batavia half madness RR

What a fun race. I had never done this one before, since it usually falls during Labor Day weekend, and I go to Vegas then. Lucky for me, it was held one week earlier this year, so I was able to participate.

(All photos in this blog are courtesy of Dave Mari and Nicole Fritz.)

I got to the race early, parked on a bridge, and met up with my friends Bob and Diane Miller. Bob was running the race, Diane cheering, and they were having us over for a BBQ after the race. We headed towards the start line and ran into both Dave and Nicole. After a potty break, we headed to a giant windmill to take Half Fanatic photos. (There's a surprising amount of us who come to small races in Illinois!)

Pic in front of the windmill:

Now you can SEE the windmill:

Goofy pic:

Then we all headed to the start line, which was seriously on the narrowest street ever. Which doubled as the finish chute. It was so weird.

Anyway, on our way over there, we asked a lady who looked like a race photog to take a group photo of us. She wasn't with the race, but with the Kane County Chronicle. She took our photo, and then I found it on the website today! You can find it here.

We had someone else take our own version:

Dave made a new friend and brought him into our picture, but this lady had other ideas:

That's better:


After all the fun, it was time to RACE!

Mile 1: I said this before, but it bears repeating - the start was weird. And crowded. And WEIRD, to be dodging garbage cans full of post-race goodies. Plus this first mile was so narrow, the entire race was going onto a bike trail! That smelled like sewage! Gross! 8:13

Mile 2: My foot hurts. My goal for today is not to die. And to take it easy in the beginning and give my foot and the rest of my body time to adjust. I've been going out way too fast in races lately, and it's killing me. Conservation is key. 8:04

Mile 3: Maybe if I turn up my ipod, I'll distract myself a little bit. This course is really fun so far. I like all the wind-y roads and the trees. Also, the sun is not beating down on me and I am very grateful. 8:18

Mile 4: I don't want to jinx anything, but so far, I feel pretty good. A couple of Maniacs have flown by me. I have no desire to chase anyone today. Just going with the flow, listening to the music and my body. 8:14

Mile 5: I make 2 new friends, who also did Ragnar Chicago, and we talk relay for awhile. Seriously, I cannot talk enough about how much I loved Ragnar. I will bore people to death with a recap. Sa-weet downhill, and then the creepiest aid station in the history of aid stations - hairy men in dresses is never a good idea. 8:20

Mile 6: Running on the bike trail again, where I will be running my marathon in 3 weeks. Just thinking about it makes me feel like throwing up in my mouth a little bit. I'm trying to push that thought out of my head when this guy comes up to me and says, hey, I met you at Hoffman last year, do you remember me. Yep, I sure do. My new friend Sean has since gotten really, really fast. He takes off in pursuit of a 1:45, and I grab some Gatorade from the aid station. I enjoy running into people on the course. 8:08

Mile 7: I catch up to Heather and Nicole, and we play cat-and-mouse for a bit. I'm still really focused on maintaining a conservative, consistent pace. My foot is not bothering me as much as it was yesterday (or even at the beginning of the race, yuck), but I'm still not going to push it. Be the tortoise, I tell myself. Be. The. Tortoise. 8:28

Mile 8: We lose Heather. She ran a marathon yesterday. She is BADASS with a capital every letter. Nicole leans back and says, how do you feel. I reply that I am taking it one mile at a time. Crap, there's hills now. 8:24

Mile 9: I am going up and I would like to go down. That is all. 8:37

Mile 10: Ahhh DOWN! We're running through this little subdivision, and all the residents are outside sitting in lawn chairs cheering for people. Fast forward to the CUTEST little kid watching the runners in his power wheels. His police car power wheels. He's dressed like a cop. Also a BADASS. (Can little kids be badass? I say YES!) 8:21

Mile 11: Onto the bike path and straight on to the end. This is downhill. If my sense of direction is correct, the finish line is by the river which is DOWN. We should be down the rest of the way, pending running on a grass hill or something weird like that. It shouldn't happen, right? I don't think so either. 8:20

Mile 12: Doing math while I run is nearly impossible, but I think I can get a PR if I pick it up just a bit. We'll see... 8:04

Mile 13: I am doing this. OMG 2 weeks in a row I'm going to PR in the pikermi. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I know that it takes me about 45 seconds to run .1 (hey - I'm built for distance, not for speed), so I need to hit the 13 mile marker by 1:47:15. AND I DO! Fastest mile of the day. 7:52

Mile 13.1: I head to the finish line with a giant smile on my face. I'm sprinting as hard as I can, passing people along the way. As I'm finishing the race, this lady spectating says to her friend, "How is she running SO FAST when she already ran 13 miles???" Haha awesome. 0:38

FINAL TIME: 1:47:51
AVERAGE PACE: 8:18
MILESTONE REACHED: 2 PRs in 2 weeks :)
NEXT PIKERMI: Chicago Half Marathon, 9.11.2011

After the race, I wolfed down a couple of slices of pizza and a granola bar, grabbed a Diet Pepsi (LOVE when races have a huge tub of pop), and sat down with Heather. We then found Nicole and headed to the beer tent. Got in line, and the guys with the keg were not collecting tickets and were like, keep coming back if you want. Don't mind if I do!

