Medal Day

Monday night's run was definitely not medal-worthy.  I felt pretty good for the first two miles or so but then my legs turned into lead and my left quad started hurting and I just wanted to be done.  Of course, my Garmin didn't catch a signal until after the first 1.5 miles so it didn't even record the parts where I felt strong.  Blah.  At least the company was good since I was running with my running club.

So, instead of focusing on runs that didn't garner any fruit, I'm sharing what I do with my race medals for Mag Mile Runner's photo challenge.

Above is the very first race medal holder I ever got.  I showed the website to my mom shortly after the 2010 Chicago Marathon and she ended up buying me this medal hanger for Christmas.  Until then my medals were just hanging on the door handle of my home office.

I very quickly outgrew this medal holder, though.  Running 30 races in one year will do that to you.

So, towards the end of 2011 I was gifted with two more medal holders.  My mom gave me this one:

And then Kim gave me this custom one:

I now have all three hanging in my office at home.

 The one on the far left has my half marathons and my marathons (other than Chicago).  The next one has all my races that I ran in the actual city of Chicago (plus 2011 Ragnar that ended in Chicago).  Then the next one has all my other race distances and age group place medals.  

There is one other medal that isn't on my medal rack.  And that's the medal from my very first half marathon.

The 2009 Illinois Half Marathon.  That one hangs in a shadow box in my office at work.  It's also my first race medal ever (if you don't count my keychain) so it got some special treatment.

I haven't added any medals since December 2011.  The marathon section of the one medal rack looks a little sparse.   I'd like to add some more but until then it's one day at a time.

An Athlete and an Athletic Supporter

Right after I write about how I can’t get out of bed and workout before work I managed to get up and 3.2 miles on Thursday morning.  Of course, that’s partly because I didn’t have to be anywhere until 10:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM but still.  I ran.  In the morning.  On a weekday. 

It was my first run in my neighborhood and I decided to meander through the university campus just south of us and see where that took me.

Once you get past the university it’s not the most scenic route but the bits through the university were lovely and shaded.

But you know what’s funny?  When I run by myself I run faster than when I run with people.  This used to be the complete opposite.  Not sure what’s happening there.

After my run I showered and got ready for a day of work and errands.  But first I walked (!) to my doctor’s office for a hip check-up.  He ended up doing a technique called “dry needling” to loosen up some of my muscles.  Amazingly, it felt better almost immediately.  Not cured, but better.  He then referred me to another PT who will do some trigger point massage therapy.  This new PT is exactly one block from my apartment which I’m stupidly excited about. 

Who knew I would love living in the city so much?

Other benefits to living in the city?  Being able to go cheer at races!

I rode my bike (thanks, REI, for the new tube!) to the half way point of the Allstate 13.1 Half Marathon on Saturday armed with a tub of Red Vines.  Kim suggested I hand out treats and we picked up these puppies on Friday night.  The runners seemed to enjoy them greatly. 

I had grand plans to do a strength training workout on Sunday after doing an abbreviated one on Thursday evening but ended up relaxing on the couch instead.  Hey, sometimes you need a day to sleep late, enjoy brunch, and read the paper.  Right?

Several Things Thursday

Whew.  Sorry for dropping off the planet there for a minute.  Where have I been?  Moving to my new apartment!!

That’s our kitchen/living room/dining room/balcony

Finishing up packing, moving, unpacking, and getting settled took all of last week and the weekend.  Monday I was back at our previous abode finishing up a few things.  So, I didn’t get a workout until Tuesday.

What did I do Tuesday?  I went for a run at lunch.  Just 3ish miles.  I forgot my Garmin since I’m all out of sorts with the move.  The run felt strong, though, so I’d like to think it was a good pace.

On Wednesday I rode my bike to work.  It’s about 1.5 miles from my apartment to my office and it took me a little less than 15 minutes.  Of course, I had to dodge cabs and buses and now totally understand why drivers hate cyclists.  I’m TRYING to follow the rules but when buses and cabs cut me off or drive so close to the curb there’s no room for me I’m going to take some drastic maneuvers.

