A Nashville Tale [Brian's Story]

Brian had a pretty incredible experience in Nashville, though I'm not speaking of the race. Here's a true tale of a runner's attempt to reach the starting line of a destination race.

"The story of my first experience doing a destination race starts with fading sunlight in the city of lost children. 

No, wait, that's not where it starts.  The events leading up to that are every bit as important for the reader, to provide the proper context.  It is April in Chicago.  I'm planning to leave for Florida for a week to visit my grandpa and play some golf ... and then head to Nashville to meet up with my friends for the Country Music Half Marathon. 

My last training run before the half was 8 miles.  Well, it was supposed to be 10, but since I hadn't run anything longer than 10k in months ... the training run, at 95 degrees on a humid Florida morning, didn't go smoothly.  This was further complicated by something my Chicago Lakeshore trail training didn't prepare me for - how the properly share the trail with Alligators. 

So back to the city of lost children.  I try desperately to never book flights out of Orlando.  Millions of children of all ages, all backgrounds, nationalities, cultures and customs ... all with one thing in common.  They are all crying because they don't want to leave Disney World.  So my exit from the city of lost children is filled with their cries and their howls (which I drown out with my iPhone and headphones).  And my journey has yet to begin.

Because I made the brilliant decision not to stay downtown in the $500/night Holiday Inn Express with my group (Important note:  All of them are women) the night before the race, because I ... um ... the morning of a race.  You know, there are things.  One needs to do.  So after a lovely dinner with the group, I headed off to check in at my hotel - you know, the one that's not conveniently located. 

Backing up a moment, when I picked up my rental car (note:  a VERY nice Ford Escape - I was really, really impressed with the vehicle) they offered me a GPS for $20 a day.  Now, I have an iPhone - what do I need a GPS for?

Does everyone remember that part where I was drowning out the cries of the children by playing music?  Anyone with an iPhone knows what's about to happen.

THe address for the hotel on my reservation actually doesn't exist.  I'm staying at a very nice, classy Days Inn near what appears to be the airport. 

Actually, that's the address that doesn't exist.  After a quick call using SYNC (yes, it works) (iPhone Battery 6%), the guy at the hotel gives me a different address, which doesn't appear to be as close to the airport.  But upon arriving, I realize it is actually closer to things ... hm, how to say this ... nearer to say, night workers.  

As I pull up to the hotel - the impossibly steep driveway that reaches the hotel perched high on a hill overlooking what could only be described as a sketchy diner - complete with thuggy late-teen, early 20s folks in loitering in the parking lot.  But that's not really what I noticed first.  No, its the crime scene tape blocking two of the rooms on the second floor.  That's what really draws my eyes.

Upon entering, there are several people in the lobby ahead of me.  At this point, I'm concerned about the wellbeing of my rental.  The guys behind the counter - two guys of Indian descent - both have their shirts unbuttoned further than is appropriate, and both are wearing gold chains.  I've actually walked into a SNL sketch.  For the first 5 minutes, literally nothing is said.  The two are on the phone, apparently on hold, no one in the lobby is talking ... its just weird.  Oh, and the people in the lobby - the "couple" in front of me - a guy who clearly came to Nashville to be a rock star - Jack White meets Kid Rock - and his ... um, escort - a charming couple.  He - despite not actually actively smoking, he was producing a full cloud of an entire bar of cigarettes ... from his faded and cracked leather jacket and ironic t-shirt.  (Her dress, on the other hand was certainly far too small to retain any such odors).

When its finally my turn ... the guy explains to me that ... my room isn't available - indicating the upstairs where the crime scene tape is.  Now, I should point out, that I pre-paid for this room ($45) though American Express - its not just a reservation, its a pre-pay.  But, he can't offer me my money back ... instead, he'll book me at the sister property ... just down the road. 

Now, I can't argue with going anywhere that's not this place.  I'm in.  Nothing could be worse.  But, I tell him I need extended checkout.  I need to have the room until 3pm.  (I'm thinking I didn't want to leave my luggage in the back of the rental while we run the race).  He agrees for $15 I can have extended checkout. I give him the cash, and he gives me, in return, a business card with the words "checkout at 3pm OK" scribbled on it (Note: Easy way to save $15). 

Now I'm off to the next property.  Americas Best Value Inn.  It is NOT just down the road, its another 10 miles away.  And its 11pm.  iPhone battery = dead.  Race meeting time 5am. 

Ok, I show up, and I'm in another movie, but this one is far creepier.  There's no one in the parking lot, and it ALMOST looks passable as a hotel.  Of course the guy at the desk (also a wild and crazy guy, but this one of eastern european descent) tries to haggle with me about the checkout, and about the room in general ... calls the other hotel ... begrudgingly gives me my key.  And then I walk into the room.

Holy mother of god, I wasn't prepared for this.  The first thing that draws your eye, after the horrifying polyester bedspread and the broken lighting fixture is the bloodstain on the floor.  It also had a few drips ... like whomever was bleeding was trying to either get to the place they bled the most, or trying to get away from it.  Whichever, the efforts to remove the stain were weak. 

Then I noticed the fact that the toilet wouldn't stop running (and the water squeaked) and when I went to go over and have a look, that's when i found the toilet seat was not attached to the toilet.  Hmmph.  Oh, oh oh... and they have haphazardly screwed plywood over the area under the sink. (Later, I learned this is a precaution to prevent their clientele from removing the pipes to sell as scrap - typically in exchange for crystal meth.) 

There are no bedbugs.  its late.  I'm tired, and I need to get to sleep. 

When I wake up (at 430), and realize my luggage is FAR safer in the back of my rental than it is in this room, I carry everything to the car.  I walk by the office, and the guy behind the desk (wild, crazy guy #3) now has his shirt off standing at the desk and is either dancing or copulating with an unseen party ... or just being extra special creepy.  As I'm loading my luggage into the car ... a woman - EYES WIDE OPEN, very few teeth - walks by and says "OH!  I'm surprised to see someone!  I thought i was the only crazy one up this early!" ... and wanders off. 

Lesson learned.  Sharing a room with 3 girls is TOTALLY ok. "

Shorter Days, Longer Runs

I've been noticing something's different lately when I walk out early in the mornings - It's dark.

The days are getting shorter, but my runs are getting longer.

It's harder to get out of bed at 5, so often I'm waiting until 5:30. Even 5:30 was pushing it this week.

In order to run 8  miles before I head home, get ready for work, and then commute in, I have to get up pretty damn early. Or start picking up my pace.

Which leads me to think I may need to transition out of the morning runner in to the evening or lunchtime runner again here soon.

Which reminds me that in 6 weeks, it's race day.

[Anxiety starting to build]

Now Training Gets Serious.

Week 11 of 18.

No more staying up late, drinking beer and eating light. 

Training now gets serious.

I need lots of water and tons of sleep.

More food and bring it often.

The foam roller and fuel belt are my best friends.

I'm tired of my running playlist from overuse.

I'm going for calorie consumption, with some limits.

The Wednesday mid-week run this week is the same distance of our Saturday long run the first week: 8 miles.

Saturday's long run is 18. It is the 3rd longest run I'll do before race day.

Scary to think training's already at that point.

Run Because... [motivation we all need]

Run because you have to. Run because you love it. 

Run because you want to be fast. Run because you want to be skinny. 

Run to find some quiet time. Run to sweat. Run to eat. 

Run hear your heart pound in your ears. Run because you're a runner. 

Run because you gotta keep the streak. Run because you don't know why the hell you're running. 

Run because you fought with your partner. Run because your job is shitty. 

Run because you got no money. Run for the sunrise. Run for a race. 

Run because it's impossible. Run because it's easy. Run instead of doing the laundry. 

Run instead of watching TV. Run because no one else understands. 

Run because the cool kids do it. Run because you're tired of talking. 

Run for numbers. Run for feel. Run to prove something. 

Run because it f-ing hurts. 

Or don't run...If you got something better to do.

 [Borrowed from i <3 to Run's facebook page]

Darth Vader does Yoga

In the spring, I discovered a yoga studio with the help of GroupOn.

It's a few blocks away from my place, which is quite nice. There are classes that start shortly after I usually get home from work. You can pre-register online to save your spot in the class which is ingenious.

After trying out a few classes, I found a vinyassa flow class with an instructor I liked quite well.

I was enjoying getting back in to a routine of yoga practice - finding my inner self and all that good stuff - until he appeared.

