Comments (16)

By kilax, May 30, 2009 5:08 pm

My neighbor and I ran the Hope for the Hungry 5K in (evil) Libertyville, Illinois today. I got an email about this race last week and asked my neighbor if he wanted to run it, because the proceeds directly go towards providing food and an education for children in Haiti, and he is from Haiti (plus, we had been running a bit together, and I thought he was ready for a 5K). Have you heard much about the hunger problem in Haiti? It’s something I’ve heard quite a bit about in the news. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 Haitians never get enough to eat, and are hungry all the time. The event organizer talked to us today about children who are so hungry they pass out in class or on the way to school. Many people resort to eating mud cakes.

This all makes me very very sad. I think about how I live in a nation where so many people OVEREAT and indulge, and how there are people all over the world struggling to get enough to eat to make it through the day. The politics of it all are way over my head. I wish there was a clear-cut solution. I know that today, I am reminded to be grateful for what I have.

On to something cheerier! I love how enthusiastic my neighbor is. He signed up for the race right away. Then the next day, we ran 5 miles together. We talked about the race a bit, and I think he was somewhat nervous. He asked if I thought he was ready. I think I responded with something like, “You just ran two miles more than a 5k! Of course you’re ready!” And he did really great today.

It was raining just a bit when we started, but as soon as we took off, the rain cleared!

Beautiful skies… not!!!

The course went through a the Old School Forest Preserve. The course was all crushed gravel and mostly wooded. It’s a fun course! When we ran it on Thursday we saw deer three times.

Can you find me?

I was being a bit pushy while we were running. I thought our plan was to run between 9:30-10:00 minute miles (like during our practice run) but once I saw how well my neighbor was doing, I didn’t let him slow down! I hope he wants to run with me again!

We ran just under 9:00 minute miles (splits at the bottom of the page), and sprinted the last part. I said, “Go Fritz go!” (Maybe it would have made more sense to just type his name from the beginning?) and he just took off!!! Then I was sprinting to keep up with him.

Our fast sprint to the finish line!

We finished in 26:36, which is actually a 5K PR for me because I haven’t run one in awhile!

Exhausted and sweaty!

Steven* was there the whole time, and Fritz’s wife came with their two kids and his brother! It’s so fun to see family at the finish line!

After the race, we talked to the Runner’s Edge (local running store) people about a 4-mile fun run they are hosting this Thursday and we had been thinking about doing. We met another runner who wants to do it, and she seemed really nice. That should be a fun way to meet new people!

Distance: 3.14 miles | Time: 26:36 | 1: 8:30 | 2: 8:42 | 3: 8:32 | 4: 0:51

UGH, It took me FOREVER to write this, because Firefox kept typing all of my words backwards. I restarted it a few times then finally uninstalled and reinstalled. HOW FRUSTRATING!!!

*Wondering why Steven didn’t run? He’s been having a hip problem since the half marathon, and has been taking it easy (the smart thing to do). I MISS running with him though.

Comments (16)

By kilax, May 28, 2009 6:23 am

My neighbor and I are running a 5K together this Saturday at a forest preserve in Libertyville, a town about 12 miles from where we live. He wanted to run the course before the race, so we plan to run it tonight after we pick up our race registration packets.

All of those stupid details don’t matter. The point is, I woke up at 4:20 and left the house by 5:00 so I could drive to the Libertyville train station instead of my normal train station. Theoretically, I could hop off the train in the evening, pick up my packet and drive right to the forest preserve.

Only, I get to the Libertyville train station this morning and all of the parking spots in the main lot are permit only before 8:30 am with a $500 fine for offenders (WTF?!). I remembered there was another lot so I drove to it and saw that all of the pay slots for parking were boarded up, and a sign was put up telling commuters to drive to ANOTHER TRAIN STATION.

Are you fricking kidding me?! I actually called the police station to ask if there was anywhere I could park and they told me to go to the other train station, which would be back-tracking from where I came, and make me miss the train.

I was so pissed. I didn’t want to park at that other train station and miss my train AND have to back-track YET AGAIN in the evening to get back to Libertyville. I could have asked my neighbor to drive me there after our run, but I left my alternate running outfit (I took the one I plan to wear with me) and some running gear in my car and I wanted it with me and I DIDN’T want to carry it to work.

