I have to admit, this fall has actually been like fall weather should be. I've come to really dread running on the treadmill so whereas I use to think 50 degrees was too cold to run, now I'm bundling up and running outside just to avoid the treadmill.
One good thing I did find out though was that ever since I got a new modem, the signal doesn't go out when I'm on the treadmill. I am happy about that since I have like a 100 shows on my dvr that I can't seem to get to. I did start watching Mad Men. I bought the 1st season when I thought I still had modem issues and turns out to be a pretty good show. Its been out for a while now so I guess I'm late to the party.
I've been feeling out of sorts lately. I've struggled to get motivated to run and because I know I haven't been running as much, I'm stressing about how much I've been eating. I feel like I need a break from the workouts but can't bring myself to cut back on the eating. Not that I eat nonstop, it's just that I like not having to really watch what I eat when I'm working out all the time. I told my coworker that I think I'm just gonna sit on my ass this winter and get fat. She's like no you won't, you've worked way to hard to get where you are. I know she's right. It would just be nice to kick back, relax and not gain a pound over the next 5 months. Oh well, one can wish.
It's suppose to be about 60 degrees today but super windy...of course. We can't get a warm day around here without 30 mph south winds to accompany it. I'm hoping to get some energy today and enjoy the weather. It's not all that sunny but hey, I guess you can't have everything!
I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about the upcoming months. It will give me time to get back into doing p90x and working on weight training. I desperately need it. The arm flab is not appealing, neither is the belly fat. Even though I run a lot, I can't seem to get rid of some problem areas. Good thing I am fully clothed 99% of the day - lol.
Well off to church. I am always thankful to have my health and to be alive!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Indy Half Marathon Oct 15, 2011
I wasn't sure if I was ready for this half. I've only been running about 5 miles a day since my last half in August so training wise I wasn't really ready. Although this was my 3rd half for the year, it's still 13.1 miles which is nothing to scoff at.
So my plan was if the weather was forecasted to be raining and cold then I wouldn't bother driving down there and spending money on the hotel room. But the weather forecast said it was going to be mostly sunny, high 66 and "breezy". Well I guess the term "breezy" is a matter of interpretation. It was downright WINDY with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. I've said it before, wind is my enemy. Not only because you have to work that much harder to run through it but with my contacts, any little debris nearly paralyzes me and that's not a good combination when trying to run.
Friday I drove down there and it was mostly sunny and windy. I was hoping that the wind would die down to 10 - 20 mph by Saturday. I got down there around 2:30 their time and checked into my hotel. No problems. I then ran over to the packet pickup to get it out of the way. I thought I remembered where this place was but they didn't have it set up the same way. I could have sworn last year there were signs everywhere and people guiding you into the parking lot. Not this time. The way I came in last year is now a one way out and there was a farmers market at the entrance so it was hard to tell if you went in the same way. I managed to figure it out. They also changed where you get your packets but no biggie.
I then went to Olive Garden to eat. At this point all I had "eaten" that day was my protein shake at 8 that morning. Needless to say now that it was 3:30, I was beyond hungry. So I had my salad, 3 breadsticks and an entire serving of stuffed rigatoni with grilled chicken in alfredo sauce. It was AWESOME. Hopefully the waiter didn't think I was a pig. Eh who cares if he did. That's the beauty with age, you start not to care what others think and do whatever the hell you want to :)
Stuffed to the gills, I went back to my hotel and did nothing but watch tv and rest. I managed to get about 7 hrs of sleep which was good. I'm always anxious to make sure I get there early enough to get a good parking spot and avoid the crowds. I left at around 6:10am and got to the parking lot at 6:20 and got a primo parking spot. Then I just read my kindle for about an hour. It was cold out. The temp in my car said 47 and the wind was blustery but the skies were clear. My teeth were chattering it was so cold but I knew once I started running things would warm up. It's just hard getting into the mood when you're freezing.
I'm always amazed at the variety of people who do these races. It ranges from young (13) to old (60's), from overweight to stick thin. I love the diversity. It's very inspiring. And there are people bundled up with gloves and headgear to those just wearing tank tops and short shorts.
As usual there is a long line to the bathrooms right before the race. I figured I had 30 mins to kill so I waited in line. Once in the portapotty I blew my nose because the cold air was making it run. To my dismay I saw that I now had a bloody nose! I was close to panic mode because I never anticipated a bloody nose. So I'm standing in the portapotty taking valuable time from others who are waiting trying to get my nose to stop bleeding. It wasn't a gusher but enough to get the toilet paper dark red.
So I grabbed a bunch of toilet paper and stuffed it in my nose as I walked to my starting corral. I tilted my head back trying not to draw attention to myself and managed to get it to stop. My biggest fear was it starting to gush as I was running. I am not one to draw attention especially when it comes to something like this. I prayed to God that it would just dry up and by the grace of God it did! I would check it now and again and there would be light red but nothing major. One positive outcome from that debacle was it distracted me from thinking about the race for the first few miles.
I felt great up to around mile 7. At that point, I started walking because my legs were pretty sore. I knew it would happen considering I hadn't done more than 6 miles in the last few months. I pushed through to 8 mile and then really started walking more between mile 9 and mile 11. Between mile 10 and 11 there are these steep inclines which at that point there was no way I was able to run up them. It hurt my knees to walk up them and I was walking slow. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to beat my usual 2:30 time but I was okay with that. I just wanted to finish. I walked and jogged through to the finish and according to my Garmin, I made 2:34! I'll have to check the official time but I was surprised I did that well. I know the first few miles I was doing around 11:15 min pace which is pretty good. Maybe that made up for all the walking later on. Still it was a gorgeous course. This remains one of my favorite races. It was again very well organized and had great volunteers cheering people on. It would have been perfect if the wind was less but overall, the weather was picture perfect. It has been two years in a row that there was nothing but blue skies and bright sunshine for this race.
After I got my medal, I ate two bananas and and apple and two bottles of water. I got back to the hotel and showered and tried to lay down for a while before heading back home. It's only about 2 hours away but doing these races wipes me out. I usually feel sick and it's probably because I haven't eaten much and ran 13 miles! I got home and unpacked and slept for about 3 hours. I felt much better but very sore.
Not sure if I'll do this race next year only because I've already signed up for two. One in June and one in September. I'm getting a little burned out on the miles. Running 6-7 miles is a perfect distance for me. After running 5 half marathons, I still contend that I will never run a full marathon. I have no desire to run that far or that long. I admire all those who do!
So my plan was if the weather was forecasted to be raining and cold then I wouldn't bother driving down there and spending money on the hotel room. But the weather forecast said it was going to be mostly sunny, high 66 and "breezy". Well I guess the term "breezy" is a matter of interpretation. It was downright WINDY with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. I've said it before, wind is my enemy. Not only because you have to work that much harder to run through it but with my contacts, any little debris nearly paralyzes me and that's not a good combination when trying to run.
Friday I drove down there and it was mostly sunny and windy. I was hoping that the wind would die down to 10 - 20 mph by Saturday. I got down there around 2:30 their time and checked into my hotel. No problems. I then ran over to the packet pickup to get it out of the way. I thought I remembered where this place was but they didn't have it set up the same way. I could have sworn last year there were signs everywhere and people guiding you into the parking lot. Not this time. The way I came in last year is now a one way out and there was a farmers market at the entrance so it was hard to tell if you went in the same way. I managed to figure it out. They also changed where you get your packets but no biggie.
I then went to Olive Garden to eat. At this point all I had "eaten" that day was my protein shake at 8 that morning. Needless to say now that it was 3:30, I was beyond hungry. So I had my salad, 3 breadsticks and an entire serving of stuffed rigatoni with grilled chicken in alfredo sauce. It was AWESOME. Hopefully the waiter didn't think I was a pig. Eh who cares if he did. That's the beauty with age, you start not to care what others think and do whatever the hell you want to :)
Stuffed to the gills, I went back to my hotel and did nothing but watch tv and rest. I managed to get about 7 hrs of sleep which was good. I'm always anxious to make sure I get there early enough to get a good parking spot and avoid the crowds. I left at around 6:10am and got to the parking lot at 6:20 and got a primo parking spot. Then I just read my kindle for about an hour. It was cold out. The temp in my car said 47 and the wind was blustery but the skies were clear. My teeth were chattering it was so cold but I knew once I started running things would warm up. It's just hard getting into the mood when you're freezing.
I'm always amazed at the variety of people who do these races. It ranges from young (13) to old (60's), from overweight to stick thin. I love the diversity. It's very inspiring. And there are people bundled up with gloves and headgear to those just wearing tank tops and short shorts.
