They look like loafers, but they are actually gym shoes. And I wore them to work today! Haha
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Edison park turkey trot RR
A little late, I know, but this is going to be a shorty. As you know, I do this race with my dad each year. We power-walk, and catch up with all the neighborhood gossip.
I met up with Dad early, and we headed to packet pickup. Crap, it's already cold and windy. And there are A LOT of people here! It's amazing to see how much this has grown. This year, we couldn't even hear the bad trumpet national anthem! Lame!
We lined up way in the back, staying warm with the exhaust from a police car. True story.
During those 3.11 miles, we saw baby joggers, people dressed as pilgrims and Indians, people wearing turkey hats (at first glance, it looked like the kind of hat you might wear at a bachelorette party, if you get my drift), gorgeous houses, and a house that had a bloody Mary bar going (I so wanted to stop there!)
We crossed the finish line somewhere around 53 minutes. It was fun. No splits, no pressure. Then we hightailed it to the bar for beers and ESPN. Because, my friends, that's what Thanksgiving on the NW side of Chicago is all about! ;)
I have apps & the weird things you learn on a shuttle bus
I am writing this post for you ON MY PHONE. Yes, I am now part of the 21st century - I have an Android phone!
I ran 2 turkey trots last week. Well, technically I walked one with my dad, and then ran a half marathon in the rain on Saturday. I am behind on race reports, but maybe by working this app during the intermission of the hockey game I can catch up!
A story from Saturday...
The course I ran was point-to-point, and I had to take a shuttle bus back to my car. While on the bus, I overheard a conversation about a 5 mile race at the old Playboy Club in Lake Geneva that's basically a giant booze party at the end. Free booze? Count me in! So as I got off the bus, I asked the guy for the name of the race...
The Snow fun 5 miler.
Then I tweeted my friend Renee to tell her about it. We registered. Got a hotel room. And are already planning our matching outfits.
The dress code for the party? Playboy bunnies.
Ah the things you learn on a shuttle bus...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
more shoe porn...
Went out to eat with the parentals last night for my birthday. In addition to a Kindle gift card (I am OBSESSED with my Kindle), I got these:
Lightweight, with pretty flowers on the sides. Yep, they get me!
Lightweight, with pretty flowers on the sides. Yep, they get me!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
3 things thursday
1. I don't like the new Gmail format. I upgraded the other day, and I'm not impressed. I feel like it doesn't listen to me when I want to click on stuff. This is problematic, as I am a total control freak. Maybe it takes some getting used to?
2. Yesterday I stopped by the movie theater to buy my tickets for Breaking Dawn tomorrow! Yeah, I am a total nerd :) My friend Kim is awesome because she loves stuff like this... she's my Harry Potter friend as well. And now she is my Hunger Games friend, as she skipped the gym this morning to stay home and read the first book. Soooooo excited for tomorrow night!
3. I had an interesting day at work... I don't understand why people who want something from you are rude to you when they try to get it. It made me think of this old Dave Barry quote that I saw on a sign at my Jimmy John's:
"A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)"
Something else to think about, also from Dave Barry:
"The most destructive force in the universe is gossip."
2. Yesterday I stopped by the movie theater to buy my tickets for Breaking Dawn tomorrow! Yeah, I am a total nerd :) My friend Kim is awesome because she loves stuff like this... she's my Harry Potter friend as well. And now she is my Hunger Games friend, as she skipped the gym this morning to stay home and read the first book. Soooooo excited for tomorrow night!
3. I had an interesting day at work... I don't understand why people who want something from you are rude to you when they try to get it. It made me think of this old Dave Barry quote that I saw on a sign at my Jimmy John's:
"A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)"
Something else to think about, also from Dave Barry:
"The most destructive force in the universe is gossip."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
wordless wednesday
No doubt we are giggling at this poor lady who stepped in the middle of our picture... but since I can't remember what we talked about for 10 miles, I cannot be certain this is the case.
Monday, November 14, 2011
chicago's perfect 10 RR
Let me just say: I love the 10 miler. Such a great distance. When I saw this one, and saw that medals were a part of the festivities, I knew I had to get in on it. (Plus- it was cheap!) I immediately encouraged all of my awesome running friends to come join me. Renee was in. Jill was in (but she got sick and had to miss it - and we missed her!).
