1. I joined The HardCORE Club. I did my first workout on Tuesday, thinking, "Hmmmm. That wasn't as bad as I feared." I could do most of the reps/time required on all 13 exercises. I woke up yesterday, still wondering how it was possible I wasn't sore. By yesterday afternoon, sneezing hurt bigtime. I guess I'm doing them correctly? Something tells me that this afternoon's round is going to be a whole lot tougher...
2. School is already exhausting me. Sure, the days are easier once I get them all delivered, but the lunches and the backpacks and the drama and the WHINING (see: full day kindergarten) and the dinner and the getting everyone ready for bed so early compared to laid back summer schedule...*sigh* Hopefully we'll get the routine down in a week or 2. Definitely not there yet.
3. I felt really good after running yesterday, and am still feeling good today. I'm going to try for 3 miles tomorrow...maybe even 4!
Erika who blogs at Chasing my Monkeys 1 Mile at a Time tagged me to share with you 10 random facts about me. So here's 10 extra for you today...
1. My sidebar description says I rule at Guitar Hero - that's totally true. When James, my youngest, was born we had a 7yo, 5yo, and 19 month old plus the baby. We have no family nearby, so leaving that crew with a young sitter was really out of the question. Instead, we'd put everyone to bed, bust out the beer, chips, and plastic guitars and play til all hours of the night. SO FUN!
2. I tend toward lazy. I'm a procrastinator who's easily sidetracked. My house is messy most of the time. That's why I needed the marathon looming to get my lazy ass out of bed. I NEED a schedule, or I'm lost.
3. Before I quit my job, I worked in a Microbiology lab, first in a hospital and then in the pharmaceutical industry. I miss my job.
4. I am grateful and blessed to be able to stay at home with my kids. That said, I confess to being a much better mom when I was a working mom. There are too many days when I feel like all my brain cells have been sucked out of my head with a straw. But at least for now, it is logistically near impossible for me to work, and childcare is too expensive to make it worth my time. In a couple years though....
5. I am on marriage number 2. I count the first one as a practice run and refer to it when I'm wanting to remember "what NOT to do in a marriage." But since I managed to find and marry my better half, my best good friend, my soul mate, I count it as all good in the grand scheme of getting me to where I am supposed to be.
6. Like Erika, I am cursed with a telephone phobia. Thank God for email and the internet! But John still rolls his eyes at me (even though he ultimately indulges me) when I make him call for a babysitter. And I volunteered to do all the grunt work for my son's joint birthday party with his best friend if the other mom would take care of all things telephone.
7. I got married in Vegas. John and his best man wore Elvis glasses. It was awesome.
8. I read entirely too much. Voraciously. I can waste days reading (matter of fact is I HAVE wasted plenty). But the best part is watching my kids turn into readers as well. We spend lots of time at the library (not enough in their opinion).
9. I still daydream about singing in a band. I sang in choirs and groups in school and church all the way through college, and have sung in plenty of weddings. Too bad real life got in my way...
10. If you are still reading this (self indulgent long-ass post) you are as blog addicted as me! I guess it goes along with my reading addiction and smashes it into my reality TV addiction. It's real life stories in real time! I love it...
I'm not tagging anyone, but go say hi to Erika if you don't already follow her! Me, I've got my core to beat the crap out of...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Race Report: MCM Mama's "Mama Goes Masters" Virtual Race
In the interest of full disclosure, I signed up for this race BEFORE the RnR Half when I jacked up my leg. I figured 4 miles - easy right? Ha! I'm wishing right now...
BUT. I set out this morning anyway. Happy Birthday MCM Mama!! I figured I'd give it a shot in your honor!
I walked out the door just after 5am, and it was CHILLY!!! WAHOO! The moon was full and bright, and I was so happy just to be out there. I started out slow, not wanting to push it. My leg was still uber sore, but not TOO painful to run on. I made my way around the neighborhood, enjoying the peaceful darkness.
Mile 1: 11:32
Now in the back of my head, I kept remembering Sunday, when I ran 2.5 and PAID for it the rest of the day. I didn't want a setback, but I didn't want a DNF on a virtual race either. So I decided to walk the rest. But not stroll! Oh no! I was swinging my arms and powering along like the crazy early morning mall ladies.
Miles 2 and 3: 14:34 and 15:06
I'm feeling pretty good at this point. So I figured I'd run it in. And that last mile DID feel really good - I was actually really pleased with how decent I felt. I still felt my leg, don't get me wrong, but I can tell I'm definitely on the mend.