Nicole, me, Heather after the race:


Fun in the beer pen... did I mention that our medal is also a bottle opener?

When the finish line started tearing down, we left the beer pen and headed to our friend Bob Miller's house for a BBQ. It was a lovely day to sit outside and talk running with a bunch of other running freaks!

Group shot:

Looking at Nicole's BEAUTIFUL scrapbooks (I wish I had the patience for something like that!):

(Insert your dirty joke here :) )

dekalb corn classic 10K RR

How in the world could I possibly resist a race in my college town?

The answer is, I cannot.

So I got up before the sun on Saturday morning and drove to DeKalb, IL - home of my university and some of my fondest memories. I was running this race all by my lonesome, my cousin, Kari, and Roger opting for the 3K instead.

I should preface this by saying that I had a PF flare-up on Thursday. It still hurts (Monday) to put my right heel flat on the ground. So needless to say, I wasn't expecting great things from this race.

I got to the race start early, and picked up my packet. Check out the AWESOME t-shirt:

At 8am, after a really great rendition of the national anthem, we were OFF!

Mile 1: The first part of the race is kinda boring... it's an out-and-back that goes over the highway. It's long. The road looks endless. And yet for some reason, this was my best mile of the day! 7:52

Mile 2: Going over the highway, cars are actually slowing down a bit and beeping their horns. Too cool! This race has been going for 30 years strong, and you can definitely see why. So far, even with the sun beating down on me, I can see why this course is so fast. (Uh, because DeKalb is wayyyy flat, haha.) 8:11

Mile 3: I'm right where I want to be, a little conservative in the beginning. After all, I AM running a half marathon tomorrow! 8:18

Mile 4: Running on the grass?! What?! Luckily it's only a couple hundred feet, and now we're running on the paved bike path. I know this part of the course VERY well.

For those who don't know, I ran my first marathon in 2003, exactly 1 month before my 21st birthday. The longest road distance I had run? A 5K. In 2003, I was still a college student at NIU, and I trained by running all over DeKalb. I think I've seen more of DeKalb then most people who live there!

Turn the corner, and there's a lady on a bike spraying people in the face with a water bottle. Sounds bizarre, but my face is dripping with sweat and I welcome the cool water. 8:00

Mile 5: Ok, my feet hurt. I'm ready to be done. But here's the NIU basketball team handing out water at the aid station, cheering for us. They actually look excited to be there, which is so awesome to see. I appreciate you! 8:12

Mile 6: Cuteness alert. You've been warned.

So I'm running down this street, and I know that there's 1 more aid station between here and the finish line. But a couple of blocks before the race-run aid station, there's the CUTEST little girl standing in the middle of the road, holding out cups. Instead of a lemonade stand, she had an aid station. Her dad poured Gatorade and water into cups, and she was trying to hand them out to runners. The problem? NOBODY WAS TAKING THEM!

She looked so sad, and asked her Dad why nobody wanted water. He didn't have an answer for her. She was too cute. OF COURSE I took some Gatorade! Best aid station ever! 8:04

Mile 6.2: Straight on to the finish line from here... I can see my cousin, Kari, and Roger cheering for me (we are all wearing matching shirts, haha). I'm so focused on finishing strong that I don't ham it up as I usually do. Also, my foot REALLY hurts. Crap. But I sprint to the finish and actually run 3 seconds faster than I did last week :) 1:33

FINAL TIME: 50:13
AVERAGE PACE: 8:01
MILESTONE REACHED: Took 7th in my age group. Highest place ever for a CARA circuit race :)
NEXT 10K: Not til 2012. I hate 10Ks.

windrunner 10K RR

This race report is a little belated. I actually ran this race last Sunday, the day after my triumphant PR at the Madison Mini Marathon.

I love this race. Even though I'm not real big on the 10K as a distance (usually I suck at them), I really love this race. It's on a beautiful trail, and starts and ends on an equestrian track (aka on grass). You might remember from last year, when I missed an age group trophy by only a few seconds.

I signed up with revenge on my mind, but when I arrived at the race fresh off a PR in tough conditions, all I wanted was a course PR. Spoiler alert: I will get it.

