After 19 straight days of work, a good 11 of which were spent on surgery call, I got to spend this last weekend off and got the gift of sleeping in on Saturday morning!! I also was able to get in a long run with the Inaugural Rock n Roll Cleveland Half Marathon. I was able to leave work by 4:30 Friday afternoon and hustled to the convention center in downtown Cleveland. I got even luckier in that I parked across the street for $2.25 for the hour I was there. I went and registered my parents for the race ($150 EACH! I couldn’t even find a coupon code to work for them) before picking up my own stuff. My parents were signed up for the Woodrow Wilson Half in DC, but because politicians in DC don’t know how to agree on anything, the race was canceled due to the government shutdown and the first 8 miles of the race was in a national park. I picked up my gear and then my parents gear. I find that humorous since RnR makes a big deal about not picking up other people’s stuff and then I manage to still figure out a way to do it.
Saturday, my parents came to town and finally saw my apartment. We went to church, dinner at a Cuban restaurant and rum bar and had some Cuban Margaritas. We rushed home for the OSU/Northwestern games. I’ve learned I hate night games because I don’t go to sleep till after 11 and waking up at 6 for a race isn’t fun!
We woke up Sunday morning and were out the door by 6:40 AM. We were downtown and parked by 7:15 (we’d learn to later hate our parking spot). We all took a bathroom break and waited for the race to start (and I ran into a neighbor of mine who’s daughter was running). About 7:45, we went to our corals and I ran into some Half Fanatics- we always introduce ourselves by our numbers. After a Neil Diamond national anthem, we were off. It was 74* and 81% humidity at the start and it was miserable. I was sweating buckets after the first few miles and my calf was store at least through mile 3. The first few miles weren’t bad, but at mile 3 we came down a huge hill. The mini marathon (3.5 mile) runners then had to go right back up that hill and we all laughed. Until we got to later in the race.
As the race went on, we went through Ohio City, other parts of Cleveland and parts I’m pretty sure I’ve seen on A&E’s The First 48 (a show investigating homicides). The humidity felt like it was increasing despite no rain and about 5 miles in my clothes were drenched and there was no way I was coming close to a PR. We weaved through Cleveland and between mile 7 and 8, we crossed one of Cleveland’s bridges to Polka music. We then hit some parks of Cleveland and got hill pay back for laughing at the 3.5 milers around mile 10. More cursing ensued for sure. We also had miles 9-13 that were off for some reason (like 1/3 of a mile off), but it eventually made itself up. After dodging pot holes, wishing for rain to break humidity and taking water at every water stop, we crossed back over the polka bridge and had 2 miles or so to go. Seeing the Cleveland skyline was a good sign that’s for sure. Seeing First Energy Stadium and the Q was even better. However, not being able to see the finish was a tad obnoxious. Even more obnoxious? Hearing the finish is ‘just around the corner.’ Five corners later…
I finished, that’s all I cared about. 2:16:31 and I blame the humidity. I picked up my medal, grabbed some food and 2 things of chocolate milk and waited for my parents to come in. They started about 5 minutes behind me. Humidity got to them too during the race. By the time we met up, we were all spent. Luckily I drove because I was the one who could still walk and who wasn’t getting any sort of foot, calf or leg cramping.
RnR Cleveland was ok. Not a fan of the course or the hills it involved. Part of it has to do with some of Cleveland’s roads being less than ideal. I think for the money we spend on it, they could do more at the expo and at the end of the race. I did it because I needed a long run, but I don’t see myself signing up for another one any time soon.
Looking for results, finisher’s certificates and pics? Head over here
drrunner 