Ultimate Coffee Date - March

Today I am doing an inaugural link-up with "The Ultimate Coffee Date" hosted by Coco, Deborah, and Lynda. (The linkup is actually tomorrow, but I'm posting a day early.)

The premise behind this link-up is: "If we were having coffee together, I would tell you..."

Side note: I don't actually drink coffee! Usually water is my beverage of choice, but I wasn't sure about using "Ultimate Water Date" as a blog headline. So we'll just stick with "coffee date" on a colloquial basis.

If we were having [insert beverage of choice here] together, I would tell you: 

Tomorrow Adam and I are taking a pasta making class. The students get to dine on their own creations at the end (always my favorite part). I will put forth a valiant attempt to not go overboard and stuff myself into oblivion. It's too bad that Rock N Roll DC is next Saturday instead of this Sunday, otherwise it would have been a perfect way to carb-load.

This Sunday, my friend Katie and I are going to see the Blackhawks play the Rangers at the UC. I could easily write a full separate post (or even a full separate blog) about the Hawks. But in short, I can't wait to see some of the new lineup additions in action. I'm looking forward to the team's momentum swinging heavily in the right direction starting RIGHT NOW (that was an Edzo reference, for all of you diehards). Also, in honor of St. Patrick's Day this month, Katie is going to be wearing her new green Oduya jersey. Rock on!

Green warm-ups for St. Patrick's Day in 2014 (Source)
I don't think it's a coincidence that the picture includes both Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane!

Would you believe that Adam has never seen The Sound of Music? I've been meaning to remedy that for quite some time. When the Oscars were on a few weeks ago, we happened to flip over just in time to see Lady Gaga's amazing tribute. That was the kick in the tush that I needed to spurn myself into action. Thanks to the magic of the Chicago Public Library, I currently have a copy of the movie on hold to be checked out!

On the race front, I am thinking more and more strongly about officially signing up for the Rock N Roll races in Vancouver and Las Vegas. I am really craving a visit to Vancouver and the chance to run along the Pacific Ocean and the mountains. Other than some business trips about ten years ago, I haven't been there since I was a young teenager. Additionally, Rock N Roll Montreal still remains high on the list. It would be nice to take advantage of visiting Canada while the foreign exchange rate is the most favorable it's been in about 10 years. O Canada...

I love the RnR Vancouver medal from last year.

I'm currently experimenting with tweaking my blogging philosophy. In lieu of going long periods of time in blog silence, I am testing out writing shorter but more frequent posts. Blogging is a hobby for me and will always be based on time permitting. However, the shorter posts are less daunting to put together (and I suspect they are easier to read, too). I'm also trying out the strategy of writing up a bunch of posts over the weekend, then scheduling them to publish during the week. We'll see how things go. Any thoughts?

And with that...

Happy Friday, everyone! I'd love to hear your "coffee talk" updates and/or your plans for this weekend!

The great indoors

I must admit, as boring as the treadmill can be, it definitely does have some pluses over running outdoors. Of course, the most obvious advantages include being shielded from extreme weather, unsafe terrain, or personal safety concerns. Additionally, here are other things I like about the mill:

Not having to carry anything
I can be quite the pack mule when I'm doing long runs outdoors. At any given point, I might be carrying GU, Kleenex, lip balm, phone, headphones, keys, water, and salt capsules, plus wearing sunglasses, running belt, Road ID and Garmin. In the wintertime, add gloves and hat and all the cold weather gear, etc.

Comparatively, on the treadmill, I can just put everything in the console or on the floor next to me. It's very freeing!!!

Facilities in close range
It's always nice to have the bathroom and water coolers/fountains right at hand near the treadmill. Some of my most miserable outdoor runs have been due to needing either a restroom or hydration refill, but not knowing where to find them!

On your mark, get set, GO!
One of my biggest frustrations with my Garmin is how long it takes to load up. When you're pressed for time and rearing to get moving, there is nothing more annoying than watching the progress bar get to 99%, only to drop back down again.

I like how with the treadmill, you just hop on, make a few selections, and hit the Start button. BAM! No muss, no fuss!