(All photos in this blog courtesy of my friend Nicole Fritz.)

Start line:

Pretty forest preserve we were running in:

At 8am, after running into some random people I met in Madison the previous day, we were OFF!

Mile 1: I knew the second I began this race that I started too fast. And I will be paying for this the rest of the day. Crap. Also, I forgot my hat when I was leaving the house this morning. It's not so bad now, but since this is basically a out-and-back, I will be finishing the race straight into the sunshine. 7:42

Mile 2: Holy cow, my legs are tired from yesterday. RICE did nothing. 7:48

Mile 3: It's a beautiful day today, and I'm just trying to enjoy the trail and the weather. I don't run on trails ever, and I'm super clumsy, so I feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. 8:13

Mile 4: Phoning it in. I feel like crap. 8:19

Mile 5: WHY are 10Ks so hard for me??? I can rock 5Ks now, and 10 milers, but anything in between, I feel like I'm going to die for the entire race. Do I need more practice? This is really only the 4th one of these I've run all year- 1 in Feb, 2 in June, & this one. Maybe that's it... 8:21

Mile 6: I just want to finish. I take some water at the final aid station, and head toward the finish. I can hear the announcer and the music at the end. UGH I really, really wish I had my hat now. The sun is beating down on me! 8:17

Mile 6.2: TIME TO SPRINT! One of my new Madison friends runs me in. I can barely pick up my feet. This is about how I felt after Ragnar/North Shore a couple of months ago. Cross the finish line, and am pleasantly surprised to see that I got a course PR! 1:33

FINAL TIME: 50:16
AVERAGE PACE: 8:02
MILESTONE REACHED: Course PR!
NEXT 10K: DeKalb Corn Classic, 8.27.2011

And for the 2nd year in a row, I took 4th in my age group. GRRRR!

Nice pic with Nicole after I wolfed down 2 giant slices of pizza (for the record, it was delicious):

Such a fun race. I'll be back in 2012 :)

another photo from rock n roll chicago!

MGD 64 came over and took our picture while we enjoyed our drinks... LOVE the Half Fanatics :)

3 things thursday

1. I've been borderline OBSESSED with the Little League World Series. It's terrific TV. I watched one of the games go into 3 extra innings, then this kid from Georgia jacked a 2-run homer. It was awesome. You know what would make it better though? No Brent Musberger. He is annoying. #justsayin

2. I made a decision today. I will not be going to Georgia for RnR Savannah. Thinking about how expensive it is, and how I would be going alone, and burning sick days, etc etc nearly gave me a heart attack. I only paid $55 for the race, so I am not mad about eating the money. I cancelled my hotel reservation and requested my t-shirt mailed today. And I feel like a giant weight has been lifted from my chest. Now I can save my pennies for Tucson in December, where the only expense is my flight, since my bro lives there. (Oh, and money for the casino. Little bro likes to gamble.)

Instead of RnR Savannah, I will be staying at home and running the Hot Chocolate 15K with my cousin, and an inaugural pikermi in Aurora. Definitely the much cheaper option! I'm not even going to overhaul my training program - instead of 26.2 that weekend, I will be running 22.3. Close enough.

3. Ok NCAA, it's time. You need to bust out the death penalty for Miami. I read the Yahoo article, and all of the subsequent articles from various sources, and guess what? It's absolutely disgusting. No- disgraceful. No- both. I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 about the SMU program. What they did was absolutely disgusting. And yes, the death penalty did what it was meant to do, it killed the program. Please tell me how what they did in Miami is not at least the same kind of offensive, if not worse.

It's time to send a message that this bullshit will not be tolerated anymore. I gotta tell ya, NCAA, you're getting almost as hard to watch as the NBA.

wordless wednesday

I FINALLY took a good finisher photo!!!!!

random act of running kindness

I had a bad day today. Had my performance review, and it didn't go exactly as I'd hoped. Since my raise is dependent on my review, it looks like there will be no early Christmas this year.

So I got home from work, and thankfully, it wasn't raining anymore. I set out on my 7 miles, not really looking forward to it. But the sunshine was out, and I wore my red shirt from the Palos Southwest Pikermi, where I got a really good time, thinking it would help.

It didn't. Until about halfway through my run.

I'm flying down this hill, running straight into the wind, my legs are tired and my ponytail keeps whipping around and hitting me in the face. There's a man on a bicycle heading my way. Just as I'm about to approach him, he gets off his bike, grabs a bottle of water from the holder, and offers it to me, straight up.

Seriously.

He says, "It's brand new, I just bought it. Want some water?"

I say, "No thanks, I'm good. But thank you so much for the offer!"

We both carry on. For the remaining half of my run, I had a little lightness in my step.