Mile 4: 10:48
I walked it in after that, another .6 miles, and called it a good (albeit slow) workout. The best one I've had in a while.
Total - 4 miles in 52 minutes flat. Will it win any speed awards? No way in hell. But I was so pleased with it, overall, that I don't mind. WAY better than a DNF. And I'll be sure to enjoy a beer later in your honor MCM Mama! Happy 40th!!
BUT. I set out this morning anyway. Happy Birthday MCM Mama!! I figured I'd give it a shot in your honor!
I walked out the door just after 5am, and it was CHILLY!!! WAHOO! The moon was full and bright, and I was so happy just to be out there. I started out slow, not wanting to push it. My leg was still uber sore, but not TOO painful to run on. I made my way around the neighborhood, enjoying the peaceful darkness.
Mile 1: 11:32
Now in the back of my head, I kept remembering Sunday, when I ran 2.5 and PAID for it the rest of the day. I didn't want a setback, but I didn't want a DNF on a virtual race either. So I decided to walk the rest. But not stroll! Oh no! I was swinging my arms and powering along like the crazy early morning mall ladies.
Miles 2 and 3: 14:34 and 15:06
I'm feeling pretty good at this point. So I figured I'd run it in. And that last mile DID feel really good - I was actually really pleased with how decent I felt. I still felt my leg, don't get me wrong, but I can tell I'm definitely on the mend.
Mile 4: 10:48
I walked it in after that, another .6 miles, and called it a good (albeit slow) workout. The best one I've had in a while.
Total - 4 miles in 52 minutes flat. Will it win any speed awards? No way in hell. But I was so pleased with it, overall, that I don't mind. WAY better than a DNF. And I'll be sure to enjoy a beer later in your honor MCM Mama! Happy 40th!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Exhale
I've been crazy MIA - I apologize for that. But the end of August does it to me EVERY SINGLE YEAR. And this year was no different. But as we speak, the kids are back at school. HALLELUJAH! So now I can breathe again...
As soon as the kids' birthday party was done, we were full on into back to school prep, including kindergarten screening, meet and greet night with the teachers, supply purchasing and organizing and labeling, and volleyball practice started for my oldest. Throw in a birthday at Great America and another 2 birthday parties, and you have the recipe for chaos. But when all was said and done, everything was lovely and went smoothly.
Yesterday, Julia started kindergarten. And I didn't think I would, but I shed a few tears (not sure why I expected the 3rd time around to be different, but I did). SHE did great, and was excited to go back today when the rest of the school joined her.
SO....now it's REALLY quiet in here, and I'm loving it....
Where were we before my life got in my way?? Oh yes - the leg! I went in to a kinesiotherapist on the recommendation of my doctor. It was a lot of massage with a total body approach to my problem, which I liked. He determined that my hips were all out of whack, so much that my left leg was sitting a good half an inch shorter than my right, and consequently was taking a lot of extra pounding. This in turn lead to the soreness in my left quad. I did feel much better after he was through with me, and I've run a couple times and seen him once more.
But the truth is, I'm still really sore. I ran 2.5 on Sunday and felt it like crazy yesterday. I've been icing a ton, which seems to help. But will I be ready for a marathon? I've missed 2 key long runs already. So I don't know.
Am I giving up? HELL NO. But, honestly, I'm at peace with however this goes. I need to get better and stronger. I NEED to work on my core. I'm going to continue to work out and to work towards this giant goal. But if I don't make it? I'll just do a different one. The marathon wasn't the end for me - honestly, I feel like I have already won! I did a half! I got myself back in shape! I made exercise a priority in my life!
Even if I don't run it, I feel like my entry fee was money well spent.
As soon as the kids' birthday party was done, we were full on into back to school prep, including kindergarten screening, meet and greet night with the teachers, supply purchasing and organizing and labeling, and volleyball practice started for my oldest. Throw in a birthday at Great America and another 2 birthday parties, and you have the recipe for chaos. But when all was said and done, everything was lovely and went smoothly.
Yesterday, Julia started kindergarten. And I didn't think I would, but I shed a few tears (not sure why I expected the 3rd time around to be different, but I did). SHE did great, and was excited to go back today when the rest of the school joined her.
SO....now it's REALLY quiet in here, and I'm loving it....
