Thursday, May 23, 2019

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon 2019 - Bring the Heat

The 2019 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon was definitely one to remember, for the heat if nothing else.  Running a marathon in Cleveland during the Spring is always a huge gamble with the weather.  In past years, I've run in rain, hail, snow, sleet, overcast skies, you name it.  The one weather condition I always struggle with is heat, especially when it is paired with direct sun exposure.  Welcome to the 2019 Cleveland Marathon with highs around 85 and not a cloud to be seen!



Cleveland weather is extremely volatile and can change wildly, so when preparing for this race it helps to run in a wide variety of conditions to ensure you know how you will handle the weather come race day.  This year we had no days anywhere close to the heat we saw on race day.  There were no days even within 10 degrees of the race day weather, and most were at least 20 or more degrees cooler.  Running in this heat brings out many challenges including major challenges with muscle cramps, sun burns and hydration.  Throughout the race the medical teams from University Hospitals in Cleveland did an amazing job to aid the participants.  From vaseline for chafing issues (which I totally used) to cooling packs for the overheated. These workers had their work cutout for them when it came to handling heat stroke and more serious issues as well, since this was the second hottest Cleveland Marathon on record.

Despite being an amazing and top ranked medical center, there was at least one event these caregivers could not fix.  During the half marathon race, just a few hundred yards from the finish, a runner and recent college graduate a runner collapsed.  Her name was Taylor Ceepo.  Rather than try to put my thoughts here, I would like to refer you to my friend and fellow Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ambassador Andrew Hettinger's post entitled "A Grieving Community"  Andrew expressed my exact sentiments over this awful turn of events for Taylor.  The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon has helped organize a way to honor Taylor through donations to The Children's Miracle Network, which was an organization Taylor helped raise money for while in college.  Although nothing will replace Taylor to her loved ones and friends, I feel finding an impactful way to honor someone's memory is a worthy endeavor.  I hope every runner donates something to her memory, as it is for a good cause and because this could happen to almost anyone.  Throwing out some good karma, thoughts and a few spare dollars can only help us all.

Thank you to the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon team for taking this initiative in Taylor's memory.





After a tragedy such as this happens, I always think "What can we learn from this?" Clearly, no one wants to have a repeat of something like this.  With that thought in mind, here are some of the ideas I have to hopefully deal with adverse elements, particularly heat. In no way am I criticizing Taylor or any other runners. I just believe the one of the best things we can do is learn from our past experiences and move forward from it, what other choice do we really have?

Be Humble. It is super important to try to take a conservative approach to running, especially longer distances.  No one has ever one a marathon in the first mile, but they have lost it.  It's important to know what you have done in the past, so that when you start a race you line up with the right pacers.  Going out to fast can ruin the later part of the race, if you make it there.  In my mind, it's better to play catch up later when you know how you are feeling than to have to try salvage the race when you are completely spent. Show respect for the distance, no of us do these races because they are easy. 

Most bigger marathon races have pacers, use them!  They are always awesome runners who are much faster than the times they are pacing.  They will get you to the finish or at least help you do your best. I use one almost every year at Cleveland and they are awesome! 

Learn and Listen to Your Body. If you listen to one thing you listen to while running, please make it your heart.  Your heart can tell you so much about your run.  If it is beating to fast, dialing it back is a good idea.  Walking or "power hiking" are not bad words and will never disqualify from a race.  Running your heart rate too high for too long will.  I have run for a long time, but have found using a good running watch with a heart rate sensor is a great unbiased judge that will tell me if I am pushing myself too hard. The watch never lies and helps me be humble and listen to my body instead of my ego.

I really had to dial back this year, since it was so hot.  One amazing thing about the Cleveland Marathon is the fan support.  During what is usually the hardest part of the race, miles 14-20, there was tons of crowd support.  Many of them offered extra water for the runners or even brought out hoses to mist us off.  This is one thing that makes this race so amazing, the crowds! Cleveland isn't Boston or New York, we're our own breed.  Our fans know this and embrace this and the difference they make to help us is amazing. So many of them offering support helps a ton in these hot conditions and really makes it easy to keep your body in running form during the race. The crowds had everything including water, sports drinks, oranges, beer and even the blessing of ice.  They were amazing!

Train Smart. Make sure to train adequately for whatever race you are doing.  If it's hot, train in heat.  If it's not hot outside, at least train inside on a treadmill. If the race has hills or mountains, train with hills and mountains. Training smart will help you learn about your body so you can listen to it on race day.  It will also mean that you are more confident and better prepared in case something unpredictable happens.

