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. 

Task # 30: Read at least one book a month (1/30)

Task #30: Read at least one book a month
Suggested by: Me
Completed: (1/32)

So, I have been admittedly a little slow in completing one book a month.  But, have no fear, I will catch up with some much needed vacation time at the Jersey Shore coming in the very near future.  However, I did complete my first book.  I read, Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sue Johnson.   It was an insightful book about how to fight more constructively, repair relationships and be a better better-half.  I thought that it was important for me to do a little internal house cleaning after a particularly tumultuous previous relationship.   I think that I learned a lot.  And because I also managed to leave it out on the porch during one of this summer’s rainstorms, I also now own the Lakewood Library’s copy. 

Hold Me Tight

Task # 22: Ride 150 miles in an organized bike ride

Task #22: Ride 150 miles in an organized bike ride
Suggested by: Eliza H.
Completed: 8/13 - 8/14/11

This weekend marked my first time riding in the MS 150 Pedal to the Point, which consisted of a 75 mile ride from Middleburg Heights to Sandusky, OH (Home of Cedar Point).  It was a tough and rewarding experience, all rolled into one.  We rode for our friends Julie W., Karen M. and Eli W - all recently diagnosed with MS.

Day 1 started out pretty smoothly with a large crew and a lot of excitement.  Thanks to Sean's company we had snazzy jerseys to rock out in.  The day went quick with a lot of rotations as we took turns riding with each other, it was nice to have so many of my family and friends to ride with.  The picture below was taken at about the half way point - a delicious lunch of pb&j sandwiches and ho-hos.  Mom was at the finish to greet us with her loud whistles and cheers.

Day 2 was a different story, sore legs, not enough sleep and nerves overtook the morning.  And when that wasn't enough, the sky opened up and we got drenched right after lunch, without about 40 miles to go.  Wet conditions led to dad slipping on the rails of a railroad track and taking a pretty big spill, but like a trooper he got right back on and didn't miss a beat and I'm proud of him for that.  The rain subsided, but only for a short while - the last 40 miles or so were ridden in the rain.  But we finished strong as a group and have proof of it - courtesy of Channel 5 News http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/pedal-to-the-point.

Task #32: Go to a professional sport event

Task #32: Go to a professional sporting event
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 7/31/11

It was only a matter of time before I completed this task – I love going to baseball games with friends.  This past weekend I caught the Phillies take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia with my girlfriend, my best friend, and his friend.  Had front row seats right above the Philies dugout – which makes for a spectacular view but meant that we roasted in the hot sun all game long.  And while we may have had some mild heat stroke, we quickly cured it with some cherry Italian ice.   But the sunburn was worth it to watch the Phils take home a win in the 10^th inning on a clutch hit by Raul Ibanez and for a take home souvenir.

Task #60: Host a happy hour for friends

Task #60: Host a happy hour for friends
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 8/4/11

I’m a little bit behind on posting my progress, but I played host to a happy hour last week for the greatest friends a girl could ask for.  My best friend from high school, my amazing sister in law and her two sisters – I love that everyone gets along so well and it was nice to have some girl time.  We did appetizers pot luck style and, as always, ended up with way too much good food.  Bruschetta, turkey roll-ups, crackers and fancy cheese, fruit and dip, apples and nuts and cheese and balsamic (yum!), coffee chocolate soup, espresso granita and creamsicle cake.  It was a great night and I couldn’t have asked for better friends, better food, or better times.

I just hope that my next happy hour will be to welcome a new work colleague that we so desperately need!

#57: Have monthly sleepovers with Erin & Seamus - Part 1

Task #57: Have monthly sleepovers with Erin & Seamus
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 7/23/11

July sleepover survived.  On Friday after work, I picked up my niece Erin and my nephew Seamus for a sleepover at my place.  Our evening started with a trip to Giant Eagle to get all of the necessary ingredients for making our own pizza.  At home, we started the assembly - I laid out the sauce and tomatoes (fresh from the garden) while Seamus layered the pepperoni and Erin put on all the cheese.  Erin said that she wanted to try something new on her pizza - so we picked some fresh basil from the garden (see below) - both sweet basil and dark opal basil.  In 25 minutes we had a delicious dinner.  Then we headed to Regal Cinema at Crocker Park to catch Harry Potter 2.  Yes, Harry Potter 2, which Seamus and Erin loved.  Our night ended with a much needed trip to cool off at Mitchells with their coffee and peanut butter chocolate ice creams.  Breakfast this morning was homemade blueberry muffins right out of the oven, enjoyed while watching Spongebob Squarepants.  We had a great time together and I look forward to our August adventures.

#13. Take a Cooking Class

Task #13: Take a Cooking Class
Suggested by: Me
Completed: 7/19/11

I've completed my first task today - my dad and I took the trek out to Chesterland, Ohio to attend a gelato making class at the Paganini Cooking School.  The name of the class was sort of a misnomer - we didn't only learn to make gelato. We learned how to make sorbet, granita, ice cream, gelato, chocolate mousse, fudgesicles, pizzelles and more.  And the best part of making all these things?  We got to taste everything (more than once!) - chocolate hazelnut gelato, pistachio gelato, strawberry ice cream, vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet, coffee granita.  Our class was headed by Loretta Paganini herself, an amazingly interesting and stunning woman who captures your attention and teaches you in a way that you don't even realize you are being taught.  Rather, she makes you feel like you are just old friends catching up in her kitchen while she happens to whip up fantastic desserts effortlessly.  Dad and I even volunteered to make the pistachio gelato together in front of the class, we make quite a team, he and I.