Akron Marathon Team Relay Recap 2015

Photos by OHventures

I always tend to geek out when it comes to the Akron Marathon. I can't help it. Since I have moved here just over 2 years ago, I have truly been smitten with the Rubber City and the energy that pumps through its streets. The Akron Marathon is a capstone event for me each year where I get to run with great friends through the city that just truly feels vibrant and alive - which in turn makes me feel vibrant and alive.

For the third year in a row, on September 26, 2015, I took part in the Akron Marathon through the relay team option (see previous Akron Marathon Relay posts from 2013 and 2014). And, for the third year in a row, I am running with 4 different people who have become great friends through the power of running (if you have not felt the power of running firsthand, you should look into it - it's pretty amazing).

My team this year was "Team Torchbearers" (named after the young professional leadership group that myself and my teammates are all a part of). The team was: Getta (Leg 1, 5.8 miles), Samantha (Leg 2, 5.7 miles), Patrick (Leg 3, 5.5 miles), Jonny (Leg 4, 3.6 miles), and Myself (Leg 5 - also known as the anchor - 5.6 miles)! The legs were completely different distances than in previous years. In the past, the legs varied greatly in distance, but now most of them were close to the same distance.

PB = Patrick B. or Peanut Butter?

We decided to don matching "I Heart PB" t-shirts, which are campaign shirts for our teammate Patrick, who is running to be re-elected as a member of Akron School Board (how is that for a plug?). The PB can also stand for "Peanut Butter" if you would like (there were many people who really thought that is what it stood for!). It's a simple thing, but having us all wear the same t-shirt definitely brings a feeling of unity!

Being the final leg of a relay has its pros and cons. Pros: get to sleep in longer, you get more time to stretch, the sun starts to come out so it's not so cold, and you get to take all the glory by crossing the FINISH line! Cons: you have to wait longer to start drinking beer with all of your friends (especially for those of us with FOMO), and you have much more time for the anxiety to build up anticipating the start of your leg!

The pros by and large outweighed the cons. However, I have come to realize that I have a major case of the "running jitters." I get knots in my stomach, I worry about injury, I panic about my time and pace, and I fret about whether or not I have trained enough (I didn't). It's definitely unnecessary worry that takes over my thoughts, but I can't help it. I just always want to perform to my potential and not let myself or anyone else down. I am sure I am not alone, and that many others also experience the pre-race jitters. I just never have time to think about it when the start gun is first thing in the morning!

Once I am off and running, all of those worries go out the window and I remember why I always sign up for these things. There was a definite pep in my step and I felt like I was floating through the streets during my leg of the Akron Marathon Relay.

The blue line making its way in to Canal Park!

For the first time in years, the Akron Marathon's blue line was painted on an almost entirely new course. My 5.6 miles started at Hardesty Park, turned on Market Street, to Castle, to Garmin, to Portage Path, and back to Market. There was a final turn on to Main Street and the finish line on the baseball diamond in Canal Park!

Photo by Akron Marathon. The finish line party at Canal Park.

It was a great feeling to cross the finish line with my teammates cheering! I gathered our finisher medals and distributed them to each member of Team Torchbearers. We found out that our final time was 4:38:25, with my 5.6 miles taking approximately 48 minutes (8:35/mile). I was extremely proud of my time, and proud of the team for finishing such a huge feat!

Celebrating with Getta and Kyle

We celebrated with some Michelob Ultra, pizza, and other finish line goodies, and we even got to appear on the jumbo screen! I think today might have officially cured me of my "running jitters" because this ended up being one of the most enjoyable runs I have ever done. My mind was in the zone, and there was no reason to worry with such a strong support system in my team. After all, worrying never has added a day to anyone's life. 

Running T-Shirt Quilt

Photo by OHventures

As an avid runner, my dresser drawers slowly began to overflow with race t-shirts I have collected over the many years of hitting the pavement. 

At first, it's really cool to get a new t-shirt every time you run - it can serve as a memento of a great accomplishment and fantastic experience had with friends. But, if you do 10, 15, even 20 races a year like I do, then it begins to take over your wardrobe, and your storage! A friend once asked if I had anything other than suits and running t-shirts, because he'd see me wearing them so often. Unacceptable.