Adapt. Every race has something that will happen that you can not predict.  It could be a trail race that gets flooded the night before.  It could be falling and twisting an ankle at mile 1 of a marathon. Maybe you didn't sleep well the night before due to nerves. It could be someone else needing your help. Whatever happens in a race you need to be able to adapt. That may mean abandoning the hopes of setting a PR or losing your race goal.  It is always more important to finish in one piece, without any serious injury when possible.  DNF stands for did not finish, it doesn't mean you didn't give that race hell with everything you had.  DNF doesn't mean you stink, it means you learned something that day.  DNFs can and will happen, it's how you adapt to what happened that matters.

Back to the amazing support that is there for the Cleveland Marathon. I saw quite a few medical tents and medics on bike throughout the course, especially the later parts.  This sort of adapting to the heat shows how serious the race director took the conditions and the length they go to to really make sure everyone was safe.  Despite the tragedy that happened, I have to applaud the great lengths they went to. 

Evolve. Things go wrong, the only thing we can do is learn from them so that next time we are better prepared or can handle them. If someone never evolves, they will never get better.  That can mean slowing down, choosing shorter races, trying a new coach or routine.  The important thing is that a lesson is learned and we come out better for it.

Be Supportive. Cheer on your competition.  Maybe they trained more and are actually better than you. This doesn't mean you are a lesser person, it means they earned it.  If you see someone fall, help them up.  I would look at someone who took a DNF to help a hurt or downed runner with much more respect that I would a champion who passed by the same runner to set a record. Distance running isn't like other sports.  We don't dunk on each other, we don't tackle each other and we try to stop one another in any way.  We may pass each other but that effort should always be celebrated, as long as it is done fairly. Reflecting to the early topic discussed in this post, I'm glad I heard that others immediately tried to help Taylor.  I'm sad it didn't save her life, but I'm happy those who could tried.

Hug Your Loved Ones. They show up to support our crazy hobbies.  They deal with us when we get cranky from not running. They deal with us when we are gone for hours on end mindlessly running because we have to. They are also our biggest fans and make us happier than anyone to see them at the races.  They will wait hours for us to show up and ask us if we are OK while seeing us for 5 seconds at some aid station lodged between two mountains that required 4 wheel drive and a dirt road to get there.  Hug them because there is that chance that what happened to Taylor could happen to any of us.  I'd hate to think we missed that chance to spread our love while we could.
My wife and dog standing in the rain during the 2018 Cleveland Marathon waiting for me

My wife and I at 3:30am to start the Leadville 100

My wife (glowing with happiness might I add) and I at mile 40 of the Leadville 100

Despite the extremely high temperatures, I was able to finish the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon with a time of 4:21:30.  This time was by far my worst time ever at Cleveland, but this was NOT my worst race ever.  Upon finishing, I met up with other runners I know and several of them were in rough shape.  Dizziness, muscle cramps and extreme fatigue were common among everyone.  Salts stains where apparent on everyone's clothing and skin.  I kept moving, enjoyed a post race beer and eventually went home.  I kept moving the next day and despite the rough day running, I was totally fine.  I was a little sore but not nearly as bad as I have been in the past.  Being humble and respecting what the race was that day really did my body right.  Without much soreness, aside from some blisters on my toes, I went running 2 days after the race and felt fine.  Had it not been from a lot of my past experiences and lessons from running, this race could have been physically disastrous.  Learning how I need to run was key to making the Cleveland Marathon a celebration of running, like it should be, instead of a miserable one. I hope that some of the above ideas help those who need to hear them.

2019 Cleveland Marathon Medal, 2019 8K medal
(not pictured: the Challenge Series medal)



Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Fan Guide for Marathons

Still time to register for any Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon race with code EG2019 and save 10% at checkout

Running a marathon isn't easy.  Being a supportive fan during a race isn't either. You have to plan where you want to stand or sit and decide if you want to spot hop around the race or just stay in one spot. Wherever you are you have to know the time and pace of those specific runners you came to see and pay attention for given periods of time with the keenest of eyes to be sure you spot them.  Hopefully, the weather cooperates otherwise you can be left standing outside for hours in scalding sun, pouring ran, snow, hail, freezing temperatures or some odd combination of all of these. 

