Category: Races (Page 3 of 4)

My First Indoor Triathlon

March 28, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

Recently, I did my first triathlon of any kind. I was nervous about it, mainly because I thought it was likely that I’d not be able to finish it. Fortunately, I did finish and ended up being happy over the results.

Indoor Triathlon Set Up

This indoor triathlon was set up for:

10 minutes swimming in a lap pool
25 minutes riding a stationary bike
20 minutes running on a treadmill

Indoor triathlons are probably easier than outdoor ones because the swimming is in a pool instead of open water. There are no issues with weather or having to figure out where you’re going. Also, it’s a great advantage to be able to kick off from the wall every time you turn direction in the pool. The bikes are easier because you don’t have to watch the road or deal with hills. Same with the treadmill. You just set it to the speed you want and there you go.

The pool is a 25 meter lap pool. There were four lanes in use and most of the lanes were shared by participants.

The bikes were in a studio class room, so we were isolated from the rest of the gym. Music was playing and people were cheering each other on. It was a fun, supportive atmosphere.

The treadmills were set up in the main cardio area of the gym. No special music was playing and I had not thought to bring my headphones. My fancy AfterShokz Trekz Air bone conduction headphones were sitting in my gym bag so they were on the premises but no time to get them. So, no inspirational playlist for me! Also, the TVs were on and not set to anything special. Sunday morning TV is not conducive to much, if you ask me.

My First Indoor Triathlon

I was nervous about doing this indoor triathlon because I only started training a short while ago. I’ve spent a few months dealing with piriformis and sciatica problems. In other words, I’ve had a lot of pain in my lower back, right hip, and right leg. Once it began to clear up, I started training again and then decided I’d do the indoor triathlon. Just to be clear, I was pretty active before this hip/lower back issue flared up and managed to do some exercise while dealing with the pain. I just wasn’t in competitive shape, I’d say.

Things I kept saying before the race were

“I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I’ll probably be last in everything.”

“I probably shouldn’t be doing this”

Where were those positive thoughts I’m supposed to be saying to myself? I guess I still need to work on that.

Chris came to take pictures and cheer me on. What a great friend! Having someone encourage me really helped.

Of course, you know how this goes. I ended up being very happy with my results even though I was pretty close to being last in everything. My performance was better than I expected.

Swim

I managed to swim the full 10 minutes without too much stopping though I really became winded during the swimming. Having to share a lane was challenging. Also, being a in a pool full of people trying to swim quickly makes for much more turbulent water than usual. I’m not used to thinking about speed when swimming, so I was glad to be able to put my feet down and take a quick rest at the end of a length.

Bike

The bicycling wasn’t too bad. I knew to set the resistance at a high enough level so that I’d get some mileage. I’d heard stories about people setting the resistance to the lowest level and then pedaling like crazy only to end up with very little mileage. I tweaked the resistance occasionally during the ride based on how I was feeling and how much time was left. Having music and being able to encourage each other was great.

Run

Running surprised me. I’ve been doing my Couch to 5K app and so hadn’t run for any consistent time for several months. I didn’t go for speed, but I did manage to run the 20 minutes with only two walking breaks. I was on a treadmill between two young women and was able to keep an eye on what they were doing. One ran at a faster speed but walked more frequently. The other was running at my speed or slightly higher. I liked not feeling like a true slow poke. We all ended up with very similar mileage by the end. I know we’re not supposed to compare ourselves to others, especially people a few decades younger, but it was a race, you know?

Transitions

Let’s not forget the transition times. Those are the periods of times between events where you get ready for the next one. We had ten minutes to get out of the pool, change, and get to the bikes. Between the bike and run, we had five minutes. Handling transition times in any triathlon is a challenge.

Here’s what I learned. First, it’s really difficult to get out of a bathing suit and into biking and running clothes quickly. I got stuck trying to put on my sports bra because my skin was damp. A woman in the locker room helped me get it down my back. Lesson learned: don’t wear a pull-over sports bra. I see why the outdoor triathletes wear clothes under their bathing suites.

I forgot to use the restroom during the initial transition time because I was hurrying to get to the bike. So, when I got to the second transition, I ran to the restroom, hoping to avoid a line. Success! but then I had little choice on treadmills so ended up with one that was between TV screens set to Fox News and ESPN. I really missed my headphones.

My Results

By the time I finished, I was sweaty, tired, but also exhilarated. Hooray! I completed my first indoor triathlon. Success!

Chris spent the whole event cheering me on, taking photos, talking to people and encouraging them too. She made the event even better.

Results weren’t released until later that evening. I received an email with a copy of the spreadsheet.

