saturday evening my family, Stan, and his friend will all be eating with my running club at a restraunt located in Mentor. Then the race. After the race I organized a get-together at the Hard Rock Cafe. So far we have about 16 people going for sure, so it should be good times. We'll all be sweaty and smelly, but who cares - because we will all be having FUN!!!

Mohican 50 miler training: Week 12

Long Run

Lots has happened since Boston! I thought I was superwoman and decided I should go for a 5 hour run in the CVNP. With Ray in Tunisia, I wasn't really sure if this was smart or not so soon after Boston. The beautiful scenery and great company made it well worth the trip though!


I sat and thought about my over-booked plans for the weekend and wondered how the heck I was going to get everything done. (brother's visit, kayak race, long run, son's first 9 miler, cleaning, shopping, etc., etc.) Then while scrolling through facebook, I saw Nick Billock's post, he was running in the CVNP on Friday. I put in my request to leave work early on Friday (I worked 4 a.m. - 9 a.m.) and ditched the OT I had acquired through the week. It was worth it though! Kim Boner came to run as well, and I was glad to have company on the hot, humid day it was becoming. The CVNP always seems to kick my butt. I have to get out there more. It such a different ball game out that way, there's nothing that can really compare. Sure we have North Chagrin, but even that doesn't even come close to the CVNP in terms of challenging terrain.

I wish I didn't live so far away! It took me 1/2 hour to get to the Boston Store from my job, but an hour to get home. Blech. Still worth it though :) We got a pretty good history/geography/CVNP lesson from Mr. Billock. About half way through Nick and Kim left, and I was running solo. By this time the salt was already attacking me! I had sooo much on me already, this was by far the "saltiest" I've become on a run. I got home and my brother pulled up, and I had the great pleasure of tormenting him with my salty self. He said he never saw anything like it, and I asked him if he wanted salt with his dinner :) I did feel pretty gross, and a shower didn't even help.

Kayak "race"

Saturday a.m. called for a kayak race on the Grand River with my son and brother. I say race but we didn't go there to be competitive, but just to have fun.(LOL if you look up our standings, we all came in last place for our categories/age groups!) I even packed lunch so we could stop for a bite in the middle of the race. I wasn't sure how my son would do with the 8 1/2 miles. He did great though! It was a lot of fun, the rain held off, and the temps were good. The highlight of the event was my brother falling in at mile .75!
I was lucky enough to have my camera out, and caught a snapshot before his smile turned into an ice cold frown! Saturday made for good times, and we talked of all we could do this summer with the kayaks.

My son's first 9 miler!

Sunday called for my son's first 9 miler, and he did great! My husband, son, and I all started out late, a product of all of us staying up until 2 ish (the time I normally wake up in the morning) the night before. We were all so tired. It was humid and kind of nasty out. We ran on the Maple Highlands trail (paved) and he did great! The look on his face when he was done says it all....
This weekend calls for his first 10 miler. After that: The Cleveland 1/2 marathon for husband and son! Their first 1/2 marathon! They are going to do so well, I CAN'T wait to see it and run by their side! It's my turn to support them and I love it!



So far this week:

I spoke with Ray yesterday (called him Saturday and he was headed out on a plane to Toronto! He just got back!!!!) Anyway - he has put me on a "running vacation" until at least Tuesday when I talk to him again. No more than 30 minutes of running a day and eating whatever I want. (This kind of food talk is dangerous around me)Next week it's back on! I can't wait! Although I do need the rest - between doubling up on runs (my running and running w/ my son), yard work, overtime, and not resting after Boston I am so tired!

Impossible 2 Possible: THEY DID IT!

Running Tunisia is finished! The amazing youth ambassadors, $4,768.22 was raised for Ryan's Well and $11,372.84 was raised for Giving Water! View the wrap up blog at:

http://impossible2possible.com/tunisia/?s=experience&id=77

You'll be amazed! Beautiful scenery, pit vipers, and puking included! LOL! CONGRATS TEAM I2P on a job well done! Keep following I2P for more awesome adventures, and buy some cool gear!

http://impossible2possible.com/?v=support

The Boston Marathon Race Report

Where do I even begin? The Boston Marathon was amazing! BOSTON was amazing! Overall this was an incredible experience.

Day 1: Saturday
3 a.m. - woke up to get ready to leave mom and dad's to head out to the Pittsburgh Airport. As I have never flown on a commercial airliner (lol, only jumped out of Cessna's) I was so excited to get on the plane, let alone a plane to Boston!

