Run 5, Walk 1, Run 5, Walk 1...

Elizabeth is still out and couldn't join us for our long run. Here's hoping her lung/rib is feeling better very soon! We tried something different this time around. Instead of running the entire 18 miles, we did a run/walk method that supposedly helps you keep your pace steady during your entire run. For the entire time we were out there we would run for 5 minutes and then walk for 1 minute. It was an interesting experiment. We finished in 3 hours and 10 minutes -- a pace of 10:33 per mile. That is a good pace for us for that long. There's something about all that walking that makes me feel like we are cheating, but still, we covered the same amount of miles - possibly in less time than if we had run the entire 18 miles. When I ran the pig in 2007 I was at a pace of 10:54 when I hit the 19 milemark, so this was a bit faster. My legs were sore, but not unbearably so, and I felt happy that we were averageing in the tens the entire time. I know Pam enjoyed being able to breathe better, and I'm not going to lie - I started really looking forward to our watch beeping every 5 minutes! (thank you Amy!) And poor Julie - her legs started cramping up toward the end. We are chalking it up to dehydration. Speaking of Amy, she joined us for the first 8-1/2 miles, and it was grand for us to have the company. Of course, we did have to hear all about the cruise she was leaving on the next day. But we're so happy for her to be enjoying the sunshine while we enjoy beautiful March Cincinnati weather (cold, gray, SNOW!!!) I can't remember if anything else exciting happened on our run. We ran from the Countryside Y past Loveland by a mile and then back to the Monkey Bar. Same scenery most of the time - trees, bushes, the Little Miami River, a bridge here and there, and finally some greenery :).

A Long But Happy 17

Wow! Shorts-running weather today after the snow covered run attempt yesterday.

The bike trail was filled with runners and bikers, couples out walking, families enjoying our, I mean the, beautiful bike trail. It was nice to have other people around, since it was just me and Pam running. Any diversion helped (except for the two women that passed us going sooooo much faster than we were). Rude!

Once again, hydration was an issue. We ran 4 miles toward Loveland and planned on getting water at the Running Spot. Unfortunately they don't open until 10am, and we got there around 9:45. So we ran another two miles -- actually 2-1/4 because we didn't see the right mark to turn -- and then headed back to the Running Spot that was now open. That means we didn't drink anything for the first 6-1/4 miles. We then had to go another 4 miles to where we had water and gatorade near our cars. Poor Pam started getting really light-headed so we kept the gatorade with us, and tried a new running technique - run for 3-5 min and then walk a minute. It seemed to help Pam out a lot, and it sure made me feel stronger during our running as well. We also had more water hidden, 2-1/2 miles down the road, so that helped too.

The last 2-1/2 miles were so much easier than miles 6-15. Not sure why -- the water, the run/walk method or what. But felt great, and we ended up running 17-1/4 miles. I felt great afterwards. Not stiff or sore at all.

The Long Run That Wasn't

It started out as as a 16-miler, and ended up with Elizabeth doing 6-1/2, Pam going 2-1/2 and Julie and I going 5. ...Huh? Elizabeth was in a time crunch so did her first 4 without us on her treadmill. We then met at the Loveland Bike Trail and headed out. After 2-1/2 miles we came upon this: (Julie, insert photo here!)

Elizabeth suggested we just turn around and run in the other direction -- a perfectly acceptable thing to do, but the rest of us thought we could easily get around this mess. Patrice -- not known for being particularly graceful -- somehow made it through pretty easily -- without a scratch, in fact. Then poor Elizabeth slipped on a snow covered branch and fell in to a very sharp, very large tree trunk. It had broken off and come to a point, and that is where Elizabeth's side hit. She was immediately out of breath and in a good deal of pain. Luckily it was another gray, cold day here in Cincinnati, so she had several layers of clothing on -- so no puncture and no blood, however, we were very concerned about a cracked rib or punctured lung since she was in so much pain.

Pam offered to call 911, but E didn't want us to do that. So Pam & Elizabeth started walking back toward our cars, while Julie and I sprinted (yes, I did say SPRINTED) the 2-1/2 miles back so we could drive back to pick them up. And do you know what we figured out -- even sprinting, it takes longer than 10-15 minutes for us to run 2-1/2 miles. It seemed to take forever!