Reliable pace/distance measurements
My Garmin's distance measurements have been WAY off in the past.

Plus, my Garmin only shows average current-mile pace, instead of the actual current pace that most treadmills can display. This makes it more difficult to nail tempo workouts or mile splits.

In general, I consider the treadmill's analytics to be much more accurate than my Garmin. I find it a lot easier to measure speedwork on a treadmill than outdoors.

Customizing the course
Chicago is very flat, so it's hard to do any kind of hill work here. This is about as good as it gets:

I consider the treadmill's incline function to be the only way to do any real hill training here. It's convenient to be able to set exactly when and how much of an incline you want to attempt. The possibilities are endless.

Now, how often I actually choose to practice inclines on the treadmill is another story. "Possibilities" is the operative word here. =D

Post race eats and my namesake burger

Today I am linking up with Patty, Erika, and April for (a Wednesday edition of) Tuesdays on the Run.

This week's topic: Post race food!

In a flashback to high school English class, I will start by sharing a quote:

"The human being is a bag into which to put food." - George Orwell

This sums up my philosophy on eating in general.

When it comes to post-race food, however, things are a little different for me. My standard go-to foods post race are pretty bland: a banana, water, maybe some sports drink, and any kind of sports bar. This is because I frequently don't have much of an appetite after a tough race.

That aside, here are some of the less-standard offerings that I've enjoyed when I DID have the appetite:

• Rock N Roll Chicago gave out fruit smoothies and chocolate milk. 
• Esprit de She had coconut water. 
• ZOOMA Chicago gave out sandwiches
• RunDisney has little food boxes with hummus, crackers, cheese, and other little food samples.
• The Chicago Spring Half Marathon had a full breakfast spread with eggs, pancakes, potatoes, etc.
• The Illinois Half Marathon, 13.1 Chicago, and PAWS Run For Their Lives all had pizza!!! I am an equal opportunity pizza eater; however, 13.1 Chicago gets an even bigger thumbs up from me for having Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza.

Deep dish pizza... say no more!

Offerings that looked good but that I did not partake in:

• The Wisconsin Half Marathon serves brats
• The F^3 Half Marathon gave out hot chocolate

Comparatively, here are the typical post-race offerings that I always forgo:

• Pretzels
• Cookies, bagels, or any kind of baked goods
• Apples
• Granola bars
• Beer or wine (yes, I hear your collective gasps of horror. I acknowledge that I am an alien and a lucifer. I've been kicked out of the runner's union about a zillion times because of this.)

Moving on now from the foods immediately post-race to an hour or two afterwards. When it comes to my first MEAL after a race, my appetite is usually back with a vengeance and I usually crave something savory. Here are my favorite post-race meals:

1. Veggie omelette with cheese, plus some type of carb (e.g. pancakes, toast, potatoes). 
2. A turkey burger or a chicken burger.

It probably goes without saying that deep dish pizza used to be on the list (I wrote a whole post about it here). However, for caloric purposes, I am trying to cut back on how much deep dish I consume. (Here is my second acknowledgement of the day regarding my alien-ness and lucifer-nous.)

Going back to the topic of burgers. I've seen several instances where burgers were named after certain people. Here are some examples. Totally random, but I started thinking what I would want my namesake burger to be if given the opportunity to create one. 

Ooooh, the plot thickens!

After giving this way too much thought, here is what I came up with:

Turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, avocado, roasted red peppers, and provolone. Served with a side of fruit and a pickle.

YOUR TURN! Tell me what your namesake burger design would be!?!?!?

Treadmill PDR and a runfession

I'm running the Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon in less than two weeks. In preparation, I wanted to get one final double-digit training run under my belt. I could do it either this past weekend or this coming weekend. My preference was to finish it off this past weekend so that I could enjoy a nice 2-week mini-taper.

This past Saturday morning was the only time I had available for a long run. Unfortunately, when I woke up that morning, the temperature was a balmy negative two degrees Fahrenheit. Here was the day's prognosis:

Allrighty then. Thou shalt not do thy long run in thy conditions.

