It is with a fair amount of gratitude that I sit at my computer and pen another runner ramble. Who would have guessed the uncertainly, turmoil, isolation and pain that became 2020? After we finished Mississippi, State #39 in Feb 2020, we went home, naive and excited about the next 5 runs on our calendar. Little did we know that within a few short weeks, the entire nation would be paralyzed by a novel virus that no one understood, or knew how to control. One by one, our races were either cancelled, turned virtual, or subjected to quarantine and travel restrictions. Delaware in April and Massachusetts in May were the first to fall. We were hopeful for Pennsylvania in July as COVID appeared to be waning, but a bum knee and travel restrictions took that off the calendar. Delaware had been pushed to September, but ultimately they were not able to get permitting and the race went virtual. Our last hope for 2020 was a small race along the White River in Arkansas in November, but with COVID raging, even though we felt we knew how to travel safely, it felt irresponsible to court the possibility of bringing the virus home to our families. So disappointed, we cancelled our plans and stayed home. All of this was a very minor backdrop to a pandemic that was stealing lives and livelihoods; shuttering industries, schools, and entertainment venues, and leaving people reeling with isolation, depression, suicide, abuse and hopelessness. It was a dark time for the nation and the world, for every conceivable reason.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of dedicated scientists, by December 2020 two COVID vaccines were approved and a light appeared at the end of a very long tunnel. At the time of this blog, more than 95.7 million doses have been administered in the U.S., with two million more being given every day. And while this pandemic is by no means over, little by little we are returning to our former lives, masked and socially distancing where appropriate, but optimistic for the future.

In early January, we started perusing websites for races to build out a revised 2021 calendar. With only 11 states left and many races still on hold because of COVID, it was not an easy task. Our goal is still to finish close to my 70th birthday in 2022. So when Melodie found the “Olde Girdled Grit”, a small trail run scheduled for Feb. 27th in Concord Township, OH, I didn’t flinch, nor do any additional research, but eagerly said “I’m in!” It was only later that we realized that Lake County, nestled along the shores of Lake Erie, has the highest snowfall in Ohio and the month with the most snow is February. When we started weather watching a couple of weeks prior to the race, all of this data became crystal clear. Although it caused some trepidation, cancelling was not in the cards. We were ready to run and travel again, snow, ice and freezing temperatures notwithstanding. We consulted our knowledgeable nieces and daughters for cold weather running advice, and put Amazon to work.

Melodie met me at Sky Harbor early Thursday morning and we flew together to Cleveland, OH. We didn’t have any other takers to accompany us on this trip, for reasons which are not a mystery. Biting, cold winds greeted us as we stepped out of the airport and boarded the shuttle to pick up our rental car. The “feels like” factor was consistently 8 to 10 degrees lower than the actual, so for us warm bloods from CA and AZ, 21 degrees was frigid.

The drive to our lodging at Comfort, Inn in Painesville was only 43 miles which went quickly and uneventfully. Although there was snow on the ground, the roads were clear. We checked into our hotel and went in search of some food, a pretty standard agenda. The roads in the area were very confusing, but we managed to find our way to a restaurant nearby that served decent food. The cold weather conditions couldn’t dim our delight to be together and traveling again.

Friday dawned windy and cold, just as predicted. We huddled in our hotel and worked at our respective jobs for a few hours, then headed out on foot in search of decent coffee and breakfast. It was evident that this is an area that gets a lot of snow.

One of the products that Bethany and Trish had recommended to us for snow running was YakTrax, an ice traction device that slips on your shoes and provides stability for running on snow and ice, much like chains on your tires. When Melodie and I talked a few days before the race, temperatures were warming and it looked like race day temps would be above freezing. Melodie was pretty sure we wouldn’t need them, so she was thinking about leaving hers home as we always have so much stuff to haul. I, on the other hand, thought we should probably bring them as we never know what we might encounter. Long story short, when we got here, we realized that we had followed each other’s advice. Melodie brought hers, and I left mine home. Classic sister stuff and fodder for a good laugh at ourselves.

After brunch, we headed to Second Sole in Mentor to pick up our race bibs and find out a bit more about race conditions and logistics. I was able to pick up another pair of YakTrak’s so that problem was solved, but the feedback on trail conditions was disconcerting.

