Forecast: 75 and Sunny

75 and Sunny... that was the forecast this past weekend in Minneapolis. Too bad I was in cold, rainy Los Angeles! Yes, it's true. LA's weather on Saturday was rainy, with temps in the low 50s. But, despite the pouring rain, I ran the LA Big 5K with my friend Laird.

This is a pretty accurate description of the run: A light, misty drizzle turns to pouring rain as the announcer says "on your marks, set, go!" Laird says, "there's just one big hill in mile 1 and then it's all downhill from there." That "hill" was like running up Lombard Street in San Francisco.... Of course, with each next hill we hit, Laird would say, "Forgot about this one. This one is the last... OK, maybe there are a few more." Ah well. Did I ever mention I'm an excellent hill runner???


Laird and I are still smiling after the rainy, cold, hilly 5K - we must be dedicated charity runners!

But at least I knew that the run was supporting a good cause. Laird is the co-chair of the charity running team supporting the Alliance for Children's Rights. I got to meet a lot of the Alliance runners and supporters - what a great group! Alliance is an LA-based organization helping the kids who have no representation in the court system with free legal services. We're all lawyers on the RUS team, so we understand how important it is for people in need to have access to free legal services. If you'd like to support Alliance, you can do so here.

And of course, I'm always running to support Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run Twin Cities's inaugural season is underway. We are so thankful for all the support we've already received from our friends, neighbors and local communities. We'll need continuing support in order to grow the program and ensure its success in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but we're off to a good start! If you would like to support our work or read more information about the program, you can do so using this link.

Oh, and if you get our RUS blog updates by email, we encourage you to forward the posts to your friends. We love new readers! To get posts by email, just enter your email address into the "Receive Posts by Email!" box and click "Subscribe". It's that easy! :)

When running becomes your mode of transportation

So I needed to log 18 miles this weekend as part of my training.   But my roommate also had a swim meet in Oak Park (a nearby suburb for you non-Chicagoans) and I had yet to make it to one of her meets.   How could I squeeze both in on a Sunday afternoon?   Then my boyfriend suggests, why don't you just run there? Hmm... an interesting idea.

Pinatas for Everyone!

I mapped it out and it was about 7 miles from my place to the meet, so about 14 miles roundtrip.   But men can be so protective sometimes.   The boyfriend and his friend thought that the route I was going to take was not necessarily safe.   So they convinced me to go a mile north to a safer street, which would actually be a little better since it would add some extra miles.   Plus, I got to run by this cool shop that sold only pinatas.   All kinds of pinatas.   The traditional ones, Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer.  Name a pinata you want, I bet they have it.

By time I reached the high school where the swim meet was, I had apparently gone 9.6 miles.  I'm no math whiz, but I think that adds up to more than 18 miles round trip.   Hmm.. now what?   I decided to go watch the meet and worry about that detail later.   I've never been to a swim meet before, and it was actually pretty interesting to watch; people of all ages, shapes and sizes out there swimming away.   Plus, it was fun to see the roomie in action doing her thing.   I stayed for around an hour to watch a couple of her events, one of in which she beat a girl in a Wonder Woman swimsuit.   I think it's pretty brave to wear a Wonder Woman swimsuit since people might expect you to swim at Wonder Woman speeds.   After that, I had to leave before I was too tempted to just catch a ride home with her.   


Ernie's Birthplace Home

Now I'm back to my dilemma of this pesky extra mile.   I decide I'll just go the same route, and walk that last mile as a cool down.   So I took off running back the way I came.   And lo and behold, I was running past the birthplace home of Ernest Hemingway (which as usual I missed while running that way ealier).   For those of you who are unaware, Ernie grew up in Oak Park and the city continues to pay homage to one of their most famous residents with a Hemingway Museum, and a hotel featuring the Hemingway Bistro.


The Write Inn.... get it?

Again, as usual, like a total space cadet, I was lost in my thoughts and missed my turn on the run home.   So now I'm half a mile north of where I need to be, which means another half mile back south and this 18 mile run has now become a 20 mile run.   Well, I have no choice but to keep running.   I'm trying to do the math of these extra miles in my head to figure out where I'll be when I hit 18 so I can then have my boyfriend come rescue me and drive me those last 2 miles home.   I think it will get me pretty close to the park in the center of Logan Square.   So I call him to come fetch me. Coincidentally, this is the same place we took some photos during the Fitness magazine photo shoot when we first met.   We did some embarrassing running shots there, ones of him shooting us from behind while we looked back over our shoulders.   Total ass shot.   Maybe that's what piqued his interest?  Either way, I'm glad those shots did not make it into the magazine.

While I was waiting for my rescue, a funny exchange occurs between me and some kid.   He comes over to me while I'm stretching and says, "that kid over there in the camoflauge pants wants to know if he can have your number."   I look over at the "kid," turn back to his friend and say to him, "I'm pretty sure I'm too old for your friend."   He then says, "but he's 23."   I respond, "Well, I'm 34."   A brief silence, then he says "Oh" and runs away.   I guess when I was 23, I thought 34 was old too.   But thanks for the ego boost kid!

