Pain is nothing.

I'd like to give up....

2012-02-22T18:25:00.001-06:00

For lent, although im not catholic, I would like for my hip/right leg to give up the injury it has had the past 6 weeks. I don't remember what it feels like to run pain free at this point.

With using daily mile Since the start of this year to log every workout, I've come to the conclusion that my injury was actually caused by over stretching post workout. Running a marathon and a half during this time really hasn't helped recovery at all.

So for lent, maybe I'll give up running- but that's not by choice so I suppose that doesn't count.

Instead I'll focus on giving up my ability to procrastinate (waste time) that prevents me from doing such important things as: learning Portuguese.

Because how am I going to communicate in Brasil without a translator if I go there this year?

- xaar

This past week

2012-02-19T15:30:00.001-06:00

This week was a self imposed "rest" week. I cycled once, for 30 minutes but that was all in the workout department. My hip thing is geting much better so I think I'll try to run a little this week, and possibly go to Athletico to see what the deal with my right leg is and why it hates me so much..

Last week (wow feels a lot longer ago!) We ran the Rock n Roll St pete Half. At the expo, we got to meet Olympic Gold medalist in the marathon, Frank Shorter. Unfortunately we didn't get to hear his talk. He did mention that he just had some knee surgery after running 160,000+ lifetime miles.

This week I also tried out a few new Chicagoland places- new to me at least...

Protein Bar Chicago

From their website "Our Bar-ritos, bowls, salads, and signature drinks are all hand-crafted with high protein, high fiber, low fat, low sugar ingredients designed with two things in mind: your health and great flavor."

Ive had a few of their Bar-ritos and their "pancake in a bowl" (oatmeal with protein and fruit). All were very delicious and have inspired me to use more veggies/protein and to simplify what I am cooking at home.

Northdown Cafe

We went here on Saturday morning for brunch. This place caught our attention because they have a great selection of beer on tap and in bottles that are difficult to find. (Mikeller, brew dog, Evil Twin, etc)

I had the Northdown Benedict, which was DELICIOUS. The potatoes were almost like deep fried mashed potatoes, and instead of English muffins, it seemed like they used home made biscuits.

I got the "Bacon Brown Ale" by Uncommon Brewers as my first drink. It was mild and had a nice smokey taste and was a little bacon like. I also tried a "Monster Ale" by Brooklyn Brewery. That one I did not like as much at first since it tasted very strongly of alchol (its a 10%+ beer.) Strange thing, as the beer warmed up I noticed less of the upfront alcohol taste and I enjoyed it much more. Usually as beers warm up, the alcohol would be more noticable.

We will definitely return to Northdown. Im really enjoying discovering all of these smaller cafes which have extensive beer lists as well as yummy food. Score another one for Chicago!
What's next?
My plan for the next month or so is to start building a good base mileage so I can train well for the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon in late July. (And maybe run the inagural Chicago Women's Half in late June.) Shamrock Shuffle is in 6 weeks and I'd love to PR there as well as long as my right leg and I remain friends. Another goal is to improve on strength and core fitness (and right leg flexibility). I just want to be in a good place physically when I start training for the half marathon as well as the Chicago Marathon.

Injury Free Rest of 2012 I hope!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

- Not being able to run when its absolutely stunning outside is super frustrating.

Rock n Roll St Pete, FL Half

2012-02-12T18:55:00.001-06:00

First and foremost, I ran this race with Sherry on my mind and in my heart. Her story is relatable on so many levels, and I'm sure her family felt the outpouring of love from around the world from the virtual run this weekend organized by Beth at SUAR.

I saw about 5 other women wearing the bib for sherry, and also answered questions from other runners about who sherry was, or listened to how they were affected by this tragedy. So very powerful.

Time: 2:24, avg 10:59/ mile

Ran entirely with my wonderful, wonderful :)

The start was very cold, like Chicago style cold- 37 degrees with a feels like of 28. We even went to target on Saturday to pick up jackets because when we left Chicagoland on Thursday, the forecast for race morning was supposed to be around 50. We were unprepared for the "extreme" cold the Tampa bay area was going to offer us.

My Daad > marathon foto. :)

The race started at Tropicana field where the Rays play and meandered around some cute downtown areas, went around the pier and then did one final out and back section before finishing at a nice park.

It was a nice scenic flat race that reminded me of my favorite half- the Rock n Roll San Jose. As always, Rock n Roll put on a high quality event, which I do not mind paying extra $$$ for because I know what to expect from them. They held each corral a minute or 2 before letting the runners go to avoid congestion on the course. The roads were narrow at times, but no where near over crowded for the 8,000 or so runners who took to the streets. The water stations were plentiful and had medical tents also. The water cups also had ice in them! Learn from this Miami! The spectators were quiet. I tried to get them going, but it was like they were in church and trying to be all reserved :)

Except for Bella dog dog, who came down with my Daad to cheer us on. She was barking and howling away at all the runners. If she could talk, she probably would have been saying "come pet me. Free kisses. I promise if you stop and give me love you will run faster!"

We saw some of Flo-rida performing his music. Which if this app would let me upload the video I took, I would love to share. Maybe I'll save it for another post.

And this concludes part 1....

- xaar

Frustrated short fuse

2012-02-08T18:09:00.001-06:00

The last 4 weeks I've taken off running minus the Miami marathon.

The hip groin still is not 100% and I just can't bring myself to run until its better. Cycling doesn't do it for me. I like cycling 2 times a week at most and running 4-5 days a week. But all I do is cycle currently. Ugh

During the Miami marathon I had an epiphany. I realized I actually like to run, to run. I don't need races to "motivate" me into training. Although I really enjoy races to see how I've improved at different distances.

Photo from Jason C of the Brandon running association

All I want to do is go for a run.

I feel so much more short fused right now. I feel frustrated. I feel anxious.

Good thing is I'm "running" the inaugural Rock n Roll St Pete half marathon this weekend. It will be a nice diversion to get out of Chicagoland with WW and see my dad, Tribu and other friends.

We signed up for this race shortly after new years. I was hesitant because of the marathon 2 weeks prior. But currently I'm 100% recovered minus the hip groin thing- its much better, but still needs some time before I start training again for anything.

So this weekend, I'll get a small "running fix" and hopefully this crap will be behind me soon so I can look towards shamrock and whatever else gets thrown on the platter for 2012.

I cant wait to run with my wonderful, wonderful in my old home town area and enjoy the experience. (which we will get to repeat when he runs his first marathon in Chicago this year!)

So while I'm incredibly frustrated I can't run all out this weekend, I know it's better for the healing of this injury I've been dealing with. And I get to have the best company for the 13.1 mile journey.

How do you deal with injury? How do you keep your mind clear?

I'm crankypants anxious can't wait to run again.

- xaar

Eating my words

2012-02-04T11:00:00.002-06:00

In my last post recapping the Ing Miami Marathon, I made this statement:

Some of you asked my reasons behind it....

Emotional toll, I pour 100% of myself into these things.
Physical toll on my body
Im usually "good" for 3-4 months, then I get sidelined with an injury for a month.
My right leg hates me. We need to become BFFs fast!
I get consumed by the marathon.
The last 3 have not gone as well as expected. I might not be cut out for this distance.
All I talk about is running, marathon, marathon marathon. OMG STFU already!! :)
Want to focus on getting speedier at shorter distances (Half Marathons and less)
Need to remain healthy for a period longer than 4 months.
My right leg really hates me (Shin, Hip, Calf)
Give my body and mind a rest from the training
And mainly, Just run for fun. For the enjoyment, not because I have an 18 miler on the schedule.

So this morning while I was still groggy, I received a phone call from WW who is overseas for a business trip. He told me he registered for the Chicago marathon. I was shocked, surprised and speechless. Just a week ago I had asked him if he wanted to run it this year (like I have done the past few years). He was a very absolute NO on the matter, so I didn't bring it up again.(He travels a lot, so training wouldn't be the 1st thing on his mind- especially after a 10 hour flight) . This morning's phone call made me so happy and proud. I even asked him 5 times if he was serious or joking around with me!

So I did what any rational person would do.

Apparently registration is filling fast. After a week they were 2/3 full- on a crazy pace to sell out in record time!

So even though I'm eating my words of the "No marathon" 2012, This is an experience I absolutely cannot miss out on.

I get to "Pay it forward" Much like how Tribu got me through Miami, in the heat and with an injury, I will be WW's Cheerleader, to help him cross the finish of his first marathon!
We will "bond" over running.
WW has been with me through all of the Ups and Downs that running/ training has brought me over the last few years- while I transitioned from recreational runner to "I am hungry for a PR runner."
By far, my WW has been my biggest supporter-cheerleader, even standing out in the cold rain to cheer me on. I will be the biggest cheerleader for him. Im so excited for his journey!

I still want my BQ, but that might have to wait until next year. Perhaps if i'm still going strong and healthy by June, I'll re-consider my "NO MARATHONS" and attempt a BQ in September.

Afterall, I really hate absolutes... ;)

Ing Miami Marathon recap

2012-02-01T07:59:00.000-06:00

Time: 4:30 not my best, not my worst.

Sum it up in 3 words: painfully stupid fun.

Fortune cookie tonight: "Courage and optimism are your best traits."

Let's start with the mil gracias (million thank you's) first:

WW for supporting me and being my cheerleader and shoulder to cry on ~~putting up with me~~ through the training for yet another marathon. I am proud of you for finishing the half!!!
As I said Sunday,

*For the record*NO MORE MARATHONS FOR THE REST OF 2012. And I absolutely mean it.

Tribu and Tom for signing up for this race and not having to convince me too much to sign up for it.

YOU! For your encouragement and positive vibes, prayers, thoughts through this journey to #5.

I felt very loved going into this event. :)

Ok folks, grab some popcorn. This one's going to be long.

Expo:
Just what you would expect from a large event. Loads of vendors for headbands, other races, all things running, and we saw this guy (Ryan Hall) for a second... but didnt stick around for an autograph. (no, we werent in the front row. My camera and photo taking skills are just that good lol)

Pre-Race
2 weeks before the race I injured my hip-groin and couldn't walk without limping. needless to say I didnt run at all the final 2 weeks before the marathon. Ok, WW and I ran/walked 3.3 miles 2 days before the marathon. That run actually seemed to loosen up my hip more than stretching and cycling had done. I was extremely nervous to embark on a 26.2 journey of potential huge catastrophe in Miami. My only goals were to have fun, and do whatever necessary to prevent further damage to my hip issue.

Race Day:

Early race start 6:15 am. Started on time, in the dark.

Weather at the start was around high 60's and 100% humidity
More nervous at the start of this race than the other 4 marathons i've completed.
First few miles flew by, and sucked the life out of me. We stayed in the low 9:00's the first 4 miles.
I couldnt believe how sweaty I was after just 3 miles. Especially since I dont sweat much while running usually.
Saw The Discom-BOB-ulated runner somewhere on the causeway heading to South Beach. She looked so strong in the heat and humidity. Tribu and I wished her well as she took off in the darkness towards Ocean Drive.

Miles 5-13 were all mid 9:00's- sub 10:00's I felt pretty beat before the half.
We got to the half around 2:05. All of my instincts, everything inside me was saying pull off for the half.
but we continued on.
It was very hard seeing 3/4 of the racers divert around mile 12.5 to the finish, knowing we still had another half to run.
Tribu kept encouraging me. I couldn't let her (or myself) down. Tribu sacrificed her own race to stay by my side the entire time. This was her first marathon over 4 hours... I kept telling her to go and run her own race, but she was adamant about staying with me. Sorry about the PW (personal worst) but it was fun!!!! :)
My hip/groin thing had warmed up by this point. but running slower than usual because of the heat was starting to catch up with me.
The second half of the race was not nearly as scenic as the first half. Yes, the neighborhoods were cute to run through, but I really liked the vibe better running downtown and in south beach.

I think I started walking through water stations around mile 15? Up until that point, Tribu would get me water or gatorade and I would keep chugging along. Because stopping would have been very bad so early on for me.
I remember around mile 18-20? we ran through an area that had many people spectating at cafes. I pulled an "Abdi" (remember the Olympic trials) and started cheering and waving my arms to get the crowd going. And they went.
It was EPIC hearing everyone cheering. and lifted my spirits just a hair...
I hit rock bottom early on.I cursed myself for not stopping at the half. I tried to keep conversation with Tribu, but it was difficult. by now, my quads were getting very sore.
So what does a good pacer do for someone in my condition?
Feed me mango salty electrolyte strips.
Unfortunately they didnt help too much, since I wasnt experiencing cramps, it was just extreme muscle fatigue. :( but the mango strips were tasty!

HA. I was delusional by the time I suggested we take photos with Miami in the background- around mile 24.
A few of the runners from the Brandon Running Association who weren't running the races ran with us for a little bit near the end. The addition of new people to our posse of 2 was a nice change. Tribu, you are lucky to have such a supportive running group!!!
The last 2 miles were brutal. I asked the vultures to come get me because i was "road kill" apparently not stinky or dead enough for them...
The finish had a slight uphill, like Chicago marathon. AWESOME!
Tribu and I held hands as we sprinted towards the finish. I think she was pulling me, and I was doing my best to keep up. The final .39 was at 8:30 pace- which felt like 6:30 pace by that point.
I guess we ran an ultra. haha the garmin read 26.39 at the finish. So much for running tangents!
- Hey Marathonfoto! If you see 2 women running together holding hands laughing smiling deliriously heading towards the finish, PLEASE get a good shot of BOTH of US. (especially since the runners were very spread out in the last 100 yards)
- While I love this photo of me, and there is an equally good photo of Tribu, I would have bought the photo of us TOGETHER looking like this. Instead we are 2 separate shots... Sigh
- I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a finish line in my life. Maybe I was just a tad happier when I finished the NYC Marathon 10 years ago...
- I really cannot thank Tribu enough for staying by my side the entire time. If it wasnt for her, I would have easily been on the course another 30 minutes to an hour more. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOU and your encouragement and skills as a "pacer." :)

Final Thoughts:

Huge Congrats to my WW for finishing the Half. I am very proud of you!!!
I got 27 compliments on my sparkly skirt my mom made. :)
Tribu is the best BFF/ Pacer EVER! I owe you a few beers when I come visit in a few weeks
No trouble starting the race- it had 23,000 people I think (4,000 Full, 19,000 half). Did have to weave around a few walkers the first couple of miles.
No water stops until mile 3? It was hot on the causeway in the dark!!! (but i brought a bottle of water with me, so no real problem there)
No ICE at ANY aid station.
Lukewarm water/ Gatorade.
Volunteers were AWESOME!
Not much crowd support, which was a nice change from Crazy Chicago Marathon...
No cooling sponges/towels, etc. See a pattern here?
Maybe Ive been spoiled by Chicagoland races??
Great destination event. So many countries represented.
I would NEVER do the full here again. I am currently a fan of 35 degree long runs while wearing shorts and a jacket. 71 degrees + 100 % humidity = Disaster (and major shock to the body!)
But I would consider doing the half...
It was CLOUDY all during the race. THANK GOD. Had it been full sun, I would have DNF'd
The heat didn't bother me past mile 8. I think the temp dropped a little, and the humidity let up a bit.Still very warm though. Or I was crazy.

Took a powerbar 1 hour pre race, gatorade prime 15 minutes prior
Gu and salt caps every 5 miles or so. Some how I had 2 gu left over. So I must have taken 4.
I am more sore from this race than my last 3 (all faster). I think running much slower than what I trained at contributed to this. Maybe using different stride/muscles for 11 minute mile, vs 8:45 mile?
My outfit: Moving comfort shirt, bra, Aspaeris compression shorts (which I believe helped me get through this by supporting my hip and leg muscles), CEP compression sox, Nike lunar elite+ shoes.

Final Final Thoughts
Im thankful for all the support I had going into this race. While I was hoping for a much faster time (pre injury), I am absolutely happy with how this race turned out. It is a big W for WIN in my book. Each one of these races present different obstacles to overcome, and I am glad I experienced this race. .I dont believe my hip issue is any worse than what it was 2 weeks ago (obviously it set me back a few more weeks for recovery now, but I am feeling much better than what I would have imagined)

Time for more warm soaks, and dates with the foam roller. Ouch!

Miami and a goal

2012-01-27T10:12:00.001-06:00

Time to trade this

For sun, much warmer temps, palm trees, blue ocean.... I'll share plenty of photos later since I'm still in frosty Chicagoland chillin with my WW at the AA admirals club waiting for the flight to take us to paradise for the weekend.

My only goals for the Miami Marathon are
To have fun and keep my hip from getting further damaged.

Thank you for all your support and encouragement over the past few months- especially the last 2 weeks while dealing with this bummer of an injury. I really do appreciate all your kind words.

- xaar

11 Thingamabobs

2012-01-24T07:11:00.000-06:00

I got tagged by Christy @ Pedestrian Runner and the Discom-BOB-ulated Runner, so I feel obligated and honored to participate.:)

This will be a nice diversion from taper and worrying about this damn injury. (It will be gone by Sunday.. It will be gone by Sunday, It will be gone Sunday...)

The rules of this post:
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog (FB page or other Social site) and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag people!

1. I lived in Merida, Mexico for 2 years while I played professionally as a clarinetist in the Orquesta Sinfonia de Yucatan and taught music lessons.

2. I ran cross country in high school for 2 years, but was plagued by too many injuries so I quit before my senior year. I picked running back up in 2008 and havent looked back.

3. Now I have an accounting degree, and do absolutely nothing with classical music. Currently I wish I was doing something in preventative medicine. There isn't enough emphasis on prevention, it;s all just take a pill for this and that... I hate that mentality.

4. I prefer running on the treadmill to running outside. Except for races :)

5. I grew up in the Tampa Bay, FL area and have also lived in South Carolina, California, and currently Illinois. Im a nomad... But my heart is in the San Francisco Bay area.

6. I love food far too much. Sushi especially. I really dislike pasta. Unless it has a creamy tomato or vodka sauce on it.

7. Xaarlin is my nickname, Its the way I think my real name would be spelled in Mayan if my name existed in Mayan, which it doesnt because "Charlyn" doesn't exist in many places. Which I LOVE.

8. Craft beers are so delicious, and I love trying new ones when we go out. I prefer IPA's, but Pear Cider and Stouts are a close second.