So I decided it was time to do something about it. As part of my 30 Things To Do Before (While) I'm 30, I set out to have a quilt made using some old running t-shirts! It was a genius idea that I had seen before on Groupon. But rather than sending shirts off to a random company, I put the call out to my friends on Facebook to see if anyone had any ideas of where or who I could go to for a t-shirt quilt.

Many people stepped up and offered ideas, but one friend of mine, Rick, stepped up in a big way. He said that he had always wanted to try to make a quilt, but never had a reason to. If I trusted him, he said he would be willing to make a quilt for me. Instead of monetary payment, he said he would like to have a sampling of wines I gathered from all of my various wineries I visited across the state. It was a perfect match! 

I had to figure out which shirts I could use. He said he could take 20. There were some that I didn't want to give up because I really enjoy wearing them and they are too cool to give up. And there are some that - let's face it - are so ugly that I didn't even want them on a quilt. I wanted ones that looked good and were from races that had special meaning to me. So, after meticulous planning, I came up with a good mix of shirts. 

The shirts are, as displayed on the quilt:

Row 1 (l-r)

Capital City Quarter Marathon - May 2013, Columbus

Boardman Memorial Mile - May 2013, Boardman

Capital City Half Marathon - May 2012, Columbus (my first half marathon)

Run With The Pack 5K - June 2012, Columbus (first run I did with my dog)

Row 2 (l-r)

World Fit 5K - May 2014, Warren (my brother helped organize this race)

Selfless Elf 5K - December 2013, Akron

Glo Run Columbus - April 2013, Columbus

Arnold Pump & Run 5K 2014 - March 2014, Columbus

Row 3 (l-r)

Hubbard Public Library Zombie Run - October 2012, Hubbard

Oktoberfest Brat Trot 4 Miler - September 2012, Columbus

Warrior Dash Ohio 2014 - August 2014, North Lawrence

Out Of The Darkness Walk - October 2014, North Canton (in honor of my cousin)

Row 4 (l-r)

Team OHventures T-Shirts (a shirt I designed for the blog)

Warren Kiwanis Turkey Trot - November 2012, Warren (started our family tradition)

Funny Bunny 4 Miler - April 2014, Canton (took place on my birthday)

Foam Fest 5K - June 2013, Logan

Row 5 (l-r)

Akron Marathon Relay 2014 - September 2014 Akron

Bike Columbus Festival – July 2012, Columbus (first biking event)

Dirty Dog 5K Run & Wash - July 2013, Avon Lake

Akron Gen. Birthday Bash Dash 5K - August 2014, Stow (I was Race Director)

These shirts were the perfect shirts to have made into a quilt. And, Rick certainly delivered with a high quality and great looking quilt (not too shabby for his first quilt making experience). Having this quilt has transformed a pile of t-shirts shoved in a dresser into a unique, meaningful and timeless piece of art (that also doubles as a comfy blanket). 

I owe a great deal of gratitude to Rick for making this happen. This is an item I will always value. One look at it brings back a flood of memories of friends and stories I have made in my running career that has truly changed my life in a number of ways. It's something you can't put a price tag on. No amount of wine can show my appreciation for this great creation!

Pro Football Hall Of Fame (Half) Marathon Recap

Photo by OHventures

The night before the 2nd Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame (Half) Marathon in Canton, I had a major case of the pre-race jitters. And rightfully so. It was no one's fault but my own, but I had not trained nearly as adequately as I should have - and I knew better. Last year, I followed a strict 100-Day Training Program and successfully completed the half marathon with a landslide PR. This year, I slacked off - majorly.

Like a kid who didn't study enough for his big final exam and still hoped he'd get an A+, I didn't train for the race and yet I hoped I'd still succeed. I posted on Facebook at 11:00 PM the night before asking for good vibes and positive energy to be sent my way (and I don't believe in "luck," but I was willing to take that too).I knew it would be quite the challenge, and so I was relying on words of encouragement leading up to the race to truly be the motivation propelling me through. 