Harley Helping Hands

Lately my blogs have focused on my training runs.  But I just want to remind everyone (and myself) that we  started the Race Within US for a reason... more than just to travel.  We wanted to help raise money and awareness for some great causes that are near and dear to us.  So I'd like to tell you all about a really amazing charity that was created in honor of my college friend's husband, Kit Harley, who bravely battled brain cancer with his amazing, courageous wife and family at his side. 

Harley Helping Hands' mission is to provide financial assistance and positively impact the lives of those battling brain cancer.   Every year they have a really great fundraiser in the spring.  There is always great food, live music and dancing.  This year I will unfortunately not be able to make it because I'll be running the Country Music Marathon in Nashville the very next morning.  I'm pretty bummed because the venue looks fabulous.  So I'm asking for your support and hoping all of you will all make an effort to attend this really fun event on April 27th, while I'm gearing up to tackle my 11th full marathon.  You can find out more information about Harley Helping Hands and the event by visiting their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/messages/?action=read&tid=id.326771064034522#!/harleyhelpinghands.  Don't forget to click "Like!"

Thanks everyone for your support of this amazing charity and my tired legs! 

This Post is Way Overdue!

Gosh, it has been a long time since my last post. I took a two month break from running to "reset" and, along with that, ended up breaking from blogging. But I have a lot of great things on the horizon that I want to share with you....

I have a few races on the calendar this Spring. First up, as I'm getting back into the higher mileage races, I'm starting by running the LA Big 5K with my friend Laird, in Los Angeles, California. After that, I'll be training for the Fargo Half Marathon, in Fargo, North Dakota, where I'll be (sort of) running alongside fellow RUSer Kristine. I say "sort of" because Kristine will be running the full marathon - go Kristine! Laird and my friend Heather will be running in Fargo, too, so it will be a fun "Race-cation" with a great group of friends. I can't wait!

On another note, I'm so excited to announce that the first season of Girls on the Run Twin Cities is this Spring. The season starts mid-March and culminates on May 19 with the GOTR girls running their first 5K during the Be the One Run at Lake Harriet. Unfortunately, it's the same day as the Fargo Marathon and Half Marathon, so I'll miss out on the GOTR season ending fun. But, if you are interested in volunteering with GOTR, we will need Run Buddies to accompany the girls on their 5K adventure. I was a Run Buddy (and a Coach) in NY, and it's an incredibly memorable way to volunteer your time. Plus, it is a good workout!

As some of you know, I've been involved in Girls on the Run since volunteering as a Coach with the Girls on the Run Manhattan chapter. I was bummed when I moved to Minneapolis and discovered there was no local chapter to volunteer for... and then thrilled when I heard that a group of amazing, dedicated women were working to start up a Twin Cities chapter. I signed up for the Fundraising Committee immediately and have been pitching in as much as possible to make sure that GOTR Twin Cities has a successful lauch to carry it into future seasons. If you would like to make a donation to our local chapter, your donation - in any amount - will be so appreciated, and will go a long way to making sure that GOTR Twin Cities grows and thrives here. Donations can be made here by clicking on the "Donate" button.

I'll share a fun, little anecdote about how amazing this program really is in the way it encourages young girls to believe in themselves as they strive to reach their goals. In November, my friend Bethany and I signed up for the Rails to Trails Half Marathon in Norwalk, Wisconsin. But, having made the trip to Norwalk with Bethany's 11 year old daughter, Gillian, we decided to run the 5K instead - so that we could run with Gillian in her very first 5K. As we were running, Gillian admitted feeling tired and unsure that she could finish without walking most of the way. The GOTR Coach in me kicked in, and I repeated to her the best of the curriculum that we teach during the 12-week season. Mainly, Bethany and I assured her that she could do it, with short walk breaks during the distance "between this tree and that one there." At some point, I said, "Hey, I'll bet you get a medal at the Finish Line!" Whoo, did Gillian take off! Bethany and I couldn't keep up on the last stretch of the course! And guess what, she did get a medal - 2nd Place in her age group! What an amazing experience!

Loving the Loop

Remember this from Ferris Bueller's parade scene?

Glimpse of the Gargyoles

The jail everyone "thinks" I work in

The Thompson Center

The Burnham Center

Every time I'm in the Loop, I think of how I miss working there.  Of course, working at 26th and California has it's perks (although I'm still trying to figure them out), but it just doesn't have the same energy as the Chicago Loop.  Although the weekend vibe is much different (and more tourist-y) than it is during the week, I still enjoyed my run down there this weekend. 

I was tempted to stop at the Bergoff for a beer... but I forgot to bring cash and they weren't accepting GU gels as payment.

Here are some pics I took along the way.  As always, the Loop did not disappoint....the wind still blows from every direction. 

No Running in the House!

Field House

Art House

But sometimes it's allowed.... At least running by the house, or several "houses" like I did Saturday morning during a  run though Chicago's historic Humboldt Park.

Past the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance..... Past the Field House that becomes a beach house in the summer....

Boat House

Past the Boat House. Strangely an absence of boats....

