NY Marathon Race Recap!

On Sunday, November 3rd I ran the NY Marathon.

It was my 2nd marathon of 2013, and my 4th lifetime marathon.  My legs kind of hurt just typing this.

I had three major goals for this race: finish.  don't get injured.  have a ton of fun.

Short story: Mission accomplished!

The background: I have been trying to run this marathon since the fall of 2009.  I have dutifully given $14 to NYRR every fall for entry into the lottery.  And every year I haven't been picked (sad face).  Good news for me - NYRR had a 3 fails = in policy!  This was my 4th year entering the lottery, so I had guaranteed entry.  I think I paid $266 to register, but considering I got a boat ride, a bus ride and a helicopter escort, totally worth it :)

The arrival: Mr Sharkie and I flew into LaGuardia on Friday evening.  We ordered drinks on the plane and weren't charged for them.  Yay! We took the M60 to the 4 train and checked into our hotel in the financial district.  Sharkie's hot tip: consider staying in the financial district if you're coming into town for the marathon.  It was super easy to get to the Staten Island Ferry in the morning, and super easy to get back after the marathon!

The carb loading:  In true pre-marathon tradition we spent Saturday morning watching EPL (CHELSEA!!) at an Irish bar.  I had the world's tiniest most disgusting bloody mary

Ladies and Gentleman.  The most disgusting Bloody Mary in the Universe

and a yuengling.  Also free.  It seems that it was free drinks weekend!  Lunch was Shake Shack (totally worth the wait, and the screaming children, I swear).  Dinner was at this phenom fancy pasta place called Scarpetta.  Then we hit up CVS for food for Staten Island and a throw-away hat.  Yep.  I was that chick sporting an elf hat on Staten Island.  What?  It was only $3.99!!

The expo: OMFG, what a cluster.  We got there at about noon on Sunday and the line to get your ID checked to enter packet pick-up was down a block, then down another block.  People were cutting like crazy.  The line did move pretty quickly, and packet pick up was pretty efficient.  I wanted to do some shopping, but I was hot and on the verge of a mass of people panic attack.  I picked up a fly neon yellow jacket, and off we went.

The arrival to the start line:  My wave was scheduled to start at 10:55 AM.  I set my alarm for 6:30, and headed out the door of the hotel around 7 am.  It was one subway stop from my hotel to the Staten Island Ferry.  My ferry was scheduled to leave at 8 am, so I was super early for my ferry.  It was pretty hard to be anti-social waiting for the ferry.  The atmosphere was pretty electric.  I talked to some nice folks from all over the country and swapped marathoning stories.  The ferry left promptly at 8 am and arrived around 8:40 or so.

Then we were shuffled to a bus line, which wrapped down and around a block.  Best quote of the bus line - "anyone every been to a rave?"  I made my way to a bus around 9:10 or so and made it to the start line around 9:40.  Quick trip through a metal detector (!!) and we were in the start village.  I then spent ~ 30 minutes trying to find my friend in one of the start villages.  Overall, very organized, I'm just discombobulated before a race :)

The start: We entered our corral at 10:35 and were off promptly at 10:55 am.  Very, very cool to take off to NY, NY!

I'm going to stray from my normal mile by mile play by play and pass along thoughts I had along the route.  This is by far the most emotional I've been while running a marathon.  I think I was grinning from ear to ear for the vast majority of the race.

• Favorite borough - Oh Brooklyn.  I think I'm in love with you.  From the dude shouting welcome to Brooklyn, to the pep band, to all the adorable restaurants I wanted to visit - it was never a dull moment.  Thank you.

• The bridges - I could say a lot of bad things about the bridges.  They were windy.  They were hilly.  They were boring.  But they were also a really good time for reflection.  For bonding with fellow runners.  For amazing vistas of the city.  
• The crowd support - First and foremost.  Thank you to Mr. Sharkie for spectating at miles 8, 17 and 24.  It was amazing to have a familiar face among the crowd.  He also takes amazing race photos if anyone wants to hire him.  

• The bands were amaze-balls.  The signs were awesome.  The kids gave amazing high fives.  I'd also like to thank the dude who yelled at me at mile 23 to start running.  He said I still had it in me, and I did.  I ran it all the way home.  There is also no better noise in the world than the roar of Manhattan after the silence of a bridge.
• The runners - It is an amazing feeling to never feel alone during a marathon.  There were so many inspiring runners out there and it was a true inspiration to run with all of them.  
• Central park - Hands down the second best section of the marathon.  It was so gorgeous that I didn't even really notice the rolling hills

Rolling hills?  What rolling hills?  Also, my apologies to Fran.  She looks uncomfortable.

The finish - Quick turn of of and into central park, and you're done!  You grab your medal, then a picture, then walk ~ 12 blocks to the exit.  I had chosen early exit so I got my finish line poncho (look for them on Ebay, they are seriously that amazing) and high tailed it to the subway.  And then a bar.  Post-marathon beer is amazing!

Overall, I had an amazing NYC Marathon experience!  It's easy to get hung up on the minor annoyances of the day.  But then you remember that you just participated in the largest marathon in the world.  And then the ear to ear grin comes back.  If I ever got the chance to participate again, I would be there in a heart beat!  The city truly embraces the marathon, and that felt amazing.

So, thank you NY.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Oh - for those who are interested in finish times - 5:18:40.  A time I am very proud of.

Next up: Schaumburg Turkey Trot!

Monster Dash Race Recap - AKA Team Ortho Rant

On Sunday October 20, I ran the Monster Dash Half Marathon.  My 11th half of the year, and arguably  a pretty bad decision going in considering I ran the Chicago Marathon last weekend.