Where were we before my life got in my way?? Oh yes - the leg! I went in to a kinesiotherapist on the recommendation of my doctor. It was a lot of massage with a total body approach to my problem, which I liked. He determined that my hips were all out of whack, so much that my left leg was sitting a good half an inch shorter than my right, and consequently was taking a lot of extra pounding. This in turn lead to the soreness in my left quad. I did feel much better after he was through with me, and I've run a couple times and seen him once more.
But the truth is, I'm still really sore. I ran 2.5 on Sunday and felt it like crazy yesterday. I've been icing a ton, which seems to help. But will I be ready for a marathon? I've missed 2 key long runs already. So I don't know.
Am I giving up? HELL NO. But, honestly, I'm at peace with however this goes. I need to get better and stronger. I NEED to work on my core. I'm going to continue to work out and to work towards this giant goal. But if I don't make it? I'll just do a different one. The marathon wasn't the end for me - honestly, I feel like I have already won! I did a half! I got myself back in shape! I made exercise a priority in my life!
Even if I don't run it, I feel like my entry fee was money well spent.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Itching for a Run!
I'm going in this afternoon to get my knee checked out. It's past time, and I'm hoping to glean some insight as to how NOT to do this again. And to get back at it.
This weekend and this week have been a crazy blur. We had a great time celebrating my kids' birthdays on Saturday, and went to another birthday party (a first birthday - so so cute) on Sunday. I am completely caked out. Ugh. Now we're on to back to school prep, and my oldest started volleyball practice already yesterday.
Tomorrow my youngest daughter turns 5. FIVE! How did that happen? She starts kindergarten on Monday. Sniff. I swear, it goes faster every year....
I'll let you all know how the appointment goes. I'm hopeful!
This weekend and this week have been a crazy blur. We had a great time celebrating my kids' birthdays on Saturday, and went to another birthday party (a first birthday - so so cute) on Sunday. I am completely caked out. Ugh. Now we're on to back to school prep, and my oldest started volleyball practice already yesterday.
Tomorrow my youngest daughter turns 5. FIVE! How did that happen? She starts kindergarten on Monday. Sniff. I swear, it goes faster every year....
I'll let you all know how the appointment goes. I'm hopeful!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
WAIT! There's One Super Cool Thing Happening!
I am going to be featured in Melinda Hinson Neely's next book for first time marathoners!!! Check her out here. I am so excited about this!!!!
A Very Whiny Post
Full disclaimer: I am running on the sleep of a parent of a newborn. My youngest is 3 and a half. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW TO DO THIS. And I'm kind of a bitch.
So, after 5 nights in a row of my youngest son climbing out of his crib all discombobulated (can they sleepwalk this young?) I planned on running yesterday morning. I had a total of about 2 hours of sleep, in 10 or 15 minute sections, but I dutifully got out of bed after only snoozing twice. I turned on the light in the bathroom, peed, and stood at the sink with my contact case in hand. Then the sky opened up along with much thunder and lightening. Dammit.
MUCH cursing ensued (I even woke my husband with it. He doesn't wake up to the pounding on the door by the munchkin in the middle of the night who's too sleepy to negotiate the doorknob. Or the moaning of the 11 year old who's eaten entirely too much crap on her birthday and her stomach is killing her. But my swearing was obviously MUCH LOUDER. Ahem.)
SO. I pouted and went back to bed. And I got up this morning for a repeat attempt. I made it out the door, determined. But seriously, my knee hurts. MAN it kills me to admit that. I gimp-ran for a mile, thinking that maybe I could shake it off once I warmed up a little, but no. No way.
I walked home, utterly dejected. I placated myself, saying that if it wasn't sore later, I'd try again tomorrow, knowing all the while that it was definitely going to be sore later. And it is.
After googling the crap out of knee pain, I have self-diagnosed my issue as runner's knee. I'm thinking about seeing my doc, just in case. But I still don't think that I have anything MAJOR going on. Not that that knowledge gets me out on the road any faster.
But I've realized that I need to get SERIOUS about crosstraining - like, I need a training plan for my crosstraining. It's WAY too easy to blow it off for me (probably because I simply don't enjoy it as much), so I need to hold myself accountable. I have an elliptical and a pilates video, and I'm still planning on trying out some yoga, but I don't have a gym membership, so I need to be a bit creative to keep plugging myself along. Any and all suggestions welcome!
To top it all off, I'm dead in the middle of PMS madness surrounded by birthday cake. HELP!
So, after 5 nights in a row of my youngest son climbing out of his crib all discombobulated (can they sleepwalk this young?) I planned on running yesterday morning. I had a total of about 2 hours of sleep, in 10 or 15 minute sections, but I dutifully got out of bed after only snoozing twice. I turned on the light in the bathroom, peed, and stood at the sink with my contact case in hand. Then the sky opened up along with much thunder and lightening. Dammit.