On the outside, he appeared to be your average man in his early thirties. He sat next to me in the seated position as we relaxed and waited for practice to start.

The instructor welcomed us to practice and then asked us to start lengthening our breath. That's when I noticed something wasn't right. Instead of the sound of even tempered, rather quiet breathing, I heard heavy, labored breathing. Like that of Darth Vader.

Certainly DV couldn't continue like that for an entire class. Maybe he was warming up?

Nope.

I tried my very best to block him out and enjoy the practice.

Exactly a week later, the same thing happened. I should have memorized what he looked like the first time, then I could have avoided this!

A week later, I try setting myself up at the far end of the room from him to no avail. DV can fill the entire room with his breath.

So I've stayed away for awhile - partially because marathon training has picked up but mostly because I can't enjoy a yoga practive with DV.

I plan on going back to yoga tomorrow. We'll see if the dark side still rules practice.

SARA Training

CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) is the non-for-profit group I've been training with for the last four years.

Sara is someone I met in 2008 while training for the first marathon.

SARA Training is when one takes three years of CARA training and does their own thing. Not because they don't love CARA, but because, for one reason or another, it's easier to take a different approach.

For example, to avoid 90 degree heat, SARA training will start at 5am (or 6am, pending trenchal downpour)whereas CARA is stuck with their schedule. SARA training can start anywhere, but chooses to start at Sara's house.

CARA's program has announcements and large groups of people divided by pace group. SARA training gets down to business. A pair runs together, picks up a third on the path at Foster, and what remains of our CARA group around North avenue.

Instead of post-run gatorade, there's iced coffee.

Brunch is just as important to a post-run routine as stretching, and the SARA program takes it quite seriously. There's pre-run logistic emails that start on Tuesday. Brunch is a hot topic - where we will go, what time we will get there, if there will be a line, and, most importantly what we will eat. Nothing is off limits. During the run, brunch plans adapt for the late start due to weather. Post-run, we speed up stretching and showering, forego sleeping. And head to brunch.

I order eggs benedict AND a bacon cinnamon roll.

What's crazier than running at 6:30 am on a Saturday?

Running at 6am.

Nah, let's make it 5am.

It's been in the upper 90's the last few days with high humidity, and Saturday looks to be no different.

If this was my first summer training, I might think that I'd be finished with a 14 miler before it really got hot by starting at 6:30am.

Truth is, I know better.

In 2008, there was a particularly hot Saturday where our long run was 16 miles. I'm not the only one that remembers the day. I guess you could call it one of our war stories from training.

I don't recall the run south to the loop being all too bad. It was the journey back that got us. That's the day I learned how much I dislike the lakefront between Ohio and Fullerton. It's an uncomfortable mass of concrete being continuously blasted by the sun.

Between Ohio and North Avenue, we went from two groups of ten to groups of 3 or 4. Each person was doing whatever they could to keep moving forward, but it wasn't pretty. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't call it running. But we finished the run and learned a valuable lesson.

Check the weather and run earlier.

Which leads me to thinking about the last few days of intense heat. Remember during the blizzard we were wishing for this? Now we have all the heat we could ever dream of but we don't want it. In lieu of complaining, I read a facebook status from Salute Inc. which I found to some things up quite nicely:

I was going to complain about how hot it is, then I realized that: 1.) It isn't really 109 degrees; 2.) I'm not 5,700 miles from home; 3.) I'm not dressed in a full BDU uniform and helmet and carrying 70+ lbs.; and 4.) There is very little chance that anyone will shoot at me. Thanks to all that serve!

Thanks for reminding us Salute, and, thank you Dan.

Return of the Morning Runner

Shortly after October 10th, 2010, Laura, the morning runner, retired.

Right around that time, Laura, the afternoon or evening runner, returned.

I find the morning version, although someone resistant to getting up at 6, or maybe 5am, tends to be more productive with a run out of the way in the morning.

But, as we all know, if you go out too hard too early, you might be in trouble.

As was the case last Friday (before the 4th of July weekend).

Skilling's prediction was humid and growing warmer throughout the day.

So much for knocking out 11 on my way home from work, thought the afternoon runner.

Then the afternoon runner had an epiphany: What if I turned (back) in to a morning runner?

We're not talking about the morning runner who wakes up a half hour earlier than normal to run three miles.

We're talking two hours earlier. 4:45am

The sun wasn't yet up when I headed out. I ran for about a mile before I passed another runner on the sidewalk.
Once on the lakefront path, I noticed something quite unusual. No bikes.

By the time I made it down to Diversey, bikes were whizzing by and the path had a fair number of morning runners.

Morning runners, even in a city as big as Chicago, will smile or wave at you. Afternoon and evening runners do not. Why is that? Does it have to do with sleep deprivation or is there a common belief that anyone out at that time in the morning must be doing it for the same reason you are?

By the time I reached my house, I had just enough time to get ready, eat a quick 2nd breakfast, and head to work on the bus.

As I stood waiting for the bus, I realized how tired my legs were. Thoughts of taking a nap on the bus, as per usual, crossed my mind.

Then the bus came. No seats were left.

I thought of how it would be better to walk then to have to stand still. So when the bus reached it's first stop (about a mile and a half from work), I got off.

I walked to work, beginning to think of all the things I needed to do. Once I did sit down, however, I found it very hard to do much of anything.

I was beat.

It was 8:30am.

Intermediate Training Schedule

Many would think a novice training program would be used by a person preparing for their first marathon.

Or 2nd.

Or 3rd.

But not 4th.

So this time around, I'm training with an intermediate schedule.

What's the difference?

You run more. More miles during the week, more days a week and longer long runs.

Instead of doing 3-3 mile runs during the week, I'm scheduled to knock out 16 before an 11-mile long run this Saturday.

Why?

Because you can, and, for some reason, want to. You've at some point decided that the novice program isn't beating you up enough or that it's leaving you with too much free time. Hours spent sleeping or relaxing should be, of course, replaced with more running.  More running which will likely require more stretching with our favorite friend the foam roller, sleeping, and the best benefit of training, eating.

Now that I made the intermediate program sound so appealing, I am wondering why I waited so long to do it.

This year, many of my friends are running the Berlin Marathon which is two weeks before Chicago. They are all experienced marathoners who are masters of the novice program. The intermediate program will allow them to get a 20 mile run in two weeks earlier than the novice program and from there, they will taper for Berlin. Me on the other hand, I'll run 20 twice. That's my punishment for not traveling Berlin and repeating Chicago a 4th time.

This time I'll get it right (I hope). Whatever that means...

Ragnar Recap

On Thursday, June 9th, a twelve person passenger van pulled up outside my house with a Scottish driver - Joanne. Don't let the driver position fool you, she's really a quite fast marathoner and a member of the Universal Sole team!

Joanne and I drove up the North Shore, picked up Jessica and Jackie, and then headed up to Madison. We spent the car ride getting to know each other. The fifth member of our van would meet us at the start line the next day. The sixth member of our van was Kim, who sadly couldn't participate in Ragnar due to a stress fracture.

We checked in to our hotel that evening, had a bite to eat and then headed to bed. Our van (#1) would arrive at the start at 8:30am for a 9:30am start. Van #2 arrived in Madison later in the evening and would not begin their legs until the afternoon. I had a hard time falling asleep. I had so many questions. How would this all work?

Friday morning we grabbed breakfast and headed to the start. That's when we saw the true size of this event. Hundreds of passenger vans, suvs, and mini vans were parked at the start, transporting their respective teams. The start line was staggered depending on your team's overall predicted pace. The faster overall pace your team had, the later you started in the day. We heard of some teams starting at 6:30am and others starting at 1pm.

After a few safety briefings, the gun went off and Jessica began her first leg of the race. Our van would meet Jessica at the first exchange point, where I would take the baton (er, slap bracelet) from her and run the second leg (in place of Kim).  The van would continue in this leap frog fashion until we reached exchange point 6 where van #2 would take over legs 7-12 with their runners.

I started leg two (my first run) around a lake in Madison. The 4.5 route took me through a few neighborhood streets and then in to a church parking lot where I passed off the baton. The first run felt good. I had about an hour and a half break before run 2 (leg 5) started.

Run two started at a high school in Cambridge, Wisconsin. The 6.4 mile run started down Liberty street in Cambridge. The street was lined with American Flags - fitting for a small town. Then I turned on to the Glacial Drumlin trail. After a short distance on the trail, I ran across the path of a possum.  No worries, he was more scared than I. Then on to country roads where I saw farms and dairy cows for a few miles. At one point, a cow ran along side me. This kind of stuff just can't happen running along the lake in Chicago!

