Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Weekend

Some of the Cleveland Marathon Bloggers

All gussied up...

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon was a weekend long event for me. The marathon organizers hosted a VIP cocktail party on the Friday night before the race at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Cleveland. I did not have a date to this event and none of my friends were available to attend with me. I was reluctant to go (I'm socially awkward) but put on my big girl pants and went anyway. As I was signing in at the door, I ran into a friend from social media whom I had never met in real life, Tara. She is the Program Director for the We Run This City program in Cleveland and happens to be a pretty awesome human. She was there with four of the children she works with. We sat and ate and talked together. When they were about to leave, I walked around to speak to the other bloggers and ended up chatting with Joe(and wife) and Stephanie(and boyfriend). We talked about all things running and I felt beyond motivated after chatting with Tara, her students and the other bloggers.

Me and my Littlest Joe

 On Saturday, I headed to the Expo with my littlest Joe. We were pretty excited to have some girl time. We picked up my bib and shirt and visited quite a few booths. I bought compression sleeves and a Spibelt and she picked up a head band for running. She also stopped by the American Greetings table to make a sign for me. Apparently, The Joes were going to come to the race to cheer me on and to go to the VIP brunch that the Cleveland Marathon was hosting!!! I wore my superman shirt to the Expo. I needed the superpowers that come with it to resist the call of Krispy Kreme donuts, which would have been an exit away from the Expo, as opposed to the usual 40 minute ride it would take to get there from my house. I was able to resist those sugary sirens....until the next time I have to drive west.

New Compression sleeves! Love green!!

The sign...

The headband..."Some girls chase boys. I pass 'em"

I got up pretty early on the morning of the race. According to the parking pass, I had to be in the lot by 5:30. I got up at 4:30 and awakened The Joes. Big Joe got up, took our dog (Honey) out and then explained that he was too tired to go. He was bailing. The littlest Joe was my last hope. I woke her up (or tried to wake her up) three times. She never got out of her bed. I was on my own. I hit a bit of traffic coming into downtown but I made it to the lot at about 5:35. No one seemed to care about the time. I was relieved. I pulled in and decided to do my favorite thing in the world. Sleep in the car. My race started at 7:30. I had about an hour and a half of down time. I had brought a pillow and a quilt with me. I headed to my back seat for a snooze. I have no idea why I love car sleeping so much!!!! My alarm awakened me at 7am and I got out and headed to the start line. While I was waiting, I ran into a co-worker from a previous job, Dan. We chatted about the race. He shared his goal time and asked what was mine. I answered "Oh, probably 1:10". I hadn't set a goal time but this sounded about right. The race started out great. I ran for a while and then realized that we were running over a bridge. I have never read a course map before a race. I probably should have checked this one out. I am afraid of bridges!!! Running over it was pretty easy. Running back was a little harder. I was a little nervous. I did a good job of pacing myself. Sometimes, during my practice runs, I had run the first couple of miles too fast and tired myself quickly. I ran this race pretty consistently between 10:50 and 11:10. I wore my new compression sleeves for the race and my legs felt great. I should admit that my toes were a little tingly around mile 4. I added some sport insoles and I think that maybe the running socks and insoles made my shoes a little too tight. Note to self: Don't experiment on race day! When I crossed the finish line, I thought the clock said 1:11 and some seconds. I assumed that my time was about 1:09 and some seconds but I had to wait until the results were in to find out for sure. I met up with one of my running buddies, Rebecca, who was at the race cheering on her husband as he ran the half. I invited her, her husband and their son to enjoy my tickets to the brunch since my dates stood me up. Actually, there was no standing...They were laying...in their beds...snoozing. When I got home and checked the results, I was surprised to see that my time was exactly 1:10. No seconds. 

The recipients of the Brunch tickets.

Me...after the race. Is she giving me the evil eye?

This race was important to me because this is the third year in a row that I have run this particular race. It is the first year that I have run it with my bib and had a time registered. It was also important for anther reason. A co-worker of mine, Sharella Thomas was killed in a car crash on the Friday before the race. She was a beautiful person. We worked together as social workers in a local emergency room. I learned a great deal about her when we worked 12 hour shifts together. One thing I discovered was that she was a runner. She was a group leader for the local chapter of Black Girls Run. She was passionate about her role in the lives of the women she ran with.  I never ran with her but when we talked running she was always encouraging me to run farther and longer. When I first started running, I would tell her my tales of woe and she would tell me that I could run farther than whatever distance I had mentioned. She believed I was capable of doing it before I realized it. She was a Master's level social worker. She was always my sounding board for difficult cases or situations.  She was compassionate and caring both professionally and personally. She was a supportive mother who encouraged her son to follow his dreams. She was an amazing person who touched many lives. I'm praying for peace for her family and friends and I am most grateful for the opportunity to have known her and for her many encouraging words.