Here’s how I did:

Swim 10 minutes: 12 lengths
Bike 25 minutes: 6.3 miles
Run 20 minutes: 1.48 miles

I won for my age in the first triathlon division. Pretty good! Well, you know there weren’t many women who fit in that category but a win is a win, I guess.

Thoughts on the Race

Here are my thoughts on the 2019 Summa Health Wellness/Vertical Runner Indoor Triathlon. It was well organized and everyone working the race was super encouraging.

There was someone in the locker room to make sure we knew how much time we had and that everyone found their way to the pool and the bikes.

Having a monitor and music in the bike area was great. I h getting my bike set up and appreciated having someone there to show me the way to work the bike.

I think the only negatives that I had were the TVs on talk programs in front of the treadmills and no music in the running area. Or, I wish I had realized I need my headphones.

The price of the race was low. As a result, there’s no shirt or whatever, but we did get a fantastic USB-chargeable bike light. That’s something all triathletes can use. The man organizing the race said it’s a great event for first-timers, so he likes to keep the price low to encourage them to participate. That’s a good goal.

Overall, it was a great event and I’m likely to do it again next year.

There are a few more videos you can see on the Becoming Elli YouTube channel. Check them out!

Reflections on 2018: Year-End Wrap-Up Podcast

December 24, 2018 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode #24 of Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast for the Becoming Elli Community

In podcast episode #24, Jill and Chris reflect on 2018. They talk with amazing women from episode 7 Diane Berkley and episode 8 Juel Fitzgerald to find out how their 2018 went and to talk about plans and goals for 2019.

Diane Berkley talked about:

Thyroid issues and how that affected her workout
How she got her running speed back
Participating in the Ultimate Fitness Challenge at her gym with thrusters, the assault bike and push-ups
How her trainer Mike helps her measure her fitness levels
Which measurements she tracks
Different types of dead lifts
What cardio she is does at the gym along with her two days a week strength training
How she maintains her eating plan
Possible new challenges for 2019: swimming and her first time race

We talked with Juel Fitzgerald about her reflections on 2018 and plans for 2019:

How she encouraged 7 other women to accompany her to Las Vegas to walk the Rock N Roll half marathon
How she plans to do the St Jude Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon to add bling to her Rock n Roll Race Series collection.
Her work with GirlTrek and the difference it is making in women’s health
Differences between the Garmin and the FitBit
Seeing Chris and Jill on Abbey Road during the Cleveland Marathon. Did Juel do the half, the 8K, or the 10K this year? She couldn’t remember, but she did the HALF and the 8K in 2018.
Her challenge in 2019: She wants to find women who want to train and walk a 26.2 mile marathon. She will help coach them through it with her! Are you up for it?

Links mentioned during Diane’s and Juel’s interview:

Fishcreek Raccoon Run a 5K fundraiser for an elementary school in Stow Ohio,
Hop for Hope in April, a 5K fundraiser for fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma and/or leukemia in NE Ohio.
Active.com to find 5K races near you
and where to find Upcoming Races by City and State
Volunteering to hand out medals at the Niagra Falls Women’s Half Marathon & 5K where runners and walkers travel past Niagra Falls TWICE! (get your passports ready!)
#girltrek GirlTrek the most inspiring Health movement in the country for Black Women.

Jill and Chris reviewed their 2018 year. We are particularly proud of our completing 24 podcasts and the ongoing growth of the Becoming Elli community. Thank you to everyone who listens to our podcast, reads our articles, belongs to our facebook group and supports our community!

We also talked about our races, the ultimate fitness challenge, and the MS150 Buckey Breakaway bike ride. We discussed Jill winning the age group award for the Firecracker5K race. She had completely forgot and still wasn’t sure until Chris texted her this photo as a reminder.

(Side note from Chris: With Juel forgetting if she did the Half or the 8K at the Cleveland marathon (she did both) and Jill forgetting that she won her age category for the Firecracker Run, I think it is safe to say that most of the races we are doing are not about winning, losing, placing! it really doesn’t matter! What matters is getting out there, being with like minded women and simply just participating – that’s the key to having fun at a race! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!)

How We Ran a Half Marathon

October 9, 2018 / Chris Brown / 5 Comments

In podcast episode number 19 of Becoming Elli, Jill and Chris discuss how they ran a half marathon. Today’s podcast covers before, during and after the 13.1 challenge.

In this podcast you’ll hear:

Our preparation:

Running plans leading up to it
The expo
Our cross training plans
Shoes
Practice fueling
KT tape

The actual race on Sept 29, 2018 in Akron:

The Course
Waterstations

What we did afterwards:

Fuel: Chocolate milk and banana
ice bath
What didn’t work

Are you planning a challenging race in the near future?

