Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

It's hot. And my fingers are swollen like little sausages. Side effect of running in the heat. Tuesday it was in the 50's and raining and today 80 degrees by 7 a.m. Just once I would like to ease into this weather not just one day - Hello! Anyways I had intentions to go on a nice 8 mile run before heading out to the suburbs to go meet with one of my local sites. It was going to act as my long run this week as we are going to central IL tonight because my first bridal shower is tomorrow. It is difficult to find time and a place to run there. So I thought I would be good get it done in the morning before it got too humid and gross. Boy was I wrong. I hadn't even started running yet and I was already sweating. So my 8 mile turned into a slow 5.5 mile run. I need to ease into this heat...On the run I realized this is my first hot run since the infamous marathon last year. After that race I took 2 weeks to ensure I was healed (rhabdomylosis = doctor's worried this girl was going to have a heart attack at age 28. The questionable EKG's and high CK levels didn't ease their concern much either) and recover from my general disdain of running. By the time I returned no more warm weather. I have to say it makes me nervous to run in this weather this year. I trained for a marathon in this heat last year with few issues but it all just seems so different now. I know it is all mental and I'll get a few more warm weather runs under my belt and gain some confidence but right now I'm hesitant. At least it has me focusing more on my body and running itself versus trying to be tough girl. Maybe I should sign up for that August half mary just to prove last year was a fluke and I'm not that girl that passes out in warm races ;)

I've been Tagged

Tonight's run started as an angry run. I was fuming thanks to many issues and frustrating people in my life. I was so mad I left garmy at home but thankfully remembered my keys. Luckily by mile 3 I calmed down enough to think clearly but not necessarily relax. I wish I would have remembered garmy as it would have been interesting to see my pace those first 3 miles. Thank goodness the rain held off long enough to allow me to run or I really don't know what I would have done.

In other news I was tagged by Derek. This one is a fun running related tag!

Here are the rules and my reply is just below.Tagging is easy. Just copy the following onto your post.The rules of the game are posted at the start of your blog post.In this case, I'm asking you 5 questions about running.Each player answers the 5 questions on their own blog.At the end of your post you tag 5 other people and post their names.Go to their blogs and leave a comment on their blogs telling them they've been tagged and to look at your blog for details.When they've answered the questions on their own blog, they come back to yours to tell you. Got that?Here goes.
1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Hahahaha - This girl was so not running 10 years ago! I was at or right around my heaviest weight ever. After breaking my toe and requiring surgery to remove bones I basically became the laziest person ever. The most exercise I got was walking up the steps to the 2nd floor of my dorm only because there was no elevator (you know I would have used it to if there had been one). I may have overslept and had to "run" to an early morning bio class or something ;)
2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

Let's start with the worst - Hands down Chicago Marathon 2007. Nothing will ever trump passing out and waking up in the ER with a bright light shining on my face, a random but nice woman standing over me, and not knowing who I was, how I got there, or the name of the place I was located. Then to make matters worse the hospital staff didn't know to look at my emergency information actually written in the back of my bib for over 4 hours. In the meantime my family and now fiance had no idea where I was as I sat in the hallway of the ER only known to passerby's as Jane Doe. Then random people would come up to me (usually scaring me to near death) to bombard me with questions in attempt to have me remember more than the area code of my phone number. Yeah that sucked. Then coming home 2 days later and seeing a DNF on my race results. No fun.

Best race experience - Finishing the 2007 Dallas White Rock Marathon 2 short months after my first horrible experience with the distance. Nothing will trump seeing the finish line and hearing "Somewhere over a Rainbow" come on my ipod. All the pain I was feeling melted away and I realized why I set out to achieve this goal in the first place.

3. Why do you run?

I run for my sanity and because I love a good challenge. I started running for vanity reasons and there still is that plus side. Running is something I am never going to be great at but I love to see how I improve, or where I need to improve. I love race weekend too - going to the expo, seeing all these other crazy people who woke up early to run, enjoying a good course and the people around me.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?

Worst - Why even run/race if you're never going to win?

Best - There's so much thanks to all you bloggers and especially on the Runners Lounge!

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

I once was arrested in Mexico. So not my fault - all because a store owner accused my sister of taking something when she wouldn't buy whatever it was he was trying to sell her. Guilty by association I guess. Thank goodness someone from the US embassy was downtown and saw the whole thing go down or I may not be writing this blog today ;) Seriously it makes for a great story over drinks wasn't so funny when it happened and there's gun in your face but it's funny now.