Here are some ideas to help the fans out there make their important duties of race day support (yes, this IS important) better and more enjoyable for all:

Bring a chair - this is obvious, but a collapsible chair can be a life saver

Make a funny and topical sign - Signs are usually one of the little things that can bring a smile to the runners faces.  A sign that says, "you're almost done" and "you've trained longer than Kim Kardashian's first marriage" are a little played out now.  A sign that is motivational to the one runner you came to see is always great, especially for them.  If they are a first time marathoner, this will likely help them a ton to stay focused and motivated and find their reason why they are running.  A sign with a specific joke to the city or race they are running in is always good.  An example of this for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon could be a picture of Baker Mayfield with the words You Woke Up Feelin' Dangerous, would draw a ton of cheers and high fives from runners.  Even better would be getting Baker Mayfield to show up with a sign that says "Are you feelin' dangerous?" I'm sure someone can make the whole Baker thing happen if we tag him enough on social media. Topical and comedic signs are the best, go wild with ideas, of the thousands of runners someone will find it funny.

**Kids with cute and fun signs will get all sorts of attention. Kids with signs are the best!**

Plan your spots you will be a few days before the race - If you want to spot hop, plan this out ahead of time. Marathons will cause a lot of road closures which you will need to account for.  The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon provides a good and easy to access course that a fan can easily travel to 2-3 spots, some of which will serve as 2 spots since there is a bit of an out and back to this race. Make sure you also have a plan B and plan C as parking can be tough.  If you can ride a bicicyle a few miles, I'd highly recommend that as it is easier to move and can be parked right up on the side of the course. Also tell your runners where you will be, this will help them look for you and make sure they are running when they see you, or plan a surprise for you the fan.

Keep pets on a leash - A lot of people bring dogs, which is great! Just make sure you dog is a on a leash or better yet a harness.  Make sure someone who has good control of the dog is handling them at all times (i.e. no kids).  This may sound like common sense, but I've seen it go wrong and no one wants that.  Also, if your dog isn't the friendliest or has anxiety issues or doesn't get along with a lot of other dogs, please leave them at home.  With thousands of runners, more fans, and probably hundreds of dogs, it's not fair to the dog bring a dog who is sensitive to the race.  All of that being said, I love watching how excited dogs get when they spot their human in the race.  It really is pure unbridled joy.

Bring a bag - Many runners can face difficulties during a race, one of which can be dressing inappropriately.  Runners love when they can ditch an article of clothing mid race, especially if they weather changes mid race. Some of these specialized articles of clothing are expensive so when a runner can take it off and not lose it, that is awesome!  You can also add in some other odds and ends, in case runners needs them like gloves, hand warmers, etc.  These types of personal aid stations can be a God send. 

**Be kind and pick up any trash you see.  Marathons are great but inevitably they can leave behind some trash. Throw it in you bag or put it in a nearby trash container.  Race directors, runners and your community will thank you for this**

Noise makers - "What we need... is more cowbell" - Christopher Walken, SNL
Yes, we need more cowbell! Cowbells are like injections of adrenaline for runners, especially trail runners.  Anything that makes noise is encouraged though.  Just no fireworks or things that go bang.

Bring drinks - It's always good to have an extra water or sports drink for the runner, but bring some for yourself or others, too.  You may help calm down a little kid or save a runner who is dying and misplanned at mile 19.  Some people bring adult beverages to races and I've yet to run a marathon or longer distance race and NOT be offered a beer.  I've never indulged, but some friends of mine have and love it. I will say there are rules around this so make sure to read them before attempting the adult beverage part.

Bring hand sanitizer or wipes - Most non professional runners will need to use the restroom at some point and so will the fans.  While the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon has a lot of port-a-potties, this does not mean they will always have hand sanitizer in them.  Some just get used more than others and run out.  These little items can really help us feel more human if we have to deal with the gut wrenching possibility of a port-a-potty without these modern day cleaning marvels

Bring a small towel - Again, this is a small thing that can help a runner rain or shine.

Laslty, Bring the NOISE! - Why do we cheer when it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals? Why do we cheer when a game is tied and the away team kicker trots out late in the 4th quarter? We want to intimidate our opponents and motivate our team.  In a marathon, the only opponent is one's self and the distance they have left.  Since roads don't have ears, cheer on everyone you can. Motivate them!  Don't tell them they look pretty or they look good, runners know they don't.  Tell them they are inspiring. Tell them that they are doing great. Tell them that they are a role model for the kids present.  Tell them they can do it and that they are strong enough. Tell them their ex is behind them and gaining quick. Whatever you do be positive, be uplifting and be a good human.

See you all on Sunday, Cleveland!



Register for any Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon race with code EG2019 and save 10% at checkout