Category Archives: Ohio

Damnit I Said I Wasn’t Going to do This…

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Things I said I wasn’t going to do on 12/31/12 :

  • Post an “Annual Recap”
  • Make Resolutions
  • Get drunk and not be able to enjoy my first run back from Zero Month tomorrow

Things I am(/probably am) doing :

  • Posting something I’m convincing myself is “definitely not an annual recap”
  • Making a “To Do in 2013″ list
  • …TBD.

I swore I wasn’t going to do a Year Recap post this year. I did last year, spent a lot of time on it, and actually still like clicking over to it and seeing all the cool things I did in one nice little spot permanently etched in the internet until I stop paying for this domain.

But I’m an in-denial hipster and don’t like doing things everyone else is doing, and you’ve read so many of them by now you’re probably not even reading this right now. Plus it’s kind of like “look at me! look at me! look at all the cool things I did!” and I prefer keeping my boasting for in-person because I’ve got a great fake nonchalant look that exudes just the right amount of humility and inexcusable self-pretentiousness.

But (again) in light of yesterday’s Revive the Fire post and realizing on my commute to work this morning (YES I HAD TO WORK TODAY) what an incredible year it really was, I realized I just HAD to do something to pay homage to my favorite things from the year.

But it’s my blog and I want a trip down memory lane for when I get Alzheimers start asking myself why I put myself through the things I do. Because life is fun and live it to the fullest and remember that time so-and-so did this and we went there? Wasn’t that so awesome?

So, here’s my 2012 brag sheet. Enjoy.

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“Not an Annual Recap-Recap”

1

January – March

Rang in the New Year in CA with friends & my new’ish bro-in-law and his fiancee  *  Spectated a kinda-sorta special race in Houston which sparked a year of run-cationing with my Type Z other half  *  Brian returned to running and I earned my first podium finish (2nd overall female)

2

March – April

Checked off a baseball bucket list item at Spring Training in Arizona  *  Hiked Camelback Mountain between games  *  Perfected Downward Facing Dog (not really, just thought it was too cute a picture not to share).

Didn’t write about any of it.

3

March – April

Swam boated with the dolphins  *  Ran my first relay, Ultra-style at Ragnar SoCal  *  Toasted to huge 26.2 PRs on Hayward with favo runner girlfriends and vowed to make Eugene my next home

4

May – June

Some of my favorite Ohioans came to visit  *  I co-piloted the Inaugural Nuun Mile  *  Trophy Pulled at a 5k back home with little sis, scored my first Overall Female win

5

June – July

Weaseled our way behind home plate at an Indians game with all my fam & inlaws, got caught picking my nose on TV  *  Returned to Eugene with Em & Oiselle for the Olympic Track Trials, bird-style  *  Satisfied my hillbilly heart with boots & flannel at my first Jambo experience

6

July – August

Got to rep our Cleveland gear in Anaheim for Tribe vs Angels  *  … and do it again in Seattle… (are you sick of seeing Em yet?)  *  … before tackling Runner 5 of the legendary Hood to Coast Relay with Team Nuun

7

August – September

Battled Jurassic Park the at-home version  *  Became an “official” bird  *  Took advantage of beach life and actually stayed dry this time

8

October – November

Got more bad news from the dermatologist, told cancer to get the fck outta here  *  Ultra relayed, again, and cleaned up at the awards ceremony for Ragnar Vegas  *  Watched (from DNF sidelines) my little sister demolish her first half and get bit HARD by the distance bug

9

November – December

GOT ANOTHER SISTER!  *  DNF’d my 2nd race at CIM but got to watch my training partner and new marathoner BQ and fall in love with the distance

10

December – Now

Got to spend the holidays at home in Ohio with both Brian & my families  *  Enjoyed a healthy dose of winter (& wine) and happily returned to SoCal and my flip flops

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So there it is. My year in a (much longer than anticipated) picture post. Hope you’re up for the challenge, 2013 – You’ve definitely got your work cut out for you.

* What was your favorite memory from 2012? Anybody get married? Pop out a kid? Discover the world’s best cookie recipe??

