Video Inspiration

Haven't been to the Chicago Marathon site for awhile but found my way there tonight and came across this. I liked how the organizers handled the video; I was wondering how they were going to handle the heat debacle of '07 and glad they didn't ignore it. Helps me get excited (and motivated) for this year!

On a separate note, I came across this race bag and thought it would make a good Mother's Day gift. (hint, hint to anyone who might be buying me a Mother's Day gift on behalf on my 6-year-old and 4-year-old.)

Ow

My thigh muscles were still screaming from yesterday's 5k (I told you I was out of shape) but I ran five miles today because 1) the weather was beautiful and 2) I'm panicking about 10 miles on May 24. Need to get the miles in.

Now I really hurt. I have a feeling I'm going to be limping in to Monday morning's staff meeting.

Race Report: Chicago Police Run To Remember

My 4 year old wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and we bring her into our bed; I can't fall back asleep and for 28 minutes I lay in bed, trying to forget the fact that I have to pee, wanting to get up and pee but also not wanting to wake up our 3 month old puppy who sleeps in a crate next to our bed. If I make too much noise I know he'll want to go out and start the day. So, I lay in bed awake for 28 minutes because who can go back to sleep when you have to pee so bad?

Get dressed, have my toast and peanut butter, grab a Red Bull and off I go. Only 5 minutes behind schedule. You see -- and this will be important later on, so take note - - I hate to be late. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. It stresses me out, it freaks me out, I can't stand being late. Put it this way. Easiest way to give me a heart attack is to force me into a situation where I only have minutes to catch a plane.

So I breeze downtown from the suburbs and 40 minutes later, arrive at Soldier Field parking. The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has kindly arranged for free parking. It's about 7 a.m, the race starts at 8 and there are a lot of people on site, but also plenty of parking still available. I text cousin Kim, sister Jeanine and husband Mike to let them know I've arrived. I follow the crowd to Gold Star Memorial Park (which honors fallen Chicago Police officers) and see the race area. No lines for the porta potties and the sun is out, the sky is clear. Beautiful.

Kim sends me a text as she already picked up her chip and as I head over to Kim I call Jeanine.
Jeanine was kind enough to pick up my packet/bib so I didn't have to trek downtown the night before. It's about 45 minutes before race time and I'm starting to feel naked without my bib #.

So I call Jeanine:
Me: Where are you? (Really I'm asking, where's my bib?)
Jeanine: You're there already???!!!!! Are you the first one?
Me: No, a lot of people are here.
Jeanine: I mean other than volunteers.

See, this is the part that I forgot. While it was very cool of my sister to pick up my bib for me, I forgot that she is notoriously late. She can't stand being early. She considers it time wasted. So there she is driving somewhere still way too far north on Lake Shore Drive for a race that starts in 40 minutes, with my bib. Then I think, I hope she remembered to bring my bib. Organization is not really one of her strengths.

To be fair to Jeanine, I should say that while I consider her to be notoriously late, and at times, unprepared and disorganized, she would say that she considers me to be anal and bossy. I'm the oldest, can you tell?

Kim and I hang out, waiting for my bib (I mean Jeanine) and the race area starts getting busier and busier. I can't remember now how many times I called Jeanine on her cell to see where she was, (two or three) but I do remember thinking that my repeated calling was probably annoying the crap out of her and I didn't care.

By this time it's about 18 minutes before race time, Jeanine is not even in the parking garage yet so I figure I'll pick up our chips. I call her to ask her for the bib numbers, she gives them to me along with a mini heart attack because she's at 800 North. Still too far north for my comfort level. Kim and I head to the chip booth and the volunteer won't give me the chips without the bibs. Damn. I call Jeanine for a status update.

Me: WHERE ARE YOU?!
Jeanine: Is there only one level in this parking garage? I can't find a place to park!
Me (in my head): Arrrrgghhhhh!
Me (to Jeanine): They won't give me the chips without the bibs!
Can't remember exactly what Jeanine said at this point but I vaguely remember picking up a little panic in her voice. I don't know if she was starting to panic about missing the start of the race, or starting to panic that for the rest of her life I would be reminding her about how she made us both late for the start of the race.

I call Mike at home.

Mike: Hello?
Me: JEANINEISN'THEREYET
Mike: When do you start?
Me: FOURTEENMINUTESIGOTTAGO.

I call Jeanine again and she immediately picks up and says she's running. Seconds later, she's there. One quick stop at the porta pottie and off we go.

