I'm Alive

I haven't posted much lately, actually in two whole months! But then again, I haven't been running much either. The last time I ran any significant distance was more than two months ago when I did a 50K with Brian and Kirk Harrison from Pine Lane to Brecksville and back. Ever since then, my IT Band has been hurting. Even though I finished that 50K strong, it was still a stupid thing to do with hardly any training.

During my time not running, I have been swimming laps every once in awhile at the Medina Community Rec Center. I usually do 1/2 to a mile in the pool. I've also been stretching a lot and using the foam roller. When I was at Clarion, I used the foam roller a few times in the athletic trainers' office and it seemed to work really well. So I bought a giant one from Second Sole for about $25. Pretty pricey for a piece of styrofoam, but I figure it should last a lifetime.

So my only running goal right now is to get healthy. I hope to be able to run a loop of URINEO coming up in December since that's always a tradition. I would like to get completely healthy by January and be able to start training for a Spring mararthon (probably Cleveland) and get a new marathon PR. I'm also thinking about getting a semester membership at the Kent Rec Center from January to May and mix swimming and lifting in with my running. Kent is 10 minutes closer than Medina from my place in Akron so I could go a lot more often.

Beer and Hike

This afternoon my brother, parents and I met my sister at the North Country Brewing Co. for food and drinks. This was my first time here and the atmosphere was great. The inside had wood everywhere including carved wooden doors, beam supports, and bar. We ate outside on their backyard patio which had a nice stone wall with an outdoor fireplace. I got a couple beers and the The Leroy Brown burger which had BBQ sauce, sugar-glazed peppercorn bacon, onions, and American cheese....delicious!!

Afterward, Brian, Jamie and I went for a hike at Moraine State Park just 15-20 minutes south of the brewery. We parked at the Marina and hiked on the North Country Trail and some mountain bike trails. We got a good 2 hours in and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. All three of us agreed we needed to visit this park again for a run.

6th Annual YUT-C

(photo by Nick Billock)

I signed up for the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic again this year, but decided not to run it since my IT band has been hurting. Instead I helped out at the log cabin aid station at the start/finish line, refilling water bottles and handing out drinks. I had a great time helping other trail runners reach their goal. I realized how much a few words of encouragement can help someone when a runner finished and thanked me for pushing him along out of the aid station and telling him to do another loop. Click to see results and photos from today.

Poem

People come and people go

Life is short, don't say it's so
Do your work, do your chores
Not today for there is more
Love your brother, love your neighbor
Fill your belly and always savor
The joys of life and sound of nature
Yesterday was once a today
So live for today before it goes away.

Long May You Run

Today Brian and I drove to Pine Lane to run a 50K to Brecksville. We waited in the parking lot till a little after 8 in case anyone showed up then headed out. The day was perfect, cool temps with a nice breeze. At the Boston Store, we met up with Kirk Harrison who planned to go to Brecksville with us. I've only run once with Kirk a year ago and had a fun time running with him today.

When we got to the halfway point, we stopped at Heinen's grocery store to get lunch. On the way back before Snowville Road, Dan Bellinger met up with us to run back to Pine Lane. I felt great the entire run and feel confident about my training 2 weeks before YUT-C.

Run on!

Enjoy...

Treadmill Incline Workout

Tonight I did one of my brother's signature incline workouts on the treadmill. I walked 3.3 miles at 15% incline and 3.5 speed for 30 min then 2 miles at 11% incline and 4 speed for another 30 min. A couple days ago Tom Jennings graciously switched me from the 50K to the 100K at Oil Creek. I wanted to get a 50 mile qualifier in, so I can enter the MMT lottery this December. I can't wait for the challenge!

Towpath 20

This morning, my friend Marc and I met bright and early at 7 AM at the Boston Store to go for a 20 mile run on the Towpath. He's training for the Columbus Marathon in October and I'm getting ready for YUT-C, Akron half, and Oil Creek.

It was nice and cool when we started and never got very hot during our run. First we ran North to mile marker 21. We then came back to the Boston Store and headed South to mile marker 31. Marc had been getting some good training in and I've been slacking a bit so I was unsure how my body would handle the distance and pace.

I felt pretty good for the first half. My calves got a little tight before the turnaround. We both needed to use the restroom, but decided not to stop since we knew it would be hard to start back up again and get in a rhythm.

As each mile passed on the way back, I progressively felt worse and worse. Near mile marker 29, we got some water at an aid station for the Buckeye Half going on this morning.

As we got to Lock 29, I told Marc that I was going to stop to get a drink of water. I split off the Towpath, but thought about this decision quickly. I knew I would go slow if I didn't have someone to push me and my muscles would tighten up if I stopped. So, I quickly turned back onto the Towpath and sprinted back up with Marc.

We finished the day's run in 2:30 (7:30/mile). I was spent! Afterward, we went to Fischer's for an omlette and a beer!