9. I miss being able to drive to Napa and visit wineries.

10. I take a POD (photo of the Day) everyday of somewhere in chicagoland and send it to my Daad since he doesn't live near me.

11. Im really thankful for my friends, both in real life, in the bloggy world and the people ive met in real life from the blog world. Its really amazing where this blog has taken me and the people I've met over the past year when my main goal for creating/ maintaining it was to just share my adventures with my family spread out all over the US!

Now here are the questions from the Pedestrian Runner:

1. Which actor played James Bond the best? Pierce Brosnan
2. Are you a cat person or a dog person? Dog. I love my CB
3. What is your favorite race to date? NYC Marathon 2002. My 1st marathon. I was blissfully unaware of what running and training for a marathon meant. But it was seriously fun.
4. Do you prefer beer or wine? Beer. Too many cool bars near me to drink hard to find brews.
5. What is the first race that you ever completed? St Paddys day 1 mile, when I was 9. Got 1st in my AG!
6. Do you have a coach to help you with your training? Not yet. I need to look into hiring a coach.
7. If you could compete in any long distance triathlon and race fees were not a factor would you choose IM or Rev 3 races? I would love to do a full IM. Once I get over my fear of cycling outside, and swimming in a lake...
8. How many blogging friends have you met in person? 4. SUAR, Stephanie, Junie B, and Britt All very cool ladies!
9. Who is going to win the Superbowl, New England Patriots or New York Giants? GO PATS!!
10. If you could meet one person alive or dead, who would it be? Dalai Lama
11. And finally the big question, do you prefer Star Wars or Star Trek? Star wars if I have to chose :)

Here are my Q's for the next group:
1. Favorite Color:
2. What's your favorite season?
3. Do you have any pre-race superstitions?
4. Favorite food:
5. If you could run a race anywhere, what would it be?
6. Would you be doing a different career now, if you knew back then what you know now?
7. How many states have you traveled to?
8. What's one thing that scares you?
9. Where is your favorite place to workout?
10. Would you want to live forever?
11. What's the best piece of advice you have received?

Tag, you're it!

Junie B- @ All that Glitters
Katherine @ Neon Blonde Runner
Nelly on the Run
Stephanie @ It's all Happening
Laura Belle @ Beer, Dogs & Getting Healthier
Britt @ Chicago Runner Girl
Meghan @ The Perfect Compilation Tape
Ashley @ Redonkulous Runner
Stefanie @ RUN ON! Lar @ Marathon Lar
Christy @ My Dirt Road Anthem

It's not only a race

2012-01-22T13:22:00.000-06:00

A week ago I pulled something in my groin. I ran .5 mile this week. I am running the Miami Marathon next Sunday. I am in pain- although its getting better with rest. I am hoping that writing down my thoughts will help clear my head of the negativity that has been consuming me.

Running clears my head. I am going batshit crazy right now. Partly because of not being able to run, Mostly because I am supposed to run a marathon in 6 days and cant run.

The $$$ spent on Airfare, Hotel, Race Entry, food, new shoes, boarding for CB....

The thought of not being able to "suffer" with Tribu for 26.2 miles on one of the most scenic courses around makes me sad. Palm trees, ocean, south beach. Although it may be a different kind of "suffering" by Sunday if I cant run.

I stayed optimistic all last week until Friday when I tried to run. It was a big FAIL. By Saturday I found a nice video of the 2011 Miami Marathon and was almost in tears watching it, thinking that I might have to pull out of this race.

Saturday morning when I go to the expo, I will make the decision of whether or not I will run the full. If I cant run Friday afternoon, I will switch to the half. Half the suffering I suppose. I'll take my camera and document the race then.

I just bought some Aspaeris Pivot Shorts that will be delivered early this week. Im hoping the compression will take some of the stress off of my injured area. and BTW, Best. Customer. Service. EVER. Ordered them 30 minutes ago and asked if they did express shipping on the online form. I got a phone call 20 minutes later to confirm they can ship them quick so I can have them for the race.

I love to run. Races make me even more excited about running. I love the thought of a "moving city." I love reading the signs people make, I love making small talk with people on the course, I love experiencing races in places I haven't run before, I love the camaraderie of the runners, and the support of the volunteers and spectators, I love the electricity in the air before the start of the race, I love the feeling I get when the gun goes off and my heart flutters with anticipation of what will become of the next few hours.

I love the feeling of crossing the finish line, knowing I left everything out on the course.

It's not only a race. It's a celebration of the hard work put in over the past 3.5 months. It's the blood, sweat, emotional tears of training and enjoying the good moments along with the crappy ones.

I just hope the icing, rest, warm soaks, icy hot, resting, icing, icy hot can heal this annoyance in time so I can enjoy this race. It's the 10th anniversary of the Miami Marathon this year, and also the 10th anniversary of my first marathon (NYC). I want to run my heart out and enjoy every second.

It's not only a race.

One year ago today

2012-01-18T19:27:00.001-06:00

We travelled 517 miles from San Jose, CA to Needles, CA on our way to Chicagoland. (you can read about our journey and see the loads of photos we took Here.)

It was an adventure driving across the country, seeing crazy desolate beautiful landscapes and kitsch route 66 landmarks all the while wondering "what the heck am I going to do when we get there?" WW had accepted a job in Chicagolandia, a place I'd never been- we packed up our places and drove across the country to the windy city.

It all seems like a blur now. I can't believe how it's already been a year since we left California to move here. And so far, as much as I miss California, I'm really thankful for all I've gained in Chicagoland.

- xaar

My 3 wishes for Miami

2012-01-16T17:53:00.001-06:00

1. That the hip-groin pain I currently have goes away. It flared up on Saturday after my run and now it's painful to walk until it warms up. (getting up from extended periods of sitting at my desk is excruciating for the first few steps) It might be from sitting weird on the couch post long run last week because it hasn't bothered me in a few months up until then.

2. My 2nd wish is to come up with a realistic- challenging goal for the Marathon next week. I don't want to underestimate my abilities, but I Also don't want to crash and burn at mile 17. BQ is out for this race, but if I'm at the start healthy next week, A 20 minute PR might be within reach.

3. My 3rd wish is entirely out of my control. I wish for it to be mid 40's to low 50's at the start of the race. Since it starts at 6am, those temps should provide optimal race environment. (plus even if it's on the "warm side",I'll hopefully be finished before 10am). I also wish for no snow storm to delay our flight to Miami.

I'm happy because the shin pain I've been experiencing for the past few weeks disappeared. Really strange. But the hip-groin pain has taken its place :( I'm thinking a nice warm soak and some foam roller-TP therapy massage will get me healthy in a few days, and I'll be as good as new.

Anyone use KT tape for Running ailments?

I bought some to put on my shin for the race, but now I'm thinking it could help the pain in my hip if it lingers on..

Less than 12 days until #5!

- xaar

Slushy white stuff

2012-01-13T11:04:00.001-06:00

We had our first real winter storm yesterday. I was completely mesmerized by the snow falling and blowing around outside my window at work. It just kept falling and never seemed to stop.

Snowy bike!

Icicles hanging from the roof.

Some of the signs were completely covered.

As well as the trees.

Now it's super cold and walking to work was a slushy slippery mess. 3- the number of times I almost ate pavement because my boots don't have proper traction.

My new pumped up kicks! I'm hoping that since they are "stability" they will help prevent the over pronation that I do which is causing my shin to hurt. The first run in them went well, but it will be a slow process to get rid of this shin pain. Not sure if I trust these new shoes for my marathon in 2 weeks yet.

And I'm super duper excited to follow the marathon trials tomorrow. I'm rooting especially for Desi and Meb, but I'm also incredibly inspired by all the runners participating.

And also a big shout out to June who is volunteering at the trials saturday and then running the Houston marathon Sunday. Good luck lady!!!

Who are you cheering for in the Olympic marathon trials?

I'm really mad that they aren't broadcasting it live!

- xaar

When great runs go bad

2012-01-09T06:32:00.002-06:00

Saturday was beautiful here in Chicagoland this past weekend. I was excited to be able to do my final long run outside and enjoy the *spring* like weather for another week.

18 miles avg 9:00/ mile

But it was a *horrible* run. Granted the first 11 miles were glorious. I was cruising at 8:30-8:40 pace and loving life.

Then the GI issues hit me. I had to stop and walk and contemplate whether or not to continue on or find an open restroom (which are hard to find on the lakefront this time of year). I used my Jedi mind tricks to settle my tummy and continued on, albeit at a much slower pace than before to complete my run.

If I could survive this, I'm pretty certain I could survive anything in a race.

So what can contribute to a *horrible* run?

•lack of sleep the night(s) before •dehydration from too much "drinking" or not enough water the day before

•food. I know some people are sensitive to eating certain foods before longer runs. Luckily, I'm not one of them and the tacos Friday night had no claim to my problems.

•emptying out your insides before a race (or long run). Extremely important for long runs where the restrooms are boarded up and in short supply!!

•improper fueling during the run. Not enough water intake, not taking enough gel, chomps, salt tabs etx This can cause muscle cramps and eventually injury.

•wearing proper clothes for the weather. It was low 30's and little wind so I wore, CEP comp sox, shorts, long sleeve shirt and a light jacket. Should have worn gloves, but i felt cool the entire time. (and happy I finally figured out how to dress for the cold)

There seems to be a lot that can make a run go bad, but in reality most of the factors are in your control. This *horrible* run was my fault. It wasn't some new problem that hit me like a train- but it was 100% preventable.

Post long run We checked out Panozzos, an Italian market that we saw on Diners, Drive ins and Dives a few weeks ago.

My porchetta sandwich was amazing and WW got a massive meat ball sandwich. They were delicious!

We also tried out "Waffles" this weekend.

I got waffles Benedict. It was a Liege waffle (very sweet and dense) with pulled pork, egg and hollandaise sauce. Very delicious!

What are some additional causes for crappy runs? What has caused you trouble during a run before? - xaar

Bittersweet

2012-01-06T14:44:00.001-06:00

This weekend will be my last "long run" before the Miami marathon in 3 weeks. I'm actually looking forward to running the 18+ miles outside and enjoying the crazy beautiful weather that has descended on Chicagoland lately.

This run is bittersweet because I'm finally starting to enjoy these sessions. There is something therapeutic about going on auto pilot for a few hours and enjoying the scenery, sounds and smells around you. I also enjoy reflecting on my training and thinking about the future while on longer runs.

I'm hoping tomorrow brings peace about whether or not I should pursue another marathon this year in the spring to achieve a BQ, and Fall if I fail in the spring. This marathon training has been a good speed/ base building towards my future running goals no doubt about it. And I'm excited to see how my half marathon times improve with the speed work and consistency I've been putting in. but, my shin has been acting up again and I've had to replace some running workouts with hilly stationary bike workouts lately.

The big question is do I really want to put my family through another 12+ weeks of me ranting about training, injuries, and talking incessantly about running? (and will this shin pain just go away once and for all!?!)- xaar

New years day 5k

2012-01-02T21:32:00.002-06:00

First, my thoughts go out to the man that was critically injured By 2 pitbulls on the lakefront today.

My dad and I ran the new years day 5k on Sunday. Luckily it started at 11am which gave us enough time to digest all of the yummy food and brew from Revolution Brewery's new years eve dinner.

My wonderful wonderful was smart and stayed in our warm apartment.

So to cut to the chase, I got a 23:37 which surprisingly was good enough for 2nd place in my age group and 19th woman. Far from my PR during thanksgiving. My dad beat me by 50 seconds to get 3rd in his age group! It was a good start to 2012!

The race was small by Chicagoland standards. About 750+ people were timed and maybe about 300 more participated without chips for the fun run/walk. Sunday was the opposite of the awesome run weather I had the day before with Britt. It was mid 20's with wind gusting to 45mph!

Mile 1- 7:24 "crap I'm going too fast. Felt good at first then definitely a bad idea." **

Mile 2- 7:50 "holy head winds! Why the hell am I doing this? I should just walk or slow down."

Mile 3- 7:30 "ok. No more head winds. Feeling better but my legs are begging for me to stop."

Mile 3.1- 54 seconds "just run to finish. C'mon just finish strong and don't let the guy with the dog beat you. Ok. Good job dog on beating me- at least it was a big dog."

**running a 5k in winter was never a priority (due to marathon training) and mainly I just did it because my Daad thought it would be interesting. Note to self, running 6 fast hilly miles on Friday, followed by 18+ miles on Saturday followed by a fast 5k will cause your muscles to cry and beg for mercy!!!

My Daad and I post race. We were cold. Overall, I'd say the race was well organized. We started up near the front and while it was run on the narrow inner path of the Lincoln park, it never felt crowded. The course was well marked and the volunteers were awesome. We even shared the path with the oncoming runners and there were no problems. Water and bananas were plentiful at the finish and the race directors also had devices to punch in your bib # and it would print a ticket out with your time and place in the race. That's how we found out we placed in our age groups.

The after party at sedgwicks was cool. We got our free beer and waited around for the awards. While waiting, there were numerous items being raffled off- like gift certificates to restaurants but sadly we didn't win anything. We eventually just went up to the announcer to get our medals because it was announced they would just be mailed out. That is my only complaint. We wouldn't have waited around so long had we known that.

(my dad didn't realize CB was doing business when he took this photo of us in the snow. Haha)

So I would do this race again, but it would have to be a last minute decision because I surely never want to run in ice or snow or rain.

How was your new years? Did you run on new years day?

26 days until marathon #5! -xaar

Last run of 2011

2011-12-31T14:34:00.004-06:00

And some goals for 2012

Low 30's, calm, no snow. Absolutely stunning. Chicagoland.

I met Britt for an early morning run. With lack of sleep from watching the UFC fights last night, I wasn't sure how I would hold up for 18+ miles.

The beauty of the lakefront, the serenity of my surroundings, and the addition of a super cool running buddy made this run one of the best of the year. The miles flew by with ease, and I couldn't believe how or why I prefer the tread to running on this beautiful lake.

Thank you Britt for prying me off my bff, the tread to join you for a spectacular run. I really couldn't think of a better way to spend the last day of 2011 enjoying perhaps the last day of beautiful, serene tranquil, Chicago before old man winter takes a firm grip on us.

Goals
-Track all of my runs, especially shoe mileage

-Continue to be smart about running to remain injury free

-Put in the work necessary to achieve some of my time goals for races.

-Run outside much much more

-Learn more Portuguese so I can say more than "Cb esta embaixo na mesa com oito cavalos e nove sanduíches."

I have other goals, but usually I just make changes in my life as I see fit- Instead of once a year. I find greater success that way.

Happy new year! Feliz ano novo! - xaar

1st annual Santa Xaarlin treadmill 10k

2011-12-27T14:51:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I enjoyed a low key Christmas with WW and CB at home. We cooked some food, worked out and took it easy.

One of my favorite gifts- an owl hat! :) it kept my ears and head very toasty while walking to work today.

I also got a sweet gift card for dunkin donuts with CB's photo on it from my Daad. If CB is making $$$ off of this, he needs to start paying rent!!

Christmas morning I got on the tread and quickly decided to run my most dreaded distance, The 10k. I don't know what it is, but I have no desire to race a 10k ever. I've raced every distance between 5k and marathon- minus the 10k. So December 25 was the "1st annual Santa Xaarlin Treadmill 10k." 1st 3.1 miles averaged 7:50/mile 2nd 3.1 miles averaged 7:19/ mile My new 10k PR is now 47:00! It was a comfortably hard pace. It wasn't until mile 2 that I decided to start pushing the pace and make it a "race." I'm excited for next year to carry on this tradition of running my most hated distance on Christmas. In other news...

I registered myself and my dad (against my better judgement) for the Chicago New Years Day 5k. The weather is looking clear and free of snow and ice so we shouldn't slip and hurt ourselves. This race will be a nice "recovery" run post saturday's long run with my new running buddy, the super speedy Britt

If you get runners world, I would highly recommend you make Richard Blais's (winner of top chef all stars, and also ran the 2011 NYC marathon) beet salad featured in the issue. It's beets, avocado, orange, basil, shaved licorice in a vinaigrette. It's super easy and tasty. (and I can't wait to eat the rest of it tonight!)

I can't wait to see my dad tomorrow who is braving the cold to visit us for new years this week.

What are your new years plans? We are going out to eat at a secret location. :) - xaar

2011

2011-12-24T15:45:00.001-06:00

2011

Running Highlights:

12- Number of races ran

8- PR's achieved

??- Number of miles cycled and ran

2- Marathons, (Boston and Chicago)

5- Half Marathons (Chi Town, Chicago Spring, 13.1 Chicago, Rock n Roll Chicago, Chicago Half)

1- 10 Mile Race (Soldier Field 10)

1- 8K (Shamrock Shuffle)

3- 5k (Rock n Roll Tuneup, Hot to Trot, Santa Hustle)

1- AG placing (3rd in the Hot to Trot)

1- Injury that sidelined me from running for 2+ months. Shin/Calf pain.

Life Highlights:

2- States lived in (California, Illinois)

66- Route taken across the country to move to Illinois in January 2011.

1- Crazy Blizzard survived

1- Country visited for my birthday. (Montreal, Canada)

2- Races enjoyed with my Daad (Boston and Chicago)

1- New state visited to see my mom

Countless- The number of awesome memories wonderful, wonderful and I have shared over the past 365 days.

2011 was a huge success. Races ran showed improvement and inspired me to do more. Quality family time gave me so many memories (and photos) to cherish forever. 2011 was amazing, but I have a feeling 2012 will be even better.....

Merry Christmas!

Opa!

2011-12-19T10:38:00.001-06:00

Chicago is growing on me little by little. It's weekends like this past one, which make me like it more.

Friday night:
Went to my offices holiday party and with 3 drink tickets, watched my co workers boogie down. Awkward.

Saturday:

Wonderful wonderful took me to Greek town for the first time. We went to the Greek Islands restaurant. While there might be "more authentic" less kitsch places, the food delivered me into a delightful food coma for the rest of the day.

Dolmades stuffed with rice and meat.

Roasted beets marinated in garlic and olive oil. Heaven on earth. If it wasn't so time consuming to roast my own beets, I'd eat this all of the time. We also had pita bread and feta mixed with spicy peppers.

Main course was stuffed tomato and a roasted leg of chicken with rice pilaf. It. Was. Delicious.

Dessert was yummy rice pudding.

