New Age Group Ahoy! Plus a GIVEAWAY!!

Monday night was my last run in the 25-29 age group. Why? Because today (Tuesday) I turn 30! At running group on Monday night our intrepid leader asked if anyone had any announcements. "It's my birthday!" one guy yelled.

"Are you moving into a new age group?" another person asked.

"No," he said.

"But I will be tomorrow!" I exclaimed.

Funny how other runners don't ask how old you'll be, just if you'll be changing age groups.

How did I celebrate 30? Other than dinner, movie and dessert with friends this past weekend?

Well, Monday night I ran a great 5+ miles. I also had a book club meeting (The Shadow of the Wind....I highly recommend it) immediately after running so I decided to run fast in order to make it back on time. It was a little bit of a struggle at first and the last half mile was tough, but overall I did well (9:04 average pace). And that's with only two days of running in the past two weeks!

I also got some great running related gifts. A friend of mine made me an entire CD full of songs with the word "run" in the title.


Click to see larger

Isn't she creative?? Many of these I've never heard so it will be fun to listen to!

Kim got me a book I've had on my to-read list for awhile:



Have any of you read it?

Finally, I got a $30 gift card to Fleet Feet from some friends of mine. They said they knew what THEY wanted when they ran, but they didn't know what I wanted. This way I can pick it out myself.

And tonight I gave myself the gift of going to the gym. 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by an hour of strength training. Pretty nice gift to myself, huh?

So now I have a gift for you. At the end of last year I hinted that I might have something to give away. Well, I do. It isn't running related per se. But I suppose you could use it post-run to warm up.

What is it?

An Infinity Scarf!

What's an infinity scarf? It's essentially a tube of fabric that you can loop multiple different ways for many different looks. I bought myself one but, strangely, two came in the package. Since I don't need two of the exact same scarf, I'm giving one away to one lucky reader.

Just so you have a better idea of what you're getting, here I am (post-gym, so sorry about the lack of hair and make-up) modeling mine. The one I'm giving away is the exact same color and style.

A sample of ways to wear it







Don't worry, it comes with a little card explaining some of the different ways to wear it. It's also super-light weight so even looping it numerous times doesn't make it bulky and annoying.

How do you win?

For one entry all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me Happy Birthday or telling me one running or non-running related thing you'd like for your next birthday.

For a second entry just blog about and link to this giveaway post in a blog entry of your own. Please leave me a comment telling me you've done so.

Then the random number generator (or pieces of paper in a hat) will take care of the rest.

I'll draw names on Sunday, January 17th. So, get to commenting if you want to win!

Abominable Snowrunner

Even though the temperatures yesterday were in the teens the sun decided to grace us with its presence. I decided to bundle up, strap on my YakTrax, and head to the forest preserve bike path. Last year when I ran though the snow on this path I had a great time. Yesterday? Not so much.

The packed down snow I had been expecting was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw what you see in the above photo. And, in some places, it was worse than that. Lots of loose, divot-filled, snow. I saw exactly ONE other runner, several people walking (either with their dog or with ski poles!), and lots of cross-country skiers. Oh, how I envied those cross-country skiers. They weren't going that fast, but they were making it look so much easier than what I was doing.

I knew after my first quarter mile that there was no way I was going to be able to complete the 6-7 miles I'd been planning to do. Even with the YakTrax I was sliding and slipping and my form was awful. My hip stabilizers were talking to me after only half a mile and towards the end my right Achilles tendon was singing as well. I suppose I would compare it to running in loose sand. But colder. And wetter. In fact, the snow seeping into my shoes make the callus on the tip of one of my toes ache.

There were sections that I had to walk for safety reasons. And there were sections that I had to walk for aches and pains reasons. So, instead of running for distance I decided to run for time. 6-7 miles would have taken me around an hour so I put that as my goal. 30 minutes out and 30 minutes back.

In one hour I completed 4.58 miles with an average pace of 13:19 minutes/mile. Officially my worst run since I started running, I'm sure of it. I felt totally drained afterward. My hips and Achilles tendons are sore today. Yet, I feel rather hardcore for even attempting a run in those conditions.

The best part of my run? Seeing a male deer bound across the path in front of me in full antler regalia. They're so graceful and lovely. Too bad I can't be a deer!