To the finish line!

Todd's house

Dog House

Speaking of houses....Don't Bully My Breed has lots of rescued dogs that would love to go from the dog house to your house.  Check out their latest cuties up for adoption on their facebook wall at http://www.facebook.com/dontbullymybreed.  If you can't help out by adopting one of these four-legged friends, then please consider helping offset the cost of caring for them by making a donation. You can do this by visiting www.dontbullymybreed.org.   Any amount large or small is appreciated! 

New discoveries along old routes



I'm so reflective!
Don't laugh....Safety first!



I'm in the middle of training for my next marathon, the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee.  So far, it's been just another winter of splitting my runs between the treadmill (welcome to Snoozeville) and bundling up to brave the cold, despite the mild winter we've had here in Chicago.  Yesterday, I slowly geared up for a 14 mile run outside.  It had snowed a couple of days before and it was a chilly 31 degrees when I started.  Fortunately, the wind was mild.  Well, mild for Chicago.  If you've read any of my prior posts, then you know how I despise the wind. 

Getting ready for a winter run is no simple task.  First, you have to squeeeeze into those running tights.  Then you have to get into that moisture-wicking long sleeve shirt, and make sure it's all tucked into those tighty tights so it doesn't ride up and expose any teeny tiny bit of skin to the elements.  I laced up my Gortex-lined running shoes (which are awesome for slopping through the slushy snow) and filled up my water bottles for my (nerd alert) hydration belt.  I hate wearing those things; they're so uncomfortable.  I put on my warmest running jacket and made sure I had my hand warmers in my pockets in case the gloves weren't enough.  I slid some lip balm over my lips; set my iPod to a good starting tune; pulled on my hat and gloves; put on my sunglasses to keep the wind out of my eyes, and finally set out for a slow run. 



Temple in Chicago;
no incense haze

Temple in Vietnam:
 incense haze

I took a usual route I run during my race training.  As I was running, I was thinking about how, a couple of weeks ago, I had been running on the same street and had for the first time noticed a Buddhist temple I had never noticed before, even though I had run by it dozens of times before.  How had I not seen this, as it's so out of place next to everything else around it??  Of course, by the time I approached it, my mind had wandered somewhere else.  A bit later, I came back to Earth, and thought, "Wait, did I pass that already?"  Indeed I had.  This might explain how I've run by it several times over the past two years and never noticed it.  Yep, I'm a perceptive one.  Of course, if it were more similar to those temples I visited in Vietnam, I would have smelled the incense a mile away and would have noticed a certain fog in the air. 

One of the challenging parts about running in the winter, is running on snow and ice.  It does make for some difficult running since it rarely creates an even surface.  So I've developed blisters in lots of new places as a result of my foot turning and twisting in new fun ways.  Of course, there are fun parts of running in the winter, one of which is coming up behind other people out walking with their hoods up.  Ah....the acoustics of the hood.  It makes it impossible to hear any sounds coming from behind you.  I felt a little bad as I came up to this woman walking her dogs when I completely startled her as I yelled out "on your left" to let her know I was passing.  Of course, the expression on her face was priceless, but I think I might have almost given her heart attack. 

My turn around point was one of the largest cemeteries in the city, Rosehill Cemetery.  I've run that far north only once before, during the summertime, where I stopped to walk the paths while taking a breather.  (Apparently running in the cemetery is frowned upon.)  Maybe it's weird, but I love walking through cemeteries.  They are always quiet and peaceful and I find many of the elaborate gravestones to be incredibly majestic and beautiful.  This time, however, I did not stop to venture inside as it was too cold out, but I did take a minute to snap this shot over the perimeter wall.  Hopefully it captures the peaceful silence that was present, and is rare to find in the city.   

It's hard to find something new and exciting when you run so frequently in the same places.  But every now and then, you open your eyes and notice something you've never seen before.  Or you run a little bit farther than last time, and maybe it's something you've already seen, but now it's winter and you see it in a whole different light. 

Running backwards....remembering 2011.

 If you've been following the blog, then you already know the year 2011 was a busy one for me with 6 races and an amazing trip to Vietnam. 

Camelback Mountain

Jen & Me, matchy matchy,at the finish
line at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium

The year started off with a bang in January with my best marathon time yet in Arizona. Sub 4 hours!  Plus, my good friend Jen was running the half so we got to spend the weekend hanging out and catching up.    



 Only a few weeks after my personal best, I ran again in New Orleans. The Big Easy was not exactly easy, but I still finished with a pretty darn good time and had the chance to enjoy some amazing Lousiana cuisine. (One of my favorite parts about running a marathon is that I don't feel bad about eating whatever I want afterwards).



NOLA Garden District

Pig butt

No rest for the weary... in May I ran another marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I wish I was as winged as all the pigs in the Flying Pig marathon.  It was probably the most painful race for me to date with the rolling hills of Ohio torturing me, but it by far had the best medal.  I mean, it has a pig's butt on the backside! Hard to top that. 