Sir, whoever you are, you absolutely made my day :)

madison mini marathon RR

This past Saturday, I ran the Madison Mini Marathon in Madison, WI.

Last year, I ran this race for the first time, and I absolutely fell in love with it. The course is scenic and beautiful (although challenging for a flatlander like me), and the race is SO WELL ORGANIZED. It's a downhill finish, and then post-race beers on the Union Terrace at the University of Wisconsin, right on the lake. It's perfect, and one of the must-dos on my race calendar.

I drove up to Madison on Friday night, went to the expo (lame), got some Noodles n Company, and then settled in for a relaxing night of football watching and not sleeping all that well before the race.

I woke up early, since I stayed by the mall and had to drive to campus and find some parking. I got to the race about an hour before, checked my bag, then sat by the lake for a bit.

View from the terrace (note the storm clouds off to the left):

I walked to the start corral, and met up with a couple Fanatics/Maniacs. (Haha I was incognito due to my failure to do laundry in a timely manner!) About 10 minutes before the start time (7am), they played the national anthem. Huh, we said to each other, that's kinda early.

Then the other shoe dropped. The announcer informed us that a storm was coming, and we were to seek shelter immediately. Yes, we were in for a rain delay.

I took shelter in some random hotel with about 100 other people, and sat down to wait it out. I made a few new friends in the process. I texted. I tweeted. I stalked the race's Facebook page. 75 minutes later, we heard an announcement that the race would be starting at 8:30. Only a 90 minute delay!

So we went outside to get lined up. And it's POURING outside. All I keep thinking at this point is, damn, I have to run fast to be able to get my stuff, drive back to the hotel, and run through the shower before checkout!

Mile 1: The first part of the race runs down Greek Row (ahhh, memories of my own Greek life at NIU), then down a hill to the state capitol and the farmer's market. I remember how much I love this race. I'm settling into my pace. I am still not sure what I'm capable of today, but I'm going to start out as conservatively as I can. 7:56

Mile 2: Um, it's freaking POURING out. Puddles everywhere. Rain dripping off the bill of my hat and into my eyes. My shoes and socks (and feet) are going to be soaked. Hah, I'll probably get a PR today. I am awesome in crappy conditions. 8:07

Mile 3: So far, so good. I feel pretty good and I'm not going to push the pace, knowing that the arboretum and its hills are coming up. 8:09

Mile 4: Met up with my Fanatic friend, who is not feeling a PR today. My inability to do math while I run starts to work against me, as I spend almost A MILE thinking about how well I have to run the rest of the way to get a PR. Then I give up. Math is hard. 8:07

Mile 5: Ever run up one of those hills where you feel like you're so low to the ground that you could scrape it with your fingertips? That's how I feel right now. Also, I've stopped dodging puddles. I'm just going to run through them. I doubt my feet can get any wetter. 8:42

Mile 6: The weirdest thing happened. The rain stopped. Not only that, but the clouds are clearing, and the sun is starting to peek out. Is it turning into a beautiful day? 8:06

Mile 7: Yes, yes it is. I'm trying not to lose my cool on these hills. Slow and steady and you'll have energy for the flat parts, I tell myself. 8:25

Mile 8: Out of the arboretum! Yay! Even though it's pretty, this is the 2nd year in a row where I've been like, ok, enough already, get me out of here. I feel like I just found my way out of a maze. Maybe I just want cheese. I am in Wisconsin, after all. 8:18

Mile 9: The speed bumps on this road are strangely exhilarating... 8:03

Mile 10: I know the last uphill is coming up. It's a doozy, too. Straight up til morning. I take it easy on the hill, why kill myself with a 10K tomorrow, but I'm slightly off my pace for a PR. Reassess at 11, which was the plan I invented for myself after the first 5K. One more mile and I will decide if I can gun it. 8:45

Mile 11: I swear the aid stations during this mile were like a quarter mile apart. 2nd time this race that has happened to me. How weird. Even with my poor math skills, I think I'm guaranteed a PR if I pick it up for the last 2 miles. They're flat and fast and on a lake path. I run on a lake path every single day. I can do this. That PR is mine! 8:25

Mile 12: I see my Fanatics friend, who shouts my name on the turn as I fly by. I'm in the zone. Britney is blasting on my ipod, and I'm passing a shit-ton of people during this mile. I can see the Terrace, so I know it's not TOO far away. 8:07

Mile 13: All I could think about this mile was that someone is playing tricks on me by moving the finish line. And Garmin is nowhere near as off as he was last Sunday! (Let me tell you, boats and harbors usually wreak havoc on his skills.) I need that OMM shirt, "Who moved the finish line?" I know that, based on the crazy amount of races I've done this year, that I need between 45 and 50 seconds for the last .1. Which means that to get a PR, I absolutely need to hit the mile marker by 1:47:40 to have a chance. I do it. I've got this. 7:59

