Linda's EAS Distance Classic 5K race report

Jodi, Kelli, Sean, me and Phyllis

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

Well that was unexpected!

A week ago, I didn't think I'd spend Sunday morning in a park in Grove Port, OH, at a race with #run3rd team leader Sean Astin, fellow captain Kelli Shrewsberry, her mom Phyllis, and team member Jodi Scott. But let's back up a bit…

Last Tuesday it was announced that Sean Astin would be attending Wizard World's Ohio Comic Con in Columbus that coming weekend, September 21-22. That's only a 2-hour drive from me! So I quick like a bunny made arrangements to head there for the weekend.

Linda's Park 2 Park 5K race report

Why You Shouldn't Let a Little Rain Stop You

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

The Park 2 Park 5K is a race I almost didn't run. The weather had been looking iffy for a few days, so the first things I did when I got up early that Sunday morning was check the radar. What I saw was not encouraging. The leading edge of the rain had not yet reached my house, but some pretty widespread yellows and reds were making a bee-line for the race location. I had done some training in light rain before, but never anything like this. And at 5:30 in the morning, there was a strong temptation to just crawl back under the covers.

If it had been just me to consider, I would have done so. But I'd made a commitment: I was running for my fellow #Run3rd Team Captains who would be shortly heading out for the San Francisco Marathon, and for all dads on Fathers Day. I thought of Sean Astin, determined to run a full marathon in hilly San Francisco despite his problematic IT band. I thought of Christina Boulard, who quit smoking over a year ago and started running. I thought of MaryEllen Long, for whom even a few steps is a trial, but she is doing her best. I thought of all the other runners and walkers I've met through #Run3rd, who keep going despite health issues, injuries and a multitude of other obstacles. This is just a little rain.

Linda's Fur Fun 5K race report

On  April 28, I participated in my 3rd #run3rd event in for the 3rd weekend in a row, the Love-a-Stray Fur Fun 5K. As seems to have become customary for my races, the weather was overcast, chilly and damp. In fact, there was a good bit of drizzle and light rain, though the heavy rain held off until nearly all the awards were given out after the race!

There was a pre-race expo with dogs of all sizes to pet and doggie products to buy. (I have no dogs, just a ferret!) I unexpectedly ran into a colleague from work, and we hung out and wandered around together until time for the race to start.

Linda's Earth Day 5K Race Report

Snow pellets caught in spider web.

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

Boy I sure know how to pick ‘em—the days for 5Ks that is! If anything, the weather was even colder for the Oberlin Earth Day 5K on April 20 than it was for the Run for the Red the previous Saturday. In fact, two hours before the race started there was a bout of snow flurries and snow pellets!

By race time, it looked like the sun was going to come out, but the wind blew a fresh set of dark clouds overhead, making it a darned chilly run. Still, I had home-court advantage: the race started at Tappan Square, a 13 acre park in the center of town with an approximately 1 km circumference, and my favorite place for training. The course itself wound through a quiet residential neighborhood, a nice easy trip with no hills.

Click for supersize panoramic view!

Linda's Run for the Red Race Report

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

It was one of those cloudy, cold, dreary, damp days when you just want to stay in bed. But with a sheet full of #run3rd dedications to put in my back pocket, I was motivated to get up, get dressed, get a photo and head out for the Run for the Red 5K in support of the local Red Cross chapter.
Now when I say it was damp, I mean VERY damp. Recent downpours caused flooding near the original start location for the race, so it was moved further north along the Black River to the appropriately named Steel Mill Trail. (The race was sponsored by US Steel.)

That's not a pond, that's standing water in the woods!

The turnout was small, about 150 runners, and those who weren’t jogging to warm up waited in their cars until near to start up time. The path followed the river, crossing it twice before the turn-around and return trip. I’d recently been adding a bit of jogging to my walking, and during training was rather disappointed in how short a distance I could go before running out of breath. I found though that during the race, I seemed to be able to go a little further. I tried experimenting with how I held my body and how I breathed to try to increase my stamina. I kept my eye on the young woman a couple hundred yards ahead of me. I never did catch up to her, but I made sure she didn’t get so far ahead that I lost sight of her!

Linda's Sandy Hook Run for the Families race report

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

Before I began my virtual 5K Sandy Hook Run for the Families, I confess I was feeling angry and frustrated. Angry and frustrated over the rush to purchase weapons and ammunition following the tragedy of December 14, 12012; over the unabated gun death toll in the past 3+ months; over the cowardice of our legislators and their inability to do anything meaningful about it, especially compared to the bravery of the teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook School who gave their lives to protect the children.

Disney Family 5K race report

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

The Disney Family 5K at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend was the first big event I’ve been to (we’re talking 10,000 runners vs few hundred!) as well as the first time I’ve run (well mostly walked) with my daughter Joy. It was also her first race ever, and she'd not even trained for it!

The whole thing was a total delight!! Well the getting up at 4am sucked a little, as well as trying to choke down some food while still half asleep, but Joy and I managed to dress ourselves (wings & tiara for her!) and catch the bus to the starting area.

It was dark and chilly and in our general confusion we missed finding fellow #run3rd Captain Tony Conticello and the rest of the Pacebook Running Club. :-( Fortunately we had gotten the chance to meet Tony and other members of the club the evening before, and also met up Sunday evening after the full Marathon.

Inland Trail race report

I had hoped the Inland Trail 5K would be my second race, but a painful neck spasm a few days before prevented me from walking. So instead, I volunteered!

This is another relatively small race (~420 participants), with a full and half marathon in addition to the 5K, proceeds going to benefit the Murray Ridge Center for Developmentally Disabled. The ranks of the full marathon were swelled with about 40-50 runners who traveled to Ohio after the cancelation of the NYC Marathon. (More on that later!)

I learned a lot about how much work goes into even a small event of this type. A relatively small number of volunteers put together race packets, set up the race course, register racers, track finishers, provide food post-race, and more. I spent a couple of hours on Saturday handing out race packets; my pre-race job on Sunday was handing out timing chips. After the race, I handed out finishers medals and water, and assisted where needed. It was the best part of the day: congratulating the runners, seeing their expressions of joy, relief, pain, pride and exhaustion, thanking them and getting their thanks in return.

Project Homeless Connect Walk on Water report

Submitted by Linda Iroff @LindaofNote

Saturday, October 13, was a beautiful fall day. During the pre-dawn drive south and east to the race location, I watched the sky and high clouds shift through shades of grey, mauve, pink, gold, turquoise and more. Oh but it was frosty! Even by race time, the temperature had only "warmed" to 35•.

I explained #run3rd to other runners.

The Project Homeless Connect Walk on Water 5K was my first race. While I admired Sean and the other run3rd-ers, I didn't think it would be something I could do. I was worried about previous foot/leg issues I'd had and the effect that pounding the payment would have on my no-longer young bones and joints. (I turned 60 this summer.) "Why don't you just walk?" new Team Captain Tony Conticello @RunDisney56 suggested. So Labor Day weekend I bought some running shoes and started walking!

This was a fairly small event, with about 400 participants signed up. There were a total of 328 finishers in the 5K run, 5K walk and 10K run combined. We all gathered by the start line and then took off! The course took us first under the highway and through some quiet Akron neighborhoods. A depressing number of both runners and walkers strode easily past me in the early minutes, but I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder, concentrating instead on keeping a steady pace. A couple of times I heard voices behind me, so I knew I wasn't dead last! I have to say it was really cool to have cops stopping the traffic as I sauntered down the middle of the streets! I also enjoyed being handed a cup of water at each mile mark. I took it both times, even though the second time I wasn't feeling thirsty.