3 days before race day, I see on Facebook that the race time has changed. Now we have to haul ass to Navy Pier for a 7am race start... EVIL. Renee and I left the house at 4:45am. It was dark outside for the entire drive. But we avoided all traffic and any sort of packet pickup line. (I am awesome like that.)
Good things about the race being at Navy Pier: indoor toilets. Race day packet pickup. Getting to stay indoors until the absolute last instant. Free McGriddles. That is all.
So we stayed inside for as long as possible, then Renee and I decided to run together. To get a 10 mile PR would require me running every mile under 8:00. With my wonky foot just starting to feel consistently better, this is not possible. I would rather run and chat with Renee and have fun than barely miss a PR and be mad all day long.
After a (taped) rendition of the national anthem, and a moment of silence for the veterans (classy... I'm not being sarcastic), we were OFF!
Mile 1: First mile starts off running the pier, which is really cool, and something I've never done before. We'll finish the same way, as this course is a straight up out-and-back. Garmin loses me on the bridge, and tells me I'm running either 11:38s or 6:02s, neither of which is in the ballpark. 8:41
Mile 2: I feel like this race is too crowded for the lakefront path, but that's only because we're running with the 10K people. Once they drop off, it's going to be PERFECT. 8:42
Mile 3: I'm grateful the wind will be at our backs for the 2nd half of the race. 8:39
Mile 4: Renee and I are having SO MUCH FUN. We're chatting (about what, I really can't remember), and laughing, and having no trouble hitting our target paces. And now we have the 10K leaders to gawk at. Holy crow, they are FAST! 8:57
Mile 5: Weirdest turnaround ever. It was like, all of a sudden there was a cone. It came out of nowhere. Super weird. 8:39
Mile 6: Weeeeeee, wind at our backs! 8:38
Mile 7: Yeah... there were 2 aid stations during this mile. Which was awesome. 9:05
Mile 8: I eavesdropped on the most random conversation about a girl telling her friends that she is not poor, nor is she one of those "auto people." It was hilarious. Pretty sure my mouth was open in shock, lol. 8:41
Mile 9: Time flies when you're having fun... also when you are running with others. I'm so used to running by myself, that I forget how great it is to run with friends! Having soooo much fun today! 8:51
Mile 10: Me to Renee, "Wanna burn it?" So we did. Just sprinted the hell out of this last mile. I looked down at Garmin just before crossing the finish line, and it said I was running at 6:35 pace! Whoa! 7:54
FINAL TIME: 1:26:52 (Renee finished in 1:26:54, and some girl finished between us, at 1:26:53... and she was in our age group! Seriously, how does THAT happen?!)
AVERAGE PACE: 8:38
MILESTONE REACHED: 1st 10 mile race where I didn't get a PR... but it's also the 10 mile race where I had the most fun.
NEXT 10 MILER: CARA Lakefront 10, 4.28.2012
After the race, we got our (sweet) medals, and headed for the free McGriddles. While walking there, we reviewed our (ridiculous) goals. Renee's goals were to not die and to run sort of fast. My goals were to not fall in the lake, and for my pants to not fall down. GOALS ACHIEVED!
I really, really liked this race. It was well-organized, I love the shirts and medals, and finishing on Navy Pier was so much fun. We will DEFINITELY be back next year!
3 days before race day, I see on Facebook that the race time has changed. Now we have to haul ass to Navy Pier for a 7am race start... EVIL. Renee and I left the house at 4:45am. It was dark outside for the entire drive. But we avoided all traffic and any sort of packet pickup line. (I am awesome like that.)
Good things about the race being at Navy Pier: indoor toilets. Race day packet pickup. Getting to stay indoors until the absolute last instant. Free McGriddles. That is all.
So we stayed inside for as long as possible, then Renee and I decided to run together. To get a 10 mile PR would require me running every mile under 8:00. With my wonky foot just starting to feel consistently better, this is not possible. I would rather run and chat with Renee and have fun than barely miss a PR and be mad all day long.