MUCH cursing ensued (I even woke my husband with it. He doesn't wake up to the pounding on the door by the munchkin in the middle of the night who's too sleepy to negotiate the doorknob. Or the moaning of the 11 year old who's eaten entirely too much crap on her birthday and her stomach is killing her. But my swearing was obviously MUCH LOUDER. Ahem.)
SO. I pouted and went back to bed. And I got up this morning for a repeat attempt. I made it out the door, determined. But seriously, my knee hurts. MAN it kills me to admit that. I gimp-ran for a mile, thinking that maybe I could shake it off once I warmed up a little, but no. No way.
I walked home, utterly dejected. I placated myself, saying that if it wasn't sore later, I'd try again tomorrow, knowing all the while that it was definitely going to be sore later. And it is.
After googling the crap out of knee pain, I have self-diagnosed my issue as runner's knee. I'm thinking about seeing my doc, just in case. But I still don't think that I have anything MAJOR going on. Not that that knowledge gets me out on the road any faster.
But I've realized that I need to get SERIOUS about crosstraining - like, I need a training plan for my crosstraining. It's WAY too easy to blow it off for me (probably because I simply don't enjoy it as much), so I need to hold myself accountable. I have an elliptical and a pilates video, and I'm still planning on trying out some yoga, but I don't have a gym membership, so I need to be a bit creative to keep plugging myself along. Any and all suggestions welcome!
To top it all off, I'm dead in the middle of PMS madness surrounded by birthday cake. HELP!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Eleven Years Ago Today....
I became a mother. Happy birthday beautiful girl!
Today we all picked up John from work and went out to lunch with no drama (I was expecting it from the 3 year old, who has been ESPECIALLY trying lately - gloriously, there was NONE) and tonight just the 2 of us will go shopping and out to dinner and a movie - Eclipse. Jenna is firmly on Team Jacob, lol. Our giant summer bash is this Saturday (3 of my kids have summer birthdays so we do one big party) so if I'm scarce around here, that's why (read: I'm cleaning like a maniac!).
I have yet to run, but my knee is feeling much better today, so I'm heading out in the morning to test it out. This week is a step back week in my training program, so I'm going to ease back in to it again and hope for the best. If any of you have any tips on how to avoid this in the future (knee brace? extra exercises?) I'm all ears.
Since I gave myself the weekend off running, I actually had a date! With no kids! It was a great weekend...
I hope you are all doing well!
Today we all picked up John from work and went out to lunch with no drama (I was expecting it from the 3 year old, who has been ESPECIALLY trying lately - gloriously, there was NONE) and tonight just the 2 of us will go shopping and out to dinner and a movie - Eclipse. Jenna is firmly on Team Jacob, lol. Our giant summer bash is this Saturday (3 of my kids have summer birthdays so we do one big party) so if I'm scarce around here, that's why (read: I'm cleaning like a maniac!).
I have yet to run, but my knee is feeling much better today, so I'm heading out in the morning to test it out. This week is a step back week in my training program, so I'm going to ease back in to it again and hope for the best. If any of you have any tips on how to avoid this in the future (knee brace? extra exercises?) I'm all ears.
Since I gave myself the weekend off running, I actually had a date! With no kids! It was a great weekend...
I hope you are all doing well!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Missed Opportunities
Kim left me a comment on my Rock-n-Roll recap, asking me if Kara Goucher ran this year or not. I realized that I didn't actually know (part of the curse of being in corral 24....you are so far back that any of the celebs hanging out are NO WHERE NEAR you).
So today, I looked her up. She isn't listed as a finisher, which is frankly what I expected. At 6+ months preggo, I can't even IMAGINE. But she is a bit of a superhero, having beat all the boys last year, so I figured I'd check. At the very least, if she ran, I figured I'd have a bit of a laugh at my own expense, since she still, pregnant as ever, would've run it much faster than me. :)
But after hopping around a bit on fan sites and her competitor blog, I realized that she is from my home town! I could KICK myself for not getting her autograph when I had the opportunity (I hate feeling like I'm bugging someone, so I rarely ask for autographs). BUT SHE GREW UP IN THE SAME LITTLE TOWN AS ME!!
DAMMIT.
(I'm still not running. But I've made peace with it, and am crosstraining and going to check out some yoga. You all rule - thanks for being so nice, and for kicking my butt as necessary. Hopefully I'll be back at it soon, just in time for the next heat wave to hit).
