Course Correction
3 days ago
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NEXT UP. . . INLAND TRAIL 1/2
Ladd and I are doing the 1/2 this Sunday at the Inland Trail in Elyria. We have been told that it is a nice flat course. I am going to yet again go for under 1:50. I know that without the final hill at Stomp the grapes I would have been able to do it, so if things go well I should be able to accomplish it this weekend. Kyle is going with us and running the 5k.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Highland Health Run 5k
Ran the Highland Health Run 5k today.... I finally broke the 23 mark yeh!!!! 22:44+- (results not posted yet). My son Kyle ran this 5k with us today. This was his 3rd road race and he has run 2 cross country meets, times so far have been 32, 27, 25, 27 and today..... HE BEAT ME BY 1 SECOND.... what a race! what a great job he did! I looked over my shoulder after mile 1 and there was Kyle, still running with me... The race ended on a track, Ladd told me to pick it up as I was going to PR, then I heard him talking to Kyle telling him to take it easy and pass me right at the finish.... wow, he was STILL right behind me. Around the final corner on the track I decide to pass the guy in front of me I go to his left and to his right was Kyle making his RACE to the finish, he passed the guy and me right before the finish line!!! wow what a race it was! WAY TO GO KYLE!!! I really didn't think that he would take me this year, but wow did he surprise me! Guess Ladd is next! WATCH YOUR BACK BABE!!!
CONGRATS TO ME FOR MY PR AND BIG CONGRATS TO KYLE!!
CONGRATS TO ME FOR MY PR AND BIG CONGRATS TO KYLE!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Highland 5k
Doing the Highland 5k this Saturday with my husband and my son. Hoping for a good time, but no pressure, weather is looking rough! Rainy and cold! After that is the "Wicked Fun Weenie Run" with the Medina County Road Runners, a run then a potluck meal. Should be fun looking forward to meeting everyone! It will be busy day as I then have to bowl that evening on my every other Saturday Couples League.
Another 1/2 marathon next weekend...... maybe, Inland Trail in Elyria, let's see how this Saturday goes!
Gotta Run...................
Another 1/2 marathon next weekend...... maybe, Inland Trail in Elyria, let's see how this Saturday goes!
Gotta Run...................
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Stomp the Grapes 1/2 Marathon
Stomp the Grapes
We've run 4 half marathons now since april of this year and we must be getting better. All the talk about this half is how hilly and hard this course is, it was a tough course but after doing columbia station's half this summer nothing will ever seem hilly to me again. My friend Chuck and I ran together for about 8 miles today until he took off to see how many people he could pass in the last 5 miles, (he did 1:33) but he pushed me long enough to get me to a new PR of 1:37.59 over my previous best of 1:41.30. I knocked 3 1/2 minutes off my best time and Marsha knocked almost 5 minutes off hers and on a tough course. I think we will be doing the Inland Trail half in 2 weeks , really flat and fast they say. My thought is I will run the first half with Marsha and then take off and see if we can do our best's again or maybe I'll just help her to break 1:50.
We've run 4 half marathons now since april of this year and we must be getting better. All the talk about this half is how hilly and hard this course is, it was a tough course but after doing columbia station's half this summer nothing will ever seem hilly to me again. My friend Chuck and I ran together for about 8 miles today until he took off to see how many people he could pass in the last 5 miles, (he did 1:33) but he pushed me long enough to get me to a new PR of 1:37.59 over my previous best of 1:41.30. I knocked 3 1/2 minutes off my best time and Marsha knocked almost 5 minutes off hers and on a tough course. I think we will be doing the Inland Trail half in 2 weeks , really flat and fast they say. My thought is I will run the first half with Marsha and then take off and see if we can do our best's again or maybe I'll just help her to break 1:50.
Stomp the Grapes 1/2 Marathon
What a great day for a 1/2 marathon. Stomp the Grapes 1/2 marathon is a well run / organized race with great food (including wine) and cool prizes! If you read my last post you know my goal was to break 1:50. My previous PR was 1:55 in Columbia Station in June, 2008. Today I ran....... 1:50:30... UGH... missed by goal by 30 seconds +- (exact time not posted yet) so I was upset to not break 1:50 as I intended, but wow it felt and I did great! It is a very hilly course and as Beth Woodward (a GREAT runner 1:29 or so today 2nd overall) said, this is not a course to go for a PR on.... but I did it and so did Ladd!!! but I will let him blog his own story! I will run it again next year, God willing! Oh, the prize, blue pottery, it is a huge/beautiful mug that says Stomp the Grapes 2008.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
What's Next?