This race would prove how running can often be more mental than physical in many aspects. I awoke the next morning before dawn and had plenty of messages waiting for me on my phone. Words from friends and family members near and far, saying things like:

• No doubt you do well! You're a superhero!
• Just get to 7 miles, and it's cake from there!
• Praying for your strength and endurance!
• Do it for Slider! (that one was from my vet)
• I love you! (and that one was from my mom)
• You got this! Can't stop, won't stop (in the style of P. Diddy)
• Say out loud "I am prepared" and mean it! It is 90% mental. 
• #TEAMMEVANS
• The worst that can happen is I will see you in the medical tent (said my friend Simas, a doctor working at the emergency aid station)
• At least you don't have to run in those heels (advice given to both me and fellow runner Blake, in reference to our Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event two days prior)
• Just run, and sing the top 50 songs in your head to make the time fly....and YOU fly through this race!
• You are more prepared than you think! One foot in front of the other!

And, just like that, my attitude changed. My outlook improved. And there's no doubt in my mind that these very words were the reason I was able to reach that finish line.

The bitter cold did NOT help (I love Ohio and all, but DANG it's been cold for far too long). It was a mere 39 degrees when I made it to Fawcett Stadium, where the starting line was. I spent a lot of time fueling and stretching (in hopes to make up for my lack of training) and I zoned out with a quick prayer and moment of meditation in order psych myself out for the 13.1 miles that lay ahead. After the national anthem and invocation, we were off and running. There was no turning back.

At this point, some of you might be wondering what fun it is for me to even do what I did. Why even put myself through the anxiety, apprehension, and discomfort, especially if I wasn't even willing to put the time and effort into preparing for it? (I should clarify that I did train for this half marathon, but not to the extent that I should have). There are 3 simple reasons: 1) I love a challenge, 2) running is addicting, and 3) I am not a quitter.

It's remarkable what the body can do, especially when you have a little bit of drive and a whole lot of heart. You are stronger than you think you are. 

The 13.1 mile course was a roller coaster ride - and not just because of the hilly terrain. There were times I was speeding along on cloud nine, a smile from ear to ear. Even past the halfway point, I was on track to breaking my PR once again! But then there were moments of doubt and even some brief moments of apathy - little voices in my head just telling me to mosey along and take my time. But then the crowd of strangers motivated me to keep going. 

The one sign summed up my appreciation for spectators: "RUN, RANDOM STRANGER, RUN!" How cool is it that these random strangers take the time to root for you? It's almost better than your loved ones cheering for you! 

One small boy had a sign with a hand drawn on it that said "TOUCH HERE FOR POWER BOOST." So, of course, I touched it. And, of course, it helped give me a power boost! Another young kid was standing on the sidelines on crutches, extending his hand for a high five. It really inspired me and was exactly what I needed at mile 11 of the course (especially since my knees were hurting so badly).

Finally, I made it back to Fawcett Stadium to the finish line (above) and I was ecstatic! I clocked in at 2:08 - which was way off from my PR of 1:54, but I will take it! There was definitely a sense of pride that came over me when I was given my fleece blanket and finisher's medal. 

I certainly do NOT recommend the lack of training for anyone interested in running a long distance race such as a half marathon. However, I do recommend surrounding yourself with encouraging people who will set you up for success by getting you in the right state of mind!

14 Runs In '14

Photos by OHventures

It wasn’t planned, but I ran 14 Races in 2014 (AKA “14 in ’14”) in Ohio. 
Most of the events had a fun element or theme added in, such as running in nothing but your underwear (Cupid’s Undie Run) or running to get delicious food at the finish line (Slavic Village Pierogi Dash)! Many were done to support a cause, such as the World Fit 5K or the Selfless Elf (to support the local Foodbank). Most were 5Ks, but some were longer, such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon. 

I also added two more runs that were not done in Ohio (both in Pennsylvania). I do feel a bit like a cheater for putting them on this site. Either way, I am happy to have successfully completed over 76 competitive miles in one year!

Below, you can find links to all 14 of these events from 2014 in chronological order! Hopefully these can give your ideas for races you can run in the New Year!