Let us know by sending an email to Jill@becomingelli.com or Chris@becomingelli.com so we can connect with you. Or join our Facebook Group.

Race Recap of the Good Hops 5K Beer Run 2018

June 21, 2018 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Ready for a race recap of the Good Hops 5K Beer Run 2018? It was a fun but very hot race held on the Saturday of Father’s Day weekend.

I went on vacation last week. I spent several days at Kure Beach in North Carolina with my son and his girlfriend. It was great: lots of sun, swimming, eating, and drinking beer at breweries. Kure Beach is on the North Carolina coast, about 15 miles south of Wilmington and next to Carolina Beach. It’s a great little beach town with a nice beach and restaurants and shops nearby.

We went to Good Hops Brewery in Carolina Beach to sample the local beer and while we were there, we saw a sign for a 5K to be run in a couple days. The sign said the race was both dog and stroller friendly. Somehow, we discussed the idea of my doing the race and maybe taking Stella, my son’s girlfriend’s dog, who had come to the beach with us.

I signed up for the Good Hops 5K Beer Run while sitting there in the brewery.

The next day I took Stella out for a trial run. I decided that she could become a great running dog but needs to be trained to run with someone. So, I decided not to take her on the race. As it turned out, I’m very glad she didn’t go.

The race had awards for the fastest dog. The dog who won, a lovely German Shepard, was so hot by the end of the race that they took him to the vet’s office immediately afterwards. The dog was ok, just hot and tired, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be responsible for overheating Stella.

Race Recap of the Good Hops 5K Beer Run 2018

The race was a trail race through the Carolina Beach State Park. It was a trail run with much of the trail being sand or packed sand. The trail wasn’t too tough, but it was narrow in places and did have roots and rocks on it. I saw at least one woman fall on the trail. She tripped over a root and went down hard. Several of us stopped to help her up and make sure she was ok. She brushed herself off, said she was fine, and continued the race.

There were 200 participants in the race with a great mix of people. There were a few dogs and some strollers. We met at the brewery and when it was time to start the race, we crossed the road to the state park and lined up there. The race was conducted completely in the park and when we crossed the finish line, we then crossed the road back to the brewery.

The race organizers kept asking for the faster runners to move towards the front. I thought I was far enough back, but I didn’t realize how the race would start. When we crossed the start line, the trail was narrow and had brush along side, so it wasn’t easy to pass people. I felt like I was being swept along and ended up running much too quickly for the first part of the race. I could see on my Fitbit that I was running way faster than I normally run and tried to slow down but it took a while for me to drop back to my normal speed. When the trail opened up a bit, it was easier for some to pass and the rest of us to drop back.

The trail was pretty though I was sort of hoping to see some water along the course. I was from out of town, of course, so really had no idea what to expect. No water, just trees and the sandy path.

It was hot. Really hot, in the high 80s. I didn’t have a cooling towel with me and I wore my compression calf sleeves, making me way overdressed. I carried water with me and I added some electrolyte water to it but still ended up being too hot.

By the time I finished the race, I was in bad shape, overheated, and miserable. It took a long time for me to cool down and get back to a normal temperature. I know that I got overheated last year at the Akron Marathon when I ran the half marathon but this seemed worse. I actually scared myself because I was so hot.

I’m holding the free beer in this photo but I didn’t drink it. I gave it to my son and stuck to water and my electrolytes.

Awards

The award categories were:

1st Place Male/Female
1st Place Masters Male/Female over 50
1st Place Father/Kid Combo – (This was Father’s Day weekend, of course.)
1st Place Stroller
1st Place Dog
1st Place Costume

I only saw a couple strollers and only one or two dogs. I gather one person ran in a costume but I didn’t see him. Needless to say, I didn’t win anything.

My results were good. I completed the 5K in 36 minutes and 32 seconds, smack in the middle of the pack as the 101^st person to cross the finish line out of 200 participants. Given how I’ve been running this year, that’s a good number for me. I just wish I had done it at a more consistent pace and didn’t get so hot.

I was so glad that I didn’t bring Stella. She’s a big black dog and it would have been horrible for her to run in the heat.

We got a nice T-shirt. Adult runners go a free beer and a plastic beer glass with a race logo on it. After the race there was a party going on. There were food vendors and music playing. It was an enjoyable time.

It was fun to be able to decide to run a race without a lot of thought, but I got so hot that I was a bit sorry that I ran it. I really needed to be better prepared for running in the heat.

Race Recap of the 2018 Cleveland Half Marathon

June 12, 2018 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Becoming Elli Podcast Episode Number 11

In Podcast #11 of Becoming Elli, Jill and Chris share their experiences with the Cleveland Half Marathon. Running 13.1 miles with less training than they would have liked, Jill and Chris found that changing expectations made for a fun event.