Sarah OUaL

OH HI I’M ON A PLANE

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I took the last two days off after the relay – rest and reset definitely needed after the weekend. Happy to report 5 miles tonight were slow but pain free and pretty normal-feeling. Taper may continue as planned :)

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We interrupt this regularly-scheduled recap delay (did you really think I’d have a Ragnar post up already?) with a message from the sky. There’s an over-stuffed suitcase filled with fleece/thermal/wool and all the closed-toed shoes I own (not many) in the cabin below and a Great Lakes Christmas Ale awaiting arrival in Corntown.

It’s been a while since we’ve been home – June, actually – and even the freezing Ohio temps can’t suppress my excitement to spend some time with the fam. At least I got accustomed to the HOLY-SHIT-SO-COLD this weekend? And luckily I won’t need to wear a reflective vest or run uphill into headwind to enjoy it this time.

Brian’s brother is getting married, and it’ll be the first time since our wedding last July we get to see the whole family. I hit the in-law jackpot so I’m pretty excited about it.

Unfortunately Bri has to come back to CA after the weekend – turns out you can’t really “work remotely” when you need patients and bodies and stuff. I however, thanks to modern technology and the fact that my company is based out of Ohio, get to spend a full TWO WEEKS living it up in my childhood bedroom and causing a raucous with all my old pals.

And wearing flannel.

And the main event, well of course other than gaining a new sister in law, helping my newly engaged best friend plan her wedding, celebrate two major holidays (Turkeve and Thanksgiving), and drinking all the Christmas Ale in the county…

Running the Amish Country half marathon with my sister. HER FIRST.

I’ve been practicing my peppy supportive pacer and my Jillian-esque tough love coach shticks, and can’t wait to see which one I get to use on her :) It’s a small race, hilly course, and extra-wintery conditions are being predicted so it has plenty of potential to be… a great story.

Good, bad, or ugly, there will be peanut butter pie at the finish so it’s already a win in my book.

SEE YA FROM CLE!

Sarah OUaL

Sarah OUaL

How Camping, Flannel, and Beer Relate to Running a Relay

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I survived my first Jamboree in the Hills.

While 95% of my time was spent like this :

jambo4

… I DID manage to don some Oiselle and Brooks long enough to tackle 7.5 hilly miles with a friend.

jambo5

No doubt it took less time to consume that many calories worth of (light) beer than it took to actually run them, but it was great and SO WORTH turning in a little early and chugging 3 bottles of water the night before.

After indulging in a proper shower at Kristina’s friend’s house (camp showers require a bathing suit and come with exposure to thousands of strangers) I got back to the campsite and a friend said,

“Jesus you’re like a brand new person.”

I took it as reference to the post-run endorphins, not the fact that I was no longer a skuzzy smelly mess with grass in my hair and jello shots dried to the side of my face anymore, but who knows.

Surprisingly we did spend some time actually listening to music – yelling ‘FREEBIRD!!’ at the beginning of every Skynyrd song (do they all sound alike or were we all that drunk?), sprinting 1/2 mile while dragging an (empty) cooler to beat the crowds back to camp, and watching Neil Young climb the stage rafters after sticking his head in some dude’s cooler were among the top highlights that didn’t fall out of my brain once I hit that tent floor at night.jambob

And meeting this girl, who’s name DID fall out somewhere in my tent.  See, I told you I’d post it!

jambo10

 

Also, Brian shamelessly checking out the buns on Mr. Homemade (accidental?) Assless Denim Chaps…

jamboa

And letting my competitive spirit shine through a million games of flip cup, crossfire, dizzy bat, and cornhole.

Since I’m fan of summaries, bulletpoints, and am in need of a segue back to running talk, here are my takeaways from my first Jambo and how I will apply them to better myself as a Nuun HTC teammate…

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Jambo Lessons to Remember for Hood to Coast