1. Cupid’s Undie Run (February 2014 - 1 mile, untimed – Cleveland)
2. Arnold Pump & Run 5K (March 2014 – 3.1 miles in 21:46 – Columbus)
3. Funny Bunny Run (April 2014 – 4 miles in 32:23 – Canton)
4. Pro Football Hall of Fame (Half) Marathon (April 2014 – 13.1 miles in 1:56:27 – Canton)
5. World Fit 5K (May 2014 – 3.1 miles, 24:00 – Warren)
6. Tough Mudder (May 2014 – 10.5 miles in approx. 3:30:00 – Mansfield)
7. Slavic Village Pierogi Dash (June 2014 – 3.1 miles in 23:38 – Cleveland)
8. Warrior Dash Ohio II (August 2014 – 3.1 miles in approx. 45:00 – North Lawrence)
9. Akron Gen. Birthday Bash Dash (August 2014 - 3.1 miles, untimed - Stow)
10. Akron Marathon Relay (September 2014 – 5.5 miles in 44:35 – Akron)
11. Spartan Race Ohio (October 2014 – 11.5 miles in approx. 3:30:00 – Cumberland)
12. A Christmas Story Run (December 2014 – 3.1 miles in 23:36 – Cleveland)
13. Selfless Elf 5K (December 2014 – 3.1 miles in TBA – Akron)
14. The Great New Years Eve Run (December 2014 - 3.1 miles in TBA - Stow)

Additionally, we ran in two races abroad in Pennsylvania, which deserve their own category:
1. Foxburg Nature Festival Run (May 2014 – 3.1 miles in 25:27 – Foxburg, PA)
2. Buhl Park Gobble Wobble (November 2014 – 3.1 miles in 29:35 – Hermitage, PA)
For kicks, you might also be interested in the 3 walking events I took part in for charity this fall:

1. Stark County Mutt Strut (September 2014 – 2 miles, untimed – North Canton)
2. Walk A Mile In Her Shoes (October 2014 – 1 mile, untimed – Canton)
3. Out Of The Darkness Walk (October 2014 – 2 miles, untimed – North Canton)
You can also now visit the NEW OHventures Running Archive Page – which has ALL runs we have completed to date in chronological order!

Akron Marathon Relay Recap 2014

As a runner, you gain a special connection with the pavement that lies beneath you, and thus a special connection with the city in which that pavement lies.

I have a special connection to the City of Akron and its pavement that happens to be painted with a bright blue line all year long in honor of the Akron Marathon.

On September 27, 2014, that iconic blue line has been conquered, along with my great friends from Team Bootleggers. We were a co-ed team consisting of Matt (leg 1, 3.9 miles), Jim (leg 2, 4.8 miles), Beth (leg 3, 7.5 miles), Jen (leg 4, 4.5 miles), and myself (leg 5, 5.5 miles). We finished in 31st place out of 848 co-ed teams with a final time of 3:27:58!

This is the second year in which I ran in the Akron Marathon, and I have an entirely new perspective than I did one year ago. In 2013, I had just moved to the area to embark on a new journey: a brand new job in a brand new place. Running in the race last year felt like an initiation of sorts: a meet & greet icebreaker with the city where I now would be spending a great deal of my time.

Since then, I have grown very close with the greater Akron area, and the community has been nothing but warm and welcoming. In just one year I have become extremely acclimated to the town, I’ve met a ton of new people, and the once unfamiliar streets I ran on are now the backdrops to my day-to-day life.

I took pride in being a part of my team as the only person who is a local to Akron. The rest of my team was from one of my “other homes” – Columbus – and they drove up the night before (Friday). After having a carb-loaded pasta dinner with my former team (Running For Donuts), I met up with Team Bootleggers to hand out our matching shirts – special made dri-fit OHventures shirts!!

It was then time to rest up for the big day (trying to get adequate sleep is always the most stressful part of a race like this). I awoke at 4:45 AM and arrived in downtown Akron at 6:00 AM to meet my team (all clad in their OHventures shirts) at the start line. It was still dark out – and pretty chilly!

Jim and Beth headed to their respective starting lines while Jen and I accompanied Matt as he lined up in the appropriate starting corral. The sun was rising as the National Anthem was sung. Dawn was breaking and it was time for Matt to kick off the race as our starting leg!!

Jen and I then took our respective shuttles to our respective starting lines, mine being located at Firestone High School. It was only 7:30AM at this point, meaning that I had about 2 hours and 15 minutes before I was estimated to start running. I utilized this time to relax, stretch, mingle, and energize – all things you must do if you are a runner in any type of race!

When it finally came time for me to go (thanks to some updates via text message), the temperature had risen to about 75 degrees – perfection! I grabbed the slap bracelet from Jen, started my new Garmin watch, and turned on the jams on my iPod.

