So I have this friend from my college days, he's like this big time marathoner and he runs several organizations including a triathlon training program for underpriveleged youth, as well as owns a marathon & triathlon training program for adults, too. I joined the group primarily b/c they meet less than a mile from home AND the start times vary based on distance scheduled for that day. We even start just after 5am a few different times. AWESOME, that is PERFECT for me.
Anyway, they've already been training for a month, but I chose to join them at the end of this month, given my marathon and a few other races earlier on. This weekend they're just getting up to 7 miles. Aw, cute, huh? (Let me stop.) So I talked to him about my lead legs, overall tiredness, unenthusiastic-ness etc... He suggested that I might be overdoing it. "Overtraining" is the word he used. Take a break this week til Saturday. If you want (he says) bike those miles you would have run. Or not. Do what you feel like. (I don't think he meant go get a Portillo's Italian Beef and large cheese fries.) But he DID mean to take it easy this week. And no one has to tell me more than once to relax. Consider it DONE.
Yesterday it was 80 degrees. When I ran in the morning it was 70 degrees and 80% humidity. Today when i woke up it was 42 degrees. The expected high is 55.
Run #60 Beverly Area Planning Association's Ridge Run 5K -oh and if you're up to it, 10K
Date/Time: May 26th at 9:30am
Place: in the Beverly neighborhood, far south side, 70 degrees and 80% humidity ; I don't know how people in humid places ever run. It sucks.
Mileage: 3.1
Time It Took: 36:24 (official time)
Pace: 11:44
Miles this week: 3.1
Miles this month: 63.88
2008 Goal: 377.57/1000 miles
Thoughts/Comments: Oh man, I should have looked at the weather report before leaving the house! I was HOT. Steamy. And though I had on a short sleeve shirt, I had on long black running pants...I could've worn my capris or even shorts. It stormed all night and I guess the humidity stuck around. In a rare scene, I hit BOTH water tables during this 5K, and walked thru them. Afterwards, my friend Annah and I, who ran a 9:44 pace, guzzled two bottles of water, got some bananas and oranges, etc... sorry, not feeling chatty, just getting my race report in. It's been a long day.
So in my Soldier Field race report I mentioned that I met one of Lou's friends, Angela, whom I've known as simply '@" when mentioned in Lou's blog, plus reading her blog too. She's real cool, too. Well I also got to meet EP's very own Felecia, b/k/a thyckchyck. She was in town for a wedding that happened to be on Sunday, which means she had some free time on Saturday.
So after the Soldier Field 10-Mile, I went home, got ready for my day, got the girls ready (b/c God forbid my husband dare attempt to dress them or fix their hair). So me and the girls rode out to the burbs to pick her up.
Let me tell you, though I've never spoken to her before this weekend, she's is EXACTLY like she writes in her blogs! Bubbly personality, fun to be around, etc... We came back into Chicago, ate at Flat Top Grill near Oprah's studio, drove around to see the sites a bit, went by Garret's Popcorn, drove around some more, and that was our day. She took pictures, so I will enhance this post with some of them. Lazy me, I did bring my camera, but I figured that since its digital, I can just wait to get her pictures. I was trying to keep my girls corralled, they can be a challenge sometimes.
I love my babies, but sorta wish I could have left them with the hubby so we could REALLY hang out...but he had already given up his morning, and he had an appointment for work in the afternoon, and then went to go buy a lawnmower to take care of the forest in our backyard.
I'm writing this on Monday morning...soon I will head out to the crowning activity of my Memorial Day weekend, the RIdge Run 5K. My legs have been pretty stiff since Saturday. I'm not sure if it's going to rain. It stormed all night, the thunder was REALLY loud, it jarred me out of my sleep several times. Had Jada not already been sleeping next to me, those loud thunderclaps would have sent her running for sure. But I suppose since she was already next to me, her comfort level allowed her to sleep thru it. Zoe, on the other hand, has been in her bed since I returned her there around 11pm. Sigh.
Anyway, I hope I get the chance to hang out with Felecia again, she's lots of fun. I know she's gonna make this NYC dream of hers happen, so sooner or later I'll be out in ny again for a visit. I used to go all the time...when I could get tickets at a decent price. But now high price tickets x 3 (Jada and Zoe now are full price tickets), well, um...you do the math. Jada has been to NY 3 times in her short life, and Zoe, once. They love their "Auntie BiBi".
Subtitle: When the water hits it... (that's called foreshadowing)
Date/Time: May 24th at 7:30am
Place: Lakefront, actually ON Lake Shore Drive, the lakefront path, with a finish in "the bowels" of Soldier Field and out onto the field. (pretty awesome if you ask me)
Mileage: 10
Time It Took: 2:03:02 (official time)
Pace: 12:19
Miles this week: 20.09
Miles this month: 60.78
2008 Goal: 374.47/1000 miles
Thoughts/Comments: I think I might have hated every step of this run until the last half mile. I was dragging SERIOUSLY. At the beginning, I started out with Lou (running buddy from last year's training group) and her friend Angela, who I met for the first time today, but before today have known her as @. She and I have been reading each other's blogs. This was her first long distance run. At around 3.5 miles, I told them to go ahead, cuz I was tired and the pace was too much for me to keep up.
By around 5 miles at the turnaround point, I was spent. I was mad at running, wondering why the heck I thought I could be out there running. Maybe I'm trying to do too much after the marathon? Maybe I need a break? This is the most mileage I've done in a week for awhile, is THAT the problem? I peppered in a few walking breaks here and there and tried to keep as close a pace to 12:00 as possible.