The seating was reminiscent of a Greek village terraced on a hill. The inside reminded me of Epcot. While I'd usually stay away from super touristy places, this place was so good I'm already thinking about the next time I plan to stuff myself with flaming cheese. OPA!

Saturday it also snowed in the morning.

It was "cute" snow and was pretty much melted by Sunday.

Sunday:
More relaxing. The top of my foot is finally starting to heal. For the last 3-4 weeks it's been hurting and I have no idea what caused it. It doesn't hurt when I run, or seem to get worse- but I really notice it while walking barefoot. The pain is much less after taking a few days off. Yay!

Do you like "themed" touristy type restaurants?

I usually like small hole in the wall places, but I'll be back to the Greek Islands. Food always is #1 for me.

- xaar

I don't know what I'm doing...

2011-12-11T20:07:00.001-06:00

But I'm going to have fun figuring it out.

7 weeks until I'm celebrating marathon #5 and hopefully a huge PR by eating loads of yummy Cuban food. The Ing Miami marathon is less than 7 weeks away at this point. Holy crap!

This past week:
40 miles running
21 miles stationary bike

I don't know what I'm doing training or attempting to train for another marathon. I'm not sure why I even continue training for these events when they take so much time and are so hard on the body. And I seriously don't enjoy the training 25% of the time.
Speed work 800's: love it
Hilly fast miles: super fun
Marathon pace run: bring it
Long run: eh, I'd rather not.

I've figured the problem is mostly that the weather here stinks and I'm too picky and refuse to run outside when it's too hot or too cold, or windy,Too dark, or rainy or when there are too many cyclists out. (too many excuses!) So I spend a lot of time running on my BFF, the tread. I can handle an hour no problem on the tread, but anything over 1:30, and I just want to hop off and go back to my apartment up stairs.

Saturday was a breakthrough for me. The weather was total crap for running outside (0 degree wind chill!?! That's not cold, that's slap your face until red kind of pain). So I had to gut it out and do the LSD run on the tread. All week I had been thinking about goals for next year and beyond as well as my accomplishments for 2011. The fire was lit with motivation and I needed to execute this run. I thought about my goal for Miami, goals for next year, and my other long term running goals during the run and the miles flew by. 11 miles in the first sitting, and then started the final 10 about 2 hours after the first 11.
21 miles in 2:59!

I realized that to reach my goals- whether it be short term or long term I need to put the work in (earth shattering revelation I know). It isn't going to be fun all of the time, but I can try my darnedest to enjoy it as much as possible. But who said accomplishing goals should come easy? I know deep down I'd cherish an accomplishment more if I had to work my butt off for it. Plus, if I ever want to run a 3:04 marathon to beat my dad's best marathon time, I'm going to have to start running more- and enjoying these long runs, starting now. Have fun while running or bust!

I don't know what I'm doing running this marathon in January, and I certainly don't know why I'm already looking at another in the spring and possibly fall to achieve my BQ goal. But I do know that each one of these, and the others that will certainly follow will be fun in their own marathon type of way. Ill make sure of that.

- xaar

The first snow!

2011-12-09T07:33:00.001-06:00

Boots!

Snow on the balcony!

He is not happy..

But I'm sure he is thankful his patas are not as cold...

What's the weather like where you are?

- xaar

Santa hustle 5k

2011-12-03T17:03:00.004-06:00

I decided not to race this one because of pain that has been lingering on top of my foot for the past week. Instead, WW and I just had fun. As much fun as we could on a cold rainy day.

It was about 40 degrees and light drizzle. I already had reservations about running a race this late in the year in Chicago. It could have been worse. But sleeping in might have been better. ;)

Creepy chick photo bombing over my right shoulder!!

No, I didn't keep the beard on while I ran. I put it behind my head for the run and then put it on for the finish. And still ended up with a mouth of fuzz.

We should have lined up further towards the front. (we were no where near the back- maybe the end of the first 1/3 of the 5,000 participants) I'm constantly amazed at the walkers who place themselves in the front 3/4 of any race.

The course was crowded with walkers for most of it. Lesson learned. We need to line up near the front even if we will do 10 minute miles. The path was also narrow and created bad bottle necks around turns and for when there were huge puddles on the course. Kind of dangerous in my opinion because people will stop short *OMG WATER!!! CANT STEP IN A PUDDLE!!* and forget that there are people running behind them.

The Santa hustle seemed well organized. There were milk and cookies along the course too as "aid" stations. Cute idea. Didn't take any.

This race broke my rule of "never wear the race shirt on race day." it's a superstition I have and luckily nothing went wrong ;)

I even met a few new friends. Yes. They had real live reindeer in a pen. Poor guys had to stand out in the rain :(

I would probably never do this race again because of a few reasons. The shirt- I will never wear it to the gym unless it's Christmas time. Ok realistically I probably would never wear it again. Another reason is the weather. It's a crapshoot as to what type of weather you will get in Chicago this time of year. Having lived in Chicagoland for less than a year and run 10 races here, I consider myself an expert on this subject.

$40 is a lot to spend on a 5k race, and since we took a cab to get there ( and then the L home) we spent $100+ just for trans and the race. Not entirely sure if it's worth it. I'm turning into a cheapskate. And, I like running for running sake. Kitschy themed races can be fun but I'd much rather prefer a smaller hometown race.

Final note:
Santas, just like clowns are super creepy! :)

-Xaar

November en Numeros

2011-12-01T12:19:00.001-06:00

2- the number of times I had to write this post because the Blogpress app is super buggy. :(

1- the number of sour beer academy's at Goose Island brewery I attended.

10- the number of new sour beers tasted that I've never tried before.

2-3, the number of those beers I'd actually like to drink again.

4- the number of beer academy's I hope to attend next year.

1- new state visited. Tennessee

3.5- number of minutes I smashed my 5k PR by.

4.9- minutes it took after the race to not feel like death and catch my breath.

9- times I thought during the race, "why so many effffn hills?"

22:18- my new 5k PR!

1- cool mug I won for 3rd AG

30- degrees at start of the race

30-45 seconds- my dad said I could have ran faster in the 5k had I not ran 6 of the hilliest miles of my life the day before through every street in my moms neighborhood.

1- smokehouse sandwich eaten from dunkin donuts.

0- number I wish I had eaten.

??- miles run/ cycled because I'm too lazy to add it up.

525- number of photos taken in november.

Looking forward:

2- days until I dress as Santa for the santa hustle 5k and attempt (maybe if I decide to race it) to continue to hold the record for fastest 5k between Tribu and I.

Beards are aerodynamic right?!?

1- reason why beating Tribu is important.

25-29. The age group we are both in for the next 7 months.

3- new gray hairs discovered on my head :( I'm getting old.

58- days until Tribu and I run the Ing Miami together!

-Xaar

Thankful gobble gobbles day

2011-11-24T17:30:00.001-06:00

Thankful:

For a new 5k PR by 3 and a half minutes!! 22:18, 3rd in my AG, 11th woman of 968. (and a sweet hand painted mug for my AG placing!)

For my ability to run and inspire people around me to be healthy.

For my wonderful wonderful who comes with me on these crazy adventures and runs races when it's early and freezing out. I love you.

For my precious Churro Bear. He brings me many smiles.

For my Pa'ad. Thanks for inspiring me to run. I'll beat your 5k time next year.. Only 1:15 to go! Haha

For my mom. It's been a great trip to see you!

For cerveza, cerveja, Beer. Nothing quenches my thirst better than you. Ok maybe some genucan post workout first.

For beautiful scenery.

And Willis- which always is a pleasure to look at when I get home.

I'm also thankful for this wonderful blogging community. You guys and gals rock!

Happy turkey gobble gobbles day!

Gone fishing

2011-11-22T09:28:00.001-06:00

Time to ride the smallest plane ever, smash my 5k PR, eat some turkey and spend some time with family.

-Xaar

CB and my exciting walk home

2011-11-18T08:55:00.001-06:00

CB

This part is inspired by Christy's post about her adorable running buddy, Cola. I think CB is Cola's brother from another mother. Haha

I got CB from the Greenville, SC humane society after Walking into the puppy room and looking into his amazing eyes. I was surprised to see a pure bred border collie at a shelter- but was so happy because I knew the breed and knew he would be a good fit for my active lifestyle.

He was 10 weeks old when I got him and had a very rough life until the day we met and i adopted him. Poor guy was skin and bones, aggressive towards dogs, and very scared of men.

Over the past (almost) 7 years he has overcome many of the demons from his early life. When I took him home, I didn't know that he would become such an integral part of my life- as running buddy, best friend, therapist and barking machine. I can't imagine life without him. (we've lived in 4 states and 2 countries- USA and Mexico).

My exciting walk home

I sometimes walk by the occupy Chicago protestors to see what they are up to on my way home. Today, I stumbled upon 2 protests.

Earlier in the day a local union was staging a demonstration and civil disobedience act. This was the view of their demonstration from my office. There ended up being about 1000 people involved. When I started walking home I figured it was over. I was wrong.

The union had marched to where occupy Chicago was and I was now in the middle of it all. It was kind of cool seeing a peaceful demonstration going on though.

It looks like night, but I took these photos at 5pm. I seriously hate these shorter days.

The crowd was chanting "we are the 99%!" and it became an earworm for me. :(

I'm not sure what the union wanted, and I'm still not sure what the occupy Chicago people are protesting. I don't get why they are protesting corporations and banks when there is far more greed, waste and injustice in the government. Ah, but who am I to judge? I hope they figure it all out soon because it will start snowing any time and it will be such a drag to be protesting in freezing snowy conditions.

And that was my exciting walk home. Oh the joys of living in a big city...

What's going on this weekend? Anything exciting?

-Xaar

Hips don't lie

2011-11-13T16:59:00.002-06:00

Is it me, or do a lot of runners seem to be having hip problems lately?

2 weeks ago I did an 8x 800 @ 7:00 pace and felt great. The day after, my hip was tight and very sore. I ended up taking the rest of the week off (minus some stationary bike)- because I have no desire to repeat what happened during my Chicago marathon training. (I ran the soldier field 10 in may, my calf cramped up/ shin hurt and I continued running hard on it for a week or 2. Then I was in so much pain I couldn't run for a few months.)

This is the third time in about 6 weeks my right hip has been sore. 1st time was a few weeks before the Chicago marathon. I just thought CB pulled me and I tweaked it. 2nd time was during/after the marathon. Thought it was because of the blisters on my feet altering my stride. 3rd time was the past weeks speed session. After some brief research, it turns out as runners, our hips (muscles) are one of the most important for our running and most neglected muscle groups. If you have weak hip muscles it can cause knee problems and hip problems, and bad running form.

To remedy this situation I bought some resistance bands. Target had some "professional" quality ones- for about $10. There were 3 in the box- light, medium, and a much stronger band. The light one was too weak for me so I use the medium for all of my exercises.

I do 10 repeats on each leg before moving to the next exercise.
- leg out to the side
-leg to the front
-lift leg/ knee to the chest.

This week I'm happy to report no hip pain!

This week I did:
Monday- 7.33 cycle miles 30:00, 1 tabata

Tuesday-6 miles 59:00, hills. 800's @3.5 incline

Wednesday-
Lazy arse day :(

Thursday-
Am 7.2 cycle miles- 30:00, 1 tabata
Pm- 9 miles 1:10:50

Friday-
6 miles with 6x 800 @ 7:00 pace

Saturday-
8 miles

Sunday-
13 miles 1:50

Not quite the 50ish I had planned, but I'm happy to be running faster miles without any pain.

10 days until I race my first 5k in over a year.

76 days until #5, ing miami marathon.

Have you had hip pain? What did you do to help strengthen your hips?

-Xaar

October 2011

2011-11-01T07:11:00.001-05:00

En numeros:

15- the minutes by which I smashed my Marathon PR!! at the Chicago marathon.

5- the number of photos I like that marathonfoto took.

1- the number of photos I might buy.

101- miles run in October. I'll take it considering taper weeks, post marathon weeks and loads of speedier miles the last few weeks.

32.5- the number of miles run last week.
( M-5, W-8, S-5, Sun-14.5)

14.5- (2:11) the longest run I had. And it was outside on the lakefront!

2- the # of layers I had on. (jacket and long sleeve)

45- the temp at the start of my run.

2- the number of miles in when I felt way too hot. Lesson learned.

8:30-9:40 my range of mile splits for the long run.

20mph- the headwinds I encountered for the remaining 6.5 miles which kicked my a$$ and slowed me down considerably.

14.83- the number of miles logged on the stationary bike last week.

2- number of cupcakes eaten.

1- new way CB lays on the couch.

1- the number of times the fountains at the Daley center changed color to celebrate something. (Halloween)

1- the number of new blurb books I created.

Looking forward:

1 race to run this month, a 5k turkey trot!

1- race to register for (Santa hustle) Britt, you convinced me. What could be more fun than running in a potential blizzard while wearing a Santa hat, beard and shirt?! :)

150-200 miles for November.

0- injuries. (fingers crossed)

What are your November goals? Do you have anything you're looking forward to?

-Xaar

Woof woof Wednesday!

2011-10-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday CB and I got to see the fido to go truck!

The fido to go truck is a gourmet dog treat truck that drives around Chicago. They have baked goodies and fi-yo, their version of puppy fro-yo in all sorts of delicious Flavors.

He didn't like waiting on the street because of all the noise from buses, metra, sirens etc.

CB was very happy with a good assortment of goat milk vanilla fi-yo, muffins, lobster and duck cookies and a banana nut bagel bone.

His first choice was one of the muffins. (the rest are put away for another day)

-Xaar

Getting back on track

2011-10-24T09:55:00.001-05:00

Last week:

Monday- ran 7 miles in 54:30
Kind of surprised myself with the time by alternating 1 song at 8:30 pace then the next at 8:00-7:30 pace.

Tuesday- 45 minutes of cycling-elliptical. I also walked by the occupy wall street protectors by accident. Ugh.

Wednesday- 5 miles 39:30

Thursday- 35 minutes xtraining

Friday- 30 minutes x training, then dinner cruise.

It was beautiful out. Just not a fan of mediocre food and doing the electric slide with strangers. (it was a Groupon I bought from a while back. Not sure what I was thinking when I bought it)

Saturday- nice 5 mile run with the wonderful wonderful. I'm really hoping we can run together more often. :)

Things were going well getting back into marathon training, but Saturday night it all came to a screeching halt when I puked up my delicious lunch.

We got beef kabobs from whole foods and cooked them on the grill at our apartment. Not sure if it was dehydration, bad food from the cruise, eating too much red meat when I usually don't eat any, or some combo of all of those possibilities that led to my destruction Saturday night. The weather was perfect and I just wanted to go run outside Sunday. It was torture. I'm fine now. :)

Sunday- rest. (supposed to be a longish run of 15 miles) went out to breakfast and brought CB with us. He was very happy to join us and eat our extra food.

For this week, I'm going to remember the post I wrote last week "how bad do you want it" and put it to use.

I'm not going to let myself be lazy with marathon training.

I'm also going to continue with my Rosetta stone Portuguese lessons.

No excuses.

-Xaar

How bad do you want it?

2011-10-16T14:31:00.000-05:00

1 week post marathon and here I am sitting on my couch planning out my training schedule for the next 15 weeks until the ING Miami Marathon.

My original goal for Chicago was lofty- and had to abandon it early on due to some sort of calf/shin issue that sidelined me for months. When I was able to run again I was constantly scared that the injury would flare up and knock me off my training again. So I took it easy and created a good base mileage. I did what I had to do to get to the finish healthy. Now begins the journey of hitting an amazingly lofty goal I have set for my next marathon.

(Somewhere around mile 22-24? I make it look too easy!)

Getting in the way- What are you scared of? Success??

I find myself getting in the way of my progress. I notice being complacent or comfortable running at a certain speed. When I think that i'm going to have to break the next barrier (of 8:00/mile) for most of my runs, I'm nervous. WHY?? There is no good reason. I know my body can handle it (I've gone sub 8 for many of my runs- if only for a mile or 2), but my mind is too set and comfy running 8:30+ a mile. I found this to be true earlier in the year when I was training for my sub 2:00 halfs. I was super complacent running at 9:30/mile and found it difficult to turn up the speed to finally train in the 8's. I needed to tell my mind to back off and let me do what I was capable of doing. During most of my runs, I would do negative splits and end up running in the mid-low 8's. Finally came the day where I would just start running sub 9's for my training.

Im confident that "running faster, will make you run faster" as well as more consistent running, and running more miles. This is how I went from a best of 2:00 in a half in 2010 to a new PR of 1:48 this year. I had to tell my mind to shut up and let me run. It is truly amazing what the body can accomplish when you dont let your mind get in the way. I've also found that the fear of success is almost as great as the fear of failure.

How bad do you want it?

A year ago I ran the Nike Women's Marathon without a time goal in mind. I just wanted to finish healthy. My best friend Tribu also ran the race- it was her first marathon and she was determined as hell to qualify for Boston. She trained during the hottest days of summer, waking up super early to run at 4am to get some relief from the oppressive heat. She ended up qualifying for Boston on her first try- an amazing accomplishment and an even more amazing feat to have been on the hilly NWM course. She didn't let excuses get in the way, instead she put in the hard work necessary to achieve this goal. Another friend of ours ran his first marathon today in 3:18 and got his BQ. He just started running not more than 2 years ago. Folks, anything is possible if you are willing to put in the hard work.

With any goal- it might seem ridiculous or out of reach. But if you break it down into small pieces it will seem much more attainable. You cant expect to teach a dog to roll over in one step- instead you must break it down into much smaller steps- like sit, down, lay on side, etc in order to get the singular goal of rolling over. If you want your goal bad enough then you will do everything humanly possible to achieve it. I'd rather have a crazy (albeit *somewhat* attainable just out of my reach) goal that I must work hard for than one that will come easy. I want to push myself to see what I am made of while my body is still willing to cooperate. While i'm happy with every PR that I achieve, I always want more and know I can do better. I might not ever be the fastest runner, but I can try to be.