Race highlights (about time I get to the actual race, huh?)

• Chicago Police helicopter swoops by as runners start. Pretty cool.
• We start out by Soldier Field, past the Field Museum and head north along the lake. Great scenery on a fantastic running weather day.
• I realize about mile 1 that I started out way too fast.
• About mile 2 I wonder how I'm going to complete 10 miles at the Soldier Field 10 Mile in 20 days.
• The small incline near the Field Museum before Mile 3 just about kills me. I'm so out of shape.
• As we approach the finish line, the course is lined with pictures of Chicago Police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Very touching and I can't imagine how the familys here who have lost a cop in the family must feel.
• I finish, not a brag-worthy time (just over 38 minutes), but I finish nonetheless.
• After the race, Jeanine, Kim and I meet up (Jeanine and Kim finished well before me) and Jeanine and I find our retired Chicago cop dad's "brick" in front of the Police Memorial honoring him for 30 years of service.

Time to end an already long post so I will just say that while my sister and I are complete opposites, I love her dearly and if it wasn't for her, I would have never made it to the starting line for the 2007 Chicago Marathon.

20 days until 10 miles.

Updates and More Updates

1. Congratulations to my cousin and hero John who completed his last cancer treatment today!!!

2. Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's Run To Remember 5k is tomorrow. I am NOT expecting a brag-worthy time. The weather is supposed to suck. Race report to follow soon.

3. More heroes added to my hero list. Keep 'em coming. Goal is to collect names of 262 heroes to carry with me for 26.2 miles. You don't have to donate to the American Cancer Society to add a hero to the list (although it would be appreciated) and we don't have to know each other personally, just add names to the comment section and I'll add.

4. I quit Jenny Craig. Those who know me well know that this follows my typical pattern of embracing something with absolute gusto only to let my interest and dedication peter out . . .and quit. My friend Suzanne probably remembers "This Palm Pilot Will Save My Life" campaign circa 2001 only to discover that I hated the thing. A paper planner I remain. My husband knows my frequent "I am going to organize ALL of our cabinets . . .THIS WEEKEND!" campaigns. To this day one kitchen cabinet and one laundry room drawer is organized. After 19 years together, my husband is one thing I haven't quit, so I do know what's important :)

5. I joined Weight Watchers. Again. I mean re-joined. Again. Mike thinks they will think I have multiple personality disorder from my frequent joining and cancellations.

26 Days

Twenty-six days. Twenty-six days until the Soldier Field 10 Mile. I ran a couple of days this week, but not enough to be on a consistent training schedule. I have a training schedule, I just haven't been following it. It's not that I don't like running. . .even though I don't feel like it sometimes once I start I'm glad I did. Just been hard trying to fit it into life lately. I know, I know, you have to make time for it. I just haven't been that good at it lately.



But, with 26 days until the Soldier Field 10 Mile, panic is starting to set in. That's a good thing for me because I tend to become more focused with panic and a looming deadline.



On Saturday, I'm running the Chicago Police Run to Remember 5k. Not worried about that one although I would like to get a fairly decent time and not come in at the end of the pack. The Race has special meaning as my dad is a retired Chicago cop. My uncle is a retired Chicago cop and my cousin (and mile sponsor) Kevin is a homocide detective. So I guess you can say the Chicago Police is part of our family. So support the cops ok?



Speaking of support, thank you to my friend and co-worker Judy Anderson and her mom (and cancer survivor!) Heidi Liebig for their donations to the American Cancer Society. More motivation exactly when I need it!



Favorite Running Song: "Walking with a Ghost" Tegan and Sara

Not Good

Not a lot to say and none of it is good . . .

Gained 1.2 pounds at my JC weigh in.

That's what happens when I don't run and eat ice cream for dinner. Just one night, I was stressed out last week!

It's taken me awhile to realize, but I clearly have a pattern of dropping off the running schedule and piling on the eating when I'm stressed out. Need to get that into check . . .

Expect to be back within the next day or two with some running activity on the boards.

In the meantime, go ahead and read some poetry from my husband. Yes, poetry. (He's not too thrilled about it.)

Hello Again

Been awhile since I've posted. Crazy busy at work, so instead of blogging and reading other blogs after the kids are in bed, I've been on work email. So, a couple of updates:

Down 4.6 pounds my first week at Jenny Craig. Not bad.

Been running, although not as much as I would like (of course) Last run was a lot better than the miserable 3 miler I had time before that.

