Weekly recap: August 15-21, 2016

Hi friends! Adam and I got back last night from our weekend trip to Memphis. It was a very enjoyable visit and I have an renewed appreciation for the charms of the south. I will share more details later this week.

In the meantime, I am linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

Here's how the week shook out:

MONDAY - 10 minutes stationary cycling, 45 minutes strength training
TUESDAY - Run 3 miles on treadmill, yoga class
WEDNESDAY - Zumba class, Mobility 101 class
THURSDAY - Strength Max class, Nike Unlimited Chicago Decathlon
FRIDAY - Rest (but lots of walking in Memphis)
SATURDAY - Rest (but lots of walking in Memphis)
SUNDAY - 40 minutes stationary cycling

Notes from the week:

• The Nike Unlimited Chicago Decathlon last Thursday was a great event. I'll talk about it more in a separate post - but in short, it was a big learning experience while also being extremely challenging, both mentally and physically. My respect for decathletes has skyrocketed a thousand-fold!

• I am getting increasingly concerned about my hamstrings. They are perpetually tight, even when I'm just walking around, and when I run they really, REALLY make their presence known. Admittedly, I haven't been good about stretching or foam rolling (i.e. other than yoga, I haven't done any focused stretching in weeks, maybe even months!) My lack of stretching has definitely caught up to me with a vengeance. Heck, at this point it has run me over like a bulldozer.

• One of the fitness instructors at my gym mentioned my hamstring pain is likely due to weak hips. This would make sense, as I have a long history of injuries attributable to weak hips (runner's knee, ITBS, piriformis syndrome, et al). For a long time, I experienced some nasty piriformis pain while running. However, my recent barrage of squats, lunges, and other hip-strengthening work has eliminated the piriformis pain, so I'm not sure where to focus next. I'm wondering if it's really possible for the hip muscles to be that localized?
• Last week, I underwent a mobility assessment. The diagnosis was that my inner right thigh needs some work. I've definitely neglected doing any lateral leg strengthening. My gym doesn't have an adductor or abductor machine, either, so I don't think about missing it. It's probably time to pull out the fitness bands and start loading up on clamshells and monster walks.

In other randomness...

• Blackhawks tickets went on sale this morning! I blocked off my calendar in advance, put up my "Do Not Disturb" sign, and armed myself with both of my laptops and my cell phone. I had a few tense minutes there watching the clock tick down - but now everything is set. I'll be going to at least five games this season: October 15 vs Nashville; December 23 vs Colorado; February 26 vs St. Louis; March 1 vs Pittsburgh; and March 12 vs Minnesota. I am excited for hockey season to begin!
• One of my favorite times of the year is when the weather is on the cusp of summer and fall. That time is now and I love it. I've been out of school for longer than I care to admit, but there is something special about the "back-to-school" atmosphere. You can just feel the collective hope and excitement in the air.
• I didn't watch much of the Olympics over the weekend, but how cool was it to see Meb Keflezhigi doing push-ups at the marathon finishing line? He is awesome.
  

  

  What a legend!!!
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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!

Starters vs Finishers

Personalities fascinate me. I enjoy learning about introverts/extroverts, learning styles, reward preferences, communication methods, Myers-Briggs, etc., etc., etc. (Speaking of Myers-Briggs, I am an ENFJ, but over the years I've started trending towards INFJ.)

It is always interesting to understand how various personality traits can apply to real life scenarios.

For what it's worth, my ENFJ type would classify me as Butter Pecan. However, out of the options listed, my favorite flavors are Mint Chocolate Chip and Rocky Road.

A few months ago, I read a book that talked about starters vs finishers. I've been thinking about the concept recently. In short, starters like to begin new projects and enjoy the novelty of new ideas, but are challenged to push through the working details. Conversely, finishers enjoy crossing tasks off their lists and working through the challenges to get to the end goal.

Here's a more simplistic example: Starters get more satisfaction in opening new containers, whereas finishers get more satisfaction in recycling the container after using the very last drop.

There is no right or wrong type, of course. It's just a function of who you are.

Personally, I am a finisher. I get a sense of accomplishment from squeezing out the final drip of shampoo from a bottle, eating the last slice of cheese in a package, or getting complete wear out of a pair of socks. From a business perspective, you could describe me as being someone who likes to maximize all available value.