(Celebrating the Chicago Marathon at Fleet Feet where we waited to get our medals engraved the day after the race)

How I plan to be successful

No excuses. Saying no is hard, but how bad do you want your goal?
Pushing myself to new frontiers in my running and not giving in.
Training smart. Every run has a purpose.
Strength training. Core training. (core/ upper body felt weak during Chicago. )
Having the full support of my wonderful, wonderful to achieve my dream.
Researching proper nutrition and post run refueling. and putting it to use.
Living my dream because I can. Failure of this dream due to MY laziness is NOT an option.
"Virtually" training with Tribu to keep on track and stay motivated.

How do you achieve your goals? What are your secrets to being successful?

2011 Chicago marathon race recap

2011-10-09T20:18:00.002-05:00

4:04:59 a PR by nearly 15 minutes!!!

Ok, so now that's out of the way....

Day before the race
I laid out everything I needed for the race.

I don't leave things to chance in the morning because I know my head is thinking about other things, like the race.

Race morning
Walked over to grant park around 6:15 from my place and went straight for the BOA access area. If you had a BOA account the people at the boa booth at the expo gave you a couple of rubber wristbands to access the area and a nice steel water bottle. there was NO ONE in this area pre race. OMG! Best decision ever!!

The port o let line in the BOA area 30 minutes before the race. It. Was. Awesome!!!! (and free!)
Then we headed to the corral to get our spot near the 3:50 group.

We waited for the start. And I was sad I left my iPod at home by accident :(

I was pretty anxious because my training was sidelined by an injury the first weeks of training and i wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen in the later miles, in the warmer than (my) ideal temps, and what my legs had in them to give for the day.

The first 5 miles I stayed with my dad and the 3:50 group. Then I started trailing little by little until they were out of sight. I was having some side stitch issues. WTF!?! And that was causing me to slow a little too. I'm used to running half marathons at a faster pace than 8:46 and haven't experienced that before. Can't figure out why it was happening so early in the race.

Miles 6-12 I was averaging sub 9/ slightly over 9 minute miles. By this time because of all the water i was dumping on my head and neck to stay cool, my shoes were getting wet and consequently causing my feet to feel as if there were blisters on the bottom of every toe and the ball of my foot. Not good.

Got to the half in 1:57

(cool pace tattoo!!)
The next 10 miles ranged from 9:14 to 10:40. The side stitch problem and the blisters did not help, and welcome the new addition: right hip pain. I believe this started around mile 15. It was a dull ache in the butt part of the hip. Not fun. Never had this problem before. And currently 7 hours post race, it's gone. As my best friend said to me tonight, I might have been altering my stride because of the one and only blister on my right small toe (massive blister on the bottom of it)

During the miles 14-24 I reflected on my training,feelings from other races, and the fear (through the 14-18 miles) of what would happen during the last 4.5 miles of the race. Again, my longest runs topped out at 15 miles this cycle, but pretty much after all my "long" days, I'd go for a decent paced run the next day of at least 5 miles. I was confident I'd make it to 22ish miles before hitting the wall..

My splits for 22-26.2:
22- 9:24
23- 9:57
24- 9:47
25- 9:26
26- 9.02
.2- 1:45 (7:41 pace)

I kept waiting for when id crash into the wall, but it never happened. I started walking for about 20 seconds through the water stations during the last 10 miles because I inhaled Gatorade and water up my nose too many times to count.

When I was getting towards the last 2 miles I started pushing more and more. I must have passed 356 people in the last 4 miles. It seemed like 75% of the people around me were walking during this time. I motored up the small hill about 800 meters from the finish and passed more people. Then it was a straight shot through a loud awesome mass of spectators to the finish. I ran as fast as I could at this point to beat the clock from going to the next minute.

Once I finished, I turned my phone back on so I could get the txt updates with my time and my dads. When the txt came with his finishing time I was shocked! He ran a 3:45 and got a BQ -9 minutes!!! He said he felt really good and just took off from the pace group. Considering his marathon training was about 6 weeks long (he had been focusing on 5ks during the hot FL summer before he won the chicago marathon entry from Arctic Ease) this was an amazing accomplishment!!

Some thoughts:
-this was my first Chicago and it was amazing! I just wish the weather would be more predictable this time of year. Especially when you have to register in February.

- I got tripped in the first quarter mile of the race. (luckily i was caught) It is still tightly packed with runners during the first few miles until things thin out. I released a tirade of curse words at the person. Seriously? Is cutting through people so early in the course worth it? News flash: hey ~~dumb-ass~~ Jerk, you aren't going to win, so dont endanger the safety of the other runners. I saw at least 2 other people tripped because of the same reason.

- it was nice running through all the neighborhoods that make up Chicago. From lady gaga drag queens in boystown, to a Korean drum line, to Chinese dragons, to live bands and cheerleaders, the course was not short on entertainment and neighborhood flavor.

- the crowds were awesome! I didn't miss my headphones because there wasn't really a spot devoid of spectators during the entire race.

- the volunteers were great. Smiling faces and words of encouragement. So awesome.

-the wall of cheers during the last .25 mile. Fabulous!

What I learned
-to trust myself and my training

-a gu w/caffeine and a salt tab every 5 miles works really well for me. (along with drinking at nearly all aid stations and dumping water and sponges on my head and neck)

- that the temperature was not as bad as I thought it would be. Start was around 58, for my finish it was in the low 70's. Low humidity rocks!

-I need to do more strength and core training.

-overall I'd call it a HUGE success even though I really wanted to break 4. This race felt right and everything fell into place. And I didn't bonk. :)

Big congrats to everyone who ran it out today in less than ideal conditions. You all seriously have some major guts!

And thanks to Running Nina for spectating and adding my name to an awesome poster- which I spotted in the crowd at mile 2!!

-Xaar

Expo/inspiration Chicago marathon

2011-10-07T18:13:00.002-05:00

Went to the Chicago marathon expo on Friday afternoon after a nice 3.5 mile run along the lakefront with my DaaD.

The expo was big and awesome- just as you'd expect for a world class event.

I got to meet Hal Higdon!

I thanked him for getting me to the finish of my 2nd (1st marathon in 10 years- Nike Women's Marathon 2010) with a smile on my face :)

I got to meet June from "All that glitters is golden"

She is the first blogger i've met in person from the bloggy world. I thought it would be weird to meet face to face, but she was awesome and smiley and lovely to meet :)

OH NOOOOO! The low will be around 59, High will be 75. YIKES!

I won't be streaking through the windy city, but because of the temps, the thought might have crossed my mind.....

We are going to start with the 3:50 pace group and hold on for as long as possible. If my dad finishes with a 3:50, he will have a Boston Qualifying time -5 minutes...

Saturday, there will be plenty of rest and relaxing and watching of the "Spirit of the Marathon."

And I leave you with a funny video...

Time for some carbs!!

-Xaar

4 Dtg... Chicago marathon

2011-10-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

Marathon #4 is just over 4 short days away. I am scared and excited for this race. The day I stop getting butterflies for these events, is the day I need to find something new to do.

My new Chicago marathon shirt that wonderful, wonderful got me from Niketown...
(me with the EL in case you are unfamiliar with the Chicago EL. It's Chicago's subway/metro system-- the routes are the colored lines on the shirt)
"Run Like EL" gotta hand it to Nike for being uber-creative :)

By Sunday at 12pm, I will have logged 530 running miles during this cycle. Not quite where I wanted to be...

80.5 Cycle miles

Survived the infamous Calf/Shin problem that prevented me from running for 2+ months

The longest runs I did were 15 miles. This makes me nervous, but somewhat comforted after looking at the Hanson Marathon Program. (Their longest runs top out at 16 and my training looked similar to their schedule. Not on purpose.)

Nearly all of my runs were negative split/ finish stronger runs. This makes me confident.

A 1:48 PR half marathon, and an "easy" 1:53 half in hotter weather. Confidence boosters for sure.

I'm nervous about hitting mile 21.9 I should realize that the vast majority of my miles were "quality" and for me, had a purpose. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. I just don't know what is going to happen.

A "3" in front of my time would make me happy as a clam. What the heck does that even mean?

My dad (with my wisdom) realized he could use this race as a BQ for 2013. Subsequently it has now possibly gone from "fun run with my dad" to "something a bit more stressful." It all started when he mentioned we could follow a pace group for 3:55, his new BQ time. I said- well,,, you can count it for 2013. I guess he thought it wouldn't count. Crap. What have I done?!?

The new debate is 3:50 or 3:55 pace group. I vote 3:50 right now. That is surely subject to change. But with my training, and my daad's training at the hottest parts of the day in Florida (his favorite time to run), I think we could pull off a 3:50ish marathon since it will be relatively nice weather unless it has changed since the last time I checked 23 minutes ago.

I am looking forward to getting this race over and moving onto seriously training for the Miami Marathon,and running (and potentially BQ'ing) with my best friend Tribu. The fire is lit under my butt to train hard to be able stay with her during the race. NO EXCUSES!!!

What marathon training plans have you used? Anyone out there use a lower mileage/ higher intensity program like Hanson and have good results??

September by the numbers

2011-09-30T15:03:00.001-05:00

133.6 miles run in September

1 Half marathon in 1:53

8 days until marathon #4

3- the number of marathons I will have completed in 365 days.

48- the number of photos I took of Willis.

3- the number of cupcakes I ate. They were yummy!

3- the number I'm hoping to see at the beginning of my
Chicago marathon finish time.

0- the number of injuries I currently have.

1- the number of photo shoots I did with CB.

1- the number of races I registered for.

2- the number of friends who will be running this event also, who convinced me to do it. (thanks Tribu!)

0- the number of marathons I had planned on running before april 2012.

1- the number of weeks off after Chicago marathon before I start training for the Ing Miami Marathon.

1839- the times I've obsessed About Chicago marathon weather and the Miami marathon weather.

??- the number of bloggers I hope to meet next week.. I'm talking especially to you JunieB and Britt :)

3- the bowls of pasta I'll eat with my dad next week before the marathon.

0- the number of bowls I want to eat of pasta.

Happy October!

-Xaar

2 weeks from this moment

2011-09-25T12:02:00.001-05:00

I will be celebrating crossing the finish of the 2011 Chicago Marathon. (marathon #4)

Saturday: 12 miles, 1:39

Yesterday was my last double digit run for this cycle. I felt great and pushed the pace for negative splits (huge confidence booster). It was a bittersweet moment because I am finally pain free and ready to run, but alas the taper will begin. This week I will have about 30 miles after my Sunday 5 mile run.

Let the taper madness begin!!

I am beyond happy that my shin/calf problems are seemingly behind me. I can attribute being pain free to this:

3 weeks ago I was having a massage and the therapist suggested I try digestive enzymes- like the kind from papayas and pineapples. She told me that cooked foods don't contain the enzymes necessary to digest all of our food and the toxins we ingest thus causing our body to focus energy on digesting those things instead of healing. So I went straight to whole foods and spent $6.99 on a bottle just to see if they would make a difference. I take one pill with every meal. Within a few days I didn't feel the usual dull pain on my shin/calf anymore. 3 weeks later (this week) I ran 3 miles in 22:00 just to see if the pain would return after a hard effort. And now I'm happy to report that nothing happened! I continue to ice, foam roll, stick, etc just to stay smart about it.

Have you ever tried digestive enzymes?

- I will continue to take the digestive enzymes and probiotics because I can feel a huge difference. I wish I would have started taking them sooner.

-Xaar

Bum drinking 40's

2011-09-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

Yeah, someone- several times found my blog with that search. Also "alcoholic marathon." love those google analytics.

3 weeks until marathon Sunday now and it can't come soon enough. I'm ready to celebrate this training cycle and move on with my life. There are some 5k's looking interesting in November and a possible 15k, before everything freezes over that I want to do.

I got my confirmation ticket with bib # for the chicago marathon on Friday. It's all starting to feel real now... (and that this cycle will be coming to an end very very soon!)

This week I ran about 30 miles. No run longer than 8 miles. (at-least 2 runs were pretty intense- with hills or speed thrown in) This week was tough mentally, plus I've been feeling very fatigued. Since I'm not after a time goal anymore for Chicago (asides from sub 4:00), I don't feel too guilty about ditching the long run in favor of staying healthy. Plus, I need to enjoy the view of Willis (tower) from our new place.

I'll probably do a couple of 10+ mile runs this week and officially be on taper mode by the end of the week. (and take a cue from CB when he isn't crazy barking at ghosts)

What are you looking forward to this week? Any races? Special events?

- for me, I just want to continue to be pain free in my shin and calf. Nothing special going on in my hood :)

-Xaar

Chicago Half Marathon

2011-09-12T09:52:00.001-05:00

Time: 1:53

Drama!
Got in a taxi at 5:50am for the 7am start. Figured the 7 mile ride to the start couldn't take long. I was WRONG! Taxi hit mad traffic because the race had already closed lakeshore dr at 31st street. Luckily my driver knew where to go once we got to the exit. I ended up walking .5 mile to the start, slipped into my corral and then the race started literally 5 seconds later. No pre race port a potty stop. No usual pre race ritual this time. At least I was warmed up!

The Plan
My plan was to just take it "easy". Wonderful, wonderful and I moved to a new apartment this weekend and my calf was bitching about carrying heavy stuff (along with my back and arms...) I also wanted to take it easy because I didnt want to damage myself before the Chicago marathon in 4 weeks. Plus it was on the warm side.
(I know I know. 70 is not warm to most of you, but with 80+% humidity, it was sticky)

The Race
So no sooner did I get into the corral (and take a few photos) the race started. Talk about cutting it close! As I was walking up to the start line after the gun went off, I realized my garmin had shut off. So much for being pro active during the .5 mile walk to start by turning it on. I failed to hear it beep saying it was going to power save mode. I crossed the start and began my 13.1 mile journey.

For a split second I thought about running the race "naked" but decided to get the garmin connected again. About 2 minutes later it hooked up to the satellites. I was surprised that my "easy" pace was hovering around 8:35 a mile. I felt fabulous. Every aid station I drank some water and dumped another cup on my neck. The race went up lakeshore dr and then back south. It was never crowded (surprising because of the volume of participants). I saw so many people with red white and blue on and saw several people carrying large American flags- which would prompt the spectators to chant USA USA USA. It made me tear up hearing the patriotism.

(fire truck that responded to the 9/11 attacks in NYC. All of her crew died when the World trade centers collapsed)

The second half of the race was in the sun. It was getting warm, but I just tried to keep the 8:30's feeling comfortable. By mile 11, I saw the race had gone to yellow flag(use caution). All I kept thinking the last 2.1 was Sh*t! Just don't go to red so my time can be recorded. Mile 12 was still yellow so I pushed it in to the finish and was happy to be done.

(seeing this truck gave me chills. It is being restored because it got banged up when the WTC collapsed)

Post half #15
walking through the finish chute I saw military personnel in uniform and ROTC students giving out water and other snacks. I made it a point to say thank you to them not only for the water, but for their service and dedication to ensuring freedom for us.

I found the tent to pick up the "windy city challenge" medal I earned from "finishing" that dreadfully hot black flag 13.1 Chicago half marathon race in June. I love the medals! The Chicago half medal's lanyard has their race logo and also a flag which says "we will never forget" on it. Love it!

Final thoughts
A HUGE thank you to the volunteers who were enthusiastic and genuinely happy to be out early on a Sunday morning. You guys were seriously awesome!

I would do this race again. However with oakbrook half, Naperville half, and the Foxvalley half/full all being within a week of each other, I might have to try a race in the burbs next year during the first few weeks of September. Organization, the course, everything was perfect for this race. It really couldn't have been better. (and far exceeded my expectations for a massive race)

Cheers to the Chicago half for putting on a great event!

-Xaar

#15

2011-09-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is the Chicago half marathon. It will be my 15th half.

The expo was at navy pier, so I decided to run the 2.5+ miles there to get my stuff and then run back.

It was a beautiful (albeit warm) day. Maybe I shouldn't have worn my jacket...

My plan for this race is to treat it as an easy training run. Just average 9:00 or so per mile and just feel good. My calf, after a week of feeling great has decided to give some discomfort again. Perhaps it is all the carrying of heavy things moving from one apt to a new one- not sure. Depending on how I feel after the race, I might run home- which is an additional 7.7+ miles.

The shirt is pretty cool. It is also very soft. We are encouraged to wear red white and blue tomorrow in remembrance of 9-11.

They were also giving out free posters.

I signed up for a sports chiropractic evaluation. For $25 I will get x rays and an eval to determine if one leg is longer than the other, or if there is some other spinal problem that might be causing the right leg extra stress. The guy at the expo had me stand on 2 scales- one for each foot and told me to stand even and balanced. The weight on my left leg was 11 lbs more than my right. He said a normal range is less than 5lbs. I'm really hoping to get some good answers through this. Monday afternoon I hope to have more knowledge about my problems.

Have you ever had an evaluation with a chiropractor that specializes in sports?

-Xaar

Woof woof Willis Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

Woof

(likes to hide in small spaces under tables)

Woof

(likes to flash his beautiful blue eyes at me and make my heart melt. Makes up for all those times I yell at him for barking...)

Willis (tower)

(I like the Willis tower- formerly the sears tower. It looks like legos!)

Woof

(there is a very tiny amount of beer in his bowl and as a result he looks embarrassed. He wouldn't try it until I walked away. Then he licked the bowl clean)

Woof

(he likes keeping an eye on everyone from stealthy locations, like the balcony)

Willis

(Willis being camera shy)

-Xaar

6 weeks to go week in review

2011-09-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

Total miles: 50

Monday:
AM 5 miles 44:20
PM 5 miles 44:00
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday:
AM 5 miles 43:40
PM 5 miles 43:20
Thursday 1 mile warmup/ cool down
7 miles alternating 8:30, 8:00 pace per song, last mile 7:30. 56:50
Friday rest
Saturday 15 miles 2:13:18
Sunday 4 easy miles with cb, 3 miles 24:42

This week I wanted to up my mileage. I succeeded. The plan was more longer slower distances and a cutback on the speed during the increase. My calf issue stayed at bay and I felt really good the entire week until it came time for the long run.

I was not feeling the whole "run for almost 3 hours" event when i woke up saturday so I decided to prepare for it and just see how I felt while running. (the plan was 20 miles, but was willing to run 6, and defer the 20 until Sunday). I drank some Gen UCan cran-raspberry pre workout drink about 30 minutes before running. They are supposed to have enough carbs to last for 2+ hours of activity, and are easy on the stomach. (and for good measure I've been eating a lot of rice and other carby grains this week)

(found some more Chicago marathon banners!!)

