Chicago Chick

Running Away

Since 2004/2005ish I've attempted (off and on) to run.  I even joined the Chicago Area Runner's Associationbeginning runners program and for  while there was running 5Ks.  Okay, I was attempting to run 5Ks.  Still, I was doing them and even though my time wasn't great it was something that I never thought I would even attempt to do.

I signed up for the beginning runner's program again and yesterday was my first day back.  I missed the first week, but there are 6 more weeks ahead.  For anyone who lives in Chicago (or the Chicagoland area), you know that it was snowing like crazy last night.  There were a group of us running along the lake front last night while the wind was blowing and the snow was coming down.  We must have looked completely crazy but there were other runners out there who were not part of the training group happily running along.

Since it was only the 2nd week, we didn't run that much - maybe a mile and a half at most.  But, it was a great feeling to be out there and even more of an accomplishment for me because my intent was to just pick up my packet and go home.  I'm glad that I stayed.  I felt great during and even better after the run and it reminded me of how clear headed running makes me feel.  I may never be a fast or long distance runner and the most that I may ever run is a block, but it made me feel really REALLY good.  And, lately that is something that is in short supply for me.

Bubble Butt

I was on my way to Starbucks this morning and happened to glance at my reflection in a window.  I have really let myself go to pot.  I noticed that my butt was ginormous, which sadly isn't the worst of it.  I FEEL crappy too!

I realize that this time last year I was running and was signing up for at least one 5K per month.  I was running with CARA weekly and was running with my friend, Griff, an addition once or twice per week.  I wasn't in the best shape and I wasn't the best runner, but I was doing something.

With the "autistic scare" with Nick (February and March), putting the house on the market (March), all the real estate craziness (March through the present), and a new job (June) I have really not made any time for exercise.  I know that if I do work out regularly I will have more energy, but I don't so I'm constantly tired.  I don't eat right which is adds to the mess and then heap on a healthy helping of stress.

The announcement for this year's Nike run, the Rock N' Run came to my e-mail this morning and I checked the date.  It's the second week of July and sadly I won't be ready for it.  I have too much to do - the house, kids, new job, etc. - to participate.  The disappointment has made me realize that I really need to do something to take care of myself.  I'd like to start running again.

So, on my to do list for today, I am going to map out a schedule.  I need to do something to get rid of this bubble butt and to make myself feel better.

Failure to Launch

It was freezing last night!  You know what's coming.  I swear I packed my running stuff and I lugged it to work and I fully meant to do the fun run last night.  I was doing fine until I realized that I needed to get gas and went out into the freezing cold night air to fill up my tank on the way to the fun run.

I decided it wasn't a good idea to be running in sub zero weather (with the wind chill) if I had a difficult time getting out of my heated car with ALL my clothes and winter coat on.  I run warm, but I was so cold!  Usually, I fill up my tank but I couldn't sit out there long enough and my car is only part way full of gas.

To make up for not running I got up this morning and ran on the treadmill.  Granted it was slower than I hoped for and it was boring, but I did it.  I've been keeping track of my stats or lack thereof on BIM Active.  Here are my stats for today.  They're pretty bad, but I am proud that I actually got up to run.

The Pretty White Stuff

Last night it took me over an hour to get home.  Actually, it was really only a 35 minute commute which isn't bad at all.  The pretty snow added an extra 15 minutes to my commute so I can't complain.

I stopped off to get some Yak Trax because I'm planning on running this evening.  Yes, I know that it's crazy freezing out there but I signed up to be part of a weekly women's fun run at Universal Sole in December and have been waiting for it to begin.

I could just NOT go, but I've been very slack with my running meaning that I haven't run at all since the 1st week of February and before that I hadn't run since the 2nd week of January.  Running on a treadmill is just not fun so I thought that the weekly fun run would make me get my butt going.

This morning I packed for the run.  I packed A LOT of stuff because I don't know what I need to stay warm.  Yeah, there's the Patagonia base layers and all that, but I get warm so easily.  Truth be told, I am a little excited and hope it doesn't get canceled.