  • Pacing is Key  –  A splash in your OJ, a pinky-out mid-morning sippin’ cup, and by lunchtime you’re settled into a nice spot where the cheap cans flows right down the ol hatch like water.  There’s no need for a breakfast beer bong, sprinting your first leg, and/or doing cowbell toe-touches every single time a runner goes by.  Conserve some energy to prevent a major crash later on.
  • Hydrate Often  -  Grab an al-free choice out of the cooler once in a while.  Ok, ok… you have two hands, grab a beer AND a water.  (Just make sure it’s not the one you refilled with vodka earlier.)  Drink often, not just when you feel thirsty or are suddenly overcome with cross-sightedness and a slurry vocab.
  • Chill When You Can  -  Downtime? JUMP ALL OVER THAT SHIT.  Sit down and freaking just hang out a second.  There’s no need to try to jampack action into every last second.  You won’t regret getting an extra ounce of shuteye or pausing the van dance party every once in a while, I promise.
  • Feed Yourself Like a Normal Human  -  Attempting to exist solely on rice krispie treats and gummy bears just because it’s vacation(/you’re running a million miles) isn’t a great plan.  If you expect your body to perform at least close to it’s norm, eat a few vegetables or a protein bar if that’s what it’s used to.  Then go dive headfirst into the jello shot cooler.
  • RALLY!!  -  I know, you’ve been going at it hard forever, you’ve barely slept, and every inch of you hurts so bad you swear you look like a walking corpse.  Time to suck it up Sally, because the show isn’t over and this is what you came for.  Dig deep, wring out your liver, and put your party pants back on for the finishing act.  You’ll forget the sore feet and ringing head as soon as you’re driving away and this crazy weekend is suddenly a thing of the past.  Soak it up and freaking finish strong.

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Settled back into the real world and counting just over 4 weeks till I’m in a van on top of Mt Hood.  Hard to tell if these butterflies are nerves or excitement right now.

Or maybe I’m still hungover.

Sarah OUaL

The Newest (& possibly my last) Track Party

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I was going to run another mile time trial this morning.

I didn’t.

There are a collection of reasons, mostly derivatives of “I just didn’t want to”, but also a familiar calf tightness and an unfortunate schedule the next week that would not allow me to either snowball off a great track sesh or attempt to redeem a shitty one. (more on that later)

Instead Margot and I jogged an undocumented amount of laps for an uncertain amount of time and gabbed about important things like boys, food, and stupid shit people post on facebook.

We called it Track Party Therapy, and it has officially been added as a training plan accessory on an as-needed basis.  Life Coaches gives the new TPT two big thumbs up, even if Run Coaches doesn’t approve.  Sometimes we need reminded that the heart does more than just pump blood!

This is my time to exercise my right to deviate from the ‘schedule’, since one doesn’t really exist yet.  In 3.5 weeks when the full-on CIM training starts we’ll be hitting that track (and tempos, and long runs, etc) with balls pressed all flat up against that wall, but for now it’s a few more days of “normal” life.  The one where nights and meals and outfits aren’t planned around workouts. 

Funny how quickly we forget how all-consuming this hobby can be…

For now, I’m savoring these last few days.  Bri and I are FINALLY cashing in on our Christmas presents to each other, making a pilgrimage back to OH for Jamboree in the Hills.  If you’re unfamilar, it’s like Stagecoach, but with TRUE hillbillies, not hipsters wearing flannel and drinking PBR while pretending to listen to mainstream country music.

And if you’re still having trouble picturing the next 5 days of my life, just imagine lots of trucks, tents, and drunks filling a huge open field with a shit ton of awesome country/rock music playing all day long.  Kind of like this, x4 +all day :

From the Jason Aldean short bus visit

Day drinking and camping are really the opposite of what’s good for my run-life, but one of our country cohorts is a runner as well so I’m hoping/begging/pleading the run gods she can drag my ass out of our tent long enough for [at least] a few miles fueled by non-alcoholic beverages or Willie’s cologne.

But we’ll see.

No blogging, and (per usual) there aren’t any fancy pre-written posts ready for you guys.  Depending on whether hicktown has cell service you might catch me on Twitter or Facebook.  No promises.

All I’m asking is to make it back to the west coast with both legs attached. 

And that when we get back Mom hasn’t fled the state with her hairy grand-dogs in her suitcase.  Sometimes she takes this house/dog-sitting a little too seriously…

Catch ya on the flipside.  And if I don’t, y’all can fight over my Gu stash and Brooks Launch stockpile.

Sarah OUaL

Run Corntown

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Do you know what’s a great feeling? 

(don’t worry I’m not going to say “eating clean!” or “waking up at 4:30 to workout!” or “saying no to dessert!” sorry #unfitfulential)

Going home.  Going home feels great.  Especially when you haven’t been since Thanksgiving, the OH summer weather is peaked but bearable, everyone’s schedules align magically, and you let go of your TypeA insane itinerary addiction and JUST BE while you’re there.

I think this feeling is what people refer to as “recharged”.  Good god it’s amazing.