As usual there is a long line to the bathrooms right before the race. I figured I had 30 mins to kill so I waited in line. Once in the portapotty I blew my nose because the cold air was making it run. To my dismay I saw that I now had a bloody nose! I was close to panic mode because I never anticipated a bloody nose. So I'm standing in the portapotty taking valuable time from others who are waiting trying to get my nose to stop bleeding. It wasn't a gusher but enough to get the toilet paper dark red.
So I grabbed a bunch of toilet paper and stuffed it in my nose as I walked to my starting corral. I tilted my head back trying not to draw attention to myself and managed to get it to stop. My biggest fear was it starting to gush as I was running. I am not one to draw attention especially when it comes to something like this. I prayed to God that it would just dry up and by the grace of God it did! I would check it now and again and there would be light red but nothing major. One positive outcome from that debacle was it distracted me from thinking about the race for the first few miles.
I felt great up to around mile 7. At that point, I started walking because my legs were pretty sore. I knew it would happen considering I hadn't done more than 6 miles in the last few months. I pushed through to 8 mile and then really started walking more between mile 9 and mile 11. Between mile 10 and 11 there are these steep inclines which at that point there was no way I was able to run up them. It hurt my knees to walk up them and I was walking slow. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to beat my usual 2:30 time but I was okay with that. I just wanted to finish. I walked and jogged through to the finish and according to my Garmin, I made 2:34! I'll have to check the official time but I was surprised I did that well. I know the first few miles I was doing around 11:15 min pace which is pretty good. Maybe that made up for all the walking later on. Still it was a gorgeous course. This remains one of my favorite races. It was again very well organized and had great volunteers cheering people on. It would have been perfect if the wind was less but overall, the weather was picture perfect. It has been two years in a row that there was nothing but blue skies and bright sunshine for this race.
After I got my medal, I ate two bananas and and apple and two bottles of water. I got back to the hotel and showered and tried to lay down for a while before heading back home. It's only about 2 hours away but doing these races wipes me out. I usually feel sick and it's probably because I haven't eaten much and ran 13 miles! I got home and unpacked and slept for about 3 hours. I felt much better but very sore.
Not sure if I'll do this race next year only because I've already signed up for two. One in June and one in September. I'm getting a little burned out on the miles. Running 6-7 miles is a perfect distance for me. After running 5 half marathons, I still contend that I will never run a full marathon. I have no desire to run that far or that long. I admire all those who do!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
What a gorgeous week!
Ever since last Sunday, we have had a full week of nothing but blue skies and abundant sunshine with temps in the high 70's to mid 80's. Now this is the kind of Fall weather that I can get use to. I feel like we're living in Arizona. In fact I think it was Thursday where it was warmer here than in Phoenix! Love it!
I have my last half marathon in Indy next weekend and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready. I haven't ran more than 6 miles since my last half in August. Now I'm debating if I want to go. Because I was an idiot and waited way to long to book a room, I have to pay over $150 for a room for one night plus gas to get down there. So my strategy is that if the forecast calls for crappy weather (i.e. rain, temps in the 50's, or windy conditions) then I'm not gonna go. Today is the Chicago Marathon and it's in the mid 50's, sunny, no wind with temps expected near 80. If only that would carry over to next Saturday. Yes it's a bit warm but not at the start of the race. Last year it was close to 70 degrees and nothing but sun. I know, I'm a spoiled brat. Not a die hard runner like most people. Oh well, we'll leave it to Mother Nature.
The trees are starting to change colors and it is soooooo beautiful. I really do love Fall and Spring for all the color. There are these bright gold trees in my neighborhood that I just want to pluck out and plant in front of my house. I love the brilliant gold, red and orange colors. We planned on taking a drive with the dogs through Michigan or Wisconsin this weekend to take advantage of the changing foliage but naturally it didn't happen yesterday. It's still a little too warm for my Simba so he can't walk for very long. We might just drive to one of the local forest preserves. I just know by the time we get around to doing this all the leaves will have fallen but that is par for the course.
Brett throws this out last night "we should get married tomorrow so we can get great pics with the fall colors. It's the time of year I'd want to do it anyway". I wasn't shocked by the comment. We've been talking more about it lately. Our dogs are like our kids since we don't have any and we love them to pieces. With that, I'd want them to be a part of our wedding. My thinking is they could be the ring bearers. I would think it would be so cute to get them a little tux (not a real one, but one that's like a coat). I want them to be a part of our wedding pictures. With Simba's age, that means a decision has to be made soon. I don't like to think about that but it's reality.
I'm struggling with other things when it comes to getting remarried. First is my religion. Now I'm obviously not a devout Catholic, I don't follow everything to the letter of church law but I do go to church every Sunday. One of the rules is that if you are divorced, you can receive communion but if you are remarried you cannot unless your previous marriage was annulled. I don't think this is stated in the Bible anywhere. Maybe it is (obviously I haven't read enough of the Bible to confirm). Guess I could google it. Anyway, I wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. Brett is not Catholic. I still can be married in a Catholic church but there would be no communion service because Brett isn't Catholic. The whole point of a Catholic service is communion. That is the focus of the service so it wouldn't feel right not to have that as part of my ceremony. So I'm struggling with those issues. Not sure how the Catholic Church would feel about dogs walking down the aisle either LOL.
We also joked about getting married on a beach somewhere. While I would really like to do that, I feel like that's more of a civil ceremony, not a religious one. And again, we wouldn't be able to have the dogs involved.
I also have other issues to work out. I am skittish about getting married again. There's a lot that goes into a marriage. A lot of compromise and acceptance. I've been pretty selfish the last 7 years when it comes to doing things my way and on my terms. I need to have a good heart to heart with myself and really make sure that I'm ready for it. I know after 8 years you'd think what's the big deal, we're pretty much a married couple. But there's a big difference when it's legal. Then again, if I love him then what's the problem? I do love him but I admit that I have put up this barrier ever since my divorce. I am so adamant that I don't find myself in the situation I was in before that I haven't let my guard down. Now I don't know how to let my guard down. Maybe I need a therapist LOL!
Lots to think about. That's what the winter is for. I'll be trapped inside with nothing else to do but think this through. For now it's still sunny and warm out so I will enjoy these days while they are here!
I have my last half marathon in Indy next weekend and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready. I haven't ran more than 6 miles since my last half in August. Now I'm debating if I want to go. Because I was an idiot and waited way to long to book a room, I have to pay over $150 for a room for one night plus gas to get down there. So my strategy is that if the forecast calls for crappy weather (i.e. rain, temps in the 50's, or windy conditions) then I'm not gonna go. Today is the Chicago Marathon and it's in the mid 50's, sunny, no wind with temps expected near 80. If only that would carry over to next Saturday. Yes it's a bit warm but not at the start of the race. Last year it was close to 70 degrees and nothing but sun. I know, I'm a spoiled brat. Not a die hard runner like most people. Oh well, we'll leave it to Mother Nature.
The trees are starting to change colors and it is soooooo beautiful. I really do love Fall and Spring for all the color. There are these bright gold trees in my neighborhood that I just want to pluck out and plant in front of my house. I love the brilliant gold, red and orange colors. We planned on taking a drive with the dogs through Michigan or Wisconsin this weekend to take advantage of the changing foliage but naturally it didn't happen yesterday. It's still a little too warm for my Simba so he can't walk for very long. We might just drive to one of the local forest preserves. I just know by the time we get around to doing this all the leaves will have fallen but that is par for the course.
Brett throws this out last night "we should get married tomorrow so we can get great pics with the fall colors. It's the time of year I'd want to do it anyway". I wasn't shocked by the comment. We've been talking more about it lately. Our dogs are like our kids since we don't have any and we love them to pieces. With that, I'd want them to be a part of our wedding. My thinking is they could be the ring bearers. I would think it would be so cute to get them a little tux (not a real one, but one that's like a coat). I want them to be a part of our wedding pictures. With Simba's age, that means a decision has to be made soon. I don't like to think about that but it's reality.
I'm struggling with other things when it comes to getting remarried. First is my religion. Now I'm obviously not a devout Catholic, I don't follow everything to the letter of church law but I do go to church every Sunday. One of the rules is that if you are divorced, you can receive communion but if you are remarried you cannot unless your previous marriage was annulled. I don't think this is stated in the Bible anywhere. Maybe it is (obviously I haven't read enough of the Bible to confirm). Guess I could google it. Anyway, I wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. Brett is not Catholic. I still can be married in a Catholic church but there would be no communion service because Brett isn't Catholic. The whole point of a Catholic service is communion. That is the focus of the service so it wouldn't feel right not to have that as part of my ceremony. So I'm struggling with those issues. Not sure how the Catholic Church would feel about dogs walking down the aisle either LOL.
We also joked about getting married on a beach somewhere. While I would really like to do that, I feel like that's more of a civil ceremony, not a religious one. And again, we wouldn't be able to have the dogs involved.