So today, I looked her up. She isn't listed as a finisher, which is frankly what I expected. At 6+ months preggo, I can't even IMAGINE. But she is a bit of a superhero, having beat all the boys last year, so I figured I'd check. At the very least, if she ran, I figured I'd have a bit of a laugh at my own expense, since she still, pregnant as ever, would've run it much faster than me. :)
But after hopping around a bit on fan sites and her competitor blog, I realized that she is from my home town! I could KICK myself for not getting her autograph when I had the opportunity (I hate feeling like I'm bugging someone, so I rarely ask for autographs). BUT SHE GREW UP IN THE SAME LITTLE TOWN AS ME!!
DAMMIT.
(I'm still not running. But I've made peace with it, and am crosstraining and going to check out some yoga. You all rule - thanks for being so nice, and for kicking my butt as necessary. Hopefully I'll be back at it soon, just in time for the next heat wave to hit).
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Three Things Thursday
1. I really really really want one of these. I don't usually link giveaways (mostly because I am lazy and generally unlucky, but I'm linking this one. DC Rainmaker is giving away a Garmin!
2. I took the nail polish off the toenail that's been bugging me, and yep, it's black. Somehow I feel as though I've "arrived" or something. Does that make me weird?
3. I still can't run. I may or may not have shed a couple of frustrated tears over that this morning. I suck ass at crosstraining, so this is really starting to bum me out. I can say that barring some miraculous overnight recovery, I'm going to miss my long run this week. That really stresses me out, but I'm helpless to change it, so I'm trying to just take it in stride. It isn't working very well. :(
2. I took the nail polish off the toenail that's been bugging me, and yep, it's black. Somehow I feel as though I've "arrived" or something. Does that make me weird?
3. I still can't run. I may or may not have shed a couple of frustrated tears over that this morning. I suck ass at crosstraining, so this is really starting to bum me out. I can say that barring some miraculous overnight recovery, I'm going to miss my long run this week. That really stresses me out, but I'm helpless to change it, so I'm trying to just take it in stride. It isn't working very well. :(
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thoughts and the Aftermath
Well, my planned recovery run (5 miles) didn't happen this morning. I got out there, but my knee was way too sore, so I took today off. I'm going to ice it, and hope that it's back in no time.
A couple things on my mind since Sunday...
1. I was damn near delirious after the race. But I was ignoring how ucky I was feeling until later. I am certain this was because I didn't eat enough during the race. I had a second GU that I should have taken about mile 11, but I was paranoid about messing up my stomach. Mistake. I also didn't eat anything after except for the awesome popsicle. Another mistake.
2. John did bring me chocolate milk after. Awesome!
3. I was really sad that my kids (the whiny bunch that they are) didn't stick out the race. I learned later that John sent them back to his coworkers when I only had 20 minutes to go. I may or may not have let my older 2 have it a bit about that. I probably should feel bad about making them feel guilty, but I can't say that I really do. In reality, I don't think that John knew how important it was to me (and it was on HIM not the kids to "suck it up, buttercup") - I can definitely say that it won't happen again. ;)
4. I like Cytomax. It was very nice to me.
5. Yurbuds are the awesomest thing EVAH. I didn't touch them ONCE the entire 3 hours I had 'em in. Not ONCE.
6. After a crappy 90 minute car ride home, an ice bath would have been a much better idea than a nap. But the nap won, and I am still paying for it. But it was a damn good nap.
7. Who's brilliant idea was it to have the GU station at mile 11.5? My one complaint about the race logistics...
8. I am going to lose a toenail soon. Boo. It's really sore right now.
9. I would TOTALLY do this race again!
10. When I grow up (as a runner), I wanna be one of those who can rock a half, and then be out there the next day like it was no huge deal. I'm not there yet. Maybe next year.
11. This race has really made me respect the distance of a full marathon. I'm not 100% sure that I can realistically conquer 26.2. I have a lot of work to do...
A couple things on my mind since Sunday...
1. I was damn near delirious after the race. But I was ignoring how ucky I was feeling until later. I am certain this was because I didn't eat enough during the race. I had a second GU that I should have taken about mile 11, but I was paranoid about messing up my stomach. Mistake. I also didn't eat anything after except for the awesome popsicle. Another mistake.
