Giveaway: Michelob Ultra 13.1 Half Marathon

It's been full-throttle catch-up mode for me since getting back from vacation this past Sunday. I have a lot to share about the trip (Adam and I went on a cruise that visited Panama, Colombia, Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire). But, we'll get to those details when time permits more fully.

In the meantime, let's talk about some spring races. I've run the 13.1 Chicago Half Marathon the last two years (check out my recaps from 2012 and 2013).

Obligatory race photo body spasm from the 2013 race
Photo courtesy of Xaarlin

This year I am going for the three-peat!

And...

The race organizers are offering ONE FREE RACE REGISTRATION to anyone who would like to participate!

Here are the race details:

Date: Saturday, June 7, 2014
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: South Shore Cultural Center (7059 S. Shore Drive, Chicago, IL)
Website: http://www.131marathon.com/chicago/

This race has a gorgeous course along the lakefront path, beautiful views of the Chicago skyline, a finish line that is just steps from the beach, and an incredible post-race party (deep-dish pizza, anyone?!?!?)

Yummy yummy!!!

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment below. I will use random.org to select a winner on April 1.

The 98th percentile, bikram yoga, and everything else

I've been working on this blog post in bits and pieces for the last week but FINALLY getting around to publishing it!

Registration opened up for the 2014 Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon last Tuesday at 10 AM CST. I put a reminder in my calendar. When it popped up, I turned it off and promptly forgot about it.

During lunchtime the next day, I was surfing the internet and a Disney advertisement popped up (gotta love internet cookies). I thought, "Oh yeah, I should probably register for Wine and Dine. I wonder how full it is?" I went onto the Run Disney website to take a look.

To my complete surprise, the Wine and Dine Half was already listed at 98% full. Worse yet, I was met with the glaring disclaimer that "Events may sell out before percentages can be updated."

Ruh roh.

I did my best Speedy Gonzalez impression and blew through those registration pages as quickly as I could type and click.

I zipped through so quickly that who knows if I even selected the right shirt size or entered my birth date correctly. Nevertheless - I got in!

BUT - if I end up with a race shirt that fits me like a dress, or if I end up in the "10 and under" age group, then we'll all know why.

Shifting gears -

I've been wanting to try bikram yoga for a really long time. Through the magic of Gilt City, I found a great deal on a 5-class pack at the Bikram Yoga West Loop studio. I gave it a go this past weekend.

I'd heard a few things about bikram yoga that made me uncertain about how I would like it. Namely:

• The 107-degree room temperatures, of course, and their potential effect on the body
• Instructors generally do not demonstrate the moves during class, they just talk you through them
• A standard set of 26 poses that are always done in the same order
• Classes are 90 minutes in length (the longest yoga class I've ever done previously was 55 minutes, and that already feels long to me)
• No music

I was most concerned about how I would react to the heat. The last thing I wanted was to succumb to nausea in the midst of class. Generally it's not a good idea to blow everyone's zen to smithereens.

I prepared by taking a couple of salt capsules and hydrating fiercely in advance. I think I overdid it, though, as I found myself needing to use the restroom during the middle of class. (We were instructed to try to stay in the room during the entire class, though, so I held it.) Add bikram to running races as times where it's challenging to get the hydration strategy down.

The verdict after my first class? Thumbs up! The heat didn't bother me at all, I was able to follow along easily by watching the other students, and I didn't even think about the fact that there was no music. The 90 minutes went by pretty quickly, too. I felt really good afterwards - very limber and refreshed.

I do wonder if it would get tiresome doing the same set of 26 poses during every bikram class? We will see how it feels after I've gotten a few more classes under my belt. But as of right now, I am looking forward to doing more bikram in the future.

--
Other random notes:

• I just saw that the Chinatown 5K announced its date for 2014. It is none other than July 12 - my birthday! This is going to be a really fun way for me to celebrate.
• Maggie hosted an awesome clothing swap this past Saturday. I just love these types of events. They are such a great way to catch up with friends while cleaning out your closet and getting some amazing new-to-you stuff. I picked up some fabulous items that I've already begun wearing. Can we do things like this more often!?!?
• I've been battling a scratchy sore throat, stuffy nose, and overall tiredness since this past Sunday. My ears feel clogged, too. It's made it tough for me to be on my A-game.
• I had three miles on my training plan yesterday. I wanted to do my best to stick to the plan despite not feeling 100%. So I slugged it out on the treadmill. It was slow and very ugly, but it got done. And call me a wimp, but I will think again before attempting to run through cold symptoms in the future.