Riding home was a different story.  First I rode to my ART appointment and that was fine.  Easy, even.  But getting home meant trying to navigated super congested streets with very little room for cyclists.  I have a feeling I’ll be checking out some out-of-the way streets instead of taking the more direct route.  Riding my bike was exhilarating, though, when it wasn’t terrifying or irritating. 

And then Wednesday, after my adventures in bike riding, I used the gym in my apartment building for the first time.

 

I did the following workout.  You do the teal and the magenta sections three times each and the yellow sections once.  I had to lower some of the weights (specifically the bicep curls, tricep extensions and the chest presses) but overall it was a killer workout.  My glutes are still feeling it today.  Whew.

Source: foodandfunontherun.com via Erin on Pinterest

 

Should make for an interesting showing at the Chase Corporate Challenge this evening.  Yes, I’m running (but not racing).  But as a bandit.  I didn’t register so I’m just going to use someone else’s number.  Shhhh. 

Also, because I was so busy moving I didn’t get a chance to participate in Mag Mile Runner’s photo challenge for this week.  The prompt?  Your worst race. 

Soldier Field 10 Miler 2011

That’s me in the red tank top.  I don’t know what it was about this race, but my heart wasn’t in it.  And afterward my hip hurt so bad it was the first time I was really worried about what I’d done to it.  I think it was my horrible form on that day.  I mean, look at me in that photo. Ugh.  Anyway, the Soldier Field 10 Mile race is this weekend and I’m not sad at all that I’m not running it. 

That’s what I have for you this Thursday.  How are you?

Playing Favorites

This week’s photo challenge from Maggie at Mag Mile Runner is:

We’ve seen your ugly race pictures. But I want to see your favorite race picture! And an explanation of why. It can be ugly or pretty, solo or with a friend or group … whatever reason, as long as it’s your favorite.

Oh my.  I have to choose a favorite race photo?  Strangely, I don’t have a lot of ugly race photos.  Actually, there are probably ugly ones out there of me (I can think of one in particular from the Soldier Field 10 Mile where my form is horrific) but I haven’t saved any of them.  For good reason.

However, I have a LOT of good race photos.  My husband is actually quite good at being my own personal race photographer and we have some good photogs in my running club as well.  Not to mention the few professional ones that turn out nice.

I mean, I could choose this one from the Cleveland 10 Miler I ran with a friend:

I mean, it IS my favorite photo of my arm muscles.  But I didn’t really “race” that race even though I had a total blast and was super proud of my friend, Rae.  So of course I can have good photos since I was pacing someone else and not pushing myself.

Or what about the photo from when my mom surprised me at the Wisconsin Half Marathon in 2010?

I have very fond memories of that moment but not particularly of the race itself.  That course and I are not currently on speaking terms. 

Then there’s my two 2011 marathons, Milwaukee and Las Vegas: 


Trend alert:  I like to open my mouth in race photos.  It makes me look badass, don’t you know?

But I think my favorite photo is from the Club Cross Country Invitational in November 2011.  I was miserable for that entire 3 miles but thanks to my running club’s support I pulled out a finish worthy of a photo.


Someone has to come last in a race.  This day it was not going to be me.  Why wouldn’t that be my favorite?

My Favorite Beginning

 

In September 2007 I ran my very first 5K: the Women’s Fitness 5K in Urbana, Illinois.  I’d been training for the past 8 weeks with the Beginning Womens’ Running Group as part of the local running club.  I was now able to run for 30 minute straight, a feat I’d only ever come close to once before on a treadmill and never outside.

I had no idea what to expect.  Okay, that’s not entirely true.  Our coach and her husband had given us the run-down on race etiquette, a reminder to lay out all our stuff the night before, how to pin on our bibs, and all the other things they though we should know before race day.  But as for the atmosphere or my own performance?  No clue.