12:30 p.m. - We arrived in Boston, so excited! Called the hotel for a pick up, and they were there so fast. We stayed at the Logan Airport Comfort Inn. We had a few issues with the hotel, but the people who worked there were as nice as can be. Ate lunch, unpacked, and headed out to find our way on the T. I was nervous about getting lost, as we have never even rode Cleveland's public transportation system.

3:30 p.m. - EXPO! Craziness. Complete insanity. There were so many people there that you could barely look at anything. And the Adidas shop - WHOA! NO WAY could you move. I grabbed a coat that I thought maaybe I could fit into (um, I didn't)- Couldn't even try it on it was that packed. We grabbed my bag that had my racing bib in it as well as other goodies and tried forever to find the exit (and as the security gaurd so kindly pointed out, it was in the direction of the big EXIT signs). We all got a good laugh at that one. SHEESH.



5:00 p.m. - We used the rest of the night to explore the city, jumping on the T and getting on and off at various points. It was helpful to do just to get used to riding the T. I needed to get used to it, as I thought at one point the thing was stopping, let go - and NOOOO. I fell into one woman's lap, and - well let's just say she wasn't too pleased. Husband sure got a kick out of it though, and stood there laughing at me. #&^@! T stops took us to Quincy Market, Boston Common, and China Town. China Town was our favorite, and we decided to go back the next day for lunch.

7:00 p.m. - LEGAL SEA FOOD. The wait was long, and I'm not even sure if it was worth it. We waited 1 1/2 hours to eat there, since we heard it was the best. Don't get me wrong, the food did taste good, but it's nothing I will remember. We did try some oysters for the first time, and they were pretty amazing, but as far as dinner was concerned I could take it or leave it. Definitely not worth a 1 1/2 hr wait.

11:00 p.m. - We were finally back in our hotel and exhausted. My feet hurt SO bad! I was so glad I put all our things away before we left the hotel room earlier in the day.

Day 2:
Sunday

4:30 a.m. - Wake up call! I was glad for some extra sleeping time! (Yes, to me 5 1/2 hrs. is "sleeping in"!)

6:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast. My son assumed this to mean he could have anything he wanted. He came over with a plate full of muffins, donuts, and waffles. Blech

7:30 a.m. - Out to explore Boston again! We went by the bay, and walked around a bit. The weather was gloomy but that was NOT about to stop us.










9:00 a.m. - Back to the expo to exchange the too tight jacket I thought I could squeeze into. They didn't have any more in my size, so I wound up getting the Marathon Celebration jacket instead. LOL, Me and about 15,000 other people that were in the city for the weekend.

10:00 a.m. - New England Aquarium. The aquarium was pretty nice, had a lot of different things, and one crazy sea lion that was joking around a bit.







12:00 a.m. - Lunch in China Town - Quick Pic BBQ. We had duck, rice, and veggies. Duck is one of my favorite things. To my husband and son it was an adventure they'd just assume forget. At least my son liked the soup!









1:00 p.m. - Beantown Trolley Tour - Ok so, it sounds cheesy, but it really was interesting. They literally took us everywhere except Harvard. Fenway, Cambridge, China Town, Boston Common, MIT, the numerous historical sites - you name it. I was bummed that I couldn't get pics though, the windows were covered with a plastic sheet that would not have made for good shots. My son was impressed with MIT's "Dr Suess" building. I think it looked more like something out of the "Nightmare Before Christmas."

3:30 p.m. - Tomb 5WITS - This was an interactive type of a play, I really don't know how to explain it. You were part of the "show". You had to solve puzzles, riddles, mysteries to uncover the Tomb and be released. We were with a small group of people, one of which was another mom running Boston. This was by far my son's favorite activity in Boston.

5:30 p.m. - A little more exploring and then we headed back to the hotel. This was the plan all along, but we would've gone back earlier if the hotel pool would've been open. It was scheduled to open the day before we arrived in Boston, but it was not. Kind of killed my husband and son's plans for the night before the marathon: Let mom sleep, and go swimming. I was bummed for them, and a bit ticked at the hotel for this. They were so tired anyway though, that we ate, watched a little bit of t.v. and headed to bed. My feet were throbbing, once again. We wound up going to bed around 7:30. We are SUCH party animals.

Day 3:
RACE DAY!