I felt great the first 6.5, then towards the end of the next 6.5 I started feeling even more tired. I ate my usual chomps and salt tabs and kept hydrated with some fruit punch Nuun. I filled up my water bottle a 2nd time with just water. But starting mile 14 was tough. I pushed for 15 and called it quits. Could I have kept going? Yes. But it would have been a Big struggle. (and probably not worth it)

I think I was dehydrated. Craziness! I drank more than I usually do, but felt so crappy the rest of the day. I'm sure it was dehydration though. Blah! Lesson learned.

Sunday CB and I walked/ jogged 4 miles on the lakefront and had a photo shoot. CB likes being noticed, just don't touch him.

Some girls asked to take a photo with him. (he had been staring at them and everyone else to get noticed while we were sitting in the grass) then when they came over he acted all shy. I dunno. In our building He always makes eye contact with people in the elevator, but backs away when people try to pet him. Silly pup!

He is also camera shy, but I think the extended walk tired him out so he wasn't focusing on dodging the camera.

In less than 5 weeks, I'll be crossing the finish of marathon #4. For the first time in weeks
(and months) I'm truly excited.

Do you ever "bonk" during a workout? If it happens, are you always able to find a cause for why it happened?

- some times I can pinpoint the reason- like dehydration. Other times I seriously have no idea why one workout was far worse than it should have been. Perhaps it's our body's way of saying "backoff" for this one.

Tchau
-Xaar

August in numbers

2011-09-01T09:50:00.001-05:00

4- the number of times I've taken a photo of these banners.

1- the number of firework shows I've actually seen from navy pier (seeing the top of the fireworks over the buildings from my place doesn't count)

1- the number of times I ran outside at night. Happened to be last night when I joined the south loop runners club to go watch the fireworks.

5- the number of miles CB and I ran to go watch the fireworks.

0- the number of fireworks CB liked. (he freaked out the entire time. Not a surprise)

106.7- the total miles I ran in august.

20- the number of miles I ran (in 2 days) during the last 3 days of August

16- the number of days I ran.

6.66875- the average miles I ran per day (running days) in august.

5- the number of minutes I smashed my PR by in the half marathon, Subsequently qualifying me for a corral in the chicago marathon. Read about it Here

1- the number of race entries won. Ok, it wasn't me who won, but my dad. My dad is running the Chicago marathon with me! Read about it here.

1- number of black truffle risottos I made. And it was easy and delicious and full of yummy carbs.

1- the number of Crumb Bakeries that opened up entirely too close to my office.

1- the number of times I've been there. I only got the most delicious cherry almond turnover ever!

1- the number of stare downs CB had with his enemy, the metra train. He doesn't like it because he watched the movie "source code" with us one night.

???- the number of yummy beers consumed.

-Xaar

Yay motivation! (& a Bday tribute)

2011-08-30T08:19:00.002-05:00

Got some great news!!!!!

My daad is going to run the Chicago Marathon with me!!!

My daad won an entry to the marathon from Arctic Ease. He even had to create a facebook page to do the contest. Im so proud ;) Arctic Ease makes super cool (no pun intended) wraps. You dont even put them in the freezer or anything. The wraps are like magic!! They are nice post run when I need to ice the calf and move around. And their customer service is wow!!! Go "Arctify" yourself now. Do it!!

Motivation and a birthday tribute:

I am so excited to run with my dad in October!

My dad got me interested in running. I ran my first race at age 9- a 1 mile St Patrick's day event and won my age group! Then I didn't really run again until cross country in high school. I always was inspired by my daad, the runner. I watched him complete a triathlon and many other races.

(Source) High school cross country. 12 years ago?

I ran my first marathon with my dad- The 2002 NYC marathon. he beat me by 45 minutes.

I ran my first 1/2 marathon with my dad. The 2003 Las Vegas international half. He beat my time again.

He's pretty fast for an old guy. Lol

I watched him achieve his lifelong goal of qualifying for Boston at the Rock n Roll Arizona 2010. (his best marathon was a 3:04:59 back in the day when the Boston standard for young guys was 2:50 and his 5k pr is a blazing 16:48!!)

I am motivated and inspired.

I wanted him to run Chicago with me this year, but back during registration he was dealing with injuries that almost forced him to drop out of the Boston Marathon. Luckily he was able to overcome those annoyances, finished Boston and is relatively pain free now.

He has been cleaning up the age group hardware in the local 5ks in Florida, with some fast times in that crazy heat. So with 6 weeks to go he is now training for a marathon (Sorry daad, no more AG medals for now!). The playing field is closer to even and I think we will be able to run a slightly sub 4:00 marathon together (for once) in Chicago.

Thanks Daad for inspiring me to run and continue on even when things get tough.

I can't wait to run this race with you!!! (and pig out on BBQ food and good beer afterward)

Happy birthday Daad!!

-Xaar

6 weeks...

2011-08-28T20:15:00.001-05:00

Wow! 6 weeks from today is Chicago Marathon Sunday!

Yikes!

Week in review:

28 total miles. Eh, not quite what I was hoping for, but had to bail on my LSD 18 miler (turned into a 7 miler)

Monday: 6 miles: 52:20
Tues- Wednesday: off
Thursday 5 miles 46:30
Friday: 4 miles 35:45
Saturday: 6 miles 51:34
Sunday: 7 miles 61:00

The shin/ calf pain was a little more present this week so I was a bit scared with every step I took. On saturday after the 6, I got a massage which *hurt* so good on my calf. By Sunday it was still in a little pain, but in the afternoon I felt good and squeaked out the 7 miles.

It's all about listening to your body and knowing when to stop.

The massage therapist said it felt like my muscle had separated from the bone (not the first time I've heard that) *shudders* but had I actually torn my muscle (back in late may) I'd imagine the pain I should have experienced would have been tremendous, and I wouldn't be running relatively pain free currently. Plus, I didnt have any bruising or swelling when it happened back After the soldier field 10, I'm thinking it could have been a strain due to dehydration and then the hard running I did after the first signs of pain, or perhaps a stress fracture. I dunno. I just want to get to the start of the Chicago marathon healthy. (I've already started looking at spring marathons.. Redemption!)

I ice, use arctic ease, TP kit, foam roll, and use the stick on my leg- in addition to compression socks. and it is much better, I just have to stay smart about this silly thing. I'm thinking of making an appointment at athelitco to see if something in my stride is causing undue stress on my right leg. I'm not sure if they would even be able to get that in depth with a free diagnostic exam, but it couldn't hurt. (I'm also not sure how much of the pain is purely psychological as opposed to real pain in my leg)

I'm staying positive and happy with the week I had. Yeah- no yoga. I decided to save the $$$ for now. The 6pm class is ridiculously packed, the 8pm class is too late for me and the 6am class could work, but I'd rather leave work at the normal time and not 30 minutes later. Sigh...

I also enjoyed some of this during the week....

Eh, Injuries. Or psychological ghosts...

How do you stay motivated when you have setbacks in your training?

-Xaar

Woof! Woof! Wednesday

2011-08-24T10:55:00.001-05:00

-Xaar

Dear Chicago marathon training

2011-08-20T10:28:00.001-05:00

These past 13 weeks have been anything but ideal. The start of 2011 had me focusing on consistency and speed (as opposed to the last few years of running and not pushing myself) I started making some great progress towards my goals of reducing times in all the distances I wanted to race. Then came may 28- the soldier field 10. I had a great race and had reduced my per mile pace even lower than before. But, after the race I began experiencing pain in my shin/calf. I kept running on it that week and damaged it further to the point I was limping around.

Then Chicago marathon training started. I paid $$$ to train with CES (pre injury) and couldn't even run for 6-8 weeks. It has been so incredibly disappointing. I went into this training season with high expectations and now I am constantly reevaluating everything- my goals have changed substantially as they should. I am also paranoid with every step I take that the minimal pain I still experience will come back full force. I am disappointed and frustrated to the point that this has become an excuse for not doing the training that I should be doing. I am lucky to have an extremely supportive wonderful, wonderful who encourages me to go workout. Yet, even with my support and the highs of getting a PR by 5 minutes in the Rock n Roll Chicago Half marathon last week, I am still barely breaking 20 running miles a week. The past 2 weeks I've gone to yoga once. It's pathetic, I'm pathetic.

So this is where it all stops. Chicago marathon training, I am writing you off for the past 13 weeks. I will no longer feel discouraged, disappointed, or frustrated at what could have been with you. Starting today I will focus on the next 7 weeks and do everything i should be doing. Yoga 4-6 times a week, and increasing my mileage back to around 40ish a week. No more excuses.

Today starts the beginning of the next 7 weeks, a clean slate and the ability to run free of these demons that have plagued me during the past 13 weeks. This morning I ran 10 miles in 1:22:30 and felt wonderful. This is going to be the start of something really great.

Tchau,

-Xaarlin

Race recap: Rock n Roll Chicago

2011-08-14T21:55:00.002-05:00

1:48:07

I went into this race just hoping for the best- whatever that was.. With the lingering calf/shin problem that has been around since the end of may, I was just praying to finish the race pain free. The past few months I haven't gone over 30 miles for a week of training. This week, I didn't even do yoga at all :( I felt exhausted and drained all week and managed a 3 mile and 6 mile run this week. That's it.

Rolled out of bed before the sun woke up and wonderful, wonderful and I made the mile trek over to the start area. I was seriously nervous for this race. I was worried about my tummy having issues because pasta dinner the night before sits like a brick in my belly,and I was worried about my injury (it still rears it's ugly head occasionally- and isn't 100% healed), and was nervous about hitting my "A" goal of 1:50 for the half, which would get me into a seeded corral for the Chicago marathon. I knew it was possible, but with the minimal amount of training I've done, well, I wasn't too confident.

My garmin mileage was whack for this race because of a tunnel in the first mile, and also someplace near the end where it goes under the McCormick place. Other times during the race my pace would read 14:00+ minutes and a mile later would read 6:00 which I assume is because of the tall buildings impeding satellite reception. For this reason, I have no mile splits. From the official results, I know I did negative splits. It's the way I train, so I'm happy I was able to accomplish it for the race.

I took off with the 1:50 pacers and felt pretty good. We were hitting nice even 8:19 splits. I took water at every aid station- about every other mile. Drank 1 cup and dumped the other on my neck. I was soaked by the finish. Around mile 5?, I looked off into the distance and saw some crazy scary black storm clouds and thought sh$t, hope there's no lightning. Just before mile 6 I took a jet blackberry Gu about .15 from a water station. It had 2x caffeine and was a nice pick me up for the rest of the race.

About mile 7 I just started to push more and more and eventually lost the pace group. I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure they didn't pass me at a water stop- otherwise I'd have to haul butt to catch them. I think by now I was starting to hit some 8:05ish miles. I was on cruise control and felt pretty darn good. I started doing the math in my head at each mile marker to ensure I was still on pace for a 1:50 finish. After 9 miles of being on pace I couldn't let it slip away. Chariots of fire came on my iPod and I nearly cried. I was going to make my goal, the goal I wanted so bad since I signed up for the Chicago marathon back in february. Eminem's "loose yourself" came on a few songs later and I must have listened to it 5 times during the last couple of miles. It was a straight road to the finish and the finishline didn't seem to be getting closer. I kept pushing on and would look down so the finish didn't seem so far away. I crossed the line and cried.

This race meant so many things to me.

-a nearly 5 minute PR. I love me a PR.

-a surge in confidence after the last 8 weeks nursing this injury. I am doing things right and will continue yoga and slowly build mileage back to my routine.

-a seeded start in the Chicago marathon.

-a goal achieved and beaten. It feels damn good.

I am also so proud of my wonderful wonderful for finishing, even though he cannot train much due to his crazy travel schedule.

Rock n Roll Chicago thoughts:
-extremely well organized. Many aid stations, volunteers were smiling. Thank you!!

-loved loved loved the downtown course. It was reminiscent of shamrock shuffle, with about 8 more miles..

-the weather was perfect. Maybe 62 at the start, cloudy and some light sprinkles. I was so concerned it would be 95 like it was a few weeks ago.

-the 6:30am start was early, but welcome. Get it done before it gets too hot. Have the rest of the day to celebrate.

-popsicles and cold towels at the finish. Awesomeness.

-the crowds. It was packed with spectators in the second half. Loved the crowd support.

I would do it again. The RNR events are pricy, but worth all the pennies because they are run very efficiently.

Celebration followed our finishes.

Kettle chips with bleu cheese from hackneys. A nice long nap completed our afternoon.

Congrats to everyone who ran today!

I'll spare you the waiting..

2011-08-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

1:48:07 a new PR by almost 5 minutes!!!!!!!!

Race report to follow, after proper celebrating!

-Xaar

Rock n rolling #14

2011-08-13T16:34:00.001-05:00

#14 is tomorrow. I cannot believe I'm up to 14 half marathons after tomorrow. My first was the las Vegas international half, back in February 2003. (i didnt train for it and the course was super boring in the middle of no where about an hour outside of Vegas)

The 2nd, was the 2008 rock n roll san Jose half marathon. (I am seriously going to miss doing that one for the 4th time straight this year- it is the week before the Chicago marathon.) Half marathons are my favorite distance hands down. I like pushing myself for 2 hours and receiving a medal. I use them as training runs for full
Marathons, and also do them just to enjoy a nice long supported run.

Tomorrow is the rock n roll half marathon in Chicago. The course is all downtown which is a nice change from running just on the lakefront like the 3 other halfs I've done here this year. Plus, it starts and ends about a mile from my place..

The expo had innovative fitting rooms.

Also had to get our usual shots...

We went on Friday after work to get our bibs and schwag. It was awesome to walk around the expo and not be packed like 12 people into a vw bug.

I like the shirt and wish they were not unisex. It is a dark navy blue tech shirt.

goals

A 1:50 or less. That means a 2+ minute PR and qualification into the last Chicago marathon start corral before the "open" wave. If i dont get a 1:50, I'm starting in the herd with 40,000+ others come October. Smooth start = happier me in 2 months.

B
Finish and be healthy. My leg is good this week, but sometimes it acts up. I would like to remain injury free. If it starts bugging me, I will take it easy to the finish.

This race starts at 6:30am tomorrow. Yikes! Im not a morning runner. On the other hand, I'll be happy to be done by 9am.

It will be nice to meet some others at the FFCheer tweetup post race.

(been wearing that since Friday and it's just as annoying as it looks. At least I won't have to show my id post race and wait in line)

I'm looking forward to some beer after the race- even at 9am Chicagoland time, it's 5 o'clock somewhere.... (Eh, even if it's MGD 64 aka beer flavored koolaid)

Good luck to everyone who raced or is racing this weekend! I can't wait to hear how your races went. :)

-Xaar

O.M.G.

2011-08-09T10:38:00.003-05:00

Yeah, it's that beautiful here in Chicagoland today.

With the rock n roll Chicago half coming up on Sunday, it seems as if my prayers and offerings to the cool weather gods were partly answered.

This past week I:
Ran a 5k(ish) time trial in 23:22
Ran 8 miles in 66:50 (last 5 miles at 8:19, last mile at 7:50)
Bikram yoga 4 times, 6 hours

I also got my orders of Nuun and Gen UCan. The vanilla Gen UCan recovery was nice after my 8 mile effort. I drank lemon tea flavored Nuun during my run. It was delicious! It tasted like nestea but not as sugary or syrupy. I cannot wait to try grape, and especially strawberry lemonade. I'm also looking forward to trying out the Gen UCan pre workout drinks. They have carbs in them that will fuel you for 2+ hours if you drink them 30-45 minutes before a workout. I'm not digging pasta right now, so if this works, it will be awesome to be able to avoid pre race carb loading!

Cb wants to model for beer commercials, so he had me take his photo. Kid needs a job, but I don't think his idea will pan out.

He likes watching storms when there isn't any lightning or thunder. Perhaps He should just stick to being a house pet who runs sometimes and barks a lot.

This week I'm looking forward to:
-more bikram yoga
-some easy taperish runs
-and

What are you looking forward to this week? Anybody racing this weekend?

-Xaar

Yay Friday!

2011-08-05T09:15:00.002-05:00

I couldnt resist the more cupcake truck this morning

Key lime cupcake!!

Mariachi band serenades a Whale

This video is awesome and will brighten your day.

Happy weekend!

-Xaar

Today is not my Friday

2011-08-04T11:39:00.001-05:00

But I wish it was....

Mainly because of the lovely weather that has descended upon chicagoland.

I did a 5k time trial last night with the CES group. There were less people last night than other nights, maybe they were at outdoor cafes enjoying the refreshing weather.

I had planned earlier in the day to push the pace a little and finish in 25:00. After the warmup, I was feeling good so I took off and was surprised to see I was running 7:30 pace at the first half mile. I felt great and pushed the pace but kept it comfortably hard for the rest of the run. I finished in 23:22 although I think the course was a little short. I'll take 7:40 pace any day! This was a massive confidence booster because I keep worrying about my calf (which isn't hurting much surprisingly) and because Of the lack of mileage this cycle. If the weather was hotter like last week, I would have folded like a cheap suit.

I'm actually a little excited for the rock n roll Chicago half next week. I'm hoping the weather stays cool and keeps getting cooler.

Classic CB

How do you build confidence when you are having a less than ideal training cycle?

-Xaar

Week 10 Review- Chicago Marathon

2011-07-31T13:35:00.004-05:00

Monday- Rest
Tuesday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Wednesday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Thursday- 90 minutes Bikram Yoga
Friday- 90 Minutes Bikram Yoga
Saturday- 8.5 miles, 1:19.00 With the CES Group
Sunday- maybe a run, maybe yoga or maybe nothing

Total: 6 Hours Bikram Yoga
8.5 Miles running

My philosophy on training for the Chicago Marathon has changed from 10 weeks ago when I started. Before it was, train smart- but push the pace a little to really see where I can go. Now, I try to take every day, one at a time and evaluate what I need to do to cross the finish line healthy in a few months. While running with the CES group on Saturday morning (9:00 pace group) I had already decided to just do what the half marathoners were going to run- somewhere between 8-10 miles instead of the 14-16 miles the marathoners were going to do. I just felt like crap during the run and decided to stop at 8.5 for the day. My calf/shin was starting to bother me and I felt sick and thought that there was no reason to push for another 2-3 miles. Currently, my calf/shin is bothering me, not bad- just very present and worse than the last few weeks. Perhaps it is because I havent been foam rolling-stick-TP therapy-compression as much as the past week.