 

After Cincy, I decided it was a great idea to take up tennis.   FYI, this is not a great idea, runners.  I think that it was the cause for some severe knee pain which necessitated a few months of physical therapy. But now I'm as good as new....assuming of course, I keep on doing the PT exercises. Which, of course I haven't since I was cleared by my doc in November.  (shhh...don't tell him!)  Fortunately, I've only a run a few times since November.  Not that I'm proud to admit this, but in my defense I did run 5 marathons and participated in a 200-mile relay all between January and November...so don't judge me.  Seriously, I must have been nuts to do all that in a year.  2012 resolution...be less nuts. 

  

My new Honey Badger friends. Some tried
to make their own pancakes for breakfast. Don't worry, we're still friends.

So after a tennis-filled summer, which I am entirely horrible at, I was onto that 200 mile-relay I just mentioned in Portland, Oregon.  In hindsight, it was a great experience and I now have a few new friends because of it.  During the race though...I wasn't convinced I would ever want to do that again.  It was running up and down all kinds of hills, in the wee hours of the morning, with virtually zero sleep except a few winks here and there in a crowded hotel or van.  Oh, and did I mention that you don't really get to shower either?  I mean, does that sound like fun to any of you?  Didn't think so.  But a few months removed from the fatigue and my own stench, I see that it was an awesome experience that I'm glad I had.  My new friends made it more than worth it!  Can't wait for another race-cation in 2012!  Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be less nuts...        



My sis and niece
cheering me on in Chicago



Then it was the fall... with a marathon on my very own windy city, Chi-Town.  This was the most fun I've had running a marathon so far.  It was nearly my slowest race ever, but I totally didn't care.  The crowd support and that specifically of my friends and family made it the most amazing marathon I've done to date.  I loved, loved, loved it, is all I can say.   



A few weeks after Chicago, I headed south to Savannah, again with my running mate Jen.  Some of you may remember that Jen and I like to match when we run our races. We had matching shirts and headbands in AZ (see above), and once again, had sparkly matching headbands and inadvertently had matching shirts and jackets!  Also along for the trip was my boyfriend Todd, and his friend John, who are both photographers and took some pretty cool shots of race day and our explorations around Savannah. (see my last blog post) : )   Who can complain about some pretty nice weather, great southern food (again my favorite part), and great friends?  Plus this was the third Rock-n-Roll series event for Jen and me, so the awesome Triple Crown "Heavy Medal" from the Rock-n-Roll race series was headed our way.   



Savannah was my last race for 2011.  Shortly after that I split the U.S. for Vietnam with my roommate for some well-deserved time off from exercise for both of us... (she is a uber-dedicated swimmer, does it waaaay more than I run, and is awesome at it!!)  We did take some time one morning during our trip for some exercise. She went for a workout in the ocean while I went for a jog on this amazing beach in Nha Trang.  The whole time, I kept asking myself...am I really running on this amazing beach in Vietnam??  And yep, I actually was.   







Nha Trang beach = amazing.
Somewhere in that water are Genevieve's swim goggles.



Running took me a lot of places last year, literally and figuratively.  Running lead me to new places I've never been before, like the Oregon west coast and the sweet Savannah south.  But it also led me to meet new and incredible people.  It was running with fellow RUS runner, Miri, that got us a blurb in Fitness magazine , which is how I met our amazing photographer who has since become someone very special in my life.  I met all the hysterically fun Honey Badgers on the Hood to Coast adventure.   While I don't plan on running as many races in 2012, I am excited to see where life and that "race within me" will take me this new year.  Where will your inner race lead you this new year?



Midnight Train (plus a Bus, Plane, Ferry, & Trolley) to Georgia

Last weekend I completed the Inaugural Rock-n-Roll Savannah Marathon. Jen and I were together again since our last race together in Arizona in January. This race secured us the Triple Crown Heavy Medal for doing 3 Rock-n-Roll events in one calendar year. To commemorate the event, we came equipped with our very own entourage of professional photographers, Todd and John. Somehow, we got access to the VIP tent as well. We need to travel with these guys more often.

My roommate warned me about inaugural races and I quickly realized why. Getting to the Expo on Friday night was quite the ordeal. The race was Saturday so we arrived Friday. The race organizers decided it was a grand idea to put the expo in Savannah's new civic center on Hutchinson Island...which had only one road in and one road out. After sitting in non-moving traffic for a bit, we ditched the idea of driving and decided to take the ferry across, which was a brilliant idea in hindsight. So, after taking a nearly every mode of transportation available to someone in one day (a bus, a train, a plane, a car, a ferry and a trolley), I finally made it from Chicago to the hotel with my race packet in hand, ready to go directly to bed and get up 6 hours later to run 26.2 miles.

First, I'll comment on the race course before getting to the fun travel stuff. Excluding the expo, the race itself was well organized with plenty of aid stations. There were lots of folks out in the wee hours of the chilly morning wishing the runners a friendly Southern "Good morning." My favorite part of the course was running in the historic district of Savannah, where at times, the trees were like canopies over the street, with Spanish moss hanging down, the sun glinting through the moss. It was really beautiful. Despite that, I was still envious of the people I saw with mimosas out there cheering us on, because a mimosa would have been pretty darn nice right about then. It was also pretty awesome running out by Savannah State University. The marching band was out there loudly cheering the runners on, creating a great "rock star" moment.