3:30 a.m. - Alarm went off, I woke up and got ready. My son wanted to eat breakfast with me before the race, so I woke him up and we went to the dining area. I had my oatmeal & fruit, coffee - everything I normally have before a big run. This was unfortunately the only time I did anything right as far as food was concerned during this whole trip. I was pretty much out of my element as far as typical pre race behaviour was concerned. That made me pretty nervous. Other runners were up and performing their own pre race food rituals, and we all just sat around staring at the news, talking about the weather and what we were all going to wear.

5:30 a.m. - The hotel shuttled a group of us runners to the T, and we were off to find the area where we would catch the busses to Hopkinton! I sat and talked with a couple of runners who were like me, running Boston for the first time. We were all nervous we would miss the busses or not be able to find them. When we changed stops at Government Center, me and one of the runners got separated from the other one who was with us. Me and the remaining runner stuck together the rest of the time. The instructions I had told us we should get off at the Boylston stop. However - at the Park T Stop some very experienced looking runners got off. My new runner friend and I (I'll call him Okie) looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and followed them out. I'm so glad we did. The lines for the busses were not long where we got off at. However, once I boarded the bus (I waited until my assigned time, 6:45) I was shocked. The busses pulled out and where we would've wound up was just packed with people. I could not even see the ends of the lines, there were that many people! The lines just seemed to continue forever. All that you could hear all throughout my bus was "Oh my god". After that shock wore off, we all started chatting. Suprisingly we had about an hour long bus ride. I sat with a girl from PA who had run Boston before, and sat close to a lady all the way from Australia - who on a whim decided to check and see if she had qualified for Boston one day, and she had! Both were awesome ladies who I won't soon forget.

We arrived in Hopkinton around 8:30/9:00. I jumped off and headed straight for the port a potty line, unsure what to expect. The first line moved fairly fast. As soon as I walked into Athlete's Village I walked around, and didn't see much of anything that was interesting. Just a bunch of nervous athletes, and one D.J. I found port a potty line #2, and it was LONG. I figured well, better stand in this line, too - as I have learned from mistakes made in races past. During this particularly long wait I had the pleasure of chatting with a man from Vancouver. We each talked about our respective countries, holidays, and running. As soon as we were done there, they called for the runners in wave 2 to take all their belongings to the bus. As I was taking off all my warm weather gear, 2 F-15's flew past to mark the start of the race! AWESOME! It definitely pumped everyone up. I dumped my stuff off at the bus, and yep. You guessed it. Port a potty line #3. LOL! This line was short. As soon as I opened the door to the port a potty I backed up and out. WHOA!!! It was so full, it was to the top. Completely gross. This is 23,000 people I suppose. It was then time to head out to the starting line and into my assigned corral. All I could think was that I had never seen so many people in one spot. We excitedly shuffled to the start.

GO!!!!

Thousand of Garmin's beeped. The race had started! It was slow going at first, impossible to pass anyone - but I spent this time taking everything in. Little by little, room opened up. I imagine people dropped back a little when they realized excitement had taken them faster than they wanted to go. I was hoping that wasn't the case with me. I was feeling good though, so didn't think that this was the case. 5, 6, 7 miles flew by. People all along the course were offering their assistance - lots of people passing out oranges and giving high fives. I absolutely did the high five thing for the ENTIRE race. Gave high fives to every kid I saw with their hand held out. Water bottle in one hand, high fives with the other! It was so much fun! I do have to say I could barely raise my hand up come mile 24! Spectators also ran their own water stops. I took water from one little girl who ran away screaming "SOMEONE TOOK THE WATER!!! SOMEONE TOOK THE WATER!!" It was the cutest thing I've seen! Onward...towards Wellsley. WOW. WELLSLEY. Those college girls were INSANE! I spent the whole time running by and laughing! Those signs! Kiss me I'm Polish, Kiss me I'm Irish, Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me! Nothing but girls going crazy. That just had to pump up so many guys. We ran buy businesses, bars, houses with college kids drinking beer, standing on their roof screaming. I ran up Heartbreak Hill and didn't even realize it until the top, where someone had a sign out that had Heartbreak Hill mentioned on it. Really?! I thought, that was it? That pumped me up even more, because I new I didn't have much longer to go. And then there was Boston College. More craziness. The college guys were passing out beads, and I only had strength to grab one as I ran by. From that point forward, the crowd called me either "Red" for my red shirt and red beads, or simply "Beads". GO RED! ALMOST THERE BEADS! and so much more. The crowd completely carried me through to the end.