Mile 13.1: Turn 2 corners, then a sweet downhill sprint to the finish. I cut in front of this guy right at the end (SORRY!) so that I can have a finisher photo all to myself. (Cut me some slack, I haven't taken a good photo since April. ) I did it. I got a PR on a hilly, rainy course. I battled blisters and weird chafing and giant puddles. Say it with me - I. Am. Awesome. 0:48

FINAL TIME: 1:48:03
AVERAGE PACE: 8:09
MILESTONE REACHED: 1st rain delay for a race start!
NEXT PIKERMI: Peapod Mad to the Bone, 8.28.2011

Went through the finisher zone and got my sweet medal, which is also a bottle opener:


I can't wait to wear the t-shirt at next week's pikermi:



Thank you, Madison, for once again putting on the best half marathon of the year. I can't wait until next August!

rock n roll chicago pikermi RR

To make a long story short, this race didn't go as I had hoped. Garmin (and my internal distance clock) had this one measured a bit long. I watched my PR come and go as I sprinted (yes, all-out sprinted) from Soldier Field to the finish line. Argh. Not posting splits for this one, since I'm not sure how accurate they are.

I arrived downtown a few minutes later than I had planned, due to the 3 drunk people who got stuck between the train doors at the Irving Park station. The train had to cut power and pry them out. True story. That's what happens when you get on the train before the bars let out!

I met Jenn, Renee, Kelsey, and her friend, and we headed to Buckingham fountain for gear check. Gear check was alphabetical, which was weird, but it meant that my bag was close to where the finisher zone ended. Being near the end of the ABCs has its perks!

I was overly optimistic about my finisher time - I thought I would be further along, but since I concentrated on a lot of smaller distances, that's not the case. So I was put in corral 2. But the 1:50 pace people were in corral 6, so that's where Renee and I went. We met a fellow Half Fanatic in the corral, and before I knew it, we were OFF!

Mile 1: We got SO LUCKY with the weather. I think at this point last year, I was already drenched with sweat. I mean, it's humid, but the temperatures are low, so it's doable. Even though I would later become a negative nancy, I really do enjoy what this race has to offer.

Mile 2: It's still really crowded where I am. But for some reason, spaces keep opening up in front of me, so I'm running in a straight line. It's kind of weird, actually. Am I destined for great things today?

Mile 3: I remember at this time last year, I really, really had to pee. That is not the case this time around - I'm not stopping for anything or anybody!

Mile 4: Best entertainment ever - Irish step dancers! Once upon a time, that was me! We also run this part of the race during the Chicago Marathon. It's nice to have some training on some rarely-run parts of the course.

Mile 5: More time on Adams, then seeing the UIC cheerleaders on the turn to Jackson. They are really cheerful for it being so darn early!

Mile 6: Now I can see the skyline, and despite the black clouds obscuring the tops of the skyscrapers, the city is really beautiful.

Mile 7: Passing the Sears (I'm a local I don't call it Willis) Tower. My feet feel like they are breaking with every step. This is weird, since I train on concrete sidewalks and other terrible roads in the area. Step, snap, step, snap. This might be the first time I've ever run a race where I feel like my body is broken. And just like that, the pain stops. And we turn onto Michigan Avenue.

Mile 8: I just hit a wall... of screaming fans! It's starting to rain, but I can feel the humidity slowly killing off, so this is a good thing. As my mother would say, it's a "wee soft rain"... and it feels amazing!

Mile 9: It's so weird to be running the race in this direction - normally this is the end of the Chicago Marathon, and we're facing the opposite direction. Also, I'm usually cursing humanity this point - not the best time to stop and smell the roses!

Mile 10: King Drive is a little scary, even in the daytime. Just sayin'. Also, there are potholes everywhere.

Mile 11: Now I can count blocks, since we turned on one of the numbered streets. Facing the city now, and it's stopped raining. There's zero humidity. I love this kind of weather.

Mile 12: I swear I've done this part of the course a zillion times already this year... McCormick Place, Soldier Field, ho-hum.

Mile 13: Here's where I started to cry a little bit, knowing that I was going to miss my PR. It sucks. But the only way out is through, so I just took off. Like, full-out sprinted. I ran a 7:10 mile. Yeah, that's one of my best all year (beaten by a 7:04 at the Woodstock Challenge). I'm flying. Let's DO this.

Mile 13.1: The finish line feels so far away. And it is, really. I'm still sprinting and surprisingly not losing any steam at all. I can't wait to change my shoes and drink free beer. Oh, and get my Chitown duo medal in the mail, although that won't happen for some time. 3rd year in a row doing this race, and today I got a course PR. (It's something, right?)