Stay tuned, I will try to post tonight and let you know how it went (or didn't go).

It's Official!

I've signed up for my first 5Ks for 2007.  I guess this means that I need to stop hitting snooze on my alarm and actually get up and run.  The dates may seem pretty far in the future, but it's amazing how quickly the weeks and months go by.

The 2006 season started off pretty well, but ended very badly.  I missed 3 runs that I signed up for - one because I was sick; and 2 others because I didn't train.  Well, at least the money I paid for the runs went to good causes.  In hindsight I really wish that I had not missed the 2 others.  I mean, I could have walked the 3.1 miles.

So, this year I signed up for runs further out.  The first 5K that I have is the Ravenswood Run which benefits the Ravenswood Food Pantry.

The run isn't until the end of April, but if I don't get going soon I will never be ready.  The second run that I signed up for is the Women's Run which benefits a women's lung organization.  The 2006 Women's Run is the first 5K that I ever ran.  It was hot and humid and nasty.  I had a terrible time, but it was the run that started all this 5K craziness.

So, it's official - I'm signed up for my first 5Ks for 2007.  I fully intend on running and training for these.  I have no excuses.

Dirty Little Secret

I have a secret.  Actually, it isn't such a secret.  I love Christmas - but that isn't my secret.  My secret is that I have a really hard time waiting for Christmas to open my Christmas presents.

When I was little, I would stay up until midnight on Christmas eve and when the clock hit 12:00 I would wake my parents up and drag them downstairs to open presents.  I should say that my siblings and I would wake my parents up and drag them downstairs.  I was a good kid and didn't move the clock forward or anything so it REALLY was Christmas when we opened presents.

My parents were really good sports and I think that they probably pretended to be sleeping when chaos ensued.  Ma would make coffee and usually Da, who had just come home from work, would be sitting on the couch in his pajamas watching us and smiling.  Funny how it seemed like life was so much more fun and simple when we were younger and had less money.

But, to this day I have a hard time waiting for Christmas to come to open my presents.  I'm older now and it's harder because I am the one that wraps the presents in my house.  I'm also the one who buys the presents so I end up buying my own and slapping David's or one of the kid's names on the From side of the tag.  Yeah I know it's sad, but true.

This year, the boys bought me a new iPod Shuffle for Christmas.  It's even engraved, but the stupid elf (that would be me) who wrote the nice Apple people put 2005 on the inscription instead of 2006.

So, it's like more than 2 weeks away from Christmas and already I've put new running songs on the thing and am getting ready to use it for my run this morning.  The sad thing is that after I use it or load it with songs, I put it back in it's package and even put the sticker seal on it.  It's a good thing I didn't actually WRAP it yet!

Starting Over - AGAIN

I haven't been running at all since last Sunday.  I didn't get up early enough this morning to make it out and when I did finally get up, Nick and Alex had haircut appointments to get to.  It's amazing how exhausting it is to get the little ones' hair cut.  There's the scramble to pack up and get loaded into the car and then driving over to the place and trying to find parking.

I must be stupid because I was surprised at how crowded the place was once we got there and it was only 10:00 am.  Then there was the crying and screaming.  I swear, you'd think we were taking Nick to have his fingernails pulled out.  Alex just squirmed a little, but he blew kisses to Dana, who was cutting his hair.  Still, by the time we all got home (30 minutes later), I was EXHAUSTED!

Sorry - I lapsed into "Mommy Mode" which I try not to.  After all, the kids have their own site.  Okay, so running.  By 3:00 I had finally decided to get my shoes on and go for a run.  I wasn't looking forward to it after the string of miserable runs that I've been having.  But, I kept hearing "How'd you get so big?" in my head over and over and over.

David decided to hijack my run and wanted to run for a minute and walk for 5 minutes.  I figured that since my runs weren't going so well, that there would be no harm in that.  So, after another 45 minutes of getting everyone dressed and into the stroller we started off.  And, guess what?  I actually enjoyed it.  I didn't mind that a minute run seemed so easy and instead I think it gave me a little boost of confidence.  I actually feel good about running again - so much so that I am planning on going out (by myself) tomorrow.

