Weekly Fitness Update

October 26, 2015Leave a comment

Another week gone and another week closer to getting back in shape. I was only able to get three workouts in this week, which was due to this lingering sickness. This whole congested head, running/stuffy nose and cough so deep you think a lung is going to burst, has been sticking around for two weeks now. Thankfully, I think it’s finally on its way out!

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 2.9 Miles + Abs

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: Paws for the Cause 5k

Sunday: 12.2 Miles

Total Miles: 18.2 Miles

I felt the worst on Monday and Tuesday, so I opted to take both for as a rest day. I felt a little better on Wednesday and took advantage of the beautiful weather. I booked it home and was out the door by 6:25. I sprinted to the back roads to watch the sunset, knowing it’d probably be my last run outside after work for a while. Luckily, I got quite the show. I was a little tired, but slowed my pace on the way back and did some loops in the development to keep me safe from traffic until the sun was gone.

Country sunsets are always worth the run.

I wanted to get a run in on Thursday, but just didn’t have enough time after work before dinner and Grey’s night, so I went into Saturday’s race with fresh legs. I’ll have a recap up later this week.

Sunday I set out for my last long run until my next half marathon. I met up with Mallory and Jennifer at Hinckley, and we started with the outer lake loop. My legs were a little tight from Saturday’s race, but I finally warmed up by the third mile. Once we got back to our cars, Mo and Sherri were ready to start the 9 mile loop around Hinckley.

It’s been some time since I’ve done the loop, but this is the perfect time of year to be out there. The trees were at peak color, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful everything was. We managed to keep a decent pace, even when I stopped to take some pictures. I never felt like I was working too hard, but the hills were a bit harder than I remembered.

Mandatory barn picture

Our little group!

It was about halfway through the 9 mile loop, I started to have weird pains in my left leg. I also started to feel a bit weak, but wanted to wait until we got to Effie to take my Honey Stinger chew. Again, I should have taken it at mile 6. (I’ll remember this for the race)

We continued on, and I started to fall back with Mo. We got to Effie, took our fuel and continued on our way, not too far back from the rest of the group. The pace was still pretty good, considering how hilly it is. We finished up, and I felt even more confident that I could handle a half marathon in two weeks.

Hills for breakfast.

Another week of getting back to where I was, and I’m definitely feeling more confident in my running. I’m starting to work on a training plan for the rest of the year, mostly to keep me motivated and on track. As well as start my short list of races next year. I’m finally out of my rut and glad to be back doing something I truly love.

Training Update

October 19, 20151 Comment

It’s been a few weeks since I checked in with my training or current fitness levels. I’m happy to say that I’ve been lightly running and even raced a few local 5ks. I’ve enjoyed every run and I’m looking forward to adding races on my calendar. Speaking of which, I already have three that I’ve registered for within the next few weeks.

Up next I have a local 5k, and two half marathons…..Wait, what? Two half marathons in the next six weeks, without a full training plan? Yep! But to be honest, these are more like training runs and helping me to keep my fitness levels up for 2016. So let’s catch up and take a look at this week’s runs.

Monday: 3.1 Miles + Abs + Kettle bell

Tuesday: 4 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 3×800 with 400 recovery, 1 Mile c/d + Abs

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 10 Miles

Sunday: 3.5 Miles + Abs

Total Miles: 20.6 Miles

Monday was the perfect day to run. With the sun setting sooner each day, I knew this would be one of the last after work runs I could get in on the back roads. So I did a nice recovery run from the previous day’s long run. I felt great and even pushed myself a bit on the hills. I kept it short because I started to run out of daylight, and I didn’t have my headlamp with me. I followed up the run with abs and a kettle bell workout I found on Pinterest.

Tuesday I jumped on the treadmill and did my first speed workout in months. It was a bit rough, mostly because I’m still a little out of shape, but also because of a nasty cold. I kept it light at three 800 repeats, but will work my way up and most likely switch between 800 and mile repeats over the next few months. I followed this workout with more abs, and missing swimsuit season.