I had a decision to make: Should I delay the final long run until next weekend? Or should I grind it out on the treadmill?

I really wanted to get the run out of the way so it wouldn't be hanging over me for another week.

In general, I am not fond of the treadmill. I prefer to use it only during times of pure desperation. (Note that over the past few years, my threshold for what I consider "too cold to run outdoors" has been declining.)

Grind it out on the treadmill it was.

My previous treadmill distance record was 6.2 miles. As of this past Saturday, I have a new treadmill PDR: 10.3 miles! Way to tear it up, eh?

Why the odd distance of 10.3 miles? My goal is to run at least 750 miles during 2015. This averages out to 62.5 miles per month. Going into Saturday's run, I had logged 52.2 miles during the month of February. Since Sunday was March 1, I ran 10.3 in order to get to exactly 62.5 miles for February!

I ran 62.5 during the month of January, too. Perfectly on track.

Runfession time:
I actually felt good enough to do 11 or even 12 this past Saturday. But, I was feeling guilty for being that crazy treadmill commandeer-er.

There are two treadmills in my condo building's workout room, and both can be set for a maximum workout time of 60 minutes. My original plan was to do 60 minutes on one treadmill, then switch to the other one for a slight change of scenery.

Usually the workout room is pretty empty. At any given point, there are usually two people or less. But of course on this day, there was anywhere between three to six people, and the other treadmill was consistently occupied. So I ended up staying on the same treadmill for two hours. Terrible, I know!

I am waiting for the management office to issue a memo to the entire building now about considerate usage of the fitness machines, with my mugshot as the "Before" example.

At least I can say with absolute certainty that I have exactly ZERO intention of doing another double-digit treadmill run anytime soon.

Linking up with Marcia's Runfessions (a few days late):

Balancing on one leg

For years, I have been plagued with pain in my left piriformis while running. The discomfort was very stubborn. It seemed that despite plenty of stretching and hip-strengthening work, I could never fully rid myself of that tight soreness.

I had mentioned here that I had been trying single-leg squats so that one glute didn't compensate for the other. This was based on the recommendation of my PT.

I've tried some variations, as well. For example, I've been doing "squats into lunges." Description: Squat on your left leg with the right foot just touching the floor for balance. Move the right leg back into a lunge. Then, keeping your left leg in the squat, return your right leg back to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times and switch to the other leg. I try to do three sets of reps on each leg.

For the record, I'm not the most graceful when it comes to balancing on one leg.

I'm like that duck trying to fit in amongst a flock of flamingos
Source 

That aside, I have been running nearly pain-free these days! All the single-leg exercises have really paid off. Even during long runs, I have had almost no issue. Post-long run, my hips used to get so sore that I pretty much HAD to stretch before being able to continue with my day. But these days, I've been able to just shower and move on without a second thought. (Obviously it's always still better to stretch, of course.)

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop (both literally and figuratively). Knock on wood, it's been all good!

Hallelujah!!!

On that note, I am a believer in signs from the universe. For example, if I'm trying to eat some ice cream but can't get the package open, it's a sign that I shouldn't be eating it.

Well! Last night, I was thinking about effective the single-leg squats have been. Then, Agnes texted me with this:

Coincidence? I think not!

I am not a frequent participator in these types of challenges. However, I am going to give this one a try. With yesterday being March 1, I made that my "Day 1." It felt good to knock out my prescribed 50 for the day (I did 50 single-leg squats on each side).

I am sure it will be very tough to get to 250 squats by Day 30. But even if I don't get there, I will definitely embrace any motivation to keep the momentum rolling on hip strengthening exercises.

NO DIDDLY SQUATS HERE!!!

(I know, I know, bad joke...)

F^3 Lake Half Marathon race recap

Since I've been in major catch-up mode with blogging, I am FINALLY sharing my recap of the F^3 Lake Half Marathon that I ran on January 24. (I've been working on this in bits and pieces for weeks.)