2. John did bring me chocolate milk after. Awesome!
3. I was really sad that my kids (the whiny bunch that they are) didn't stick out the race. I learned later that John sent them back to his coworkers when I only had 20 minutes to go. I may or may not have let my older 2 have it a bit about that. I probably should feel bad about making them feel guilty, but I can't say that I really do. In reality, I don't think that John knew how important it was to me (and it was on HIM not the kids to "suck it up, buttercup") - I can definitely say that it won't happen again. ;)
4. I like Cytomax. It was very nice to me.
5. Yurbuds are the awesomest thing EVAH. I didn't touch them ONCE the entire 3 hours I had 'em in. Not ONCE.
6. After a crappy 90 minute car ride home, an ice bath would have been a much better idea than a nap. But the nap won, and I am still paying for it. But it was a damn good nap.
7. Who's brilliant idea was it to have the GU station at mile 11.5? My one complaint about the race logistics...
8. I am going to lose a toenail soon. Boo. It's really sore right now.
9. I would TOTALLY do this race again!
10. When I grow up (as a runner), I wanna be one of those who can rock a half, and then be out there the next day like it was no huge deal. I'm not there yet. Maybe next year.
11. This race has really made me respect the distance of a full marathon. I'm not 100% sure that I can realistically conquer 26.2. I have a lot of work to do...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Race Recap - Chicago Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon (AKA the longest post ever and I totally forgive you if you don't make it until the end)
This has been staring at me for so long - I don't know even where to start! All around, this proved to be an AMAZING experience for me, from start to finish. Just perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better inaugural half. Truly.
Let's start back at Friday morning. I had been arguing with myself whether or not to run Friday, or to just take an extra rest day in prep for the half. I set the alarm anyhow, figuring I'd see how it went. My leg had been bugging me, but not hurting, so as soon as the alarm went off, the excuses in my head started, but I knew they were all bullshit. I dragged myself out of my bed (BED GRAVITY! IT IS STRONG!) and got dressed and headed out. WOW! I was so glad I did! It was one of those rare perfect mornings - 65 degrees, no humidity, and I felt like I could fly. I smiled the entire run - seriously! I logged a PR for the mile and for the 5k, and I didn't feel like I was working hard at all. And with that, all my nerves about Sunday's race flew out the window.
Friday night we had friends over for dinner (steaks on the grill - yum!) and my 2 older kids came home from their camping trip. So I really had no time to think about the race or the Expo. I went to bed too late, but had a lovely relaxing evening.
Saturday morning, I wanted to get up and get moving. My plan was to hit the Expo by 10 and hang out for a bit before hopefully meeting a couple bloggers. I got there with no issues and made my way from the HOT parking garage into the expo. I picked up my packet, and started to explore. I wasn't sure what to expect - it was big and rather overwhelming for a first-timer! I wandered aimlessly, found a super-cute Bondi-band, and headed over to the stage, where I sat and waited for Kara Goucher to start.
Kara was warm and engaging - I loved her instantly. And I didn't know previously that she outright WON R-n-R Chicago last year. As in beat the boys! Amazing! I was keeping a lookout for T and Katye, but I didn't see them (afterwards I learned that they were stalking a front row spot for autographs and pictures - I should have known!) so I browsed a bit more before hitting the Running Skirts booth. It was there that I found T, Katye, Courtney and Courtney's TNT friend Becca. I got T's attention by MISPRONOUNCING HER NAME (yes, I am a loser) and introduced myself.
They were all so warm and fun! We spent a while meandering around the expo and they were gracious enough to invite me out to lunch with them. We met at Flat Top Grill, which I highly recommend - yum! It was so fun to spend the day with people who get why I do this - who love this thing that I love as much or more than I do. We had a great time chatting, and left full and tired after making plans to hopefully meet up in the morning. Check out their blogs for some fun pictures (I had forgotten my camera - boo).
So, I made my way home, through traffic that was not bad at all (SCORE!) and should have been prepping for the next morning. But I couldn't want to. So I prepped the kids at least, put everyone to bed early, and crashed by about 9:30. And SLEPT! I was surprised - this race had been keeping me up for days, but the night before, I managed good sleep (double SCORE!). The alarm went off at 3:30 and I popped out of bed, while my husband groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.
We managed to get everyone up and out the door by 4:45 (only 15 minutes later than planned - not too bad!) and didn't hit traffic til we got down there. Earlier in the week, my husband learned that his coworker lives 2 blocks from the finish line. His wife was also running it, and he offered up parking (triple SCORE!) in his building. It took us a bit to get everything situated, and was after 6 by the time we got down there, but I was in corral 24, in a wave start, so we were ok, I just didn't have time to meet up with T, Katye, and Courtney again.