Ladd is thinking about running the Inland Trail marathon November 2nd. We are both doing Stomp the Grapes 1/2 marathon this weekend in Navarre. He will decide about Inland trail after Stomp the Grapes. I would like to PR Saturday on this hilly course which means breaking 1:55 (which I did in Columbia Station in June.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Marathon Runner
While talking to relatives last summer and talking to running friends I remember saying “running a marathon isn’t one of my goals…” But then I was informed that those “running goals” will keep changing, but I didn’t believe it! My husband, who at that time wasn’t a runner asked me to please “never run a marathon” because he had talked to people who had been hurt training or running marathons.
I trained hard through the whole winter in order to become a “Half Marathon Runner”. Wow that felt good and I had a respectable time….. Hmmm what will I do next…..
A fellow runner (I’ll call him “Coach Chuck…”) said he was going to run the Akron Marathon with us (my husband and I like it was our idea….) and with that we all started training! I was now on my way to being a “Marathon Runner”. I would be among a small percentage of the world that has ever finished a marathon.
My goal as a “marathon runner” was to finish standing, I was hoping to finish before 4:30, but was told not to set a time goal by many other “marathon runners”.
Training was fun, I really enjoyed the long runs, the very early mornings, the intestinal problems every long run and the blisters…. No, but really, the friends we made while in training are wonderful! Friends we met through the group and at races and through the forum, what a great way to get to know someone, go out and run a long run with them. Oh, let me explain I am a talker, if you don’t like to talk and run, you might not want to run with me! My mouth runs nonstop, as my husband would say “if you can talk that much you aren’t running fast enough….”
So I am on my way to being a “marathon runner” and very worried only about one thing, can I make it with the stomach problems I have been having?
The week before the marathon seemed to drag on, I couldn’t concentrate on anything and I was very nervous! Is this what it feels like when you are about to become a “marathon runner” or was I just on my way to a nervous breakdown? One last 3 mile run the week before the marathon, I thought “this will feel good, work out some of my stress, but it didn’t, everything hurt. I hurt in places I have never hurt before, but was told by other “marathon runners” that these “pains” are normal under the circumstances, more mental than physical (that’s good because they sure felt real to me…).
September 27, 2008 - MARATHON DAY
Feeling good, amazingly good, scary good! Toeing the line (well not really because I am with the 4:15 group) the announcer says “this is what we have all trained so hard for” and I start crying… The gun sound and off we go… Oh wait, 2 minutes to get to the start line, then we go. I was very lucky to have a great friend to run the first 6 miles with me (thank you Lisa) this made the first 6 miles fly by. I really enjoyed the fans along the route, cheering us on and sometimes calling my name! I made a few new friends along the route (imagine that, me and my mouth….) My new friend Donnie was very worried about the hills and the wall, when I informed him that there are no hills in the Akron Marathon and he was NOT going to hit the wall today, he looked at me a little oddly as he had ran this marathon before and knew the terrain. We ran together for about 5 miles until I needed a port-a-pot break I told him I would see him at the end. Running on the trails was great, many new friends and lots of music just loved it when “SHOUT” came on and I was dancing and running. At Stan Hewitt hall I found Donnie again he thanked me and said that the whole way up “Heart Rate Hill” he was thinking “Marsha said there are no hills, this is NOT a hill….” To this point I have had no problems and am really enjoying the entire experience. At 24 miles I told Donnie that he was past “the wall” and to go on without me as I felt like I was holding him back and was really enjoying thanking all the policemen and volunteers and giving high fives to any kid that would “share” his/her energy with me. At mile 25 I had this wonderful thought that I was going to finish with no real problems and I again started crying. Pulling it together and really enjoying the last mile to Canal Park I see the finish line and again I start crying (imagine that) pull it together, there are going to be pictures at the finish line, I want to look happy not sad! I finish smiling with my arms raised in accomplishment. I shook the hand of Jim Barnett, and got a medal and there was my husband standing there and guess what… I started crying. I saw Donnie and he gave me a big hug, thanked me for all my positive thoughts and said that any time he runs a marathon he will think of Marsha and how hills are imaginary. I got some food, and then almost passed out, Ladd held me up for a few minutes; I sat down for a few minutes then visited and shared with friends.
The experience was one I will never forget, I suggest everyone run one! Even if you feel you can’t, do a leg of a relay and get the feeling of the marathon and cheer on your friends that are doing the whole. It was wonderful! I will be doing marathon #2 in Nashville, TN in April and #3 will be Akron again next year (can’t beat the free shoes).