The people of Boston are amazing. Not just the race crowd, but the numerous number of people who, without being asked, would come up to us as we were trying to make our way around the city - asking us if we needed help. Boston is the elderly lady who didn't speak English, but motioned to my son to sit next to her on the T. We looked at each other, nodded and smiled. There wasn't a need for words. Boston is the hundreds of locals who put up with thousands of runners invading their city. Boston is incredible. One thing's for sure - I'll be going back. It may not be next year, or the year after even, but I will be back. The race was amazing, but the people were even more so. An incredible event, in a city filled with incredible people. What could be better than that?

Finish Pace
0:07:57
Official Time
3:28:12
Overall
6553 out of 23126
Gender
1102 out of 9772
Division
854 out of 5111

Mo' training week in review: Weeks 9 and 10 & The BOSTON MARATHON!

Mo Training


If someone told me two years ago, even one year ago - that I'd be doing a 26.2 mile training run and I would've thought them to be crazy. When Ray told me my run a couple weeks ago would be 26.2 my jaw dropped, but I was so excited! I didn't expect that! Orders were: 26.2 and on trail. At a place that was pretty hilly, by Streetsboro. CVNP? I believe so! I attended what was called the "Egg 20" and tacked on an extra 6.2. I talked with a lot of great runners throughout the run, and hope to see them all again in the near future. And runners: I apologize if I was a trail hog :) I'm so used to pavement running, side by side, chatting away, etc., etc. that I frequently forgot to keep my distance and ran too close. Good times though, and lots of mud! I tried out some new gear that day - a running skirt. I swore up and down that I'd never buy one. Too "girly" for me I said. Well I decided to buy a cheap one at Target, and surprisingly loved it. I had no problems with it at all! I'm pretty surprised and will most definitely wear it again. I just wish it had more room for storage. I think I'm going to have to look into other brands, something with at least ONE pocket.

Last weekend called for a 13 miler and a 21.75 miler(35k). I ran the 13 miler with the NERC - and it was crazy fast! I woke up not feeling to great and it was supposed to be a tempo run. I could tell I just wasn't going to be into pushing myself. I got to the run early and ran around 3 miles before the main group got there, met up with some 20 mile peeps along the way. At mile 3 we met up with the rest of the group which included super fast Guy Gadomski! Guy and I ran together the rest of the way. It was such an amazing run and probably my fastest 1/2 yet. I pushed it every step of the way, and am so thankful that Guy showed up and whipped me into shape! The next day's long run was a little slower, but well worth it!

The Boston Marathon


I can't believe it's almost here! My first Boston Marathon! My 35k on Sunday was my last long run until the marathon which is Monday. Couple of a days of speed work this week, a long walk today, and that's it - nothing else until the marathon! My taper may not be a typical marathon taper since I'm training for Mo - but I'm still feeling tons of energy this week. Last night I gave the whole house a good scrub down, then went to work on the car! Hopefully all this energy will last until the marathon. I'm not so sure how it's going to work, but we'll see. We're planning on doing so much sightseeing that I'm not sure what to expect in terms of energy levels on marathon day. We're all so excited here that we can barely sleep! We may do a lot of things, but they are done in PA (where I am from originally) and Ohio. This will be our first real vacation, and we intend to make every minute of it count! This may sound crazy, but I'm not sure what I'm more excited about - the plane ride (I finally get to ride in a plane without having to jump out of it) or the marathon. On second thought....I think I'm more excited about the marathon, because I LOVE jumping out of planes! MUAHAHAAHHA!!!!! I am excited to see what it feels like though :) I feel like a little kid!

Special Thanks


I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been so supportive. I love you guys! (cue the Kumbaya song) Thanks to everyone who has donated to UNICEF as well! You all have definitely made me stronger and hold a special place in my heart. XOXOXO to you all! Especially my husband and son, who have to deal with things like the alarm clock going off at 2 a.m., black toenails, and salty skin. It takes special people to be able to deal with things like that!

Good luck to all this weekend, whether you are running Boston, running a different race, or just hitting road for the fun of it!