By 8 miles I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to make up the time to meet even my simplest goal of 12:00 minute miles, I just had no energy level. At around 1:50 I looked at my watch...this was Lou and @'s goal time, I was sure they made it. When I got close to Soldier Field, which couldn't come soon enough, I saw a chic walking up ahead and someone telling her "Just a little bit further". Lo and behold, it was LOU! She was a sight for sore eyes. So we ran a bit, and she said she'd do one last walking stint before we reached the stadium. I wasn't the only one who had a tough run.
Once I hit the stadium, they were playing the Bears theme song. I ran in the concrete tunnels, wondering if this is where the Bears come out on the field (never been to a game). Then up ahead....I see the sunlight! I see green. As soon as I hit the grass, I ran as fast as I absolutely could, and passed a few people, which was cool. I looked back and saw Lou approaching the finish line, too. And the coolest surprise of all...we got medals! I wasn't even expecting a medal for this run, so that was cool.
I am somewhat disappointed about my time. But I didn't treat this run like I should have. I stayed up late, past 11:30...I ate crappy food for dinner last night (Chinese)...maybe I shouldn't have run 6 miles in that "semi-hilly" area of the path on Thursday (hilly in Chicago, not other places). I dunno...that sounds like a bunch of excuses, doesn't it? Maybe I just had a bad run...or at the very least, a not-so-good run.
And when I got home and hit the showers, ARGH!!!!!! CHAFING!!!!! Haven't had that in a long while. OUCH!!!!!!
Place: Lakefront, Lake Shore Drive @ 31st Street Beach (45 degrees-sometimes its colder by the lake.)
Mileage: 6
Time It Took: 1:09:30
Pace: 11:35
Miles this week: 10.09
Miles this month: 50.78
2008 Goal: 364.47/1000 miles
Thoughts/Comments: Not an enjoyable run. I really prefer running in the morning, but I could not pry my head from the pillow this morning. I did get to see a mama duck and her little ducklings, so that was nice. I was glad she didn't peck my eyes out, as I got pretty close on the lakefront path.
Next up, Soldier Field 10 Mile with the finish line ON THE FIELD where greats like Mike Ditka, Dick Butkis (sp?), Walter Payton and the good-looking Brian Urlacher have graced us with their presence.
Oh guess what? Felecia is coming to Chicago, so we have plans to get together on Saturday afternoon. I'll try to remember to take the camera along.
Run #57 When being negative is really a positive...
Date/Time: May 21st at 5:30 am
Place: Lakefront, Lake Shore Drive @ Hayes (50 degrees)
Mileage: 4.09
Time It Took: 45:52
Pace: 11:12
Miles this week: 4.09
Miles this month: 44.78
2008 Goal: 358.47/1000 miles
Thoughts/Comments: Nice run, I was feeling pretty good, a little tired at the end, but considering my mile splits, I’m fine with being a little tired. My Garmin reports that I ran a "negative split", meaning I ran the second half quicker than the first:
Mile 1:11:25
Mile 2:11:27
Mile 3:11:02
Mile 4:10:59
I mean, I’m no speed demon, but those splits are good for ME.I love running along the lakefront path on LSD, (Lake Shore Drive, not the drug ).Today there were TONS of people out, which is kinda surprised considering the time.The only thing that bothered me was seeing a dog in the middle of the drive.It was already dead.It made me sad, knowing that some family somewhere has lost their beloved pet.
Time It Took: 1:22:00 (forgot Garmin, so went by time on cell phone, so it was somewhere between 1 hour and 22 minutes to 23 minutes.
Pace: 11:42
Miles this week: 11.14
Miles this month: 40.69
2008 Goal: 354.38/1000 miles
Thoughts/Comments: Because I forgot my Garmin (stopwatch GPS), I had to pay attention to the mile markers that are up every half mile along the path. A few times I missed them because I was in the zone (or LaLa-land). All in all it was a decent run, but towards the end I was feeling really tired. I'm glad I did at least 7, b/c now I think I'm in good enough shape for the Soldier Field 10-Mile run next week. Could I have done 3 additional miles today? I suppose if I absoutely had to...
I plan to run on Tuesday and Thursday during the week, maybe a real short 2 miles on Friday, and then the race is on Saturday. Also, a friend of mine talked me into a 5K on Memorial Day. It's in this great neighborhood on the south side called "Beverly", and the homes are so freakin huge it makes your head explode. Ok, not really, but they're aboslutely, stunningly beautiful. Every time I'm in that neighborhood (which is every once in awhile b/c my cookie supply store is there), I sort of wish I had a different major in college! But then I remind myself, what did Biggie a/k/a Notorious B.I.G.(R.I.P) say? Mo' money, mo' problems! Anyway, so the run should be nice. So I signed up, and then AFTERWARDS my friend told me she's planning on walking it. I told her I'll see her at the finish line.
and not one Diet Pepsi. I'm very proud of myself. I'm past the point of craving them, but now starting to deal with the habits of particular times of day when a nice cold, fizzy one was in order. I can't go back, no I can't drink it in moderation. So far now, this is the only solution.
Thoughts/Comments: It's been tough getting going this week, I had originally planned to try to get back on a regular schedule, but I just couldn't get myself going in the mornings...but I made up for it this morning. Sunrise was 5:35, so I left the house at about 5:25 and drove over to the lakefront. It was perfect out, sun just above the horizon, new tunes on the iPod including one of my all-time favorites "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers, thus the title of this post.
Still felt a little sluggish, but I guess that's to be expected when I haven't run much since the marathon. This is just the 2nd time. Next week's 10-mile race might not be all that fun, but we'll see.
I think I'm behind on my 1000 miles goal (I'm sure I am, but I don't want to calculate to see exactly how far). Once marathon training ramps up to those ridiculous long run weeks, I will make up for it, so I'm not too worried about it.
; I don't know how people in humid places ever run. It sucks.
).