Maybe a Change in Thinking is Necessary

Today was the Trick or Treat Trot.  I tried something new today and decided to run the 5K with my iPod.  In the end, it wasn't that great of an idea only because I also had a neck gaiter and my inhaler as well as a not for jogging set of headphones.

Did I finish?  Yes, I finished but I wasn't happy with my time.  I compared it with my other 5K times this past season and even though it's better it doesn't really show the kind of improvement I'd like.  I know that I tend to put unreasonable expectations on myself, but would it be too much to ask to move beyond 40 minutes?

The time I posted for this 5K was better than the last 5K that I did, but it wasn't as good as an earlier 5K that I did.  After kicking myself for an hour, I realized that maybe I just need to take a step back and change the way I think about this running thing.

A year ago I wouldn't have even thought of running a 5K - okay, so I was pregnant a year ago, but if I wasn't I probably wouldn't have thought of running one.  I think I've also gotten a bit caught up in the time thing.  The person that I run with has shown terrific improvement, but we're different people.  True, I need to be more regular about running and I have to realize that I am probably not going to be a fast runner.

The whole point of even starting to run was to lose weight and to become more healthy.  I think I've taken steps towards the healthy goal.  It's going to take more than just running to accomplish my weight goal.  So there are lots of moving pieces and hopefully I will find the key to losing weight and getting healthy as well as enjoying running.

For now, I will just enjoy the fact that I participated in a 5K and I ran some of it.  The trick to all of this is to just keep going.

Because I Like to Torture Myself

Yesterday I took the day off to recover from the Chicago Marathon.  I ended up not being as sore as I thought I would and got up early to run errands.  By 1:00 in the afternoon, I had completed all my errands and even took a little nap with Nicholas.

And, because I thought that walking a marathon wasn't enough to make me sore I decided to run at around 4:00 pm.  I was going at a descent clip and planned on running 14 minutes then walking 1 minute - lather, rinse, and repeat.  So, it would have been 30 minutes of "running".

Unfortunately, it was pretty cold outside and although I had 2 layers on and a pair of gloves, my breathing was all out of whack!  I took my inhaler and I've been good about taking my asthma medicine, but the cold air seemed to freeze my lungs.  I was only able to run 3 minutes straight before I started wheezing.

I walked/ran as much as I could but by the time I got back home, I was so pissed off and discouraged.  Okay, I cried for like a few moments before I could pull myself together to get upstairs.  Nobody likes a crybaby.  Not to be discouraged, I purchased a neck gaiter and planned to run (again) today.  But, I'm tired and decided against it.

Tomorrow is a CARA session, so if I can extract my head out of my butt in time for tomorrow I am hoping for a descent run.

Another Race Gone Wrong

Yesterday I was supposed to do a 5K walk with my friend, D.  It was a beautiful day for a walk.  The sun was shining, it was a bit cool but still a gorgeous fall day.  I think we walked all of a block of the 5K.

D turns to me and says, "I think I'm good for a mile.  You wouldn't have to twist my arm to stop.".  Then, one of our old friends was out taking pictures and he spotted us and said 'Hi'.  That was pretty much all the incentive I needed to quit.  I know it's shameful and it was JUST A WALK.  We'd probably walked a mile to and from the car so it wasn't a big deal.  For whatever reason, I just wasn't feeling it.

So, that would make it 3 races in a row that I either didn't complete or failed to do the entire route.  I can see a pattern and I am annoyed.  So, I've decided to take a step back and run slower and maybe for less time, but do it consistently.  Now that I've decided what to do, I just have to get my butt out on the path!

Hit a Wall Right Off the Bat

Tonight I ran with my CARA group and it was an easy run - 10 minute run with a 2 minute walk repeated twice.  Can I tell you that after 3 minutes I was tired.  It's so aggrevating!  I've been like this for the past 2 or 3 weeks and I'm frustrated.  It's like I hit a wall before I ever hit the road.