I crossed the finish line in just over 33 minutes.  I had no idea if that was good or bad.  I just knew I wanted, no, NEEDED to do it again.  I stood at the post-race awards ceremony chatting with another member of the Beginning Women’s Running Group.

“Look at all these other runners!” 

“Some of them run marathons!  Would you ever run a marathon?”

“I don’t think so.  A 10K or maybe even a half marathon.  But a whole marathon?”

How little I knew back then.  I signed up for another 5K race less than two months later.  And so it began.  Now, here I am, 60 races later (including those 3 marathons I didn’t think I’d do) and I’ve cut almost 10 minutes off my first 5K time. 

The keychain pictured above is the running skirt medal they put around my neck on a ribbon when I crossed the finish line of that first 5K.  I use it as my every day keychain.  It reminds me of how far I’ve come.  How lucky I am that I found running and racing even if I’m not currently signed up for any races and only running 10 miles a week or so.

Maggie asked us to choose memorabilia from our favorite race for her new photo challenge series.  Was the Women’s Fitness 5K my favorite race?  Of those 60 races I’ve run I’ve had some I loved more and some I loved less.  Choosing a favorite is almost impossible.  But my very first one holds a special place in my heart so that’s my choice. 

 

The Weekend Workouts That Weren't

Source

Where did my weekend go???

Well, I know where most of it went. So let's just say I'm super glad I got in a killer strength training workout during the day on Friday.

Source: sweettoothsweetlife.com via Erin on Pinterest

I made a few changes to this workout. Instead of split jumps we did regular lunges with bicep curls and we skipped burpees entirely. The room we workout in is about 80 degrees and we were dripping sweat. In the middle of the day. At work. Not a good look. Anyway, I did add 15 roll-ups, 15 3-2-1 crunches, and 2 sets of 10 bird dogs to the end. Trust me, this workout will shred your muscles even without the burpees and split jumps!

Then on Friday night I walked a little over a mile while I hung No Parking signs for my running club's 5K race.

On Saturday I spent a good chunk of the day working on a post for my fashion blog (that post was super fun, by the way) and then helping set-up for the 5K race some more. Our landlord also texted us to say the realtor would be taking photos of our house on Monday or Tuesday so Jason and I spent most of the weekend cleaning and decluttering.

Sunday morning was the 5K race and I was on my feet from 7:00 AM until 11:45 AM doing various tasks. My main jobs included helping to set up the finish line water station, doing a bit of course marshaling, and then ferrying results from the timing table to the results board. After a volunteer appreciation lunch it was back home for more cleaning and some errands.

So, no other workouts but I didn't mind. It didn't even feel that weird to not be running the 5K even though I've run it past two years. I think I'm finally reaching the stage where I'm working out because I want to instead of stressing out about fitting something into my schedule.

I'm not perfect. I still worry about losing fitness or gaining weight or losing muscle or not being able to race again. I'm still in this weird limbo spot where I don't know if I should sign up for races or have hip surgery. But I'm getting a bit more comfortable with taking a weekend off because I'm busy doing other things I enjoy.

Weekend Workouts

Friday after work I went to a Zumba class at a fitness studio near my office.  I have to say, getting in a workout and still being home by 7:15 PM is amazing these days.

The Zumba class was okay.  I certainly broke a sweat but I didn’t feel too worn out.  I was getting a bit bored near the end and felt that 45 minutes would have been better than 60.  On the plus side, I think they are swapping out this class with the WERQ class I took a few weeks ago.  I liked that one better.

On Saturday I did my usual 50 minute bike ride with Tabata intervals at the end.  Nothing too spectacular there.

And then on Sunday I had my first experience solely being a race spectator!

 

That’s me on the left.  Thanks to Kim for the pic.

Kim was running the Frosty Footrace 5K.  I’ve run this race twice before and while I was sad I wasn’t running it this year it was great being there for Kim. 

She even won first place in her age group!

