Thursday, August 18, 2016

Thursday Things

Chicago Running Bloggers is under new management!
I am forever grateful to Maggie for fostering the awesome Chicago Running Bloggers community over the last 4.5 years.
I have learned so much from my fellow running bloggers (both from Chicago and from beyond!) Through the network, I've developed a wonderful group of friends who never cease to amaze and inspire me.

Unfortunately, Maggie recently decided to step down from managing the CRB. I was very sad to lose the local network group, as were many others. After some discussion, Pete, Bethany, and I volunteered to keep the group going on a collaborative basis.

The Chicago Running Bloggers group "relaunched" earlier this week! It's already been a really fun experience. I think having the three of us sharing in the efforts makes it much easier to handle compared to a single person doing it all. Cheers to continuing the journey, and thanks again to Maggie for starting the local movement! =)
Throwback to the CRB weekend getaway to Lake Geneva a few years ago
The Pilsen Neighborhood Immersion last Sunday was unique. 
Since this was a Chicago Mash event hosted by Brooklyn Brewery, the core of the event was a bar crawl. I'm not a beer drinker, so I didn't partake in any of the beverage offerings. That aside, the event opened my eyes up to several cute local stores and restaurants that I hadn't heard of before. Pilsen really is an amazing neighborhood.

Here are a few snapshots:
Top L: Brooklyn Brewery display at the event's "trailhead"
Middle L: Pilsen Community Books
Bottom L: Decor at Pl-zen
Top R: Verdant Matter
Middle R: Knee Deep Vintage
Bottom R: Mural outside of Simone's
Upper L: Stumbled upon this big guy somewhere along 18th Street. I'm not sure what it represents, but it's a fun example of all the amazing street art in Pilsen.
Upper R: Random snapshot of Adam with some of the Dia de los Muertos-themed art at Simone's
Bottom: At the "trailhead" with Monica from Chi Organic Girls and Natali
Lake Michigan sunset cruises never get old.
Earlier this week, the Windy City Bloggers hosted a member cruise on the Mystic Blue.
All aboard with Maggie and Erin.
The sailor hats were my favorite - I wanted to take mine home!
The cruise was a blast. We had perfect weather and lots of food, beverages, and games (although some of us elected not to play the giant Jenga simply because we didn't want to have to clean it up afterwards, LOL).
Mini Italian beef sandwiches, mini hot dogs, mini tacos.
The giant Jenga made an earthshatteringly loud crash anytime it collapsed.
The highlight of the event, of course, was being treated to the most stunning backdrop anyone could ever ask for. I've lived in Chicago for 15+ years and have been on at least a dozen lakefront cruises, but I am still awestruck every time I see the beautiful skyline.

Decathloning
Tonight I am participating in a Nike Unlimited Chicago Decathlon event where we'll get to "train like Ashton Eaton" (relatively speaking, of course).
Ashton Eaton competing at the javelin throw during the 2015 World Athletics Championship
Source
Other than running, I've never done any of decathlon-type events - so this will be a learning experience! Hopefully there are safeguards in place for any event that requires us (translation: me) to inaugurally hurl heavy/sharp objects out into the field...

Graceland under water
This weekend, Adam and I are heading to Memphis. It'll be my first time visiting and I'm looking forward to cramming in as much history, food, and music as I can.
Stitch doing his best beachfront Elvis impression
Unfortunately, since I'm not running many races these days, my rain jinx has now spread to my weekend travels. It's supposed to storm all weekend! Fingers crossed that the meteorologists will be wrong!

What plans do you have for the upcoming weekend? Have you ever thrown a shotput/javelin/discus, et al? Memphis aficionados, please share any local restaurant/activity recommendations!

21 comments:

  1. Yay, that the CRB continues to live on! Yes, it is an awesome community and I might not have met a lot of current friends without it. Good luck in your decathlon tonight, sounds interesting! Have fun in Memphis - hope your jinx is all wrong this weekend! :)

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    1. Cheers to the CRB!!! Some of my best friends are ones I've met through it, and being able to share experiences and learn from folks - like you! - has made a world of difference in my own personal growth. I give you so much credit for teaching me the importance of planning out a race strategy in advance, and to focus on negative splits.

      Thanks so much, Pete! I hope the decathlon doesn't get rained out tonight, either! =D

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  2. If you train like Ashton, do you get to eat like him too? Olympic sized pizza, here you come! ;-)

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    1. Natalie, you and I think so much alike and have such similar senses of humor, it's SCARY!!!!! =D

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  3. Thanks Amanda! Totally understandable - you've been a little busy getting married. ;-) Congratulations again!!!!!

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  4. I'm so glad you 3 are keeping the flame alive! I wouldn't have met so many other bloggers if it weren't for the network. If you need me to do anything, I'd be more than happy to jump in! <3

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    1. Thank you so much, Wendy! Same here - I've met the most amazing friends through the network, including you! Really appreciate the offer to help out sometime!!! <3

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  5. Sounds like you have a great blogging Network in Chicago! That cruise sounds fantastic and I agree, what a beautiful view!

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    1. Thank you so much! The bloggers in Chicago are incredible - we are very blessed to have such a great network indeed. The cruise was a wonderful treat - thanks to the Windy City Bloggers group for organizing it!!!

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  6. I'm with you - that view of the city will NEVER get old! And thanks for the tips of where to visit in Pilson. I've been before but never really to just explore and I've been meaning to go back and do just that :)

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    1. Alexandra, I've loved hearing about all your city favorites each week, too! You've given me great new perspectives on ways to appreciate the city, as well! Glad the Pilsen ideas are helpful! Please let me know what you think once you get a chance to explore the area more. =)

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  7. You can still enjoy Memphis in the rain! BBQ and Graceland

    I did a couple sunset cruises around Boston Harbor, and they were fun.

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    1. Lesley, you nailed it! I ate BBQ three days in a row, visited Graceland, and also checked out several other indoor activities. Plenty to see and do there in all weather!

      Ahhhh, a sunset cruise in Boston would be beautiful!!!

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  8. Yay CRB! After taking this on, I truly don't know how Maggie managed it all by herself. It's a lot of work! Many hands make the load lighter :)

    You have so many things going on! My goodness! The sunset cruise looks awesome - those mini hot dogs are too cute. We have giant Jenga at my office, and I've heard the sound of it collapsing - SO loud! Like give you a heart attack loud! Haha. The decathlon looks so cool! I saw Nike promoting it on Twitter last week - such a fun concept!

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    1. Yay, CRB!!! Likewise - I can't believe Maggie did all of this by herself, either. It could have easily been a full-time job and then some! I am very thankful to work with you and Pete. =)

      YES on the giant Jenga giving you a heart attack when it falls. It is so loud it could wake the dead! What is it about mini any-foods that are so much fun to eat, right? If Nike hosts another decathlon, I think you'd enjoy attending. It was very challenging in a good way!!!

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  9. Thanks to all 3 of you for keeping CRB up and running! You're right those sunset cruises never get old. That skyline is a standout. Have a blast in Memphis!

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    1. Thanks so much, Marcia!!! We are very lucky to live in such an amazing city, with so many resources and so much to see and do. =)

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  10. Thanks to the 3 of you for CRB. Let me know if you need any help.

    I LOVE Ashton. I am so happy he won another gold medal. He is amazing!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Zenaida! Appreciate the offer to help out, too!!!

      Ashton is INCREDIBLE. Totally deserving gold medal winner. I aspire to be more like him!!!

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  11. Thank you so much, Kelly! I'm very blessed to be working with a great team!!!

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