But now I cannot figure a way out of this rut that I've become stuck in.  I guess I wouldn't be so upset if I felt that I made some progress, but I really don't think that I have.  I mean, I just started this running thing.  Yes, there was a time when running 5 mintues was an accomplishment but to be at the end of the summer and start to slip backwards is really depressing. Not sure how to "unstick" myself.

Maybe if I knew what was bothering me or what was preventing me from going forward I could do something about it.  I just don't know what it is.

Marriage is Affecting My Running

There are some people whose husbands and children love to do the same things as they do.  You know the type - you see them on the lakefront running along with their tandem baby strollers with big smiles on their faces.

I, unfortunately, do not have one of those husbands.  The kids,well, that remains to be seen.  But, if I have it my way, they will be trailing after me - or me after them when they're old enough to run along the lakefront.  Today was the Bucktown 5K which was supposed to be my first 5K of the year.  Thankfully, my friend Julie talked me into doing the Women's Run 5K in July so this wasn't my first.

But I digress.  I told David that we would have to be there early to pick up our timing chips and that there would be no parking.  For God's Sakes - we live a little over a mile away from the starting line!  But, did he listen to me?  Of course not!  He got up early and had to make himself a chocolate chip pancake breakfast.  I was eating a banana and running around the house getting the kids dressed and ready to go. 

Okay, so he fed the toddler but I fed the baby and changed both their clothes.  I wanted to be on site picking up our timing chips by 7:45ish.  But, instead David decided to drive and thought that leaving at 7:30 would get us there.  And yes we were there at 7:45ish.  But WE WERE DRIVING BY THE STARING LINE!  Nevermind that we weren't parked; that the stroller still had to be assembled; or that the kids still needed to be put into the stroller.

In the end David found a parking space and we were on our way to the starting line by 8:25 am when the start of the race was 8:30.  I was good and pissed off and ready to go back home.  Mentally, I wasn't ready to run.  All I could think about was how David never seemed to support me in my physical endeavors.  Like how it was a struggle to get him to come to the gym with me or how he didn't want to participate in any physical activity I wanted to do.  To get him to even come to a running event and meet me at the finish line is like pulling teeth.

I won't even go into how before we were married we agreed to each pick an activity and BOTH of us would participate in it.  Can I tell you - I took 2 stained glass classes (BORING after the 1st one) and he has yet to take any photography classes or sign up for any walking or running activity save today's 5K.  I suppose that I should just leave it be.  Our interests are as different as night and day.  David thinks an activity is not a sport unless there is water associated with it or unless there is a motor attached to it.

So the solution?  Get divorced?  Quit running?  Nah, today I have learned my lesson.  There will be no more family 5Ks - at least until the boys are old enough to run with me.  Daddy can sit inside and eat chocolate chip pancakes until he bursts.

5K Drop Out

So the "Race for the Cure" 5K run was this past Saturday.  I was registered but I didn't run - partly becvause I was sick and partly because for some reason I just didn't want to.  I know that I signed up to run and I paid the registration fee - which went to a good cause by the way.  But, lately I've been pretty bad with my running.

It seems as though I've hit a wall and not the proverbial wall that they talk about during marathon running.  I feel as though my head is blocked and it's getting in the way of me progressing as a runner.  I use the term "runner" liberally since I don't really run but rather waddle along.  Still, I was proud that I signed up for the CARA running program and have stuck to it. 

I can run for 10 minutes straight which is a huge accomplishment since before I joined I had trouble running for 3 minutes straight.  This session, I am signed up to run for 30 minutes straight.  I've fallen in love with the fact that I can run and that I look forward to those Wednesday night runs with my group. 

Still, I'm feeling blocked and I'm scared to death of not being able to keep up.  I know that I'm probably over thinking all of this because anyone can run.  What's the big deal - you put one foot in front of the other and keep going.