At the conclusion of my second run, I took was was the first of many baby wipe baths of the relay. Let's just say I'm glad I bought the biggest container Target had. The bath made a world of a difference and I thought of how my brother went for weeks without a real shower the first time he was deployed to Iraq. Putting on a fresh pair of clothes seemed ok now. No point in taking a real shower anyway - I was running again in less than 12 hours.

After Jackie ran her first leg, we headed forward to exchange point 12 where we attempted to get some sleep. Trying to sleep outside in a sleeping bag in the middle of the day does have it's challenges, but we caught what little sleep we could, or couldn't.

It was reaching dusk when our team's runner came in to exchange 12 and Jessica was on her way again. This time, she was outfitted with a headlamp, tail lamp, and safety vest. By the time she finished her leg, it was dark out. As the night carried on, the relay became more challenging. Signs were harder to see. It was easy to lose sense of direction. Not to mention, we were sorta getting tired. But we pushed on.

Around midnight I prepared for a 4.3 mile run through a park in Greenfield, Wisconsin which would take me into Milwaukee. I have never had a run quite like this. This was the first time I was running with a headlamp. With no street lights. With no cars passing by or barely the sight of any other runners. I was scared. Scared of what else was out in the night and also scared of falling on my face. As I started running, all I could hear was the sound of my footsteps and the faint echo of other runners footsteps. No sirens, no horns, no crickets, nothing.  Weird.

After arriving at exchange 18, Jackie had to run one more leg before the van could rest for a few hours. When she finished, it was after 1am. We drove to a church somewhere in the Milwaukee area and parked in a field with hundreds of other vans. We tried to get comfortable in the van to take a catnap. I managed a short baby wipe bath and put on my compression socks. We had lights out for a about two hours, then it was time to pack up and head out to Racine where we'd meet up with van #2 again.

The sun had yet to rise as Jessica started her last leg. Once she completed her leg in Racine, Joanne ran two back to back 6 mile legs (one for Kim and one of her own). Amazing! Around 7:30 it was time for me to run my last leg, which was just 2.9 miles through Kenosha. The run was labeled 'easy' which, I would agree, it was the easiest of all my runs, but after the day I'd had, it felt like the last six miles of  a marathon. I think that's what kept me going - the debate of if the way I was feeling at that time was better or worse than the last few miles of the marathon. Then, somehow, I was at the exchange point and my part of the race was complete.

Later in the day, we met the runners of van #2 down at Montrose Harbor at the race's finish line. Our last runner was about to come in the home stretch of the race at 3:30pm on Saturday. As our runner approached, we jumped in with her and ran to the end. Volunteers offered us snacks and metals which double as bottle openers (now somebody's thinking!). We took a few photos, had a few laughs, said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways.

It's 4pm on a Saturday. I've run over 18 miles in the last 24 hours. I'm on about three hours of sleep in the last day and a half.  But I had a great time, and I can't wait to do it again.

Ragnar; It's like Bonnaroo...with Running.

After carefully reading through the Ragnar Relay Race Bible a few days ago, I've started packing.

So far my pile consists of:

• Sleeping bag
• Yoga mat
• Instant oatmeal
• Flashlight
• Cargo shorts
• Glow sticks
• Tarp
• Crocs
• Hand sanitizer
• Baby wipes
• Sunscreen

I pause for a moment realizing I've packed like this once before - for Bonnaroo.

Bonnaroo is a four day music festival held in Manchester, Tennessee. Two summers ago, I went with a group of friends. It was the incredible journey. In four days, we saw every type of weather possible - torrential downpours, tornado-like winds, blazing heat, and chilly nights. Oh, and we saw a lot of cool bands too.

Much like the Ragnar relay, we didn't get much sleep and we were camping.

One thing we certainly were not doing at Bonnaroo was running. I'll be interested to see how Ragnar parallels Bonnaroo...or doesn't.

[Ragnar Relay Chicago is a 200 mile relay race from Madison, WI to Chicago. My team will start at 9:30am on Friday and will run continuously until arriving in Chicago, sometime around 3:30pm on Saturday.]

One Month til Ragnar

A month from today, I'll be one of twelve making up the Universal Sole team at Ragnar Relay. Ragnar Relay is a 200 mile relay race from Madison to Chicago (formerly called the Madison to Chicago 200).

Unlike a regular road race, there are thousdands of unknowns with a relay race and a million logistics. How can one even begin to strategize?

Here's what little I do know:

I will be in runner position 5. I will run 12.4 miles in three legs.

My first leg will be in the afternoon on June 10th.

My second leg will be somewhere around 2am on June 11th in a town nearby Milwaukee.

My final leg will be somewhere around 10am. I will run the team over the state line.

This morning I ran three miles. I plan on heading home this evening and running another 3 or 4, just to get my body used to the idea of running twice in a day. I'm not sure how much this is going to help me since I'm on a good night of sleep. I imagine it's the sleep deprivation that really gets to people. Oh, and I'm running a course I know very well. Unlike when I get dropped in Wisconsin. I'm about as familiar with Wisconsin as I am with Brazil.

Here's a cool video that one team did of their Ragnar Relay experience in D.C.

Excerpts from the Ragnar Relay Race Bible

The Ragnar Relay Race Bible (yes, that's it's actual title) is 22 pages long.

It contains a lot of good information. Especially for my team, since, well, none of us have done this before.

Page 9: 
Each van must have two flashlights or headlamps, six reflective vests and two LED tail lights.
Crap...We are running at night.

Slap braclets will be used as batons.
Sweet!

Page 13:
In the event of an injury, any of the remaining runners can replace the injured runner...If an IV is administered, the injured runner is no longer eligible to run.
Note to self: Don't trip over own feet.

If a runner gets off course, they are to return on foot or in their support vehicle to the point where they went off course and continue from there.
I hope we don't get lost!

Page 16:
Each van will be required to have a safety officer/navigator that is awake and alert at all times. The safety officer is responsible for helping the team behave safely during the race. He or she must be seated in the front passenger seat and must have the safety guidelines and rules within reach at all times.
Sounds like a lot of responsibility!


Page 18: 
If a runner encounters flooded areas that cannot be ran through, have your runner get into the support vehicle, drive the runner ahead where the road is no longer flooded and continue running his or her leg.
Good thing I know how to swim. Now.


Page 19:
If a runner encounters any wildfile that is aggressive on the course, get your runner off the road and into your support vehicle. 
Are we talking dogs or bears here?

One week from today, Joanna and I will be on our way in the van!

CARA Marathon Training & Charity Fundraising

Wow, it's Memorial Day weekend.

Summer couldn't come fast enough (actually, I'm not even sure if it's here yet) with the winter we've had.

I know it's summer when I am counting down my last weekends of freedom. Freedom in the sense of not having to wake up at 5:30am on a Saturday, every Saturday until October.

Why would I do something like that to myself?

Marathon Training. I'll be training again this summer with the Chicago Area Runner's Association - www.cararuns.org

Training kicks off on June 11th, the weekend of Ragnar.  It's safe to say I'll be up much earlier on that Saturday.

A few weeks ago I agreed to fund raise for Salute, Inc.  - www.saluteinc.org 

It's a great local cause that's easy to support. I enjoyed being a part of their Marathon team last year. I feel like it's the least I can do considering that so many volunteer to serve in the U.S. Military to protect our freedom.

Which just so happens to be a much greater freedom than sleeping in on the weekends.

A Tale of Two Left Shoes

A story from Nashville.

Kim and I flew in to Nashville from Chicago. Tracy met us at the airport. She came in from Texas.

We took a cab to our hotel early in the morning. We couldn't check in yet, but the hotel held our bags while we walked around downtown and went to the Expo.

While at the Expo, Tracy mentioned she didn't like the shoes she'd been training in. She said she was pretty sure the running store by her house had put her in the wrong shoes. She felt like her form was off. She's always had Sauconys, so when we approached the Saucony booth, she went to talk to the guy about her shoes.

One of the rules of distance running is "Don't do anything new on race day." Which includes buying new shoes the day before at the Expo.

Kim and I waited and watched as Tracy talked with the guy and tried on a series of shoes. Then, to our surprise, we watched her buy a pair of shoes.