After I officially registered for F^3, I spent the next several weeks quaking in apprehension, thinking, "What did I just get myself into?" However, Mother Nature blessed us with absolutely fantastic weather for race morning. It was sunny, the temperature was in the upper 30s, and there was almost no wind. For a late January race along Chicago's lakefront, I couldn't have asked for anything better! I was so relieved. Now that I didn't have to worry about the weather, I was so excited to enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

The nice weather actually made for some other challenges, though. All along, I was thinking that I'd need to wear a full arsenal of my best cold-weather gear. I wasn't sure what to wear for the warmer temps. I debated across a dozen combinations of what types of layers to wear. I finally just stuffed a bunch of options into my gear check bag.

The race started at a very comfortable 10:00 AM. Can I just say how much I love having this late of a start time? I didn't have to set my alarm, I was actually hungry for breakfast when I got up, and I had ample time to hydrate and then let nature run its course pre-race. Since we'd literally be running into lunchtime, I had a heartier breakfast than usual.

Adam dropped me off at Soldier Field at about 9:15. I went into the race headquarters at the United Club, which were SO NICE. It was a heated, carpeted, roomy indoor space with ample bathrooms; lots of tables, chairs, and couches; bars and TVs; indoor gear check; and plenty of room to stretch out. All of us F^3 runners were living large in that club.

Check out the mural of Chicago BEARS players behind the info desks.

I could already tell just from the walk in between the car and the building that I was overdressed. Therefore, I popped inside one of the bathrooms (almost no lines!) and changed things up. Then, I took care of my last minute gear prep and dropped my bag off at gear check.

The crowd began making its way to the starting line.

Runners packed inside the United Club

On the way, I ran into Pete, and then a few minutes later I saw Erica! It's always so great to run into friends at these races. It makes the events feel much more personal.

I emerged outside. Ahhh, sun and visible blue sky at the starting line!

After waiting about 15 minutes in my corral, I got underway with a loop around Soldier Field.

I was feeling good all around. I was so buoyed by the unexpectedly pleasant temperatures that my mind started running away with possible goals. I'd heard of many other folks who had PR'd or run very strong races at F^3. Even though I was not in peak training mode by any stretch of the imagination, I entertained the idea of trying to go for a PR.

The course was an out-and-back along the lakefront path. The path was not closed to the public, and usually races along the path are plagued by bikers and other non-race users jockeying for position. The relative solitude of the path this day was nice.

Near McCormick Place, I saw a familiar owl hat and did a double take. Sure enough, it was Xaarlin!!! What a wonderful surprise to see her! She jumped onto the course and ran with me for a a little bit. It was fabulous having her company and having the time to catch up with her. The first few miles flew by as a result.

Race runfie, courtesy of Xaarlin!

Xaarlin stepped off the course around Mile 4. Then it was on to my own devices to keep the pace going. I was reasonably on pace to attempt a PR, but I knew that I might be dealing with some headwind after the turnaround point.

The course turnaround point was at 63rd Street. The numbered streets are nice since they make it easy to count down the distance. =D

As I started seeing oncoming runners, I began looking for familiar faces. I saw Pete looking like he was in the zone, and exchanged a high-five with him. Then I saw Erica looking strong amongst a pack of runners, and shouted a hello to her. Later, I saw Kelly, who also looked like she was in the zone. I think I caught her off guard when I shouted hello. I was keeping an eye out for Lauren, who I knew was out there somewhere, but unfortunately I did not see her.

I think this picture was taken somewhere around Mile 6:

Rocking the obligatory race photo body spasm, sans gloves.

Volunteers were handing out miniature Clif Bars at the Mile 6/8 aid station. Such a treat! I elected to stick with my GU for fueling purposes, but I pocketed two of the Clif Bars for afterwards.

Close to 63rd Street, my right knee started hurting. This made me nervous. I thought, "I'm already near the turnaround point, I have to get back to the start line somehow." I tried to change my footstrike so that I was hitting more of my forefoot instead of my midfoot. That did seem to help. A mile or two later, the knee pain dissipated enough that I stopped worrying about it.

After the turnaround, I did indeed start feeling the effects of the headwind. I got cold enough that I put my gloves back on for the remainder of the race. I wasn't feeling terribly fatigued, but was not ready to attempt the negative split I would have needed to PR. I decided to just try to finish strong.

