Task #9. Run 3 new 5k road races (12/3/11)

Task #9: Run 3 new 5k road races

Suggested by: Me
Completed: 12/3/11

This summer and fall has been a mix of training for short runs and all of our training ultimately lead to our first half marathon.  But we did some pretty fun new 5k races along the way.  Normally, I wouldn't remember, but thank goodness for http://www.athlinks.com/ for keeping track of personal race results that are posted on the internet.  That means that (oh the horror) for better or worse, your pace and final times will be forever written into history for all to see.  I mean, if that doesn't drive you to run a little bit faster next time you get tired, I don't know what else will.  All that aside, we have had some fun with a few 5ks, including:

(1) Run with the Big Dogs - August 20, 2011 - this was to support St. Bernadette's athletic programs.  It, by far, had the fewest runners of any race that I have ever been in.  So few runners that everyone in my family who ran the race actually got a plaque for finishing it.  Really, everyone.  Its no surprise that Leo or Carolyn would place in their age categories - they are like running machines.  But me, mom, and dad.  Yep, I said that correctly.  Mom, dad and I all placed for our mediocre performances - we couldn't be outdone by our peers who were at home sleeping in their beds most likely!

(2) Cleveland Heroes Run - 9/18/11 - this was a 5 miler, but whose counting a few extra miles?  This race was to honor the fallen police and firefighters and was held at St. Joes Academy.  I loved the course which wound through the metroparks and was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the first mile being downhill (don't worry the the second half of mile 4 was uphill, straight uphill).  The support for the race was great and it was really enjoyable.

(3) Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Run for Justice - 10/29/11 - this was a 10k, again, I seemed to have really missed the point of this exercise by doing extra mileage.  This started and ended at the Galleria - it wasn't my finest performance as I hadn't really run too much in the cold outside and my asthma left me feeling pretty darn dizzy for most of the race.  Dad was having a great race and caught up with me and since I couldn't let him finish ahead of me, I kicked it into a little higher gear at the end despite how difficult breathing had become.

(4) Lakewood Reindeer Run - 12/3/11 - I will officially end this year's running season with the Lakewood Reindeer run the first week of December.  It will be a nice birthday present to myself and I plan to get in enough cold-weather training to not feel like I'm on the verge of passing out for lack of air this time around.  But hey - its only 3.1 miles and its through my neighborhood and is supposed to have great local support on the course, so I bet it will be a great time.

Task #10: Complete a half marathon (10/10/11)

Task #10: Complete a half marathon (Eliza H.)

Suggested by: Eliza H.
Completed: 10/10/11

I've run a 5k, a 5 miler, a 10k, an 8.4 miler, and a 10 mile race.  But I never really considered running a half marathon, until my dad set his mind to training for one.  I mean, if he can do it, I can do it.  And, with his recent heart issues, I didn't want him to be training alone, so I thought I should be around to supervise.  He picked the Towpath half marathon in the beautiful and scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  We did plenty of short runs during the week and dad loved getting in Sunday morning 9 mile long runs in preparation for the big day.  The temperature was a cool 58 degrees for the 8am start.  We began with 3 miles of pavement followed by 10 miles of a winding scenic trail.  I felt great for the first ten miles (stopping for short walks after mile 2, 4, 6 and 8) and then seemed to really hit a wall, my calves got tight, my stomach was killing me and I was so thirsty.  But despite the fact that they were harder, the last 3 miles still seemed to go pretty quickly and overall I was very happy with my time (and to have finished!).  As I got about .10 miles away from the finish line I heard mom's notorious whistle and instantly found her in the giant crowd, along with Leo, Carolyn, Paul and Nathan.  It was nice to see some friendly faces after the exhaustion and stomach pains set in.  And now that I have my first half marathon under my belt, there is only one thing to do - pick the next half marathon so that I can beat my first half marathon's time.  I'll leave that up to dad.

Task #3: Grow my own vegetables (4/1/11 - 10/1/11)

Task #3: Grow my own vegetables (4/1/11 - 10/1/11)

Suggested by: Me
Completed: 4/11 – 10/11

This summer was my first chance to plant a garden in my very own backyard.  I picked a 3 foot by 10 foot plot and fit in lettuce, basil, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, 1 peanut plant, 5 pepper plants, and 6 tomato plants.  I also potted more basil, strawberries, and chives.  The summer weather was sort of up and down – it got really hot, really wet and this lead to a lot of weed pulling and sometimes a garden that looked like a rain forest.  The tomato plants weren’t as successful as I had hoped and a lot of the larger tomatoes were stolen or eaten off the vine by the squirrel.  But the peppers were definitely plentiful, the basil grew out of control and the chives are still going strong despite the early cold weather.

Task #23: Ride 75 miles in an organized bike ride – City to Shore MS ride

Task #23: Ride 75 miles in an organized bike ride – City to Shore MS ride
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 9/24/11

After getting the first MS150 ride under my belt in Cleveland, I thought, hey why wouldn’t I want to do another MS ride in another state?  As long as it wouldn’t mean riding in the rain, I was in.  The only downside I could see was having to try to fundraise another large amount as the MS rides have minimum fundraising requirements for riders.  With a little help from family and friends – I met the minimum levels (and then some, thanks guys!).  The ride started out in Cherry Hill, NJ and was a relatively flat and scenic road to Ocean City, New Jersey.  Compared to the Pedal to the Point, the City to Shore ride had a few advantages – there was great law enforcement and volunteer support at every single intersection, MS arrows were painted on the street and paths were clearly marked, the ride was almost entirely flat and there was a great showing of supporters at the end of the ride.  But the Pedal to the Point had its good points too – the riders were more courteous and friendly, there were fewer riders and better organized ins/outs for rest stops, and let’s not forget the rain.