Me and the Crew, pre-race. Julia looks thrilled - the drama is always thick.
I immediately hit the potty (no lines - yay!) and made my way to my corral. I spent the 40 minutes (!!!) til my wave left watching people, listening to the emcee, and trying not to stress out. I found John and the kids again as I got up to the front. Seeing them there was really great! Even though my youngest started crying and trying to get to me...poor baby!
Can you see me????
Before I knew it, we were running! I felt great, seriously great, and I was having so much fun! The first miles flew by, and I was running right on pace and walking all the water stops. Running through the city, and all the bands, and all the crowd support was really amazing. Cheer squads, crazy people (seriously - who wants to high 5 all those sweaty hands!?!) all the energy was AMAZING. And at mile 5 I spotted my family!
Still smiling, 5 miles in....
I thought the course was really well supported, with water stops right when I felt like I needed one. I will say that running through the tunnel at McCormick place SUCKED ASS - it was hot, it was dark, there were holes in the pavement all over. But other than that, I was loving it. I took a GU in the tunnel (since I was walking anyways) between miles 6 and 7 or so, and then we ran along Lake Shore Drive for a bit. This part is where it started to get rougher for me, but I was still doing pretty well. By the time we hit the bike path, I was struggling. I knew I'd have to find a potty soon, but there were all these lines, and I didn't want to wait. And we had to watch the speedier runners coming back, dreaming about hopping across the grass to their side!
Shortly after mile 10, on my way back north along the bike path, the potty need was too much. There was a line of course, but I hit it anyway. A nice man came up to us and pointed out 4 more potties hiding, so I ran to one of those (back where I came from - I was running the wrong way!!) and barely made it in time! Felt so good! But now my momentum was dead. I was tired. I was walking more. And I briefly considered walking the rest. Ugh.
In the end, what made me run more was that walking it would TAKE TOO DAMN LONG and I wanted it to be done. Now. I kept saying to myself, if I run, I can see my family in 15 minutes. If I run, it's only 12 more minutes. What can I say? It kept me running most of the time.
And then I could see the end (and damn all those who kept saying "it's just around the corner!" That "corner" took forever to arrive!) and I had no kick left. But I ran it in, and my husband and I spotted each other for a few pics.
WAHOO!! ALMOST DONE!!!
I finished! I got my medal, icy towel (AWESOME) and my popsicle (AWESOMER) and snagged a water. My legs weren't moving well, but I shuffled along, determined to keep moving to avoid cramping up. I was DONE.
I think this is long enough - I have thoughts on the race, what I could have done differently, and the fact that John got rid of this kids before I was done that I'll share with you tomorrow. I was SORE AS HELL last night, but actually feel decent today (yay!) so a recovery run is on deck tomorrow - nervous for that. I'll lev you with a few more pictures...
John and the kids at the fountain...
I never got my photo taken with my medal! I'll have to correct that for sure next time....
Let's start back at Friday morning. I had been arguing with myself whether or not to run Friday, or to just take an extra rest day in prep for the half. I set the alarm anyhow, figuring I'd see how it went. My leg had been bugging me, but not hurting, so as soon as the alarm went off, the excuses in my head started, but I knew they were all bullshit. I dragged myself out of my bed (BED GRAVITY! IT IS STRONG!) and got dressed and headed out. WOW! I was so glad I did! It was one of those rare perfect mornings - 65 degrees, no humidity, and I felt like I could fly. I smiled the entire run - seriously! I logged a PR for the mile and for the 5k, and I didn't feel like I was working hard at all. And with that, all my nerves about Sunday's race flew out the window.
Friday night we had friends over for dinner (steaks on the grill - yum!) and my 2 older kids came home from their camping trip. So I really had no time to think about the race or the Expo. I went to bed too late, but had a lovely relaxing evening.
Saturday morning, I wanted to get up and get moving. My plan was to hit the Expo by 10 and hang out for a bit before hopefully meeting a couple bloggers. I got there with no issues and made my way from the HOT parking garage into the expo. I picked up my packet, and started to explore. I wasn't sure what to expect - it was big and rather overwhelming for a first-timer! I wandered aimlessly, found a super-cute Bondi-band, and headed over to the stage, where I sat and waited for Kara Goucher to start.