I just started driving, and called Steven, to bitch a little bit about it (what a great way to wake up, right?!), and asked him if he remembered how to get to the next train station, in Lake Forest. He was nice enough to get out of bed and look up the location for me on the computer. I got off the phone with him and sped my way there. Let me just say, I love my husband and I love my new car. I wouldn’t have made the train without his guidance and that V6. Lake Forest had permit parking AND regular parking (it was $3.00 though – I pay $1.50 at my station).

This really shouldn’t make me so angry, BUT IT DOES. I got up extra freaking early to save myself time in the evening, and all I got was STRESS. Now I have to deal with traffic tonight as I try to get back there.

And how was I supposed to know there was no non-resident parking? It doesn’t say it anywhere on their website! I guess I learned my lesson – do MORE than plan ahead. I thought I was pretty smart getting up early to drive to this station, but I guess what I REALLY need to do is start planning things like this a week in advance so I can call the parking contact and figure out where the HELL I am supposed to park.

Yay, happy day.

Comments (28)

By kilax, April 26, 2009 7:29 am

I used my last pack of Berry Blue Sports Beans during my 12 mile run on Friday. I later drove to Sports Authority to buy a few more packs for next Saturday’s race, and… they were out. I actually said “shit!” when the sales clerk told me.

Since we’ve decided we like them so much, we looked into buying a case of them online (we’ll be using a lot once we start training for a full marathon!) yesterday morning. Then, we actually compared the nutritional label for Sports Beans versus regular Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and found out the differences are some added vitamins, potassium and sodium (electrolytes)  in the Sports Beans, and less calories in the Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. That’s it.

We basically just need them for the sugar/energy during endurance runs (I mean really, do you actually expect to get vitamins from candy?), so we decided to just buy regular Jelly Belly Jelly Beans for awhile and see how those work out. We’ll get to eat more. Ha!

Our Target has a HUGE Jelly Belly selection. So it was fun to pick and chose!

There are actually more jelly beans not shown in the photo!

I decided to try one of the Cold Stone Birthday Cake Remix Jelly Beans, because they made me think of my sister. They were okay, but I know I wouldn’t like that taste in my mouth during a run!

I chose (starting on the right): berry blue, kiwi, and watermelon*. Steven made two mixes: lemon drop with lemon lime, and orange juice with tangerine and orange crush. I put the Sports Beans in the picture below for comparison.

I am not sure what those last things are on the left? They don’t look like Jelly Beans.

When we went through the checkout, I started chatting with the cashier about Sports Beans, and how we were buying these instead, and blah blah blah. She said  (something like), “It looks like you got a lot of healthy food, so it’s no big deal you are getting these!” Then I explained to her that we actually eat this while running. She was nice to me, but I think she thought I was crazy. And Steven probably did too. But you know what? I try to talk to the cashier, to be polite. Even if I don’t make sense (that’s often). What’s the point of acting like they aren’t there?

If we end up liking using these, it will be a huge cost savings. Sports Beans cost $1.00+ for a 1 oz. pack. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans cost $7.49 a lb. That is a saving of .53¢ an ounce!

So… we’ll see how it goes! Has anyone else tried doing this? Probably. It’s not that novel of an idea.

Kenosha Half Marathon Weather Watch Day 4:

Steven asked if looking at the weather every day was making me feel worried. Actually, it’s not. I am just looking at it for humorous purposes. It is what it is on race day!

*What’s funny is, these can sit in our pantry forever, and I won’t touch them unless I am running. I’m not that into jelly beans! But that peanut butter… oh, no.

Comments (20)

By kilax, April 23, 2009 5:32 am

Update: Aron is right – the Chicago Marathon is now closed. Funny thing is – it was open this morning when I checked it. Total bummer. Steven wanted our first full to be local – time to look into Wisconsin!

Earlier this week, a coworker (who is also a runner) asked if I will be excited when the May 2nd Half Marathon is over.

No way! I will be SAD when it’s over! I am having so much fun training. I love being on a schedule. I love having a race to look forward to.

And yes, I am a little bit worried of keeping my mileage up when I am NOT training for something specific. I feel great when I get at least 25 miles in a week.