FINAL TIME: 1:50:09
AVERAGE PACE: 8:01 (based on Garmin distance of 13.71)
MILESTONE REACHED: Course PR by over a minute!
NEXT PIKERMI: Madison Mini Marathon, 8.20.2011

After the race, I got my bag and sat down to wait for Renee at our meeting place. I changed my shoes, got my beer tickets and a finisher shirt, and then once she got there, we headed to the beer tent! It started raining again as soon as we got our drinks, but like any champs, we just said "eh" and kept on drinking. We are awesome.

Met up with some Fanatics/Maniacs:

Then we decided that it was way too cold and wet to be standing outside in short sleeves any longer. So we headed back to her hotel for hot showers and brunch.

On the way out, we ran into Nicole:

I'm already looking forward to next year's race. I want revenge. :)

3 things thursday

1. When I got home from work, the cable was out. Alllll I wanted to do tonight was watch football and drink beer. Was my ideal evening quashed?

So I did what anyone else would do in this situation - yelled FUCK YOU COMCAST at my phone when the automated person hung up on me, and went for a 7 mile run.

I got back, oh, 62 minutes later. My cable was back on. Running fixes everything.

2. Got an email today from CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association), inviting me to participate in their 20 mile training run, sponsored by McDonald's. WHAT?! If we're going for fast-food sponsors, let it be known that I prefer Wendy's. Love me some spicy chicken sandwiches...

3. Currently reading Erik Larson's new one. Let me tell you, you get some strange looks when you tell people you're reading a nonfiction book about Hitler's Germany.

The thing I like most about his books is that they're nonfiction, but they read like a good fiction novel. HIGHLY recommend his other 2 - The Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck (I thought the latter was better).

elvis is alive 5K RR

I decided on this one pretty last minute, after finding a coupon code in Chicago Athlete magazine. $20 for an untimed race with a t-shirt and beer at the finish? Sold. (Let's be honest, you had me at free beer.)

So last Thursday I took the train down, and oh man, did we get lucky with the weather. It was GORGEOUS outside. High 70s, nice breeze, bright sunshine. This is going to be a fun one.

This might be one race where I wish I had worn a costume. EVERYONE was dressed like Elvis, even if it was just gold sunglasses. Me = jealous. I decided to do a play on Elvis, and wore my t-shirt and hat from the RnR Las Vegas Pikermi in 2009.

I lined up behind a bunch of Elvi (Elvises? Help me out!), and after the running path was (semi) cleared, we were OFF!

Mile 1: My goal for this race was just to have a good time and not worry about pace. This race is crowded, because the lakefront path is not closed to other traffic. It's SO BEAUTIFUL out here, and I swear everyone is out enjoying it. I am running on the grass, trying to pass people. Just because it's a fun run doesn't mean I want to do a good job!

As Dad would say, "Be a job big or small, do it right or not at all." 7:41

Mile 2: Yeah, that would end up being my fastest. This part of the course has us facing the museum, but we'll eventually have to turn around. I'm guessing this involved bridges and ramps. I'm not wrong. Blech. 7:47

Mile 3: Bright sunshine, nice breeze coming off the lake, THIS is why Chicago is so awesome. I can see the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, happy people strolling, tourists snapping photos (including of us - these people dressed like Elvis running around must be so strange to foreigners) - and the FINISH line! 8:11

Mile 3.11 (3.18, per Garmin): Sprint to the finish! And it wasn't half bad! 0:43

FINAL TIME: 24:29
AVERAGE PACE: 7:41
MILESTONE REACHED: 1st time I've wished I had dressed up in a costume for a race.
NEXT 5K: Bucktown? That seems so far away...

wordless wednesday

Results from Day 2 of the Garmin Dirty Liar Project.

Stay tuned for next week, when we venture to the cell phone/radio black hole and test out the distance.

(I'm pretty amazing - I run 38 minute miles while sitting on my butt!)

is garmin a dirty liar?

Warning: rant ahead. This is still bothering me from yesterday.

Question - How do you run mile splits faster than the average pace of your pikermi PR and still not get a PR?

Answer - The course is long.

Such as yesterday's Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon. I've had no issues with this race in the past, and rarely have issues with Garmin downtown (aside from when it said I was running 1:53 pace, haha). But when I got to "mile 11," being a local and knowing the downtown roads better than I know the ones in my subdivision, and knowing that there are way less than 2 miles remaining, I lost it.

Motivation, drive, sanity. Kaput. I thought I was going to cry. Oh wait, I did shed a few tears.