Mo' training week in review: UNICEF GOAL = MET! WEEK 8 & the Nort Coast 24 hour Endurance Run

UNICEF:

A milestone has been reached and I couldn't be happier! I've finally met my fundraising goal for UNICEF! Donations exploded this past week and it was amazing! It was a rough road as my original plan was to raise all the funds in relation to my first 50k that was in September. I did not meet that goal unfortunately, so I carried the fundraiser over to the upcoming Boston Marathon. I'm so glad I didn't just drop it and forget it, as my awesome friends have helped me reach and surpass my goal! This is by far one of the hardest things that I have ever done. Raising money is not easy! There were many ups and downs to this fundraiser. Through the end I learned that optimism is the only way. I had many great friends who stepped up to the plate! I was also amazed when people I have never met before donated. I couldn't believe it! Doing this is so energizing, it has completely recharged me. It's made me realize that there are so many amazing, caring people out there!

There are people who donated to my campaign who were struggling in every way themselves, but still managed to scrape a few dollars together for a good cause. I appreciate you! There were long time friends who donated. I appreciate you! There were coworkers who donated. I appreciate you! There were complete strangers who donated. I appreciate you! There were runners who donated. I appreciate you! I cannot thank all of you enough! I will be running the Boston Marathon thinking of all of you and thinking of all the children that you have helped! Please be encouraged and feel good about your donation by knowing that 90% of your donation will be going directly to the people that need it the most. You can see that facts here at:

http://www.unicefusa.org/donate/give-with-confidence.html

After this long journey, my main goal will be to promote awareness of a wonderful organization called Impossible2Possible. I2P's goal is to educate and inspire youth everywhere. By their amazing use of technology they are connecting and educating kids around the world! Check out the I2P website at:

http://www.impossible2possible.com/

If you would like to donate to I2P - click on the link at the top of my page. Running Tunisia is coming up soon, so it would be appreciated! You can also purchase I2P gear!
Go to http://www.impossible2possible.com/?v=support to make a purchase.

I2P's next adventure will be Running Tunisia. 5 Youth Ambassadors were selected to join Ray Zahab, fellow adventurers, and I2P ambassadors. They will run for 10 days - 200 kms total in an attempt to cross the country. Throughout the run these students and adventurers will be interacting with other students from around the globe, free of charge to educate students on an important social and environmental issue - access to safe, clean, drinking water. These schools/children will also be involved in fundraising efforts for non-profits such as Ryan's Well and GivingWater. Imagine - a program that educates, inspires, teaches social awareness and responsibility, and is FUN, all rolled up into one great big package! I encourage everyone to donate and parents - please contact your schools and ask the classrooms to follow I2P!


North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run!

Last week I registered for my first 24 hour race, the North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run! The run will be held September 19-September 20. This run will be a huge mental challenge for me, as the course is running a .9 mile asphalt track for 24 hours straight! One of the things that are exciting about this race is that it will be held in Edgewater Park, right in downtown Cleveland along Lake Erie and my family will be able to camp out right at the edge of the course! When they get bored of seeing me running circle after circle after circle after....(you get the point)they can head off to the beach, downtown, whatever they want and still be close by! This is a different race, completely different mindset and I'm looking forward to this event! I'm definitely going to need to toughen up mentally for this one!


On training:

It's been another great week and this has me completely pumped for the Boston Marathon and the Mohican 50 miler! Speed work is going great and I am actually looking forward to hill work now! (GASP!) Last week's hill work was the first time the hill was clear for me, and it made me SO happy. The hill work was a little easier due to the lack of snow and ice. My hubby came along and got some hill work in himself. I still don't do so great going up, but coming down AWWWWWWW YEAAAAHHHH! LOVE IT!

The QUALITY of my runs is way up. I'm enjoying everything now and can't see training any other way. Hills and speed are making me stronger and faster and it's been great seeing the results of my training and again I am completely pumped! No I'm still not the fastest and don't know if I could ever be one of those people, but just seeing my improving times - well - I LOVE IT! Just on a personal record basis, I'm so excited! I'm feeling great and loving every minute of my training :) Ray is a most awesome coach!

NERC Saturday long run and Sunday long run:

I ran 20 miles with the NERC this weekend and averaged a 7:53/mile! Another P.R.! On top of running it in (for me)a good time, I felt GREAT after! I wasn't tired, wasn't sore, I felt really good. I'm glad I could get a 20 miler in before Boston. It boosted my confidence and will now be going feeling a lot better about things. With less than a month away I'm so grateful that things are going well. Sunday's run was spent 1/2 solo and 1/2 with my husband. The beginning 8 1/2 miles were solo and I averaged a 7:57/mile for that. My husband's running was looking strong as well! He started out with a shorter distance in mind, but decided to go longer! (Which in turn made my run longer! ACK! 17.4 miles total for me on Sunday!)