Wednesday-Friday were rest days. I’m more relaxed about training now, so it was nice to catch up with friends in the middle of the week, as well as give my body some time to hopefully get over the cold that latched on.

Saturday was my longest run since July and the confidence booster I needed. I’ve been doing some 6 and 8 mile runs, but if I could get to 10, I knew I could swing a few half marathons. The weather was a bit chilly at about 35 degrees, but I welcomed it with open arms. We had a small group and started at Buckeye Woods, running the marsh loop, trail and then coming out the back side. From there we made a large loop past the inlet and up to the rail trail, and back to the entrance of Buckeye Woods.

How can you not want to run this?

Our pace was pretty consistent and stayed around 9:15/9:20. It dipped into the 10’s during the trail section, which was expected. The average pace was 9:33 and my strongest run in quite a while. I took a Honey Stinger chew at mile 7, but probably could have used it at 6. I honestly felt great during this run, and managed to get down to 8:55 pace for almost the last mile and a half. I know long runs can’t all be great, but this was exactly what I needed to keep me on track.

Long runs are better with friends!

Sunday morning I had meant to get up early and join a group run, but after tossing and turning all night with achy legs and hips, I decided to sleep in and run later on in the day. It ended up being the right choice because on my afternoon run through the neighborhood I felt like I was floating! I ran a nice little loop and turned down some streets I haven’t been on for over a year. Maybe it was the refreshing new route or the cooler weather, but I was able to dip down to sub 9 and bounced back and forth between 8:55 and 8:20 pace. I based my run off how I felt, instead of pace, and apparently my legs were feeling great!

This week was the best week training wise that I’ve had in quite some time. I got all my workouts in and I ran faster than I thought I would at this point. I’m certainly not close to any PR’s, but I’m enjoying running and gearing up for what will be a great and race filled 2016!

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Five

July 13, 2015August 5, 20151 Comment

I had a fresh start this week with rested legs and a more motivated mind. Unfortunately, things got busy and I couldn’t get all of my workouts in. Even though I was far from mileage, I did have some good workouts.

Monday: 4 Miles

Tuesday: 4.75 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 4×800 w/400 recovery, 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 11 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 19.75 Miles

Monday I met up with Mallory for some easy miles along Lester trail. It was super hot, humid and buggy so we kept a very easy pace, between 9:45-10:00. It was nice to get a run done on a Monday for once, I felt like I had more energy than normal, and I can start the week not staring down a 0.

I originally planned on doing Jasyoga on Tuesday because I had a dress fitting. But when my appointment was pushed back a week, I knew I’d have time to squeeze in a workout. With the threat of a storm I decided to run on the treadmill in case my workout was cut short. I did four 800 repeats and increased the speed on the last two. I felt ok, but I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track again.

Saturday was my first double digit run of the training cycle. I was a little nervous due to the lack of mileage I’ve been able to get in, but decided to just let my legs do the talking. We had a small group that started at Buckeye Woods to run the HD loop. From BW, we went down the inlet and off on some back roads. The early morning fog was still rising and made for some beautiful views.

From there we made our way towards Chippewa Lake on the back roads. We stopped for a pit stop around mile 4 or so.

Chippewa Lake in the distance

We followed along the outside of the lake and passed the old amusement park grounds. We had some hills, but nothing too major. I took a Honey Stinger Chew at mile 7 and had a small increase in energy for the next few miles.

We finished up around the lake, and headed back towards the inlet. Once we finally got back to our cars, I had 10.77 on my Garmin, so naturally I made a few laps around the parking lot to make it an even 11. I felt fairly strong throughout the run, our pace stayed between 9:20-10:00.

Beautiful morning on Chippewa Lake

Week Five’s Thoughts:

This week was the third long run I’ve done using Honey Stinger Chews. So far I haven’t had any stomach issues during the run or after, so I think I may be on to something. They’re much easier to take while running, and I feel full enough after one piece, that I don’t need to eat them as often. Fingers crossed that I can keep up this new fueling plan.

