Fall means many things to the runners and walkers of Ohio.  It means that the busy marathon season is here.  It’s a time for those final long runs, carbo-loading, and nipple band-aids.  Yeah, runners are a strange lot.  Cross country races fill the weekends as runners from the middle school to collegiate levels vie for top honors over wooded trails and hilly golf courses, and road races of all lengths fill our calendars.  It’s a wonderful time of year to be a runner. 

Welcome to the autumn edition of the CRC Newsletter!  We hope that your own running or walking is going well and that you’re enjoying some time outdoors.  You’ll find some good road races to hit up in this newsletter, and you’ll see the first ever contribution to the CRC Newsletter from one of our long-time group runners.  We always welcome feedback and contributions to improve the store, our events, and the newsletter.  If you’d like to add to the newsletter, send us an article at any time.  And, as always, let us know how we can help you!  In the meantime, enjoy the cool fall weather and the changing leaves ahead...

By Catherine McMonigle

(a special thank you to Catherine for submitting the first ever contribution to the CRC newsletter!)

One morning last week I went out for my usual 5 mile run.  It was 75 degrees with 90% humidity.  I thought to myself, welcome to summer in Ohio.  In early April we had a blizzard that damped the spirit of the Columbus Distance Classic in more ways than one.  Welcome to spring in Ohio.  And last October brought a mix of sun, chill, and wind around every corner to the Columbus Marathon.  Welcome to running in Ohio.  That’s one of the unique traits of running.  It is not a sport with a season.  Most runners brave the elements of every season, adjusting their wardrobes accordingly – sometimes drastically for runs within days of one another.  And many people ask us “why”?  What is it about running that makes us keep coming back for more?  What motivates us?  What gets us out the door on such days? 

On that same run, as I was heading back towards home, it was my iPod that was motivating me.  Just when I was starting to wonder what was going to get me through my last two miles, my current favorite running song began to carry me home.  The song is “Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley.  It is a memory from my childhood and an old favorite of my father’s.  My father was the one who encouraged me to start running when I was in high school.  It was a passive encouragement in that he would let me tag along on some of his runs or would ask me to enter a local race with him.  And there were times when he actually held my hand and helped me keep up a good pace so that I could finish with a little dignity.  My other favorite song is “Turn It Up Turn Me Loose” by Dwight Yoakum.  No memories there.  As the title hints, just a great beat that allows me to fall into a good comfortable pace.  When running solo, my music motivates me and carries me along.

My other motivating factor is the group that I run with on Saturday mornings.  My three year old calls it my “playgroup.”  And he is right.  It is my playgroup.  We play by running, we have circle time by stretching, and of course, there is snack time.  And a trip to the local Starbucks afterwards is our equivalent of going to the zoo.  It’s a sort of field trip from our usual meeting place.  Of course, on some days we play a little harder than others and wander a little further from our playground.  These are the days when I am especially thankful for the group.  And not just because I might get lost!  I am encouraged by our conversations that point out that even though we are all in different stages of life, we all have something very much in common.  And that is our desire to constantly improve ourselves as runners, parents, spouses, friends and human beings in general.  We are not always out there on the path looking for a PR.  We are not always planning our next race.  A lot of the time we are just there to have fun.  And if we don’t have fun playing… well there is always snack time.  

For our last group run, the marathon training crew was scheduled to do a ten miler. Again, it was a miserably hot and humid morning. Those of us not training to do the marathon decided to suck it up and go the distance anyway. By the time we reached mile two we were dripping with sweat, and at mile 5 we were wishing for snow. Most of us agreed that we would have opted for a block or two in the same blizzard-like conditions we had for the half-marathon. At mile seven we had the option to head home and skip the last three. However, at this point we were so miserable that we decided what did three more miles really matter. As it turned out, it was all I could do to finish the ten. On this one day, it took not only the motivation of my music and my running partners, it also took something that only comes from deep down inside. Something that you can only reach by knowing exactly what you are made of and knowing how to allow your mind to overtake your body. You begin to move to your own beat at the thought of finishing strong. You mind and body start a fierce debate about who is stronger and more willing. You become your own music and your own most challenging training partner. And this my friends is what motivates me to run.

-Catherine McMonigle, when not frequenting the CRC group runs, enjoys writing and endlessly chasing her two children in circles.  Join her and the CRC group Saturday mornings at 8am. 

               
Trade in your cotton t-shirt!

Beginning on September 26th, trade in an old cotton tee and receive a Brooks technical tee for just $10. 
Offer lasts as long as supplies last - step away from “rotten cotton” and experience the comfort of a breathable wicking long sleeved tee.
Regular price $28.
 

A NEW Running Club is in town!

Are you boring friends and family members with talk about socks and heart rate monitors? Are you looking for a group of friendly, supportive runners to join for group runs and a post-run meal or beer? The Central Ohio Runners are a group of friends who get together for training, racing, and socializing. We plan weekday runs at local parks and trails and go for longer runs on weekends. Join us at our Thursday social run where we meet at the lake at Antrim for 1.2 mile loops. It is a good first run to meet members, and the loop is good for any pace or distance.
To learn more, check out:
CentralOhioRunners.org
 

The cool temperatures and crisp air of the fall make for perfect race weather.  Whether you’re chasing a PR or just taking part for the joy of the run, here are some events to check out.  For full info on these races, and more, check out the CRC race calendar online at www.columbusrunning.com/events.htm

October 8 - Lower Lights Run for Spaghetti.  This 5k, run downtown in Franklin Park one week before the Columbus Marathon, is a carb-loader’s dream.  At the finish, the Florentine is providing heaping plates of pasta to all 5k participants.  Bring your appetite...or build one as you wind along the scenic trails of the park! 

October 29 - Getting in Peak Condition.  Ohio’s version of a race at altitude!  The Peak Condition 5k is run at the highest point in Ohio, Bellefontaine’s Campbell Hill.  There is also a 1 mile fun run/walk.   

 

November 13 - T3 Trot for Tots 10k/3k.  Dublin’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus have come up with quite possibly the best 10k course that we’ve ever seen in central Ohio.  An ideal culminating race to top off a fun season of racing, the Trot also features a 3k for those looking for a change of pace.