After a (taped) rendition of the national anthem, and a moment of silence for the veterans (classy... I'm not being sarcastic), we were OFF!
Mile 1: First mile starts off running the pier, which is really cool, and something I've never done before. We'll finish the same way, as this course is a straight up out-and-back. Garmin loses me on the bridge, and tells me I'm running either 11:38s or 6:02s, neither of which is in the ballpark. 8:41
Mile 2: I feel like this race is too crowded for the lakefront path, but that's only because we're running with the 10K people. Once they drop off, it's going to be PERFECT. 8:42
Mile 3: I'm grateful the wind will be at our backs for the 2nd half of the race. 8:39
Mile 4: Renee and I are having SO MUCH FUN. We're chatting (about what, I really can't remember), and laughing, and having no trouble hitting our target paces. And now we have the 10K leaders to gawk at. Holy crow, they are FAST! 8:57
Mile 5: Weirdest turnaround ever. It was like, all of a sudden there was a cone. It came out of nowhere. Super weird. 8:39
Mile 6: Weeeeeee, wind at our backs! 8:38
Mile 7: Yeah... there were 2 aid stations during this mile. Which was awesome. 9:05
Mile 8: I eavesdropped on the most random conversation about a girl telling her friends that she is not poor, nor is she one of those "auto people." It was hilarious. Pretty sure my mouth was open in shock, lol. 8:41
Mile 9: Time flies when you're having fun... also when you are running with others. I'm so used to running by myself, that I forget how great it is to run with friends! Having soooo much fun today! 8:51
Mile 10: Me to Renee, "Wanna burn it?" So we did. Just sprinted the hell out of this last mile. I looked down at Garmin just before crossing the finish line, and it said I was running at 6:35 pace! Whoa! 7:54
FINAL TIME: 1:26:52 (Renee finished in 1:26:54, and some girl finished between us, at 1:26:53... and she was in our age group! Seriously, how does THAT happen?!)
AVERAGE PACE: 8:38
MILESTONE REACHED: 1st 10 mile race where I didn't get a PR... but it's also the 10 mile race where I had the most fun.
NEXT 10 MILER: CARA Lakefront 10, 4.28.2012
After the race, we got our (sweet) medals, and headed for the free McGriddles. While walking there, we reviewed our (ridiculous) goals. Renee's goals were to not die and to run sort of fast. My goals were to not fall in the lake, and for my pants to not fall down. GOALS ACHIEVED!
I really, really liked this race. It was well-organized, I love the shirts and medals, and finishing on Navy Pier was so much fun. We will DEFINITELY be back next year!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
hot chocolate 15K RR
It's 3 days later, and I still don't know how I feel about this race. I didn't seem to write about it as much last year, or really at all, but this race is WAY TOO CROWDED.
When it started, back in 2008, it was at Montrose Harbor, way on the north side. It was run on the lakefront paths. My friend and I arrived maybe 15 minutes before the start and found a parking spot on the street.
Then, in typical RAM fashion, it got bigger... and bigger... and bigger. And I'm sorry, but it's about to burst. Even though my love for the 15K is well-documented, I will not, under any circumstances, not even if you offer me a free hat/shirt/bag/water bottle/race fee, be back. And that's the God's honest truth.
To be fair, I personally did not have a terrible horrible race experience. But hearing horror stories from the 5K makes me not want to give them my money.
Ok, I'll come down from my soapbox now and tell you about my race.
I was in Corral A. Some people (not going to mention any names) will tell you that I should not be in the front corral. However, as you can see from the handy dandy chart below, I qualify in not 1 but 2 different areas!
Ok, I SWEAR I'll get off my soapbox now :)
We had a bit of a delay in starting, as a semi truck got stuck in the underpass and the 5K needed to be re-routed. So a little after 8:30, we were OFF!