After leaving the Expo we went to lunch. Tracy said she was almost positive the shoes she bought at the expo were the same as the shoes she had had before her current pair, which she loved. Kim and I were skeptical.

We got back to the hotel, checked in to our room and relaxed for awhile. Shortly before heading out to dinner, Tracy began unpacking her bag. This is when she discovered she had packed two left shoes.

It was after 6pm on Friday, the day before the race. Had she have not bought the shoes at the expo, we would have been pounding on any athletic store's doors to get Tracy shoes for the next morning.

Tracy opened her new pair and compared them to the two left shoes she brought. She was right - The pair she'd bought at the expo was the same as her older running shoe, which she liked.

Despite any concerns Kim and I may have had about Tracy running in a new pair of shoes, she showed us on race day. Tracy ran the fastest half marathon of the four girls, coming in just over two hours.

A PR for her. She said she felt great.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Country Music Half Wrap Up

Destination races can't rightfully be compared to hometown races. Nashville is no exception.

Take people from Chicago and insert them in to the rolling hills of Nashville - A challenge within itself - and we haven't even started talking about logistics.

As if I didn't know what we were getting ourselves in to, or, more likely, forgot to remember what the course was like, we landed in Nashville on Friday morning optimistic.

My goal was to show up and run a decent race.

The question is, how is a decent race defined?

Walking around Nashville on Friday, in addition to attending the completely packed expo, caused uneasiness on Friday evening. Which lead to some anxiety Friday night that carried in to Saturday morning.

4:40 a.m. came pretty fast. Kim, Tracy and I got ready and met Brian at LP field at 5:40.

We boarded shuttles to take us to the start line. It was a cool morning. We talked on the way to the corral, hoping for the best. It wasn't until we stood on the side of the corral #13 gazing at the flag for the National Anthem that it really hit me.

I'm remembering more of this race now. Shit. This is going to be hard.

We walked our way down the massive hill to the Start line. Once crossing the start line, we would work our way up a hill for close to a quarter mile, then down, then back up, before crossing the first mile. This pattern repeated itself, in it's entirety, for the first 8 miles.

What started off as a cool morning seemed to get warm awfully fast.

Very early on, I could tell my 2:15 goal time was not in the cards. I'll admit it, I could have focused more (ok, maybe the right word is 'some') efforts on hill training. I probably could have ate better. It would have been great to not have been sick for a few weeks. Or for it not to have rained every day in the last two weeks. Or if the Easter Bunny hadn't been so good to me with those delicious Cadbury Eggs.

All excuses set aside, none of it matters when you're running the race. In that period of time, you're just trying to get through it. That's the part that was tough. Somewhere after 3 but before mile 5,  I had an overwhelming feeling to stop. I felt like my body was not acclimating to the conditions. I remember thinking to myself, 'The next medical tent, you're out.'

But here's the problem - Brian was next to me. Brian was having an easier time than I, but he admitted it was by no means an easy race for him either. So in this race, more so than in the marathon, I found myself mentally defeated early on. But it was Brian who guided me through it, whether he realized it or not.

We decided later on the in the race that we were in fact pulling each other through the race. Eventually we would reach the end. Most importantly, thank God we weren't doing the full. Those people are truly crazy.

In the end, I beat my course P.R. in 2009 by two minutes. Maybe it's not the win I was thinking of, but it's certainly not a loss. And four people in our group, including Tracy and Brian, had P.R.'s at the half marathon distance. Just goes to show one person's bad race is another person's 'A' race.

Now, entering May, I have a half under my belt for 2011. Not a bad position to be in.

The Country Music Half Marathon Pack Job

It's Wednesday at 9:30pm.

60 hours from now, I will be finished with the Country Music Half Marathon.

There's not a lot of time, and there's lots to do.

Maybe I should be panicking.

The race is 450+ miles from Chicago and we're at the travel mercy of O'Hare airport.

Destination races are fun, right?

I printed off the confirmation email for the race. The Competitior Group must think I still live with my parents. That's cool. I can run this race as Laura from Mokena.

Then I was on the phone with Kim determining how we're getting to the airport. Our flight is early Friday. I'm still looking for the confirmation email from the airline.

I am in the process of packing. That is, if you can call an empty suitcase with four packets of Gu, a empty fuel belt, running shorts, four packets of oatmeal and a hat thrown on top of it packing. What a random list of crap. Pretty amazing I am thinking of Gu and oatmeal before I'm thinking of other essentials like running shoes or socks. Then again, depending on how well you know me, you know 'I gotta eat!'

This is only my second destination race. My first was this race two years ago. I enjoyed it enough to do it again, but first I had to give myself two years to forget about the hills.

Packing isn't coming along so well since I'm blogging and making up a list for stuff I need to do when I get back. This is part of my OCD while tapering. Tapering for a full will take control of your life for two weeks. A half, well, maybe you can get away with just a few days. I've been worried all day that I'm not hydrating enough, so I know that the taper mentality has certainly set in.

Here's the course map:

Looks like a tangled web of insanity. And it looks really hilly. Somehow.

This race is a half marathon and a full marathon. I'm running the first 11 with the big boys and then I'm taking a sharp right and wusing out. And I'm completely ok with that.

I looked up my time from last year 2:22:something-or-other. Do seconds really matter anyway? If I can do a sub 2:25, I'll call this race a success.  And even if it's not sub 2:25, it's still a success because I had fun, I ran, went on a vacation, and I wasn't sitting on my couch eating (insert favorite Easter candy).

12 Mile Run and the Nashville Taper

Last Saturday, Katie and I had plans to start our 12 mile run (the longest run in preparation for our Half Marathons) at Foster and the Lakefont. When I arrived at 7:45, the street was closed.

As soon as I saw the squad I remembered - CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) Lakefront 10. Kim S. had asked the week before if I wanted to do it. Had I not needed to run 12 that day, I would have.

I called Katie and we relocated a few miles north to my neighborhood. I guess that's the nice thing about running. It's easy to find alternative places to run if your place of preference is taken.

By the time we worked our way down to Foster, the street was back open. We got to see a good number of the Lakefront 10ers working their way north to the finish. It's not often I get to see the fast people that win races. Scanning for familiar faces certainly helped pass the time. We saw Kim around Belmont on our way south and then saw Sara on our way north around the same spot.

We also saw a group of familiar faces out running that morning - Ken, Carl, and Laura. Ken and Carl were pace group leaders for CARA last year. Laura and I met in 2008 through CARA while training for the marathon. Seeing so many running friends, well for sake of a better word, running, made me start thinking about summer and training. It was the first time I'd been excited about starting in on the summer commitment of marathon training.

The Chicago Marathon's registration opens February 1st. Race day is October 11th, just over 8 months later. This year, the marathon sold out (45,000 registrants) in a record 31 days. As you can imagine, a lot can happen in 8 months. When I signed up, my thinking was that I wanted to have the option to be able to do it again. I couldn't think far enough in the future of actually doing it again.

The Country Music Half Marathon is April 30th. After our 12 mile run, Katie and I began tapering for our races (Katie's is on May 1st in New Jersey). I started it off right by having a huge celebratory burger where I out-ate Dave. But in all seriousness, hope the starts align for me on race day. My training hasn't been perfect this time around.

Once this race is over, and certainly once the weather turns, I'll start setting my sights on the next big thing: Rangar Relay. You thought I was going to say marathon, didn't you?

Elmhurst, You Almost Killed Me.

Instead of running the Shamrock Shuffle last Sunday morning, Kim and I met up and headed to...Elmhurst.

Why Elmhurst?

Well, Elmhurst has a hill. It's actually a sledding hill, but it's a mean looking sledding hill.

We sized up the hill for a few moments, then went over to a soccer field where a group of people were doing a boot camp type class. It was lead by a guy who was Kim's high school trainer. Turns out that he knew my high school trainer, Aaron, very well.

We participated in the first half of boot camp. Kim fared much better than myself. Young kids were running faster and doing more push-ups than me, which goes to show that being a runner doesn't mean you're in tip-top shape. If Kevin (my former personal trainer) and I do meet up in May as we've planned, he is going to beat the you-know-what out of me.

After boot camp had handed us our asses, we headed over to the hill, because, well, we needed to be tortured some more.

So why do I keep coming back to the hill?

Nashville is hilly. Chicago is not. You can figure out the rest.

Kim made up a loop. A wide circle around a soccer field and then up and down the hill. Repeat and repeat...until we reached over 5 miles. It was brutal. It reminded me why I stay away from stair-steppers and stair climbs.