Wah, wah, wah

To end things on a more positive note, I am going on vacation tomorrow! So even amidst my sporadic posts, I will be away from the blog for a little while. Good luck to everyone running races in the near future (I've heard of a ton of St. Patrick's Day-themed ones...!) I look forward to catching up with everyone when I get back!

Blackhawks-Penguins NHL Stadium Series game

This past Saturday night Adam and I attended the much-anticipated Blackhawks-Penguins NHL Stadium Series game at Soldier Field.

Mother Nature obliged by putting forth her finest weather conditions:

Translation: spending the evening sitting in the uncovered upper deck of an outdoor football stadium in frigid temperatures, icy winds, and blizzard conditions. Sounds like a blast, doesn't it?

Given this prognosis, I did the best that I could to prepare. Here is what I wore:

• 3 pairs of socks (compression socks, then two other pairs of socks on top) plus my winter boots
• Running tights underneath a pair of jeans
• 2 long-sleeved winter running shirts, a running jacket, my winter jacket, and a Blackhawks jersey
• Balaclava, scarf, ski hat, and Blackhawks knit hat
• 2 pairs of gloves

Adam and I also brought two blankets, plus some cardboard pieces to sit on and to put underneath our feet.

"Shapeless blob" is the way that I would describe how I looked and felt wearing that quantity of layers. To illustrate, it was kind of like this:

(Note that the shapeless blob was wearing red to represent the Blackhawks)

On the bus ride enroute to Soldier Field, it was really easy to identify which passengers were headed to the game. Many were wearing full-body ski suits and masks with their jerseys. Plenty of other hockey fans had successfully achieved similarly shapeless blobdom as I did.

After we arrived at Soldier Field, we went to check out the NHL Fan Festival being held next to the stadium.

The stage where they had live music performers.

Dueling Stanley Cup ring hats

Adam and I cross-representing our two favorite teams.
Left: A giant Blackhawks jersey!
Right: A giant Penguins jersey!

Fans getting into the spirit of things

We played some Blackhawks and Penguins trivia games, checked out a few merchandise stands, and collected a random assortment of sponsor giveaways (Advil, Shamrock Shake coupons, and Geico water bottles, to name a few). Then we went through the stadium security lines to enter Soldier Field.

It wasn't much warmer inside the Soldier Field concourses compared to outdoors. Unfortunately, our seats were in the upper deck of the north end zone where there was exactly zero protection from the elements. We reluctantly climbed the stairs towards the upper deck. The wind was howling and the snowfall was steadily increasing. Once we got to our seats, we immediately decided it would be best to go back inside and stay there as long as possible.

The indoor bathrooms were heated and were by far the warmest area in the entire building. Therefore, Adam and I decided to go hang out in our respective bathrooms and meet back up in a few minutes. Plenty of other women were standing around in the ladies room just trying to keep warm. Adam said the same was true in the men's room.

The time came to go to our seats. Here are some pictures from where we were sitting:

Warm-ups

One of the scoreboards behind us

As the pregame ceremonies and the game got underway, the snow came down in buckets. It made visibility very challenging. Our seats were far away and high up to begin with, so it would have been difficult to see the game even in clear conditions. It was like watching an ant farm.

Additionally, numerous fans were standing up and blocking what limited view many folks did have. This elicited some raucous shouting for everyone to sit down. The standees generally ignored them. As time went on, the demands to sit down became progressively more and more comical and/or derisive. If my own view wasn't being blocked, it would have been almost entertaining to listen to some of the exchanges.

Despite all the layers I was wearing, it was so cold that I had no feeling in my hands or feet. My blanket, jeans, gloves, and balaclava were all getting wet from the snow, too.

The snow

Game attendance was announced at over 62,000. During the intermissions, the entire crowd (men and women alike) made a mad dash to the concourses, food/beverage vendors, and especially the warmth of the bathrooms. When you've got pretty much the entire population crammed into a concourse all at once, many of them inebriated, things can get pretty squishy. Basically, you really need to make sure that you keep your balance!

I've made it blatantly obvious that my most lasting memory of this game is going to be the weather. But that aside, it was a unique experience getting to be a part of 62,000+ screaming hockey fans gathered under the outdoor lights. Blackhawks fans have the long-time tradition of cheering and clapping as loudly as they can during the national anthem at home games, and to see that tradition in action at Soldier Field was cool. It was also fun to see the masses celebrating, singing, and dancing to Chelsea Dagger whenever the Hawks scored a goal.

Hawks win! Hawks win!
Source

The final count for the night?

Zero Tommy Hawk sightings

Zero discussions of the doom scenario (believe it or not), despite the game being played by...

