Happy Hump Day! Confession: the term “hump day” used to really irritate me to no end. I don’t know why I use it so much now, but apparently I’ve made my peace with it. So hopefully it doesn’t irritate you. And if it does, I apologize. 🙂
I wanted to tell you a little bit about the race I’ve been training for. I think I’ve been keeping it a bit hush-hush because for a while I wasn’t 100% sure I would be running another fall half. But as it turns out, I am. And I’m really looking forward to it!
I’ve been training for the Northern Ohio Half Marathon. This will be the third year for the Northern Ohio race. There’s a new course for 2015 (which doesn’t really mean anything to me since I don’t have anything to compare it to) which is touted as being fast, flat and scenic. Those three things are right up my alley. There’s also a 5-person relay for the full marathon distance, which I hope to see many local runners participating in.
The course itself should be quite beautiful. It starts and finishes at a local beach on the shores of Lake Erie, and follows the lake for some of the route. I’m also looking forward to this race because it won’t be too big, and definitely won’t be too small. I prefer races on the smaller end. They’re more intimate, and you feel like you’re a part of a running community. The larger races tend to turn me off because sometimes I just feel like I’m a blurry face in the crowd.
I’m not going to recap my training in this post, as I’ve been doing that for the last 13 weeks and you can read some of those here, but I will say I’ve been training hard and doing well for the most part. My coach has me doing a variety of workouts and I’ve been feeling pretty great. Of course I’ve had small hiccups and setbacks here and there, but I’m feeling strong and confident this training cycle, which is a very welcome change.
I love fall races. I really dislike spring races. They’re okay, I guess. But there’s something so different about a fall race. It’s beautiful, the leaves are changing colors, the air smells crisp. In the spring in Cleveland, there may or may not be grass showing yet. It could be cool and sloshy or it could be brilliantly hot and muggy. Fall is perfection.
The Northern Ohio Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5-Person Relay really has a lot going for it. Fall race? Check. Small-ish field? Check. Beautiful location and route? Check. Plus there’s a distance for everyone, and every finisher receives a shirt and a medal. If you’re local to Cleveland, or even within an hour’s drive, this race is worth checking out. I hope I see many familiar faces there. And if you’re not local to Cleveland or close enough for a quick road trip, add this race to your bucket list!
xo
What’s YOUR favorite racing weather or season? What’s your favorite local race?