This week I plan to do 5-7 yoga sessions, and do some nice slow runs of 5-7 miles, a "slow" 5K time trial on Wednesday with CES, and a long run on Saturday of 8 miles with 5x 30 second pickups.--only if the calf is okay. Maybe this will be the first week I actually complete a saturday workout with CES?

This week my daad came to visit Chicagoland. We bummed around and ate a lot of food and acted like tourists minus the stopping dead in our tracks in the middle of the busy sidewalk to gawk at something or take a photo or look at a map.
First stop was the Willis Tower (aka Sears tower)

Wonderful, Wonderful and I on the scary glass overhang.

My daad and I and Chicagoland.

Then we visited the Bean.

Then we saw the new Marilyn Monroe statue... Um yeah..

Look at that girl picking her nose in my photo.. RUDE!

After walking all over Chicagoland we went to Sheffield's for some BBQ and Beer.

I tried all 3 of the ESB style beers they had. All were delicious.

Wonderful, wonderful and his beer.

It was a great weekend with Daad. Next time i'll get him to come up for a 5k or half marathon.

What is your favorite style of beer? (stout, IPA, lager, etc)
-I love Stout. And IPA is growing on me.

What up Willis!?!

2011-07-29T20:06:00.001-05:00

The view from the top.

Long way down!

Have a great weekend!

-Xaar

Week 9 in review- Chicago Marathon Training

2011-07-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Week 9

Monday: Bikram yoga 90 minutes
Tuesday: Bikram Yoga 90 minutes (Didnt run with the other group due to the heat)
Wednesday: Bikram Yoga 90 Minutes (CES group was canceled due to the heat)
Thursday: 5 Miles, 42 minutes (running)
Friday: Bikram Yoga 90 Minutes @ 6AM
4 Miles, 44:30 (Run with the CB dog, It was HOT)
Saturday: Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
6 Miles, 52:30 (running on the tread) Dont eat spicy food when you know you will go run later...
Sunday: 15 Mile long run- 2:09:06 (on the tread)

Total Hours Yoga: 7.5
Total miles running: 30! The most miles i've run for this training cycle!!

Things I learned this week:

I think this is the first week I've worked out everyday, in a long time- or ever. I have also eaten really healthy this week. Im feeling good, and think I'm starting to see some results.

Got my Running Chic shirt in the mail that I won over at Christy's My Dirt Road Anthem. I wore it to my first yoga class and it was so comfortable! I got the Navy Alo tank, and am contemplating buying a few more very soon. Thank you Christy for randomly picking me :) (I love the Chic with the dog.. reminds me of CB and I)

Bikram yoga is AWESOME. The 1st day I had to lay down several times because it was hot, and intense. (studio is 105 degrees with 40% humidity) By the end of the week I could get through class without having to lay down. Ive never sweat so much in my life. By the end of the 90 minute class i'm literally drenched- as in jumped in the pool with my clothes on then caught out in the rain kind of soaked. It is so refreshing!

Nothing is more perfect after a long sweaty workout than Horchata. (rice almond drink)
Just like morning running, early AM yoga is ~~super hard~~ more challenging for me. My flexibility and coordination and balance are a little off in the morning- just as my early AM runs seem to take more energy to achieve the same pace that I easily run at in the PM's

The calf/shin thing is pain free while running now. If I start poking the "spot" on my leg, it is still tender- like a moderate bruise feeling- No pain unless I touch it. I should stop touching it now.

I am still having motivation issues. The Bikram Yoga has really changed my view on life and running (maybe a change in cross training was all I needed). I am less sour about marathon training, but still just want to run for fun. and HOLY CRAP! Im running the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon in 3 weeks. OMG. (praying for a freak cold front to come through and drop the temperature to 45 degrees during the race)

My 15 miler was on the treadmill again. Saturday at 2am a really wicked lightning storm rolled thorough dumping 5-7" on Chicago. Poor CB was freaked the entire 2 hour duration of the storm and as a result I didnt get any sleep. When my alarm went off for Marathon group- I accidentally hit "off" instead of snooze and woke up at 5:45, 15 minutes before the group run. D'OH.

CB looking all kinds of crazy after my 15 miler today.Eh, we both look a little off in this photo. I have an excuse! lol

This week i'm looking forward to:
More Bikram Yoga!
Celebrating my wonderful, wonderful's birthday with him (all the cool kids are born in July!) haha
Getting to show my dad around Chicagoland for the weekend (and drinking yummy craft beers)
*and going to the CES group runs this week- especially the long run on Saturday.

What are your favorite cross training activities?

Does your running club ever get canceled because of excessive heat? (my friends in Florida laugh at me for this- because its consistently 95+ everyday and 100% humidity there. I thought it was supposed to be hot in Chicago during the summer...I dunno)

Chicago, I'm falling for you

2011-07-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

I really miss the san Francisco bay area still- even after living in Chicago since late January of this year. Here is a list of the things I like about Chicagoland.

The lake front path is about .75 miles from my apartment. Yay running!

All the cool bars and restaurants near my place with craft (micro) brewed beer.

There is a great sushi place close by. (oysy)

Gourmet Food trucks. More Cupcake truck, southern Mac n cheese truck, meaty balls truck, haute sausage truck, tamale spaceship. And the newest one I've found: fido to go. Yes, it's a gourmet dog treat truck. On thursday nights about 7-10 food trucks gather outside "Ethyls dive"(a new restaurant in the west loop) I want to go soon. Cb wants to see fido to go too.

(from the fido to go website)

A new gourmet grocery store is opening very close to my apartment soon. Whole foods is currently 1 mile away, target .5 mile. I was SO happy to see them working on the store yesterday.

Farmers market at the daly plaza With the creepy baboon Picasso statue looking over the scene. Also, I get a goat cheese, honey, olive tapenade, crepe with balsamic reduction almost every Thursday now.

I also get plants from the market

That violet plant now sits on MY DESK in my NEW OFFICE!
After being a "temp" employee for the past 3 years, I got a real job 2 weeks ago. My first corporate job and I have a Fricken office. It's awesome!
That's one of the main reasons I'm starting to fall for Chicago. Having a real job =stability= peace of mind= happiness, at least for my world.

(chomper 4, from the farmers market)

I love Bikram yoga in a studio a stones throw from my apartment. What the hell took me so long to sign up for this when I've been seeing the signs since February? Probably the job situation. This is my first week and LOVE it!

I'm falling for you Chicagoland.

What are some things you love about your city?

Have a great weekend!

-Xaar

The thrill is gone

2011-07-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Recap of the week:
Tuesday: 7 miles running in 59:30
Wednesday: 5 mile worth of repeats workout. (5 x 800 @ 7:15 per mile pace- with warmup /cooldown)
Thursday: 9.15 miles/ 35 minutes on cycle
Friday: rest
Saturday: 13 miles in 1:52.37 (1st 4 miles at 9:00, 2nd 4.5 at 8:40, 3rd 4.5 at 8:30- 8:00pace)
Sunday: 7 miles , 30 minutes cycling

My new orchid "Chomper 4" bought from the farmers market. Had to replace "Chomper 3" who traveled cross country with me from San Fran to Chicago and recently died due to bugs.

Its the most i've run in months, yet I am disappointed.

I ran by myself on saturday for the long run because psychologically, I am done training for the marathon. Ever since my calf blew up around May 28- after / during the soldier field 10, I have struggled to stay motivated. I have cycled more on the stationary bike than I ever would have imagined.And I created crazy treadmill workouts (like running a 9:30 pace for 2 minutes on a 6 incline, repeat 8 times, with a brisk 2 minute walk in between) because the incline would not bother whatever was wrong with my calf.

I ran by myself this weekend because I have been sick of telling the pacers and whomever else I was chatting with on the saturday long runs, that I would be cutting out to only do 5-6 miles instead of the 10+ miles that were scheduled. I needed to show myself that I could run 10+ miles without my calf exploding again.

The thrill is gone, because I no longer really care about races (Im sure this will change). I thoroughly enjoy reading all of your race recaps- they seriously inspire me, but I am dreading the Rock n Roll Chicago half (in a month) the Chicago Half (in 2 months) and the Chicago Marathon in less than 3 months. To pay $$$ for an entry, to actually follow a plan to train for the event, and to put so much emotional/ physical time into the event many months into the future only to get sidelined by injury is beyond frustrating. I just want to run, to run again. I would love to just go out and run 10 miles for fun. Or do a speed workout to go fast and sweat a lot without the pressure of being healthy for a race. Maybe focusing on shorter distance races will help with this. I love running. It is my drug, my therapist...

I am disappointed.

Because I paid $$$ to train with the Chicago Endurance Sports group and have made it to maybe 45-50% of the group runs in the past 9 weeks.
Because I got injured- out of my control I know. everything had been going so well up until then.
Because I could have been doing *more* during the last 6 weeks. More cycling, start swimming, more core exercises, push-ups, weight training...
Because I must abandon my time goal for the Chicago Marathon. It was lofty. But that goal is on hold until the next marathon.
Because I dont take CB for runs anymore for fear he will get killed by one of the douchebag cyclists on the lake front path. (not all are DB;s, but when they fly by going 25+ mph, its dangerous- combined with the clueless tourists and all the other runner/walkers, its just too crowded) I need to find an alternate place to take him.

I am optimistic:

Because I am almost fully healed. There is some discomfort in the calf/shin, but i can run and the pain is very minimal to non-existent after a run.
Because I did the right thing. I MICE'd (movement, ice, compression, elevation) like a crazy person. "Yes, those are CEP compression sox on with my boots." Without the MICE, I would still be in a lot of pain- plus some massages didnt hurt (well at the time they did). And foam rolled, used the stick and the trigger point kit. All life savers.
Because I ran this weekend 13 miles in a time that was consistent with my PR half marathon of the "Hypothermia Half" (haha) Chicago Spring Half marathon. Apparently I am back to my pre injury fitness, or even better.
Because I can make delicious smoothies and my extreme aversion to pasta is slowly going away.

I am thankful:

For the support of my wonderful, wonderful who helps me through these "tough" times when I sound like a damn crazy person because im so bummed about my leg.
For you! The bloggy universe who give encouragement and thoughtful comments when I really needed it most.
For my family and the CB dog who always listen to me rant about this crap.

This week i am looking forward to:

Following the marathon schedule this week and going to all CES group runs- wednesday and saturday.
~~maybe~~ trying out running with another club on Tuesdays near my place.
Trying out Bikram Yoga at the studio very close to my place. They have a great special for the 1st month. I have never done yoga in a studio- usually I just use a DVD at home, so I think this could be really beneficial for staying healthy and a great cross training tool to help improve my fitness for running.

Cheers to a new week!

Belated Birthday Post

2011-07-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

A week ago I celebrated my birthday in Montreal. While my wonderful, wonderful was going to talks at the conference that brought us to Montreal, I was out exploring.
First stop: The botanical gardens. They were a short metro ride from the hotel. The gardens were absolutely worth the trip.

Then I walked all the way to the Lululemon store and H&M and Zara and about 30 other places. Then I went for a run. The hotel we stayed at had an "in house runner" named Claude who leads runs on Wednesdays and Fridays. I figured why not?! So I went down to the lobby at 4:15 and saw another guy dressed in cotton shorts, t-shirt, etc and we waited for Claude. The cotton guy said I looked like a serious runner. :) Claude showed up dressed in a white singlet, white leggings and a garmin.(he runs marathons) He asked us how far we wanted to go- (I was expecting 4-6 miles since it was advertised as an hour long run) Mr. Cotton said 4-5 miles. So we took off towards this. (Parc Mont Royal, notice the very small cross at the top)

Around 4 miles we hit the summit. I felt good, and was wondering if there was a shortcut way down, but was secretly hoping for a long run... (Montreal is so beautiful)

Then we jogged around the cross.

I picked up the pace for a few K's with Claude down the Mont, and made my way back to the hotel while Claude ran back to Mr. Cotton to finish out the run with him. I ran without water- luckily there was a water fountain around mile 3.5. (and that it was less than 80 degrees, and like 50% humidity- otherwise I would have died)

So for my birthday I ran the farthest i've run since May 28. 9.3 miles, or 15K. The nice 1 hour run I was expecting turned into a 1:30 run up the Parc Mont Royal. It. Was. Awesome! The calf is still tender, but it was a confidence booster since I havent run more than 7 miles at a time since my calf exploded.

Later on, I had a nice birthday dinner with my wonderful, wonderful and then we went to a club for the conference party. I would say it was a birthday success.

What are some of your favorite birthday memories?

~for me, this year was awesome. Being able to spend your birthday with someone you love is always amazing, no matter where you are.

Montreal Part 1

2011-07-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

Day 1

Our ride- had to walk to it. I felt special like a world leader because they never seem to use jetways to get onto planes. When was the last time you saw a president or royalty using a jetway? Never. Yeah i thought so. :)

In da tiny plane. Like a G6...

We walked about 7 miles and saw a lot of downtown Montreal. It is a beautiful, clean city and everyone speaks french! I took 3 years of french in High school. I cannot speak it now because I learned Spanish and am learning Portuguese (and who the heck speaks french in Florida?) and those destroyed any ability I had to speak French. However, I can still read it, and that proved to be useful on more than one occasion.

Cathedral Notre Dame. WOW. This Cathedral is so ornate and beautiful.

(HDR photo - 3 photos combined into 1. light-medium-dark exposures)

I liked the statues on top of the buildings.

and not on top of buildings.

Im sure I was the 1st person to ever do that...

Brutopia was a nice way to refresh after walking all day. They brew their own beer! WHoo Hoo!

I had their Stout and their Cherry Wheat. YUM

(Me in my hoodie. A fashion faux pas haha)

The people in Montreal seem to care how they look. I didn't see anyone dressed in pajamas or looking totally sloppy- instead they wore colors, dresses, *gasp* and nice shirts, pants and heels *gasp* and looked great and fashionable. Perhaps this is normal outside the USA? (Mexico aside- where I lived for 2 years and most people wore shorts and t-shirts because its 100+ degrees 11 months of the year) But in other places Ive visited outside the USA (like Sweden, France, Germany etc), people care about their appearance. I also did not see many obese people in Montreal.Why are we so content to be comfortable here? Comfy doesn't have to mean sloppy....

Next up:

Mon Anniversaire! (my birthday to those non french speakers out there :)

Au revior montreal

2011-07-10T12:39:00.001-05:00

At the Montreal airport- American customs is done in the airport before going to your gate.

There was poutine, unexpected long run, yummy food and Other birthday fun. More to come when I get home and upload the photos.

Until then, I have my wonderful, wonderful and the latest canadian running magazine to keep me busy on the plane.

-Xaar

Lemon loaf & Bon anniversaire!

2011-07-06T08:32:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all the well wishes for CB. He seems back to normal and a little drowsy from the meds. I think I was more affected by everything than he was.

The Starbucks lemon loaf is as delicious as Christi @ pedestrian runner made it sound. Yum!

Bon anniversaire!

I'm going to Montreal, Quebec tomorrow to celebrate my birthday. I've never been. Anything that is a must see or do there? I will try poutine and a bagel there and hit up the "brutopia" for some birthday brew. I plan to walk around a lot and go for a few runs. (and visit the luluemon and lole stores)

What's cool to do while visiting our frenchy neighbor to the north?

-Xaar

Review of the weekend

2011-07-05T09:18:00.001-05:00

Our extended weekend was comprised of a nice jog/walk and a photo shoot :)

Didn't get my long run in because of an emergency trip to the vet that lasted 3+ hours. CB got a UTI and is on meds now and is doing well.

Did a 6 mile run yesterday at 8:40 pace and felt great. Looking forward to a nice long run this weekend.

-Xaar

Last night

2011-07-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

I ran 6 miles averaging sub 9 min miles. Yay!

Then this happened..,

And then...
Hail and rain with 80mph winds (according to the weather advisory)

(found them on my balcony. I'm sure they were bigger before impact)

And the highlight of the night:::

Yes, that's a lightning bolt as seen from my balcony.Chicago weather is CRAZY! It's nights like these when I'm extremely happy I don't have a TV. Standing on my balcony tonight watching/ photographing the wild storm trumps anything on TV.

What are your weekend plans?

-I'm hoping for a double digit run Saturday morning pain free. then I plan to relax the rest of the time and run more.

Happy Independence day!

-Xaar

I'm back!!

2011-06-29T19:27:00.001-05:00

Almost. I'd say 90% back...

Just ran 5 miles on the treadmill in 44:36

That's the most I've run in the past 4 weeks at one time!

I ate these and about 30 of their friends before my run. Haribo gummy bears direct from Berlin. Thank you guys for the great run!

The best part is that I'm experiencing nothing. AKA NO shin-calf pain! Wanted to continue and do 6, but decided to cycle for 15 minutes. (4 miles, 15 minutes)

Yay!

I'm so happy right now.

I almost cried on the treadmill at mile 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 because I felt so good.

Smoothie time!
Vanilla yogurt, vanilla protein, spinach, half an avocado, mixed frozen berries, banana, and sprouted seed mix(flax chia etc)

Yum!

Tchau!

-Xaar

Review of the past week and change

2011-06-28T08:26:00.000-05:00

Yay no rain! And the Cubbies won!

About 17 miles run this week. No cross training. Boo!

Last saturday I went to the Nike 26.2 preview. It was pretty much being taken down when I arrived at 1:30- well before the 4pm close.

These were some of the designs that could be pressed onto shirts at the event (if you bought one of the Nike shirts) I got this one:

Tuesday was by far the highlight of marathon training. I went to running away multisport and got to see Moses mosop.

(photo from Chicago athlete magazine)
I ran 3 easy miles that night for the fun run. (total of 5 for the night)

Did a crazy circuit workout that kicked my butt on Wednesday with CES. I plan on incorporating planks, lunges, dips, pushups etc into at least 2 workouts a week. Core training is important.

Saturday:
Wanted to do 11 miles, but only did 4.5 with the group. Calf is still tender. I didn't want to push it. This whole injury thing is very frustrating, but the MICE is helping a lot. The massage therapist didn't feel any knots this time in my calf so I know I am doing the right thing and healing is taking place. I'm just starting to grow impatient. I didn't cross train this week.