Return of the Treadmill

I really, really wish I could have gotten a good picture of what it looked like outside at lunch time yesterday. The best I could do was the following photo out the window of my office:


Click to see full size

Yeah. It was snowing. A lot. And windy. And the sidewalks were kind of scary. So, although two people from our usual lunch running group braved the elements, I wussed out and stayed in.

This gave me two options: run on the treadmill at home after work or run on the treadmill at the gym after work. I decided on the treadmill at home. At least there I had a commercial-free episode of Bones to watch (aside: I am like two seasons behind on Bones so no spoilers, please!).

If I had run at lunch we would have done a minimum of 4 miles. So, that was my treadmill goal. A commercial-free episode of Bones runs about 42 minutes. Even though I run like a sloth on our treadmill I figured I should be able to finish 4 miles in that amount of time.

I'll admit. It was hard. See, I attended my favorite aerobics class on Wednesday night and I think I was the hardest working person in the room except for maybe the instructor. And after not working out for over a week, well, let's just say I was feeling it! In fact, I was still feeling it on Thursday when I started up the treadmill. My shoulders were sore and my calves were screaming at me! But, I made it through 4 miles. My first miles of 2010.

Kim asked me if I had any mileage goals for 2010. I've thought about it and my answer is no. I want to run the miles that I need to run in order to accomplish my race goals and that's it. Whatever that ends up as is fine for me. I would hate to get so tied up in hitting a specific overall number that I obsessed and stressed over making up every missed run. So, no set mileage goals. Maybe next year :-)

Year in Review

Over in the Original Livejournal Runners' Club they put up an Year in Review Questionnaire. I thought it was good enough to fill out over here as well. Enjoy!

How many miles/km did you run this year?

743.18 miles. Approximately. This is the first year I've ever kept track of my running mileage. I'll admit, I'm really proud of this number even though I have nothing to compare it to. If Google is to be believed, I could have run from London, England to Paris, France with this distance. Google doesn't say if that's over or under the English Channel, however.

What was your best mileage month?

Hands down it was June. 87.15 miles that month.

What was your longest run?

14.27 miles

How many races did you enter in 2009?

I ran 8 races!

2 5Ks, 1 3.5 miler, 1 8K, and 2 10Ks and 2 half marathons. Check out the 2009 Race Calendar on the right hand side of my main blog page for links to recaps of each.


Do you have a favorite/memorable run from this year?

So many of them were memorable. Not all for good reasons. But I think my favorite and most memorable runs of the year were my races. Every single one of them was unique in some way. Here's why:



The Illinois Marathon Half Marathon. My very first half marathon. Memorable not only because it was my first, but because so many people came out to cheer for me along the way.



Chase Corporate Challenge. A race "sponsored" by work! And with our own private party afterward. The race itself was strange, but by running it I learned about the running group at work.



Skirt Chaser 5K. Unique concept and my best 5K time to date. Memorable because I thought I'd bombed this race only to find out that I hadn't. Also, memorable because new friends came out to cheer for me AND take pictures.



Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon. TOTALLY memorable. I got to meet and run with Holly as well as take a vacation in California wine country with my husband and my parents. Wish every race came with my own private pool to jump into afterward.



Rally for Autism 5K. First race with Kim! Not our best race ever, but I love running with her regardless.



PAWS Run for Their Lives 8K. My first race with a pacer! And a killer PR. Still can't believe people from my running group offered to pace me. Amazing.



Westchester VeteRUN 10K. Crazy warm weather...in November....in Chicago! Totally set a personal record with my time for this race. Until...



The Lincolnwood Turkey Trot 10K. My best 10K time yet! Followed by breakfast with people from the running group from work. A GREAT race and great company.

What was the craziest weather or other type of adverse conditions you endured on a run in 2008?

Granted, I wasn't running, but thousands of other people were on March 29, 2009. That was the date of the Shamrock Shuffle 8K. I didn't register in time to run so I decided instead that I would volunteer. We woke up to a blizzard and freezing cold. I almost wished I was running instead of working at gear check. Maybe then my hands and feet would have been warm.

What were your goals for 2009? Did you achieve them?

My main goal for 2009 was to run a half marathon. I ran two. I'd say I achieved it! My more minor goals were to PR at my other race distances and, yes, I did that as well.

What are your goals for 2010?

Number one main goal? Run a marathon! I *think* I'm going to register for the Chicago Marathon. It really makes the most sense.