Two of my favorite NHL teams

Five degrees Fahrenheit (the real-feel temperature during the game)

Six goals scored by Hawks players, including one in the wrong net

45 minutes, give or take, that I spent huddling for warmth in the ladies room over the course of the night

62,921 rabid fans in attendance

97,836,523,314 gallons of hot chocolate that I consumed when I got home

O come, all ye hot chocolate...

What I look for in a blog

I've been seeing several posts discussing the characteristics that make a blog worth following. I've recently been on the hunt for new blogs to read, so I thought I'd share what I look for.

Here are things that I DO like. These are in no particular order.

• Being relatable. Sharing a perspective on life that I can understand and appreciate. Having a persona that makes me want to be friends with the person in real life.
• Honesty. Telling it like it is without making excuses or hiding relevant information.
• Humor. Appropriate humor.
• Connecting with readers and responding to communications. If I post a comment on someone's blog, I very much appreciate if they respond to my comment and/or if they post a comment of their own on my blog. No black holes.
• Everything in moderation, and mixing things up at least once in awhile. This could mean different topics, different writing styles, different types of pictures.
• Writing with intention and clarity.
• Having an appropriate balance between the amount of text and the amount of pictures/graphics/video.

Now, let's move on to the things that I do NOT like. These again are in no particular order.

• Lots of sponsored content and/or advertisements, where the blogger has turned themselves into a marketing tool.
• Recurring narcissism, vanity, and self-pats on the back where the blogger aptly describes or displays their own awesomeness. This is made even worse if the blogger belittles others at the same time.
• Typos, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes
• Frequent pictures/details of designer clothing, gourmet restaurants, 5-star vacations, high-society events, expensive shopping excursions, etc.
• Constant complaining and/or airing of dirty laundry. I've seen bloggers who wrote posts shredding their workplace, their colleagues, even friends or family. Do they not realize that blogs are public by definition, and that the targets of those posts may someday see what was written about them?
• Excessive pictures/details about kids or pets, and/or excessive selfies
• Posts on useless topics, e.g. details of household chores, trips to the post office, meaningless food consumption. I'll definitely pick reading fewer posts with substance over reading frequent posts about nothing.

What are the deal-breakers or deal-makers for you in the blogs you read?

High hopes for the year

I have high hopes for my running goals in 2014. I've made a lot of improvements to my training regimen since last year, and I am optimistic about seeing how these adjustments might make a difference.

Here's what I've been doing differently:

Running the easy runs easy
I wrote a post about this a few months ago entitled Run slower to fun faster? I've been following this practice for the last several months where I've really been keeping the pace comfortable. In training, I usually do a 4:1 run/walk ratio during my long runs - but occasionally I've even been doing run/walks during the shorter, easy runs. My legs have been feeling noticeably fresher. It also feels easier both physically and mentally to ramp up the miles. This will make a difference when it gets to those final tough training weeks prior to a goal race.

Speedwork
I've always had a love-hate relationship with speedwork. It's historically been tough for me to push myself out of my comfort zone in the way that speedwork usually demands. However, over the past couple of months I've built up some momentum and I've been pretty consistent about doing speedwork once a week. I default to doing 1-minute tempo repeats (described here in more detail). But, to mix things up I have thrown in some pace runs here and there. I am encouraged because speeds that were once challenging for me to maintain are now feeling much more achievable.

More yoga
I am relatively new to my current workplace. A few months after I came on board, my company completed a fitness center renovation and began offering free workout classes to all employees. This is a wonderful perk and I am trying to take advantage of it as best as I can. My goal is to try at least one new class per week, while also sticking with my tried-and-true favorites. Two classes that I strive to attend every week include a yoga sculpt class (yoga done with light hand weights), and a traditional vinyasa yoga class. I think the increased yoga has helped a lot in keeping my muscles looser. Up until this point, I've never done yoga so frequently. In the past, I probably averaged only one yoga workout every 10-14 days!

Foam-rolling, stretching, and PT
In addition to doing more yoga, I've been better about keeping up with my foam-rolling, stretching, and my physical therapy exercises - especially monster walks and planks (any kind of core work is my least-favorite). It's become almost a nightly routine to foam-roll, stretch, and plank while watching TV. Despite being more consistent with these practices, I am often surprised at how certain areas (my hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, and IT band) still feel pretty stiff every day. It reminds me how important it is to keep up with the routine.