The 5.5 course took me east on Garman Road to the famed Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens – a notable landmark in the city, south on Portage Path past Portage Country Club, and south further on Market Street through Highland Square (this is where the most cheers came from)! The homestretch took place as I turned right onto Main Street, passing the Akron Civic and Lock 3 until I reached the finish line in the middle of the baseball field at Canal Park.

This was a very inspiring, challenging and rewarding race for me.

Inspiring because I felt such a sense of support and appreciation from strangers cheering as I ran by. There were children on the sidewalks with outstretched hands waiting for a high five from me. Even out of 20,000 runners, I managed to see friends along the course and at the finish line – Kyle, Mayor Drew, Matt & Andrew, Katie & The Donuts…the list goes on.

Challenging because I had severely sprained my ankle in early August while at a game in my adult soccer league. I had to nurse my foot with a great deal of ice, rest and medication the past 1.5 months, which set me back quite a bit, but also humbled me to appreciate when all my parts are in working order. Thankfully, I was well enough to run again. But there were a few hills on the leg of the course that pushed me to my limits, and there were times I didn’t think I could keep going. But I did.

Rewarding because I was able to actually cross the finish line with a stadium of people cheering! Being the anchor of the team is something everyone should experience. I was able to get all 5 of our medals after finishing, and hand them out to my teammates. We were sweaty and tired, but we had enough adrenaline to celebrate with our beverages of choice (beer, water, and chocolate milk)!

The Akron Marathon has proved to be, for the second year in a row, one of my finest moments in running. That’s because it’s one of those races where I have a special connection to the pavement. I challenge you go out and find your own special connections to the pavement that means to most to you.

Pro Football HOF (Half) Marathon Photo Blog

Who: Over 3,000 runners from 37 states and 5 countries.
What: The Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon & Half Marathon
Where: Canton, Stark County, Ohio
When: April 27, 2014 (next year's date is set at April 26, 2015)
Why: To run in Hall of Fame City where legends are enshrined!
How: Train appropriately and sign up early!

Photos by OHventures

Pro Football Hall of Fame (Half) Marathon Recap

Photos by OHventures

The power and strength of NFL legends of years past was shining down on over 3,000 runners Sunday, April 27, 2014 at the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon & Half Marathon. Taking place in downtown Canton, the Pro Football Hall of Fame & Museum served as the setting for the start of the big race, while the nearby Fawcett Stadium held the finish line! Energy pumped into the streets of Stark County bright and early as runners from 37 states and 5 countries prepared themselves for the 7:00 AM starting time.

I was one of the runners huddled in Corral B, rubbing my hands together and jumping up and down to try and keep warm in the 40-degree weather. My nerves had me wound up, as this was only my second-ever half marathon I had ever participated in, the first being the Cap City Half Marathon in Columbus in May, 2012. During that fateful race two years ago, I injured my knee a great deal, causing a 5-month recovery and a lot of apprehension when it came to running long-distance again. Two years ago, I never thought I would be lining up to run another half marathon. But here I stood, ready to face the challenge head on!

Thankfully, my 100 day training program prepared me to the point that I was rather confident that my knee (and everything else) would hold up just fine. But it would take finishing this half marathon once and for all to truly convince myself that I was strong again.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame (Half) Marathon was a perfect way to reinvigorate me when it came to long-distance running. There were multiple runners alongside me who had on jerseys of their favorite NFL football team. Some even had helmets and shoulderpads as they ran, and one guy even carried a football the whole way! Seeing folks dressed as their pigskin heroes was inspiring, and kinda funny too. It also provided great imagery to the rest of us runners. We all consider the pavement to be our playing field - the halfway mark is like running past the 50 yard line and crossing the finish line is like scoring a touchdown. We are athletes and today was game day!

I threw on my headphones to blare some tunes in my ears and kept pace right behind the "1:52" sign help up by one of the official pacers. The first couple of miles were easy as pie! The sun was rising in the sky and things were starting to warm up. The course took us from the museum to Tuscawaras Street, briefly on 3rd Street, and then North on Market Avenue for a couple more miles. There was a pretty hefty hill on Market, but the downhill portion made up for all the sweat on the way up. We then headed west on 23rd Street and south on Cleveland Avenue. 