Other goals? I'd love to keep getting better and better with my 5K and 10K times and get a PR in the half marathon. I'd love to get my half marathon time under 2 hours but I don't know if this is the year for that or not. Maybe. I also want to have fun at as many races as possible as well as volunteer for a few along the way.


Also, I would like to point out that as of January 2, 2010 this little blog is officially one year old!



When I started this I had no idea if I'd really log all my runs (I have), if I'd have something to say for each one (apparently I have), if anyone would read this thing (you do!) or where it would go.

To say I'm proud of myself for doing all the writing to go along with all the running would be an understatement. I'm so happy I started this blog. If not for this, I never would have found Kim who got me through much of my summer running (and who will hopefully join me again this summer!) as well as became a good friend and I never would have discovered such a huge world of bloggers out there. A big huge thank you to everyone who comments (either here, via email or in person). Thanks for making this past year great. Every time I go for a run I think about what I'm going to share here. Your comments really do keep me going sometimes.

So, keep them coming in 2010! I've got big plans :-)

December Wrap Up

Image from TSVBI

Yes, I know it's January 6th and I'm just now writing about December. But I was on a cruise! I've only been back 3 days! Hush.

So, December. My only goal for the month was to stay around 50 miles total. How'd I do? If you don't count the mostly walking jaunts I did on the treadmill then I came in at approximately 44.03 miles. If you DO count them then I hit approximately 47.23. Either way, that's close enough to 50 for me. It's December. The weather is horrible. Work and holiday celebrations and vacations ate up a lot of my time. But I ran in a Santa hat and I ran on a cruise ship. Those are pretty memorable, don't you think?

Take that, December! I came close to my mileage goal AND had some fun runs in the process.

Now, January? Not shaping up to be a good month so far. I haven't run once since we switched over to 2010. I'd better make some more race decisions and find me a training plan. A half marathon (somewhere) on May 1st? How's that sound? Actually, I've got a post brewing about my goals and my upcoming races (so far) for 2010. Hopefully I'll get that up this week. After I do my year in review, of course :-)

As always, stay tuned!

Walk on the Ocean

Click any of the photos to see them larger


I'm back! And I have a whole list of posts to write. Sadly, only one of them details an actual run. I didn't run as much on my cruise as I wanted. A combination of booze, staying up late, partying and catching a cold conspired to put running and working out on the back burner. I only ran the first full day and did the elliptical the second day. I did weights both days. And then I lazed about for the rest of the time. Okay, technically I didn't laze about the ENTIRE time. But I'll get to that in a second.

The cruise ship has a small track that runs around the top part of half the ship. The part that surrounds the giant exhaust/smoke stack. And when I say a small track, I mean it.






I headed up there about 1:30 PM last Monday. Thankfully, even though we were on the Pacific the weather was cool. In addition, the boat was moving which created quite a breeze. In fact, I would say that it was rather windy. At least when running the same direction the boat was moving. Running around and around on the track was certainly not the most exciting thing on the planet. However, believe it or not, I broke some speed records! Seriously, I ran 11.63 miles in 30 minutes! That's an average pace of 2:35 minutes per mile! I'm the fastest person on earth!


Just kidding. I wore my Garmin and instead of it picking up my speed it picked up the speed of the ship. Which was cruising along at just over 20 miles per hour.

I ran for 30 minutes and didn't bother to count the number of laps I did. Perhaps someone out there who is WAY better at math than I am can figure out how far I went. I'm just guesstimating that I went 3 miles. I have to say, even though going around and around in circles isn't the most thrilling way to run, looking out into the open sea makes for some unique scenery!

After running, I hit up the gym on board. It's not huge and they had the temperature way too hot. I avoided the treadmills and did weights after my run. On Tuesday I did 30 minutes on an elliptical and then did some weights. Let me tell you, using a balance ball or an elliptical on a moving cruise ship is a challenge in and of itself!


Photo by Cathieo

Wednesday I didn't hit the gym, but that doesn't mean we didn't get a work out. See, we decided to go zip lining in the jungle outside Puerto Vallarta. Combine hiking up steep dirt paths, climbing rope ladders and hanging onto a cable for dear life and you have our two hour workout. Sadly, due to a lack of funds we don't have our photos yet. Perhaps in 2-3 weeks. So, for now, I leave you with a taste of what it looks like to watch someone zip line:



Thursday we didn't leave the ship. Instead, we slept in and then relaxed on the deck by the pool. This deck, actually:



I kept meaning to get up and run or hit the gym, but the sun (and my book) sucked me in. So instead of running around the track, I stared out of the cityscape of Mazatlan, Mexico.