My least favorite part.... miles 21-24 which took place on Truman Parkway. Nothing like ending your last few miles on a desolate stretch of highway running directly into a strong, blustering wind. As often happens when I encounter strong winds, I was cursing under my breath. I had also come to the conclusion that Truman Parkway was the devil. All I wanted in the world was to get off that stupid highway. So even though I was exhausted and being propelled back by the wind, I pushed forward mumbling profanities to myself like a crazy person.

Then finally....the homestretch was in front of me. And suddenly also Todd and John who materialized out of nowhere. (eh hem...where were you guys earlier???) Todd ran alongside me down the finish line corral. I, of course, totally didn't notice he was there because I had tunnel vision and just wanted to get past the finish line so I could stop running. I think worth noting is that he was pretty winded after running a block or so with me. ; ) Once I stopped, a bee line it was to the VIP tent where Jen was waiting for me. She was relaxing after finishing her half-marathon with a pretty good time. We're both sure that after getting VIP treatment, we can't go back to just being "regular" runners. The question is how can we keep getting this VIP access? Let me know if you have any tips on this.

Ok, enough about the race. Here's all about our trip to Savannah. We weren't able to get a hotel in downtown Savannah, so we decided to stay at the beach on Tybee Island instead. We found a quaint place called the Georgianne Inn pretty much right on the beach. The owner, Nick, was more than accommodating, staying up late waiting for us to arrive after the whole expo debacle. We got the best of both worlds, experiencing the beach life and still being able to enjoy the historic downtown. Seriously stay there if you're ever in the Savannah area. It's a quick 25 minute drive to downtown. And the beach has a great sunset.

So onto my favorite part.... the food. Every place we had dinner ended up being pretty fabulous. Friday night, we hit a french place called Circa 1879. Great steak tartare and we had an awesome cassoulet. Post-race on Saturday, we had an amazing dinner at 700 Drayton. The decor was beautiful and modern, while still giving you the feel of an old mansion. It was probably the best crab bisque and crab cakes I've ever had. Jen and I also shared a pork tenderloin special that was amazing and Todd was pretty excited about the pan seared sea bass.

After dinner we took the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour. Some parts a bit cheesy, but a great way to see some of the historic sites of Savannah, while not having to walk it (important after running a marathon). You also get hear some interesting ghost stories while you do it. Looking for more ghosts, we headed to the Bonaventure Cemetery Sunday morning. We had hoped to see the famous Bird Girl statue from the cover of the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but it had been moved to a downtown museum. Bummer. We still enjoyed our visit as evidenced by our photos. I think we got some pretty good shots for our album cover when we decide to form a band.

After the cemetery, we sadly had to drop Jen at the airport so she could return home to L.A. So me and the boys continued our sightseeing at Fort Pulaski. John, who is Polish, informed us that Casmir Pulaski had fought at the fort during the Revolutionary War, or something along those lines. Fortunately, we met Jason. He was a civil war buff from Florida, who set us straight, informing us that the fort was actually used in the Civil War, so Mr. Pulaski likely didn't fight there. (We love you for trying John!) Just to confirm (because who the hell are we to trust Jason??) we did some Goggling and discovered that Pulaski died during the Revolutionary War after being wounded in the battle of Savannah. So I guess those Confederates thought he was a pretty cool guy and decided to name their fort after him.

Sunday night we had dinner at the Olde Pink House. The place was listed as one of the top places to visit in Savannah and was rumored to be haunted. I was a little concerned that it would be total tourist trap with just so-so food and was happily proven wrong. While the menu was clearly southern, (I mean come on, we started with fried jalapeno mac-n-cheese), it was delicious. The jumbo sea scallops melted in your mouth, the filet mignon was cooked to pink perfection, and even the fried lobster tails disappeared somehow from John's plate. Our server was great and took us on a tour of the olde house. Sadly, no ghost encounters for us, but hearing some of the stories from staff members, we were definitely feeling the heebie jeebies!

Monday, we said goodbye to Savannah, and were on our way back to Charleston. (A more reasonable air fare and only a 2 hour drive). We had just enough time for lunch in Downtown Charleston before having to head to the airport for our flight. We lunched on the back patio at the Blind Tiger Pub, which catered to those looking for all types of ethnic fare. The starter menu had edamame, hummus with tzatziki, AND perogies. The crab cake sliders were not too shabby and the reuben was pretty darn good too. And $2.50 bottles of Newcastle beer? I mean, that's just stupid to say no to that. It's like we were saving money!

So 11 states down, 39 to go. I think after a busy 2011, I will take it easy until my next registered race in April 2012; the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee! Grand Ole Opry, here I come! To see the states I've finished, here's a map of them. Green means done, yellow means coming up, and blue means still working on it. https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1irnZ9cx5uCFnjLBc4a0z1ZRdzenUo2cUVqxDRJ_lf-c/edit.
Stay tuned for some grumbling winter running blogging. : ) Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!