I had a plan to get all five workouts in this week, but clearly that didn’t happen. I’m looking ahead at my calendar, and appointments are popping up left and right to finalize things for the wedding. It’s clear that with just under 6 weeks to go, running may not be the top priority all the time. I need to accept that some runs will need to be rescheduled, and some may have to be skipped. As much as I don’t want to change my training cycle too much, I may need to adapt the mind frame of run what I can, when I can. Worse case scenario, I’ll have a minimum of three runs per week- one speed, one long, and one recovery.

Wedding Wednesday

October 22, 2014October 22, 20142 Comments

I always looked forward to the day I could write up my Wedding Wednesday posts, and now it’s finally here. And while my blog is mostly about running, planning a wedding will be a huge part of my life over the next year, and will take the place of some races and workouts. I promise not to bore you too much, and if you don’t have interest, you can pass over these posts. But once a month I’ll post an update and if you’ve been in my shoes, maybe you can help me learn to relax….

How We Met

Let’s start from the beginning. In August of 2009, I attended the MBA open house at Baldwin Wallace University (then College). We had about 10 minutes before the presentation began, and so I mingled with two youngest people there, one of them being Darren. We ended up sitting next to each other, spoke briefly, and as the open house ended, we went our separate ways.

Fast forward to January of 2010. I was enrolled in BW, and attended an evening where we could pick up our schedules and books. Not recognizing anyone, I was relieved when I saw the familiar face of Darren. We spoke momentarily and found out we had the same two classes together. At this point, I knew there was something different about him, and I was looking forward to getting to know him over the next semester.

Over the next couple of weeks we got to know each other a little better as we worked in groups in our two classes. Right before our spring break I sent a text to Darren, asking if he’d like to get drinks. He responded, “How about dinner?” We went to a Japanese steak house, and after 5 hours of taking, eating and drinking, I knew he was the one.

And so over the past 4.5 years, we finished out grad school, took numerous vacations, moved in together, bought a house, and have built our relationship to where it is now.

How He Proposed

Last month we took our 6 day trip to San Francisco and Napa. Our first day in Napa was incredible, as we had a tour guide drive us to four different wineries, supply lunch and tell us facts about the area that was so new to us. Throughout the trip, I had taken more than 300 pictures, so naturally I spent a lot of time at each winery wanting my picture taken, or taking pictures of the vineyards.

As we made our way to our third winery of the day, I instantly loved the choice of wines they offered. With a variety of whites, it was easily my favorite of the day, and the vineyard itself had so many neat sculptures that it was hard not to enjoy the views. Apparently I took too much time, and as Darren was planning on proposing, we were rushed to the bus to move onto our fourth and last winery of the day.

Throughout the entire trip, I couldn’t help but think that there were so many spots that would have been perfect for a proposal. By this point, I was a few drinks in, and it was suddenly the last thing on my mind. We came across the final winery, and it was a quaint little building with absolutely beautiful cabinetry. I spent a good 10 minutes discussing the color of the cabinets and finishes, planning out a kitchen remodel while Darren was planning his next move. After a few tasting of some excellent Chardonnay (my least favorite white), Darren suggested we take pictures outside.

We made our way outside and the tour guide took a view pictures of us in front of the vineyard. I was done with pictures, but Darren asked that he take one more. As he was taking the final picture, Darren pulled away and got down on one knee. From this moment, my mind still doesn’t remember every detail, but I know I said “Are you serious” about 20 times. I was in complete shock, and disbelief that it was finally my time to become engaged.

So here we are, 10 months from getting married…and I can’t wait!

Heart & Sole Half Marathon Recap

August 22, 20142 Comments

Saturday I ran the Buehler’s Heart & Sole Half Marathon down in Wooster. I ran this race last year, so I knew what to expect from the course. I also ran the race with a pretty bad case of PF, which ended my Akron training, so knowing I had healthy legs, I was excited to see what I could do.

I had an early wake up call of 4am to make sure I was ready and out the door before 6am. The weather was absolutely perfect hovering between 49-50 degrees and the morning had every intention of being the perfect race.