Cross-training
I used to be unenthusiastic about cross-training. I wanted to focus just on running. After all, what better way to improve your running than to run, right? Wrong. Cross-training has made a huge difference in relieving some of my running-induced muscle imbalances, and in helping me feel stronger on an overall basis. I usually go on the stationary bike at least once a week, which has improved my hip strength (one of my biggest areas of muscle weakness). Beyond the bike, I've been trying to mix things up where possible with things like the rowing machine, boxing classes, pilates, and Pure Barre. The variety has definitely helped reduce the boredom factor, too, which is great.

Eating cleaner
I've mentioned before that I am trying to focus on eating more natural, unprocessed foods (e.g. instead of instant boxed mashed potatoes, making real mashed potatoes from whole potatoes). Shinianen recently wrote a post about the horrors of processed foods and dining out, which further renewed my resolve to eat as healthfully as possible. As an added benefit to improving the quality of my food intake, I've lost about 15 pounds over the last 6-7 months. I think the weight loss has also made running easier. Win-win all around.

So with all these newfangled training improvements, what the heck do I hope to achieve?

I have two PRs which I am hoping to break this year. I set both of these PRs over a decade ago:

5K - 25:55 (Race to the Taste, July 2001)
Half Marathon - 2:16:37 (Chicago Half Marathon, September 2002)

Last year I ran the Petco 5K9 in 26:42 and the Prairie State Half Marathon in 2:19:16. So even before making most of these training improvements, I was starting to get close to those PRs. I am hopeful that this will be the year that it will finally happen for both distances.

BONUS - I don't run the 10K distance nearly as frequently as the 5K or the half marathon. However, it would be awesome to knock out my 10K PR this year, too, which was also set over a decade ago:

10K - 55:46 (Main Course 10K, May 2001)

I only have one 10K on the calendar so far this year, the Esprit de She 10K in July. I am currently considering signing up for the BTN Big 10K, but it also takes place in July. Unfortunately, the month of July is usually not great for PR attempts. So we will see how things go. I will keep an eye on PR-friendly months for other cool 10Ks (no pun intended).

Lofty goals, all rejoice!!!

Pure Barre and Piece

All hail to President's Day yesterday! Blessed be thy President's Day for it was good to have the day off from work in observance!!!

I took advantage of the extra time by knocking out my semiannual dentist appointment (and got the all-clear on my teeth, woo hoo!) Then, I trekked through the snow blizzard to the Bucktown neighborhood, where I met Lauren for a Pure Barre class. It was the first time "barre-ing" for both of us!

I was really excited about finally getting to try out a barre class. However, I was also a tinge nervous. Based on reading a host of online reviews, the consistent opinions were that the workouts were highly intense. There were also a lot of references to your muscles shaking during the workout, and to expect lingering soreness afterwards. The good news was that many folks agreed that if you attended the classes consistently, you would see great results very quickly. And I like results!

Allright... here we go.

This is a good representative sampling of the exercises we did during the class.

After warming up, we used light hand weights to do a series of arm exercises. We did a variety of floor exercises and stretches with and without a small rubber ball and/or a resistance tube. We rotated the floor exercises with various standing exercises that we performed using the barre to stabilize or hold ourselves.

The exercises mostly consisted of variations of tiny, controlled movements. For example, in a standing position you would extend one leg forward as high as possible, point the toe, and rotate that leg as if you were tracing the outside of a coin with your toe. Another example included standing in a plie with our heels raised, and then doing squats or pulses while holding that position, like this:

Some of the exercises were very challenging to maintain. My legs and various other muscles started shaking several times while I was struggling to maintain my form and keep going. Our instructor, Blake told us, "Don't be afraid of your muscles shaking. A shaking muscle is a changing muscle." Wow, was I feeling the burn! There were times where I couldn't hold the position any more and had to take a momentary break. At times it felt like the series of exercise repetitions would never end. It was energetic and fun but the exercise was very intense, indeed!

From an instructor standpoint, I thought Blake was fantastic. I found her very approachable, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. Before the class started, she greeted everyone individually, introduced herself, and talked to each of us about our barre experience. During the class, she was very encouraging, addressed each of us by name, and put forth a lot of effort to ensure that we were using the correct form. She used a great selection of music during the class, where she tailored the musical selections based on whatever series of exercises we were doing. Then, after the class, she came by to find out our thoughts, make sure we were doing okay, and answer any questions.

The attendees at our class. Our instructor, Blake, is the one wearing the pink tights. I'm to the right of her in the turquoise shirt. Lauren is to the right of me in the fuschia tank top.

The workout aftermath? My glutes were feeling sore immediately after the workout. This morning, I woke up with soreness in my arms, back, and abs which I have been feeling all day.