And Friday. Oh Friday. The aftermath of New Year's Eve. Thursday night I wore a killer dress that showed off my awesome runner's calves and I danced (and drank free champagne) until way too late.






And then somehow dragged myself out of bed to go parasailing at 9AM on Friday.







Then spent the rest of the day on a chaise lounge on the Adults Only deck basking in the sun.



Saturday the boat pitched and rolled as we drove at full speed against the swells to make it back to port by Sunday morning. The cold I caught combined with feeling a little seasick left me prone in our cabin with a book. At least our cabin was comfy and we had our own private balcony.






So while I didn't work out as much as I had originally planned, I think that's okay. I mean, it's vacation!

Now it's a new year and I've got a December Wrap-Up post to write, a year in review post to write, and a year in preview post. Stay tuned!

But first, one last little bit of the holidays. The group photo from our Christmas Eve Santa Hat Run:


I'm in the front next to the guy in the yellow vest.

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"My" stats from my cruise ship run

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 0 ft Location: Guerrero Negro, Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 12/28/09 Up/Downhill: [+0/-0] Time: 01:38 PM Difficulty: 0 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 11.63 miles Time: 0:30:08 Speed: 23.2 mph Pace: 2' 35 /mi Calories: 681 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 2' 37 +0' 02 22.9 -0.3 -- ft 2 2' 37 +0' 02 22.8 -0.4 -- ft 3 2' 35 +0' 00 23.1 -0.1 -- ft 4 2' 35 +0' 00 23.1 -0.1 -- ft 5 2' 34 -0' 01 23.3 +0.1 -- ft 6 2' 34 -0' 01 23.3 +0.1 -- ft 7 2' 30 -0' 05 23.9 +0.7 -- ft 8 2' 35 +0' 00 23.1 -0.1 -- ft 9 2' 36 +0' 01 22.9 -0.3 -- ft 10 2' 36 +0' 01 23.0 -0.3 -- ft 11 2' 30 -0' 05 23.9 +0.7 -- ft end 2' 33 -0' 02 23.5 +0.3 -- ft Versus average of 2' 35 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Snowy Day

That was the view from my gym where I did a 3 mile treadmill run on Saturday. Why the treadmill? Look at that snow! It was coming down fast all day. Enough so that by the time you plowed a road or shoveled a sidewalk no one would know you'd done anything ten minutes later. Also, I wanted to get in some strength training in addition to a run.

I did my 3 miles on the treadmill in just over 29 minutes. The first mile was the worst. The second mile I ramped up the speed every quarter mile or so and then slowed back down for the last mile. Sort of like a tempo run, I guess.

I'm pretty happy I managed to get in a whole three miles on the treadmill. My last few treadmill attempts had not been pretty. However, this upcoming week brings a new challenge. Why? Well, you see, our cruise ship leaves today! Last time we took a cruise I ran once on the outdoor jogging track just to say that I'd done it. This time? I'm bringing the Garmin. I want to see what it does on a ship at sea.

Plus, the weather is bound to be better than that snowy scene up above :-)

See you in a week!

Here Comes Santa Claus

moar funny pictures

Happy Christmas Eve to those of you who celebrate! I've been fortunate enough to have Christmas Eve off work and school since at least 2002! The joys of working for government and then academia after college graduation. However, I've never quite been able to celebrate it the way I did this morning.

Last night I laid out my outfit for the group run this morning. Black tights, green long-sleeved shirt covered with a red long-sleeved shirt, red gloves, white fleece headband, and, the topper, my Santa hat headband! Jason was still asleep so I didn't ask him to take a picture. So, here's what you get:



When I went into the bedroom to grab something Jason asked sleepily from the bed, "When did you grow a horn?" I suppose in the dark it could be construed as such. However, I thought it was awesome! So much better than a full on hat that would make me overheat while running!

I met up with the running group at a local coffee house/bakery/deli. We had an excellent turn out! Although the sidewalks were super icy, the streets were fairly clear and the freezing rain the forecast called for held off until after we were done. There was quite the assortment of red outfits and Santa hats. But no one else had a Santa headband like mine! Lots of pictures were taken but I don't know when I'll see them. If I get them at a later date I'll try to remember to post them. I didn't get many compliments on my headgear, but I did get a lot of congratulations on my two 10K PRs in November. The results were listed in our latest newsletter which just came in the mail this week.