Sunrise on the way to Wooster

I was on the road by 6am, headed down the back roads, and could feel the excitement of the race. Even with a long 45 minute drive, I can’t help but sign up for races in Wooster. After spending two years running almost every other weekend around town, I can’t help but have a sense of home when I go there.

I got in town and found a parking spot by 6:45 and made my way to the start line to get my bib, shirt and get in line for the bathrooms. I met up with some MCRR ladies before the start and was ready to go!

Lovely ladies of MCRR

I lined up between the 2:05 and 2:10 pacer, knowing that I could probably keep up with the 2:05 pace, but the hills would slow me down a bit. Just as we were about to start, my Garmin turned off. I restarted it, but unfortunately lost between .10-.20 of the course, so none of my splits or mile marks were correct. So I decided to just run by how I felt and see where that led me.

The course was exactly the same as last year, so we made our way out of downtown from Market to Bowman to Christmas Run Park. We made our way through parts of the development and out to Oak Hill Drive. I was feeling pretty good and finding a pace I felt comfortable with. I took a sip of my water at every mile (marked on the road) and tried to keep a steady effort as we started with a gradual incline.

We had a couple of hills coming up soon, so I didn’t want to use up all my energy so quickly, but also wanted to get the hills over with. At about 2.5 miles in, we turned in the hilly development. We went up and turned and continued to go up some more. We were met with some flat ground at the third mile marker, but turned another corner to face more hill. Finally on the way out we have some decline, but it was at this point I needed to use the port-a-potty that was conveniently located by the water stop.

I got back on my way and felt better, knowing I was behind, I started to pick people off one by one as we made our way up Oak Hill. The incline was ever so slight, but surprisingly my legs were still feeling great. I took Sport Beans around mile 4 and continued past Oak Hill Park.

We turned onto Oldman Road and it was about this point that the first runners started coming back. I saw a lot of MCRR and Jess and Ryan, which was a great confidence booster. The road also had the only section of flat course, so my pace started to pick up to take advantage of it.

Next we turned onto 83 and headed to the park around the soccer fields. This was our half way point and we reached 6 miles just as we headed into the park. I took some water, a salt tab and Honey Stinger Chews. I was still feeling pretty good and was navigating the rolling hills of the park pretty well. We were almost on our way out of the park, and that’s when I started to feel sick. I had almost a mile until the next water stop and port-a-potty, but luckily we were on our way back. I stopped for a bathroom break and then got back on the road.

I felt better and continued along. Most of the course would be downhill now, with the exception of the hilly development. I tried to pick up my pace and make up for lost time. Despite the hills and the stop and starts, my legs weren’t tired, which I knew would be good for the upcoming hills.

I made my way around the development, which was without a doubt harder the second time. Last year I walked a bunch, but this year I kept it steady, even if I had slowed down by some. I started to pick up speed in the final downhill of the development and made a last minute stop at the port-a-potty, more of fear for “what if”. After a waste of a stop, I was back on the road with 2.5 miles left. It was here that I started to beat myself up for the time I wasted.

I kept my pace steady, picking it up ever so slightly. I was frustrated that my legs felt so great, yet my stomach, and partially my head got in the way of my race. As we made our way back towards downtown, I took advantage of all the downhill I could. In the last mile I really tired to pick up my pace and wanted to give it all I had. With my Garmin not matching up, I really had no idea what time I’d come in. I rounded the last corner and started the finish down. I kicked in my finish and gave the last quarter mile everything that was left in me.

I crossed the line at 2:08:16. My 4th fastest half. And three minutes faster than last year.

Overall, I love this race. Both times I’ve run it, I haven’t run my best, but I still keep coming back. Wooster is hilly, and the development is the absolute hardest part of the course.

Just keep going up (2013 Elevation, same course as this year)

However, the course is clean, it’s well marked, and the support has been great. I also may be a little biased because I have an absolute love for Wooster. Even though I didn’t have my best race, I was impressed with how great my legs felt on course. It may not have been my day, but Saturday was a great way to see how far I’ve come this year with my training. As long as I’m available, I plan to be back at this race again next year.