New Shoes...

The Brooks Ravenna 4. See that spicy yellow strip?

During my last race it hit me that I needed to replace my running shoes. I had been experiencing aches and numbness. I ignored it and kept running. During the last race I ran, I actually had to stop to wriggle my toes because they were so numb. I decided then and there to get new shoes. My last 3 pair of running shoes have been the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10, 11 and 12. I love Brooks and I have had nothing but success with their shoes. I did some research to find similar shoes and came up with the Brooks Ravenna 4. I noticed that last year's model was the 3 and I figured I could find a pair of last year's model and pay less money for the shoe. I  had no success in locating a pair in my area to purchase. A wave of sadness washed over me. I wanted to buy inexpensive running shoes!!! My sadness was quickly replaced with giddyness as I now had to make a trip to a store to........SHOP. Something I love to do. I have probably visited every running shop in the area and can honestly say that I have had great experiences at all of them. I will say that I have a special fondness for Achilles Running Shop in Mentor, Ohio . They are located near our home in Lake County. I have purchased shoes there before and my son was fitted for his track spikes there. The staff are patient and knowledgeable and did I say patient???? They advertise that they are "the regions only physician owned running and walking specialty store". They seem to take that responsibility seriously. The staff wants to ensure that your feet are well taken care of. Last time I was there, a gentleman named Cody helped me to make a decision about my new shoes. He explained the difference between the Adrenaline and the Ravenna. He also encouraged me to try the new shoe, but only after I explained what I was looking for.  I also purchased new fluorescent orange Feetures socks and Honey Stinger Pink Lemonade Organic Energy Chews. You probably already know that I love running socks. So no new updates on the sock front. These snacks are dangerous because they score incredibly high in the tasty snack department. I gobbled them down very quickly! They did fuel a 4 mile run though... If you see me running anytime soon, you can catch me in my new Brooks Ravenna 4. They are a little spicier than my Adrenaline. They have a splash of color on them. This turtle runner is getting F-A-N-C-Y!!!

Your feet will thank you...and love you

Amazing little energy chew

How to poo in a portapotty

I used to be the girl that did not poo in public. I rarely even peed in public. I worked at an overnight job for

3 years and remember getting a call that my uncle died, going to the bathroom to cry and thinking "This is the first time I have ever seen this restroom". I am not a lover of public restrooms. At all. When I started running, this all changed.I mean, it had to. I can't believe that I talk about poo and all things poo-related so freely. Sometimes I feel like a 12 year old boy... I have to explain to people in advance what atrocities may occur if I use their personal bathroom after a race or why I may disappear for a prolonged period of time immediately following a race. I have run twice with my cousin J and he has heard ALL about my issues. He taunted me outside the portapotty at the Turkey Trot and after the Capital City Quarter he asked, very seriously "How do you poop in a portapotty?". I thought I should answer him. Here goes... Using the portapotty is completely different than using a toilet in a public restroom. There is a chance that the toilet in the public restroom has been cleaned. There is usually no poo piling up in the toilet awaiting your arrival. There are handy dandy seat covers to put down to make your experience more pleasant. And most importantly you can flush the toilet and wash your hands. The portapotty is a means to an end. That's it. Nothing comfortable about it. And if you are a turtle runner like myself, the chance of you getting a clean potty are slim to none. Someone will have already had their way with the portapotty stall you are destined to use. The first thing you should do is come prepared. Know that the toilet paper provided for you will not be two ply and will likely not meet your cleaning needs. Not even temporary cleaning needs. I run with a CamelBak that has a pocket. I keep wet wipes in it for such occasions. Secondly, keep up with your squats in the gym, at home, at work on your lunch break, in church in the choir stand....Squat. Squatting to pee takes about 2 minutes at the most. Squatting to poo could take a lot longer. Make sure you are prepared to get a good workout in for the time you are confined to that tiny little stinkpot. If all else fails, you can grab the bottom of the door for stability or sit on the seat. If you sit on the seat, you may feel disgusting afterwards. God only knows what you have just introduced to your nether regions. In the event that you must sit on the seat, first try to paper it. If you do not have time for that and you go all in, make sure you are hosed down by Hazmat teams before you return to your home. Or you could take a shower. No matter what....Portapotty pooing is gross. No one ever warned me about any of this. Hopefully, if you have never experienced it, this will prepare you for it. Happy Pooing!!!

2013 Capital City Quarter Marathon-Columbus, Ohio

First time having my name on the bib! Nice touch...