I had vague ideas about working out when I got home but ended up just spending time with my husband instead.  After the race Kim’s coach told her to take a week off and just enjoy life and not worry about fitting in a workout or figuring out when to shower post-sweat-session.  I have to say, one of the benefits to being injured and not training for anything is doing things because you want to not because you feel like you have to. 

Except for physical therapy.  I do that because I have to.  Blech.

Speaking of my injury, I have another MRI on Wednesday and then a doctor’s appointment on Thursday.  Fingers crossed for news that doesn’t require surgery! 

Las Vegas Marathon Preview

Short version:

I ROCKED this Rock n' Roll Marathon.

Finish time? 4:26:56

Yes, that is 10 minutes faster than my time at Milwaukee.

Stay tuned for the whole story and some fun pictures!

Nightmares

This weekend I had two nightmares about the upcoming Las Vegas Marathon.

Why am I having nightmares about this race when I had very little anxiety about Milwaukee?

I think it's a combination of things.

1. Milwaukee went so well that I'm a little afraid it was a fluke.

2. My injuries are flaring up more now than they were before Milwaukee. I haven't been able to run as much as I did before Milwaukee.

3. My only goal for Milwaukee was to break 5 hours. But if I didn't, I had plenty of time to finish the race.

4. But Las Vegas has a (stupid) course limit of 4 hours and 30 minutes. You may recall I ran 4:36:58 in Milwaukee. So I have to shave 7 minutes off my PR in order to even finish before they shut down the course!

I am so freaking anxious about this course limit thing that I'm debating dropping down to the half marathon.

Both of my nightmares involved not finishing the race before the course time limit.

If one more person asks me if I'm going to see any shows while I'm in Vegas I might scream. I just want to go and get this race over with. Celebrate my friends' 10 year wedding anniversary and come home. I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out for big production marathons. Give me a "down home" race any day. That's much more my speed.

Runners Must Be Crazy

Craziness Example 1: Running in the rain

Another rainy run on Thursday. Of course, when I decided to go running it was only misting but by the time we got outside it was coming down pretty good. The funny thing about running in the rain, though, is if you have on a hat (and don't wear glasses) you can barely tell it's raining. It's not until you get done and strip off your clothes that you realize how wet you are.

Only one other guy from the lunch time crew was able to go but we're close to the same pace (if I push it a little harder) so neither of us was out there alone. Of course, we weren't the only crazy runners doing our thing in the rain. Nope. We saw quite a few other runners as well as some cyclists.

Look, when you want to get in a workout you can't let Mother Nature deter you too much. In the end, we did almost 4.5 miles even though we originally said we were just going to do 3.

Rainy Lunch Run North by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Craziness Example 2: Signing up for last-minute races while traveling

I'm flying to Washington, DC on Saturday for a conference. We arrive Saturday evening but the conference stuff doesn't start until 11:30 AM on Sunday. The conference center is located across the river from Alexandria, Virgina in National Harbor, Maryland. In my quest to get in a run in as many states as possible I got online to Google running routes in the area.

Which of course meant I stumbled upon a running club website. Which had a list of races in the area.

Hmmm, I thought. I want to run a few miles on Sunday morning. I wonder if there's a race nearby. I think Kim is rubbing off on me :-)

A few clicks later and I landed on the website for the Inaugural Patent and Trademark Office Society 5K taking place less than 15 minutes from my hotel on Sunday morning.

So, I signed up. Hey, why not? Now I'm sure to get in at least one run while I'm there. I'll still need to run in Maryland, though....

Two Birds, One Stone

Sunday is the Chicago Half Marathon. Also known as the most inconvenient half marathon for most of the people who run it. It's definitely geared towards tourists moreso than the majority of people who actually live in and around the city. Why?

Well, the start line is not on any city public transportation. They have to arrange for special regional trains. If you drive to the start line you either pay $14 to park and walk a mile there and back or find street parking and walk even further. And risk dealing with Chicago Bears traffic on the way home. Packet pick-up is also not on a public transit line and it's $10 to park there. However, packet pick-up is two miles from my office. And I needed to get in another run this week.