Conversely, I get frustrated when I see a container (or worse yet, multiple containers) sitting on the shelf with just a tiny bit of product left. I think, Why don't you just use it up and be done with it?

In my office kitchen, one fridge has bottles of milk for folks to use in their coffee. Many times I'll see that someone left a bottle sitting there with five drops of milk left. This makes me wonder who the culprit was.

Case in point:

Contrary to what it might sound like, I'm not completely fixated on finishing. I do enjoy making the first scoop into a brand-new carton of ice cream, making the first squeeze out of a new bottle of body wash, taking a pair of running shoes out for their inaugural run, etc. However, I definitely get more satisfaction from closing out an old item than I do in starting a new one.

From a runner's perspective, I like to log 300 miles on my running shoes before I retire them. I've currently got one pair of shoes at 291 miles. I've also got a brand-new pair of shoes waiting in the wings, but I won't let myself wear them until I close out the old ones. Once I start the new, I'm not going to want to wear the old anymore! Unfortunately, since I've been doing so little running over the past few weeks (plus I rotate three pairs of shoes), it's taking me a really, REALLY long time to get the oldest pair to the finish line.

The lingering has bothered me a little bit. Not enough to motivate me to run more, though! LOL. Hopefully I'll get them to the finish within the next two weeks.

Your turn! Tell me about your running shoe transition strategy. How many miles do you log on your shoes before you retire them? What's your Myers-Briggs personality type? In life, are you a starter or a finisher?

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Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

The week of August 8-14 in photos

Happy Sunday, my dear friends!

Who watched the Olympic women's marathon this morning? I was completely floored to learn that Kenya has never won gold in this event. It was exciting to have three Americans finish in the top ten. Congratulations to Shalane Flanagan, Des Linden, and Amy Cragg for their strong performances!

Source

On a different note... This week, I was hit with the realization that only a few more weeks of bona fide summer remain. How did this happen!?!?!? We must maximize the little time that remains. I have officially kicked my calendar into "urgent" mode!

Here are my workouts from the week:
MONDAY - Run 3 miles on the treadmill
TUESDAY - Yoga class
WEDNESDAY - Zumba class, Mobility class, Nike Training Club circuit-training class
THURSDAY - Strength Max class (deadlifts, bridges, shoulders, upper/lower back, triceps, abs, calves)
FRIDAY - Yoga class
SATURDAY - Rest
SUNDAY - 30 minutes on the recumbent bike

Let's shift into photo recap mode to recap the week's highlights.

On Monday, I attended a Windy City Bloggers event on pairing wine and cheese, hosted by Cheeses of Europe. This event was right up my alley. I've long said that I think I was born on the wrong side of the Illinois-Wisconsin border since I love cheese so much!

Maggie wrote a terrific event recap, go check it out here for more details.

On Tuesday, my friend Jenny and I packed some picnic food and went to watch an outdoor showing of Grease at Millennium Park. What a classic! I'd forgotten how catchy the soundtrack is, not to mention how young John Travolta was at the time. The movie was by far the most crowded I'd ever seen the pavilion, as well as the biggest sing-a-long/dance-a-long party known to humankind.

"Well, this car is automatic. It's systematic. It's hyyyyyyyydromatic. Why, it's greased lightning!" 

I'd heard a lot about the Nike Training Club and had been wanting to check it out for a long time. On Wednesday, I finally made it to a class. Here's a picture of all the attendees:

I am in the second row, a little right of center, wearing the light blue shirt.

Over the weekend, I hit the equivalent of the Chicago Public Library lottery: the Field Museum pass was available for check out! The library's museum passes are extremely popular and it's nearly impossible to get them. Talk about getting lucky!

I hadn't been to the Field in several years, so it was a wonderful treat to visit. Here are some scenes from a few of the exhibits. The "Traveling the Pacific" exhibit is my favorite for its great showcases on the magical South Pacific.

Top L: Chicago/Beijing Panoramic Cutouts by Professor Qiao Xiaoguang
Middle L: Traveling the Pacific
Bottom L: Pacific Spirits
Top R: The Tsavo Lions
Middle R: Dinosaur Hall
Bottom R: Marae Gallery

Yesterday, the Windy City Bloggers hosted an outdoor picnic at Oz Park on Saturday. Check out the beautiful West Elm tablescapes and the yummy eats provided by Snap Kitchen:

I'd never heard of Oz Park before this day, and it was a fabulous discovery. The park is beautiful, large, and peaceful; has Emerald City references; and features statues of the various Wizard of Oz characters!