Finally made it to my car, and now the fun begins -- driving down the bike trail, which is not really meant for vehicles of the 4-wheel variety. After squeezing across the bridge, we were off, with both of us wondering how I was going to turn the car around once we got to them, as there was a sharp, drop off to the right (all the way down to the Little Miami River) and soggy, soft ground and a ton of bushes and trees to the left.

Pam directed me on the turn around and after driving forward and backward and turning and creeping forward (way too close to the drop off for my liking), I was finally facing the right direction. Here we are, ready to get going! Even in tragedy and injury, we manage to see the fun in what we are doing!

Off to Urgent Care we went to get Elizabeth looked at. Of course she had no identification or insurance card with her! After calling Tom a dozen times so he could fax the info in, he finally answered his phone -- not too happy that we were interrupting his meeting, until he heard the reason why.

At this point Elizabeth was still in a lot of pain and was shaking while waiting for the doctor. You can only imagine how thrilled the doctor was to walk in and find our sweaty little group waiting for him. X-rays showed no cracked ribs (yay!), but a black area that could possibly be a ********** which is fancy talk for a punctured lung. Although it may fix itself on its own, the doctor strongly advised that she needed to get a CT Scan to see it more clearly and determine what should happen next. So, off to Arrow Springs hospital to get that taken care of. We were a motley looking group, and we hoped our appearance might get us in and out of there quickly, but that was not the case. We helped Elizabeth fill out her paperwork, and she willingly signed anything we put in front of her. Finally they called her in, injected her with the dye, and took the CT Scan. Then more waiting for the results.

Tom finally showed up at this point, so Pam, Julie & I left them to wait for the results, which were, happily negative. The puncture had most likely fixed itself with her normal breathing, but she left the hospital armed with muscle relaxers and pain killers.

Julie and I ended our adventure with lunch at Tabby's, while Nurse Pam went back to work. Elizabeth and Tom, who were supposed to leave for Chicago at 11:00 missed that deadline by several hours, but luckily they found a ride for Nicole with another family. I hear they caught up with her later that evening. :)

Four busy schedules make it impossible for us to run a long run together in the next few days, so Pam and I are running Saturday and Julie by herself on Sunday. Hopefully Elizabeth will be able to run very soon.

The entry in which I complain

I am tired of ankles so sore that when I wake up in the morning, the only way I can get down the steps is the go sideways, step-by-step.



I am tired of watching what I eat. I love food. I love the Unos pizza Montana and I had over the weekend.



I am tired of putting on layers of clothes to run.



I am tired of gray days.



I am just plain tired!



Did I mention my ankles? I am worried about what I am doing to them. And hoping that they don't give up on me before the marathon.

Sweet 16!

Patrice: Our 16-miler was relatively easy (really...did I just say that?) Our lovely chauffer, Amy, drove us to the Countryside Y in Lebanon. We couldn't convince her to run with us, and so she headed off to show off her swimming prowess at the pool.

We ran from Lebanon to Loveland (12 miles) and then back to Maineville to get in our 16. Most of the run was completely f-l-a-t. LOVED IT! Pam had strategically placed water and gatorade in several places so we stayed hydrated and full of energy. We also used Gu at a couple of places. (The consensus was that we liked the Tri Berry flavor the best.) It was a pretty uneventful run with the exception of a flock of wild turkeys that ran in front of us around mile 9. We stopped at the Running Spot at mile 12 where they let us have water and use their restroom, then it was a 4-mile run back to our cars, parked near the Monkey Bar. We all agreed that the last 4 of the bike trail were a lot easier than the last 4 miles last week along Eastern Avenue. Not sure why, except maybe it was because we did quite a bit of hill running last week.

Even though the view didn't change too much, it's still a pretty run - lots of trees, the Little Miami River, grass starting to turn green, and good friends all around.

We finished our 16 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes -- a pace of 1o minutes, 18 seconds per mile. There's something to be said for flat trails and speed!

Weekend Update

Patrice: The day after our 15-mile run was warm! Shorts-running weather warm, and I just couldn't resist running in shorts and a lightweight jacket. My legs still felt a bit sore, and I probably should have listened to my body more, but the training schedules we have all show runs the day after our long runs, so run I did, with Elizabeth & Amy. We did the "Landen Lake 6" in just over an hour. It was a nice pace, but my legs felt tired most of the time.

