in training

Bike Ride #1

Ok, so my PT trainer said not to worry about the knee, I'm progressing nicely and it didn't sound like the pain was anything to worry about.  I said "just a small setback than", and she said, "No, not a setback at all, you're on a comeback."  So I will go for another run tomorrow morning, at the latest.

THIS morning I went for a bike ride.  I wanted to get it out the way, I was all nervous about riding straight from the house over to the lakefront (cars, city biking, etc...), but I did it, and even managed to sneak out under the arm of Jada, who woke up at 3am and seemed to know something was up...'mommy wants to leave the house without me?!?!?!'

Date/Time:  July 28 at 5:40am

Distance:  8.18 miles (according to my Garmin)

Time It Took: 54:25

Avg MPH: 9.0 (I don't know what this really means, but it seems pretty slow)

Thoughts/Comments:  Hmmm, I guess I thought that I would be much faster, or at least TWICE as fast as my running, which would have landed me at 10mph, but whatever.  This includes waiting at a few traffic lights and grabbing a drink of water at a water fountain.

I started out at my house at 69th near Stony Island, then rode about 2.5 miles over to the lakefront, taking the long way around the Museum of Science and Industry.  (Pretty, isn't it?)

Then I went north on the lakefront path to about 47th Street.  There I turned around and took a slightly different route headed back, going around Promonory Point, then instead of going back by the Museum, I kept going south to Marquette (66th Street).  I then hit Jeffery, went east on 67th and made my way back to Stony Island.  I felt all cool and biker-chic like except when I was passed by REAL cyclists who were going all fast and wearing their cycling gear.

So let me see, my goal for the month of August, in addition to running, is to bike 75 miles.  I think that's doable. That's about 9 rides like I did this morning.  Totally doable. 

More on that knee

ok so I was all excited about my pending "long" run of 6 miles or so for Sunday.  But then Saturday as the day progressed, my knee starrted hurting again.  It felt better when I went out biking, but then was hurting some more.  So I figured I'd hold off on the run.  I will try to run tomorrow morning.  Tonight I'm going biking again with the girls and the bike trailer.

  This is it.  If there's any chance of me running the marathon in October, I've got to start being able to ramp up in the miles NOW.

Run #71 Plans change sometimes...roll with it

Date/Time:  July 25th  at 5:15pm

Place: treadmill in my humid exercise room

Mileage: 3 miles

Time It Took: 34:48

Pace: 11:36

Miles this week: 6

Miles this month: 12.96 

2008 Goal:  419.93/1000 miles

Thoughts/Comments:  OK, I don't even feel like getting into it, but let's just say I didn't make it over to the lakefront, in fact, I almost didn't make it off the Dan Ryan Expressway with my feeble car this morning.  (Fridays me and the girls take that route to count the number of trains (el and metra) that we see, the more the merrier)...anyway, long story short, two different mechanics, and one movie later, I was running on the treadmill daydreaming about Christian Bale and running, while dear hubby went to get the girls in his car.  I couldn't think of one good reason why Christian Bale wouldn't cheer me on while I'm running on the treadmill. 

"Long" run will have to wait til Sunday morning.

tough to watch

Maybe you saw this last fall when it happened.  HS Cross Country in Ohio, where this girl, who'd had a sore leg for a few weeks, well it ended up breaking in several places right at the end of this race.  And she still finished the race.

I'm leaving to find myself

So tomorrow I have the day off.    After I drop the girls off at daycare, I'm going to drive on over to Old Town/Lincoln Park area, find me a parking spot and then head over to the lakefront running path.  Why there?  That is where ALL (ok MOST) of my long training runs started from last year.  (Ok let's not get technical, b/c a number of the the CES runs started from Montrose Harbor)...but anyway, I want to re-visit that serene area of the path, that western part that winds around by St. Joe's Hospital, meets back up with the eastern part at that section near Belmont Harbor where runners and cyclists mix it up, yelling at each other to "WATCH IT".  I want to--if I make it that far--see the totem pole.  I feel that will do my spirit some good.  I already feel peaceful just thinking about it.  I'll let you know if I find my running spirit.

Awwww!

Ok, I "lurk" on quite a few blogs, just watching, reading and never saying a thing.  I don't think I've posted here, but I really liked this story she posted today, I mean really, how cute is that:

from RAMBLINGS OF A RUNNING ADDICT:

A few weeks ago I posted about Hubs and I runnerversary, but today is the real deal. Hint hint nudge nudge Hubs. ;)

I do have a funny, running-related story to share about my wedding day. The morning of my wedding I woke up early enough to go for a run. Hubs and I were married in the Muskoka area in Ontario, so the scenery is beautiful and it was a great chance to clear my mind before the big day. I was running along, when I saw a figure running down the road in the opposite direction. Yup, it was Hubs. Apparently he got up early for an early morning jog as well. We both blocked our peripheral vision with our hands (Hubs is superstitious about these things) but wished each other good morning and jogged in opposite directions.