I also have other issues to work out. I am skittish about getting married again. There's a lot that goes into a marriage. A lot of compromise and acceptance. I've been pretty selfish the last 7 years when it comes to doing things my way and on my terms. I need to have a good heart to heart with myself and really make sure that I'm ready for it. I know after 8 years you'd think what's the big deal, we're pretty much a married couple. But there's a big difference when it's legal. Then again, if I love him then what's the problem? I do love him but I admit that I have put up this barrier ever since my divorce. I am so adamant that I don't find myself in the situation I was in before that I haven't let my guard down. Now I don't know how to let my guard down. Maybe I need a therapist LOL!
Lots to think about. That's what the winter is for. I'll be trapped inside with nothing else to do but think this through. For now it's still sunny and warm out so I will enjoy these days while they are here!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Ahhh Fall is here
Well according to the calender it is official and according to the weather, it is official. Fall has arrived and it's actually been pretty nice, cool, but nice.
I have to say that the cooler temps does make it much easier to run. I've concluded that these are my elements for an awesome run:
1) Getting a good nights sleep - I got about 8 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep so check!
2) Getting enough nutrition - I have to drink a protein shake before I run. It doesn't leave me feeling too full but provides enough sustenance to keep me going so check!
3) Wearing warm undergarments - Spent the $40 for an under armour long sleeve shirt and it is so worth the money. It's like a second skin and definitely keeps me warm so check!
4) Gotta have tunes - I almost never run without my ipod. I know it can be dangerous but it seriously helps me not focus on how hard I'm running (not that I run fast). I love listening to old school house music so check!
5) Running on relatively flat surfaces - my knees are pretty wrecked so I pretty much cannot do inclines. Luckily my neighborhood is all flat so check!
6) The weather has to be mid to upper 50's to mid 60's, mostly overcast skies, and little to no wind. Wind is my nemesis, really it is. I do not like running if the wind is more than 10 miles per hour. 5 miles or less is just perfect. This I cannot control but when it does happen, I am eager to get outside.
Today all these factors aligned perfectly and I had a great run. I think I did a little more than 5 miles and I felt great! Now if we could keep this weather for the next 6 months I'd be more than happy! But I know it won't but for now I will enjoy it while I can. I do love the changing color of the trees. Fall is probably one of my favorite times of year if it wouldn't get so cold so fast. Feels like we get one month of fall (september) and then all hell breaks loose and we're into 30 degree weather. Crossing my fingers that this year is an exception!
I have to say that the cooler temps does make it much easier to run. I've concluded that these are my elements for an awesome run:
1) Getting a good nights sleep - I got about 8 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep so check!
2) Getting enough nutrition - I have to drink a protein shake before I run. It doesn't leave me feeling too full but provides enough sustenance to keep me going so check!
3) Wearing warm undergarments - Spent the $40 for an under armour long sleeve shirt and it is so worth the money. It's like a second skin and definitely keeps me warm so check!
4) Gotta have tunes - I almost never run without my ipod. I know it can be dangerous but it seriously helps me not focus on how hard I'm running (not that I run fast). I love listening to old school house music so check!
5) Running on relatively flat surfaces - my knees are pretty wrecked so I pretty much cannot do inclines. Luckily my neighborhood is all flat so check!
6) The weather has to be mid to upper 50's to mid 60's, mostly overcast skies, and little to no wind. Wind is my nemesis, really it is. I do not like running if the wind is more than 10 miles per hour. 5 miles or less is just perfect. This I cannot control but when it does happen, I am eager to get outside.
Today all these factors aligned perfectly and I had a great run. I think I did a little more than 5 miles and I felt great! Now if we could keep this weather for the next 6 months I'd be more than happy! But I know it won't but for now I will enjoy it while I can. I do love the changing color of the trees. Fall is probably one of my favorite times of year if it wouldn't get so cold so fast. Feels like we get one month of fall (september) and then all hell breaks loose and we're into 30 degree weather. Crossing my fingers that this year is an exception!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
September 11, 2011
Never Forget. That is the mantra for this date in American History. No, I'll never forget, I remember it like it was yesterday.
Sept 11, 2001
I was sitting at my desk like any other Tuesday morning and one of my co-workers, Jeff, announces to nobody in particular that the news is saying that a small plane hit one of the twin towers in NY. He was looking at Yahoo or CNN. My immediate reaction was that it couldn't be that serious, how much damage can a small aircraft do to the towers. I thought it was just an accident (although in the back of my mind I was questioning how can a pilot hit the towers? You would have to have a poor sense of judgement). Some of our offices had tv's mounted on the walls and the IT group across the hall managed to get one of the local news stations to come on (the tvs were meant as an internal medium, not to watch national tv).
At this point it became apparent that this was not a small aircraft but a large Boeing. I was in utter disbelief. I was mesmerized by the dramatic images showing on the tv. That day there was not a cloud in the sky, clear blue as far as the eye can see. All you can see was smoke coming out of the towers where the plane struck. Then there was talk of two more hijacked planes. One headed toward the Pentagon in Washington, the other was over Pennsylvania headed to DC as well. At that point I was truly scared. I had no idea what was going on or whether or not Chicago could be targeted.
I called my husband at the time (we'd been married for a little more than a year) just to see if he knew about what was going on (he worked midnights at the time and was usually sleeping at this point in the morning). I contemplated going home but my employer was not making a big issue out of it. The rest of the day I spent the majority of my time in the IT office watching the live coverage. I can't remember witnessing the 2nd plane hit so I think I heard about from the guys across the hall. At that point it all seemed surreal. Watching both towers burning and all the chaos on the ground. Then the one tower collapsed. I watched it live. It looked like a movie. I was frozen. The devastation was incredible. I couldn't believe that one plane took down this building! Then the second tower fell. My heart ached for all those people and for our country. In the midst of this, another plane struck the Pentagon. I didn't really know what to think. Why is this happening? What's next?
The FAA obviously grounded all flights as this was happening. I just couldn't believe that the government didn't or couldn't do anything sooner to prevent it. Are we (the U.S.) that vulnerable and unprepared for an attack? Obviously we were.
There was nonstop media coverage on the terrorists attacks. To see people hanging out of the windows of the World Trade Center over 100 stories in the air was gut wrenching. To catch glimpses of was looked like paper falling from the towers only to be told that those were actually people was horrific. It brings so much sadness and raw emotion for me to think about it. Trying to imagine the panic those people felt and how they were forced to make the decision to either burn alive or jump to their death is unspeakable. There is a now famous picture taken by a photographer for the AP Press that shows a man falling to his certain death. He's headfirst, almost stick straight, arms by his side with one leg bent at about a 90 degree angle. He's wearing regular work clothes. What was going through his mind as he free falled for 100 stories? Was he even conscious that whole time? He had to be falling for at least 10 or more seconds. It sends shivers down my spine thinking about it.
For the last week the tv stations had a ton of shows commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I didn't watch a single one. I don't care to relive it. Even though I didn't know anybody who died in those attacks, it still breaks my heart to see the work of pure evil. I pray for all those who died, for those who survived and are suffering mentally or physically from the aftermath, I pray for the families and friends of those who died. I pray for our country. At that time, 10 years ago, I had no clue about radicals in the middle east and their hatred for the west. I was never interested in history. I was 27 years old, just married, bought my first house and thought life was awesome. So much has changed in 10 years. At least now I have a better understanding of why it happened. The saddest part is that the US has been involved in a war with Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 10 years and so many soldiers and civilians have lost their lives. For what? Is being over there really preventing another attack on US soil? The billions upon billions of dollars spent to fund those wars is insane. Now our economy is in disarray, not only because of the wars, the unemployment rate is over 9%, the housing market has tanked. Nobody wants to admit it but we are in a depression. We are no longer the #1 economy. The rest of the world is now losing faith in us. Scary thing is that there are so many other countries on the brink of bankruptcy as well.
But I still believe whole heartedly that America is the best country in the world. I thank God that I was born and raised here. I thank God for my family and friends. I thank God for my job. I'm incredibly blessed and I thank God everyday for it. The future is uncertain as it always is. But things seem to be much worse nowadays than in the past. Lots of civil unrest in middle eastern countries (Libya, Yemen, Egypt, etc). It sounds cliche but I pray for peace in our world. I pray that our country is never attacked again.
Sept 11, 2001
I was sitting at my desk like any other Tuesday morning and one of my co-workers, Jeff, announces to nobody in particular that the news is saying that a small plane hit one of the twin towers in NY. He was looking at Yahoo or CNN. My immediate reaction was that it couldn't be that serious, how much damage can a small aircraft do to the towers. I thought it was just an accident (although in the back of my mind I was questioning how can a pilot hit the towers? You would have to have a poor sense of judgement). Some of our offices had tv's mounted on the walls and the IT group across the hall managed to get one of the local news stations to come on (the tvs were meant as an internal medium, not to watch national tv).
