2015 Medina Half Marathon

Goal: A - 1:25 B - 1:27 C - 1:29
Result: 1:27:14 (2nd female, 10th overall)

     First things first, this is the funnest, most efficiently run local race that I've ever participated in. And they are only in their second official year! The race directors work year-round to keep sponsors coming in, the city and law enforcement involved and are continuing to update the course as better routes become available. Next year the course will be amazing with the addition of the Buckeye Trail section. I can't wait for that!
     I hadn't originally planned to run the 2015 version of the Medina Half Marathon, since it would take place just 13 days after the Cleveland Marathon. I was going to volunteer before and during the race as it is a Medina County Road Runners event. A few months ago, Beth, the world's best race director, asked me if I wanted to run it and honestly, I really did want to. Last year it was my goal spring race and I love being able to jog up to the square and race in such a low-key atmosphere. I ran a 1:32 mid for a lifetime half marathon pr. It was a turning point in my running, where I realized I might be capable of a 3:00 marathon in the near future. The course was different for 2015 and included plenty of hills and many sharp turns in the later miles. Despite this, I found that I enjoyed the course during an early May training run with Speedy Pete, Bob Jones and an amazingly fast masters runner, Margaret. We ran 1:35:58 on that training run and I knew that my time this year would be much faster than last year. I figured that a pr would be a bit out of reach, but I should expect something between 1:25 and 1:29.
     The night before the race it was so hot that I slept without blankets for the first time this year. We had all of our windows open, trying to get some breeze in. It did finally go down into the 60s as dawn closed in, but the air was thick. I wasn't too worried about the temps or humidity. The day before it was 85 degrees during my shakeout run and I was loving it. Bring on the heat of summer! So much better than the threatened hypothermia that I experienced on nearly every Cleveland Marathon training run.  The one little glitch to racing this was that I was due to catch the bus from Buckeye High School to the DII Regional meet in Lexington at 9 a.m. We had five kids competing on Saturday, including four distance studs who ran the races of their lives to make it to this meet. So I calculated that with the race starting at 6:45, I would hopefully be done by 8:15, have time to change at Second Sole really quick and then book it to bus. My plan worked almost perfectly and I even gave myself a few extra minutes by meeting my "B" time goal. The one thing that I did not plan was post-race snackage and I ended up being a very bad example to my track kids by scarfing down a chili-dog, a huge turtle sundae and a pepsi after the meet. When I was done with that it was all I could do to keep from going back and ordering more. It is not advisable to wait eight hours after racing a half marathon to eat. The bad choices did not end there. I ate a sushi roll, french fries and a big mac later that night. Perhaps I was a bit sodium deprived from the race and sweating through the hot meet? Not anymore. I'm pretty sure all that salt and fat is still seeping out my pores three days later.
     Anyway, back to the race. Second Sole was open and Joanie and Dylan were holding down the fort. I was able to use the bathroom there for my pre-race pee. I warmed up around the area, seeing a lot of familiar faces along the way and even did some drills in the back parking lot. A few minutes before the 6:45 start I made my way to the starting line. I knew almost everyone up there on the front line and looking behind me were more familiar faces. Last year I was afraid to stand in front of the 1:30 pace group. This year I boldly stated to Margaret that I would go out ahead of that. I wasn't wearing a watch and with the downhill first mile and my history of reckless starts, mile one was going to be fast. After the mayor started the race, I tucked in behind a group that included Patrick, Evan and Ian. I heard someone behind me shout "Let her go!" Ha! Sounded like a warning!

Ready, set, go! Wait, check the watches.

          I realized I was going a little too fast within about 400 meters and backed off the front group. I smoothed out to what felt like 6:15 pace, but was probably just under 6:00 pace. Not sure of the exact time on my first mile, but it was most likely under 6:00. I felt fine, but once the course flattened out I fell into what felt like a natural rythm and Chelsea Oswald began to creep up on me. She was never far behind and by the time we hit the hills on Reagan Parkway, she was just steps behind me. At first I was very motivated to surge and try to stay ahead of her. I told myself that I should fight for it because I was lead female and that is what lead females do. Within about a quarter of a mile I decided that the pace felt too fast and let her pull ahead. Reality was that she had been running faster than me for all but the first mile and going with her would mean approaching oxygen debt long before the end of the race. This is the price of going out fast. You do eventually get caught. I was pretty down on myself as we turned into Lake Medina and got onto the gravel path. She was steadily pulling ahead, running an even 6:20 pace and I had fallen into about a 6:45 rythm. It took me about a mile to mentally let it go and focus on staying smooth, getting enough water at the water stops and targeting the male runner ahead of me. This guy and I traded spots throughout the race and I ended up out-kicking him in the end. I felt strong up the route 18 hills, but then started struggling as we neared the 7 mile mark. I think I waited a little too long to take my Gu Roctane Cherry/Lime and muscle fatigue was setting in. My legs felt sore and heavy. There were two ladies creeping up on me, one of whom was Teresa Ferguson, a very fast masters runner who had won the Football Hall of Fame Marathon just a few weeks before in 3:05. The other lady, who eventually dropped back a bit, was a local girl who won the 1500 meter title at GLIAC this year and qualified for DII nationals. In the next few miles I disobeyed my rule of "no looking back" many times as Teresa gradually gained on me. I surged around the sharp turns and on the downhills and just tried to stay smooth on the flat and uphills. At one point, near the 10 mile mark I was so mentally drained from her chasing me that I just wanted her to get it over with. As I neared 11 miles though, my gu really kicked in and I started feeling great. From there to the finish I passed three guys and nearly caught another one. I saw so many familiar MCRR faces and they all cheered as I went by. I started to put a little space between Teresa and I and hit the 12 mile mark with a "comfortable" 15 second cushion. Bring on the downhill! I kicked it in a little too conservatively in this final mile and after I finished I felt a bit too good. Much more left in the tank. I ended up focusing more on racing Teresa and just staying ahead of her than on giving it all to the finish, but that isn't such a bad thing. When you don't wear a watch, you focus more on the people around you and simply racing them. What I need to work on is being willing to race earlier and trusting that I'll be okay later on. It was pretty cool to come up to the finish and I tried to sprint it in with good form so I would look badass in the finish line photos. Because that's what counts, you know. I looked pretty pathetic last year with my poor, limping, bare feet!

Me finishing the 2014 Medina Half in 1:32:28. Photo credit: Black and White Services LLC

     After I finished I talked to the female winner, who has an amazingly fast track resume that includes an SEC championship title and a sub 16:00 5000 meters. She is from Medina, but lives in Columbus and trains with the Columbus Running Company. Future Olympic marathon trials qualifier there, I am sure of it! Teresa and I thanked each other for pushing each other to faster times than expected on that tough course and I talked to Ian and Evan and even attempted cooling down with them until we decided that a cool-down wasn't necessary. Margaret finished fifth female and first masters and I talked with her and Bob really quick before I had to get back to Second Sole, get changed and drive up to Buckeye. I managed to wash my face in the girl's locker room there, but spent the rest of the day soaked in sweat and salt from my race. It was totally worth it! 

Finishing the 2015 Medina Half. In shoes. Photo credit: Black and White Services LLC