Okay so I'll tag: Laura, Marcy, Lam, Jess, and Bill

Another too short weekend

As usual the weekend just wasn't long enough. Although I did enjoy the time to myself. I was able to get a 6 mile run done yesterday around a 9min/mile pace. The weather was perfect! My Wii Fit came in the mail on Saturday so I also played on that all weekend. My obliques freakin hurt from all my hula hooping action. I love the hula hoop game! A lot of the weekend was spent running errands and putting together the wedding invitations. I probably only made it 1/3 of the way through despite staying up to midnight both Saturday and Sunday night. I am not 100% happy with how the colors turned out (the two blue's I used don't look fantastic together) but honestly who cares people are just going to throw them out anyways. I got my haircut after 4 months (shorter than I wanted but luckily it grows fast!), met my friend who just got back from her honeymoon for lunch then we went to my venue to take pictures for my florist. Once I get the new camera installed on the computer I will post pictures of my venue. I love it so much probably even more now that it's not January and barren like when we booked it - who cares that we are paying a ridiculous amount of money for an empty room and garden! It is like this beautiful sanctuary in the middle of downtown Chicago. I picked up a thank you gift for my future mother in law as my first bridal shower is next weekend and so on and so forth. And how can I forget seeing Sex and The City on Friday night with the girls! I'm happy to have seen it openinng night and enjoyed it for the most part but wasn't so happy about sitting 3rd row. My neck still hurts. This will be another crazy week for work travel wise but I hope to squeeze in a couple short-medium length runs. I have been kicking around the idea of running a 1/2 marathon 2 weeks before the wedding even though it will be hot just to wear a shirt that say last race as a single girl or something lame like that ;) Also to motivate me to stay in shape before the big day! Anyone care to join me?

4 Unexpected Rest Days

Today was my first day back to running. I haven't run since the 10 miler on Saturday. Sad I know but I could not find/make the time. Crazy job has got me stressed and not allowing me much "me" time. Today's run, nothing spectacular - 4.5 miles and not very fast. It was a struggle to maintain a 9 minute mile pace today. Just one of those days. But the weekend is coming (yay!) and Jacob is going out of town. This all means, no eating poorly, and a lot of time on my hands to 1) work out and 2) get my freaking wedding invitations made. Seriously there is like 86 days or something until my wedding, less than 12 weeks, less than 3 months. That is just nuts, plain nuts. Again I will ask - Where does my time go? So yeah, this weekend I will be up to eyeballs in assembling my lovely invitations and attempting to use my best penmanship to hand address all the envelopes. This should be interesting...Good thing I will have some time to run I'm going to need some breaks.

Soldier Field 10 mile run Race Report

I wanted to title this post "It's so much smaller than I though it would be". Although this is something you guys never want to hear ;) ;) I am talking about Soldier Field. It is so huge from the outside then you go in and the field and seats are so small. Now I know why I can never get tickets to a Bears game...too few seats! But onto the race itself.

Before the race. I look like such a dork. I never know what to do with my hands.

The alarm went off at 5:30 am...ugh. Of course I couldn't fall to sleep until late and then woke up at 4:30am then every 20 minutes until the alarm sounded. So early! But we took off on time and after a few issues with finding our way to the parking lot we made it to the field just before 7 a.m. On the way to the field I ran into my friend Archie and his girlfriend. Didn't know they were running so that was a nice surprise. After one last bathroom break and almost forgetting to attach my chip I lined up between 8:30 and 9:00 min/mile at 7:15. Then stood around taking it all in. It was a beautiful day, a little too sunny said the girl with no sunglasses but in the 50's. The starting corral was tight so I was hoping the group would eventually thin out. I would come to find out later this would not happen. Shortly after Tim McGraw's cousin sang the national anthem (what no Tim? He's in town for a concert he wouldn't swing by for a 2 minute song???) we were off...sort of. Only took about 2 -3 minutes to finally get started.
mile 1: It was crowded and I was tripping over people. I got stuck behind yellow shirt guy. I would veer right to go around, he would veer right, then I tried left, you get the picture. This went on for a good 1/2 mile right until we went through a tunnel under McCormick Place. I hate that tunnel. Lucky for us it wasn't hot so it could have been worse but regardless I still hate running through tunnels in Chicago - they're gross! About this time I saw a 40 year old woman who probably weighed less than my 6 year old niece. Her legs were like the size of 3 of my fingers wide. Very disturbing. I wanted to feed her. The pace wasn't too fast and I was actually running right around my goal.

mile 2: Brought a slight uphill but nothing else sticks out. I think unfortunately this was my fastest mile which was not in the initial game plan. What are ya going to do?


mile 3: I ran by by Archie's girlfriend once the course took us onto Lakeshore Drive and hung with her for about a 1/2 mile. 8,000 people and I run by her such odds. They were starting to slow and we were coming up to a course that split weird and I took the left path and she went right so I was by myself again. Still keeping a good pace and was definitely wondering if I could maintain. Spoiler alert: The answer is no I could not.


mile 4: I look across to the inner lakefront path to see some of those fast runners actually contending for the $ spots across the way. Oh to run like them...I kept on and was trying to figure how much longer to our turnaround to head back to the field.


