Akron Marathon Relay & CTC picnic

Yesterday was my 3rd Akron marathon relay. The first two years I did the 1st and 2nd 10k legs (respectively) on a 5-person team. This year, I did the 2nd leg (10.7 miles) of the 2-person team with CTC member, Tim.

It was rainy and cold (low 50s) all day, so I was quite cold by the time my leg started. I did get to enjoy the company of a couple CTC friends, including fellow blogger pal E-speed. When Tim handed off to me, I couldn't feel my feet. That was just the beginning of the good times. My IT band, hamstring and shin on my right leg took turns feeling miserable the whole run. My hopes of running sub-10 minute miles were quickly dashed. I was proud of myself for being able to just keep running - I didn't walk once (actually, I was afraid if I stopped that my IT band would seize and I wouldn't be able to run again). I'm so glad I didn't attempt the full marathon as I had been semi-seriously considering doing. Apparently, my thoughts of being invincible that I developed by mid-September did not materialize into the truth. I blew the large lead my partner had developed (he was on pace for a 3:45 marathon), but did manage an exact 10-minute mile average and we finished in just over 4 hours (about the 50th percentile for our division). Could have been worse, but could have been better. Luckily, Tim was just there for the long run and didn't care about our time (I did warn him upfront).

Today, I awoke to a stiff knee, but it wasn't too bad. I was able to put in a hilly 90 minute ride with the CTC crowd before the picnic. It was so nice to ride with Angie, Jodi and many of the guys from the club. We then chowed down and chatted with the rest of the CTC picnic crowd for the next 5 hours. It was a great turnout and the food was plentiful and delicious.