Mile 1: The first part of the race, I was really, really nervous. Like, gut-busting, going to poop my pants nervous. I spent the better part of this mile trying to figure out why (and also trying to avoid my shoe getting stuck in the bridge). Then it hit me: the start of this race mirrors the start of the Chicago Marathon, sight of 3 of my most epic failures. I think the marathon gives me a panic attack. Maybe I won't be there in 2012 after all... 8:17
Mile 2: I've also gone back to my old way of thinking, the racing-without-goals thing. I am also wearing old shoes. They have 292.5 miles on them. It's their final day of use before retirement. I figured the Ghosts deserved to go out with a bang. It's what we both wanted. 7:59
Mile 3: Holy Toledo, that last mile was fast! I know I ran a 1:18 in this race last year... what pace is that, 8:25 maybe? I wasn't sure if I was ready for a PR, but, you know, going out with a bang and all that jazz. Might as well give it a shot. 8:01
Mile 4: I don't often run west down Monroe... 8:07
Mile 5: ...but when I do, it eventually leads me to the United Center (which I just tried to spell with an S. I am a dumbass today.) It also leads to the sweet new statues of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita out in front of the United Center. It was SO COOL to finally see them in person. They are impressive works of art. 8:23
Mile 6: I really only have 3 miles left? And they're straight into the sunshine to warm me up? Hey wait a minute, this is actually kinda fun! Also, my feet don't feel like they're on fire. BONUS! 8:09
Mile 7: Seriously guys, I didn't expect to get a PR today. But my terrible math tells me that if I run each 5K in 25-25:30, I will smash my PR. This is so exciting! 8:12
Mile 8: My legs are getting a little heavy. We're running straight down Van Buren right now, exactly where Jill and Kari and I walked from the train a couple of hours ago. 8:18
Mile 9: It's GO time! Onto Michigan Avenue, where a wall of spectators cheering for us hits me. It's a beautiful day, and I'm going to get a monster PR in the 15K. Up the Roosevelt "hill," where I can see the lake and Soldier Field. I think finishing this race, today, in the same way as the Chicago Marathon, means more to me than the PR. 7:51
Mile 9.3: Right before I turn the corner, one of my sorority sisters calls my name, as she is cheering for friends and spotted me! Small world!
I sprint my butt off, and all of a sudden, I'm crossing the finish line with a PR by nearly 3 minutes. Holy smokes.
Look Ma, I'm FLYYYYYING!
Imagine what I can do with a foot that hasn't been wonky for 2.5 months... hmmm, maybe I will be back next year. (No.) 2:17
FINAL TIME: 1:15:40
AVERAGE PACE: 8:04
MILESTONE REACHED: PR baby!
NEXT 15K: To Be Determined
When it started, back in 2008, it was at Montrose Harbor, way on the north side. It was run on the lakefront paths. My friend and I arrived maybe 15 minutes before the start and found a parking spot on the street.
Then, in typical RAM fashion, it got bigger... and bigger... and bigger. And I'm sorry, but it's about to burst. Even though my love for the 15K is well-documented, I will not, under any circumstances, not even if you offer me a free hat/shirt/bag/water bottle/race fee, be back. And that's the God's honest truth.
To be fair, I personally did not have a terrible horrible race experience. But hearing horror stories from the 5K makes me not want to give them my money.
Ok, I'll come down from my soapbox now and tell you about my race.
I was in Corral A. Some people (not going to mention any names) will tell you that I should not be in the front corral. However, as you can see from the handy dandy chart below, I qualify in not 1 but 2 different areas!
Hot Chocolate 15K | ||||||
| 5K | 5M or 8K | 10K | 15K | 10M | 13.1M | |
| CORRAL A | <23:00 | <38:00 | <48:00 | <74:00 | <80:00 | <1:46:30 |
Ok, I SWEAR I'll get off my soapbox now :)
We had a bit of a delay in starting, as a semi truck got stuck in the underpass and the 5K needed to be re-routed. So a little after 8:30, we were OFF!