So guess what I did? I strapped on one of those drawstring backpacks everyone seems to be giving away and after work I ran from my office to the Festival Hall at Navy Pier to pick up my packet. I was pretty sweaty when I got there but was able to get my stuff with little fanfare. I even ran into Coach Holly and Helen as I was leaving.

I didn't tie the bag right across my chest on the way back so it bounced more and made my shoulders ache but for two miles it didn't really matter. I got in my run and picked up my packet. I guess that's what they call running an errand!

Half Marathon Packet Pick Up by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

And when I got home I discovered my new running shoes had arrived!

New shoes always make me realize just how beat up my old shoes are. I guess that's what over 350 miles will do to a pair of shoes.

Illinois Half Marathon Race Report Preview

Three medals, two races, one huge PR.

Yes, my friends, I ran the Illinois Half Marathon in 1:57:33! Sub-2:00 hour goal DONE!

And, yeah, we ran a 5K on Friday night, too. But we did that in 26:30. You know, as our warm-up.

Looking Ahead

It's that time of year again when you start looking ahead. This season usually feels so rushed that I prefer to take my time and savor it, but I know that if I don't start planning my racing calendar I'll miss signing up for some races as well as double book myself.

So, here's my tentative plan so far (totally subject to change):

January

S-NO-W Fun Run 5 Miler

My running group is doing this one as our winter group "race". Apparently it's quite the fun time seeing as how the run is followed by a huge party (with Schnapps at the finish line!). I'm already registered and planning to share a room with another club member.

February

Frosty Footrace 5K

Kim and I did this race last year. This year we've vowed to defend our second place spots in our respective age groups. Or just have fun :-)

March

March Madness Half Marathon

Another OPRC favorite that I'm hoping to attempt. The key here is actually getting registered! Apparently it sells out super-fast. Last year I was on a cruise ship when registration opened. This year? I'm going to try for it.

April

April's where it starts to get dicey. Racing season starts for real in April in the Midwest and the calendar starts to fill up. With...

Race That's Good for Life 5K

This is my running club's annual race so I'm definitely planning on running it. As well as volunteering to hang signs, stuff packets, and I'm sure lots of other things.

Cleveland 10 Miler

There's a rumor that my friend Rae would like to attempt this race. If she'd have me, I'd love to be there by her side. This is the weekend before one of my goal races for the year so I could treat it like a training run and help pace Rae.

Illinois I-Challenge

I'm definitely doing the half-marathon in my hometown. This was my first half marathon. Now they've changed the course so that it goes by my parents' house! This year the race organizers are doing something a little different. The I-Challenge means you run the 5K race on Friday night and then either the half or the full marathon on Saturday morning. What's a little 3.1 mile warm up the night before?

April also starts the CARA Circuit Races which have not been announced. Since I've gotten more involved in my running club I'd like to try and earn some points for them by running more CARA races. Once the official Circuit is announced I'll have to try and slot those races into my schedule.

May

Wisconsin Half Marathon

The weekend after the Illinois Half Marathon is the Wisconsin Half Marathon. I ran this last year and totally bonked. Kim wants to run this again this year and I would love to run it for fun. Plus, worst case scenario, I bonk at Illinois and get to redeem myself in Wisconsin.

Quarryman Challenge 10 Miler

This is the alternative to the Wisconsin Half Marathon. It's on the same day so I can't do both. My running group at work does the Quarryman every year so this would be my back up plan if we decide not to do Wisconsin.

May will also include the Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5 mile and possibly the Solider Field 10 Miler. I also heard some talk about a 20 miler on May 14th?

June

MetLife Duathlon

As part of my goals I want to do at least one duathlon. The MetLife one looks good because it's semi-local (45 minutes south) and it's an easily attainable distance (2 mile run, 11 mile bike, 2 mile run).