Listen today to hear about:

* Expo
* Parking
* Expectations and attitude
* Weather and what to wear
* Running the 13.1 mile course through downtown past the stadiums, into the Flats, up into Tremont, past Ohio City, down through Gordon Square and finishing in Public Square
* The food and the medal
* Fun in the Beer Garden and listening to live music

Finishers – 2018 Cleveland Half Marathon

In the tips section, Chris shares her tactics on how she works to maintain her weight loss so she can maintain a healthy weight. It’s challenging road to find the right mix of exercise, sustainable recipes, and mindful eating patterns.

1) getting on the scale
2) keeping track of the food
3) signing up for a race and training for it
4) focus on joints, ligaments and muscles
5) exercise moderately
6) use GO TO recipes

What tactics do you use to maintain your weight loss? Do you feel it’s like a marathon trying to maintain weight after a weight loss?

Becoming Elli where women over 50 inspire each other to become fit and strong.

What I Learned about Myself During the Twinsburg Duathlon

June 9, 2018 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Last Sunday I learned a few things about myself when I did the 2018 Twinsburg Duathlon. My race recap of this “Run-Bike-Run” event will give you my thoughts as a first time participant.

For all the Becoming Elli women over 50, who want to try something challenging, but have hesitated – I say “Do it!” Maybe you haven’t done it because you are worried about what someone else might say or feel like you might be embarrassed or aren’t sure how it will go. I’m reminded of this quote: “Do one thing everyday that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I learned that the feeling of accomplishment is even more sweet when you have these feelings to begin with.

Believe me, I had a lot of feelings and thoughts going into this:

Anxious – some “not-so-encouraging” thoughts were popping into my head
Eager – for the biking section, because I felt confident in my abilities on a bike
Apprehensive – those butterflies in the belly feeling
Curious – how does it all work? How should I prepare?
Will my bike look extremely old and out of place?? (Never mind about me!!)
Will I get mixed up in the transition? How does that even work?
Will it be too hard for me and I’ll have the walk the whole 3rd leg?
Will I get lost? (since I know I was going to be one of the slowest, usually I can’t see the person in front of me when there are only a few 100 people in a race.)

If you’ve ever challenged yourself past your comfort zone, I’m sure you’ve felt a lot of these feelings. I had been aware of the Twinsburg Duathlon for many years. This year, I won a complimentary entry into the race at the Team ER annual banquet. My company sponsors the team’s website and this year I competed as a member of the team.

The Twinsburg Duathlon is put on by Northcoast Multisports in the city and township of Twinsburg, Ohio. You may have heard of Twinsburg because that is where the annual Twins Day festival is held, when thousands of twins and other multiples come to celebrate.

The duathlon means that there are two sports. In this race, there are actually three legs to this race: two miles to run, ten miles to bike and then another two miles to run on that same course again.

My overall reaction:

Two thumbs up! A very fun experience! Although I thought it was easier physically than the half marathon, in several ways this race was more challenging mentally. There were lots of moving parts.

It was a very well organized race with great communication, a well-planned course and clever awards for first, second, and third in age groups, first timers, teams, and overall male and female winners. There were about 100 participants with 13 relay teams where one member would run the race and then tag the other member who did the biking. The race director announced that there was even one team of 80-year-olds in the race! I wanted to talk with them. Honestly, they must have looked very young and I couldn’t tell who they were. The ages of the teams weren’t listed in the race results.

Individual participants ranged from 14 to 70. It did feel like a variety of ages, but one of the first things that struck me was how fit everyone looked.

The weather was sunny but 65 degrees. Low humidity. PERFECT!

There were some of the athletes who looked extremely focused and had obviously competed in things like this before. There were plenty of others who, like me, were “newbies” and asked lots of questions.

One of the trickiest parts of this race is switching sports – your final time includes your transition times. I put my helmet, gloves and bike shoes on a little towel next to my bike. Many of the experienced riders put their helmet on their handlebars and didn’t waste time wearing gloves. I tried to follow the guidelines of “Run your own race.” “Nothing new on race day.” and “Stay in your comfort zone – aka – don’t overdo it because the guy next to you is 30 or 40 years younger!”

One of the rules is that you can’t take your bike off the rack unless your helmet is on your head. Safety first!

Most of the bikes were incredible. It was a bit intimidating as my bike is 30 years old, but I know it fits me and the bike can go much faster than I can.

Although I have a lot of biking riding experience compared to the average person my age, I am not an experience racer. This was only the second time I raced on my bike and the last time was 5 years ago.