My guess is, I will spending most of May 3rd convincing Steven to sign up for the Chicago FULL Marathon before it’s too late. (Wait, is it a good idea to give away my reasoning for signing up? Ha ha.)

Related story: On Saturday, after I got my medal, Steven said to me, “That medal is pretty cool. A lot better than a block of cheese.”

Ha ha. Yes, the Kenosha Half Marathon Medals are blocks of cheese:

And… today is the first day that weather.com is showing the forecast for race day. Let the worrying begin! I have absolutely NO faith in weather predictions. But I still look at them, and somewhat plan my life around them. Why? I am not sure.

Looks good so far…

Comments (23)

By kilax, April 18, 2009 2:28 pm

I ran the Take a Step for Kids 10K today in Libertyville, IL – my longest race to date! So of course, that means I set a new personal record by default. Yay!

The weather was absolutely perfect – clear blue skies, sun and 60° F by the time the race started at 9:00 (it later warmed up to 75° F!).

Originally, Steven and I were going to run this 10K together, but his ankle has been bothering him all week, so he thought it was best if he didn’t run it. Please send some good thoughts his way! We want to be in optimal condition for our half marathon on May 2nd!

I ran the first three miles of the race at 8:00 minute mile pace. Then I slowed down a bit when the course went from asphalt to dirt (see photo below) and I began to encounter hills.

It was nice to see Steven halfway through the race. Of course, I just had to be messing with my MP3 player in the photos!

My fourth mile was around 8:30. And I think the last two were around 9:00 or 9:25. Boo! But I finished with a time of 51:00 which was much lower than my goal of 54:00, and I also came in second place for my age group!

Sprinting to…

… the finish line!

Posing with my medal. Such a shameless poser.

One of my favorite restaurants, Sweet Tomatoes, was a sponsor, so they had tables set up with their yummy muffins as well as bowls of pasta and salads! I passed on the food, but did stop to pose with the giant tomato (who looked like the Kool-Aid guy to me!).

As if this post wasn’t already long enough, I have to mention: I have actually been listening to some of Jillian Michael’s Talk Radio Shows, and I am shocked to admit… I am really liking them! I feel like she is upbeat and inspiring, but real and relatable (not a word?) on the show. And I love the segment where she answers listener’s questions.

During the 4/12 show she talked about methods for managing stress. Even though these methods may seem obvious to you, thinking about trying them really gave me hope that it would help with my anxiety. I’ve put the methods in an extended entry below. I know #3 is a huge help for me!

Continue reading '10K numero uno: Take a Step for Kids / Jillian Michaels Radio Show'»

Comments (14)

By kilax, February 23, 2009 5:30 am

Yesterday was my first 5K of the year – the Round Lake Frosty Footrace. Proceeds from the race benefit future senior fitness programs at the Round Lake Area Sports Center.

It was under 20° F so I wore my silly Under Armour Hood.

My running partner had a 6-mile run later in the day, so I ran with Christina (Aguilera) and Fergie (from her BEP days) instead. Running with music really keep me pumped up, but I had to be careful of singing out loud along with the songs – not because of my awful singing voice, but because it would get me out of breath!

It was fun to get back out and do a race with the running community. I forgot how exhilarating it is. I hope I can fit a few more races in before the half marathon.

Doing the robot as I sprint to the finish line.

My finish time was 27:53. Apparently, that was good enough to get me first place for my age group (19-24). I remembered to stay for the awards ceremony this time.

My makeup was a bit runny at that point.

When I ran my first 5K, it was a very big deal for me (link at the very bottom of this page). I felt like I trained forever. I even made my parents and sister come watch us race.  Afterward, we went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant – El Famous Burrito. I ate a huge burrito and a big plate of chips, thinking “I deserve this! I worked my butt off!”

I laugh when I think about that now. It WAS a big deal, but I did not deserve the feast I gave myself. Let me explain – I thought running a 5K meant I could go eat whatever I wanted for the rest of the day. But now, 3 miles is a low mileage run for me. I run it, then go to bed, without eating anything to “re-fuel.” I don’t need to! I guess what I am trying to say is, it’s neat that I’ve gained some endurance. That doesn’t mean the race today was super easy, but it definitely was on the light side.

Funny side note: we saw two people from our fencing class at the race! Now I will know their excuse if they are sluggish tonight! Hee hee.