I sprinted the entire last I don't know how long, looked at Garmin when it hit 13.11 (at 1:45:45, a PR by nearly 3 minutes), kicked ass to the finish, with a final time of 1:50:08. Poo.

I caught up to 3 of the pace leaders and asked what their Garmins said... every one was closer to 14 than it was to 13. As for me, I got 13.71. The pace leader says, "Oh, it's the bridges."

I asked my group of friends, everyone's was off. I would accept 13.25-13.3 in a race this size. But 13.71? Unacceptable.

Jenn and I thought that even with the tall buildings, the distance would still be correct, just the pace per mile off a little bit.

I decided to investigate further.

I asked 22 people between yesterday and today what their GPS measured. 4 of the people I asked used foot pods. Distances ranged from 13.4-14.1. The median distance was 13.65. Still not satisfied, I tried out my theory today.

Hypothesis: When Garmin lies, the pacing is off but the distance remains the same.

To test this, I ran a standard 4 mile route in my neighborhood. I have been running the same route since 2008. I turned Garmin on, started him loading, waited until he was almost but not quite finished loading, hit the button and started running.

Start/finish point: the crack in the sidewalk outside of my patio, 3 feet north of the pine tree.

The first mile, my paces ranged from 47:11 to 8:22. At the 1 mile mark, the distance still had not updated (showed 0.01), but the pacing was correct. I decided to not check the distance until the very end of the run.

Kept running, pace still right on target (between 8:45 and 9:00). Blah, blah, blah more miles.

Rounded the corner and headed back to my house for the end of the run - got to the crack in the patio, hit the stop button... distance 4.0 miles exactly. I probably need a larger sample size, so I will retest my theory on Wednesday. But so far, I proved my point.

Garmin is not a liar. And I want my time prorated.

3 things thursday

1. FOOTBALL IS BACK!!!!! I'm so unbelievably excited I could scream. I still have no idea who to draft in my fantasy league... hopefully some time watching the NFL Network this weekend will make things clearer.

2. I know every single word to every single song on Jason Aldean's latest CD. I also like to scream out the lyrics in my car. It's probably a good thing I didn't have a passenger today.

3. I ran a 5K this evening down on the lakefront path. The Elvis is Alive 5K was a rocking good time... I personally picked Vegas Elvis, and wore my RnR t-shirt and hat. I think next year I would definitely go all out, with rhinestone something and funky sideburns. It'll be epic.

Bonus: Have you ever gotten a thank you note from a race director BEFORE a race? I got one in my mailbox on Tuesday... a thank you note just for registering. It absolutely made my day.

terrapin 5K RR

I've always wanted to do this race - I signed up for it 2 years ago, but was stuck in traffic due to President Obama's motorcade and a thunderstorm, and never made it to the race. So the second I got on the train Thursday after work, I was ecstatic, because I knew that I would actually make it to the race!

My cousin and I got downtown with the intention of cutting through Grant Park to get to Soldier Field... but we were foiled by Lollapalooze setup! GAH! So it took a few more minutes to get to the race site (which definitely made me nervous), but we were there in plenty of time to check our bags and chill out before the race.

With 15 minutes to go, we headed to our respective corrals, and I ran into running friends Carol, Heather, and Nicole.

(All photos are courtesy of my running friend Nicole.)

Pre-race pic:

My legs were SO TIRED after a tough week of training, that my only goal was to run and finish the race! And then immediately get in the beer line, haha!

Mile 1: I hate how I NEVER remember to turn my Garmin off Auto Lap before races... and then I only remember after crossing the start line. So now I have to turn the Auto Lap off while trying not to crash into curbs... or people. Mission accomplished, and then I was on my way. I turned up the volume on my ipod, passed a huge pack of little kids, and then ran into the tunnel under McCormick Place. It's not my favorite place to run. It's dark. And a little smelly. But I emerged unscathed, and spotted the mile marker up ahead. This ended up being my fastest mile of the day. 7:28

Mile 2: I still don't feel good. I catch Heather and thank GOD the turn is right up ahead. Heading towards the city- the weather is perfect and the skyline looks beautiful. I bypass the water station and focus on the task at hand - which right now seems to be finishing this race without barfing. 7:34

Mile 3: I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life here... and for some reason my mantra becomes that of Dorie from Finding Nemo: "Just keep running, just keep running." And it works. I know where the finish line is, and I just turn up the volume on my ipod, pass the CFD memorial and the East building at McCormick place, and it's almost OVER! 7:36

Mile 3.1: I can barely pick up my feet... I feel almost EXACTLY like I did at the end of the North Shore Half Marathon, even though I haven't run nearly as many miles as I did that week. I'm not going to get a PR today, and I end up missing my 2nd best time ever by 1 second! Can you believe that?! 0:44

FINAL TIME: 23:24
AVERAGE PACE: 7:33
MILESTONE REACHED: 2nd best 5K of 2011, and 3rd best time ever... on a day when I REALLY didn't feel like running! Amazing!
NEXT 5K: Elvis is Alive 5K, 8.11.2011

After the race, I met up with Nicole and Kate, both of whom absolutely SMOKED the course. They ran some REALLY fast time!