Twinsburg Duathlon Race Recap:

I ran the first two miles like it was a 5K, trying not to shoot out like a rabbit at the first mile. The course had some hills so that certainly helped to slow me down. I had walked the course the day before I picked up my bib, so it didn’t surprise or intimidate me.

We ran around the football stadium and along the back of the park where the town holds outdoor music concerts. Then around past the outdoor swimming pool. What a great way to showcase the town entertainment.

2018 Twinsburg Duathlon staging area | women fit and strong over 50

My helmet, shoes and gloves are on my little blue towel.

There are five parts to this duathlon:
1) Run – 2 miles. When it was time to start running I had already taken my spot at the back of the pack. I know that other runners are annoyed having to pass slow people and more importantly, it is hard for me to “run my own race” if a lot of people start passing me. Then I go out too fast, which will cause me to finish too slow. This course had a few hills and one water station at the halfway point.

2) Transition – This was the mentally challenging part! Here is what I told myself: Enter at the run in section, find my bike. Take off running shoes, put on biking shoes. Then put on gloves and helmet. Take bike off rack. (The front of the seat hangs off of some pipes.) Walk the bike to the tape, which marks the start of the bike race area. Mount the bike safely. Start riding! This transition took me just over a minute and a half.

3) Bike – 10 miles. The bike portion started on a slight downhill out of the library parking lot, before a sharp right onto the street. About 50 feet of riding and then a right into a lightly traveled condo street, which had a slight uphill grade. I liked that they had so many volunteers pointing the way and helping with traffic. Immediately I felt my anxiousness about that worry fade into the background.

I had clips on my bike sandals to attach them to the pedals. This helped so much going up hills! In my head was a solid chant of “Pull… pull… pull” as I rode up the hill.

Police helped direct the traffic. The right turn onto route 82 went smoothly and crossing lanes over route I-480 bridge was easy. Being that it was 8 am on a Sunday morning helped too. I only saw one car at that area. Not sure I’d want to attempt it without the police because that’s a tough area/intersection. The miles cruised by without too much excitement or effort. I probably should have pushed harder, but I wasn’t sure how much energy to save for the second run.

During mile 7 and 8, there was a lot of up-up-up steady grade uphill climb. Shout out to the woman behind me who had my back! Every time a car would be there, she’d shout out “CAR BACK” which was the nicest thing. I so much appreciated it! I love when competitors are helping each other! We got a photo together at the end of the race, but I can’t find it in my photo gallery.

Just before getting off my bike I saw Jill cheering me on and gave her a thumbs up. It was starting to get hot outside. So great to see a friendly face and hear Jill’s voice supporting me!

Twinsburg Duathlon 2018 staging area - Women over 50 fit and strong

The bikes hang from their seats over a pole.

4) Transition back to running – off came the gloves, off with the helmet, off came the sandals. Popped on and tied the running shoes… ran out the race opening in the back of the pen. Gave two high fives to some Team ER members who had already finished the second run. Ran past the water station (I had been drinking from my water bottle on the bike) and out the side of the chute to begin the second run.

5) Run – 2 miles. This second run was wild. My legs felt really funny like when you hop off the treadmill after doing a run. Kinda wobbly and it took me a while to get back in the groove.

I had already given myself permission to walk the second part of the run course if needed, but my pride wouldn’t let me actually walk when I was starting out down the chute. And then the runners were running their final sprint for the finish towards me. Many of them offered support to me saying things like “looking strong”, “you’ve got this” “You go girl” which was very energizing to me. I tried to do the same for runners coming towards me.

I was trying to remember to keep a smile on my face because I’ve heard from several places that smiling tells your body it is doing great. Something about your face muscles unconsciously tells your brain how you’re feeling.

I finished feeling great. I was delighted with my results. And pleasantly surprised when Jill told me I won my age group! It helped that I was the only one in my age group. Next year I’m hoping to have many more women in my age division for this awesome race. This is a shout out to you to join me as a team member or an individual next year!

I learned this: doing something I’m a bit scared about makes me feel so super charged when it is over and I did it!

Have you experienced that feeling? Let me know by leaving a message below or click here to email me.

Cleveland half marathon anticipation - expo — Chris and Jill at the Rite-Aid Cleveland marathon expo photo booth.

Thoughts on Tomorrow’s Cleveland Half Marathon Race

May 19, 2018 / Chris Brown / 1 Comment

I’m excited, eager, nervous and a little anxious to run in the Rite Aid Cleveland half marathon tomorrow.

I’ve been training and cross training for this race ever since I signed up back in October, shortly after the Akron half marathon race.

Eight months ago Jill and I ran the half marathon in Akron on a very hot day. It felt amazing to achieve such a huge undertaking. It was during the training for that race we become inspired to start Becoming Elli.