I left without the intention of going completely blog-silent, but it worked that way and I didn’t let it stress me.  Every time I felt guilty for not logging on I checked myself with a “this is REAL life, internetz’ing can wait” – sit with dad on the couch, drink wine & gossip with Laur, say yes to (another) after-work happy hour, spend some time with grandma.  These are the things that matter and the reason why you fly 2000 miles to be here.

So I feel great about my trip back to Corntown, and I’m pretty confident no one had any serious detachment issues from a little OUaL blackout.  If you did, I’m sorry, but please let me know so I can make sure to not meet your crazy ass IRL anytime soon.

(jk kinda)

Other than warming my heart with friend/fam QT, filling my lungs with manure-soaked fresh air, and marinating my liver with lots of great local beer, I did a bit of running that maybe you’ll be interested in…

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Fish Fest 5k

Forever ago when I mentioned a summer trip to OH, KimiKay sent a note advocating for the Vermillion Fish Fest 5k.

oh2

I get why she digs it – it’s your stereotypical “locals race”.  Runners of all shapes/sizes stretching and chatting under the shade trees at the YMCA, officials yelling out splits at mile markers, and an awards reception sponsored by the local grocer and more door prizes and age group awards than there were runners (almost).

My recently-graduated (OMG) sister, mom, and I all ran.  Mom is suddenly the running world’s biggest advocate.  She’s got Corntown all excited about sweating, knows the local race circuit like the back of her hand, and has even been caught Nuun’ing her fellow runners.

oh

(I should probably hand over my nuun ambassador title – Momma OUaL has Corntown’s hydration on lock.)

My mileage has been really low lately as I attempt my “smart recovery” from Ojai and transition into the “run freaking fast!” summer plan.  I knew that added to the OH heat, humidity and 9am start weren’t ideal for racing, but wanted to try and run hard anyway.  My last 5k was the Leprechaun Leap (:21.17), as the tail end of a 15 mile training run.

So I decided to give a PR a shot.  I’d go out hard, and if I blew up, oh well.  My stubborn cling to this approach obviously hasn’t worked out so well for long races, but I figured I could give it a go for 3.1 miles.

Disclaimer : I did not invent this guts-racing strategy :

ohpre

Thanks for the inspiration, Steve.  We’ll pay homage next week at your rock and trail.

Even though the execution wasn’t quite there (uhh hi positive split city) I strangely loved going out hard and just trying to hang on.  I got busted trying to keep up with the short-short boys, clicked a way too fast mile1, got passed by a girl at the split, caught her around 2.5, and sprinted through to a 21:56 and 1st woman overall win.

oh3

ohresults

Despite missing my PR goal I let myself be happy with the win.  Because how often am I going to get to say I WON a race???  Next to never.  And don’t get me wrong, I realize in a normal-sized, normal-competitive field that time wouldn’t even get me an age group placing, but when you’re home in tiny town Ohio and grasping for some confidence, a win is a win.

I have the trophy to prove it.

ohtrophy

Making the day even cooler, Mom & Mel had AWESOME races as well – Mel took a 3rd place Age Group finish in her second ever race, and Mom came in under 30 minutes! 

Genetics FTW.

ohfinishing

Running has never been a big part of our lives – Mel & I were both ball-sport athletes (volleyball, basketball, softball) where running was just part of training.  We both played softball in college, and now that she’s graduated and all the cleats in the family are hung up there was a little void to fill I guess.

Diamond to race course transition – complete.

It took them two years of calling me crazy to realize how cool running is, but they’re FINALLY here with me :)

Crazy train, party of three.

ohrace

Even though running is still new to my immediate kin, there IS some deep-rooted running blood in our family tree.  My uncle was the cross country and track coach at our high school, which I never took any interest in it then (hello volleyball and softball season) but it’s fun to gab about the sport now.

Also fun – taking a day to hit the trails he’s been grooming at my grandparent’s property.

If there’s anything that can compete with oceanside running, it’s this :

ohtrails

Yes please.

So that’s the last week in a nutshell, sort of.  Now that I’m back on the west coast it’s back to real life for a few days before a little thing called TOTALLY TRIALS.

Thursday, please hurry.  I’ve got some Hayward hunger pains that need tending to.

          *  How did you guys start running?  Was it inherited?  Accidental?  Are you the lone odd bird or is running a family affair??

Sarah OUaL