Motivational signs - both funny and serious in nature - were sprinkled along the "sidelines" and truly helped push me through each mile. Some of the best signs I saw read: "Go Hard! (That's What She Said)," "Run Fast, I Farted!," "Getting Up Early To Make This Sign Wasn't Easy Either," and my favorite that simply said "Motivational Sign." And, for the first time ever, I friend made a sign specifically to cheer for ME, and it really made me so grateful. The sign said "I Wanna Be Like Mike" and was made by my good friend Emily. Having her support, as well as other friends (and strangers alike) along the way is so appreciated!

At Mile 7, the route took us west on 4th Street to Monument Park, where we weaved in and out until Mile 11. Mile 11 was by far my biggest struggle. I was losing steam (hitting a wall, as they say), I had to pee (I stopped at the port-a-potty), I had to walk up a steep hill, and lost power to my iPod that was churning out jams to keep me running fast. All of these things hindered my time during that mile, but I didn't give up. The McKinley Monument was a highlight of this mile, and it recharged me and helped put a pep in my step again! Also, there was a random bearded stranger who was so overly enthusiastic that you couldn't help but be motivated!

The last two miles seemed like they took forever, and of course had significant uphill portions! But soon, I turned the corner and found the ground beneath me change from the asphalt roadway to the astroturf of the football field in Fawcett Stadium! Running on that field with the crowd cheering away was an amazing feeling.

I finished the race in 1:56:27 - which is literally a 30 minute improvement from my ill-fated half-marathon in Columbus in 2012!! I was so relieved and overjoyed! We received awesome medals, shaped like footballs of course, and a really cool Hall of Fame Marathon fleece blanket, which came in handy once the wind picked up (SIDE NOTE: the blanket is probably the coolest swag I have ever received at a race). After seeing my friends Emily, Ryan, and Simas at the finish line, I was in great spirits! 

Whereas last time I finished a half marathon I said I would never do one again...this time, you can quote me as saying "I'm hooked!" Don't let setbacks in life keep you from pursuing your dreams and doing the things you love! 'Til next time!

Akron Marathon Relay Recap

Photos by OHventures 

Follow the blue line!

That was the mantra of the day. Much like Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road in The Wizard of Oz, I had to follow the blue painted line that ran along the course of the Akron Marathon on the morning of Saturday, September 28, 2013. But unlike Dorothy, I had to RUN the whole way and do so alongside 1,977 marathon runners, 4,647 half marathon runners, and 1,256 5-person relay teams!

I had the honor of running the second leg for the cleverly titled relay team, "Running For Donuts." My spitfire of a friend Katie (of Stark County Brace Against Hunger 5K and Life Is Katetastic fame) conned me into joining her and 3 strangers (up until the race, that is) in doing the relay portion of the 11th Annual Akron Marathon, sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

For whatever reason unbeknownst to me, the team name "Running For Donuts" was conceived, even though I knew I wouldn't be eating donuts anytime soon (stupid diet). We all had to pick donut monikers, mine being Michael "Glazed" Evans. Others on the team were Bearclaw (Katie), Apple Fritter (Jason), Cream Puff (Jodi), and Vegan Sprinkle (Mandy). I'm still a bit perplexed by the vegan sprinkle choice myself, but that's neither here nor there! 

As team members, we had some gross looking bright baby pink t-shirts with a funny cartoon of a stick figure chasing after a scared shitless anthropomorphic donut. While the color was pretty fug to me, it came in handy when trying to spot our teammates in the crowd, and made us pretty noticeable to onlookers who would periodically shout "GO DONUTS!" on the route.

I was actually a replacement team member, because someone else had to drop out because she was too preggo to run. So this was all very spontaneous and new to me. This was my very first relay race (other than middle school and high school track where I still hold a 1999 county record for the 4x400 meter relay, thank you very much!). Instead of passing a baton like in track, we had a slap bracelet that we wore, took off, then slapped on to the wrist of the next teammate. Clever girl! 

Funniest part was, I had no idea what my teammates looked like who were running in leg 1 and leg 2, and therefore I didn't know who to look for! That's where the shirts (and Facebook) came in handy! Woo! Also, I did meet Jodi (leg 1) the night before at the expo, but still.