Kate, Nicole, me:

We added Heather:

Then Heather and I found Carol, and headed to the finish line to watch for my cousin to finish. Nicole snapped this one of her on the course:

Once she crossed the line, we headed for some beer (delicious) and pizza (delicious but lame in that it was so freaking small) and some great conversation. It was a terrific race, and I can't wait to wear my awesome tie-dye t-shirt while training this week :)

graham's sundae 5K

My cousin and I definitely registered for this one last minute. We were persuaded by the free ice cream sundaes at the end.

Instead of a t-shirt, we got a vest. As in, a fleece vest. In July. It doesn't even have the race date on it! (We have a plan to embroider it on the back!) Even though it's really, really bright green in color, I can definitely see myself using this one during the endless winter here in the Chi.

We arrived at the race early, and found out that it was going to be run on the GORGEOUS Fox River Trail - same site as my September marathon! Woo hoo!

Just before we headed to the start line, we hear someone calling my name... I look over, and it's my Half Fanatics/Marathon Maniacs friend Bob Miller! (All photos in this blog are courtesy of Bob, btw.) He's with his wife Diane, ready to enjoy an easy Sunday 5K.

Me, Diane, & Jill pre-race:

I had the most horrible long run ever on Saturday morning (I've totally been horrendous with the long runs this entire summer), and my legs were still pretty tired. I wasn't looking for a PR, or even close to a PR today. I was looking for an ice cream sundae at the end, and that was about it!

So I started a little farther back than I normally would have... and as the horn sounded, I realized that this race was on gun time! Ahh!

Mile 1: I did A LOT of weaving. It's my own fault, though, for not lining up properly. So I took a lot of extra steps zoom-zooming around people. It's still hot and humid outside, but at least the majority of the race is on the shaded trail... yay! 7:37

Mile 2: I'm feeling pretty good, despite the heat. This is a smaller race, so I am not having a lot of trouble establishing a position. At the turn already? Man, I LOVE out-and-backs!

I get a little farther down the trail, and I see my cousin and give her a high-five. Then my own personal photog, Bob, is standing on the side of the trail to take this AWESOME photo of me:


Now back to the race... 7:34

Mile 3: I'm adopting my usual race strategy for the last mile- no ladies will pass me. I will do the passing, thankyouverymuch. I pick off a couple pairs of ladies, and I still feel amazing. I remember to look for the windmill (SO AWESOME) to see. The nice thing about out-and-backs is that you always know what you have to do to get back. I know I'm getting close, and then I see the finish line just ahead! 7:40

Mile 3.1: I gun it. I'm not going to get a PR, heck, I'm not even going to sprint as quickly as I did earlier in the week during one of my training runs, but I'm going to finish strong and with a giant smile on my face, and with my 2nd best time of 2011. 0:40

FINAL TIME: 23:32
AVERAGE PACE: 7:38
MILESTONE REACHED: 1st time training on the FVM course.
NEXT 5K: Terrapin 5K, 8.4.2011

After I finished, I grabbed a couple of cups of water and then headed to the Mile 3 marker to wait for Jill. As soon as I saw her, I jumped back on the course and raced her to the finish line. I told her she had to beat me, haha. And she did! Yay!

We met up with Bob and Diane, and got our ice cream (plus homemade muffins... YUM!). The ice cream was DEFINITELY worth running a 5K in crazy humidity. At least it was shady. But I swear I didn't stop sweating until after I took a shower.

Enjoying our treats:

A wonderful way to start a Sundae... get it? Get it? ;)

3 things thursday

I've been so busy with training that Wednesday slipped right on past me! (Ok, maybe I went out for a burger and ended up in food coma... but sure, we'll go with training ;) )

1. Tonight I'm running the Terrapin 5K, a Grateful Dead-inspired 5K along the lake in Chicago. With pizza and beer afterwards. I'm SO EXCITED, even though I run terrible at night races (from sitting all day in my desk chair, perhaps?)

2. I ran a 5K on Sunday in Geneva, IL, where we got ice cream sundaes with HOMEMADE ice cream afterwards. If it weren't for the 10 year age groups, I would have gotten an award (instead, I was 4th, boo). I owe you a race report - possibly it will post tomorrow.

3. The 2nd-thought monster just bit me... must go change my race outfit.

Gaaah, wish I had more time to blog today!!!