Well, I lied.

This is where I left you yesterday.

I was (TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY) relieved that Harry and I were able to take public transit to the race.  I knew there'd be a whole bunch of people out there, and taking the train causes me less anxiety.:)

And this is what we had to look forward to for the day.  Gloom-tastic, very windy (wind gusts up to 40mph), and cold.  I wore shorts.  Don't ask why, because I don't know the answer.

LUCKILY, Harry and I are CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) members, and get VIP treatment on many race days, including a warm place to chill near race starts.  They are so community involved!

And as you can see, it's not a small group.

After warming up a bit, and getting the courage to walk outside in shorts, Harry and I set off for the corral.  Despite being SUPER, BONE-CHILLING frigid, the times when the sun came out were the bestest.

"What was I thinking, shorts, ugh...why even bother with these stupid gloves..."

"CHEEEEEEEEEEEESEI'mshiveringeverywhere!"

The race went by FAST.  8K is such a silly distance for a race.  A friend of mine (who is a 2X Ironman triathlete) once stated regarding the 8K distance "You start to wonder why you're still running...", and that is 100% true.  "5K...so I'm like, done, right?"  Noooooooope.

I seriously wanted to treat this race as speedwork.  I basically know the course (it's part of the Chicago Marathon course, or at least bits and pieces), and knew it'd be over before I knew it, so might as well try to rock a tempo out of it.  Truth be told:  I swerved around a ton of people in the first mile and probably ended up adding mileage just by going back and forthsies.

Miles 2-4 were just solid work for me.  7:30-ish average paces, and hit the 5K mark around 25:42.

The best part of the last .97 distance was the crowds.  I know it was cold and miserable.  I don't blame anyone for staying indoors on a day like this.  But these Chicagoans DELIVER.  People holding up their hands for high-fives, cheering, cow-belling -- the works!

I finished up, just in time for me to dry heave, after sprinting up Mount Roosevelt and flying to the finish line.  I caught a wiff of someone's cigarette smoke (really, guy?) and it made me (nearly) threw up...right in front of a race photographer.:)  We'll see if that picture surfaces.

I got very emotional right after I didn't puke gained my composure.  This was the same finish as the marathon, and I reveled every moment all over again.  It was perfect.  Also, this was a 30-ish second PR.  So I'm sorry I lied to you.<3

I head over to the CARA VIP room to meet up with Harry, and all of a sudden, Z came out of nowhere!

Harry offered to run and grab us some Starbucks while we visited.  At one point, I glanced over and realized that they had athletic trainers ready to massage in the corner of our VIP room.  I left Z and stood in line.  It was worth the wait.

I finally finished up and got to visit more while we sipped on our hot coffee and stayed warm.  We eventually took off to meet up with some of the /R/iver /R/unners at the Kaiser Tiger for some grub and a brew.

Harry's Irish breakfast.  Good grief.

We parted ways with some of the crew and took the train home.  After being cold, then warming up, then cold, then running, then cold, then warming up, then cold and warming up again, I was ready for a hot shower and a nap.

Also, I didn't even know we'd get medals.  HAH.

*BRAIN HUG* TIME!

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Did anyone else race this weekend?  TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Do you ever bake or cook with Greek yogurt?  Fave recipe?

Favorite workout/running.Yoga song lately?

Taking Precautions and Listening to Your Body [Short Post -- Long TItle]

I have basically four weeks left of marathon training, and I've been struck with a sore throat and the beginning of a sinus infection/sickies.  It might not be that serious yet, but I have taken the high road with this one and made myself rest for the past few days.  I ran Wednesday evening with the /R/iver /R/unners and felt just fine, but Thursday's and Friday's runs were scratched.  I don't feel bad about that, at all.  I have to do what's right for me and my body during this rough patch of training.  I have let myself sleep in (including today...getting 10 hours of sleep last night!) this week, and have gone to bed early.  I have tried to push through the sickies before, and I only ended up being sicker much longer.  Clearly that's not a battle I wish to encounter (and likely lose) during marathon training.

Next week is a peak week, and I'd love to be strong for it, and not to mention being strong for the marathon.  I  believe that the rest has paid off, and my head feels less fuzzy, my sinuses feel clear, and my leggies are itching to go, especially after seeing this!

I'm sipping on some hot coffee at the moment, beaming at the idea of running some long, slow miles in the cool air.  This is a step back week, so it's 12-13 miles, rather than 20+.  I will back it down even further if my breathing becomes too labored or I'm not feeling well again.  I am optimistic, though!