Mile 1: The first part of the race, I was really, really nervous. Like, gut-busting, going to poop my pants nervous. I spent the better part of this mile trying to figure out why (and also trying to avoid my shoe getting stuck in the bridge). Then it hit me: the start of this race mirrors the start of the Chicago Marathon, sight of 3 of my most epic failures. I think the marathon gives me a panic attack. Maybe I won't be there in 2012 after all... 8:17
Mile 2: I've also gone back to my old way of thinking, the racing-without-goals thing. I am also wearing old shoes. They have 292.5 miles on them. It's their final day of use before retirement. I figured the Ghosts deserved to go out with a bang. It's what we both wanted. 7:59
Mile 3: Holy Toledo, that last mile was fast! I know I ran a 1:18 in this race last year... what pace is that, 8:25 maybe? I wasn't sure if I was ready for a PR, but, you know, going out with a bang and all that jazz. Might as well give it a shot. 8:01
Mile 4: I don't often run west down Monroe... 8:07
Mile 5: ...but when I do, it eventually leads me to the United Center (which I just tried to spell with an S. I am a dumbass today.) It also leads to the sweet new statues of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita out in front of the United Center. It was SO COOL to finally see them in person. They are impressive works of art. 8:23
Mile 6: I really only have 3 miles left? And they're straight into the sunshine to warm me up? Hey wait a minute, this is actually kinda fun! Also, my feet don't feel like they're on fire. BONUS! 8:09
Mile 7: Seriously guys, I didn't expect to get a PR today. But my terrible math tells me that if I run each 5K in 25-25:30, I will smash my PR. This is so exciting! 8:12
Mile 8: My legs are getting a little heavy. We're running straight down Van Buren right now, exactly where Jill and Kari and I walked from the train a couple of hours ago. 8:18
Mile 9: It's GO time! Onto Michigan Avenue, where a wall of spectators cheering for us hits me. It's a beautiful day, and I'm going to get a monster PR in the 15K. Up the Roosevelt "hill," where I can see the lake and Soldier Field. I think finishing this race, today, in the same way as the Chicago Marathon, means more to me than the PR. 7:51
Mile 9.3: Right before I turn the corner, one of my sorority sisters calls my name, as she is cheering for friends and spotted me! Small world!
I sprint my butt off, and all of a sudden, I'm crossing the finish line with a PR by nearly 3 minutes. Holy smokes.
Look Ma, I'm FLYYYYYING!
Imagine what I can do with a foot that hasn't been wonky for 2.5 months... hmmm, maybe I will be back next year. (No.) 2:17
FINAL TIME: 1:15:40
AVERAGE PACE: 8:04
MILESTONE REACHED: PR baby!
NEXT 15K: To Be Determined
Sunday, November 6, 2011
a weekend that i SO did not plan...
Originally, I was supposed to be in Savannah, GA for the RnR Savannah Marathon... then my PF started to hate me... then flights were way too expensive. I was really disappointed that I couldn't make it, but then figured, I'm only out $55, and I can find 2 local races to do instead.
So I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15K (Saturday) and the Aurora Half Marathon (Sunday). Local, (somewhat) cheap, sleeping in my own bed.
Last weekend I convinced my cousin and Kari to sign up for the 5K at Hot Chocolate. (Also, RAM racing promised them free hats if they signed up this week. I think the hats persuaded them more than I did.)
So yesterday we went to the race. My cousin and Kari HATED the 5K, because it was way too crowded, and at one point they were WALKING because they didn't have enough room to run.
And my race? No PF pain, I felt AMAZING the entire time, in the Ghosts last run... and... (spoiler alert) I PRd! By 3 minutes! No pain afterwards! I was turning over a new leaf.
Then after lunch, as I was sitting on the couch with the bf watching the beginning of the Northwestern-Nebraska game, I started to not feel good. I abandoned my Sudoku halfway through, and ran my ass upstairs to the bathroom. Stomach flu. Uck.
It was horrible. I thought I was going to die all night. I only watched the first half of LSU-Alabama (haha missed field goals) before turning in for the night. I think I've slept like 20 hours in the last day.
So I had to miss my half marathon this morning, because I had nothing in my stomach and still felt sick. I found out that the course was short (by over a half mile!), so that makes me feel a little better. But it still sucks. I hate missing races.
So what will I take away from this weekend? My awesome new 15K PR, and not a whole lot else. Tomorrow is a new day.
So I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15K (Saturday) and the Aurora Half Marathon (Sunday). Local, (somewhat) cheap, sleeping in my own bed.
Last weekend I convinced my cousin and Kari to sign up for the 5K at Hot Chocolate. (Also, RAM racing promised them free hats if they signed up this week. I think the hats persuaded them more than I did.)