As I write this, 24 hours before the start of the race, I’m full of Cleveland half marathon anticipation!

Today Jill and I will head up to the race Expo with some friends. note: this photo is from the expo photo booth.

Cleveland half marathon anticipation- Jill and Chris at the expo photo booth

Chris and Jill at the Rite-Aid Cleveland marathon expo photo booth.

We will be picking up our racing bibs and walking through the exhibitors’ booths. The booths will be filled with shoes, shirts, hangers to display medals, bumper stickers, sunglasses, special laundry detergent for sports clothing, water bottles, other Ohio races, fueling gels, racing mementos, and everything that a runner (or walker) might need.

Because this is only my second half marathon, I have the butterflies just thinking about it. It’s the first time I’ve ever run this distance in Cleveland, but I’ve done a number of running races – 5Ks and one 10K before. And I’ve done lots of miles on my bicycle, but leisure riding, no racing!

In the weeks building up to the race, most of the time I thought about the weather. Will it be hot? or rainy?

Today I’m wondering if I will recognize all the landmarks. Or will I be too busy thinking about myself and my body? Hopefully I’m not too preoccupied thinking things like, “Did my knee just hurt? Am I breathing too hard? Should I speed up a bit?”

I bet I’ll be thinking, “How much longer until the next water station?”

One reason why I signed up for this race is that it is walker friendly with a 4-hour cut off for the half marathon and 7-hour cut off for the marathon. Part of the mission of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is to provide a running experience for all individuals who want to participate regardless of their abilities.

Water Station

I’ve worked a water station with the ski patrol friends and the Skiers on Bikes MS150 bike team every year since 2010, so I know that there is a variety of ages and abilities. Working the water station is one thing that inspired me to run in this race. I never thought I’d be one of “them” – it seemed like something completely out of my league.

It is incredibly inspiring seeing the determination on their faces, from the moment the first handcycles fly past, through to the final walkers moving through the route.

Shortly after the handcycles go through, the elite runners come shortly afterwards. They are amazing to watch. Their feet seem to almost float over the ground and their legs seem to run effortlessly like a gazelle. Most of them are in contention for prize money. This year totals more than $20,000. Then the serious runners zip by — most of them are looking very intense.

My favorite time in the water station is when the mass group comes through – the big bubble of people run by. Some people are dressed in costumes. Some are incredibly fit, others are limping, almost all are very determined and many are fulfilling a goal that they have been working toward a very long time.

Just being part of the sheer number of people involved – about 30,000 people between all the runners, volunteers and spectators – is exciting and a little overwhelming!

The Cleveland Half Marathon Course

There are three sets of races running – the 10K (6.2 miles) the half marathon (13.1) and the marathon (26.2). This link to the map shows how the three races weave in and out between each other.

It’s got to be difficult to design a course so that each course is exactly the right distance, the runners can get some great views of the city and not too many roads are closed for the driving public. I am sure that there are about 12 other considerations for designing the course (like elevation, surface, parking, great finish area, water stations etc.) I know that this course is considered a flat course, but there are few hills.

Tomorrow will be an extra early morning. It’s about a 45 minute drive from here. We have to be there by 6 am. The race starts at 7 am.

My Goals for the Half Marathon

Part of my Cleveland half marathon anticipation is wondering how will I do? I have three goals for my race:

Enjoy the experience
Finish strong and happy
Cross the line before 10 am

I picture myself fidgeting nervously in the starting corral, talking with some friends, taking photos in early morning hours. I’m going to try to start slowly, pacing my feet, my water and fuel throughout the race. I want to make the last 3 miles the best (fastest) miles. I’m going to try to keep my mind in a positive mode, even when the going gets tough.

Today, I have that feeling I used to get before a big performance when I was in the band at school. It’s not that scary bad feeling of a big test in school, or waiting for results from a doctor’s test that you’re worried about. It’s more like that fun feeling of a much anticipated last day of school as a kid with no responsibilities. I want to do well and meet my expectations, but I’m not sure how it will go.

What event are you preparing for? Or did you just finish a big goal? Let me know what is on your mind today by leaving a comment below.

Raccoon Run Race 5K Recap

May 5, 2018 / Chris Brown / 5 Comments

Last Sunday I ran the Raccoon Run and had a blast. It was an chilly – but sunny – morning at just over 33 degrees.

It’s always hard to know how to dress when the weather is cold but the sun is out. I figured lots of layers would be good.

I ended up with four layers on top:

compression shirt that wicks on the inner layer
loose fitting sports cover up
the tech shirt Raccoon Run 2018 from the event
my hoodie sweatshirt (and I wore the hoodie up at the early miles to stop the wind!)