Half number 19

Results

Official Time: 2:08:16

Age Group 20-29: 15/21

Female: 64/105

Overall: 176/233

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Eleven

August 18, 20141 Comment

What a week. My body took a long time to recover from my 20 miler, and it took more out of my weekday runs than I expected. I took Monday off from Body Fusion to let my legs recover, they were still a little stiff from Saturday’s run.

Tuesday we were at the track and this time I focused on mile repeats. Instead of going all out like I had been, I tried to keep them as close as I could in pace. I started to loosen up the more I ran, and actually felt pretty good. I was pretty satisfied with my splits, and think that I could definitely bring my 5k time down soon.

Wednesday I headed to the trail and ran some recovery miles. I felt pretty good and thought about running even further than I originally planned, but decided to head back home after mile three after I started to feel a little sick.

Thursday I took off for a much needed girls nights and wine tasting. Stress levels have been above normal lately, so it was exactly what I needed. Sorry running shoes.

Friday was a rest day in prep for Saturday’s race. I’ll have my recap up later this week. I had originally planned on running Sunday as recovery, but after having company all weekend, spending all day Sunday in the sun, and feeling a bit sore from Saturday’s race, I decided to take it off. I felt guilty for a while, but after looking ahead to this week, I know I needed the extra rest.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 5 Miles, 1 mile w/u, 3×1600(8:06, 8:07, 8:09), 1 mile c/d

Wednesday: 4 Miles

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off

Saturday: Buehler’s Heart & Sole Half Marathon

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 22 Miles

My weekly mileage was low, and not where I wanted it to be, but my stomach was not on the same page as my legs this week. I’m hoping to work a few things out, and hopefully get back to some really good training runs. Not every week will be great, so I deal with it, and focus on the next.

Looking ahead to this week, I’ll have 2-3 week days runs, a local 5k on Saturday and a hilly 20 miler on Sunday. Sounds like it should be an interesting week!

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Seven

July 21, 20141 Comment

Week seven in complete, and it was a strong one! This week was a big game changer for me, and I feel more confident about my training than I have the previous weeks. Like always, I started the week with Body Fusion. I finally used heavier weights, but class was still a little easy for the newer classmates. I left wanting to sweat more, so hopefully things will ramp up again over the next few weeks.

Tuesday was 800 repeats day on the track. We all started together, but when Bob and Beth showed up, they broke us up and helped us work on the pace that best suited our marathon goals. Even after 6 repeats I felt comfortable with my pace, and wanted to do more. This workout was the key to figuring out how I need to refocus my track workouts. I’ve been too concerned with going as fast as I can rather than focus on a pace that will help my marathon time.

My Tuesday’s

Wednesday I headed out to Chippewa Lake and ran a new trail that I noticed on Sunday. Unfortunately the trail was only a half mile long, but it did have some beautiful views of the lake. Instead of running the same path back and forth, I packed up and went to Buckeye Woods where I finished the rest of my run on my favorite dirt trails.

Hidden gem of Chippewa Lake

Thursday and Friday I was off, but I had big plans for Saturday. I ran the Trail Monster 5k and 15k down in Wooster. I’ve been craving some trails lately, and since I knew I had 16 miles on the schedule, I decided to run both and finish up the last of my needed mileage after the races. I’ll have a recap later this week, but wow was it tough. I finished up the last miles on the road outside the park and felt pretty good. My legs welcomed an even, solid path to run and although the time on my feet was longer than last week, I felt good after my long run.