mile 5: The lovely turnaround. Over a curb and uphill on soft grass from actual Lakeshore Drive to inner lakefront path. This turnaround sucked but I don't imagine there was anyway else to have it on this out and back course. At this point I could feel myself struggling. I was just tired and honestly a little bored. I tried to push myself but my body was fighting me. My normal mental pick me ups were not working their mojo today. Also I was hoping the field would have thinned a bit by now. No such luck. I think out of the 8,000 runners half of them happened to be running between an 8 and 9 minute mile. So at mile 5 I still was bobbing and weaving more than I would have liked.


mile 6-8: Please just get through this. One foot in front of the other. You aren't breaking any records today sister girl...


mile 8.4: What was a nice breeze at mile 7 turned to a cold headwind here. It didn't last long once I made it to the other side of the McCormick Building. Legs were heavy and I was just tired. Really tired. In my mind I thought "wow you didn't even feel this bad at mile 23 of the marathon last December better training next time".


mile 9: One mile left. You can do one mile. Ugh, there's still one mile. Is this mile ever going to end. Why haven't I made it to the field yet. Oh yes there's the field. Oh man through a tunnel - oh wait cool this is the tunnel the actual players use to run out onto the field. Ooh this is fun. There's the field. Then I tried to sprint the last .25 mile. My sprint is laughable but at least I finished strong.
Made it to the finish! Yay!


I found Jacob quickly in the stands as spectators weren't allowed on the field and actually ran into Archie again who was waiting for his girl. Made my way through the tunnel, collected my awesome medal, stocked up on the free food because the race packet stunk and I believe it was my due to take a few extras. At least I'm not as bad as people who grab empty boxes and just start filling it with food. Now those peeps are just ridiculous. The food isn't that good...


Jacob and I. I'm very squinty


Final results aren't up yet but garmy said I ran 10.07 miles (too much weaving or I started the watch too soon) in 1:27 and change. Sorry I'm too lazy to get up and grab the guy to look at the actual time. I remember it worked out to an 8:43 average. Definitely not my goal but at least it was under 9 min/mile average today. My last 2 miles were a bit sad and garmy reflected my poor feeling. Room to grow. And hey no matter the outcome it's a PR! Gotta love your first race in a new distance.


And you know what else? Nothing beats a hard earned free beer at 9:30 in the morning! Cheers!

Who Needs Sleep?

Last night the only thing that kept running through my head was "Who Needs Sleep" by the Barenaked Ladies. A song about insomnia - great. I go through these periods where I just can't sleep and everything wakes me. I have only actually treated it once back in between high school and college as it usually doesn't last long. I have admit this is one of my worst bouts ever. I can't fall asleep, I can't stay asleep, and I wake up early morning with only an hour or 2 before I need to actually wake. There is no other way to describe it - this sucks! This to shall pass; I just hope it hurries itself along :) Discussing my lack of sleeping does have to do with running. The little 10 mile run I signed myself up for is tomorrow (EEK!) and yes it starts at an ungodly hour (for me) 7:30 am. Seriously? I am sure it's for traffic reasons but whatever that's just early. I haven't run that early in the morning since I was training for the marathon last summer. I have a half day at work today (wahoo!) so I will be chilling the rest of the day, maybe even sneak a nap in later ;) 3 1/2 glorious days off from work! Nothing sounds better right now and the long break can't start soon enough.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend peeps! I'll have a race report for anyone who cares over the weekend sometime.

Wedding #2 Recap in Pictures

I didn't take too many pictures at my friends wedding this past weekend. Everyone else was so I figured I just make copies of theirs. One of our friends already has some awesome pics up on their website so I thought I share. It was the most fun at a wedding that I have ever experienced. Oh and this wedding happened to be on McDonald's campus in a suburb here so the bride and groom set up to have McDonald's cheeseburgers as a 10pm snack. Best snack ever at a wedding. Seriously I eat McDonald's twice a year at most and I inhaled the burger (no I was not drunk just starving from dancing!) me helping the bride with her Cubs garter. yes we are all Cubs fans ;)

The happy couple

All the girls

Me and the beautiful bride. Yes, I should have set my drink down...

not the best picture of us...

I hope to get some cross-training in today before going out to celebrate Jacobs 33rd birthday! We have been spending a lot of moola here lately so taking it easy plus he needs to be up early tomorrow. Probably catching a relaxed dinner and a movie he wants to see. Yesterday I was able to run 3 miles. It felt good to move after my Sunday slothness. The 10 mile race is this Saturday! Ah! I'm a bit nervous but really, really excited. I received notice of my bib number yesterday - 1095. Just need to head downtown to pick it up before the race. Probably will have a couple more short runs before Saturday just to keep them loose. I really can't believe it is already here.