I started out running with a small group of "slow pokes" like me but lost them after half a mile when one of them slipped on some ice. I stuck with another member until he turned around at the one mile mark. The problem then? We were going a new route and I didn't know it! I tried to book it to catch up with the rest of the group which is why mile 2 was my fastest. I didn't quite catch up to them, but I managed to keep them in my sights for the rest of the run and I finished up right on their heels.

I'd brought my YakTrax but didn't wear them. There was only one super slick section of sidewalk where I wished I'd had them but I managed to get through it with only one almost-slip.

After running we hung out at the cafe drinking, in my case, Chai tea lattes and eating muffins. We had so many people we practically took over the place with our chatter and laughing. I loved it. I took off after an hour, ducked into Old Navy to grab myself a little something, and then I went to the gym! I mean, I was across the street. How could I skip it? One of the running group members was going to sit in the steam room. While that sounded heavenly, I didn't bring appropriate steam room gear. So, instead, I did about an hour of strength training.

A five mile run followed by an hour of strength training on Christmas Eve morning? I can't think of a better gift to myself.

Except maybe tormenting my dogs. Who knew a Santa hat headband could be so versatile?

Phil


Trinka Deu


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Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 629 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 12/24/09 Up/Downhill: [+52/-52] Time: 08:07 AM Difficulty: 2.5 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   32 F temp; 75% humidity   32 F heat index; winds E 8 Performance Distance: 5.05 miles Time: 0:47:06 Speed: 6.4 mph Pace: 9' 20 /mi Calories: 598 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 45 +0' 25 6.2 -0.3 0 ft 2 8' 27 -0' 53 7.1 +0.7 -9 ft 3 9' 17 -0' 03 6.5 +0.0 0 ft 4 9' 43 +0' 23 6.2 -0.3 +22 ft 5 9' 24 +0' 04 6.4 -0.0 -3 ft end 9' 00 -0' 20 6.7 +0.2 -9 ft Versus average of 9' 20 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Winter Misery One Miler

I feel like I dropped off the face of the planet for awhile there. Celebrating the holiday with family and having house guests left me little time or motivation for running, going to the gym, or anything active. My mom and I had plans to go for long walks while she was visiting but the weather conspired against us.

The weather also conspired against my attempt to run just one mile as fast as I could for the Winter Misery One Miler. But, never fear! I did run. And it was pretty miserable.

My mom was awesome and offered to make dinner on Monday night while I went running with the running club. It was cold out, but the roads were relatively clear. However, I hadn't run in almost a week and my body just was not in the mood. My legs felt like lead. My lungs felt as though I had rubbed my face in cat (note: I'm horribly allergic to cats. Not just sneezing and itchy eyes, but my throat actually swells shut and my chest gets tight. Sort of like an asthma attack.). I didn't even take off my gloves and normally they are the first things to go after about a mile.

I fell behind almost immediately. I fought with my Garmin for almost the first half mile. As much as I wanted to go faster, I just couldn't find the energy. I was SO happy when the park that marks the 4 mile marker appeared out of the darkness. I was the last to arrive. I guess this just goes to show you how important routine is when running. My routine's been off for almost two weeks.

So, instead of running one speedy mile, I ran a slow, painful 5.5 miles (although, the Garmin indicates I only ran 5.1 but that's because it wouldn't find a satellite for the first few minutes).

My results for the Winter Misery One Miler? My fastest mile (out of 5.5) was 9:18.



And the temperature? A balmy 29^oF.

You know what you need after a run like that? A nice, warm meal. Preferably prepared by someone else. My mom had a bowl of Orcecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts (she also added chicken sausage) all ready for me when I got home. Yum! But a bowl of soup would have been good, too! Good thing I won Healthy Tipping Point's soup give away! My winnings came in the mail this week:



The swag included three cans of soup, a reusable bag, a pen, a notepad, and coupons. Awesome!

The running group is having a morning run on Christmas Eve starting at 8AM. We're all supposed to wear Santa Hats or red and green. I couldn't find a Santa hat, per se, but I did find something. I promise, there will be pictures. Stay tuned!