spin / second sole multisport team

We’re back and it’s race season – so a bunch of posts to get you caught up on!

A number of SSSMST’ers recently raced, cheered, rode fixed gears or drank beer at the Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon and 10K races! Reports of  Bush, Brandi, Susan, Jackie, Marty, Kosturas, Lori, Murphy, Jen P, Walsh, Marty, Roark, Sweet Willie D,  Andrea L.   PK along the way!

Dr Mike in the 10K:

This one hurt quite a bit: I started out fast, but after the Lorain/Carnegie bridge at 3miles I was about 30 seconds behind my PR pace. I thought about cashing it in but decided to stick with it for just another mile. (still 30sec down at 4miles but not losing any more time). Then just one more mile…(same pace, but starting to fatigue!) Luckily the last mile was mostly downhill, and I made up the 30 seconds and then some with a really hard kick for at least 800m. Came really close to puking at the finish. In the end, I set new 10K PR by over a minute! (40:05). I don’t run many 10Ks, but I set my last PR way back in 2009! Now I’ve got to try to go sub-40! This also meets my newlong-term goal of running 10K in a time less than my age (at least for the next 10 years.). I’m 41 now… so I’ve even got some time to spare! It was good to hear cheers from so many teammates on the course, and quite a few spectators recognized the SSSMST jersey! Congrats to everyone else on great races today. It was an awesome event!!

Mike takes home hardware & a PR!

And Rood helped pace Second Sole old schooler Tim Welch to an age group win in the marathon:

Rood mixing it up with a few running legends (L to R): Welch, Fred Kieser, Rood, unknown, Sherman Everett

Great job on getting out there for one of Cleveland’s largest events!

UPDATE!!

Late arrival on from one of our newest team members, Jackie Czarnota, on her half!

As my first race of the season and my first race in green and blue, I had convinced myself that I wasn’t expecting much. As was true of most Clevelanders, probably, the weather finally proved disincentivizing (yep, that’s a word…I just looked it up) after the snow, cold rain, and 20 degree days of April; I caught something from those crazy mosquitoes in Peru that had me out of commission until the beginning of May; and between buying a house and prepping kids for the AP test, I had pretty much already accepted that this race was not going to be pretty.

But it actually wasn’t bad.

In fact, I PR’d.

The weather the morning of was absolutely perfect. Clear skies and a chilly start in the high 40s–we couldn’t have asked for better weather. As is true to form for me, I forgot my bib at home and had to go back for it which left my running partner, his two nephews, and I getting a nice little race warmup in as we broke into a mandatory jog from our car a few blocks away from the start. We made it just before the gun and ended up lining up right at the beginning of the pack–which was really different for me. (I rarely start a race being passed and rather like the experience of coming from behind and passing). But something about my buddy’s strategy worked for me too.
I ran the first 9 miles without any awareness of time or distance. And, after mile 5, without a partner. That, too, is new for me at this distance. There’s something motivating about “racing” someone you know that you can keep up with, but my friend didn’t have it in him and waved me on. So fine. The first 10 miles felt great! The course messed with my mind a bit (Nope…didn’t look at the map ahead of time) when it took an unexpected turn south through the neighborhoods around West Boulevard, and I really don’t remember LakeShore having any hills! I love hills! (Right?). Actually, I do, but the ones in Miles 10-12 (seriously! Are they new?) of this race kicked my butt. I stopped grabbing drinks, felt my pace slow, began to wish I had done a better job of hydrating as my body broke into those uncomfortable cold sweats, longed for my running buddy, and looked at every fan I passed hoping that someone (anyone!) I knew would appear and give me that final little boost.

I finished strong. Honestly, when I crossed the line I was a little surprised it wasn’t faster. But I left everything I had on that course, and am far from disappointed. It was a great race and I’m proud of it! Great foundation for the season!

Filed under: 2014 |