Had I not done the Country Music Half two years ago, I would be pretty freaked about the rolling hills of Nashville.

I can't decide if it's confidence or ignorance that's going to see me through on race day.

Good Running Form

Saturday I was at the Shamrock Shuffle Expo and heard a representative of a popular Chicago running store speak. He had some great insights on proper running form, and gave some simple tips to correct bad form.  Here's the Cliff Notes edition I'd written into my Blackberry -

Proper running form allows faster speeds, most efficiency and less injuries.

When you run, you shouldn't be able to look down and see your feet.

To bring your pelvis and spine in line while running, put hands above your head and your body will adjust  to take out leaning at the waist.

Keep arms on the sides of the body. Don't allow them to cross your center plane. Otherwise you are turning at the trunk and causing over or under pronation. Can also lead to tightness in shoulders.

Over striding and heel striking causes strain, uses three times as much energy AND slows you down.   Plus it can lead to shin issues. To see how it feels to land on mid-foot, try marching in place.

Try shortening your stride when running. Aim for 180 bmp cadence to create quicker turn over. Do this by counting for 30 seconds on one foot - it would strike the ground 45 times.

When Fitness Became Part of my Life

I was watching The Biggest Loser earlier this week and thought back to my life before fitness played such a large role in it.

I had recently graduated college. I was shopping for jeans one day at a local Gap. The jeans I had were too tight. I didn't see the next size up on the shelf, so I asked the sales associate for help.

In a very nice way, she told me I'd have to go to another store to get that size.

That's when it hit me.

A few hours later, I was at Lifetime Fitness talking with a personal trainer.

My trainer, Kevin, and I formed a great relationship. I was one of his first clients. We liked the same kind of music. He pushed me to do things in the gym I didn't think I could do. We had an agreement that I would take photos of myself every 6 to 8 weeks to show progress.

More than the strength and physical appearance, training gave me the knowledge of how to properly resistance train and weight lift, not to mention boosted my self esteem.

Personal training is the best money I've ever spent. I've told countless people that.

After Kevin left Lifetime, I continued training on my own.

I went from being someone who wasn't very active to someone who was at the gym four or five days a week. I knew my way around the free weight section of the gym. I took nearly every class Lifetime offered, from yoga to spin to boot camp, and loved them all.

Since that first day of training with Kevin, I've never forgotten that it takes a lot of work to stay fit, but it's all worth it. It makes me feel great, and positive attitudes are contagious.

I still think about those days when I'm pushing myself on a run, realizing how far I've come.

I know that I wouldn't be where I am today without the personal training experience. I'm grateful for that.

10 miles. The Cure to a Common Cold.

I don't get sick often.

Training seems to help fend off the common cold and flu. Margo's marveled in my ability to walk out of her flu-ridden household unscathed on more than one occasion.

Two weeks ago, I went to bed early on a Sunday night and ended up staying home from work Monday, sleeping most of the day.

By Monday evening, I felt recharged enough to go back in to work, but I didn't have enough energy to run. I decided to rest and hit up the vitamin C.

Thursday afternoon I made a weak attempt at a five mile run before leaving for Miami.

Once I arrived in Miami, I felt fine. Vacation was great. I returned Monday evening, ready to run the next day.

I went to bed Monday night and wasn't up for more than a few hours until Wednesday morning.

Wednesday I went to work, but went home at lunch.

I slept. More.

I called my doctor's office. She was on vacation. I stopped by a Walgreen's Take Care Clinic in the hopes they'd be able to help. The visit was a bit inconclusive. Maybe I had mono, or maybe just the flu.

Back to work on Friday. Feeling better, but by no means great.

Saturday I feel much better than Friday. I go to the doctor's office and see another doctor in the practice. The doctor says I likely have a strand of the flu, and there's nothing he can do now. His advice - I should have gotten a flu shot this year. I tell him I've never had one and he shakes his head (this is the same guy who told me I shouldn't run unless being chased). According to him, everyone should have a flu shot. Maybe he's right (?).

After that helpless visit, I text Katie to go back to what does seem to work: running.

And why not try to knock out the flu by showing it a solid ten mile run?

Sunday morning we did just that in an attempt to get back on schedule for half marathon training.

Three weeks until Nashville!

Revenge of the Foam Roller

The foam roller and I were seeing each other for awhile last summer.

Then we broke up.

I didn't miss the foam roller.

Dating a foam roller isn't all that exciting.

While you're dating, it's like, I guess the foam roller does something for me.

After you've been dating for awhile, you think you can do without the foam roller.

But he always shows you in the end.

A first date with a foam roller after you've been on a break is like asking for continuous charlie horses given at unbearable pressure.

The foam roller [almost] makes you scream and cry due to the shear amount of pain it brings to your over-exercised IT band.

Damn you, IT band.

And we thought we could live without the foam roller?

He showed us, didn't he?

Airport Encounter

Last Friday, I was waiting in terminal three's baggage claim at O'Hare airport. While scrolling through emails on my Blackberry, I overheard a man asking if he could borrow a baggage cart from American Airlines. The man said he was helping a group of wounded warriors that we just coming back home from overseas.

My heart stopped. I looked up to see a group of young men. Some had Army gear. All were on crutches, in a wheelchair, or had an arm in a sling.

The man who asked for the cart said hello and we began talking.

Soon thereafter, I was talking to a group of young men.

They were returning home. Some of them still had a bus ride head of them from the airport.

I never mentioned my brother being in the Army. I was too busy wondering how the group in front of me could be so upbeat. They were a true inspiration.

Their closing remarks to me were 'thank you,' essentially, just for taking a few minutes to b.s. with them.

I managed only to say 'No, thank you' before I felt tears coming on.

They smiled.

I smiled.

And we went our separate ways.

I'm taking this encounter as a sign that I should run raise money for Team Salute again this year while I train for the Marathon.

Salute is an Illinois-based charity that supports active military members, veterans, and their families. www.saluteinc.org

3-Day Breast Cancer Walk

Five years ago, I wasn't a marathoner.

Or a half marathoner.

I didn't consider myself much of a distance runner.

But in 2006, my friend Katie and I participated in one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life - The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day.

Today I met with a woman who wants to do the walk this year. I happened to mention I was a past participant, and, that I thought the third day of the walk was harder than running a marathon.

She said I must be mistaken - a marathon must more difficult than a walk. Now don't get me wrong, a marathon is though. Everyone gets to a point where they don't think they have anything left to give physically, but that's where your mental toughness gets you through.

A few years ago, marathoner and Olympian Ryan Hall came to a CARA (Chicago Area Runner's Association) Saturday morning long run. He spoke with us for a few minutes before we set off. Ryan made a statement that day that took me back - it went something along the lines of this - 'It must be hard to be running for so long.' Hall has a handful of sub 2:08 marathons.

Most of us are just reaching the hard part of a marathon, or others are just nearing halfway, when he's finishing. By the time some of us were crossing the finish line, Hall's been stretched out, ate his recovery meal, showered, and is sleeping.

I know Ryan wasn't trying to be rude. He was trying to drive home the point that most of us are on our feet for a lot longer than he is during a marathon, which is why I see the 3-Day as being such a challenging event.

Our 3-Day wasn't composed of three, 20 mile days.

The first day, we were up before the sun came up. Walking on and off for ten hours. We walked a marathon. Once we reached camp, we pitched our tent, had some dinner and took a shower.

On day two, we repeated day one, for 22 miles. By the end of day two, my body ached and I was exhausted. But I wasn't done yet. We still had 12 miles to go. Day one was a warm day. Day two was an overcast day. Day three it rained - the entire day.

Day three was by far the toughest, but it was also the most rewarding. Throughout the walk, we were supported by volunteers and breast cancer survivors that continued to inspire us.

In the last few miles, my friend Bill met us with his parents. His mother had just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. We stopped and spoke with them for a few minutes. If we hadn't been touched by the event yet, this encounter certainly did it.

It wasn't until I ran for Team Salute last year that I felt a true sense of purpose when running as I did on the 3-Day. The finishing line brings the cause home as all the participants unite. It is a rewarding experience which provides an amazing feeling of accomplishment when completed (not to mention all the fund raising!).

Say No to Cotton Socks

Yesterday I did an easy 4 miler in the early afternoon. It was windy and cool, just as you'd expect at the beginning of March in Chicago.