Anyway I am on my way to Vermont tomorrow, and yes the Depends are packed as well Nitmos!

Thanks for reading!

The Chicago Distance Classic-How to ruin a perfect race

I am sooo ANGRY!    They TOTALLY changed the course of the Chicago Distance Classic (CDC), which until today, July 23rd at 10:45 am, was my favorite race in the city.  EVerything that made it different about the other half marathon, known as the Chicago Half Marathon (CHM) has been erased, barring the medal...and that might change too, since the CHM has been sold to a new company, thereby ridding this race of its shady owner known for his shenanigans and crappy race goings-on in the running world.  Maybe the CHM will have a medal that looks less like it came out of a crackerjack box!  One can only hope!  (Anyway, that's another interesting story, be sure to read here and here--after you finish reading my post, of course!)

I'm so mad...no more downtown running, no nice mix of downtown AND lakefront running, which was part of the magic of the CDC...it's ALL lakefront, which, my friends, if the course is on the actual Drive (Lakeshore Drive for you non-Chicagoans) like the CHM, it's ALL FRIKKIN CONCRETE with is a bitch-and-a-half to run on!  And on an August morning, BAKING FRIKKIN HOT and not a tree in site until you're on the actual path.  It's gonna be like "Oh, bye-bye Grant Park!  LaLaLaLa, oh what a nice day for a....DAAAAANG that morning sun is sizzling hot and bouncing up off the concrete somethin' fierce!"

In past blog entries I've described my love affair with the CDC and the awesomeness of the course.  I mean, what could be more awesome, on a hot summer morning, to run the first mile or so on the same course of the Chicago Marathon that you will be running in two months later?  How cool is it to run under the shade of the el tracks for another few miles, down the middle of a downtown street where on a regular day you'd be hit by three buses, five taxis, and maybe a bike messenger or two???  So you mean I have to wait til the Shamrock Shuffle to run under the el tracks again????  When the awesomeness factor is not as great  b/c you're doding rain or snowmelt dripping down b/c it's frikkin March?

JOHN BINGHAM I've totally respected you, tried to look past the missing Gatorade at Mile 8 last year...tried not to bug out when I didn't get my icy CDC towel at the finish line b/c you all ran out...IN A RACE BILLED FOR PENGUIN RUNNERS?  WTF?!?!  But to finalize the course with a completely different route less than three weeks away from the race? TWO THUMBS DOWN, swaying my arms loudly while booing like a maniac!  That is ROTTEN.  My desire to try and run this despite not having decent mileage over the last month due to my knee issue has gone down a few pegs.

I mean, for real...if the only thing different about the CDC and the CHM is the start/finish being on opposite ends of the drive, then why wouldn't most normal people just do the one in September when you have a better chance of good weather, and as a nice "stepdown" in mileage the weekend before your 20-miler run?    And further...when Runners World named the CHM as one of the best half marathons in the country, everyone I knew was like HA, CDC is way better-and for a multitude of reasons STARTING WITH THE COURSE.  It was like Chicago runners' dirty little secret...but caving in to this bs notion that the a whole frikkin half marathon should be on the lakefront means that you, John Bingham, must have agreed with this notion of the other half marathon being better.  The CDC had better step up their game with the course issues they had last year, or the CDC will fade into mediocrity.

BOO!!! 

My girl Lou feels the SAAAAAAAME way!

Run #70 It's not easy

Date/Time:  July 22nd at 6:15am

Place: treadmill in my humid exercise room

Mileage: 3 miles

Time It Took: 35:55, which includes a 2 minute walking break

Pace: 11:58

Miles this week: 3

Miles this month: 9.96 

2008 Goal:  416.93/1000 miles

Thoughts/Comments:  I woke up late, woke up to Jada telling me she couldn't sleep anymore.  So I did what any good mommy runner would do and gave her some chocolate milk, turned on the tv, and ran on the treadmill instead of using the whole thing as an excuse not to run.    It was really tough...now my knee wasn't hurting at all, I'm just so tired and feel so out of shape!  It's hard to believe what you can lose in a month!    Well, it's after 7 now and I"m icing my knee, just to be safe.  I'd better get going!!!

Why can't I eat like this everyday?

Here's what I've eaten so far today, btw, I'm hungry-on-a-rampage, does that have something to do with my starting up running again?  (she shrugs...but tomorrow is weigh-in day. )

Breakfast:  yogurt, 1 c. strawberries, 1/2 cup fiber one cereal, all mixed together

Lunch:  grilled portabello mushroom and sliced onions (leftovers) with a slice of cheese on a hi-fiber bun; pear

Snack:  fiber one Oats-n-Chocolate bar