We filled Amy in on our 15-miler and told her we were running to the Lebanon Y for our 16-miler. She BRILLIANTLY suggested we start at the Y and run toward Loveland, thereby running DOWN those nasty hills that would have been toward the end of our long run. And she even offered to drive us to the Y and drop us off. What a great friend! (Though, it may be added that she did not offer to run with us - darn her!)

Pam & I ran 6+ on Friday, and I took Saturday off. So glad to have a day off of running. My legs needed it.

Ran by myself Sunday. An afternoon run, which is always a nice treat! (6 in 55 - was shooting for 54, but my body just couldn't do it!) Now looking forward to a few off days to get my legs ready for Wednesday! PATRICE THAT IS AN AWESOME TIME!!! (Julie)

Julie -- tell us all about your 9-mile run!

Okay! Not a lot to tell. On Saturday morning, I couldn't run until 10:00. I arrived at Mojo as the fast runners had returned from their morning 11. I picked up the 9 mile map and noticed that it was a straight shot from Mojo, up the Beckett trail (past Mulhauser Barn and Beckett Ridge). Ran across 747 at the Kroger's and McDonald's and then continued on Smith all the way to Tylersville. Turned around and ran the same thing back to my car.

I wore sweats and a long sleeved shirt, but no jacket, no gloves, no hat, no neck warmer. Feels so good to be lighter! I was amazed at how not a big deal 9 felt. Funny how long that run used to be! I ran it in 95 minutes which for me is very fast for that length. I attribute my speed to downhills on the way home, my iPod and sunshine.

Didn't run in the rain today and had to take yesterday off. So, I will be running tomorrow, despite the long run on Wednesday ahead. Hoping to do a short 5 tomorrow to keep in shape.

Can't wait to run the Lebanon Trail again! Miss you all!

Patrice: Don't go crazy on your run tomorrow, girlfriend! You are going to need those legs on Wednesday!

4 x 15 (ish)

Julie:This is the map of our run. To drive it would take awhile, what with the various crossings, lights, neighborhoods, and eventual final stretch on Eastern. To run it—two hours and fifty minutes.

We started grumbling about rain, too much to do at home, and the inevitability of having to keep moving for 170 minutes. It's daunting. But at least the weather cooperated. We had forty extra degrees to work with compared with last week's 14 miles in 10º weather. This time, we started in upper forties and ended in the low fifties. Ideal. The sun waited to warm us until our cool down, which we appreciated.

It didn't take me long to get in the right mental space. For some reason, starting at Sawyer Point and then running along the river front past US Bank Arena, Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium put me in this incredible mood. We rounded the first big turn watching a train above us sit stationary on the trestles and I thought of the state inspector, like I always do when I see trains.

We entered a shady area where the sidewalks had cracks and Elizabeth had to wave us off of broken concrete, scattered rocks and elevated manhole covers. We trudged by a prison, inmates indoors. When we made the turn to 7th, we discovered that we had to make an adjustment in our map to avoid being crushed by cars ramping to the freeway. Once safely across 7th, we jogged through downtown and a couple of homeless people cheered us on after asking for spare change. One woman yelled, "You're doin' great, ladies!"

Time flew by (for me). When we got to Reading Rd, I realized I hadn't even thought once about running. We waved to the castle HQ for WCPO and then began the first ascent of the long run. Patrice had warned us about it and we were prepared for it to be a doozy. It wasn't. In fact, the ascent to Eden park, past Mirror Lake and Krohn's Conservatory, felt like a comfortable steady incline with enough relief here and there that none of us were breathing hard at the top.

We stopped in Eden Park for a quick triumphant photo:

I snapped the following as we got back under way (I take my role as team photographer seriously!). Patrice is running, I promise. In fact, her sly low-kick style enables her to out pace the rest of us every single time! A common comment throughout our runs is, "Patrice, slow down!" We take turns attempting to rein her in.