Not many people were on the lakefront path, so I found myself paying particular attention to those who I did come across.

About a mile in to my run, I saw it. A runner in cotton tube socks.

The cut of the socks wasn't what caught my attention, it was the blend.

So I wondered, Who runs in cotton socks?

Someone who wants a blister.

There are all types of poly-blend socks on the market now that have Cool-Max or a similar technology in them which allows the sock to wick moisture away from the foot and in to the outer layer of the sock. They're light and breathable.

My favorite brand is Feetures. I like the arch support and reinforced toe box and heel. I've been using these socks exclusively for running in the last 7 years and I've never been disappointed.

http://www.feeturesbrand.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=18

I found a video on youtube which compares a cotton sock to a moisture wicking sock. Skip the first 1:15 to get to the comparison:



There might not be a lot of gear in running, but you need the right gear!

Long Runs in Winter

I'd planned to a 7 mile run early Saturday morning in preparation for Nashville, but a combination of wind, rain/snow and feeling a bit under the weather delayed the run until Sunday.

It had snowed Saturday afternoon, and then became rather cold.

Early Sunday morning, I heard my building's maintenance guy clearing the sidewalks and throwing down salt.

I waited few more hours for the temperatures to rise and set out around 10:30. There was very little wind and in the mid-30's.

Overall, I had a great run. Early in the run, it had crossed my mind how nice it is that I can count on sidewalks being cleared and salted within a few hours of snowfall. It's a benefit of living in the City - The City of Chicago can fine private residences $50 for not clearing their sidewalks. Businesses can be fined more.

As I ran south along Sheridan Road to the Lakefront Path, I hit a small section of uncleared sidewalk. It was in front of a City of Chicago Park District space, affectionately known only as Park #559. It's a new, small-ish park that sits between two high rises. For years, there was just a privacy fence around the lot, so I'm happy to see Park #559 with it's benches and lakefront view. I'm willing to overlook the City's miss on clearing the sidewalks.

This thought last for exactly one block. Until I hit Berger Park, and then, Lane Park, before reaching the cleared Lakefront Path. Every private residence and business had been cleared along the way, just not the Park's sidewalks.

I don't need real hazards. I create my own (like tripping over my own foot and spraining my ankle last year, two weeks before the marathon).

As I'm running along the Lakefront Path, I remember it's Sunday. Maybe with the City's budget crisis, they can't afford to pay someone on a Sunday to clear their park's sidewalks. It may be overtime pay, afterall.

I could have gone to a gym and avoided running in to the park's sidewalks. But who wants to do a 7 mile long run on a treadmill? Many do it, but not me.

This is the great challenge of training for a spring race and living in Chicago. The weather isn't all that cooperative. I've heard stories of runners being sprayed or knocked over by a wave along the Oak Street curve in the early spring. Which is far worse that the 100 meters of sidewalk I ran in to yesterday.

8 Minute Abs

Remember the exercise video 8 Minute Abs?

Better yet, can you remember what workout wear looked like in the early '90's?

[Think spandex.]

If for nothing more than entertainment value, take a trip down memory lane and watch it:



After some talk of 8 minute abs by my uncle and cousins, I decided to check it out on youtube.

When the video was complete, I decided that there was no way I had done any quality work in 8 minutes, so I did it again. 16 minute abs.

The next day at work, I was surely sore. The 'program' (as the 8-minute abs guy in the unitard calls it) works or I have really weak abs. Maybe it's a little bit of both.

Since then, I've made a combination of 8 minute abs, followed by 8 minute arms, followed by a hard 15-20 minute ride on the bike trainer a stand-by, no-excuses at home work out.

And on days like today where I worked late and it's freezing outside, it's nice to know I can still do a little training.

4th time's a

...I'm not sure.

If the 3rd time's a charm, what is the 4th time?

A 3rd time redo?

Because you can't find a reason NOT to do it a 4th time?

Or, because after three times it's a routine?

Either way, last week I signed up for what will be my 4th Chicago Marathon.

Training's become, after a few years, part of my summer routine.

Marathon training will start in early June.

June seems pretty far away right now.

I have quite a bit of running to do between now and then.

Better get to it.

Bye Bye [to hopes of] Berlin

A few months ago, there was a commotion among my training friends.

What if, instead of Chicago, we ran the Berlin Marathon this year?

What a great idea! We've all participated in Chicago the last two years (some of us three).

Berlin is just two weeks before Chicago, so we could do the Intermediate version of our training program and be right on track for the September 25th race.

Berlin is a flat, fast course like Chicago. It could mean a P.R!

Kim S. was the first on board. She started the rest of us thinking about it as well.

Within a few weeks Jen, Sara and Carrie were all on board.

I was the hold out.

And in, what I guess we could call the end, I decided not to go.

Do I want to run the Berlin Marathon? YES!

But I also want to be able to go to Berlin, then spend some time in Europe, including visiting my family in England.

Without busting out a spreadsheet, we all know it's a pricey trip. So this time around, I have to be the lame one who misses out on the cool trip.

Ladies, I can't wait to hear all about your plans beforehand and your experiences afterwards!
Don't worry, I have a few races to train for that will keep me busy, and I'll still be seeing you all Saturday mornings up until Berlin.

200 Miles. Madison to Chicago Relay

I think I've just agreed to do something crazy.

I may not be wheels up to Berlin in September, but it looks like I'm going to cover some ground in...Wisconsin.

In early June, I am going to be a member of a 12 person relay team which will run from Madison to Chicago. We will cover the 200 mile journey by running day and night over two days.

I know very little about the event, other than each of us will run three legs of varying distances (between 3 to 9 miles).

We will need two vans to carry the team and to keep pace with the person running, planting the next runner at the exchange area. The vans will be filled with the team's standard running gear, but will also include sleeping bags (although I've heard there will be little to no sleeping), reflective vests, head lamps, maps and lots of snacks.

Instead of batons, we will pass on a slap bracelet. Sweet!

If you're intrigued, visit the race's site at www.ragnarrelay.com/race/chicago

Jen ran this race a few years ago. She said it was a blast, besides from the fact that some of the people on her team did not complete their runs. Her team experienced some digestive issues, getting lost in the van a few times trying to find the next exchange point, and once having a runner get off course in the middle of the night. Sounds like a blast! ;)

Has anyone else participated in this race or a similar relay?

Born To Run

Christopher McDougall is the author of "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen."

McDougall's book has a cult -like following in the running community. Last winter, while laid up with a knee injury, I read this book.

When hanging out with a group of runners, the subject of barefoot running is a hot topic.

McDougall is an advocate for barefoot running, which is has been all the rage in the last two years. Then again, it was the all the rage hundreds or thousands of years ago too, before the invention of cushioned running shoes.

His book talks about running mechanics, the mass marketing of running gadgets (which he thinks we don't need), edurance racing, ultra marathoning, and a tribe of Indians in the Cooper Canyons of Mexico called the Tarahumara.

Below is a video of Christopher McDougall discussing 2009's New York City Marathon and how Derartu Tulu's compassion and athleticism in that race encompasses some themes of his book:

When You Can't Run, Shovel.

And so it was, the Blizzard of 2011...

It was cool Tuesday night when work sent out an email saying we could leave early. (It's amazing how excited I get about leaving work two hours early.) The storm was not cool when I was on a bus on Lake Shore Drive, but it did get me home. The storm was awesome Tuesday night when I found out I didn't have to go in to the office Wednesday.

The blizzard really showed me Wednesday morning when Dave and I went outside. Holy abandoned cars and huge snow drifts. Whereas on a normal day I like that I live less than a block from the Lake, it didn't work to our advantage in the storm.

After riding out most of Wednesday in my place, I was going stir crazy. I was home from work. I couldn't run. The yoga studio was closed. So I did a 45 minute ride on the (bike) trainer. I must have not ridden hard enough, because shortly after that, I found myself gearing up to go outside and attack this:


My car, engulfed by a snow drift. Not to mention the 3 to 4 ft. snow drifts in the alley. I went at it for a few hours, then went to bed.

Wednesday night I found out the office was closed on Thursday as well, so you know what that means - more time to shovel.

I spent around two hours Thursday morning continuing what I'd started Wednesday night. Took a break for lunch, then went back out for another two hours of shoveling fun. The alley was so quiet. Every once and awhile I'd hear a plane fly overhead and the sound of neighboring shovels.