Standing around before the race, I joked with my friend that at mile 2.25 we run past my car, so I might just swing by and grab that other sweatshirt I brought to add on top. Since It doesn’t feel good to dress like a snowman when you can’t move, I opted to be a little cold instead.

Most people had jackets and sweatshirts on because it was definitely on the chilly side.

This is the third or fourth year I’ve run this race and I always enjoy it and have fun. It supports the elementary school so there are lots of children and teachers running. One of the cutest fundraising projects makes me smile – little raccoon tails to attach while running.

Between the entry fees, sponsors, and donut sales, the race brought in $40,000 for Fishcreek Elementary in Stow.

Since I’m training for the Cleveland half marathon race in May, I used this race as part of my long training run, by jogging 3 miles before and 4 miles after.

Nonetheless, my 13:51 minute per mile average was enough to have me win for my age group with 7 other women in the 60-64 category.

My friend Susan Grant also runs this each year and also won for her category. It really adds to the fun when you have a race buddy! She runs a much faster pace than I do and was there at the finish, cheering me over the line.

Raccoon Race 2018 Age Group Award Winners – Chris Brown and Susan Grant

It’s a well organized race, with a mile fun run for the kids about a half hour before the 5K. DJ music, climbing wall, basketball hoops, mini bungy jumping and local sponsors were also set up at the start/finish area to give it a festive atmosphere. There were about 300 people total in the race of all ages and abilities. I think because it is a fundraiser supporting the schools, many Moms and Dads with strollers were running with their elementary-age children on the course.

It’s very inspiring to see so many age groups.

I kept saying this in my head throughout the race. I think that this will become my new mantra for more races!

The cold weather definitely made it easier to run a long distance. Having gloves and a hat were a must for me to be comfortable with the temperatures in the 30’s. I kept thinking of the women who ran in the Boston Marathon a few weeks ago when it was raining in the 30’s. It made this chilly race seem much more manageable!

I’ll be back again next year for more fun at the Raccoon Run for sure. If you live in Northeast Ohio, please consider joining me at the run.

Mark your calendar now for April 28, 2019!

5 Reasons to Run a 5K

April 28, 2018 / Chris Brown / 3 Comments

What’s the magic of a 5K? Why is it such a popular race?

If you have never done a 5K, you may be wondering about doing one.

What to expect: A 5K is 3.1 miles. It is a long enough distance that you should prepare. Don’t just decide to run it without training for it — unless you regularly run a similar distance and have pretty good cardio.

I made that mistake with my first 5K. The very first 5K I ever did, I hadn’t trained a bit, I was very overweight and I was shocked how hard it was. The course had hills and it was in the middle of April. It was a race that isn’t held any more – called the Bogsucker Strut. (I think a bogsucker is a bird.) The Bogsucker Strut 5K was held in Twinsburg, Ohio in early April. On that particular cold and rainy morning, I ran it with zero training. I didn’t know about racing. I started off as fast as everyone else, but in less than a minute I had to walk. There is no record of my finish time that I can find on the internet. I’m not even sure of the year, but I think it was 2004. I do remember having ordered an XL shirt. And it was tight. I came in last – way, way last. As in, no one was even at the finish line, except my husband. (Other years’ results show the last place person was at a 11:30 pace, which is faster than my Personal Record.) They had already finished the announcing the awards when I got to the end. Not a good memory. It took me a very long time to ever try a race again.

Now I love to race, but I did most things wrong about the first one. I would suggest if you decide to do a 5K for the first time, don’t do one in Ohio in early April — it seems only the serious, experienced runners go out that early. (The photo to the right is a local fundraiser in 2015 in my town called Race to the Taste, usually held on Labor Day Monday each year.)

There are lots of reasons to run a 5K. Here are 5 reasons I would suggest it:

Fundraiser – many of the 5K’s are fundraisers for disease research or schools or other worthwhile causes. So by registering for the race, you’re supporting a good cause.
Timed results – Year after year, you can compare your results to see your improvement! Many 5Ks have timing chips in the number bibs or on the shoes or at least a giant clock. You can run the race and have a line in the sand. I like to compare my time from one year to another. It almost always varies by the weather and how much I weigh at the time or how much I’ve trained, if my achilles is acting up, etc. But running the same course, at least the hills and terrain stay pretty much the same so I can compare year after year.
Friends – My next four 5K’s were walking with a friend in 2009, I think. We were doing Weight Watchers together and decided to “earn more activity points” by walking some races. Although we came in last or near the last (back of the pack) with the other walkers, it was really fun! It almost took an hour when we were walking. We paced around 20 minute miles and the 3.1 mile distance was a challenging distance for me at the time.
Affordable – Here in Ohio, a 5K in a smaller town is about $25. With that, you usually get a t-shirt, a bottle of water and a banana, plus the bonus of people encouraging you at the one or two water stops. Sometimes there are volunteers holding up traffic so you can easily cross roads where you generally have to wait for traffic.
Motivation – Signing up for a 5K as a first race means thinking about it, working toward it. The couch to 5K program is a great way to start. I find that wearing the t-shirt to remember the race is added motivation afterwards to stay in 5K shape. When I wear a race t-shirt out – it always seems someone comments and makes mention of the event… and that comment motivates me to do another one.