L: Lauren and me with Dorothy and Toto
C: The Scarecrow
R: The Tin Man
I didn't have time to find the Lion so I'll have to look for him next time!

On Saturday night, Adam and I went to dinner at Piccolo Sogno. I'd heard so much about their festive outdoor patio space, so I was excited to finally experience it in person.

Upper L: The enormous outdoor patio
Upper R: Adam getting ready to dig into his prosciutto pizza
Bottom L: Spaghetti Neri appetizer
Bottom R: Halibut al Forno

Meghan's husband, Mike, is a photographer and hosted an open studio party just a few blocks from my home. I hadn't seen Meghan in quite some time, so Adam and I stopped by after dinner yesterday. We marveled at Mike's spectacular work. Here is a sample:

Photo by Michael Schacht

This afternoon, Adam and I will be embarking on a Chicago Mash event, hosted by Brooklyn Brewery. We'll be doing the Pilsen Neighborhood Immersion, which is a nomadic party exploring Pilsen's local restaurants, bars, and shops. Pilsen is one of my favorite neighborhoods so this should be a blast! I will share more details afterwards.

Source

How has your week/weekend been? What plans do you have to take advantage of the last few weeks of summer?

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Linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap, and with Angela and Ilka for the Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup.

2016 BTN Big 10K race recap

Over the weekend, I completed my second running of the BTN Big 10K.

Let's go with the "good, bad, and ugly" format to recap.

THE GOOD

• In prior years, this race has been held at Soldier Field. This year it took place in Grant Park, which was great. Getting to/from the festivities was so much easier. 
• The new course was a spectacular, beautiful tour of the downtown Chicago lakefront area.

The familiar start line for Chicago's biggest races: Columbus and Monroe

• By August standards, the weather conditions were terrific. It was sunny with moderate humidity and temperatures in the mid-70s. By comparison, just a few days earlier the temperatures were in the upper 80s.
• The event emcee warned us that even though the weather felt comparatively cool, that conditions were still not ideal. He reminded us to still hydrate well and listen to our bodies. The advice was spot-on. 
• Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber was the grand marshal. He got a loud round of applause when he was announced.

From the ABC news broadcast later that morning

• By some miracle, I was assigned to Corral A. What a treat! The race started at 7:00 AM on the dot, and I crossed the starting line less than 30 seconds later.
• I already mentioned how much I like the race shirt. Additionally, each finisher got a medal adorned with a ribbon signifying the university of their choice. Very nice!

The Illinois medal collection area

• The post-race party is a giant tailgate, complete with grilled sausages, beer, and a Combine area where you could practice kicking a field goal, throwing a football, running a 40 yard dash, et al. Fun stuff!

Scenes from the post-race tailgate party

THE BAD

• No starting area map was provided and onsite signage wasn't very good. Since the course map showed the start line at Monroe and Columbus, I rode there on a Divvy bike. I ended up fighting through the massive crowds looking for gear check before learning it was all the way south on Congress (4 blocks away). Had I known this in advance, I could have Divvy'd to Congress directly.

• The course included every known hill in Grant Park. This included our good old friend Mt. Roosevelt (the infamous stretch between Michigan and Columbus, aka Mile 26 of the Chicago Marathon); the pedestrian underpasses leading to/from the museum campus; the inclines in front of the Field Museum; and a sudden and jolting transition from the lower path to the upper path near DuSable Harbor.
• My hamstrings were tight throughout the entire race, and my heart wasn't into the running at all. After about 2 miles, I was already ready to be done. I was wishing the race distance was only a 5K instead of a 10K.

• I didn't have any time goals other than to finish sub-60. Normally this wouldn't be difficult for me. However, I was feeling so lackluster, especially towards the end, that I wasn't sure if I could do it. I did end up squeaking it out in 59:47, but it took way more effort than anticipated.

THE UGLY

• The prerace portapotty lines were an unmitigated disaster. They were located near the later starting corrals, which weren't open yet. This meant the crowds were jammed onto the sidewalk and stretched all the way down the block. It was very difficult to walk through the area. (Thankfully, I knew of some park bathrooms a little ways away, which had no lines at all. This saved my life.)