Almost everyone passing by had something to say about my project. Some of them just smiled or said 'that sucks.' One guy told me 'They made gyms for that!' I responded that I was shoveling for sport. He didn't quite know what to say to that and decided to keep walking. So, thank you, random alley man, you get credit for the blog idea.

The end product was a dug out car and a path through the alley.


I felt quite accomplished after this task, so I proceeded to go out in to the street. I had checked the street earlier Thursday morning to see it still hadn't been plowed. Dave's car was stuck on my street and I wanted to help free it so he could drive to work that night. But now when I checked the street, I saw that a small plow had made it down my street. Dave's car still had to be dug out a bit, but with the help of one of my neighbors, we did it.

I should have taken an after photo for his car, but here's what it looked like Wednesday morning:


I think it's safe to say I got my workout in. I was happy to return to work Friday where I was not asked to shovel.

Where Do Old Running Shoes Go?

Everybody likes a new pair of shoes.

Especially a new pair of running shoes.

Once you cross the bridge into distance running, your running shoes no longer last a year. In fact, some critics say, they shouldn't.

Let's say you're running eight to ten miles a week. More than likely, in a year you're going through two pair.

The average runner can get anywhere between 250 to around 400 miles on a pair of shoes. The disparity in numbers has to do with your weight, stride, weather conditions and some other factors.

Last year I ran 600+ miles in 9 months ( The first three I was injured.).

Unfortunately, I'm a runner who gets closer to 250 rather than 400 miles on a pair of shoes. How do you know when you need to get a new pair? It varies from person to person, but for me, the warning sign is shin splints.

At the end of a moderate run, I'll notice my shins are sore. My first though is 'Shin Splints, really?' Then I start thinking of when I got the shoes. Now figuring that out can be tricky, so I save myself from guessing.

When I get a new pair, I write on the bottom of the cushion the first date I ran in the shoes. I can then look at my Nike+ to track all the miles I've run from that date until now and see where I'm at.

Without fail, I'm plus or minus 20 miles of 250 every time.

I've been using the shoes I ran the Marathon in for the fall and winter. They'll see a few short runs, but then I'll move in to a new pair of Adidas adiStar Solution's.

So what happens to a pair of shoes after they're no good to run in?

Some people turn them in to their gym shoes or for everyday walking shoes.

But if you're burning through three or four pair a year, you have a surplus of otherwise decent shoes.

I recently dropped off a few pair in a Shoes 4 Soles bin. (Soles4Souls shoe charity donates shoes to adults and children in need. www.soles4souls.org ) Even still, I have a pair at my parents house, a pair in the trunk of my car, a pair at work, and, somehow, I still have another four pair in my condo.

I guess an old running shoe surplus is a good problem to have.

Marathon to Couch Program

Everyone's heard of a Couch to 5K Program.

But has anyone heard of a Marathon to Couch Program?

[Apparently google hasn't either.]

One Saturday morning last summer, while doing a double-digit long run, my friend Sara came up with her post-Marathon program.

Instead of deciding to train for a winter or spring race, she had plans to turn off the training for the winter. Some quality couch (and gym) time.

Sara's reasoning is quite simple. It's too freakin' cold in Chicago to run outside in the winter. She thinks winter runners are crazy, which is quite a statement coming from someone who's run three marathons.

The Marathon to couch program goes something like this:

You take the hours you used to spend running and convert them in to couch time.

2-3 hours one weekend, the next weekend 5-6 hours, and then you cut back to 3-4 hours.
Kind of like the Hal Higdon program -Two weeks of increase followed by one cut back week.

By March you should be ready for a marathon of 8-9 hour couch-laying.

Maybe you have special clothes that are good for the couch. Sara has special socks, but she didn't buy them at Fleet Feet.

You can get injured if you don't have the right support - think pillows instead of running shoes. TV neck is a common injury. You can also lose circulation by laying on one arm too long.

Instead of energetic 'running' music (progressive house per say) , couch music is more like cafe del mar or tantra lounge volume 3 (think chill out music).

Energy bars or gu may be substituted for your favorite sugary or salty snack, and don't forget to sub your Gatorade and water for beer.

[Thanks for the idea and the input Sara!]

See You in April, Nashville

It's January and, or so it seems, all the runners I know are planning their race season.

I may be reluctantly running on a treadmill while the sidewalk's a sheet of ice, but my sights are on...Nashville.

Why Nashville you ask?

I need a spring race.

I need a goal. I need to be able to mark off progress of four months of training each day.

I need a training schedule to be staring me in the face every time I open the fridge.

I need a reason to buy a new pair of running shoes and to continuously update my ipod's playlist.

And it certainly helps to have a race to blog about.

So, it's been decided that a small group of us will travel down to Nashville at the end of April to run the Country Music Half Marathon & Marathon.

This year will not be my first Country Music Half. In 2009, I ran this race with Mary Beth, her sister Katie and her cousin Meghan.

It's a very hilly race, which makes it challenging when training in completely-flat Chicago. It was also unseasonably warm the day we ran the race. Sounds like a familiar theme to my races, eh?

The Country Music Marathon & Half is unique in the way the race is set up. It is a large race which has all distances start at the same time. All runners estimate their finish times and are then placed in to corral assignments based on that number. Both the Marathon and the Half run the same first ten or so miles, then the Half Marathoners turn off to head to the finish while the Marathoners continue on.

I vividly remember standing in the corral in 2009 looking down and then up a very steep hill and around at people's bibs and picking out those who were doing the marathon. At that point, I'd done my first marathon just the October before, but regardless, preparing for a spring Marathon seemed like a far-fetched dream rather than a possibility - mainly due to the winter weather training that would be involved.

I guess that goes to show you how much time training takes for a single race, and then how quickly your body falls out of that shape. That is the great challenge of distance running.

Running on Water

I've run in Chicago,

San Diego, Orlando, Miami,

Charleston, Nashville, Indianapolis,

London, Beijing and Shanghai.

But I'd never run on water...until last week.

I'd like to add St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Grenada to my list, but in truth, I didn't run on land there.

Instead, I used a treadmill in a cruise ship's gym to stay in shape and burn off last night's marvelous dinner.

Can I still add them to my list? Maybe I'll just have to visit again and run on land.

Hello Again, Treadmill

Towards the end of 2010, I was tough.

I ran in the cold. I ran in the snow.

I was close to invincible.

Then 2011 came. I started off the new year by sleeping in late and hitting up a McDonald's drive thru for lunch (complete with a Big Mac value meal).

I followed up this great start by getting only one run in between January 1st and 5th.

Now it's very early morning on January 6th and I'm dragging a 50 lb. suitcase filled with everything I'll need for my best friend's wedding and a seven day cruise to the Blue Line, and eventually, O'Hare airport. I've packed running gear as I plan on using my spare time to use the ship's gym.

Somehow my workout formula seems destined to fail.

We arrive in Puerto Rico ahead of schedule and walk out of the airport in to beautiful, sunny, 80 degree weather.

A thought cloud appears above my head. It reads 'I want to run!'

So the next day, I head out early with Jim and Jen to do just that. I went about a mile and a half with them before I have to turn around and head back. Apparently I'm a breakfast then exercise sort of gal.

Now we're boarding the boat and thoughts are running through my head of how this trip will be a big exercise fail. So I make a promise to myself that I'll get up at 7am the next morning and get a few miles in on the treadmill before getting ready for the wedding.

The next morning I walk up to the gym after breakfast. The ship is surrounded by St. Thomas. Absolutely beautiful. We have a big day ahead of us, so I need to get to work. Jim's already on mile 6 of his interval run when I start in on my workout.

As boredom sets in after mile one, I start remembering how much treadmills and I don't get along. I have magnificent views and a great new playlist on my ipod, but I'm still searching for entertainment. How incredibly boring it is to run in place. My mind wonders from wedding day details to the ship's itinerary to wondering, 'How long has it been since I've run on a treadmill?'

Good topic. It requires thinking and thinking takes time. I have lots of time.

My gym membership expired at the end of October. I did all of my training runs for the marathon outside, so that sets me back to June. I started preparing for marathon training back in the spring after my knee had heeled. Hmmm. Ok, my last physical therapy appointment was at the beginning of March. That's when I was told I could start running again. But by the end of March when I was in Miami, I was running outside already so...middle of March?

Wow, I've successfully avoided using a treadmill for ten months - and they were a sweet ten months indeed.

Half Marathon Training Run [in December]

Saturday morning, December 18.

8:30am.

18 degrees (feels like 9).