Spoiler Alert! We finished and got medals! And those are FAKE donuts!

Speaking of the expo, I managed to score a lot of random free stuff, stock up on Gu and Clif Bars, learn about a buttload of upcoming races, and buy me some new running shorts (emphasis on SHORT). Plus, 3/5ths of the Running For Donuts team scarfed down some spag at the Spaghetti Warehouse to do some carb loading. Apple Fritter and Vegan Sprinkle missed out on that one.

Anyhow. So, the race began at 7AM, but me being the 2nd leg of the relay meant that I had no flipping clue as to when I was starting. I wasn't sure how fast Cream Puff would be running, so I just had to guesstimate. The first leg was 3.9 miles, so I guessed she would come trucking in around 7:40. I think that was about accurate. All I know is that the second that slap bracelet was slapped on my wrist, I was booking it!

My leg was 4.8 miles, which was smack dab in the middle as far as length goes (meaning there were two legs of shorter distance and two legs of longer distance than my leg. Legs, legs, legs!). Thank God for that blue line because I don't know my way around Akron too well yet. I did look up the route for my leg and it started at the corner of Rosa Parks & High Streets, went South toward the Main Street ramp where it merged with the marathon and half marathon runners (AKA the real runners), continued on South Main Street, turned left onto East Firestone, left onto North Firestone, and left on Brown until I reached the exchange zone, where I would pass off the bracelet to the Apple Fritter dude.

The weather was PERRRRFFFEECT - completely blue skies and just the right temperature! The sun was rising as I ran, so it made it even more beautiful to see the morning skyline in the Rubber City. Even though I think some of the area of town I ran in was a bit sketch, it was still gorgeous. Akron really is a kickass city, and it doesn't get the credit it deserves. All the people cheering us on along the way - on each and every street corner - showed that the community is strong and vibrant! I am proud to be working here now, and kept soaking it in as I ran.

The euphoria must have helped, because I ran at a pretty darn good pace the entire way, if I do say so myself. My time was 0:39:40 for 4.8 miles, which is almost exactly an 8 minute mile. I was THRILLED with my performance. And, I was even more thrilled with my team's overall performance! After all of the donuts were done, and Katie - oops, I mean Bearclaw - crossed the finish line, we discovered we clocked in at 4:00:22! This placed us at 261st place out of 1,256 teams. Now THAT is pretty awesome.

Dudes wearing pink and drinkin Mich Ultra - not a good look.

While there were no donuts at the finish line, we all celebrated at Canal Park with free Michelob Light (times 4), munchies, and live music! I also got to see my friend Emily cross the finish line for the half marathon (her first ever) with some tears of pride streaming down her face! I know the feeling, and I am very proud of her. I also got to witness a very heartwarming and triumphant feat: one runner completed the entire full marathon all while pushing his disabled friend across the finish line in a wheelchair device! It was very inspiring and I got choked up watching it (Katie does a great write up about this on her blog).

Overall, I again am so thrilled that I got the chance to participate in the AkRUN Marathon (see what I did there?) and get to experience my new home city as a runner. Thanks, random girl, for getting pregnant so I could take your place in the relay ;-)!

Cap City Half Marathon & Patron Quarter Marathon

On Saturday, May 4, 2013, over 14,000 runners (including yours truly) crowded the streets of downtown Columbus to take part in the 10th Anniversary Capital City Half Marathon (which also included the Patron Quarter Marathon and the Commit To Be Fit 5K). It was a picture-perfect day with runner-approved weather - mild temperatures and zero preciptiation. Save for some windy conditions, it truly was an ideal day for a race!

 

The Capital City Half Marathon holds a special place in my heart. It seems silly, but it is true. It was one year ago, on May 5, 2012, that I ran in my first ever half marathon (and, to date my only half marathon). I remember being exceptionally neurotic (more so than normal) about every detail of the event - arriving a good hour and a half early, bringing extra layers of clothes for any possible scenario, having friends there serving practically as my personal assistants (err, I mean "moral support"). It was a whole new monster and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never really run a race before, save for competitvely in high school and a silly ol' Warrior Dash. Nothing serious or to this magnitude.

