Just Plodding Along

As I was driving down to the 6:50 a.m. start of the half I was reassured by both the weather app on my phone and the radio commentator that thought it would be cloudy and cool there would be none of that rain like we had the day before. Fantastic. Thirty minutes later when dark storm clouds rolled in and it began to rain pretty hard while U2's "Beautiful Day" was blaring at the start I had to chuckle. What a bunch of liars. It rained all 13 miles sometimes hard, sometimes just misting but it was a wet and soggy race. But I will take that any day over hot. This race runs through Highland Park. It is a large loop course with rolling hills most of the way with a few larger ones thrown in. The course is very pretty running through neighborhoods of giant homes, past the grounds of the Ravinia concert venue area and the start and finish are in the middle of the downtown shopping area. North Shore Half Marathon Packet pick-up must be done the days before the race in t...

I am super lucky to be having many adventures this summer: Family coming to visit this week for adventure and half marathon cheering this weekend Sister getting married in Colorado- I am honored to get to be the photographer Headed to Minneapolis to visit my best friend and her fiance with a side of finishing my 30 before 30 half marathons goal Back to Minneapolis to celebrate my best friend's marriage Run, run and more running ...and any other adventures I can find. If you are looking for an adventure that does not require leaving home check out these: Bill Bryson- A Walk in the Woods When looking for a fun travel read I feel the best thing to do is ask a travel writer. Lucky for me I happen to know one. His recommendation is Bill Bryson. A Walk in the Woods  is a hilarious tale of an attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. The author and I share the same, slightly irrational, fear of bears and delusion that we can do anything. While Bill is not successful in h...

Last week I realized that I had gotten lazy. Since I wasn't running I was less motivated to stick to my normal healthy eats. The bank account lays out evidence of a week of take-out and Subway. Nobody needs that many veggie sandwiches in a week. I was pretty strict about my diet during marathon training so I was okay with loosening up a bit but this week starts round two of marathon training (exciting news about that coming soon! Do I know how to build anticipation or what). So it is time to get back on the healthy eating saddle. So I have been busy pre-making healthy options so I have no "but I got off work late/ I would rather be outside/ I am tired" excuses to stop on the way home.  Black beans Lentils with peas and onions Quinoa Rice Fruits for an easy snack Fool proof. Now I can just remove some of the above and mix and match, add a side of veggies or a salad and dinner done. More time to focus on getting back into training and making...

When my coworker asked if I would be interested in running the Foxtrot 5K with her I was helpless to resist since my motto is: I am still in post marathon recovery so I had no goals but to just enjoy being out with other crazy runners and exploring a new area. This race is put on by the City of Elgin and also has a 10 mile race. It is a very well put together event and a lot of fun. The area is hilly but the course seemed fast even with the hills. I couldn't even wear my Garmin since when I went to put it on it was dead. I think that worked out great because then I could just run without caring about how fast or slow I was going which tends to happen when I know how fast or slow I am going. Usually it is too, either too fast or too slow. Information free running is kind of fantastic.  The weather was perfect. Not too hot or too cold with a slight breeze. My coworker worked for the City of Elgin for many years so she knew everyone. I got to meet the Mayor, Council members ...

Well with no running and crappy weather this week has been all work, work, work.  I give you a typical week at work: Pretty much all day everyday When my boss acts surprised when I figure something out all on my own When a coworker tries, yet again, to throw me under the bus during a meeting but this time I am prepared When I get an email response from someone who basically says what I am asking them to do is beneath them When I am asked to do an extensive amount of research on a topic that has no relevance to anything  After I am assigned yet another huge project to be done in a ridiculously short amount of time  When a coworker, who I can not stand, comes to my cube to complain about their life  oh and by the way At the end of a day filled with meetings The strange compulsion I fight while sitting in meetings When I am walking to my friend's office and see the boss go in...

I am feeling much better today, though my heart aches for those in Oklahoma. I can't even imagine what it is like to live through something like that and then realize you have nothing left. Though even in dark times there are always stories that make your heart smile. This one of a woman finding her dog is my personal favorite. The bravery of the first responders, teachers and average citizen is amazing. After being told what is up by the heat during Sunday's marathon I am sad to say that I will not be running Badwater . From the website: Cov ering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA in temperatures up to 130F (55c), it is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet. The 36th anniversary edition will be held July 15-17, 2013.  Now I never had any intention of running Badwater. But my inability to handle heat very well has taken me out of the running for that. Not that I ever wanted to run that but just so ...

This morning I woke up feeling fine but tired. Took Max for a stroll and went to work. I joked with a co-worker about wanting to call in tired and zitty (sweating for multiple hours does not equal a gorgeous complexion the next day) and should not have done that because by 10:30 I felt like death. Shaky, feverish and like I was going to puke on someone. So I called it a day, grabbed multiple Gatorades on the way home and tried to nap in a cool place. (Not sure if it is marathon exhaustion or whatever crud is floating around the office this week.) And then lay there listening to my lawn being mowed (yay for landscaper, boo for timing) and finally almost fell asleep when I got a call from work. WTF. Ahhhhhhh give me a break. If I am not at work- then I am hard pressed to care about what is going on at work. Unless it is on fire- do not call me. I do not excel at napping apparently.  Some funny things that happened yesterday during the marathon: A...