One of our traditions with our states races is to spend one day sight-seeing and immersing ourselves in the culture of the area. We typically do our research prior to getting on the plane and have a plan. For whatever reason, this didn’t happen. Melodie did some googling on the fly and we discovered that the James A. Garfield National Historic Site was in Mentor. Neither of us knew much about him, so we headed over and toured the museum and did some reading on his life. James A. Garfield was our 20th president, inaugurated in March 1881, shot and mortally wounded on July 2 by a political fanatic, and died on Sept 19th. It was a tumultuous time in our country’s history and a reminder that political discord and controversy is not new. It was an educational hour and kept us out of the cold – so it was a win/win.

Next sight-seeing stop was Headlands Beach State Park, heralded as one of the most popular beaches in the Lake County Area. Needless to say, it was not populated the day of our visit, albeit there were a few hardy Ohioans out enjoying the area. At this point, the wind had picked up, and the cold penetrated every joint and muscle of our bodies. Despite this, we walked out to the beach and took pictures. Our faces say it all.

We lasted about an hour, enough to get our 10,000 steps in and satisfy our need to say we’d done some sight-seeing. It was during this jaunt that we received the last email from the race director. He sent out a message to registered runners using words like….”Most horrible trail conditions we’ve ever seen. Much worse than last year. YakTrax and spikes can only do so much. The trail is solid ice and snow. Please come prepared to go slow”. We looked at each other and had a moment. Were we being foolish? Did we need to pull the rip cord? It almost sounded like the race director was trying to discourage people from showing up for the race. Our anxiety levels were high, but neither of us were ready to call it quits. We headed back to our hotel and ordered a pizza, all the while trying to manage our concerns about the conditions.

Race morning dawned much as predicted. Warmer temps and rain. The Olde Girdled Grit Trail Run boasted 4 distances; 50K, 18 miles, full marathon, and half marathon. The long distance runners started at 7:30, but the half didn’t start until 9:00 am. We ate our runners breakfast in our hotel room, and headed out to conquer the day. At this point, our goals were simple. Don’t freeze to death. Don’t fall. Finish upright.

We figured that many runners wouldn’t show up after the race director’s dire predictions of the day before. However, when we arrived, all the parking spots were full, and it appeared that all 193 registrants for the half marathon were there and ready to go. We learned later that the majority of the runners were locals. We were most likely the only west coasters in the bunch. The rain had started to taper off by race time and the temperature was around 40. Time to go out there and just do it.

The first two miles were on the road and straight uphill. Slow, but not bad. As we entered the park, there was a spot for runners to put on their YakTrax and then the fun began. The dynamic here was that even though temps were above freezing, sun could not easily enter the heavily wooded Lake Metroparks area. What that meant is the snow melted just enough to create a slick, icy surface on the trail. We started out very gingerly as we became acquainted with our life-savers, the trusty YakTrax. At one point, I even picked up a walking stick to keep from slipping.

Stairs, suspension bridges, steep ups and downs, this course had it all. After the first hour, we had only gone 4 miles. We looked at each other and wondered if we were going to be out here all day. But we kept going, there weren’t many alternatives. We were dressed appropriately, so being cold didn’t become a factor. We saw people out there with no YakTrax or spikes, slipping and sliding down the hills, and decided we weren’t too bad off. After mile 7, the terrain evened out a bit and we were able to pick up the pace. And at mile 10, we hit pavement once again for 1.5 miles, and my younger and faster sis took off like she had fire on her tail. The last 1.5 miles were again in the park, so back on went the YakTrax, and we gutted it out.

Finished at last. Upright and smiling. It took over an hour longer than a typical half marathon usually does, but we managed it without injury, frozen appendages, or loss of humor. There were 6 people in the female 60 – 69 age group in the race and we were 2nd. So not too bad, all things considered. I’m pretty sure the only person in the world that would do something like this with me is my little sis. We aren’t sure which one of us is to blame, so we just lock arms, and roll together. What an experience!

Exhausted but slightly euphoric that we survived, we headed back to our hotel room. Although the hotel’s hot tub and swimming pool were closed due to COVID restrictions, our room boasted a large, whirlpool jacuzzi. We donned our swimming suits and pampered our sore muscles for a bit, so grateful to be done.

After relaxing for a bit, we donned our matching sweatshirts, courtesy of OGG, and headed out to eat our last meal in Painesville, OH. Although this picture showcases clearly which one of us is younger, it still makes me happy to look at it.

We spent our last few hours researching our next races – some would call us certifiable. But one thing is for sure. We take nothing for granted. It’s been a rough 12 months, but we have much to be grateful for. The love and support of an incredible family, our continued good health despite the occasional hiccups, and the ability and desire to pursue our dreams.

Next up is Carderock, MD in April. I’ve put in a special request for warm weather, and flat, dry roads with the guy upstairs. If you’ve got a minute, you can add your request to mine.