Sounds like perfect weather for a 10 mile training run.

You may be asking "Why would anyone run ten miles in THAT?"

Well my friends, I'm running a Half Marathon, in less than a month.

Kim S. organized what I believe is Chicago's first half marathon in January last year, affectionately called the "F*cking Freezing Frozen Lake Half Marathon." The race's mascot is none other than our recently-ousted former governor, Blago.

The race proved to be a hit and it's back this January, bigger and better than ever.

Kim has formed a partnership with Universal Sole and is holding training runs from their West Lakeview location.

On this particularly frigid morning, Brian, Kim and I were the only ones who'd shown up for the training run [it turns out other faster runners had shown up earlier and started ahead of us], dressed in our tried and true winter gear. We disembarked from Universal Sole and headed east on Belmont, passing over a few patches of sidewalk with ice. The weather was keeping most indoors on a morning like this, so we weren't fighting crowds as we made our way to the lakefront.

We headed north to Montrose where we then looped and headed south. The wind whipped against us and our faces hurt - the only skin exposed to the elements. Between November and March, the City's water fountains are turned off, so we carried fluids on us. In my case, the water in the bottles of my fuel belt froze.

It was nice to have a trio. We were able to catch up on training and life in general. Anything to take our minds off what we were actually doing - although I will have to say that's a standard practice in running:

While running, discuss anything but. When doing anything else, always discuss running.

Winter Gear

The minimalistic nature of running is redefined with cool temperatures.

In the spring and summer months, all a runner needs is a pair of socks, shoes, shorts, tank top and hat. It's very easy to throw your gear in to a backpack and take along with you, where ever you may go, in case there's an opportunity to sneak in a run.

As the end of the year approaches, the winter gear comes out.

Add onto the tank top a long sleeve technical tee, an Underarmor-type long sleeve/longer cut piece with a pocket, and a windbreaker/waterproof shell

Switch out the shorts for a pair of running tights. Teal optional.

Add gloves to your hands and a headband on top of your hat.

Winter gear adds up to bulky pile of stuff.

More laundry, even if I'm running less.

The Man in Teal Tights

Earlier this week, I went on a run at lunch. The temperature was in the mid 20's with low wind. I'd brought my cold weather gear, so I decided to head out for an easy four miler.

I ran at my average pace (10 to a 10:30) until I reached the Shedd Aquarium.

I turned around to head back and made a quick stop to tie my shoes.

As I started running again, I saw him. A man in tight teal running tights.

He was a shorter man, running rather slowly up the hill between Museum Campus and Lake Shore Drive. After taking a quick glance at his pace, I had a feeling I'd be passing him.

As I came within a few strides of him though, he picked up the pace.

I sensed that he wasn't going to be outrun by a girl even in his teal tights, so I stayed within a few strides of him. Our pace went from a ten minute mile, to a 9:30.

I remembered how, in the CARA marathon training group, we'd discussed 'speed training' in the winter so that we would all start in the 10 minute mile group next year. I guess I mind as well take advantage of this situation, right?

We passed Buckingham Fountain and he took a look back to see where I was, then turned it up again. Now we were doing around a 9:15. I considered easing off and letting him go, but at this point in my run, I had nothing to lose. So I stayed with him.

As we crossed the bridge over the river, we were doing a sub 9 minute mile.

It was tough to keep the pace for long. My breathing was labored. We were nearing my turn off point on the north side of the river - I just hoped I could stay with the teal tights until then.

When we reached my turn, we went our separate ways. I am sure teal tights thought I wimped out and quit. I guess I did, sorta. I reached my ending point and did a short walk to cool down. I was breathing hard and was walking slow. My lungs burned, but other than that, I felt great!

I walked back in to my office. Even a half hour later I could tell I'd had a challenging run.

Speed work in the mid-20s = very challenging.

Hot Chocolate 15K Run [and November Wrap Up)

The Hot Chocolate 15K Run was what I'd like to call a success.

I had recovered from the marathon and was excited to get back out and run that morning.

A group of us met up at the CARA tent before the race and walked to the start line together.

For the first time this year, the Hot Chocolate Run was held in Grant Park.

The course left something to be desired, but I've run worse courses.

For quite some time it was the Kims, Brian and I. Then it was just Kim A. and I.

Had Kim not been beside me the entire race, I would have certainly slowed down. She's faster than I am, and it's easy to forget how helpful it is to run with faster people. They give you the motivation and the push you need to challenge yourself.

We finished the race with a 9:4 pace overall. I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've done a run at that pace, and I've certainly never done a run of that distance at that pace ever.

The race ended with a backpack full of chocolate bars, followed by a trip to Ann Sathers.

The mild weather made it easy to run outside throughout most of November.

Who Would Ever Run a Marathon [Article]

Here's a great article with an interesting perspective. I got to say, this guy makes some great points! Thanks Jen for posting on facebook initially!

Who Would Ever Run a Marathon?
By Dr. Tim Maggs
May/June 2001
Washington Running Report

For anyone who's ever crossed that fine line, the one that only takes 26.2 miles to get to, and now owns the title of "marathon finisher", you've probably been asked this question many times. The insinuations in the question are that anyone who would ever consider running a marathon borders on insanity or downright lunacy. Well, do you want to know what I think?

I think...

The marathon should be a requirement for all kids graduating high school today. All kids would have to complete a marathon before graduating, or would have to work forty hours a week doing community clean up (for free) until they do complete one.

The marathon should become part of an incentive program for prisoners who want early release.

The first treatment for anyone with high blood pressure, weight problems, psychological disorders, bowel problems, upper respiratory difficulties, self-esteem issues, or anxiety disorders should not be medication or group therapy, but to complete a marathon.

If anyone is caught being a bully in life, regardless of age, we should have some legislative body we can report them to and this body has the authority to convict this individual and sentence them to run a marathon. Arrogance is bad, humility is good. Marathons promote humility.

Anyone sentenced to "community service" must run a marathon. What better community service could be achieved than to get someone in the community healthier, both mentally and physically?

More serious crimes might require two marathons in one year, a sentence that would not allow any time off from training. (Whoa, would this be an inconvenience for someone not used to working out?)

There should be a fifty percent discount on all health insurance premiums with proof of running a marathon each year.

Community leaders and politicians should be required to run a marathon each year, rather than annoying everyone by going door-to-door making promises they're unable to keep. A marathon will continually encourage "honest work" instead of more rhetoric the world doesn't need. Leading by example has always proven to be successful.

Any family owning more than one vehicle must all run a marathon in order to get registrations for every vehicle after the first one.

All police officers and fire fighters must run one marathon per year to be able to continue wearing a badge.

Anyone who isn't happy in life, can't figure out why life isn't giving back the way it should, and is looking for that bigger house, perfect soul-mate, or winning lottery ticket, join in and run a marathon. I'm sure you'll find the answer somewhere along the way.

From my vantage point, there are two causes of unhappiness and poor health---the lack of drive and discipline. With technology bringing so much excitement into every room in our house, why would anyone ever need to leave the house for fun? And the media is continually telling us to take this pill or that because "you haven't got time for the pain," but the cold truth is, it's all painful. Life hurts too much these days, and on too many fronts. The marathon solves these problems in a flinch. It reintroduces us to drive and discipline, for, as we know, there are no shortcuts to crossing that finish line. You must pay the price for a long enough period of time, or you won't cross that line.

The training phase is the backbone of this program and the direct reason for improved happiness. Our social lives improve by joining a regular group to go on our weekly runs. We talk, listen, and become the person we thought we used to be---happy and interesting. All social stigmas disappear, as we all become runners seeking the same goal. We're no longer lawyers, doctors, teachers, or housewives living according to some bogus pecking order society has created. We revolve our days around our training schedule, giving us something to look forward to at the beginning of the day and something to be proud of by the end of the day. And we all inherently know this powerful fact--we're doing something that most people will never have the guts to try. We're running a marathon. Our self-esteem goes up dramatically. In fact, isn't the scale looking a little kinder these days? Those clothes that just never seemed to fit on that Monday-morning diet plan all of a sudden fit perfectly. The big clincher in this life-altering metamorphosis a person goes through occurs on that first day that someone asks you "Have you lost weight?" There's no turning back now!

And the day we cross that finish line, the day we complete the journey we started six or eight or ten months earlier, that's the day we can't wait to start all over again on our next chapter. For what we learn is one simple fact---"Who wouldn't want to run a marathon?"