Sunday I did a short recovery run around the neighborhood. I ran the first mile with Darren and finished up the last mile plus on my own. My legs were incredibly sore and for the rest of the day I had some weird twinge in my right leg. I’m still tight/sore, but hoping after some more foam rolling and stretching, my body will be back to normal.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 6 Miles,1 mile w/u, 6×800 repeats(4:06,4:06,3:58,4:28,4:30,4:27)with 4×400 recovery, 1 mile c/d

Wednesday: 3.6 Miles

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off

Saturday: Trail Monster 5k/15k + 3.6 Miles

Sunday: 2 Miles

Total Miles: 28 Miles

This next week my weeknight schedule is finally back to normal so I don’t have to stress about moving around runs. I also want to focus on keeping my track workout at the same pace and increasing the amount of 800’s I run. And of course, I’ll have the pressure of the long run waiting over my head all week, 18 miles seems to be the most stressful for me.

How do you prepare for your long run? What distance training run makes you the most nervous?

Columbia Station Half Marathon Recap

July 3, 20141 Comment

Sunday I ran the Columbia Station Half Marathon. I had my eye on this race over the past couple years, but never had the chance to run it. Well, I finally did, and it was quite the experience. The race started at 8am, and was relatively close so I didn’t have to drive far, but by the time I got there, it was already starting to get a little too warm for my liking.

There was a small turnout, and the start had both the half marathon runners and the half marathon skaters. We lined up, had a quick talk about the race and then we were off. The first two miles I was focusing on find a good pace. I knew it was much hotter than it had been, so I had to go slower than normal. I decided to stick between a 9:30-9:40 pace, hoping that I wouldn’t be pushing myself too hard later on in the race.

We made our way on West River Road and had a few rolling hills. There was some shade, so I tried to take advantage of it the best I could. Still early in the race, the group was close together, but somewhat spread out. I wasn’t familiar with this area so the views helped to distract me from the heat.

Mile 1-9:24
Mile 2-9:41

We hit our first water stop after mile 2 and I passed on filling up. I still had plenty of water and wasn’t too thirsty yet. I did take a salt tab though, because I knew that staying hydrated would be key.

I was still feeling pretty good, but I was starting to warm up. By mile three we had turned on a few other country roads, I really had no idea where I was, but luckily the course was well marked. Runners were starting to spread out by this point, but I had a few behind me, and a few ahead of me. I was running alone, but at least had people in sight.

By mile 4 the heat was starting to rise and shade was hard to find. I kept drinking water and poured some on my back and head. Luckily a few kids were out with squirt guns, which at this point felt amazing!

Water stops were spread out nicely, every mile and a half to two miles depending on if they had enough space next to the road. I stopped at mile 4 to fill up and took some sport beans to re-energize. I didn’t lose too much time and felt like I was right on track.

Mile 3-9:37
Mile 4-9:34

I was still feeling ok, but with a few rolling hills, but legs started to become a little tired. I knew this past week was a lot for my legs and I started to worry it was too much. I was still drinking water at every mile, but I started to drink it every half mile too.

I came up to another water stop at mile 6 and stopped for a bit. I refilled my water bottle, stretched, took some Gatorade and a salt tab. I could feel myself start to wear down, but made a new focus of getting to mile 7.5, the point where I would reach 100 miles for the month of June.

Mile 5-9:41
Mile 6-11:08

I kept chugging away, but I could tell the others around me were starting to slow as well. Shade was no longer an option, and the sun was starting to beat down bad. We made our way through a neighborhood and then back onto the country roads.

I made it to mile 7.5 and had a small celebratory moment, it was enough to keep me going until mile 8 were I walked for a short moment to eat some sport beans, stretch and re-focus on my pace. By this point I was starting to wear down a lot, and I couldn’t get enough water. I may have even questioned why I was running a few times because I felt like I was moving in slow motion.

Mile 7-10:30
Mile 8-10:13

Right before mile 9 we had another water stop. I refilled my bottle again and stretched a bit. I was now into a run/jog/shuffle/walk mode. I started to count down the miles, but they weren’t going quick enough. We also started to pick up more rolling hills which sucked the energy right out of me.

Luckily with the water stop, I was able to regroup with about 5 other runners. Our paces varied and some of us would walk the steeper hills, while others would run, but it was nice to have at least one other person within 10 feet of me.

We hit mile 10 right before a big decline, and it was nice to have some momentum, however, what goes down, must come up. We turned back onto West River, and were greeted with multiple hills.