Approaching the finish line

My final chip time was 2:17:31. This will go down in the books for now as my fourth-best half marathon finish ever. Not bad!

The finisher medal, which also doubles as a bottle opener.

I had a great time running the F^3 Lake Half Marathon! It was very well-organized with enthusiastic volunteers and great swag (technical gloves and a beanie instead of the usual race shirt). The pre- and post-race set ups at the United Club in Soldier Field were such a luxury.

Folks talk about this race as a "badge of honor" race for good reason. I was petrified of what the day might bring, so I was extremely relieved to get away with taking the risk. Admittedly, I would probably only choose to run this race again via a last minute registration (aka having a better idea of the weather forecast). Weather risks aside, though, this was really an awesome event. What a terrific way to keep the training motivation high during the wintertime!

Thanks again to the folks at REM-Fit for sponsoring, to all the organizers and wonderful volunteers, and to Agnes for bringing me into the fold!

My next race: The Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon on March 14

Visiting New Orleans

Back in December, Adam and I spent a long weekend in New Orleans to celebrate his birthday. Several folks have asked about it, and I have been wanting to share more details on the trip for quite some time. Here we go (finally)!

PROLOGUE

I absolutely love the Big Easy. It is without question one of my favorite American cities. I can't say enough about the energetic and amazing spirit, atmosphere, and vibrancy that the city resonates from every corner. I also couldn't get enough of the music, the food, and most importantly the vivacious and friendly locals.

French Quarter
Source

This trip was actually the third time that I'd been to New Orleans. However, the first time I was there was for a work conference, and the second time was to embark/disembark on a cruise ship. This third visit was the first time that I feel like I really got to experience what New Orleans has to offer.

I barely even scratched the surface while I was there, of course. New Orleans certainly can't be fully experienced in just one weekend. It definitely requires repeat visits!

The symbolic Fleur de Lis
Source

With that, here is a summary of the weekend's sights/sounds/eats:

SIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES

Free Tours by Foot - This company offers guided walking tours where you determine how much to pay at the end based on how much you enjoyed the tour. Adam and I had a very nice French Quarter walking tour with a guide named Kathy Harrell. She was extremely knowledgeable and clearly enjoyed showing us around.

The company offers a good variety of tours to pick from. If time had permitted, I would have also liked to take their tour of the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetary. Next time!

Jackson Square

The French Quarter definitely needs no introduction. Instead of the famed Bourbon Street, I want to mention nearby Royal Street, which is loaded with cute shops, galleries, and restaurants. It also has some absolutely fantastic street performers. Many of the jazz artists are street performers by day, and music club performers by night. (I've got more to share about the street performers in my "Sounds" section below!)

New Orleans School of Cooking - One of my very favorite things to do while traveling to famed culinary destinations is to take a local cooking class. Adam and I learned how to make gumbo, jambalaya, and pralines. Then we stuffed ourselves with the finished products. (Time for me to loosen my belt a notch or two...)

Our instructor was as local to New Orleans as could be. This enhanced the experience even more! She took great pride in sharing with us the correct Southern pronunciations of the words 'praline' [prah-lean] and 'pecan' [puh-con]. =)

Chocolate "prah-leans" = yummy, yummy in any American accent!

French Market - Enormous open-air flea market with lots of local vendors selling anything from touristy souvenirs to hand-made jewelry, arts and crafts, and clothing. There are some great food stands to pick from, too. I love local markets like these. I bought a bunch of fun take-me-homes, including loads of gumbo mix!

Streetcars - Adam and I had some time to kill before dinner one night, and we were tired from walking around all day. Therefore, we decided to hop onto one of the streetcars just for the experience. We ended up riding the Canal Streetcar all the way to the Greenwood Cemetery, which was the end of the line.

In general, I think one of the best ways to experience a city's dynamics is to ride the public transportation - especially outside of the tourist areas. Indeed, this did not disappoint! It was also cool to see one of the famed above-ground cemeteries (built as such because New Orleans is below sea-level).

