Quickie Race Report

No, this is not a race report that's a Quickie. This is a report about a Quickie race. What exactly is a Quickie, you ask? Well, take it from me: don't google it. It's something my female running friends in particular have been asking for. Why me, I ask them back? I suppose they feel that if Dan doesn't do a Quickie, a Quickie doesn't get done. To be a little more specific, in this context, a Quickie is a two-mile prediction run. We Medina County Road Runners used to do one every year at Roscoe Ewing Park on Memorial Day. 

Dan decided to organize a 2025 Quickie at the last minute. Five brave two-legged runners and one four-legged one showed up. This is not to mention an intrepid race timer. The runners predicted their times and placed their watches in the holding box. Unlike the practice in years past, no money was put down.

Quickie Start

It was quite the exciting race, and it lived up to its name. The fastest runner was Marko Dravenstott, who dragged Alan Davenstott to victory as the first two-legged finisher. But Dan, yes, Dan, was the overall Grand Champion. His predicted time: 18:00. His actual time: 18:00. Now, every day for the rest of his running life, Dan will lament not putting money into a pot.

Ladd Clifford, Chip Jenkins, Harold Dravenstott, Alan Dravenstott, Theresa Wright, Dan Horvath, Marko Dravenstott (not shown)

2025 Medina Half Marathon Race Report

It's a race where everyone knows your name. Mine, at least. I'm not sure why this is; maybe it's because I've walked the Earth a few years too long.

I get by with a bit of help from my friends. L to R: Chadwick Sunday, Maureen Oblander, Julie Boggs, Christy Gnat, Frank Dwyer, Sharon Sibilski, Harold Dravenstott, Dan Horvath, Katherine Kinsey. Photo: Julie Boggs

Christy Gnat, Sharon Sibilski, Chadwick Sunday, and I start close to the 1:55 pace group. This seems aggressive to me, considering that the Cleveland Marathon was only six days ago. I had only been hoping to run this race at about a 9-minute-per-mile pace like last week. I'd be happy with anything just under two hours today.

For some goofy reason, the pace seems slow. After a couple of miles, Chadwick and I move ahead of the rest of the group. I thought I was old enough to know better. I'm not. Chadwick is running smoothly and having a ball. I am just huffing and puffing. "Tell me another story," I ask between huffs, knowing full well that I'm usually the one doing all the talking.

Somehow, I manage to continue to cling to my friend until he spots Ella on the side of the road at mile 11.5. Ella does her jump-hug. Chadwick stops for it, and I can finally get ahead of him a little. Of course, he catches and passes me - the cheerleader did her job to inspire him.

Like last year, Chadwick pulls further ahead during the final wonderful downhill mile.

I finish in 1:52. This is much better than expected. I'm sure it's my fastest on this course.

All of my friends gather again at the finish. I love seeing them all. This, This is as good as running can get.

Mychart

Like numbers? I do.

MyChart is known as an online tool used for medical communication, billing, and data. The Mychart I'm referring to here is that of my marathon times. A friend asked how my recent time compares with others over the years, both recent and not so recent. It was my kind of question.

Marathon Times by Age

I'm not particularly fond of that upward trend. 

Here's some more data: 

• Average time for my first 100 Marathons (1978-2013): 3:21 ((3:18 if you throw out the two slow trail marathons))
• Average time for my most recent 32 Marathons (2013-Present): 4:07
• Average time for all 132 Marathons (1978-Present): 3:32

My good side

2025 Cleveland Marathon Race Report

It's time for The Long Walk. I have managed to finish the Cleveland Marathon, then attempted to have a celebratory beer, and now I am walking back to my car. This walk, all one mile of it, is long and arduous. Not quite as long and arduous as the marathon, but I can't say that I'm enjoying it.

My finishing time was 3:56. That's about par for me these days. I haven't beaten 3:55 in a very long time, but I can still go sub-four on a good day, like today. My time is faster than I've done at this race in a few years. We experienced hot weather in many instances, but today was nearly perfect. Oh, there was some wind, but it was from the Northwest and mostly at our backs for the final miles. I also won my age group, which is due to the dearth of older, faster runners.

I would like to be able to say that it felt good to run so well. But it didn't, so I can't. My splits were even, but those last few miles were Tough with a capital T. I should be happy to finish at all, and even to have made it to the start. My right big toe had been acting up. Luckily, I soaked it and taped it, and it wasn't a factor today.