At this point it became apparent that this was not a small aircraft but a large Boeing. I was in utter disbelief. I was mesmerized by the dramatic images showing on the tv. That day there was not a cloud in the sky, clear blue as far as the eye can see. All you can see was smoke coming out of the towers where the plane struck. Then there was talk of two more hijacked planes. One headed toward the Pentagon in Washington, the other was over Pennsylvania headed to DC as well. At that point I was truly scared. I had no idea what was going on or whether or not Chicago could be targeted.
I called my husband at the time (we'd been married for a little more than a year) just to see if he knew about what was going on (he worked midnights at the time and was usually sleeping at this point in the morning). I contemplated going home but my employer was not making a big issue out of it. The rest of the day I spent the majority of my time in the IT office watching the live coverage. I can't remember witnessing the 2nd plane hit so I think I heard about from the guys across the hall. At that point it all seemed surreal. Watching both towers burning and all the chaos on the ground. Then the one tower collapsed. I watched it live. It looked like a movie. I was frozen. The devastation was incredible. I couldn't believe that one plane took down this building! Then the second tower fell. My heart ached for all those people and for our country. In the midst of this, another plane struck the Pentagon. I didn't really know what to think. Why is this happening? What's next?
The FAA obviously grounded all flights as this was happening. I just couldn't believe that the government didn't or couldn't do anything sooner to prevent it. Are we (the U.S.) that vulnerable and unprepared for an attack? Obviously we were.
There was nonstop media coverage on the terrorists attacks. To see people hanging out of the windows of the World Trade Center over 100 stories in the air was gut wrenching. To catch glimpses of was looked like paper falling from the towers only to be told that those were actually people was horrific. It brings so much sadness and raw emotion for me to think about it. Trying to imagine the panic those people felt and how they were forced to make the decision to either burn alive or jump to their death is unspeakable. There is a now famous picture taken by a photographer for the AP Press that shows a man falling to his certain death. He's headfirst, almost stick straight, arms by his side with one leg bent at about a 90 degree angle. He's wearing regular work clothes. What was going through his mind as he free falled for 100 stories? Was he even conscious that whole time? He had to be falling for at least 10 or more seconds. It sends shivers down my spine thinking about it.
For the last week the tv stations had a ton of shows commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I didn't watch a single one. I don't care to relive it. Even though I didn't know anybody who died in those attacks, it still breaks my heart to see the work of pure evil. I pray for all those who died, for those who survived and are suffering mentally or physically from the aftermath, I pray for the families and friends of those who died. I pray for our country. At that time, 10 years ago, I had no clue about radicals in the middle east and their hatred for the west. I was never interested in history. I was 27 years old, just married, bought my first house and thought life was awesome. So much has changed in 10 years. At least now I have a better understanding of why it happened. The saddest part is that the US has been involved in a war with Iraq and Afghanistan for the last 10 years and so many soldiers and civilians have lost their lives. For what? Is being over there really preventing another attack on US soil? The billions upon billions of dollars spent to fund those wars is insane. Now our economy is in disarray, not only because of the wars, the unemployment rate is over 9%, the housing market has tanked. Nobody wants to admit it but we are in a depression. We are no longer the #1 economy. The rest of the world is now losing faith in us. Scary thing is that there are so many other countries on the brink of bankruptcy as well.
But I still believe whole heartedly that America is the best country in the world. I thank God that I was born and raised here. I thank God for my family and friends. I thank God for my job. I'm incredibly blessed and I thank God everyday for it. The future is uncertain as it always is. But things seem to be much worse nowadays than in the past. Lots of civil unrest in middle eastern countries (Libya, Yemen, Egypt, etc). It sounds cliche but I pray for peace in our world. I pray that our country is never attacked again.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Labor Day
Labor Day...the unofficial end to summer. That's depressing to me. It is about 57 degrees and sunny right now which feels like 30! I do enjoy a little bit of cool weather but it seems to come on so fast. It was 97 degrees and hot and humid on Saturday and by Sunday it had cooled down to 75 degrees which was perfect. But today is calling for MAYBE 70 degrees if we're lucky.
It didn't start to get warm until June and now it's getting cold in a matter of a day the first week of September. Hopefully there's an indian summer in the works to help ease me into the cold months ahead.
Although I do admit this weather is great for running. I have one more half marathon in October in Indy so I'm hoping it doesn't get too cold too fast. I am grateful that we had an awesome summer and I kept up with my running throughout. I feel like I have been slowing down some over the last few weeks. I try not to beat myself up too much over that. I am dreading having to run the treadmill in the winter. I jumped on it a few weeks ago when it was raining out and I was miserable. It's just not the same as running outside. Plus the fact that I can't watch tv while I'm on it makes it even worse. Oh well.
The skies are clear blue today and I plan on enjoying this holiday while I can. Today's weather reminds me of Sept 11th 10 years ago. It is hard to believe it's been 10 years already. I am a little nervous about the anniversary. I just continue to pray for us. Like my Mom says, keep your heart right with God and you have nothing to worry about. Amen :)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Chicago Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon 8/14/2011
This was my 4th HM and I did better than I thought. The race started at 6:30am and I was worried with the race being in August that the weather would be unbearable. Luckily the weather turned out to be perfect for running - cool, in the 60's, light breeze, and overcast. Again, good running weather, not summer weather.
I was deathly ill two weeks before the race and did not run that whole week (the most time off I've had since I started running seriously again last year) and only ran a few days the week of the race. I ran 5 miles on Friday because the weather was beautiful (sunny, low 80's). I felt so good and wanted to run more but thought better of it.
Come race day, I get up at 4am, get ready and leave for Chicago around 4:45am. I get to Millenium Park around 5:15. I never know exactly where I'm going when I get to these races, I pretty much just follow people. I had no idea how to get out of the parking garage but luckily a couple was ahead of me and I followed them out. They were wearing running gear so I assumed they were participating (and they were).
I hung around the porta potties right up until 5 minutes before the race started because I always drink too much in the mornings. I couldn't find the gear check for the life of me until I followed people to it. Then I couldn't find where the starting corrals were and again followed people and ended up figuring it out.
I am usually in one of the last corrals so I figured I wouldn't cross the start line for at least 30 minutes. I think it took maybe 15! I started out nice and easy and actually felt fantastic for the first 5 miles. I wasn't tired or sore. I got around mile 6 or 7 when I happened upon the pace runners for 2:30 finish. Exactly where I wanted to be. I've never ran with pacers and made sure I literally stayed right behind them for about 5 miles running at a 11:05 pace. Pretty quick for me at that point in the race. I started really hurting around the 10 mile mark but kept with the pacers until a little after the 12 mile marker. I had not stopped at any of the water stations up to that point and was fading quickly. I stopped to drink a few cups of Cytomax and that helped give me the energy to slowly jog to the finish.
At this point in the race I always think "why do I do this to myself?" My muscles are screaming and I just want to walk but am determined to keep up with the 60 year old lady who is chugging past me. How do they do it? I am simply amazed by older people who run these races. I am not made to go fast and I can accept that. My favorite part about doing these races is crossing the finish line. And that is what I did with a final finish time of 2:34:01. Again, much better than I thought. If there's one thing I am it's consistent. I think that was my time for my first HM and pretty much every one after that except for the one in June where it was like 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Even then I was under 3 hrs.
I was a little disappointed with the finisher's medal. It had a cheap looking laynard and didn't even have the date on the medal. It looked cheap. Since I don't run these races for personal records, I do it for the cool medals. For as much as I paid for the race and parking ($19 for race packet and $26 on race day) I expect a nice looking medal. The medal I got for the Monster Dash which is only around 6000 people was cooler than this one which had about 25000 participants! Oh well, it's still another HM under my belt.
I have one more HM in October in Indy. That was the first one I did last year and it was a perfect first time experience. I really hope the weather is just as perfect. Then I'm done for the year. I have to admit that I'm getting a little tired of running. I think I need a break but I know that I will not cut my eating so my fear is gaining weight. I've managed to maintain my weight almost to the pound the last year or so and I'm eating whatever I want. Honestly I don't want to watch what I eat. It exhausts me to think about.
I do want to enjoy the summer as much as possible. The weather the last couple of weeks have been simply perfect. Sunny, low 80's, low humidity, light breeze. I mean really? It can't get any better and it depresses me to know that it will be gone all too soon. Just like anything else, you have to enjoy everyday like it's your last. Unfortunately today I feel like sleeping :)
I was deathly ill two weeks before the race and did not run that whole week (the most time off I've had since I started running seriously again last year) and only ran a few days the week of the race. I ran 5 miles on Friday because the weather was beautiful (sunny, low 80's). I felt so good and wanted to run more but thought better of it.