I can definitely see why these barre classes are effective! The Pure Barre website says that "clients typically see the best results when they attend classes 3-4 times per week" but right now I am way too sore to think about attending that frequently. You'd definitely have to work up to that! But, what I love most about the class is that it is very low-impact. It really is perfect for runners like me who battle knee problems and would really benefit from great muscle-toning/strengthening workouts. (Check out Lauren's recap here.)

There was only one thing to do after a killer workout like that. Hit up one of the most popular pizza joints in the neighborhood.

I hadn't been to Piece in years, so it was great to check it out again. I mentioned to Lauren that I'd only ever been there at night, so it was cool getting to see it during the daytime. It is very laidback. There was a good mix of locals and families there, presumably because of the President's Day holiday.

Normally I am all about deep-dish pizza through and through, but Piece's thin-crust "New Haven-style" pizza is very delicious. Lauren and I both took advantage of their amazing lunch special to get customized individual pizzas. We hung out and talked about everything from running to laundry to travel bucket lists to shoes. It was a blast!

I really do love neighborhood joints, in general. Now I am getting more and more inspired to start checking out all that the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood has to offer.

In the meantime, bring on the next barre class! I am already looking forward to going back as soon as the schedule permits and after my soreness subsides a bit. Maybe next weekend? My burning muscles are gearing themselves up for round two!

Winter bucket list

You know it's been a rough winter when you see that the temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit and you pull out your "light" winter coat! Seriously, 30 degrees has never felt so balmy and springlike.

I am definitely looking forward to the end of winter. I've been hearing about a lot of spring and summer races. The thought of running in shorts amidst a warm breeze has me practically bouncing off the walls with anticipation. On that note, here are two warm-weather races that I've currently got on the brain:

1) The BTN Big 10K just opened up registration yesterday! As I mentioned here, I have had my eye on this race for awhile and so now it's just the question of pulling the trigger. Representing my alma mater, racing, a big summertime tailgate party along the lakefront, and a 1-gallon tin of Garrett's Popcorn for the first 1,500 registrants? It all sounds great to me! (Fingers crossed that they will offer a finisher's medal again this year, too...)

Yes, I purposely found a picture in which an Illinois alum is prominently featured front and center.

2. The Run for the Zoo 10K also just opened up registration! This would be another new-to-me race. I've mentioned many times that animal shelters are a cause that is very close to my heart. A run whose proceeds go towards the Lincoln Park Zoo would most certainly be a cause that I'd love to support, as well.

Alas, before we officially get to warmer temps, we still do have some significant winter weeks yet to get through. In the spirit of embracing what is in the here and now, here's what I need to get cracking on before the season ends:

LIST OF WINTER TO-DO'S

Go Ice Skating Outdoors

One of the most classic and festive of all winter activities, in my opinion. The most obvious locations for outdoor skating in Chicago would be Millennium Park or any of the other Chicago Park District ice rinks. If you've got your own ice skates, it is free to skate!

The Millennium Park Skating Rink, with the Chicago skyline in the backdrop

Go Skiing

I've only gone skiing a handful of times in my life, so I am a pretty amateur skier. However, I do enjoy skiing when I get the opportunity. 

Katie and I had talked about hitting the slopes in Wisconsin at some point this winter. However, she's got a lot on her plate right now taking care of a foster dog named Charlie who is about to undergo surgery. So we'll see if we can make it happen or not. My prayers to Charlie and here is hoping that everything works out!

Watch "Miracle" (again)

If you're not familiar, Miracle is the movie about the 1980 U.S. men's Olympic hockey team. Yes, the motivation to watch this movie is definitely inspired by watching the Sochi games every night. I am also missing watching NHL hockey during its Olympic hiatus.

Here is a video clip of what I consider to be one of the most memorable scenes from "Miracle":

Have Fondue

Preferably homemade, but certainly I'd be happy to go to a fondue restaurant, too.

Cheese, glorious cheese

Make Homemade Dumplings

This might include potstickers, wontons, ravioli, gnocchi, pierogies, or any combination thereof. I am an equal opportunity dumping eater. I eat them all.

Have a Board Game Night

Popcorn, hot chocolate, and cookies are obviously also required to ensure proper board game mental alertness. Scrabble and Bananagram are two current favorite games! But I do love many of the old classics, too.

See the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry

Okay, this isn't winter-themed per se, but the Disney exhibit is only in Chicago until May 4. I have heard rave reviews about all that this exhibit has to offer.

Your turn! What items do you plan to check off of your winter to-do list yet this season?