I’m doing a 5K early tomorrow morning and I’ll post my photo on the Facebook page. When you run your 5K, please post a photo of you at the finish line on our Becoming Elli Facebook page! Or if you are shy about it, joint the private Becoming Elli group on Facebook and post your photo there instead! See you at the races! – Chris

Cross Training is Better than No Training, Right?

April 21, 2018 / Chris Brown / 6 Comments

One month is the Cleveland Marathon and I am signed up to do the half marathon race of 13.1 miles on May 20.

I signed up for this spring race quite a while ago, after I completed the Akron half. I liked the idea of having this goal and it seemed like a good idea.

Here was my thought process:

It would “force me” to stay in good running shape through the fall, winter and early spring months.

If I sign up early, I would save money – the price goes up significantly as the race gets closer!

Worst case, I could simply walk instead of run. Or I could always switch to the 10K (6.2 miles) if things didn’t go well with my training. When you look at the Cleveland Marathon race, there are actually 7 races that weekend: the full, the half, 10K, 8K, 5K, 1 mile, kid’s fun run as well as walking divisions in both for most of the races. The full marathon even has a wheelchair group that is incredibly fast and extremely inspirational!

I’ve familiar with the Cleveland Marathon because I’ve volunteered at one of the water stops every year since 2010. Seeing all those runners really inspires me. I want to be one of them!

Instead of having bike riding season to help to prepare me for the half (like I did with the Akron half marathon last fall), I’ll have the Cleveland half marathon training through the winter to help to prepare me for biking.

So, did signing up for the half marathon help me? How did the training go?

After I signed up early with Jill, a lot of my water station friends also signed up to run the half (at least 4, that I know of) and we’ve been encouraging each other all winter! A BIG PLUS!

The half marathon has certainly was on my mind all during this past winter. I know I ran more than I would have. So that was a good thing. It didn’t “force” me to work out, but certainly motivated me.

My running plan of 3 days a week (with the longer run on the weekend) has been hit or miss, with more time on the treadmill than I ever expected and not enough outside in the fresh air. Not so good.

On the other hand, my cross training plan has gone better than I anticipated. That’s better than no training, right? And I’ve enjoyed that part – a lot! That is definitely a good thing.

Cross training is the exercise that runners should do to avoid injury of overuse. In looking at my actual results compared to my training plan, I think I’ve done more cross training than I have done regular training runs. My cross training for the Cleveland Half Marathon included a lot of core and strength training, topped off with indoor cycling – spinning. All good.

Meanwhile, my longest run isn’t long enough yet! And I haven’t been practicing which foods to eat and when. I suspect that it will be very evident a month from now. This thought is in back of my head worrying…

Looking Forward

I’m trying to guess what the weather will be on race day.

Last September when I ran the Akron Marathon, I found it easier to do the training schedule with the weather – if it rained lightly, I would still run and if it poured, I’d wait for the next day. The actual race day conditions were much hotter than I had anticipated, but I had done a lot of training in the heat of summer, so it wasn’t an unknown.

May in Cleveland can be cold, wet, snowy or super hot. It has been known to snow and hypothermia is a concern. And it’s been in the 80’s and heat exhaustion is a concern. But I can’t control the weather. I can control what I do to get ready. So why do I obsess over the weather so much?!?

I’m looking forward to getting a long run in today and with the better weather in the forecast, enjoying the outdoor weather for more intervals, tempo runs and long runs during the next few weeks.

When I think about the race, I’m also looking forward to seeing my skiing friends at water station #4 at mile 7.3!! It will be a big mental boost at a point in the race when I will need it. It will be very different this year experiencing the race as one of the runners!

Perhaps most of all, I’m looking forward to getting a photo (or more) with the women from Becoming Elli before the race. I had a daydream while I was running the other day about some of the Becoming Elli women coming out to watch, make a sign and cheer us on. Is that silly of me?

My mantra right now – 30 more days… no, just 29 more days…

Oh, wait… in the time it took me to write this, it’s actually only 28 more days…