Come race day, I get up at 4am, get ready and leave for Chicago around 4:45am. I get to Millenium Park around 5:15. I never know exactly where I'm going when I get to these races, I pretty much just follow people. I had no idea how to get out of the parking garage but luckily a couple was ahead of me and I followed them out. They were wearing running gear so I assumed they were participating (and they were).
I hung around the porta potties right up until 5 minutes before the race started because I always drink too much in the mornings. I couldn't find the gear check for the life of me until I followed people to it. Then I couldn't find where the starting corrals were and again followed people and ended up figuring it out.
I am usually in one of the last corrals so I figured I wouldn't cross the start line for at least 30 minutes. I think it took maybe 15! I started out nice and easy and actually felt fantastic for the first 5 miles. I wasn't tired or sore. I got around mile 6 or 7 when I happened upon the pace runners for 2:30 finish. Exactly where I wanted to be. I've never ran with pacers and made sure I literally stayed right behind them for about 5 miles running at a 11:05 pace. Pretty quick for me at that point in the race. I started really hurting around the 10 mile mark but kept with the pacers until a little after the 12 mile marker. I had not stopped at any of the water stations up to that point and was fading quickly. I stopped to drink a few cups of Cytomax and that helped give me the energy to slowly jog to the finish.
At this point in the race I always think "why do I do this to myself?" My muscles are screaming and I just want to walk but am determined to keep up with the 60 year old lady who is chugging past me. How do they do it? I am simply amazed by older people who run these races. I am not made to go fast and I can accept that. My favorite part about doing these races is crossing the finish line. And that is what I did with a final finish time of 2:34:01. Again, much better than I thought. If there's one thing I am it's consistent. I think that was my time for my first HM and pretty much every one after that except for the one in June where it was like 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Even then I was under 3 hrs.
I was a little disappointed with the finisher's medal. It had a cheap looking laynard and didn't even have the date on the medal. It looked cheap. Since I don't run these races for personal records, I do it for the cool medals. For as much as I paid for the race and parking ($19 for race packet and $26 on race day) I expect a nice looking medal. The medal I got for the Monster Dash which is only around 6000 people was cooler than this one which had about 25000 participants! Oh well, it's still another HM under my belt.
I have one more HM in October in Indy. That was the first one I did last year and it was a perfect first time experience. I really hope the weather is just as perfect. Then I'm done for the year. I have to admit that I'm getting a little tired of running. I think I need a break but I know that I will not cut my eating so my fear is gaining weight. I've managed to maintain my weight almost to the pound the last year or so and I'm eating whatever I want. Honestly I don't want to watch what I eat. It exhausts me to think about.
I do want to enjoy the summer as much as possible. The weather the last couple of weeks have been simply perfect. Sunny, low 80's, low humidity, light breeze. I mean really? It can't get any better and it depresses me to know that it will be gone all too soon. Just like anything else, you have to enjoy everyday like it's your last. Unfortunately today I feel like sleeping :)
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23, 2011 - Mid Summer
Summer. My absolute favorite time of year. It is about 88 degrees but with the heat index it feels like 100. AHHHHH. This is what I suffer through winter for. You will never hear me complain about how hot it is. I relish in it.
This is also why I waited 6 months before scheduling my vacation. I wanted to take 1 week for every summer month and boy was it worth the wait. Not that I've done anything spectacular. Just trying to run in it and sweating like I've just walked out of the shower. But my favorite feeling in the world is taking a shower after a workout like that and feeling so clean and refreshed. Most of the time I literally put on my comfy clothes and take a nap. The heat and humidity just takes everything out of me. But it feels awesome.
I've also managed to get some color. But I have horrendous tan lines. I have lines from my tank tops on my chest, a line on my left arm from where my ipod band goes across, lines on the back of my calves from where my knee braces end, and this severe line on both of my thighs from where I hiked my shorts up after a run and laid out in the sun. I didn't realize how pale I was before. But I love it! I love the sun and heat and am already dreading winter.
I know it's only the end of July and I'm already thinking of winter. Seriously how is it that summer goes by so fast! I mean May and June were cool rainy months so really summer didn't start until July 1st. I just hope the seasons are shifting so that maybe summer sticks around until October. One can dream right?
One bad thing about the heat is that I realize how old my puppy is. He really can't handle it well. I've noticed in the last 6 months that he can't make what I considered a relatively short walk (bout a mile). He manages through it but is wiped out from it and I worry that I'm pushing him to hard. With the fireworks that start from mid June to mid July, he literally would not go past the neighbors house for a walk. We were walking him one evening and somebody blew off fireworks and he about jumped out of his skin. Now he will not forget it so whenever we get to that spot he wants to go back home. Poor baby. It's times like this which brings back the sad reality that he won't be here forever. I do not like to think about that. So I enjoy every minute with him.
Just as I know summer won't last forever. My goal is to enjoy every minute of it. I am sticking to my mantra that as long as it's not raining, I will be outside. I will put on my 70 spf sunblock and bask in the sunlight until I get a whiff that I really need to take a shower :)
This is also why I waited 6 months before scheduling my vacation. I wanted to take 1 week for every summer month and boy was it worth the wait. Not that I've done anything spectacular. Just trying to run in it and sweating like I've just walked out of the shower. But my favorite feeling in the world is taking a shower after a workout like that and feeling so clean and refreshed. Most of the time I literally put on my comfy clothes and take a nap. The heat and humidity just takes everything out of me. But it feels awesome.
I've also managed to get some color. But I have horrendous tan lines. I have lines from my tank tops on my chest, a line on my left arm from where my ipod band goes across, lines on the back of my calves from where my knee braces end, and this severe line on both of my thighs from where I hiked my shorts up after a run and laid out in the sun. I didn't realize how pale I was before. But I love it! I love the sun and heat and am already dreading winter.
I know it's only the end of July and I'm already thinking of winter. Seriously how is it that summer goes by so fast! I mean May and June were cool rainy months so really summer didn't start until July 1st. I just hope the seasons are shifting so that maybe summer sticks around until October. One can dream right?
One bad thing about the heat is that I realize how old my puppy is. He really can't handle it well. I've noticed in the last 6 months that he can't make what I considered a relatively short walk (bout a mile). He manages through it but is wiped out from it and I worry that I'm pushing him to hard. With the fireworks that start from mid June to mid July, he literally would not go past the neighbors house for a walk. We were walking him one evening and somebody blew off fireworks and he about jumped out of his skin. Now he will not forget it so whenever we get to that spot he wants to go back home. Poor baby. It's times like this which brings back the sad reality that he won't be here forever. I do not like to think about that. So I enjoy every minute with him.
Just as I know summer won't last forever. My goal is to enjoy every minute of it. I am sticking to my mantra that as long as it's not raining, I will be outside. I will put on my 70 spf sunblock and bask in the sunlight until I get a whiff that I really need to take a shower :)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Chicago 13.1
I ran my first half race of the season yesterday and as much as I was happy that the weather was "warm" I have to admit it was just too warm.
I left my house around 4am to make sure I was at the parking garage before the 5:30am shuttle pick up. I got to the garage around 4:30 and it wasn't even open yet! I was the second car in line. The garage opened around 5 so I made sure to park in an advantageous spot. I was anticipating another long wait to exit the garage once the race was over (similar to the Monster Dash fiasco).
Got to the race location - South Shore Cultural Center - at around 5:40. Because I had no gear to check in, I then had to find some nice soft concrete to sit on until the race started at 7:13. That's probably my biggest complaint for these races. You rush rush rush to get there and then you wait. I understand the need, just not happy about it.
Anyway, it was at least 75 degrees at that early hour and for as much as they were forecasting thunderstorms, there was nary a cloud in the sky. I did not want it to rain, but I knew that trying to run in this heat and humidity in full on sun was going to be a challenge.
They started the race in waves so that everyone wasn't bunched up together. I was in wave M. I crossed the start line at around 7:40. By then the temps were easily close to 80. I felt pretty good til around mile 4 where we were running along the lake and the sun was just unbearable. I started walking at this point. My pace went from 10:30 starting out to easily 13 mins. But I honestly didn't care. My heart rate was close to 150 and I could feel the heat exhaustion. They flagged the race as a red when I got around mile marker 6 but everybody kept going. At mm 7 they gave out ice cold towels (size of a wash cloth) which was awesome. I put it on the back of my neck and it helped a lot.
I kept jogging and walking from mm 7 to 8 and as I approached 8 the flag was black which means the race has been called off due to extreme heat. The race info they gave before the race said that shuttle buses would be dispatched along the course to pick you up and take you back but I never saw any stopped buses. So technically you would have to stop running immediately but because the course is along the lakefront and is a public path, you could keep running. The timers were shut off so you wouldn't get a final time. So I tried jogging every now and then just to get done.