Kara was warm and engaging - I loved her instantly. And I didn't know previously that she outright WON R-n-R Chicago last year. As in beat the boys! Amazing! I was keeping a lookout for T and Katye, but I didn't see them (afterwards I learned that they were stalking a front row spot for autographs and pictures - I should have known!) so I browsed a bit more before hitting the Running Skirts booth. It was there that I found T, Katye, Courtney and Courtney's TNT friend Becca. I got T's attention by MISPRONOUNCING HER NAME (yes, I am a loser) and introduced myself.
They were all so warm and fun! We spent a while meandering around the expo and they were gracious enough to invite me out to lunch with them. We met at Flat Top Grill, which I highly recommend - yum! It was so fun to spend the day with people who get why I do this - who love this thing that I love as much or more than I do. We had a great time chatting, and left full and tired after making plans to hopefully meet up in the morning. Check out their blogs for some fun pictures (I had forgotten my camera - boo).
So, I made my way home, through traffic that was not bad at all (SCORE!) and should have been prepping for the next morning. But I couldn't want to. So I prepped the kids at least, put everyone to bed early, and crashed by about 9:30. And SLEPT! I was surprised - this race had been keeping me up for days, but the night before, I managed good sleep (double SCORE!). The alarm went off at 3:30 and I popped out of bed, while my husband groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.
We managed to get everyone up and out the door by 4:45 (only 15 minutes later than planned - not too bad!) and didn't hit traffic til we got down there. Earlier in the week, my husband learned that his coworker lives 2 blocks from the finish line. His wife was also running it, and he offered up parking (triple SCORE!) in his building. It took us a bit to get everything situated, and was after 6 by the time we got down there, but I was in corral 24, in a wave start, so we were ok, I just didn't have time to meet up with T, Katye, and Courtney again.
Me and the Crew, pre-race. Julia looks thrilled - the drama is always thick.
I immediately hit the potty (no lines - yay!) and made my way to my corral. I spent the 40 minutes (!!!) til my wave left watching people, listening to the emcee, and trying not to stress out. I found John and the kids again as I got up to the front. Seeing them there was really great! Even though my youngest started crying and trying to get to me...poor baby!
Can you see me????
Before I knew it, we were running! I felt great, seriously great, and I was having so much fun! The first miles flew by, and I was running right on pace and walking all the water stops. Running through the city, and all the bands, and all the crowd support was really amazing. Cheer squads, crazy people (seriously - who wants to high 5 all those sweaty hands!?!) all the energy was AMAZING. And at mile 5 I spotted my family!
Still smiling, 5 miles in....
I thought the course was really well supported, with water stops right when I felt like I needed one. I will say that running through the tunnel at McCormick place SUCKED ASS - it was hot, it was dark, there were holes in the pavement all over. But other than that, I was loving it. I took a GU in the tunnel (since I was walking anyways) between miles 6 and 7 or so, and then we ran along Lake Shore Drive for a bit. This part is where it started to get rougher for me, but I was still doing pretty well. By the time we hit the bike path, I was struggling. I knew I'd have to find a potty soon, but there were all these lines, and I didn't want to wait. And we had to watch the speedier runners coming back, dreaming about hopping across the grass to their side!
Shortly after mile 10, on my way back north along the bike path, the potty need was too much. There was a line of course, but I hit it anyway. A nice man came up to us and pointed out 4 more potties hiding, so I ran to one of those (back where I came from - I was running the wrong way!!) and barely made it in time! Felt so good! But now my momentum was dead. I was tired. I was walking more. And I briefly considered walking the rest. Ugh.
In the end, what made me run more was that walking it would TAKE TOO DAMN LONG and I wanted it to be done. Now. I kept saying to myself, if I run, I can see my family in 15 minutes. If I run, it's only 12 more minutes. What can I say? It kept me running most of the time.
And then I could see the end (and damn all those who kept saying "it's just around the corner!" That "corner" took forever to arrive!) and I had no kick left. But I ran it in, and my husband and I spotted each other for a few pics.
WAHOO!! ALMOST DONE!!!
I finished! I got my medal, icy towel (AWESOME) and my popsicle (AWESOMER) and snagged a water. My legs weren't moving well, but I shuffled along, determined to keep moving to avoid cramping up. I was DONE.
I think this is long enough - I have thoughts on the race, what I could have done differently, and the fact that John got rid of this kids before I was done that I'll share with you tomorrow. I was SORE AS HELL last night, but actually feel decent today (yay!) so a recovery run is on deck tomorrow - nervous for that. I'll lev you with a few more pictures...
John and the kids at the fountain...
I never got my photo taken with my medal! I'll have to correct that for sure next time....
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