Mile 9-11:59
Mile 10-11:04

By this point, I was just focused on getting myself to the finish line. The heat was getting to me a lot more than before, and I was starting to feel miserable. We continued on the rolling hills, walking the uphill and taking advantage of the down hill. My energy level was extremely low, so I took more sport beans hoping that would help.

I continued along and stopped at the last water stop. I refilled my bottle again, and dumped a bunch of water on me to cool down. By this point, I was drenched in water and sweat and looking like a hot mess. I knew I was going to make it to the finish, it was just a matter of how quickly I could get there, and by this point, quick was the opposite of what I was doing.

Mile 11-11:33
Mile 12-12:06

We made it to the last mile and all I could think about was the finish. I kept going, but would slow down for the last of the hills. It wasn’t until the last 500 feet that I saw the finish was uphill. I knew I wouldn’t be able to spring it, so I took whatever energy I had left and gave it my all.

Mile 13-11:56
Last .15-10:41 pace

I finished, grabbed my medals and headed straight to the car. I originally planned on running three more miles, but my stomach wasn’t going to let me. Overall this race was ok. The sun and heat was horrible, but I couldn’t control that. The last 8am start was a little rough, but that’s what you get for the end of June in Ohio. The water stops were great, and the sheriff’s department did a great job of constantly driving the course to make sure that all the runners were ok.

My performance had nothing to do with the race support, the heat hit me hard halfway through and I am not a heat runner at all, it tears me apart. My legs were also pretty tired from the week of running, so I was running on borrowed time. I’m glad I got to experience the race and complete half marathon number 18!

Half marathon number 18!

Official Results:

Time: 2:19:54

Age Group 25-29: 1/1

Female: 12/17

Overall: 32/43

Local Treasures

April 23, 20141 Comment

Over the past couple days, I was fortunate enough to have some time to explore Medina and see some real gems around town. Melissa suggested a while back that I share more of my everyday life, because sometimes I do more than just run and drink wine.

Between Saturday and Tuesday, I was fortunate enough to visit some new places and some old favorites in Medina. Saturday night we headed to Cipriani’s, the new restaurant in town as part of my birthday celebration. As requested, I wanted someplace Italian, and when we saw that Cipriani’s had opened up, we couldn’t wait to try it.

We made a reservation, but luckily missed the crowd and were able to be seated right away. The restaurant had a cozy feel, with a mix of tables for dining and a bar for just hanging out. We started with shrimp cocktail, bread and salad, accompanied with some pretty good wine. The server was very friendly, and never rushed us through anything. I ordered the Angel Hair with Marinara and Darren got the Chicken Alfredo. Both were delicious and we had enough to take home for a meal the next day. We finished up dinner with some amazing Tiramisu, my absolute favorite.

The meal, the atmosphere and the whole experience were a lot better than we had expected. Pricing wasn’t too expensive either, which means Cipriani’s could definitely become a regular place for us. I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

Tuesday I continued my birthday celebrations by taking the day off work and treating myself to a massage and manicure. I tried out Bella Sorrellas and was very impressed. I opted for the full hour massage, and at a price of $45, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was hands down the best massage I’ve ever had. I followed it up with a shellac manicure, and at a price of $20, you really can’t complain. I’m certainly looking forward to treating myself more often with this place so close to home.

Massage room, ready to relax!

I finished up Tuesday with some of my favorite spots, Cool Beans Cafe and Buckeye Woods. Not only does Cool Beans have some pretty good coffee, but their lunch menu is getting better and better. I already know we’ll be biking down there quite a bit this summer.

Some new and some old, the smaller places in Medina have their charm. I’m excited to see what else we discover that will hopefully become our favorite places! If you want to keep up with our new discoveries, you can check out a new page that includes events and places around Medina.

365 Project-March Photos

April 4, 2014Leave a comment

Two months down in my 365 day project and I have to say, I was really satisfied with my pictures from March. Here’s a look back at my favorite pictures from March. If you’d like to see all of them, you can follow along here.