Midwestern Pride

I've now been a midwesterner for 9 months! I'm having so much fun exploring the new scenery around me.

On Sunday, I joined Kristine and Mark in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon. Unlike Kristine and Mark, though, I turned the Chicago Marathon into a Chicago (Half) Marathon. A half marathon was more in line with my training level at this time. I decided to run the first half of the course because my Chicago-based friends told me it was the more scenic half. And boy was it! The crowds were so enthusiastic and there were a lot of interesting performers along the course keeping us runners entertained.

I ran my 13 miles with my friend Katie. Katie and I were co-coaches at Girls on the Run Manhattan. Like me, Katie moved across the country for a new job this year and also decided to turn the Marathon into a Half due to constraints on her training while starting a new job in a new city. But we're GOTR coaches at heart and wanted to exemplify the lessons we taught our girls - keep active and reach your goal as best you can. At the end of our run, we had gotten in a 13.1 mile workout and had a great time catching up on our lives (we hadn't seen each other in almost a year!) and taking in the scenes of downtown Chicago. We're each looking forward to our next fitness goal!

And speaking of GOTR, I've added a new link to the Charities section of this website. In addition to supporting GOTR through my SoleMates fundraising page, I've added a link to the GOTR Twin Cities general fundraising page. For two cities as cosmopolitan and fitness-friendly as Minneapolis and St. Paul, it's about time GOTR had a presence here! I've joined a committe to start up a chapter of GOTR that will serve girls in the Twin Cities. If you'd like to help with the start up effort, please consider making a donation to the start up funds or email gotrtwincities@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer to help out. I think we can make a big difference in the lives of many girls here in the Twin Cities and I'm excited to be a part of that effort!

Finally, I've temporarily removed the American Cancer Society funraising page link. When I have a new page link, I'll repost it. In the meantime, if you'd like to support ACS, leave a comment here and I'd be happy to connect you with some amazing people who are working hard to raise funds for this amazing organization. This month is Pink Month (National Cancer Awareness Month) so it's a great time to support organizations that fund resarch and patient support projects.

If you're in the Twin Cities at any time, join me for a run!

Bigger IS Better!

So I finally did Chicago's marathon after living here for 12 years. And I have to say that it was by far the most fun I've had running a marathon. It was also the largest marathon I've run with nearly 40,000 participants. I went into the race not having trained as well as I would have liked thanks to some knee issues (and maybe some laziness); plus I was also coming off of a week long cold, so I decided I would just run it easy and at a comfortable pace. And that's exactly what I did with my second slowest finishing time yet. But I totally don't care because I had a blast!

I did have the perk of starting in a seeded corral thanks to my time running in Arizona. However, the downfall of being in the last of the seeded corrals is that the front of the open corral with people running an 8 min mile is directly behind you. So out of the gate, I was getting passed quite a bit. But still, I was having fun!

The energy was apparent throughout the city. I've never done a race where there is so much spectator support along the entire course. People were cheering nearly the entire 26.2 miles. I always love reading the signs they have out there, they keep me entertained. Of course, I then can't remember what they said when I'm finished, but I know I laughed at many of them. "Worst Parade Ever" must have been one of my favorites since it is the only one I can remember right now. I also enjoyed the ones that just had a giant head of the person running on a stick, usually with a picture that they would probably untag themselves in on facebook.

But my favorite part I think was seeing so many of my friends and family along the course. My roommate saved the day by bringing me some energy gels (which I stupidly forgot) at mile 8. Thank you Genevieve! I also saw lots of Honey Badgers from the Hood to Coast relay along the course. And my adorable niece gave me a last little boost of motivation at mile 23 where my sisters, dad and grandma were also waiting. I don't think your family and friends truly understand how awesome it is to see them out there cheering you on unless they've done it before. And no matter how many marathons I do, it still helps me tremendously to know they're out there supporting me. Sadly, I missed my boyfriend on the course (he was there, but I didn't see him and he didn't see me) but he was waiting for me at the finish with his photographer press pass. A great perk of the job! I think you can tell which of the photos here he took.

All I can say about Chicago's marathon is.... it was awesome. And I can now check Illinois off my list. 10 down...40 to go.

Honey Badgers DO Give a Sh*t

So it's been nearly 2 weeks since the Crazy Nastyass Honey Badgers finished the Hood To Coast relay in Portland Oregon. Our team of 12 honey badgers ran 200 miles beginning on Mt. Hood just outside of Portland and ending on the beach in Seaside, Oregon. For 30 hours, we hardly slept, we hardly ate, and we ran a lot of miles just to have bragging rights that we finished what is called the "Mother of All Relays."


Now some of you may be familiar with the you tube video of the Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (narrated by Randall). If you're not, you should be because it's hilarious. This fearless animal was the inspiration for our team name plus many jokes and witty quips before, during and after the race. As observed by Randall, the Honey Badger just doesn't give a sh*t, a mentality we embraced in many aspects, since we certainly didn't give a sh*t that this race was 200 miles non-stop over 2 days, including dark, creepy nights, up and downhill. But as you know, those of us who are dedicated to the Race Within US, DO give a sh*t about some things, like raising money for our favorite charities. And one badger in particular, Miri Frankel, showed that she gave a sh*t about the American Cancer Society by raising over $2000 for them! Great job Miri! Your team is very proud of you!