This was crowded. I hate crowds. Food was ok, but again- did I mention I hate large crowds?!

The bean in the summer!

What's going on this week?

-I'm psyched to make some delicious smoothies and salads this week.

Arugula, pear, blue cheese, with lemon juice- olive oil as a dressing. Yum!

-Xaar

Happy monday

2011-06-27T07:17:00.001-05:00

well for me and my co-workers at least....

Today is the make up game from a few months ago that got rained out. That means we get to leave work early to hit a bar near Wrigley and then mosey over to the park (providing no rain. It is predicted to rain today) did I mention this is a work sponsored event? Awesome.

This is my cubs shirt. It's a 3/4 sleeve baseball style tee. I love the logo on it.

Go Cubbies!

Anything exciting planned for your Monday?

-Xaar

Yay Friday!

2011-06-24T08:36:00.001-05:00

Raspberry vanilla cupcake!

Looking forward to running 11 miles tomorrow with the CES group. My calf/ shin is MUCH better so hopefully tomorrow will go well- otherwise I'll cut the run short.

I'm still sore after our circuit workout on Wednesday. Wow. Lunges, dips, pushups, and planks OH MY!!

Have a great weekend!

-Xaar

Inspiration- Chicago marathon style

2011-06-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

His resting heart rate is 35-38 bpm.

Myself, Moses Mosop (2nd place at Boston with a 2:03:06- fastest debut marathon ever) and Carey Pinkowski (Chicago marathon race director)

It was announced yesterday that Moses will run the Chicago marathon in October. I am humbled to be able to run in his footsteps again.

Moses and Carey made a special appearance at running away multisport before the fun run.

I said congratulations to Moses and shook his hand. Moses and Carey were so genuine and nice to chat with.

The smile on Moses' face is what I remember most.

-Xaar

Decisions...

2011-06-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

Tonight there is a lot of running culture going on in Chicago.

Option 1:
Go to fleet feet and hear Katherine Switzer speak. She was the first woman to officially register for the Boston marathon- and win it.

Option 2:
Go to running away multisport and participate in a fun run. They have a special guest tonight- a "Nike elite athlete capable of running a 2:02 marathon." they won't disclose who it is, but my guess is for runner up in the Boston marathon- Moses mosop. (I looked at the Boston finish photos and mutai the winner had on adidas. Mosop had on a swoosh)

Option 3:
Go to the puma store for a fun run with Bart yasso. He will be signing copies of his book also.

I'm leaning towards option 2.

Which option would you choose tonight?

-Xaar

Hops and hardware

2011-06-19T13:01:00.001-05:00

Best combo ever...

Rock n Roll Chicago 5k was fun!

-Xaar

4.5!

2011-06-18T09:06:00.002-05:00

Just ran 4.5 miles with the CES group! I turned around early because I only wanted to do 3-4 and test my calf. Averaged 9:30 per mile.

Felt pretty good. Still some pain but a huge improvement over the past few weeks. It spasms while I'm resting now. Feels weird like there is a large worm inside of my calf. Gross.

I love him.

Today is hella busy.

Ill be Biking up to xsport for rock n roll Chicago 5k packet pickup. The race is tomorrow. Ill be taking it easy with my wonderful wonderful during the race.

After pickup I'll be heading to soldier field for the Nike 26.2 preview for the Chicago marathon. They have guest speakers, gear testing and stuff for sale. My training group is having a tailgate there- I'm excited to go mingle with the runners!

Good luck to all who are racing this weekend!!

What are your weekend plans?

Tchau

-Xaar

Eh

2011-06-16T22:01:00.001-05:00

I jogged more than a mile on Wednesday and my leg didnt break in half or hurt any more than it currently does now. (which is "generally" not much pain unless I start poking at the special section on my shin/calf)

Success of the MICE!!
(moving, ice, compression, elevation)

CES training got cancelled after our warmup due to tornado warnings otherwise I would have done *maybe* 3 more miles.

While back at the fleet feet.....
Got a trigger point kit to help massage deeper into my calf. I was sold on it when the guy at fleet feet demoed it on my bum calf. It hurt, but 2 seconds later my calf felt better.

Sold!!

I was going to replace my "fun noodle" type roller with a grid- something to massage deeper. But the TP kit is much more suited for what I need. I will still use the roller for my back.

So currently the injury is in its 2nd (officially no running) or 3rd week (1st week i thought it would go away fast- the 5k time trail didn't help it at all) and is improving a lot- through cycling, ice, compression socks and elevating it at work on a trash can.

Sometimes after a hard workout on the cycle or tread- with an incline of 6.5+ it will throb afterwards with some pain (I found that walking fast on the tread with the incline doesn't bother the afflicted muscle that much)

This week I Could hop a few times on the right leg by itself. Could not do that without imagining my leg breaking last week. I also haven't taken any Motrin to alleviate the pain this week. I know it's getting better. I will try to run again on Saturday with the group- but only a few miles, very easy.

If you use the TP kit, what is your favorite way to massage your calf?

---I'm still figuring it out and trying to remember what the guy demonstrated at the store. The manual is not helpful. I need more details.

Eye see you

2011-06-15T10:25:00.002-05:00

I love my CB!
He hates being photographed. :(

In other news, I'm going to go to try running tonight for the first time in 1.5 weeks. No pain in the calf/shin so a few easy miles should be ok. I am looking forward to meeting up with the Chicago endurance sports marathon training group I signed up with to train for the Chicago marathon. It's been 2 weeks and I haven't gone to a group training yet because I was too bummed about my leg.

Happy hump day!

Tchau
-Xaar

Week 3 review

2011-06-13T08:11:00.000-05:00

Week 3 Stats:
43.8 miles- Stationary Bike
14 miles walked
2.5 miles elliptical
1 mile attempted run(walk) @ 7.5 incline on the tread.

The stationary bike is my new BFF. We now log a lot of time/ miles together in the afternoons. Perhaps I will add some morning workouts this week if I can drag myself out of bed.

My calf still seems strained and taking the last week off of running has helped it tremendously. The elliptical did not feel good, so I decided to discontinue it for now. Plus I hate how my toes go numb after more than 18 minutes of elliptical.

I cannot R.I.C.E.
In all the research Ive done about injuries, Ive found that M.I.C.E is better. Moving (and motrin lol) ICE, Compression and Elevation. Resting doesn't get the blood flowing through the areas that need to be healed. By moving, blood is increased to the injured areas, and helps speed recovery. Cycling does not bother my calf so I am happy to keep moving and keep the heart rate up while this thing heals. I tried running on Sunday after 40 minutes of cycling. I first decided to walk fast on a 7.5 incline on the tread and then to try to run a 10 minute pace for a little bit. I did alternating walk .2 mile, run .15 mile, etc until I reached a mile and did not have much pain. Maybe the incline of the treadmill does not affect the bum muscle in my leg? (I just wish my CB dog wouldnt pull me anymore, because when i brace myself- for when he pulls, it really bugs the part of my leg that hurts)

It is hard to stay positive about an injury. The first 5 months of this year brought some great PRs and consistent running to my life. That all changed after the Soldier Field 10, when I believe I strained a muscle in my calf due to dehydration/ calf cramps. I am focused on continuing to x-train until this calf thing heals so I am able to return stronger back to running. I am seriously bummed, but am proud of myself for forcing myself to use the stationary bike. Old me would have just given up like I did back around 2002. My goal is still to smash my marathon PR in the Chicago Marathon- I have 16 weeks until race day, so some x-training instead of running now won't kill me in the long run. Being healthy and injury free is my #1 priority.

Some highlights of this week:

Sparkling Sake. I was skeptical at first, but after tasting this bubbly goodness, we might have to order it again the next time we go back to the new sushi place we found. It was sweet and bubbly. It was a nice change to the nigori sake we usually get. (the aqua color is thanks to a light :)

Sunday was "Dia dos Namorados" in Brasil. Kind of similar to Valentine's day. My Wonderful, wonderful and I celebrated by feasting on authentic Brasilian food.

We went to Taste of Brasil cafe in Oak Park. Pictured above is a Coxinha with chicken inside, and a Kibi. YUM!

Pastels: We had a cheese pastel, beef pastel and a "romeo e Juliet" pastel (Filled with cheese and guava paste). Dont let the photo fool you, those wonton looking deep fried raviolis were about 5" by 7". HUGE!

Main course was Feijoada. It is a beef/bean stew. Absolutely delicious served with kale, rice and farofa.
Just a side note- We split all of that food! :)

I ate at a churrascaria before, but never had everyday Brasilian food. It was awesome, and I cant wait to go back again. It got the seal of approval from my wonderful, wonderful who is Brasilian- so I am happy to have feasted on authentic Brasilian fare :) Best Dia dos Namorados ever!

How do you stay motivated to keep working out while injured?

What is your favorite "ethnic" food?

I love Vietnamese Pho- it is my comfort food. I just need to find a place in Chicago that makes it. The Brasilian food was delish- but too heavy to eat everyday. I love sushi and especially seaweed salad.

Tchau
-Xaar

Happy wednesday

2011-06-08T09:50:00.001-05:00

No running this week for me- only cross training! I want to have the calf heal for good.

The stationary bike is growing on me more and more. I might even take my hybrid mountain/road bike out sometime soon for change of scenery.

Swimming might also happen soon. I don't remember the last time I was in a pool or ocean, but there is a tread pool at my apartment that I really should try out one of these days.

All this cross training has got me thinking: I believe a triathlon is going to be in my future sooner than later.

Tchau

-Xaar

13.1 marathon Chicago

2011-06-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

My condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the man who lost his life in this race- as well as the others who were hospitalized during the event.

My plan: take it easy. It was hot, and my leg had been bothering me all week.

Wore my New Balance 758's. They are more stable than the luna racers. CES compression socks. Also wore my brooks hat, and shorts- singlet from the Track and Field store in Brasil. Wore Neutrogena Sport sunscreen. NO BURN!

Mile 1: 8:26
Felt hot, tired, sluggish, heart racing, out of breath.

Mile 2: Slowed down and stopped. Had to fix my hair. I hated how it was touching my sweaty/ sun screened shoulders.
Mile 3: I wanted to give up. But since I would have to walk back, I figured I might as well just jog slowly and walk. A lot.

Mile 5?: Red flag means the timers are stopped, and people should exercise caution and slow down to just make it to the finish.

Mile 7: Cold Towels. YAY!

Mile 10: Called my Dad to tell him I was OK. Called my wonderful, wonderful LE who was at the finish line taking photos to tell him I would be another 30- 40 minutes.

Mile 11? Getting told by race officials it was BLACK FLAG. and that we should just walk. I continued my walk/ jog/ walk/ walk/ jog just because I wanted to be finished and I knew my limits.

Mile 13: Jogged the last .2 to the finish. Finished in 2:39 ish. Might just be my worst time ever beating out my first half- (las vegas international half marathon in 2003) by a minute. BUT- I am 100% okay with that. For me, this race might be one of the smartest I've ever run.

I am proud of myself for not overdoing it. I listened to my body and just took it easy. I knew that I wasn't acclimated to running in this kind of heat thanks to Chicago's extremely cold spring. There is a long summer ahead of getting used to this heat- and I know that there is NO SHAME in having to walk or STOP in order to stay healthy. I dumped water on my head and neck at every aid station. I got splashed by an aid station near the end and it felt so refreshing.

Lessons learned:

Chicago weather is unpredictable. Next year if I plan on doing any long races, It will be a game time decision. Meaning- I will register the week of the race to ensure the most accurate weather forecast. (April- August)
Listening to my body is key. I knew I would have to take it easy and I am glad I walked.
Hydration is so important- i knew this before, but on a day like this race- extremely important
Cold towels are AWESOME
To the girl who almost knocked me and a few others down by sprinting the last .5 mile- you are an IDIOT. Really?! was that necessary to yell ON YOUR LEFT and push through us? especially when the timers had been shut off for over an hour, and when we saw people receiving medical attention on the side of the course. Way to go on your "strong" finish!
Talking to fellow runners while walking is so inspiring. Good luck Gil (i think that was your name) in your future races. See you in October for the marathon. You made the last mile fly by.
Thank you LE for waiting for me to finish. You are an awesome support and I am lucky to have you in my life. And thanks for all the awesome photos. Sitting out in the sun taking photos for 3 hours in 90 degree heat is tiring.

Thank you to the 13.1 marathon race organizers for a very organized race. The information provided was plentiful and you made a good call in shutting down the event. Thank you volunteers who gave us support when it was so difficult out there. Your smiling faces and words of encouragement definitely helped us make it through to the finish.

-Xaar

Black Flag

2011-06-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

(from the Chicago marathon site. The 13.1 marathon uses the event alert system too)

Race started as "yellow flag."

4-5 miles in it became "red flag"

Don't remember when it became black flag. But it definitely was black flag long before the finish. It was pushing 90 degrees today.

Time was of no importance. My calf feels good.

And I did not die.

The medal kicks ass!

-Xaar

unlucky # 13.1

2011-06-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

Might bail on this one tomorrow:

13.1 marathon Chicago

It is my 13th half marathon.

I registered a month and a half ago while I was on a running high. Currently I have some pain in my mid calf. It arrived Sunday.
I'm thinking dehydration from the soldier field 10 and my Monday run caused it. (calf cramps turned muscle strain?) The 5k time trial certainly didn't help it on Wednesday. The pain goes away when I run.

I'm torn about this. I really want to run it and then relax into training for the Chicago marathon. On the other hand, I don't want to aggravate this issue more. I've never bailed on a race before. This has been consuming me the last few days.
It's going to be a game time decision tomorrow morning.

The bib is cool because it has my name on it!

I don't like the shirt because it doesn't even say "Chicago" on it. Ok ok, it does on the back- but it's not a unique shirt for this race because the entire list of cities for the 13.1 series are listed on the back. Major fail for me. And it's a men's shirt. :(

Did you ever bail on a race before? What was the deciding factor?

Or if you were questioning whether or not to run, did you show up to the race and then just take it from there?

--I'm thinking I'll show up and see how it feels the first few miles. if it gets any worse, then I'll DNF

Who am I kidding!?! Of course I'll finish. I didn't pay $$ to not get a medal. I'm far too stubborn to just quit when i should. Thanks Daad! :)

My racing priorities will shift considerably for next year.

:(

-Xaar

Happy running day!

2011-06-01T20:11:00.002-05:00

I challenged the treadmill and won.

Me 1- treadmill 0

Had to do a 5k time trial for the marathon training.

I felt great after half mile and kept pushing the pace until I finally hit 3.1

The only way I was going to quit was if I got thrown off.

This was a huge boost to my running morale. It is the fastest I've run since high school cross country. (I will beat my CC 3 mile PR of 20:50 some day)

*I only wonder if I can replicate this on the road*

happy national running day!

-Xaar

Week 1 review

2011-06-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday (Monday) I went for an easy run with CB. It was over 80 degrees out and sunny. AND beautiful.

I wanted to keep the pace easy, which is sometimes a problem running with CB, because he likes to push the pace. But because of the heat, we were both on the same page about how fast we wanted to go.

Happy Happy CB post run.

Week 1 Chicago Marathon Training Review:

22.65 miles

1:45 hours of cross training

Monday
6 miles 51:16
Pace: 8:32
Lost 1.5 lbs and felt super dehydrated- I even drank half the bottle of Nuun I had with me. Need to work on hydration more.

Tuesday
30 minutes stationary bike- 7 miles, pace 4:17/mile (first time using stationary bike)
15 minutes elliptical- 1.86 miles

Wednesday
5.65 miles 50 minutes
Pace 8:51
Treadmill because of weather

Thursday
30 minutes Stationary bike- 8.16 miles
30 minutes yoga

Friday
1 mile 9:15 shakeout for Soldier field 10

Saturday
RACE
10 miles 1:23.14
Pace 8:20
(fastest pace per mile in a race to date!)

Sunday
REST

This week I am looking forward to week 2 of the training for the Chicago Marathon. I am also looking forward to running the 13.1 marathon, Chicago on Saturday. It will be my last half marathon until August when I start doing some tune up- see where I am- halfs before the Chicago Marathon.

What was the highlight of your extended weekend?
What's on tap for this week?

Tchau!

-Xaar

Soldier Field 10

2011-05-30T12:52:00.002-05:00

Stats:
1:23.14- Avg pace= 8:20 per mile
5 mile Split- 41:50= 8:22 per mile
2nd half- 41.24= 8:16 per mile
YAY negative Splits!!
AVG heart rate: 183, Max 193

I used my "marathon mix" on my Ipod for this race. Not sure if i really care about having music while running yet since I only use it while in the gym.

I was pretty pumped about this race. I struggled with what to wear since it would be in the low 50's at the start (and that I would have to walk about 1.5 miles to get there- then wait around)

I ended up wearing my Nike LunaRacer + shoes, brooks neon yellow long sleeve tech shirt from the Bill Rodgers Running Center, and purple shorts from the Track and Field store in Brazil. I was pretty much an explosion of color. The T&F shorts were possibly the most comfortable i've worn EVER. I had just gotten them, and wanted to try them out in the SF10. It could have been a huge mistake- but they felt great- no wedgies or chaffing. They even have a nice pocket to fit a gu or 2.

The race was sold out at 15,000 people. It was extremely well organized considering the volume of participants. There were port-a-potties and the restrooms inside of soldier field were also open. It was 55degrees, overcast, and 100% humidity at the start. Perfect distance running weather!!

Nike LunaRacer +

First time I've worn them for a long distance- previous long was 5 miles. They felt great the entire time!

I found my corral easily and joined the herd for the start. They had a nice tribute to the service men and women, played taps (extremely nice touch) and then we were off!

The start was smooth, but I felt I went out too fast. We had to run through a building and the satellite connection was lost.

Mile 1    8:04
Mile 2       8:10
Mile 3      8:21
Mile 4       8:25
Mile 5       8:23

I finally settled down and tried to keep an even effort for the race. It was somewhat comforting to know there wouldn't be the extra 5K at the end to make a half marathon! I started feeling hot and wished I had opted for shorter sleeves. I took water at nearly all of the water/ gatorade stations.

Right before the second half I took a Tri berry Gu gel and washed it down with some water. I still find those less appealing than the chomps/bloks. But since I bought a huge sample pack from Active Schwaggle- I figured I should try to use them more. The GU should be easier to get down because you dont need to chew it- i just have a problem getting them down- i feel like im going to choke on it.

