Damn the Lightning!

So, my friend and I are signed up for the PUMA Pursuit run today at Fleet Feet. It's supposed to be just a fun little run where you compete w/ partners or alone. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but you run to checkpoints (I think everyone's route may be slightly different) and then you have to answer trivia questions or something. You earn tokens and if you get a particular number or matching tokens you win stuff at the end. Yeah, kinda dorky (we all know that is my middle name), but I figured it would be a fun way to spice up my running...

Yeah, well, Mother Nature seems to have another plan at the moment! A thunderstorm has just rolled in! Poo! I called Fleet Feet to see what the deal was...if it was rain or shine...and they don't know! They said to call when it gets closer to run time. Double poo! Of course, we all know that I will not be venturing out to run alone in a thunderstorm, so please, oh please, weather Gods, let this run happen! Plus, I want to win free shoes! :)

Woo-Ha!

I had two definitions of success in today's race. The first was to run the 10 miles in under 2 hours. The other goes kind of hand in hand with that in that I didn't want to walk any part of the course. Mission 1: Success! Mission 2: Success! Yeah! I ran the entire race w/o stopping except for at the water stations and I ran it in under 2 hours. I forgot to check the time when I crossed the start line so I'm not sure of my exact time, but its some where around 1 hour 50 minutes. I know, I know, that is an 11 minute mile, but I'm cool with that. I made sure to watch my heartrate the entire race and I kept it low! Actually, that is the best long run I've had where I've managed to keep it low for the entire time!

At mile 5 I was feeling so great that I just knew I had this race in the bag. What a difference a couple of miles can make! By mile 7 I was back to playing the mind vs. body game. My mind was telling me I was tired and that walking wouldn't be a total loss...but I had to fight it. I knew that my body was fine...it was a little fatigued and the bottoms of my feet were sore from pounding all that pavement, but overall, nothing was hurting. So, I forced (I there were points where I can't stress the word FORCE enough!) to keep going. Then, just when I was thinking I might truly have to give in to walking, there was Soldier Field! Right there in sight! And not too far away!

The catch, you had to run all the way around that big ass place before you get to the tunnel you run in through...then you gotta run through the tunnel, then around half the field...probably the longest mile of my life! Not cool when you can see your finishing point, but you can't SEE your finish point...got me? But, in the end, I did it! I am so proud of myself! Now, I gotta run another 10 next weekend...yipee :(

A little tired, probably sore tomorrow, but in good shape! Thanks to everyone who wished me well and who called to congratulate my fine finish :)

That was it

The last run before the BIG run tomorrow! It was only 30 minutes, but it wasn't a struggle like most of my runs seem to be :) I'm very thankful for that. I am soooo nervous for this race tomorrow. I've pretty much convinced myself that there is no way I can run the entire 10 miles. That is a dumb thing for me to do, but I've already accepted that it probably won't happen. I swear I will give it my best shot! Wish me luck!!

Oops...I did it again!

Well, okay, this time it wasn't an accident, but I ran almost 8 again. I say almost because I stopped at the water fountain at mile 7 and had a hard time starting back up. Walked to the 7.5 then ran to the 8. The part that was different this time was that I started out with 8 miles in mind...I wasn't sure how that would affect the mental aspect. The last 3 miles were definitely hard. It was sunny and when in direct sunlight, it was feeling quite warm. My face actually got sunburned out there! I better get some running tube tops or something before I end up with crazy tan lines :)

Next weekend I have the Soldier Field 10 Mile. I'm very nervous about that race. The distances I've run these past 2 weekends have been far from easy. And now I have to go 2 miles further?! I most definitely have to run the schedule this week and then I guess I just hope for the best! At least I'll get to see my sweaty red face flashed on the jumbotron as I cross the finish line...that is always the most embarrassing part of that race. Can't we start on the jumbotron when we are fresh and beautiful??? Why they gotta catch us when we are ready to collapse?! One week until the first benchmark in my training!!!

8 Miles!

Yeah, you heard me, I just ran 8 miles...or somewhere close to that!!! I'm shocked my damn self! I set out hoping I could do 5, try for 6 if the first 2.5 felt good. Surprisingly, the first 2.5 felt great so I decided to go the extra half mile before turning around to make it a 6 miles run. Well, I didn't realize the lakefront path that has mile markers goes under LSD at one point so I just kept running on the path closest to the lake. Running and running...wondering where that next mile marker sign is...running and running. I finally knew I had gone well beyond another half mile so I turned around. Running back, I saw that the first exit I passed was Fullerton! Fullerton!!!! I had no idea I was THAT far south! For those of you familiar with Chicago, I started up at Lawerance. And I ran farther south than Fullerton!