It's impossible to write about all the badger moments, as there were too many. I have to admit it wasn't fun every single second. As team captain, I certainly had my moments where handling the logistics and questions became overwhelming. I would like to thank my teammates sincerely for all their help planning things and enduring with a joke and a smile the many moments I was a cranky badger. You are all fantastic, amazing people! But there were fantastic, indescribable moments.... Like the run I did during sunrise, down a gravel road lined with giant evergreens, where the morning mist was just coming up off the ground. It was awesome, even if I could hardly see with all the dust in my eyes from vans driving by to get to the next check point. My final run, which was the longest and hilliest of the runs I had to do, was so picturesque, I thought I had walked into a postcard. I know that my teammates all have their favorite moments as well, like running in the dead of night with only the eerie glow of their headlamp to light the way, or running top speed down Mt. Hood.

The best thing I can say about this race is that I made many new awesome friends. You definitely get to know each other well, maybe too well, when spending so much time together. And inevitably, as I often find happening when people become really comfortable together, the conversation turns to poo. One of my favorite quotes from the race...The Honey Bucket (coincidentally named port-o-potty) is the one place the honey badger does give a sh*t. I laughed my crazy nastyass off with all of the team in the time we spent together before, during and after the race. We saw Portland, ate tapas, drank wine, perfected our jazz hands, hiked to see waterfalls in inappropriate shoes (apparently flip flops or Chuck Taylors aren't good hiking shoes?), and made pancakes together...sort of. I use the word "made" loosely, Mark.

So thank you Amy, Betty, Robin, Jay, Darren, Bethany, Vera, Susan, Sangeeta, Mark and Miri for being a part of the team. And to the honey badgers we lost along the way, Cory and Heather, thank you for your help and support along the way and during the race. You were missed!

Up next for RUS members, Miri, Mark and myself, plus honey badger Jay..... the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. It seems it will also be a mini honey badger reunion as Vera, Susan and Bethany are joining Sangeeta in Chicago to cheer on the runners. I can't wait to see your nastyasses and hope that it is not a rare occasion in the coming future. Until then....
Hugs and kisses,
Captain Cranky Honey Badger (by the way, someone else is captain next time, I already call "not it!")

Thank you Catherine....

Blog followers, I am saddened to inform you that Don't Bully My Breed president and founder, Catherine Hedges passed away yesterday. As I mentioned in my last post, she had been fighting cancer for several years, and unfortunately her body could not continue the fight. She went peacefully with her boyfriend, Curt, by her side.

Curt and the DBMB volunteers are committed to continuing Catherine's work, taking in those animals that need help, fighting against breed-specific legislation and educating the public about Pit Bulls. Please help them continue on with her mission by making a donation in Catherine's memory to www.dontbullymybreed.org/donation. I never met Catherine personally, but shared many emails with her over the past year working together with her to join the efforts of The Race Within US with those of DBMB. I found her to be an inspiration and truly thank her for saving so many animals, including two of my favorites, Bruce and Lexus. Because of her kind heart and dedication, they are still around to become my adorable niece's protectors and best friends.

Thank you Catherine, you will be missed by so many.

Catherine, DBMB Founder needs your support

Hi blog followers,

I just received an email from Don't Bully My Breed that founder and president, Catherine, has taken a turn for the worse. Catherine has been battling cancer for some time now, and she has taken and sudden and unexpected decline. DBMB has asked that we all give Catherine some privacy at this time, but you can show your support by vising www.dontbullymybreed.org and making a donation to help her continue to take care of the animals she has shown such dedication too. She has dedicated so much of herself to the health and wellness of these animals when her own health was declining. Please donate whatever you can to help care for these animals while Catherine takes this time to fight and care for herself.

GOTR Twin Cities Kick Off!

You might recall my post from last month about the launch of GOTR in the Twin Cities.

I'm so excited that GOTR is launching a Twin Cities chapter starting with the upcoming fall season! Welcome to the Twin Cities, GOTR! I reported in July that the GOTR Twin Cities Kick-Off Event would be held at Summit Brewing Company. However, the location has had to be changed to O'Gara's Bar & Grill instead. Attendees are invited to mingle and share experiences, ask questions and get to know fellow GOTR supporters. I'll be there -- and if you're a TC reader who is interested in volunteering with GOTR, I hope you will join me tonight!

Here are the full details:
Thursday, August 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
O'Gara's Bar & Grill
164 Snelling Avenue North
St. Paul, MN 55104
http://www.ogaras.com/
Suggested donation: $20

Heart o' the country

Ahhh...the country; fresh air, rolling hills, fields of green, and blistering heat. That pretty much describes my run this weekend in my hometown of Milan, Illinois. Not to be confused with the fashion mecca of Milan, Italy. Although I did see some great fashions, like shirtless men in overalls. I was back visiting my parents and headed out early Sunday morning to try (unsuccessfully) to beat the heat. At least I had some nice scenery as I was boiling, well, what I could see of it. I had a contact lens malfunction that morning and was running with only one lens in. It's a miracle that I didn't roll down a gravel hillside since my depth perception was way off.