So yesterday we went to the race. My cousin and Kari HATED the 5K, because it was way too crowded, and at one point they were WALKING because they didn't have enough room to run.
And my race? No PF pain, I felt AMAZING the entire time, in the Ghosts last run... and... (spoiler alert) I PRd! By 3 minutes! No pain afterwards! I was turning over a new leaf.
Then after lunch, as I was sitting on the couch with the bf watching the beginning of the Northwestern-Nebraska game, I started to not feel good. I abandoned my Sudoku halfway through, and ran my ass upstairs to the bathroom. Stomach flu. Uck.
It was horrible. I thought I was going to die all night. I only watched the first half of LSU-Alabama (haha missed field goals) before turning in for the night. I think I've slept like 20 hours in the last day.
So I had to miss my half marathon this morning, because I had nothing in my stomach and still felt sick. I found out that the course was short (by over a half mile!), so that makes me feel a little better. But it still sucks. I hate missing races.
So what will I take away from this weekend? My awesome new 15K PR, and not a whole lot else. Tomorrow is a new day.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
3 things thursday
Whoops, wrote this the other day but picked "Save Now" instead of "Publish Post." Sometimes I'm a total dumbass.
1. Double race weekend! Last one of the year. Saturday I'm running the Hot Chocolate 15K (LOVE 15Ks), and Sunday is the Aurora Half Marathon. My goal is to race for a PR in the 15K, and run the Aurora Half just for fun. (Just for fun = anything under 2 hours would be great.)
2. Still no foot pain. Still loving the PureGrits. Life is good.
3. I finally saw The Help. Loved the book, and loved the movie just as much. Glad Kim and I found a theater that still had it... and at only $4 a ticket, it was well worth it. (They were also showing Crazy Stupid Love, which I bought on Bluray Tuesday... weird.)
1. Double race weekend! Last one of the year. Saturday I'm running the Hot Chocolate 15K (LOVE 15Ks), and Sunday is the Aurora Half Marathon. My goal is to race for a PR in the 15K, and run the Aurora Half just for fun. (Just for fun = anything under 2 hours would be great.)
2. Still no foot pain. Still loving the PureGrits. Life is good.
3. I finally saw The Help. Loved the book, and loved the movie just as much. Glad Kim and I found a theater that still had it... and at only $4 a ticket, it was well worth it. (They were also showing Crazy Stupid Love, which I bought on Bluray Tuesday... weird.)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
wordless wednesday
My cousin's students decorated a good luck Gatorade bottle for her last week! Too cute!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
shoe porn
If you read my post yesterday about how awesome the PureGrits are, good for you. (They really ARE awesome, I'm not making this up.)
After my run today, I sat on the couch to eat Halloween candy and watch the NIU game... then drifted over to Holabird Sports. My awesome friend Renee recommended this site awhile back - if you are looking for shoes and missed out on the closeout deals via Running Warehouse, I suggest that you check here next. They have stuff super cheap. And quick shipping.
I had been drooling over the Brooks Green Silence shoes for awhile... I prefer to run in lighter shoes on the treadmill, when I wimp out on another midwestern winter. I was also mesmerized by the ugliness of their colors.
So when I saw the ones I wanted, in my size, for only $55?! Add to cart? YES PLEASE! Add a pair of socks to get some free shipping? DON'T MIND IF I DO!
I have way too many running shoes... ah well...
For your drooling pleasure, my new little beauties...
After my run today, I sat on the couch to eat Halloween candy and watch the NIU game... then drifted over to Holabird Sports. My awesome friend Renee recommended this site awhile back - if you are looking for shoes and missed out on the closeout deals via Running Warehouse, I suggest that you check here next. They have stuff super cheap. And quick shipping.
I had been drooling over the Brooks Green Silence shoes for awhile... I prefer to run in lighter shoes on the treadmill, when I wimp out on another midwestern winter. I was also mesmerized by the ugliness of their colors.
So when I saw the ones I wanted, in my size, for only $55?! Add to cart? YES PLEASE! Add a pair of socks to get some free shipping? DON'T MIND IF I DO!
I have way too many running shoes... ah well...
For your drooling pleasure, my new little beauties...
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