One last thing before I go...THIS HAPPENED.

Can I get a 'woot woot!'?!
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Do you chill when you're sick, or do you try to push through?

Are you excited for FALL?!  Because I AM!

Just how awesome was your week?

The Prettiest Picture I've Ever Taken [And Challenge Reflections]

Happy Monday!

First off:  Y'all don't forget about my GIVEAWAY for an Apera Sprint Pack + 25% off any Apera Bag!  There's a little over one day left, so get on it!  :)

It's absolutely fantastic to run without so much ice and snow in the way.  I feel like I can actually get out and get real speedwork and distance done again.  In fact, I have reason to believe that I might be trying to make up for lost times (mileage) during this harsh winter.

Regardless of the ice and snow, cold temps and my eye surgery, I've completed the FitFluential 100 Miles in March Challenge!  This morning I hammered out three miles to finish ~102 miles for the month.  A couple of shots of the scenery this morning...the sun is coming up sooner!  Woot woot!

I was looking at my DailyMile training, and I haven't run anywhere near 100 miles in a month since last year.  Geez.  Coming out of this challenge, I believe that I really needed it.  REALLY needed it.  I got an extra boost of *challenge* the week of my eye surgery when I could only knock out a little over 10 miles.

Regarding the 3030 Joyce Meyer Challenge, I did get most of my readings and quiet time done each day.  I believe that I've established a wonderful base of this time!  My next step is to find a church that I'm comfortable with in the area for service, and most likely, Bible study.  I started doing research for churches in my neighborhood before I moved up from Texas, so I should probably look into those churches that I narrowed it down to.  This weekend would actually be the most fantastic start to it.

The #ZoomaPhotoADay Challenge has ended well, too!  Either taking pictures that day, or finding oldies to dress up and reminisce, it was a good time!  I loved getting some Twitter love from Altra Running most days; they made my heart smile.

I took this picture last Wednesday.  It's probably the prettiest, most serene picture I've ever taken.  I often wonder while running if I should bother taking a picture, or if I should keep the mental image all to myself.  As you can tell just by browsing through my bloggie here, I don't mind running and snapping photos then posting them here, no matter how blurry they turn out.  This day was a particularly cold yet gorgeous one, and I took nearly a million...okay like ten total...pictures.  I looked through them later and saw this one.  Oh gosh.  Doesn't that just make your heart melt?

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It's the last day of March!  Do you have any big plans, races, or events planned for April?

Did you race this past weekend?  TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Mention on your blog about the prettiest picture you've ever taken and comment the link here, will ya'?  Please?  :)

Oh Heavens [And March Challenge Updates]

Y'all.  Seriously.  I went to bed last night knowing that there'd be snow on the ground this morning, but this was ridiculous.  They said that we were expecting four to eight inches of snow, after we've seen temps in the 40s and 50s the past few days.  In other words, the sidewalks were clear, there were puddles of melted snow and slush, and my spirits were sky high.  Psh.

I woke up this morning to this:

 WHAT.

I acted quickly.  These past few months of my first winter in Chicago have been a crash course in snow and ice maintenance and safety, to say the least.  I knew what I needed to do this morning, and that was get my booty to the gym out near where I work and get on the treadmill.  First thing's first:  Get all of the fresh white stuff off my Jeep.  Pronto.

It took about fifteen minutes. I also knew that I'd need this for a good portion of the 45-minute commute.

The highways weren't really all that bad, but the roads were.  I got to the gym and quickly hopped on the tready for an easy threesie (#FFMarchMiles!).  It was flippin' hot in the gym, compared to the sweet 20s that it was outside.  Blurgh.  I sometimes feel like it's "artificial" sweat or something when I'm indoors.  Isn't that strange?

The drive to work included the 4WD.  FOR SURE.  Cars were sliding all over the road, slamming on their brakes, and just driving irrationally.  *le sigh*  At least it's pretty!

It's so pretty.  ^_^

Work, work, work, and I was STARVING after my last P.E. class.  Luckily, one of the paraprofessionals at my school stocked the "staff pantry" with some goodies.  Thanks, Barry!

Yeah, my hands are really, really, really dry.  Add the cold weather to the fact that I wash my hands every fifteen seconds, and you've got some cracked skin.  :(

After a doctor's appointment and some grocery shopping, my guy made us some dinner that I basically inhaled was super filling...spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread!  We're about to sit down to watch something on the tube, but I wanted to post a couple of pictures from challenges from today real quick.