Since I was going to pass the parking garage on my way back to the finish line, I was just gonna stop there and leave. But at this point I had paid over $100 for this race and figured I got this far, I am going to finish!
And I did finish strong. I jogged the last mile and crossed the finish line at 2:49 according to my Garmin. They actually gave out the finisher medals which I was very happy about because technically they didn't have to. I wasn't really tired from running (since I walked a lot) but I was extremely sore and soaked with sweat and exhausted from the beating sun. I immediately walked back to where the shuttle buses were (bypassing my free slice of Malnati's Pizza) and got back to the parking garage within 15 mins of finishing the race.
I saw the cars lined up to exit the garage and prepared myself for a long wait. But I did pick a good spot because I got in line and out the garage in less than 5 mins!! I was so happy. And by the grace of God did I find my way back to the expressway going the Stoney Island route. The area around the museum is absolutely gorgeous with all the trees and parks but the streets intertwine and crisscross in every direction that it's easy to get side tracked. My GPS couldn't find signal so I literally just found the right way by luck (and God).
I was actually feeling a little sick on my ride home. The temp gauge in my car said 93 degrees and it was only 10:45am. I drank two bottles of water and took 2 Alleve but I think my problem was lack of food. I drank 6 oz of my protein shake and a handful of crackers with peanut butter close to 2 hrs before the race. I had a banana and granola bar after the race. Yeah, I needed food but I needed a shower more. Man did I stink! I couldn't stand myself. I had the air on at first but was getting chilled since I was soaked but when I opened the windows it was too hot.
I came home, jumped in the shower and really just wanted to sleep but knew I had to eat. I got less than 6 hrs of sleep the night before because I was anxious about making sure I wake up early enough to get to the parking garage and that I didn't get lost enroute.
We were suppose to go to the Q101 jamboree that afternoon but I was just wiped out. We had lunch and ended up coming back home. I slept on and off from 3:30 until 7:30pm. And I could have slept more but was hungry again :)
I was checking facebook when I woke up and discovered that a 22 year old guy died from heat exhaustion from running the race! I wasn't too shocked because as I was coming up to mile marker 4, I saw what I call the ultra marathoners coming past me to their mm 9. That means they were running at about a 7 or 8 min mile pace which is just ridiculous for the weather conditions. I wonder if one of the guys I saw was the one who passed away. It was obvious by looking at them that they were under heat stress. This is why I don't take these races all that seriously. I just do them for fun. I'm not trying to set records. I don't need to be the first across the finish line. I didn't want to slow down and end up walking but I knew I was being an idiot if I didn't. I accepted that I wasn't going to be able to continue running. My fear is dying like that poor kid (yes at age 22 you are still a kid). I pray for him and his family. It's hard to imagine someone that young and obviously that physically fit to die but your body can only take so much, no matter what your age.
I was not upset that they called off the race. They care about the welfare of the runners and that is admirable. Overall, this was an awesome race. They were super organized and kept great communication throughout. I would definitely do it again. The scenery along the race route was absolutely stunning! Especially on such a sunny day.
Now I get to look forward to the Rock n Roll Chicago Half in August. I'm hoping it's not as sweltering as this race but being in August, who knows.
I left my house around 4am to make sure I was at the parking garage before the 5:30am shuttle pick up. I got to the garage around 4:30 and it wasn't even open yet! I was the second car in line. The garage opened around 5 so I made sure to park in an advantageous spot. I was anticipating another long wait to exit the garage once the race was over (similar to the Monster Dash fiasco).
Got to the race location - South Shore Cultural Center - at around 5:40. Because I had no gear to check in, I then had to find some nice soft concrete to sit on until the race started at 7:13. That's probably my biggest complaint for these races. You rush rush rush to get there and then you wait. I understand the need, just not happy about it.
Anyway, it was at least 75 degrees at that early hour and for as much as they were forecasting thunderstorms, there was nary a cloud in the sky. I did not want it to rain, but I knew that trying to run in this heat and humidity in full on sun was going to be a challenge.
They started the race in waves so that everyone wasn't bunched up together. I was in wave M. I crossed the start line at around 7:40. By then the temps were easily close to 80. I felt pretty good til around mile 4 where we were running along the lake and the sun was just unbearable. I started walking at this point. My pace went from 10:30 starting out to easily 13 mins. But I honestly didn't care. My heart rate was close to 150 and I could feel the heat exhaustion. They flagged the race as a red when I got around mile marker 6 but everybody kept going. At mm 7 they gave out ice cold towels (size of a wash cloth) which was awesome. I put it on the back of my neck and it helped a lot.
I kept jogging and walking from mm 7 to 8 and as I approached 8 the flag was black which means the race has been called off due to extreme heat. The race info they gave before the race said that shuttle buses would be dispatched along the course to pick you up and take you back but I never saw any stopped buses. So technically you would have to stop running immediately but because the course is along the lakefront and is a public path, you could keep running. The timers were shut off so you wouldn't get a final time. So I tried jogging every now and then just to get done.
Since I was going to pass the parking garage on my way back to the finish line, I was just gonna stop there and leave. But at this point I had paid over $100 for this race and figured I got this far, I am going to finish!
And I did finish strong. I jogged the last mile and crossed the finish line at 2:49 according to my Garmin. They actually gave out the finisher medals which I was very happy about because technically they didn't have to. I wasn't really tired from running (since I walked a lot) but I was extremely sore and soaked with sweat and exhausted from the beating sun. I immediately walked back to where the shuttle buses were (bypassing my free slice of Malnati's Pizza) and got back to the parking garage within 15 mins of finishing the race.
I saw the cars lined up to exit the garage and prepared myself for a long wait. But I did pick a good spot because I got in line and out the garage in less than 5 mins!! I was so happy. And by the grace of God did I find my way back to the expressway going the Stoney Island route. The area around the museum is absolutely gorgeous with all the trees and parks but the streets intertwine and crisscross in every direction that it's easy to get side tracked. My GPS couldn't find signal so I literally just found the right way by luck (and God).
I was actually feeling a little sick on my ride home. The temp gauge in my car said 93 degrees and it was only 10:45am. I drank two bottles of water and took 2 Alleve but I think my problem was lack of food. I drank 6 oz of my protein shake and a handful of crackers with peanut butter close to 2 hrs before the race. I had a banana and granola bar after the race. Yeah, I needed food but I needed a shower more. Man did I stink! I couldn't stand myself. I had the air on at first but was getting chilled since I was soaked but when I opened the windows it was too hot.
I came home, jumped in the shower and really just wanted to sleep but knew I had to eat. I got less than 6 hrs of sleep the night before because I was anxious about making sure I wake up early enough to get to the parking garage and that I didn't get lost enroute.
We were suppose to go to the Q101 jamboree that afternoon but I was just wiped out. We had lunch and ended up coming back home. I slept on and off from 3:30 until 7:30pm. And I could have slept more but was hungry again :)
I was checking facebook when I woke up and discovered that a 22 year old guy died from heat exhaustion from running the race! I wasn't too shocked because as I was coming up to mile marker 4, I saw what I call the ultra marathoners coming past me to their mm 9. That means they were running at about a 7 or 8 min mile pace which is just ridiculous for the weather conditions. I wonder if one of the guys I saw was the one who passed away. It was obvious by looking at them that they were under heat stress. This is why I don't take these races all that seriously. I just do them for fun. I'm not trying to set records. I don't need to be the first across the finish line. I didn't want to slow down and end up walking but I knew I was being an idiot if I didn't. I accepted that I wasn't going to be able to continue running. My fear is dying like that poor kid (yes at age 22 you are still a kid). I pray for him and his family. It's hard to imagine someone that young and obviously that physically fit to die but your body can only take so much, no matter what your age.
I was not upset that they called off the race. They care about the welfare of the runners and that is admirable. Overall, this was an awesome race. They were super organized and kept great communication throughout. I would definitely do it again. The scenery along the race route was absolutely stunning! Especially on such a sunny day.
Now I get to look forward to the Rock n Roll Chicago Half in August. I'm hoping it's not as sweltering as this race but being in August, who knows.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Mid May Review
So I was suppose to do my first half marathon of the season on May 1 (Sunday). Due to the fact that I ran wayyyy to much the week of the race and I stayed out until almost midnight the night before the race, there was no way it was happening. I justified it to myself by saying that it was forecasted to be really windy that day and me and contacts do not do wind well. Even though I do not run these races with the intention on making a personal record, I was a little disappointed in myself for not going through with it.
So to redeem myself, the next day I signed up for the Chicago 13.1 scheduled for June 4th. I'm hoping that the weather is nice and warm (at least low 60's in the morning). And I've learned that I simply cannot be running 8-10 miles the week of the race. There is a reason why the training plans have you taper off the weeks leading up to a race.