I started picking up the pace the last few miles and "targeting" people to catch.

Mile 6       8:16
Mile 7       8:18
Mile 8       8:16
Mile 9       8:15
Mile 10    8:37 (went through the stadium and lost the connection, felt like I was still moving forward and not slowing- i dunno)
.03 extra - thank you garmin! 10 seconds

It was really, really cool to come running onto the field into the stadium. I felt like a pro footballer running out there. Seeing myself on the jumbo-tron was also so cool! They quickly shuffled us off the field and back into the stadium to get water and collect our medals.

Post race- I walked around the party area for a few minutes- it had live music, food for purchase, but I just wanted to head back home. I was feeling kind of ill most likely because I was dehydrated. I picked up my blanket and walked back home.

I really dig the medal.

Went to a place close to my apartment for lunch post race. All I could think about during the race was their chili (with everything on it) and a nice cold Guinness. It definitely hit the spot!

For dessert, I went to Kingoberry and got a tart fro-yo with mochi, fruity pebbles and gummy bears. YUM!

Sunday I took a rest day because I just wanted to relax. No muscle pain or stiffness. I just kept icing the bum shin, and stretching.

The organization of this race was AWESOME! I would definitely do it again next year. I also liked how it was out and back- but not on the same exact part of the road. It was out on the Lake Front drive heading south, and then on the Lake Front Path heading back north. There were ample water/ aid stations, and there was a high school marching band around mile 9 which made me smile. All in all, a really cool race.

Tchau
-Xaar

Another one in the books

2011-05-28T18:26:00.001-05:00

Fleet Feet Soldier field 10 mile

1:23 and change

A new pr! Well it was my 1st 10 mile race so it's a PR right?
I averaged faster pace per mile than all the races I've done this year. It's definitely a PR in my books...

CB sporting the sweet medal.

Race recap to come.

Time to eat more and ice my achy breaky shin.

Happy weekend!

-Xaar

1st 10 miler.....

2011-05-26T22:14:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is the Fleet Feet Soldier field 10 miler! It is my first 10 mile race. I'm excited because the finish takes place inside of soldier field- where Da Bears play. I haven't been there yet, but pass by it almost every time I go out for a run.

I picked up my bib and shirt from Fleet Feet Sports. I also bought some sunscreen. :)

The shirt is pretty cool. reminds me of Boston Marathon colors.

I like that the bib has our names on it! And I like that I'm in one of the seeded corrals :)

The races in Chicago are different than other races I've ran elsewhere because for most of the larger ones (shamrock, soldier field, Chicago half, and Chicago marathon) you need to submit a previous time to qualify for a corral, instead of just stating what time you expect to run on the registration form. This has been one of my favorite things about the bigger races here.

1. It gives me a challenge to achieve a certain qualifying time.

2. It's awesome to experience a smooth start and not dodge walkers or slower runners for a few miles (or get in the way of faster runners) Instead, you start with people who are in a similar level as you.

My goals for this race:
Not over do it because I'm more concerned with the half marathon next week. I need to qualify for a seeded corral for the Chicago marathon.

Treat it as a long/ tempo run.
I'll push a little, but just not go all out.

I'm predicting a sub 1:27 for this race.

Tonight will be the 3rd night of

Angel hair with vodka sauce. Can't get enough!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

And a big THANK YOU to all the servicemen and women for keeping our country safe.

Are you running any races this weekend?

What are your Memorial Day plans?

Tchau
-Xaar

La clima esta loca!

2011-05-25T11:31:00.002-05:00

Chicago has some of the craziest weather I've seen.

Florida weather is fairly predictable.

Nor Cal weather was pretty much the same all the time.

(just add or subtract fog, and some winter rain)

Here in Chicago it is crazy.

Monday I ran 6 miles outside. It was sunny and 80 something out. I lost 1.5 lbs on the run from sweating so much. It was beautiful outside.

Tuesday the temps started in the 60's and by the time I went home it was in the low 40's and very very windy.

(looks nice, but was coooold!)

Wednesday we are experiencing rainy, windy, lightning, tornado watch conditions. It is currently 49 degrees.

(a view of this morning)

While walking to work I saw lightning- heard thunder. It was also so dark that it seemed like it should have been 10pm, not 7:40am. The street lights were on, it was raining....

I need to run tonight and will definitely be taking my run indoors because I don't want to get zapped by the lightning.

I've decided not to look at the weather forecast for Saturday yet (soldier field 10 mile). I don't want to stress myself out about what to expect just yet because I know the forecast can change dramatically between now and Saturday morning.

Do you have crazy unpredictable weather where you live?

-Xaar

Week 1

2011-05-23T09:31:00.003-05:00

Chicago marathon training starts today for me.

Today. Wow.

I went to the Chicago Endurance Sports kickoff meeting on Sunday. Got my training program and listened to the coaches talk about CES. I also enjoyed listening to Carey Pinkowski speak about the marathon. When he took over as race director in 1989,there were about 3500 people in the race, 3% women. Fast forward to today- he said the race sold out in 30 days this year- 45,000 participants- and the most amazing part- 56% women!

The meeting was long- about 1.5 hours and it was definitely geared towards the novice runner. There were mentions of nip guards, proper sports bras, the importance of body glide, don't wear cotton clothes (it absorbs 7x its weight in liquid) and the don't buy the most expensive/ or pretty running shoes- always good to hear again.

So tonight after work begins my journey to 10/9/11. I'm excited to start training with the group in a few weeks. I'm going to miss the first group run on 6/4 due to the 13.1 Chicago. But I'll join them for the rest of the group runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This week I'm most looking forward to running the Soldier Field 10 where I'll finish on the 50 yard line where da bears play.

Running changes everything!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Tchau
-Xaar

6 + 1=

2011-05-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

7 miles in 1:02. Pace: 8:51/mile (thursday night- wrote this post after, but forgot to upload it)

Today is fabulouso cupcake Friday!

Which one to choose? Vanilla cake with raspberry, red velvet, chocolate chocolate, cookies and cream...

Cookies and cream!!! Yum!

Now back to last night....

Originally set out to do 6 with my precious CB, but we both felt good and made it a lucky 7 miles. No music, no water either.

"mom! I'm connected to the satellites, you don't need the garmin, let's go already!!!!"

It was in the mid 50's and crazy foggy out. Not much wind surprisingly.

We took it easy because I did a hard workout of 6 x 800's @ 7:30 pace/mile with 400m jog in between yesterday.

Running tonight brought out all the cold rainy windy memories from last week's Chicago spring half. It was eerie running on the path in the foggy, still conditions tonight with not many runners or cyclists out.

CB was a good boy. Running with a dog can be challenging. But thankfully there weren't any
!SQUIRRELS!!! out tonight. They are his vice. He stayed focused and kept on the dirt part of the path or grass. Towards the end he needed more encouragement, but we finished strong.

We saw a rabbit and also the Canadian geese with their goslings. I didn't get too close because I almost got attacked by them on the Los Gatos Creek trail in Campbell, CA when I tried to take photos of their babies last year. Lesson learned. Even CB won't mess with them. (and he will chase anything that moves)

Sears tower in the fog.

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

-I'm super happy my wonderful, wonderful is returning from a business trip on Saturday morning.
I'm also looking forward to going to the kickoff meeting for the Chicago Endurance Sports Chicago Marathon training program on Sunday. We will receive our shirt, training plan and meet the coaches and other participants in the program. And I'm most looking forward to hearing Carey Pinkowski speak. He is the race director of the Chicago marathon. Can you tell I'm already fired up for this!?!

Have a great weekend!

Tchau

-Xaar

Lovely spring day

2011-05-19T09:39:00.002-05:00

-Xaar

Yay!

2011-05-18T17:13:00.002-05:00

Got this in the mail today.

I'm so excited to read it because Chicago marathon training starts in 2 weeks for me.

What is your favorite marathon training plan? Or which plan worked best for you?

-I followed the Higdon novice for Nike last year. Thought it was ok for someone to get through a marathon for the first time. Now I'm ready to get a huge PR and think reading about different training philosophies and making some sort of hybrid plan will help even more.

-Xaar

Week in review 5/9 - 5/15

2011-05-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

This past week rocked!

Got a new PR in the half marathon. It was only 20 seconds, but the conditions made me fight for every single one.

Tonight I ran 2 easy miles with CB. We ran to the dog park, played for a few and then ran home. I love when he is happy. It was 43 out, with 30 mph gusty winds. BRRR!

Happy Cb.

Review of last week:
I ran 25 miles including the half. Wanted closer to 35, but took 3 days off to let my shin thing heal. I get posterior pain (inside of leg) on my right shin where the bone meets the muscle a few inches above the ankle area. The pain will feel like a bruise and be about 3 inches in length. If I ice it, it usually goes away for a while. the 10 mile run I did a week ago felt awesome. The next day I did 2 miles on the tread and had to stop because the shin was bothering me. I know my right calf, ham string, right leg in general is considerably less flexible than my left. This might be a contributing factor. Im holding right side stretches longer to play "catch up" with the left leg now.

Cb makes sure I RICE.

(I have a pack that i wrap around my leg- its filled with clay! got it at target. no messy melting ice- it is great!)

In eating news, I just finished my second week of eating a tablespoon of chia seeds every morning. (1 tbs chia, 1/3 cup water- stir a few times during the 5 minute soak)I just slurp them down before I head to work- before I eat or drink anything.

I love the flavor and texture of the gel/seeds mix. They are the "Aztec Superfood." whatever that means. They are supposed to keep you hydrated longer during endurance events. I'll go into more detail another time. I think I have more energy because of them, but its still too early to tell.

I also bought a scale.

It's a Conair weight watchers glass digital scale. I got it because it looked pretty (a light sea foam color) and was digital. My goal is to drop some unnecessary lbs between now and the Chicago Marathon. I need a way to keep track.

That's all for last week.

What was the highlight of your week- last week?

What's your favorite "Superfood"?

- I like Acai. Chia is my new favorite

-Xaar

Chicago Spring Half aka soggy windy cold (Race Recap)

2011-05-15T14:13:00.002-05:00

1:52:57.7 a new PR by 20 seconds!
34th/266 for AG
107/ 1259 for Women

Wanted to wish Chicago Runner Girl a big Congratulations on her finish in this crazy weather race. She really kicked assphault!

It was a cold, windy, rainy day. It was around 44 degrees at the start with winds 20-30mph gusting to 40mph. The feels like temp was an icy 35 or so degrees. I think the weather scared many of the participants off since there was 3,000 registered as of last week for the half. Only 2096 people finished.

I was worried the race wouldnt start on time due to the rather large line for packet pickup and bag check.

Me and my fruit smoothie flavored powerbar. It was almost like a rock by the time I got half way done with it because of the cold. I ate it about 45 minutes before the start of the race.

Wore my old faithfuls- The Nike LunaRacer +2. At 6oz, they feel like a pair of cushioned socks. I have the new version, but their design is very different from these. The new ones are more like a 2nd version to the original LunaRacer + and feel much more narrow. I'm still not sure about the new ones- they feel very different from the LunaRacer+2's.

Garbage bags are SO in style! I had on my CEP compression sox, RRS capri leggings, long sleeve tech shirt and Brooks jacket for the race. The brooks jacket is NOT waterproof like I had thought. I ditched the garbage bag at the start.

This Navy ensemble performed the star spangled banner for us. It was a real treat. I was waiting for a flyover, but none came by. :(

The race started on time at 7am. HUGE PLUS since i was convinced they were going to delay it for all those slackers still waiting to get their Bibs. I started with the 1:50 pacer. The start was smooth. I didnt have to dodge too many walkers/ slower runners. After a mile things spread out nicely. (I was worried with a race of 3500 how it would be on the path because it is narrow- but the entire time there was plenty of room) For miles 3-5 some faster people would run by- presumably the people who started way after the gun went off who were still waiting for their bibs. (get to the start earlier next time!!)

I stayed in front of the 1:50 pacer until the turnaround- but was not too far ahead. I was hitting some good miles in the first half and trying to bank some time for the atrocious 2nd half that was to come. It was quite a sight seeing waves crashing 10'+ into the air along the path. The entire first half was run south- which meant a nice tailwind that almost pushed you along.I took a gu gel (jet black berry) around mile 5 and had a hell of a time trying to open it. The wetness combined with the lotion I had on made it nearly impossible to open. If I ever use a gel again, I will have to make a cut in it first before the race to facilitate the opening.

I did the first 7 miles in 56:57 and was feeling great, but I knew what was awaiting me. Before mile 6 I started seeing the lead runners heading back north after the turnaround. I really wish I could have taken some photos of the angst on their faces. Some were shielding their eyes from the rain with their hands- others were squinting. Dios Mio! (Im sure there will be some super heinous photos of me from the race photogs)

The 2nd half went worse than I thought. Most of it was directly into the headwinds. Some parts were sheltered by trees, fences with tarps or just because we weren't running due north for a brief time. The light drizzle combined with 30+ MPH winds felt like little ice pellets being shot at every exposed piece of flesh. They stung when hitting the eyes making you squint. My hands were completely numb and in pain by this time. The wind was so strong I felt like it was pushing me back with each step. I also had trouble breathing with all of the wind being pushed into my face. Around mile 10, I gave up any hope of getting a PR. I walked for 20 seconds because this mile seemed to have no relief from the relentless wind assault.

Mile 11 saw more sheltered areas from the wind and drizzle so I tried picking up the pace and attempted to draft off the other runners. I was feeling good- but trying to keep my 1st half pace was out of the question. By mile 12 I realized if I could push the pace, I might just squeak a PR out. Luckily by this point, the course was more sheltered than before which made it possible. I sprinted to the finish and was relieved to have finished and super happy to have gotten a PR (even if by only 20 seconds) on this rotten weather day.

My hands were so numb and in pain after the race. My teeth were chattering. I could barely hold on to the FRS drinks they were handing out.

They had a picnic buffet set up after the race. There were eggs with cheese and peppers, tortilla, sausages, potatoes and pancakes. I almost dropped my plate on the way to a table due to the numbness of my hands. I was shivering the entire time I was eating and could not wait to start making the trek back home.

I really enjoy the medal. It is pretty big and has a cool lanyard.

Stopped at Starbucks on the way home and got a coffee. While walking home, I was shaking so bad the coffee kept spilling out of the cup. When I arrived at home, I immediately got out of my soggy clothes and took a nice soak in the tub to warm up.My lips were blue by the time I got home.

Lunch was turkey breast with lacy swiss on flat breads with bread and butter pickle chips and a Guinness. YUM.

All in all, I would say this race was well organized. There were plenty of aid stations- usually on both sides of the trail serving gatorade and water. There were also mile markers every mile with a clock- i think one towards the end had blown over. I wish the weather was different- but this is Chicago and the weather is very strange here. It was over 80 degrees just a few days ago!

Even though I didn't hit my "A" goal of breaking 1:50, I felt I gave it my all. Had the weather been different, Im sure that goal would have been achieved. But, I am still happy with a 20 second PR given the circumstances.

-Xaar

# 12

2011-05-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the Magellan Chicago spring half marathon. It will be my 12th half marathon.

This year has brought me a different perspective on running. Last year and in 2009 I just wanted to run a little, do some races and have fun. I would always be amazed at how much I could PR by in all of the events.

Fast forward to 2011. I decided I was no longer going to be complacent with my running. I've been training hard and seeing results.

Tomorrow will be a challenge because of the weather. 44 degrees, rain and very strong head winds (for the 2nd half of the course).

Earlier this week.

Today.

The wind is whipping and I'd swear I saw some snow falling.

Goals:
A: break 1:50
B: get a PR (break 1:53)
C: finish and don't get hypothermia or an injury.
Also *no peeing, puking, or pooping during the race. So far this has been possible for all the 2011 races*

Lunch:

(my second bowl today!)

I hate angel hair because It cooks in 2 minutes. (I also love it for the same reason) I wouldn't have had the 2nd bowl if I had to cook more pasta for another 10 minutes. I love vodka sauce or creamy marinara.

Cb wanted my food too.

Plans for the rest of the day include:

Take a nap
Gather up all the race stuff
(still need to figure out clothes)
Watch Spirit of the Marathon again. (it helps me get motivated for a race in super soggy-crappy conditions)

Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow in the chicago spring half, Toronto marathon, bay 2 breakers, or in another race.

See you at the finish line!

-Xaar

Pain is nothing.

I'd like to give up....

This past week

Rock n Roll St Pete, FL Half

Frustrated short fuse

Eating my words

Ing Miami Marathon recap

Miami and a goal

11 Thingamabobs

It's *not* only a race

One year ago today

My 3 wishes for Miami

Slushy white stuff

When great runs go bad

Bittersweet

New years day 5k

Last run of 2011

1st annual Santa Xaarlin treadmill 10k

2011

Opa!

I don't know what I'm doing...

The first snow!

Santa hustle 5k

November en Numeros

Thankful gobble gobbles day

Gone fishing

CB and my exciting walk home

Hips don't lie

October 2011

Woof woof Wednesday!

Getting back on track

How bad do you want it?

2011 Chicago marathon race recap

Expo/inspiration Chicago marathon

4 Dtg... Chicago marathon

September by the numbers

2 weeks from this moment

Bum drinking 40's

Chicago Half Marathon

#15

Woof woof Willis Wednesday

6 weeks to go week in review

August in numbers

Yay motivation! (& a Bday tribute)

6 weeks...

Woof! Woof! Wednesday

Dear Chicago marathon training

Race recap: Rock n Roll Chicago

I'll spare you the waiting..

Rock n rolling #14

O.M.G.

Yay Friday!

Today is not my Friday

Week 10 Review- Chicago Marathon

What up Willis!?!

Week 9 in review- Chicago Marathon Training

Chicago, I'm falling for you

The thrill is gone

Belated Birthday Post

Montreal Part 1

Au revior montreal

Lemon loaf & Bon anniversaire!

Review of the weekend

Last night

I'm back!!

Review of the past week and change

Happy monday

Yay Friday!

Inspiration- Chicago marathon style

Decisions...

Hops and hardware

4.5!

Eh

Eye see you

Week 3 review

Happy wednesday

13.1 marathon Chicago

Black Flag

unlucky # 13.1

Happy running day!

It's not only a race