Cedar Point Run and Ride!

Well I have another half marathon under my belt, but it wasn't pretty!  The race started at 6:45 this morning.  Was up around 4:30, had my cliff bar and Diet Coke and awaited my DH to get up.  Left the house around 6 and were there around 6:15.  Parking was is the Cedar Point parking lot and employees were  directing everyone to their parking spot.  Very well organized and stress free.  That is what is nice about a race at a Park like that....parking is pretty much unlimited and no hassle.  The race started in the same lot, so not a lot of walking involved.  The race was delayed about 10 minutes, I guess they were having problems getting the streets blocked off in our downtown, where we would also run.  Race got started at 6:55.  The National Anthem was sung by a woman with a beautiful voice, our anthem is tough to get right and she nailed it!  I got choked up like I always do before a race, the atmosphere, music, national anthem and the calling of us "athletes"!  I still don't consider myself an athlete.  Anyway we got started.  The first 4 miles were to run inside the amusement park so we headed out of the parking lot, rounded another neighboring parking lot and entered the park.  They had music blasting and some of the rides were running, athough the only people in the park were we runners.  The Carousel was running.  I love the carousel and it is about the only ride my stomach can take anymore.  A few of the coasters were going also, made it very festive!   I didn't not start out too fast today, a mistake I frequently make!  So I felt pretty good in the park.  I did not check my Garmin too much today because I become obsessed with it sometimes and start getting upset if I don't feel I am running like I should .  It was hot and humid, but at this point there was a pretty good breeze coming off the Bay, not too bad.  Headed out of the park, around the parking lot again and down the road that leads to or way from Cedar Point.  Now it is getting HOT.  No shade at all, the only saving grace was the breeze was still pretty brisk.  I tried to pick up my pace some and did pass some runners that had passed me earlier, that is always a good feeling isn't it?  Ran into town, again not much shaded , started seeing the leaders heading back, this was about mile 6 I believe.  I was still feeling really good at this point.  Running further into town, through residential, so a l ittle more shade.  Since my son is a policeman, I knew a few of the officers who were directing us and holding up the traffic, so that was cool.  Unfortunatley, I was already starting to drag a bit and getting a cramp in my right foot.  I had water and GU with me, I had already had one GU earlier.  There were frequent water/gatorade stops, but Ionly ever take water.  At this point I was pouring the water down my shirt!  Made a left turn to circle the downtown area, and on the way back through, my son was directing traffic!  So good to see him, I love that boy......Just about through the town and headed back to Cedar Point and now my right calf is starting to get into the picture.  I just kept hoping that it wouldn't cramp up on me!  I was just getting those little twinges that let you know you may cramp, know what I mean, so I started getting nervous.  My legs were getting really tired and I know I slowed way down, eventually, I had to start walking.  Darn, I do run with a walk/run when I am doing longer distances, but now I was walking more than running.  When I did start running I could really feel it in my calves, there were starting to tighten up a lot.  At mile 12 I almost through in the towel!  All I wanted to do was STOP!  That is when the thought of "why do I do this?"  Why do I purposely put myself through this?"  LOL.  The last mile was a killer, but finally I enter back into the parking lot and see my DH waiting for me...of course he says I am doing great, only 1/4 mile to go!  I hadn't looked at my watch in ages, I just figured I was doing terrible time wise, but approaching the chute they are announcing my name, and sure enough the calf cramps, but not enough to stop me in my tracks, as I cross the finish line they say "ginny Bess and she will be on the podium"  I could not believe it!  Even though I was not having the greatest run, I still placed in my Age group.  I was so excited.  The awards were pretty quick after I finished, but my legs were getting worse and worse.  I never stopped walking and my DH was rubbing my calves with ice.  They would be okay for a minute or so, but then start cramping right back up.  They announced my name finally ( I think they should work backwards and do the older people first, LOL especially today.  You guessed it!  As soon as I went to stop onto the podium, both calves just seized up and I could not make it!  Of course everyone is asking if I am okay.  Do I look okay?  It was just cramps, but I missed getting my pic taken and everything!  Gosh darn it, but I did do it!  We had to stick round for almost an hour until I could get the cramping under control.