Dramatization of what the lines looked like

• The gear check lines also left much to be desired. I don't think plastic lock tags were provided in advance (I had used a safety pin for mine), nor were any tags sitting out on race morning. Therefore, most participants were handing their bag and unfastened gear check number to the volunteers. The volunteers were adhering the numbers one by one while everyone in line stood and watched. It took an eternity. I don't know why they didn't just hand out tags to the folks in line to adhere themselves.
• I ran a very positive split. I think I ran every mile slower than the one before. I haven't even bothered to go back and review the exact numbers because I don't want to see how badly they degenerated.

IN CONCLUSION...

While the 10K made me realize I am still burnt out on racing, I did enjoy the gorgeous morning and beautiful scenery. Only a few races go through some of the streets this event covers, so this course was a treat. Plus, I always enjoy opportunities to exude my Illini pride with my fellow alum amidst our Big Ten counterparts.

My next race: (tentatively) The Great Race 10K in Pittsburgh on September 25

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Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

July 25 - August 7 recap and some coffee talk

Hello everyone! I'm linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap, and also with Coco, Deborah, and Lynda for the August edition of Coffee Talk.

First off, since I'm behind a week (again) in recapping my workouts, here is a summary of my last two weeks:

Week of July 25 - 31
MONDAY - Rest
TUESDAY - Yoga class, 20 minutes of strength training (legs, biceps, triceps)
WEDNESDAY - Zumba class
THURSDAY - Yoga class
FRIDAY - 10 minutes stationary cycling, 45 minutes strength training (full-body)
SATURDAY - Run 6 miles
SUNDAY - Rest

Week of August 1 - 7
MONDAY - Run 3 miles on treadmill, 25 minutes of strength work (upper body, abs/lower back)
TUESDAY - 15 minutes lower body strength work, yoga class
WEDNESDAY - Zumba class, Mobility 101 class
THURSDAY - Run 3 miles on treadmill, Strength Max class (abs, back, chest, biceps, squats, quads)
FRIDAY - Yoga class
SATURDAY - BTN Big 10K (full recap to come)
SUNDAY - Rest

From the BTN Big 10K post-race tailgate party

Here are a few things I'd share with you right now if we were catching up over coffee (or your choice of beverage):

Workout notes:

• In an attempt to mix up the routine, I tried the Mobility 101 and Strength Max classes last week (both are new offerings starting in August). Both were very helpful. 
• Mobility 101 covers dynamic stretching/strengthening methods to overcome physical imbalances. There, I learned that I have a much wider range of lateral motion on my right leg than my left leg. Yikes!!!
• In Strength Max, I started learning some weight-lifting methods that focus more strongly on contracting the muscles being worked, rather than physically moving the weights. I enjoyed this a lot because it feels like it generates more bang for the buck. Normally I sweat only moderately when I'm lifting, but this day I put my towel to excellent use!
• Remember how I said here that I was thinking about adding another half marathon to my race calendar in the fall? Yeah, that idea quickly got squashed over the weekend. When I was running the BTN Big 10K, I realized I'm not ready to jump back into racing again. Houston, we still have recovery work to do.

Everything else:

• In all the Olympic coverage, Rio's backdrop and landscapes look stunningly, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It is absolutely true that the Olympics are a way to showcase the host cities to the world. I know the TV cameras focus on the best highlights, but I have had Brazil on my to-visit list for a long time. Now I want to go even more.
• I've been mesmerized by the women's Olympic beach volleyball. Kerri Walsh Jennings is a force of nature! I want to be more like her.

• Due to an ever-present supply of bananas ripening faster than I can eat them, my kitchen has been a veritable factory of banana muffins and banana bread. This has been my go-to muffin recipe (minus the oatmeal-sugar topping). Last night I tried this recipe with good results.
• My best friend Vanitha will be working in Alaska from mid-August through mid-November! I'm trying to see if I can work out a time to go visit her there. I've only been to Alaska once by way of a cruise, so it would be fun to do a land-based trip.
• The day before yesterday, Adam and I caught The Peanuts Movie on TV. I haven't watched any of the Charlie Brown movies in at least 15 years, and I had forgotten how delightful they are. Snoopy and Woodstock are the cutest, most adorable characters, ever!