May 6th was my 37th birthday. 37. Wow I honestly don't know where the time went. I do not feel like I'm 37 and I don't think that I look that old (not that 37 is old but come on, I'm closer to 40 than 30!) It is hard for me to digest that. I am in probably the best shape of my life (although I still could lose 20 lbs) but I never ran a half marathon until the age of 36.
The hardest part to accept is that I can see how my face has aged over the last 10 years. I compared a picture of me and my BF from when we met (8 years ago) to a recent one and you can see the lines at the sides of my eyes and my mouth. I do wish that I took better care of my skin when I was in my 20's and not abused the sun as much as I had. I pray that I don't pay for that later in the form of skin cancer.
In looking back over the last 20 years, here's what I wish I would have done differently:
1) Never gotten out of shape. I'm glad I don't have kids because I would obsess about their weight. Once you gain those fat cells they will NEVER go away and you will battle the bulge for the rest of your life.
2) Never abused the sun
3) Never got married at 26 or to the guy I ended up marrying (and thus divorcing after 3 years)
4) Lived downtown or out of state for a period of time just to see what that life would have been like. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it but at least I could have experienced it.
5) Dated more guys. I am a long termer. All my relationships lasted at min 3 years. First boyfriend/first love - 3 years starting at the tender age of 18. Next guy was my ex husband, total rebound which lasted 6 years. Then I had a whole 3 months out on my own where I probably had the wildest time of my life with a guy that was all wrong for me but who was super hot and occupied all my free time on a daily basis for the entire summer. Then I met my current boyfriend and have been with him ever since! He really is a keeper. Guys my age are either divorced with kids or if they've never been married, they are probably self absorbed (like me!) BF realizes he's super lucky to find a girl who is not worried about her biological clock and who is not the smothering type. Something must be working if we've made it this long.
Overall, I have no regrets over the last 37 years. I pray that I have at least 37 more if not more than that. I hope to live a long healthy life from here on out! I'm extremely blessed and I will never forget to thank God for that every day.
So to redeem myself, the next day I signed up for the Chicago 13.1 scheduled for June 4th. I'm hoping that the weather is nice and warm (at least low 60's in the morning). And I've learned that I simply cannot be running 8-10 miles the week of the race. There is a reason why the training plans have you taper off the weeks leading up to a race.
May 6th was my 37th birthday. 37. Wow I honestly don't know where the time went. I do not feel like I'm 37 and I don't think that I look that old (not that 37 is old but come on, I'm closer to 40 than 30!) It is hard for me to digest that. I am in probably the best shape of my life (although I still could lose 20 lbs) but I never ran a half marathon until the age of 36.
The hardest part to accept is that I can see how my face has aged over the last 10 years. I compared a picture of me and my BF from when we met (8 years ago) to a recent one and you can see the lines at the sides of my eyes and my mouth. I do wish that I took better care of my skin when I was in my 20's and not abused the sun as much as I had. I pray that I don't pay for that later in the form of skin cancer.
In looking back over the last 20 years, here's what I wish I would have done differently:
1) Never gotten out of shape. I'm glad I don't have kids because I would obsess about their weight. Once you gain those fat cells they will NEVER go away and you will battle the bulge for the rest of your life.
2) Never abused the sun
3) Never got married at 26 or to the guy I ended up marrying (and thus divorcing after 3 years)
4) Lived downtown or out of state for a period of time just to see what that life would have been like. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it but at least I could have experienced it.
5) Dated more guys. I am a long termer. All my relationships lasted at min 3 years. First boyfriend/first love - 3 years starting at the tender age of 18. Next guy was my ex husband, total rebound which lasted 6 years. Then I had a whole 3 months out on my own where I probably had the wildest time of my life with a guy that was all wrong for me but who was super hot and occupied all my free time on a daily basis for the entire summer. Then I met my current boyfriend and have been with him ever since! He really is a keeper. Guys my age are either divorced with kids or if they've never been married, they are probably self absorbed (like me!) BF realizes he's super lucky to find a girl who is not worried about her biological clock and who is not the smothering type. Something must be working if we've made it this long.
Overall, I have no regrets over the last 37 years. I pray that I have at least 37 more if not more than that. I hope to live a long healthy life from here on out! I'm extremely blessed and I will never forget to thank God for that every day.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
First "outside" run of the season - March 4th
Friday March 4 was 61 degrees when I left work. I have to thank my BF for calling me and letting me know this so I didn't miss out on taking full advantage of it.
I rushed home, ate a few peanut butter and crackers to fuel up and threw on some workout clothes and headed out. It was a little breezy but because the wind was coming from the south, it was what was giving us the warm weather so I could deal with it.
I started out on the same path I took all summer and it felt INCREDIBLE! There is such a huge difference between running a treadmill and running outside. I think the adrenaline is what kept me going for so long. I intended to run for about an hour but when I got back I found I actually ran for an hour and a half! That was about 8 miles!! Trust me, I felt every single one of them when I got done. I was totally losing steam on the last mile and knew I was going to pay for it the next day.
It's now Sunday and I'm still sore in places I haven't been sore in months. But it was so worth it.. Mother Nature is a huge tease because Saturday was about as cold and windy as ever. I did manage to run almost 5 miles on the treadmill on Saturday but it was at a leisurely pace.
I just can't wait for spring to officially get here. Everyday that passes is one day closer!
I rushed home, ate a few peanut butter and crackers to fuel up and threw on some workout clothes and headed out. It was a little breezy but because the wind was coming from the south, it was what was giving us the warm weather so I could deal with it.
I started out on the same path I took all summer and it felt INCREDIBLE! There is such a huge difference between running a treadmill and running outside. I think the adrenaline is what kept me going for so long. I intended to run for about an hour but when I got back I found I actually ran for an hour and a half! That was about 8 miles!! Trust me, I felt every single one of them when I got done. I was totally losing steam on the last mile and knew I was going to pay for it the next day.
It's now Sunday and I'm still sore in places I haven't been sore in months. But it was so worth it.. Mother Nature is a huge tease because Saturday was about as cold and windy as ever. I did manage to run almost 5 miles on the treadmill on Saturday but it was at a leisurely pace.
I just can't wait for spring to officially get here. Everyday that passes is one day closer!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
In the best shape so far!
I've been doing p90x for little over a month now and absolutely love it! I'm doing 2 dvds almost every day or doing 65 mins of running and 1 dvd. I know I know a little overkill but it's working.
I'm not losing weight but I feel stronger and leaner. My stomach is probably the flattest it's been in a long long time and I'm really digging it. I've actually done a few workouts in just my sports bra and workout pants. Don't get me wrong, I would never do that publicly, there are no 6 pack abs in sight but the rolls have diminished greatly.
The killer is that I'm working out around 2 hours a day just about everyday! I take off about 1 day a week because I do get tired and my workouts suffer and I know my body needs a break to recover. I'm watching my calories pretty closely but I still cheat...quite a bit actually. But I do make good decisions and I have to give myself credit for that. There are so many times where I'd love to order a pizza and just maw down but I'll go to subway instead and get a turkey sandwich. I still drink regular pop but I've found pepsi max!!! OMG I love it! It doesn't have that usual diet pop taste and it's now my new fave.
I've also been on a chili kick. I should clarify, it's a canned chili kick. This is what non cookers are relegated to. But you have to definitely read the labels. A lot of canned chili has about 600 calories per can along with a lot of fat grams. I found one from Hormel that is only 440 calories per can and very low fat grams. I eat it at least 3 times per week. It's just so quick and easy. Two mins in the microwave and I'm digging in. I'm so a woman of convenience. But I figure it could be so much worse. I could be eating mcdonalds or some other crap every night. The past 6 or 7 months my diet has been pretty much subway turkey sandwiches. I'm not kidding, I'm eating this at least once if not twice a day. But I've cut back in the last month. I realized I was becoming an addict :) I started bringing a can of soup for lunch and I found the absolute best one...chicken fajita soup. OMG I can't get enough of it. I've been eating it everyday for lunch for the past 2 weeks. It's only 260 calories and barely no fat or carbs.
I know I'm obsessing about this stuff. It's part of my DNA. I calculate that eating subway for lunch is about 600 calories (give or take since I get the meal) and by eating a can of soup I've slashed those calories in half! Grant it, I am very hungry by the time I get home and this has gotten me into some binging trouble but I try to keep healthy snacks around to curb that. My other favorite is the dark chocolate almond fiber bars. For 130 calories per bar you get over half your fiber requirements and they are soooo good.
I haven't weighed myself in over a week so we'll see how well this diet and exercise regimine is going. I'm really happy with how I look right now and it's been a LOT of work just maintaining it. Only because I do eat whatever I want mostly on the weekends so that's the price I'm willing to pay.