The whole run back was right into some serious wind. I think if it hadn't been so windy, I could have gone even further. But that wind was killing me!!! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the fact that this is such an accomplishment is because the last long run I did was 5 miles 3 weeks ago. And I've only run a maybe 4 times since, never anymore than 3 miles! I hope this wasn't just a fluke and I can catch up with the group schedule. And finish the 10 miles race I have in 2 weeks. This was just the kind of run I needed right now! Yeah!

Arm Flab

When I was running tonight, I felt the weirdest sensation. In my arms. It was my arm fat bouncing. That's right, you heard me, bouncing! Ew! I'm used to feeling the thighbutt bounce, but my arms?! And yes, thighbutt is a word. My roommate in college, Kara, came up with it and looking back, I highly doubt we had any thighbutt back then. But now? It is real. It is gross and ugly and bouncy and it is real! But back to the arm bounce. WTF?! I do carry my weight in my upper limbs, but this takes the cake. This is a new feeling that I do not want to get used to. Therefore, I must run until it is gone! Gone, I say!

Aside from the arm fat, the run went pretty well. I was breaking in a pair of new hot boots today and didn't think to wear socks. Can you say blister? I can. Ouch! So, that made the run slightly annoying, as I had to ignore the ache on my big toe. But overall, very good run! Another run tomorrow, 5 miles on saturday and then the Y-ME 5k on sunday. Should be a good week! Finally getting back on track!

Starting Over

Neck finally all better, weather great, month-end close done. Nothing to come between me and running. With the little hiatus I took, I've decided it would be best to start the training program from the beginning again and try to catch up later. I posted on my training group forum asking if this was the best way to go and do you know what they said? NOTHING! Seriously, no replies. What did I pay my $85 for then? I'm tempted to ask for a refund and drop the group. I asked them if they would be having a seminar on heart-rate monitors because I didn't see it on the seminar list and they wrote back that if I knew someone who would be interested in doing it, they would love to have one. Again, aren't I paying them money to find these people? This group sucks.

Anyway, did 3 miles this morning. Decided to run through Lincoln Park because I figured it would be pretty empty on a sunday morning, given all the college kiddies that live there. I was wrong! I hate people dodging on the sidewalks. Surprising to me that on the night after Cinco de Mayo, everyone was up and moving so early. I know back in the day, I was up by then...but I was usually sitting on my couch inhaling a BK value meal :)

And I must say, lots of cute little male college kiddies out there! Despite the fact that I've never even come close to dating any of them, I'm really attracted to the preppy pretty boys. Lots of eye candy this morning. I kept wondering if I look like I'm almost 30. Can they tell that I am that much older than them? Although, loss of several coolness points for my sweat and red face while I run...guess I shouldn't even worry about how old they think I am! :)

Starting over...fun fun.

I think I might be...

Anemic :( Either iron or B-12 deficient. Or both. That would totally explain why I feel so tired ALL the time lately. And I'm not just talking tired like I want to sleep an extra hour in the morning...I'm talking tired like I haven't done my dishes in 2 weeks! Can't get up the energy to go grocery shopping. My clothes are all over my floor of my room. I can't seem to do anything except drag my butt to work and back. It's slightly alarming!

When I first became a vegetarian, I was so excited! I went out and bought books, downloaded recipes, bought all kinds of weird things to add to my meals to get the right vitamins. Yeah, well, we knew that would come to an end sooner rather than later! And it did! I'm probably on the border of being a junk food vegetarian. Yikes! I'm pretty sure that is why I now am deficient in CRUCIAL vitamins. I'm obviously slow. Not to mention that training for the marathon cannot be done with this level of energy! I'm way behind on it! I hope that I can at least attack this issue in time to get caught up!

I wonder if I need to see a doctor or if I can just start trying to incorporate these things back into my diet and it will go away? Hmmmm...

Plus, I had an awful kink in my back for the past 2 weeks that was also adding to the training "fall behind". That seems to finally be almost gone. Must head to Whole Foods tonight and get some groceries. This is life or death. Marathon or no marathon!