I often forget how quiet things are in the morning once you get out of the city. I could almost hear my sweat hitting the pavement. (By the way, I think there is a certain point when you are just so sweaty, that even slathering yourself with Body Glide won't prevent chafing. Curse you sports bra!) And the people you pass along the way are so friendly, always ready with a wave and basically veer off into the oncoming lane of "traffic" (I use that word loosely) to give you running space.

Another thing that I miss out on living in a city apartment is the ability to hose yourself off after a sweltering run. There are no garden hoses at my apartment, but at my parent's house on the farm, there is always a hose hooked up and I was grateful for that as I doused myself with it after my run. Well, after that first shot of hot water from the part of the hose that had been sitting in the sun ran off.

Of course, there are perks to running in the city, like plentiful water fountains, public restrooms in case of emergencies, and shady tree lined sidewalks. There are pros and cons to both city and country running, but a change of scenery is always a pro in my opinion. Especially when it looks like this.

Summer Running...

Had me a blast... Summer running.... happened so fast. For some reason that brings to mind the tune to Summer Nights from Grease. Although, admittedly, I'm not having a blast, and this summer running is certainly not fast. After a 12 mile run on Saturday morning in the Chicago summer heat, I was nothing but slow and miserable. I had forgotten the importance of hydrating before a run on a hot summer morning, since I really haven't run in any super hot temperatures yet this year. But I was brutally reminded immediately after finishing when I felt like a train was barreling through my head. Heck, I'm just now starting to feel normal again 2 days later.

I'm already dreading those 20 milers coming up this summer as I prepare for Chicago's Bank of America Marathon in October. Although, somehow, a 197-mile relay in Oregon has been incorporated as part of my training. How the heck did that happen? And more importantly, how am I going to train in Chicago for a mountainous run from Mt. Hood to the Pacific coast? I did have a nice rolling hill run in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last weekend, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to do more than one set of rolling hills to have even a slight chance at not keeling over during the Hood to Coast Relay. If any of you have ideas on where I can find some hills in the Chicago-land area, let me know.

So my mantra this summer...hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And try to drag my arse out of bed earlier than 10 a.m. to beat some of the intense heat. Of course, I could follow the lead of Bob, owner of Bob-San Sushi (which is delicious, by the way) and run at 3 a.m. after strategically hiding bottles of water throughout my pre-mapped course. I'll be looking for his ponytail during the Chicago Marathon and maybe if I look tired and pathetic enough I can get some post-race sake out of him. Sake counts has hydration, doesn't it?

Running Free

On Monday, July 4th, I ran the Red White and Boom! Half Marathon through the streets of Minneapolis. What a day! The atmosphere was festive and a lot of runners were dressed for the occasion, some in red, white and blue outfits and others in costumes - and others yet in red, white and blue costumes!

The weather was pretty hot so I didn't push myself to run too fast. I fell into an easy pace and enjoyed the crowd. I met a friendly older man who was a race walker wearing a red t-shirt that said "Ask me about Race Walking." So I did. He helped me get through 2 hilly miles with his stories about race walking events he'd participated in. His goal is to secure the world record in the 50K (which, by the way, is longer than the marathon) for the 95+ age category, a category that currently has no contenders. Sir, you'll probably never read this, but I wish you luck and hope to read one day that you've reached that goal! Then, at mile 12, I ran into my new friends Beth and Julie Elliott, dressed in matching red and blue tutus. Seeing them made me smile! We finished the last mile together and celebrated our accomplishment.

My next big race is the Hood to Coast with Kristine, Mark, and Betty, as well as 8 other friends. As a relay team, we'll run 197 miles from Mount Hood through Portland to the Pacific coast of Oregon. It is only 7 weeks away! I'm thrilled to be running it in support of American Cancer Society as part of ACS's DetermiNation athlete fund raising program!

As you might know, I'm raising money for ACS in honor of my Aunt Susie, who was a tireless advocate and fundraiser for ACS until she sadly lost her battle with cancer. In addition to continuing the legacy that Aunt Susie started with her support of ACS, here's another reason why I hope you'll consider making a donation to ACS using this link: I passed a store today that caught my attention because it had a big pink neon ribbon in its window. The store, called Underneath It All, specializes in fitting post-mastectomy breast cancer survivors with bras, swimwear, sleepwear and tops. On the homepage of the store's website is this inspiring poem:

"Our wish for you...
Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Gentle hugs when spirits sag."

I hope my efforts will help ACS find a cure, or at least help bring more comfort, smiles, rainbows, laughter, sunsets and gentle hugs to those who need it while we continue the fight for a cure. I would be honored if you would consider making a donation to ACS, whether in memory of Aunt Susie or someone else you know whose life has been touched by cancer.