Ragnar Relay: Madison to Chicago

The "leader" of my work running group floated the idea of all of us doing the Madison to Chicago relay. You get a team of 12 people together and during this 24 hour race each person runs 3 legs of 3-8 miles each. It sounds complicated. It sounds crazy. And it sounds like fun. It's looking like we can easily find 12 people so I'm thinking this is going on the schedule.

July

Grand Haven Duathlon

This is my dream duathlon but I don't know if I want to sign up for it without ever having done one. The distances aren't that daunting (5k run, 20k bike, 5k run) but I'd hate to make a mini-vacation out of it and be miserable. Plus, it's only two weeks after the one in June. Although, my mom loved Grand Haven so maybe I can convince her to make it a mini-vacation with me? What do you think, mom?

The rest of the summer/fall is still open. I suspect there will be lots of CARA Circuit Races followed by...

December

Las Vegas Marathon

Yes, my second marathon. Hopefully in a location where it won't be 85^oF on race day. Fingers crossed, anyway. This is also an OPRC-fueled event and although I've read the course is kind of boring (except for the parts on the strip) I think that might be what I need. And, hey, I've done the local marathon. Time to branch out!


I know it's crazy to think you have to plan these things out so far in advance. But, really, the earlier you register the better price you get. Speaking of which, I may need to win the lottery in order to pay for all these races! But, wait, it's not too late for Christmas gifts, is it? How about a race registration or three?

Season's End

I haven't done much running this week other than Monday. Work has been busy (so no running at lunch) and other than going to a Pilates class on Tuesday night I haven't had the free time in the evening to work out.

That's partially because on Wednesday night we had our "end of track" party! Our coach and his wife provided the food and the rest of us provided the wine. We had a great time talking about next year's race plans and ideas for future club meetings. Speaking of which what kind of topics would you be interested in hearing about at a meeting for runners?

Of course we also talked about more than just running. Including Broadway shows. The reason I couldn't run on Thursday night after work was because Jason and I had free tickets to see Billy Elliot. My review? Sadly, just a "meh". Not bad, but I'm glad I didn't pay $100 a ticket for it. Although I do have Solidarity stuck in my head today.

In addition to wrapping up track for the season, I thought my interview about the Chicago Marathon over at Melinda's blog was a great capstone to the experience. Check it out for a nice summary of why and how I managed to run my first marathon.

So although track season and my marathon season has come to an end, I'm not totally done racing quite yet. Although I passed on the Chicago Monster Dash half marathon, I am tentatively planning on running the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot 10K with people from work as well as running the Rotary Santa Run 5K with Kim.

And then the season will really be over. At least until January when training for spring races starts. Stay tuned!

Post-Marathon Thoughts

As promised in my pre-marathon thoughts post, I'm doing a follow-up of the top 10 things I learned while actually running the marathon.

The funny thing is that I spent a good portion of the marathon coming up with things to put on the list and trying to remember them. How many do I actually remember? Approximately none.

But here's a list anyway.

1. You run the race you're given. Don't spend your time thinking about the "what ifs".

2. Even someone with almost 30 races under their belt can still go out too fast.

3. Don't let yourself get talked into something you're not 100% sure of. I knew I could finish that race but I wasn't sure I could finish it in 4:30. I let the excitement get the best of me.

4. Adrenaline helps but it is not enough. It will get you to the finish line but it won't be pretty.

5. No matter how fast or slow you run, when you look back on the race it will seem like it was over in the blink of an eye.

6. Try to figure out the official race shirt color ahead of time. Don't wear the same color if you want your friends and family to be able to easily pick you out of the crowd.

7. Sun and heat are humbling. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

8. If you feel like you have to walk, try to come up with a plan and stick to it.

9. It's not supposed to be easy. If it were easy everyone would do it. Tell yourself this when it gets hard.

10. Remember to smile and laugh at the funny signs, shirts, and spectators.

Bonus 11. Don't let yourself get beat by a guy in a bear suit. There are some things a guy in a bear suit can't do.*



P.S. I beat the guy in a bear suit.