After we left Eden Park, with Elizabeth suggesting we return some day for a picnic, we headed to our mid-point destination. We did so by running to Madison where that gorgeous church is on the corner. To get there, we had to decide whether or not to obey traffic lights (an ongoing question throughout the run—to jay-run or catch our breath during a stop light!) and how to dodge construction workers, wet cement and varieties of yellow tape and orange cones. Pam, the ever-law-abiding, and I used all legal crossings. Patrice, the renegade speedster, and Elizabeth did not.

With all this distraction, I continued not to even remember that I was running. Exhilaration!

We turned down Madison and made our way to The Running Spot where the workers let us drink water and use their bathrooms. One worker told us we were ahead of schedule—that the Running Spot runners were running 13 this weekend. In the way of marathoners, we were gratified to be ahead! Might be our only claim to competitive edge for the duration.

Once watered, we all took a squeeze of lemon chiffon Gu (not the nicest flavor). On we ran, through Obryonville and into Hyde Park. We remarked on changed stores and old shopping habits. Words were starting to come out wrong. I made some comment about texting everyone on my camera and it took a moment to even figure out why that sounded wrong.

Suddenly, we were confronted with an enormous hill! Steep! Straight up! Accusations of "Liar" flew as we berated Patrice for not knowing every inch of the run she mapped. (It's a habit of lazy runners to blame the kind-hearted diligent soul who prepares the run and frankly in this case, Patrice could simply outrun us and leave us destitute to our mapless condition, if we were too bull headed. Instead, we huffed and puffed up the hill, silenced by the steepness and need for oxygen.)

At the top of the hill, we were then treated to (I use that term loosely) a steep, impossible-for-the-knees, descent. Elizabeth told us she would google us some message and we realized she wanted to email us. But we couldn't remember the word and the whole mess of language that included random uses of phone, camera, texting, email and google made us laugh so hard, I did pee a little. You really do lose your words when running.

The last stretch past "The Precinct" restaurant and up to Eastern Ave. continued our return to Ohio River level. Unfortunately there was nothing to look at for the next 3.8 miles. Did I say nothing? Well there were broken bottles, random chunks of cement, rocks, asphalt and the uneven surfaces of sidewalks. Eyes glued to the ground, in any case. Pam got short of breath and we took a couple of brief breaks with 10-20 yards of walking here and there to regroup. We agreed that water and snacks of some kind are imperative next time. A little rain sprinkle revived us. We noticed that purple is a popular house color along the river. Garish purple. That helped.

Finally, we re-entered Sawyer Point (the park) and were heartened to see runners in SHORTS! Men pointed out how little farther we had to return to get to our cars. By the time we got to the Boathouse, we ran just a little longer and then collapsed into these poses:

We did get lost looking for our cars and wondered if our legs would take us any farther, when just like that, we saw the lot. We had overshot it, but were so grateful to see wheels. Turns out with the extra walking, we did pass our 15 mile mark and we are proud!

The Wednesday run was the most glorious run of my life! The sights, the friends, the weather, the sense of well-being that rushes in at the end...!

I love Cincinnati. It's such a cool city to see at ground level. I wish more people knew how wonderful it is. I heard on TV the other night that Cincinnati is looking to brand itself as a Mecca of the Arts for mid size cities. One thing that struck me on our run is just how beautiful the old architecture is, and how nice it is to have Mt. Adams to house the art museum and playhouse, botanical gardens and Eden Park. There's a lot here. I love that the Flying Pig can show it off!

So, 15 down! On to 16 next week.

Patrice: Thanks, Julie, for summing it up so well. I had a great time, and really enjoyed this run. The first 8 miles just flew by. The last 8...well, maybe not so much. Really, just the last 4 were hard. Eastern Avenue is not my friend and never will be. It seemed to take forever, and I felt sure I had read the map wrong and that it was more than 4 miles. Alas, it was only 3.8.

We got 15 in, and probably went about a tenth more because of a detour we had to take at 7th street. The extra tenth might have done us all in. Poor Pam was lightheaded and seeing stars because we did not take things like hydrating very seriously. I blame the coach! We only had one water stop -- at mile 8 -- and that wasn't near enough. Already have plans for more water, gatorade & gu spread out throughout our next run...16 miles on my mom's birthday! (Happy Birthday Mom - Love you! ♥)