I drove to Columbus on the night of May 3rd with plans to run the Capital City Quarter Marathon with my cousin(J) and his cousin-in-law (L). I planned to leave at about 8pm and arrive at about 10:30pm. If you have ever met me, you know that this did not happen. My daughter had a soccer game and my son had a track meet. After both activities were done, I had to take them out to eat. I didn't hop on the road until about 9:30 which means I did not arrive at my cousin's house in Columbus until about midnight. I had packed my running gear and I laid everything out, plugged in my phone and hopped in the bed. I was beyond ready for a good night's sleep. My alarm went off at about 6am. I grabbed my phone and immediately noticed that my battery was on 2 percent. It had not been charging all night!!! I got up and got ready and started charging my phone in the car. We were stopped in traffic for about a half hour trying to get off the freeway to park so that gave me plenty of time to charge my phone enough to run with music and have my running apps on. We arrived at the race just in time to hop into our corral and start the race. L is a much faster runner than J and I and he took off without us. J and I ran together for the first mile but I felt pretty yucky and encouraged him to run ahead of me. The course for this race was great. I am not a Columbus native so I was able to see a bit of the city. There were many spectators and bands along the race route. I can honestly say that had I been forced to run without music, I would have been entertained throughout the run. I had to stop running at about mile 3 to untie my shoe and wriggle my toes a bit. They were pretty numb. As I untied my shoe, I made a mental note that I needed to look into replacing my running shoes. I found a partner for the next mile and a half but she started walking and I had to keep moving. At about mile 5 I ran into another lady who was running about the same pace as I. I ran with her until the end. My toesies were pretty numb but there were a few factors that played into me not stopping. 1. My cousin had thrown out an arbitrary goal of finishing in under 1:15. I knew at that point I was under 1:15. 2. There were people lined up against barriers for what seemed like the last mile of the race cheering, watching and holding you accountable. 3. This woman I was running with was an awesome running angel who was keeping a great pace. L finished in about 58 minutes. J finished in about 1:06. I finished in 1:12:31.

L, me and J with our medals!!!

Pretty fancy, huh?

My tummy was churning during the run but I was able to scarf down a bagel, a banana, a water and a chocolate before hitting the portapotty. These fancy portapottys that look like bathrooms on wheels are pretty convenient but everyone can see into it. Now, they can't see you using it, but they could see (for example) you telling the girl waiting that she might not want to use the stall you were just in. Embarrassing!! And this visual could potentially prompt questions from said person such as "How do you poo in a portapotty?" I have decided to answer that question...but in my next post. Anywho...When I got back to J's house my tummy was ready for round 2 and 3 and 4 and 5. This run was pretty rough on my tummy. When I finally managed to pull myself together enough to shower and get dressed to get on the road back to Cleveland, J offered me some Pepto Bismol. I never take medication like this. I figured it couldn't hurt. I took it and bought more when I got home. I took it every four hours or so after the run and did not have the same issues I usually have the next day. How could I have never tried tummy medication? It seems so obvious! I don't know if this is THE answer but it provided relief on this day so I am pretty excited about this new discovery. Now on to the Cleveland Rite Aid 10K on May 19th. I will have new shoes and Pepto on hand...

Two workouts and a funeral

Two weeks ago I ran 2 days in a row. I was on a roll and I had big plans for my training. But, on that Wednesday, I got a call from my sister telling me that my father had passed away. I took the news relatively well. I told her that I was sorry for her loss and then explained that I was at work and that I would call her back later. I thought I was OK. The person who made me was gone, but I had never met him. My immediate thought was that this was not my loss. I felt sad for my sister who was raised by my father and had a relationship with him. I was adopted at the age of seven. I spent several years in foster care prior to my adoption. The very few memories I have of my biological family include my older brother and sister and an older set of twins who I believe I ate peanuts with. These memories do not include my parents. As I left work that day, I thought about the situation. I had made a decision to not meet my father. I felt that I was in control of the situation. It hit me that I never communicated this to him. He had made the same decision. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t stop crying. I felt like a child again. An unloved child. This person had made a choice twice in life to not love me. I didn’t really know how to put into words what I was feeling nor did I want sympathy from others so I didn’t really tell too many people of his passing. The people I told were tremendous and reaffirmed my belief in family being more nurture than nature. I talked to my best friend, Shelly whose response was “You take rejection well, Renessa”. I thought that was a little awkward but I got that she was trying to say that I have handled this same situation with another parent before and handled it well. I talked to a fellow adoptee Rebecca who put into words what I was feeling and let me vent. My nephew Bradley said “He missed out on knowing one of the greatest, most intelligent people in the world. You are who you are not because of the people that made or raised you but because you over come everything that comes your way”. How could you not love this boy? He made me cry…When I talked to my sister/friend Theresa, she let me cry like a blubbering baby. No interruptions. Just listened. And talked. And was there. And then I reached out to my counselor friend. She was like The Big Guns. I love her because she is really a great listener and a great counselor. [If you need to talk to someone, her name is Karryl Lindsey of Cornerstone Marriage and Family Counseling in Cleveland Hts., Ohio (216) 320-0440]. After all this support, I felt that I could handle going to the funeral without any emotional outbursts. I drove there alone and while I was on my way, I got a text from my older sister (my biological mother’s daughter) asking was I coming to the funeral. She was there. Waiting for me. To be a support. I appreciated her presence there. The funeral was the usual. What a great man. He truly loved his family. He’s in a better place. I met a sister that I had never met before. I saw a sister that I had only met once before. We have so much in common. We need to try harder to stay in touch. I also met my sister’s three children who were an absolute delight. Yes, even at a funeral these kids were awesome! How is it possible for one person to give birth to two children who are gifted artists? Like truly amazing artists! The two older boys (the artists) are college students and the youngest is an athlete and a musician. All of them are articulate, polite and charming. I saw in the older boys the kind of young man I hope for J1 to become. I decided to write about this because sometimes when we are immediately faced with adversity, we are unable to see that there is a way out, that there are supports available to us and that sometimes, even in bad situations, there can be positive outcomes.