I am getting a little nervous about my first half marathon scheduled for this year. It's on May 1st and unless the weather really turns around by March, I'm not sure I'm going to be ready for 13.1 miles. I have a hard time going over 5 miles on the treadmill. I have been changing up my treadmill training to do more high intensity running. I've been getting a lot of good training ideas from the runners world magazine. I'm anxious to get back outside to run. It's funny because when it gets into the mid 30's (which has been very rare this winter) I think this is warm enough to run outside! Versus in October/November when it was dropping below 60 I thought that was too cold. It doesn't take long to get use to the cold around here.
I will continue to press on!! I think the p90x is giving me great strength training and 2011 is looking to be a good year.
I'm not losing weight but I feel stronger and leaner. My stomach is probably the flattest it's been in a long long time and I'm really digging it. I've actually done a few workouts in just my sports bra and workout pants. Don't get me wrong, I would never do that publicly, there are no 6 pack abs in sight but the rolls have diminished greatly.
The killer is that I'm working out around 2 hours a day just about everyday! I take off about 1 day a week because I do get tired and my workouts suffer and I know my body needs a break to recover. I'm watching my calories pretty closely but I still cheat...quite a bit actually. But I do make good decisions and I have to give myself credit for that. There are so many times where I'd love to order a pizza and just maw down but I'll go to subway instead and get a turkey sandwich. I still drink regular pop but I've found pepsi max!!! OMG I love it! It doesn't have that usual diet pop taste and it's now my new fave.
I've also been on a chili kick. I should clarify, it's a canned chili kick. This is what non cookers are relegated to. But you have to definitely read the labels. A lot of canned chili has about 600 calories per can along with a lot of fat grams. I found one from Hormel that is only 440 calories per can and very low fat grams. I eat it at least 3 times per week. It's just so quick and easy. Two mins in the microwave and I'm digging in. I'm so a woman of convenience. But I figure it could be so much worse. I could be eating mcdonalds or some other crap every night. The past 6 or 7 months my diet has been pretty much subway turkey sandwiches. I'm not kidding, I'm eating this at least once if not twice a day. But I've cut back in the last month. I realized I was becoming an addict :) I started bringing a can of soup for lunch and I found the absolute best one...chicken fajita soup. OMG I can't get enough of it. I've been eating it everyday for lunch for the past 2 weeks. It's only 260 calories and barely no fat or carbs.
I know I'm obsessing about this stuff. It's part of my DNA. I calculate that eating subway for lunch is about 600 calories (give or take since I get the meal) and by eating a can of soup I've slashed those calories in half! Grant it, I am very hungry by the time I get home and this has gotten me into some binging trouble but I try to keep healthy snacks around to curb that. My other favorite is the dark chocolate almond fiber bars. For 130 calories per bar you get over half your fiber requirements and they are soooo good.
I haven't weighed myself in over a week so we'll see how well this diet and exercise regimine is going. I'm really happy with how I look right now and it's been a LOT of work just maintaining it. Only because I do eat whatever I want mostly on the weekends so that's the price I'm willing to pay.
I am getting a little nervous about my first half marathon scheduled for this year. It's on May 1st and unless the weather really turns around by March, I'm not sure I'm going to be ready for 13.1 miles. I have a hard time going over 5 miles on the treadmill. I have been changing up my treadmill training to do more high intensity running. I've been getting a lot of good training ideas from the runners world magazine. I'm anxious to get back outside to run. It's funny because when it gets into the mid 30's (which has been very rare this winter) I think this is warm enough to run outside! Versus in October/November when it was dropping below 60 I thought that was too cold. It doesn't take long to get use to the cold around here.
I will continue to press on!! I think the p90x is giving me great strength training and 2011 is looking to be a good year.
I survived THE BLIZZARD OF 2011
The blizzard of 2011 occurred on Feb 2. Actually it really started the afternoon of Feb 1 which was a Tuesday. By the time I left work around 2:30 the snow was starting to come down and the streets were getting messy. The weather forecasters were all about hyping this thing up to be huge so I had no plans of trying to come into work on Wed if it was as bad as they were predicting.
Before I went to bed on Tuesday night I made the decision that I was not coming into work early like I usually do so I didn't set my alarm. I figured I'll go in late or worse case I'll work from home. I woke up around 5:30 Wed morning, looked out the front window and had to give the forecasters credit, it was turning into a mother of a storm. The winds were gusting around 50 miles per hour and the snow was coming down around 2" per hour. Around 10am the snow really started coming down and it was a pure whiteout outside. Yep, definitely not going into work. The state issued an emergency so nobody was to be driving unless you were police or emergency crews.
So I jumped online to work from home. And so did just about EVERYBODY in the company because the network was painfully slow. I got as much as I could done and cuddled up on the couch to watch some of my dvr shows.
By 2:30 the snow and wind had stopped and the sun was actually coming out! I opened my front door and there was like 4 feet of snow against my door and garage door. I figured I'd better start digging my way out. The forecast was for the temps to drop to below zero that night into the next day and who knew when the HOA would have our driveways plowed. I took the shovel and started digging. The snow was light and fluffy on top but very dense and heavy as I dug deeper. Luckily my wonderful neighbors saw me and came over to help. The husband had a snow blower and managed to get the front of my garage door cleared out. I was soooo grateful. I didn't expect him to do the whole driveway so I started the long process of shoveling the rest myself.
Now my driveway is probably 4 times the length of an average driveway. It's nice to be further back from the street but it's absolutely hell when having to shovel 3 feet of snow by yourself. I managed to get about a few feet from the end of the street when I completely lost energy. The town plows pushed everything from the street to the end of my driveway so on top of the normal 2 feet of snow there was about 2 more feet of street snow. I couldn't do anymore. My arms and back were so sore at this point so I left it, hoping the HOA would get me plowed out before the next day...and they did.
So I survived! It was an awesome sight to see from the comfort of my 72 degree house snuggled on the couch looking out of my sliding glass doors. I couldn't image being stuck in it. I watched hours of news footage on Wed morning and the sights on Lake Shore Drive were astonishing. Hundreds of cars just abandoned buried in 20" of snow was like witnessing armageddon.
What I found more amazing was that by Thursday it was business as usual. Grant it the streets were still snow covered but definitely clear enough for traffic to get by. I give the state some credit. They did not waste any time trying to keep this disaster under control. Although I'd hate to know how much it cost!
Before I went to bed on Tuesday night I made the decision that I was not coming into work early like I usually do so I didn't set my alarm. I figured I'll go in late or worse case I'll work from home. I woke up around 5:30 Wed morning, looked out the front window and had to give the forecasters credit, it was turning into a mother of a storm. The winds were gusting around 50 miles per hour and the snow was coming down around 2" per hour. Around 10am the snow really started coming down and it was a pure whiteout outside. Yep, definitely not going into work. The state issued an emergency so nobody was to be driving unless you were police or emergency crews.
So I jumped online to work from home. And so did just about EVERYBODY in the company because the network was painfully slow. I got as much as I could done and cuddled up on the couch to watch some of my dvr shows.
By 2:30 the snow and wind had stopped and the sun was actually coming out! I opened my front door and there was like 4 feet of snow against my door and garage door. I figured I'd better start digging my way out. The forecast was for the temps to drop to below zero that night into the next day and who knew when the HOA would have our driveways plowed. I took the shovel and started digging. The snow was light and fluffy on top but very dense and heavy as I dug deeper. Luckily my wonderful neighbors saw me and came over to help. The husband had a snow blower and managed to get the front of my garage door cleared out. I was soooo grateful. I didn't expect him to do the whole driveway so I started the long process of shoveling the rest myself.
Now my driveway is probably 4 times the length of an average driveway. It's nice to be further back from the street but it's absolutely hell when having to shovel 3 feet of snow by yourself. I managed to get about a few feet from the end of the street when I completely lost energy. The town plows pushed everything from the street to the end of my driveway so on top of the normal 2 feet of snow there was about 2 more feet of street snow. I couldn't do anymore. My arms and back were so sore at this point so I left it, hoping the HOA would get me plowed out before the next day...and they did.
So I survived! It was an awesome sight to see from the comfort of my 72 degree house snuggled on the couch looking out of my sliding glass doors. I couldn't image being stuck in it. I watched hours of news footage on Wed morning and the sights on Lake Shore Drive were astonishing. Hundreds of cars just abandoned buried in 20" of snow was like witnessing armageddon.
What I found more amazing was that by Thursday it was business as usual. Grant it the streets were still snow covered but definitely clear enough for traffic to get by. I give the state some credit. They did not waste any time trying to keep this disaster under control. Although I'd hate to know how much it cost!
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