*P.P.S. Does anyone other than me remember that Late Show with David Letterman skit?

Pre-Marathon Thoughts

I finally decided what I'm wearing for the marathon. See that photo up there? That's what I'll be wearing. My white Adidas visor, my red Oak Park Runners Club tank, my fuel belt with it's neon green bottles, and black shorts. I'll also have my black knee strap around my right knee but I'm pretty sure I won't be the only one.

I also bought iron-on letters to put my name on the shirt right above the OPRC logo.

For anyone who wants to look for my number, I'm 16190. You can also do runner tracking via text but I can't promise you how accurate it will be.

My goal is to run between 10:00 and 10:30 miles assuming my knee holds up and the weather doesn't freak out.

And with those logistical details out of the way, I thought I'd post the top 10 things I learned while training for this marathon. Next week I'll do a follow-up post that includes the top 10 things I learned while actually running the marathon!

So, without further ado:


1. I have to wear lip balm when I run. If I don't, my lips get this sort of dry, gummy film on them that drives me insane.

2. Long distance running is intimidating but you will surprise yourself with what you can do.

3. Don't take running for granted. Even if you have to slow down, you're still running.

4. A good support group of other, more experienced runners is invaluable.

5. My favorite pre-long-run meal is pasta with roasted broccoli and walnuts with the addition of chicken sausage and a piece of bread or a roll.

6. I have to stuff myself to an almost uncomfortable fullness the night before a long run. Follow that up with a white bread bagel with crunchy peanut butter no more than 2 hours before the run. If I have to eat earlier than that I need to eat half of a Clif bar 30 minutes before gun time. Yay for a fast metabolism?

7. Those long, crappy, slog-fests of runs where you cry and sweat and think you'll never finish so why are you even out there? They don't matter in the end. Don't let them get you down.

8. Understanding friends and family are key. Someone has to make dinner when you don't get home from running until after 8PM and you don't really want it to be you.

9. Planning race day logistics are almost as important as training for the thing!

10. You're allowed to be terrified up until you cross the start line. Then it's time to have fun.

Bonus! 11. Marathon taper brain is a real thing. Right now my brain is mush. I can barely remember my own name. Thank goodness my boss is letting me go home early!

Three Things Tuesday

Instead of running last night I bought this compression thigh sleeve at Sports Authority using my 10% off coupon. I wore it around the house for several hours before bed. When I went to bed I rubbed a small amount of Biofreeze into the sore area. My leg feels much better today. It's probably at about 85%.




While at Sports Authority I remembered I was out of Body Glide. I went on the hunt for some but all I could find was the Body Glide "for her". I'm 99.9% sure this is identical to regular Body Glide just with a pink cap the word "bra" on the packaging. It probably costs more, too. The wonders of marketing.



My marathon participant confirmation booklet arrived yesterday. I'm a little terrified to open it. It reminds me of the first day of class when the teacher hands you the syllabus and you get totally overwhelmed by hearing about all the things you'll need to do. Or is that just me?

Racing Season

Racing season has definitely started here in the Chicagoland area. The "official" start is in March so we're well into the time when there is literally at least one race every weekend.

Since I belong to two running groups and have friends in the area that run, I'm constantly being bombarded with races to sign up for. I love racing. I really do. So, although at the start of the year my race calendar was clear between May and October, I've already managed to fill it up!

Here's what I've got (tentatively) planned for the next few months:

Sunday, June 13th - North Shore Half Marathon
I know, I know, I said I was going to stick to marathon training and then shorter distances. But I am not trying for time in this race. I'm trying to run the whole thing without walk breaks. I've never done that in a half marathon before.

Saturday, July 3rd - 4 on the 3rd 4 miler
In lieu of our monthly running club meeting members run this race and then have a picnic brunch afterward. Sounds good to me!