From #ZoomaPhotoADay, day 12 is "Hydrate".  I drink about 192 oz. of water every single day, and yeah, I pee a lot.  I've been carrying around a nerdy water bottle since 2007 (right around the time I quit smoking cigarettes).  I get teased a lot, but I gotta take it, since I really do ask for it.  I take it into restaurants, I ask airline stewards to refill it, and carry it with me every which place I go.  Derp.

For the #SweatHappyWithYoga Challenge, I rocked a tree pose this evening.  Harry was nice enough to take the picture for me, then use his fancy iPhone5s free photo software to mess with it a bit.  Behold.

Yeah, that's what I wear to work.  Hah.  Y'all have a beautiful evening!  I'll be hitting up the B-I-B-L-E (that's the book for me!) here in a bit before I go to bed for my 3030 Challenge.  Answer some questions if you're bored.  :D

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Do you need a snack in the afternoon?  SHARE!


Do you have any races or events coming up?  What about travel plans?


Do you have plans for Pi (3.14) day?

I Smile, I Wave, I Thank [And the Art of Anticipation]

No, not that.

That's more like it.

When I see another runner, especially out in the icy snow and cold, I smile and wave.  In Texas, I rarely encountered runners that acknowledged a wave or smile, which I don't mind.  In Chicago, though, it seems like runners really feel each other.  I came across five or six runners this morning, all smiles and waving.  One even cheered me on with an "ALLRIGHT!  WOOOO!" as we passed each other.  WOOOO!

It wasn't particularly cold this morning; though it wasn't warm by any stretch of the imagination.  Harry mentioned that it was "bad cold", the kind of cold that seems more cold than it should.  Meh.  What do I know?  I only went 10 miles, and he did 14.  It was BREEZY, so breezy that my brand new ponytail (my hair was so long, I usually sported a messy bun) whipped around like nobody's business.  It was different.

I love snow, but seriously, I'm ready to see some color other than gray!

Around mile 7.  RUNGRY.  FOR THAT.

As you can see, the sidewalks weren't exactly clear yet.  Although, the weather is warming up, leaving huge slush puddles.  I thanked every single person I saw clearing their sidewalks.  They deserve a pat on the back for, what I consider, trying to keep *ME* from falling down on my butt.  People were out and about today, too...people who would stare me dead in the eyes and walk on the cleared part of the sidewalk in their waterproof boots and make me run on the icy, unstable parts of the sidewalk.  To quote Harry (in jest, of course), "Why is life so hard?!".  Running in this city has taught me about the art of anticipation regarding other humans and their paths.

Do you call out to people when you're about to pass them, just to give them a heads up?  I do, but it only seems to cause drama.  I have to rely on my super agility to spring to the other side of where I called because 98% of people I pass think "On your left" means "I want you to move to the left so I can pass you on the right."  No clue why, but that's okay!  It's only less okay when the place I'm bouncing to is icy and slick, which causes me to use my backup super agility.  Boing, boing, boing...  I try very hard not to get frustrated.  It's not like everyone has to get out of my way, and I certainly don't want to scare people by alerting them that I'm trying to run around them.  I just don't want to fall.  Ever.

So a little over 10 miles at a very easy 9:44 pace over the ice, snow, and slush, and around a whole bunch of people.  :)  Those miles go toward my FitFluential #FFMarchMiles.

These challenges are really going well!  Today's #SweatHappyWithYoga was this:

 And ZOOMA + Altra Running's ZOOMAPhotoADay was "Shadow".  Last year, Harry visited me for my birthday when I still lived in San Antonio.  It was his first trip to Texas, so I had to show him my hometown of Austin!  I took him to the house I grew up in, which backs up to the Greenbelt, where Barton Creek runs.  I showed him the creek I used to go to all of the time, to do my homework, to go read, to just listen to music.  It was my hangout.  He adored it, and had the brilliant idea of taking this photo.

So an oldie, but a goodie.  :)

We just inhaled enjoyed some ice cream and are spending the rest of our Saturday evening watching "Lost".  I got him hooked on this show!  <3

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Do you have a peaceful Sunday lined up, or do you have chores and errands?


Do you alert people you're attempting to pass on trails or sidewalks when riding your bike or running?  What's the most productive way you can do this?


Are you looking forward to the new week?  FRESH START!