Written by: Marsha Clifford a “MARATHON RUNNER”
Credits to (my great training friends): Chuck and Lillian Damman, Lisa Grafton, Abra Wiese, Dan Horvath, Rebecca Bridenthal and mostly my wonderful husband Ladd!
I trained hard through the whole winter in order to become a “Half Marathon Runner”. Wow that felt good and I had a respectable time….. Hmmm what will I do next…..
A fellow runner (I’ll call him “Coach Chuck…”) said he was going to run the Akron Marathon with us (my husband and I like it was our idea….) and with that we all started training! I was now on my way to being a “Marathon Runner”. I would be among a small percentage of the world that has ever finished a marathon.
My goal as a “marathon runner” was to finish standing, I was hoping to finish before 4:30, but was told not to set a time goal by many other “marathon runners”.
Training was fun, I really enjoyed the long runs, the very early mornings, the intestinal problems every long run and the blisters…. No, but really, the friends we made while in training are wonderful! Friends we met through the group and at races and through the forum, what a great way to get to know someone, go out and run a long run with them. Oh, let me explain I am a talker, if you don’t like to talk and run, you might not want to run with me! My mouth runs nonstop, as my husband would say “if you can talk that much you aren’t running fast enough….”
So I am on my way to being a “marathon runner” and very worried only about one thing, can I make it with the stomach problems I have been having?
The week before the marathon seemed to drag on, I couldn’t concentrate on anything and I was very nervous! Is this what it feels like when you are about to become a “marathon runner” or was I just on my way to a nervous breakdown? One last 3 mile run the week before the marathon, I thought “this will feel good, work out some of my stress, but it didn’t, everything hurt. I hurt in places I have never hurt before, but was told by other “marathon runners” that these “pains” are normal under the circumstances, more mental than physical (that’s good because they sure felt real to me…).
September 27, 2008 - MARATHON DAY
Feeling good, amazingly good, scary good! Toeing the line (well not really because I am with the 4:15 group) the announcer says “this is what we have all trained so hard for” and I start crying… The gun sound and off we go… Oh wait, 2 minutes to get to the start line, then we go. I was very lucky to have a great friend to run the first 6 miles with me (thank you Lisa) this made the first 6 miles fly by. I really enjoyed the fans along the route, cheering us on and sometimes calling my name! I made a few new friends along the route (imagine that, me and my mouth….) My new friend Donnie was very worried about the hills and the wall, when I informed him that there are no hills in the Akron Marathon and he was NOT going to hit the wall today, he looked at me a little oddly as he had ran this marathon before and knew the terrain. We ran together for about 5 miles until I needed a port-a-pot break I told him I would see him at the end. Running on the trails was great, many new friends and lots of music just loved it when “SHOUT” came on and I was dancing and running. At Stan Hewitt hall I found Donnie again he thanked me and said that the whole way up “Heart Rate Hill” he was thinking “Marsha said there are no hills, this is NOT a hill….” To this point I have had no problems and am really enjoying the entire experience. At 24 miles I told Donnie that he was past “the wall” and to go on without me as I felt like I was holding him back and was really enjoying thanking all the policemen and volunteers and giving high fives to any kid that would “share” his/her energy with me. At mile 25 I had this wonderful thought that I was going to finish with no real problems and I again started crying. Pulling it together and really enjoying the last mile to Canal Park I see the finish line and again I start crying (imagine that) pull it together, there are going to be pictures at the finish line, I want to look happy not sad! I finish smiling with my arms raised in accomplishment. I shook the hand of Jim Barnett, and got a medal and there was my husband standing there and guess what… I started crying. I saw Donnie and he gave me a big hug, thanked me for all my positive thoughts and said that any time he runs a marathon he will think of Marsha and how hills are imaginary. I got some food, and then almost passed out, Ladd held me up for a few minutes; I sat down for a few minutes then visited and shared with friends.
The experience was one I will never forget, I suggest everyone run one! Even if you feel you can’t, do a leg of a relay and get the feeling of the marathon and cheer on your friends that are doing the whole. It was wonderful! I will be doing marathon #2 in Nashville, TN in April and #3 will be Akron again next year (can’t beat the free shoes).
Written by: Marsha Clifford a “MARATHON RUNNER”
Credits to (my great training friends): Chuck and Lillian Damman, Lisa Grafton, Abra Wiese, Dan Horvath, Rebecca Bridenthal and mostly my wonderful husband Ladd!
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