Historic New Orleans Collection Museum - Admittedly, Adam and I happened to walk by when it was raining, and ended up going in because they have free admission. It is a quaint restored house where you can learn about the history of New Orleans and Louisiana.

Mississippi Riverfront - Another sight that needs no further introduction!

The Natchez Riverboat cruising down the Mississippi

SOUNDS

Frenchman Street - Home to an amazing array of music venues. The night that Adam and I spent exploring Frenchman Street was my favorite experience from our entire visit. I always want to go where the locals go - and I've heard it said that Frenchman Street is "local" New Orleans (whereas Bourbon Street is "tourist" New Orleans).

We spent most of our Frenchman Street time hanging out at two venues - Maison and The Spotted Cat.

We saw a variety of bands of which I can't remember the names. However, I do remember one jazz singer that we saw at Maison named Sasha Masakowski. She is very, very talented.

In terms of other music venues, Adam and I also heard a lot about Preservation Hall, Fritzel's, and Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, but did not get a chance to check any of those out. Next time.

Preservation Hall.
Looks pretty unassuming from the outside, eh?

Speaking of local performers, New Orleans has by far the most amazing selection and quality of street performers that I've ever seen. Anytime I heard the strain of jazz notes or the sound of a gathered crowd, it was always completely worth the effort to find the source.

I saw one performer on Royal Street who really stood out to me. Her name is Doreen Ketchens and her clarinet-playing skills completely blew me away. Check out this video of her from YouTube:

Just amazing!

EATS

So much good food, so many good restaurants! New Orleans is definitely not a place to visit if you're trying to diet. =D

Court of Two Sisters - Historic restaurant with a gorgeous French courtyard. We had the Jazz Brunch, which was phenomenal. As the name implies, there were local live jazz performers and an unending array of local Creole cuisine. (This was another instance during which I had to loosen my belt a couple of notches afterwards. ;-) )

The courtyard at the Court of Two Sisters
Source

Johnny's Po Boys - The oldest family-owned po-boy joint in New Orleans. It's packed with locals, and the line goes all the way out the door and down the street. It's a cash-only, no-frills place with really good food. In short, this is exactly the type of place I love to seek out while traveling.

Cafe du Monde - Famous beignet and coffee shop. Apparently there is some debate amongst the locals regarding what place has the best beignets in New Orleans, with Cafe Beignet winning a lot of votes! But, I humbly consider Cafe du Monde to be the classic haunt.

At the Cafe du Monde Riverwalk location.
There was enough powdered sugar in the bag to kill three people.

Emeril's - Who could pass up the opportunity to go to Emeril's hometown restaurant? We went there for Adam's official birthday dinner and it was fantastic. Great service, great food, great atmosphere. To this day, I still dream of their banana cream pie...

Tomas Bistro - We were lucky enough to find this place on Groupon. You would never guess when you step inside that this place is a converted former factory! It's a very warm, cozy ambience, and the service and food were both terrific.

Tomas Bistro
Source

Cochon Butcher - This place drew rave reviews for their muffaletta, which was reputed to be the best in New Orleans. I am not a muffaletta aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, but indeed, their muffaletta was mouthwateringly delicious. I will also paraphrase a review I saw online about their peanut butter pie, which is that it is the best justification known to human kind for getting a gym membership.

Manning's - Classic man-cave-style sportsbar. For all you NFL fans, this is the namesake of Archie Manning (father of Peyton and Eli). Disclaimer: Adam and I stopped by to check it out, but did not actually dine there. We had full intentions of going there to watch a Steelers game. However, this place is popular, and on game day we didn't feel like staking out seats three hours in advance of kickoff.

Stadium seating at Manning's for the diehards
Source

EPILOGUE

As much as we did see and experience in the Big Easy, there was so much that time did not permit.

In the future, I want to check out the Garden District, Mardi Gras World, Magazine Street, Audobon Park, and a voodoo tour, among dozens of other things. There are also countless other museums, restaurants, music clubs, etc. to explore. Someday I hope to experience Mardi Gras in the Big Easy, too.

I will be back, New Orleans.

Until then...