 

Last year's race was euphoric - tons of spectators cheering me on, tons of friends running with me, and tons of money raised for American Cancer Society. The event catapulted me into the wide world of running, and I have competed in a total of 16 foot-races in the past year alone!! I owe all of this to the Capital City Half Marathon. 

Which is why, when I returned in 2013, I had an indescrible and surreal feeling. I was back at the very event that started it all! I couldn't help but look around and be grateful for the past year and the journey I have had. All the fun people I have met along the way, all of the bonding I have had with friends and family who have participated with me in various races, all the causes I raised awareness for.

 

That being said, I also was now an old pro at the whole race scene. I knew what to eat the night before and the morning of the race (my friend Jem will call me out for eating some queso dip and ice cream so I may as well admit it here now), I knew what stretches to do, where to park and where to go when I arrived, I knew it all! But that still didn't stop me from having the inevitable butterflies before the race. Had I trained enough (ahem, no)? Did I get enough rest (thankfully I did, this time)? What if I have to pee (tough luck - I ain't stoppin!)? A lot of worries went through my head still, but it seemed like that was natural.

This year I was running the Quarter Marathon instead of the Half. This decision had a lot to do with the fact that I hurt my knee big time last year, and I want to slowly work my way back up to a half. This lightened the mood a bit for me as well, knowing I didn't have as long to run as I did last year!! I didn't bring those "personal assistants" with me to take a thousand pictures and hold all my luggage. I arrived alone, and met up with one of my best friends, Richard, and my pals Lyndsey & Rachel (sisters!).

 

While I was running for the American Cancer Society (and had my jersey adorned with ribbons of cancer survivors and victims), Richard was running for another great cause: Team Kelly, in honor of a friend of his, a fallen Marine, Robert M. Kelly. And, we were all running for another cause: Boston. Fresh on the heels of the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon, a moment of silence was announced just prior to the race followed by Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," which holds special meaning to the tragedy.

After words from Mayor Mike Coleman and Race Director David Babner, the horn sounded and all 14,000 of us lined up in our corrals on Front Street made our way North to the Arena District. We were greeted almost immediately by a challenging hill - thankfully our adrenaline was taking over at this point! We turned left onto Vine Street, where DJs lined the streets cranking out dance remixes to get us pumped up! Soon, we hit a water station, which I regretfully bypassed, and then turned right onto Olentangy River Road. A few folk/rock bands later, it was time for the Quarter Marathoners to split from the Half Marathoners. The Half-ers kept going North on Olentangy while the Quarter runners (like me this year) made a right onto 5th Avenue.

 

On 5th Avenue, traffic was backed up all the way to High Street. I tried not to look any of those motorists in the eye, because you know that they were all pretty P.O.'ed at the fact that their day had been snarled by us runners. I joked to myself that if you don't want to have to deal with the road closures from the marathon, you can avoid it by just participating in the event yourself! After running all the way down Fifth, we turned right onto High Street in the Short North, running south to approach downtown. Hundreds of spectators cheered us on, and surprisingly a good number of HALF marathoners had caught up and were passing me by! I admire those who are REAL runners. You know, the ones who are genetically predispositioned to run faster than one should ever be able to run? The people that look like they aren't struggling at all, yet are running faster than I could bike? Yeah, those people!

I had the last laugh, though, because I knew that when we got to Broad Street, all I had to do was circle around the Statehouse and I was practically at the finish line, while those people still had to weave through German Village for another 5 miles or so. I finished my race with a time of 56:55, ranking 151st place out of 2,010 runners. Not too shabby! My face was beet red and I was dying for water! I swear I was more concered about getting water than I was about getting my medal (which said Patron on it, so it definitely is cool in my book).

 

Security was tight this year (for obvious reasons), so once you got your bananas and bagels and such, you couldn't get anymore! So I stocked up and went to the Columbus Commons to listen to a really awesome cover band singing old 90s tunes while I sipped on champagne and Michelob Light (who cares that it was only 9AM?? I just ran a quarter marathon, damnit!). I met up with my coworker Ericka and I then made my way to the finish line to cheer on Lyndsey, Rachel and Richard!!

There was truly no where else I would rather have been than at the Capital City Half (cough, Quarter, cough) Marathon that morning. It begs the question: why don't even MORE people I know do this?? It may seem crazy to run all these miles, but trust me, it's ALL worth it! Just try it, and you will see for yourself!