One final thought. In two years, they will be celebrating the 50th running of this race. I was there for the first one, and for twenty-something others. I plan to be there in 2027. Maybe 2026 as well.

I can't walk

I'm in the car, driving to the RTA parking area, where I'll catch the Rapid Transit that will take me downtown. That's when I first notice that my right foot hurts. This is the one that is always numb due to the Achilles Tendonitis surgery four years ago. That numbness has led to other problems, especially around my big toe. And it's my big toe that hurts the most right now.

Once on the train, I take my shoe off and rub my foot a little. It's a relief, but when I arrive at Tower City, the shoe has to go back on so that I can walk down to the Convention Center. Now, it hurts even more, and I can hardly walk. I wander around the Expo, pick up my shirt and bib, and then walk back to Tower City. 

As soon as I'm back on the train, I take my shoe off. Again, it's a relief. But again, I've got to get it back on to walk to my car once I arrive back at Puritas Station. By now, I can hardly walk at all. After stumbling into the car, I remove my shoe again for the ride home.

At home, I soak it for most of the afternoon and evening. I determine that my big toe is infected. It's painful, reddish, and enlarged, so I suppose that's what's wrong. I put antibiotic cream on and bandage it up for the night. I'm not sure what could have caused such a thing. Wish I knew. 

It isn't lost on me that if I can't walk, running 26 miles on Sunday may be difficult. It's also not lost on me that I've been posting positive thoughts lately, jokingly asking things like, what could go wrong? Well, I've found something.

Will I make it to the starting line? I'm workin' on it.

Nasty tow porn

Dearth of excuses

The Cleveland Marathon is now only a short couple of days away. Today, I ran with friends on Lester Rail Trail, and I cut the run short at only six miles. Although I had some slightly challenging runs last week, this week has been taper-city. As already posted, I could be doing more, I just don't want to. The weather looks like it will be favorable on Sunday. 

Of course, the question is, what can and will go wrong? I wish I knew. I suppose my biggest concerns are my weight (it could be lower), and my long run distances (they could have been longer). We shall see. 

I just don't want to.

During Friday night's race, I kept thinking: I could catch Sharon Sibilski, but I just don't want to. Of course, I didn't. But it was fun anyway. In fact, 'fun' was in the name. Last week's speedwork went well, but it was fairly all-out. Today's speedwork was also good, but this time, I could have done more (more speed, more reps). But, thought I, I just don't want to. 

Regarding this Sunday's Cleveland Marathon, the weather looks like it will be favorable. I hope to have a good race. The reason is that I just want to.

Run4Fun race report and other stories

26 minutes and change. Not my fastest 5K. But here's the good news: it went better than last year, it came sandwiched between twelve-mile runs that morning and the next one, and, best of all, it's done. Since I can't remember the last time I ran twice in a day or even in an afternoon or evening, I was out of my comfort zone. It's good to get out of one's comfort zone, now, isn't it?

And those twelve-milers? Not too awful. The funny thing about running a lot like this is that although none of the runs were at what I'd call top speed for the day, they were still pretty good. I guess I'll take them.

Cleveland is now less than a week away. I suppose I should think about tapering.

Somebody stop me

"I can't help myself; I'm just fast."

"This is easy-peasy"

"I could do more. I just don't want to."

"I could run faster. I just don't want to."

"Somebody stop me."

Such is the self-talk heard from Dan this morning. Oh, he wasn't saying this stuff out loud, mind you. But he was thinking it.

Seems funny, right? Well, guess what? It really works. It did today. In what will likely be the final full Yasso workout before Cleveland (a week and a half away), Dan finally got all of his 800s below the four-minute barrier. This doesn't necessarily mean that Dan will go sub-4-hours in Cleveland (there are plenty of other factors in the mix), but it does mean that he can. And (the converse is important) if he could not do the workout, you could bet that he couldn't run the race in the goal time.

I hear that rain a-comin'

Amidst all the miles in recent days and weeks has been the nearly ever-present rain. Yesterday's 20 miles (mostly with Julie Boggs) were pretty darn soggy. Other recent runs have been wet as well. The good thing, however, is that they did get done. Now, there are two weeks left before the Cleveland Marathon, and I am almost where I want to be. I've done several long runs, and they've mostly gone fairly well. 

Yet to do: some more speedwork, including at least one Yasso workout.

Julie Boggs, Sharon Sibilski, Shannon Barnes, Theresa Wright, and some old guy during a recent Hinckley run