Saturday, July 24th - Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10
Both OPRC members and my lunch time running group members are running this. Remember that super hot trail run I did a few weeks ago? Yeah, same course. I'm supposed to run 12 slow miles that day for marathon training so I wouldn't necessarily "race" this. Plus, I seem to recall that I might have some birthday parties to attend this weekend...

I was also going to run the Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon on August 1st but I was trying to save up the $110 (!!) entry fee. However, it's now sold out at that price and there's no way I'm paying $160 (the current price) to run the 13 miles I have on my marathon training schedule. Oh well.

So instead I'm thinking about running the Chicago Half Marathon on September 12th. I've got 10 miles at a pretty quick pace on the schedule for that day anyway. That one's only $70 but I'd need to decided quickly before it sells out!

And then, of course, there's the CARA Ready to Run 20 miler on September 19th. It's not a race, just a fully-supported 20 mile training run targeted at those of us training for the Chicago Marathon.

And THEN there's one of my favorite races of the year, the PAWS 8K on September 26th. I may or may not do this one as it doesn't really fit into my training plan.

The biggie of the rest of the season, though, is, of course, the Chicago Marathon on October 10th (speaking of which, if you're one of those people who likes training plans, here's mine). After that I may be so burnt out on racing that I take the rest of the year off. Or maybe I'll run a 10K or two. Believe it or not I don't have my schedule planned out that far :-)

Wisconsin Half Marathon Preliminary Result

That....was hard.

Official time? 2:10:01. Not the time I really wanted, but still a personal record.

Complete report to come tomorrow.

Wisconsin Half Marathon Preview

This time tomorrow I plan to be finished with what I consider to be my first BIG race of the season: The Wisconsin Half Marathon in Kenosha, WI. I've been training for this thing for 13 weeks and I really hope that it pays off. I'm admittedly nervous (okay, try scared to death) but I'm going to try my hardest not to psych myself out.

Why am I nervous? While I've done two half marathons neither one went as smoothly as I would like. There was more walking than I wanted, I had some mild panic attacks, and I definitely hit some walls. And although all my runs this year have gone great, I didn't do any of my long runs with water or fuel. Which means I'm unsure of how to proceed in terms of both during the race.

Plus, I just have such a hard time understanding how adrenaline and excitement can make up for running all your long runs at a pace almost a minute slower than your race day pace...and for less distance! I suppose I just need to get into the mindset that my training will carry me through regardless.

Or, as a friend on Facebook said, "There is no wall, there is no wall, there is no wall."

As with my previous half marathons, I have a continuum of goals. They are:

Goal A: Finish (that's always goal A)
Goal B: Finish without walking (except for perhaps at some water stops)
Goal C: Get a new PR (under 2:13)
Goal D: Finish under 2:10
Goal E: Finish under 2:00

Admittedly, Goal E is the one I really really really want to do (and the one I'll be aiming for) but race day can bring anything and I don't want to be disappointed with whatever happens. So, as long as I complete goal A I will be pleased.

Now, with that out of the way, onto the more important things. What am I wearing??

Okay, I know the "rule" of running is "nothing new on race day". Yet, when I searched my dresser for something to wear it all seemed so blah. Plus, the weather is going to be 50/50 on whether it's t-shirt or tank-top temperature. Now, of course I could wear something I've worn before, but I have this thing about not repeating something I've already worn to a race. So last night I went to Kohl's and found a tank top on the clearance rack for $4.80! As of right now I'm planning on wearing this:



With my black running skirt and my white Adidas visor (which I washed in the sink last night). Hopefully flouting the nothing new on race day rule doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.

So, think of me tomorrow morning as you roll over in your bed at 7AM. Or, if you're in the area, come on out to cheer. And for those of you reading this that are racing somewhere else tomorrow (like my hometown. I just looked at the race course for that race this morning and it goes right past my parents' house!) best of luck to you and may you meet all the goals you set out!