So now I am sipping my Diet Coke, sitting on the front porch.  Already too a nap!  My calves are still twitching, but much better, and as crazy as it sounds, I will do this again in a few months and hope for a better run.  My time was 3:06, which I know, to many of you is super slow, but considering how I felt the last few miles, I was happy with it.

Ginny

The pre-race jitters!

Every time I register for a race as the time creeps closer I start to question my ability to finish said race.  I am in that stage now.  Since I am so slow I start to worry that I will be the last one.  You know the one followed by the police car?  I have been that person a few times and I hate it.  In my heart I  know that I shouldn't give a darn, I am out there running and I am not a spring chicken anymore, there are usually only a handful in my age group!  But my darn head!  Thoughts of " you know you are going to be last," " No matter how hard you run, you are still slow"  I have tried all I know to try and think positive thoughts and they just don't come.  So why do I keep doing this?   Good question.  Wish I had the answer.  Up until 2008 I had never run further than a 10K.  Then some enabling friends of mine ( you know who you are), started egging me to try a half.  So I did.  After the race I thought never again...yeah right!  2 weeks later I was signing up to run the Detroit Free Press Half ( a great race by the way), then the following year my one and only marathon.  So here I am 6 years later still registering for these darn Halfs!  No ones cares, except myself, how slow I am or that I bringing up the rear, but you know you hear those thoughts in your head  " why is she even running, she might as well walk"  I don't think people think this, but in my head they are thinking just that.  I need these races though to keep myself motivated to keep on running.  If I sign up you can be sure I will run that race, unless I am sick of course, and no matter how slow or how terrible I feel that day I will finish!

Okay, I am thinking way too negative here and I do not need that 2 days before my race.  I use the word, race, loosely, since in my case it usually is not.  There I go again, being negative.  I need professional help!  LOL!  I have met wonderful friends during this journey.  Friends, that I believe, I will have for a long time, because they are nuttier that I am!

So wish me luck Sunday as I run , I think, my 21st Half Marathon!  That is an accomplishment, right?????

Ginny

Summertime.....and the runnin' is easy...

Well not really easy, but a heck of a lot better than the winter!

Sorry that I have not posted in a few months.  I get into a real funk in the wintertime and ours lasted forever this year.  I did manage to train for and registered for the Cleveland Half Marathon in May.  However.....the night before the race I was up all night with the stomach flu.  No way was I going to make it to Cleveland, about an hour's drive, let alone run a Half Marathon.  I was so disappointed, I have never registered for a race and then not been able to run it.  Monday following the scheduled half I decided to run my own private Half just in my hometown.  Strapped on my Garmin, loaded up with water and away I went.  I didn't do as well as I hoped, but am thinking I probably would have done better had it been a race environment, at least I told myself that!

Since my running has gone pretty well.  Did do a 5K in our downtown later in May, that was interesting also. At one point we were supposed to turn right, run around a marina and then get back on the main road.  The woman ahead of me , either did not see the pointing sign, or chose to ignore it, I am not sure which, anyway she did not make the turn or run around the marina, but just kept going straight, I tried to yell at her that she missed the turn, but again, she either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me.  Imagine my chagrin when as age group awards were announced she was in my age group and came in first!  I was second!  I was kind of ticked off because I knew she did not run the whole course.  Did not say anything though, cause she really may have just missed the turn off.  However, I did mention it to a friend, who told the race director.  The next week as I was coming home there was a 1st place medal hanging on my back door...neat!  Apparently I was not the only person who complained.  I still don't know if she thinks she ran the whole thing or not.  I have heard through the grapevine that she also did this in a neighboring town's 5K a few weeks later, but she was caught this time.  So maybe she did know what she was doing after all.

I seem to have an awful lot of aches and pains these days, but they never seem to get any worse and do not prevent me from running, so I just keep going.  My speed is still atrociously ( is that a word?) slow, but I think I have come to grips with it ( not really, I still try to improve)  I am running a Half this Sunday in Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital of the world!  I better not get sick!  I so want to come in under 3 hours!  See I told you I am slow!  The weather conditions are supposed to be hot and humid, but the race starts at 6:45, so hopefully it will not be too bad.  If you have read any of my other blog posts you will know that I really got sick in Cleveland a couple of years ago when it was hot and humid, so I do not want to repeat that experience!

Wish me luck and I promise I will post a race report.

Right now I feel like I can keep running indefinitely!

ginny