30 minute workout

I have been using the GymPact app for about 83 workouts. It has motivated me to not skip Trips to the gym. They have recently added the option to workout at home. Your phone senses your movement. I wear my phone in an armband and get moving. You are required to move for at least 30 minutes within a one and a half hour time frame. I have been using this option on my elliptical at home. Last night I decided to try something new. I tried very hard to drag myself to the gym but that didn't happen at all. At about 10:45, I decided to just workout at home, but what to do??? I decided to make it up along the way. I ended up really liking the workout. I need to work on the order of things. Here is what I did: 3 sets of 20 push-ups (I can only do 20 at a time), 3 sets of 20 full sit-ups, 60 squats, 60 walking lunges, 60 jump squats, 60 jumping jacks, 60 high knees, 60 butt kicks and 60 seconds of running in place between each workout. This worked out nicely as a cool down between each set but also kept my heart rate elevated. I will be working on perfecting this workout over the next few weeks because I was pleasantly surprised at how great I felt afterwards and I feel that it would be beneficial to incorporate it into my workout.

Exiting the comfort zone

I have been looking for additional workout opportunities lately. I perused the websites of  two Barre classes in the Cleveland area. They are both too expensive for my budget. I am a new employee at University Hospitals so I decided to check out their discounted fitness opportunities. They offer a discount at 121 Fitness on the CWRU campus. With the discount, the cost for a monthly membership was 4 times what I pay at my current gym. I decided that I would just look in to taking a couple classes at the gym. While looking over their webpage, I happened upon a free running group. There are many reasons that I am not a running group type girl. The two most important ones are 1. I am socially awkward. I do not do well in social settings with people that I do not know. You should assume that if you invite me somewhere where I do not know at least one individual personally, I will bail on you. In the event that I am forced into one of these situations, I will replay my awkward conversations over in my mind to evaluate just how weird I may have come across to the people that I spoke with. NUMERO DOS: I am a slow runner. I am always anxious about being the slowest runner. This fear is often reinforced by my performance in races where 90 year olds, men running in Tevas pushing strollers or hugely pregnant women pass me *insert sad face here* I decided to try this group out anyway...When I arrived at the meeting spot, I was immediately intimidated. Everyone looked like a runner. I mean, they all looked like they were about to dust me. The group leader introduced himself to me and we headed out from the gym to the CWRU track. This run was about one mile. I would have preferred a nice jog but the group was RUNNING! I kept up with a gentleman in the back. When we got to the track, people introduced themselves to me. It made me no less nervous. I had no idea what to expect. I kept track of my run on my NikePlus app. While moreover than not the times are pretty accurate, the first mile was not as accurate. I let the timer run during some of the group leader's instructions. If I remember correctly, the workout was a 1600, a 1200, an 800, a 400, two 200s, a 400 and an 800. The group leader noticed that myself and 2 other runners were slower and altered the workout a bit for us. I ran an 800 instead of the 1200 and at the end I was a little tuckered out and ran a 400 instead of the 800. When the group ran back to the gym, I followed suit. I stopped running about a quarter mile away from the gym. I wish I had realized how close I was!! I would not have stopped!!My total mileage for Saturday was 4.7 miles. My fastest mile Saturday was 8.55. I find it easy to run for prolonged periods of time at an easy, comfortable pace. This run on Saturday was challenging and forced me out of my comfort zone socially and physically. I am nervous to run with the group again when they run on the street. I may just be running by myself as I am a lot slower than everyone else. I did enjoy the track workout though. I am always excited to see what new things my body can do. Rolling up on forty does not mean that my life should slow down. It means that I may have to try new things and push a little harder to get the results I want. I am prepared to do this. And I will roll into 40 veeeeeeeery slowly. I have 2 more years!