This Coming Week:

I'll be running 26.2 on Saturday this week if anyone wants to join me. Just send me a message, and I'll give you the info. The run will be on trails. WOOT WOOT!

Mo' training weeks 6 and 7, UNICEF, and Breaking Records!

WEEK(s) IN REVIEW


Week 6 was similar to week 5 in training. Once again weekend activities did not allow me to run with the NERC - but for good reason! My son was turning 13 on the 16th and wanted a few close friends over Friday evening. (He had chose to get new golf clubs instead of having a huge bash.) Sunday's run for week 6 was spent with my hubby - who had some stomach issues going on. It was a hard run for him, but he finished!

Week 7 was AMAZING! NUFF SAID! I'm getting faster and loving it! There was some concern with my hill work on Tuesday. I was completely pumped to do hill work (yikes, I know) this past week. I thought it would be so great, no snow or ice on the hill OR on the way to get to the hill! The first few minutes on the trails were fine and then......I saw it. SNOW. "You have GOT to be #%*@ing kidding me" is all I was thinking. And that was just me trying to get to the hill. When I finally got to the hill - more obscenities crossed my mind. I was heartbroken! I wanted to turn around and walk away - just walk away. My hill was nothing but ice. I had to do my hill work though - so I just sucked it up and started. The ice actually didn't change my uphill times, but going downhill was nothing but slow. I fell once - which wasn't really a big deal. Next year I HAVE to invest in some Yak Trax, do the screw shoe thing, SOMETHING. I won't be dealing with this stuff ANYMORE! And I LOVE the snow! Hopefully the ice and snow will be gone by the time I do hill work again - but who knows? I thought for sure after 60 degree temps and rain there would have been none LAST week and it was the most dangerous week yet! Sigh....

Other than the hill, all the rest of my runs were amazing! Faster and loving it! While doing speed work at North Chagrin this week I ran by an older guy who yelled "What do you think you're doing? Training for Boston or something!" Muahaha! That made my day! My Saturday run with the NERC went great - even though we were missing some awesome regulars! I ran the whole time with Crystal Basich - it wound up being 16.40 some miles. The beginning of the run I was a little nervous, as my lungs didn't seem to be working quite right - and I did not have my inhaler. (dummy) Around mile 5 is when it happened. My lungs just opened up, and I felt amazing! (Strange how they can just not be cooperating one minute - and the next minute be working like nothing was wrong.) I love the feeling I get the moment my lungs start agreeing with me. It feels like a miracle! The rest of the way I swear I did nothing but talk, and LOVED it! Sunday's run was 13 miles - and everything clicked for that one. Averaged 7:35/mile pace and I had started out telling myself that this would just be a "comfy" run! As I was running all "comfy" and what not I looked at my watch, and my pace at that time was 7:40! This weekend's runs were an awesome confidence booster, and I'm loving it! Tomorrow I'll be doing a fitness evaluation for the first time. I'm curious, and it's free at my work - so why not? I'm a little nervous about what it will say though!


UNICEF


OK so it's been awhile since I've plugged my fundraising for UNICEF - so here goes. Yes I'm still trying to raise money! It started out with YUTC, and I did not meet my goal for that. (I pretty much suck at trying to "sell" things) So therefore I have rolled that over into the Boston Marathon, and Mohican if need be. I have raised $295 of my $500 goal. I will NOT give up until I raise the whole $500. So many great friends have donated so far, and I thank you all! Donations don't have to be a lot. Every dollar counts, so if you could please donate I'd love it so much! My last donor was Eric Ford of the NERC. Thanks Eric and to all my other great friends! You guys (and gals) are the best! To donate just click the link on the top left hand side of my page. xoxoxo to all!


BREAKING RECORDS

Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely have finished their expedition! Their record breaking run is finished! They managed to run across Lake Baikal in Siberia in 13 days and 16 hours - breaking the old record by a week! Congrats to them for a job well done. They need some well deserved rest, although I don't know if Ray will do that! Running Tunisia will be coming up fast. Ray and the selected youth ambassadors will run/trek 200km across Tunisia. Youth ambassadors will be communicating their experiences directly with thousands of students across North America. Sponsors and donors are still needed, so remember - Sponsors get logos on website, potentially a spot in one of I2P's press releases (they go to news outlets all over North America), the potential for Ray to come speak at an event, photos of the team for marketing purposes, and a few other value items. If you have an interest in becoming a sponsor please contact bcox@impossible2possible.com (Bob Cox)