Somehow spent $60 on sushi tonight. Yes, $60. I realize sushi isn't a cheap dinner but geez, this wasn't even a dinner out with friends. Between the cell phone connection and my 6 year old begging for a Happy Meal and the waitress' heavy accent and trying not to get in an accident on the road, I ordered the wrong thing and ended up with $60 worth of sushi. For one.

I'm not sure which will come first . . . Mike checking the bank account online and noticing that I spent $60 on sushi . . .or Mike checking this blog entry and reading that I spent $60 on sushi. Or, there's always my sister-in-law reading this blog entry and calling Mike to tell him I spent $60 on sushi. This is the same sister-in-law who told Mike what a haircut and highlights at Mario Tricocci really cost. Thanks.

No, sushi isn't on the Jenny Craig menu. Shut up.

In running news, Mike and I are both participating in the Shave Your 5k Challenge, hosted by Half-Fast. The basic idea is to see who can shave the most time off their 5K time during 2008, so everyone will run a 5K at the beginning of the year and another one at the end of the year. The winner is the person that shows the greatest improvement. My strategy was to run incredibly slow up and down the hills of Lake Geneva so my time can only improve. Brilliant, don't you think?

Congrats to Mike on his Best Blog of the Day Award!

On Schedule

Ran three miles on the treadmill last night, the worst three miles ever. Can't figure out why I was so sluggish. It was late, but I've run late before . . .wondering if it was due to the lousy 1,200 calories a day that I'm on with JC program. Although, even though I ate more before, it certainly wasn't like I was eating the right things. I finished (woo hoo, I finished three miles, doesn't that sound pathetic?) but I really had to push myself to do so.

Four miles on deck for Wednesday.

Today's Favorite Running Song: "Beat It" Fall Out Boy with John Mayer

Maybe I need more motivation . . .any family/friends reading today? How about a little donation to the American Cancer Society?

Status Update

A few updates:

1) Thank you to my friend and mile sponsor Anita for her donation to the American Cancer Society. I'm over the $500 mark now . . . please keep those donations coming, $2,500 to go!

2) Jenny Craig meals are better than I expected, but limited to 1200 calories a day sucks more than I expected. My friend (and JC inspiration Marina) asked me how I was doing the other day and I said "Hungry." Been sticking to the plan for the last four days with the exception of a Portillo's run at lunch today. I ordered the chicken sandwich instead of two chili dogs with cheese or instead of a cheeseburger with everything, so I'm still calling it a minor victory. Ok, I stole a few fries from the kids' plates, but still doing much better than my usual eating activity.

3) Training plan as I prepare for the Soldier Field 10 Mile on May 24:
This week: 3 miles, 4 miles, 3 miles, 5 miles
Week 2: 3, 4, 3, 5
Week 3: 3, 4, 3, 6
Week 4: 3, 4, 3, 7
Week 5: 3, 5, 3, 8
Week 6: 3, 5, 3, 10
Week 7: 3, 5, 3, Soldier Field 10

Training plan is based on the Non-Runner's Guide to Marathon Training, which I used last year to train for the Chicago Marathon.

Just realized that the Half Marathon I'm signed up for is a mere three weeks after the Soldier Field 10, but I'll just keep the training plan since I'll already be at 10 miles.

Just need to stick to the schedule, stick to the schedule, stick to the schedule.

A Fresh Start

Inspired by my lackluster performance at the Shamrock Shuffle, I am declaring a fresh start -- on my running and weight loss efforts. When I started running last year at this time, it was a way to finally lose the "baby" weight. (My kids are um, 6 and 4 years old) And I did lose weight, was just under 20 pounds down come Marathon day. Only problem was that after the Chicago Marathon last October, I took a brief break from running, then winter began, then the holidays, then the brief running break turned out to be a long break. All the while I continued eating pretty much like I was logging 10 and 12 mile runs. Oh, and there was a little bit of stress eating involved too. Bottomline, the weight started creeping back up. Or in my case, sprinting back up.

So, with a training run calendar developed for the Soldier Field 10 Mile and a new attitude (also some inspiration from my friend Marina) I joined Jenny Craig. I'm not about to bare down to a bikini on Oprah, but being able to wear a bikini before I'm 40 would be nice. A goal recap:

1) Complete the Chicago Marathon before I'm 40 (on track with two years to spare)
2) Raise $3,000 for the American Cancer Society
3) Lose 35 pounds (and back to pre-babies, wedding day weight) by Marathon day

Wish me luck!