But...I was registered.  And I hate wasting money.  So off I went!

Warning: this race recap will probably degenerate into a rant about how much I hate Team Ortho races, but I promise to stick to the facts.

The packet pick-up:

Did Saturday pick-up at the Congress Hotel.  I was registered for the Monster Dash as part of their three race series, so all they had for me was my number.  Pretty efficient once I looked up my race number.  They are pushing the three race series for 2014 ultra mega hard, but I learned my lesson from 2013.  No more Team Ortho races for me!

The carb loading:

Went to Blackbird Friday night, then got up to watch the EPL on Saturday morning (CHELSEA!!), drank 2 ciders.  Took a nap, ate a bunch of pizza, then off to the Blackhawks game!  Drank 2 beers and ate sweet potato fries.  I like making terrible decisions and living on the edge :) 

The start line:

Start time was 9 am.  Yay for sleeping in!  I rode my bike to the start line at ~8:50 am, found my friend, took a couple of pictures, and off we went!!

0-5K: The race starts by the baseball fields between Columbus and LSD and Roosevelt and Balboa.  You do a couple loop-ti-dos in Grant Park then along the lakefront, then it's straight south on the lakefront.  TONS of people running in costumes, and TONS of people who didn't line up by the correct pace sign.  I did a lot of bobbing and weaving for the first 5K or so.  There was also a very solid lack of water during the first 5K.  I read on the website that there would be 8 aid stations, so figured that maybe there would be at least one in the first 5K

5K-10K: Sweet, sweet water.  And more running south.  I have run this route approximately a hundred billion times, but at least there were costumes to keep me entertained.  I also missed the out and back aspect of this course as they took advantage of different parts of the path.  One of the fun parts of an out and back is side fiving people you know all over the course!

10K-15K:  Up and over the hill on 47th street, then a turn around and straight north to home!  I think there was an aid station in here somewhere.  Starting to get pretty bored at this point.  I think my body also started to realize that I had run a marathon last weekend.

15K-20K: Doing a modified run walk at this point.  Mostly because I'm really thirsty.  Because there are ONLY 5 AID STATIONS TOTAL!!!  I honestly don't care if you're going to have 5 aid stations, but don't say that there are going to be 8 aid stations.  That's just dangerous!

20-21K: Blew past the Shedd and then up and over the hill to the finish.  Got my awesome (??) bling, water and a banana and hit the road.

I finished in 2:17:18, my second fastest half marathon of 2013!

Let's see what was promised by Team Ortho:

Monster Half Marathon

• Monster Dash Hoodie racer SWAG - Too big.  Can't wear it.  Very manly.
• 3D belt buckle medal - I have an awesome new belt buckle if anyone wants to wear it.  This medal also DOES NOT FIT IN THE MEDAL HOLDER THAT THEY SOLD ME FOR DOING ALL 3 RACES!!!!!!!
• Get your bib mailed to you (choose this during registration by October 4th)! If you email us requesting the mail-out after registration the fee is $30. - Does $30 seem crazy to anyone else
• Chip-timed - True
• USATF Certified - True.  I saw the map online
• 8 aid stations - FALSE.  There were 5.  Maybe they mean between all three races
• On-course entertainment - Do the bucket boys count as on-course entertainment?
• Costume contest - Didn't participate
• 3 1/2 hour time limit - True

Anyhoo.  For all of the above reasons, I will not give another dime of my money to Team Ortho.  

If anyone needs me - I'll be trying to put this:

Round.  And 3-D

Into this:

Not my medal holder.  But you get the idea.

For the rest of the afternoon.

Next race: New York Marathon!

12 Seconds and a PR. Chicago Marathon Race Recap!

On October 13, 2013 I ran the Chicago Marathon.  It was my third overall marathon, and by far the greatest I've felt both during and after a marathon.  I had a not so secret goal of finishing the marathon in "something starting in a 4," and got SUPER close to that goal.  Do I smell a revenge marathon in my future??

The short version: I finished in 5:00:12, an almost 20 minute PR over my 2009 time!

The longer version:

Packet Pickup:
I went twice!  I had arranged to go with a friend from CARA training on Friday evening since I wanted to save my wheels for Sunday.  We took the CTA to McCormick place which ended up taking a very long time since traffic was so horrific.  We finally got the expo and picked up packets and t-shirts very quickly, then wandered around the expo for about 45 minutes or so, which was just enough time to give my self a stomachache at the Power Bar booth.  I seriously can't resist free samples.  After wrapping up at the expo we took the free school bus from McCormick to Roosevelt and then I took the Green Line home.  All in all, about 3 hours total.

Upon arriving home on Friday evening, Mr Sharkie begged me to take him to the expo on Saturday morning so he could get his packet even though he wasn't running the marathon.  We drove to McCormick place on Saturday morning at 9 am sharp, scored free street parking, and dove right in.  All in all, about 1 hour total.

Definitely do Saturday AM packet pick up if you're in town!!

Race Day:
Following the traditional poor night's sleep before a marathon, I woke up around 5:45, got dressed, and headed down to the Hilton for the CARA VIP Marathon Experience.  Everyone who participated in the program this summer had free entry to the Experience.  It was set up in one of the banquet rooms in the Hilton basement and was a warm place to meet up with the group, drink a little water, and check bags in a hassle free environment.  I ate a Larabar, and we headed out to the start corrals around 6:45 or so.

The start: Amazing job with the corrals Chicago!  Very different from 2009 where everyone was wandering around all over the place.  We were in corral H, and crossed the start line at around 8:15 or so.

The first 5K (34:50, 11:19 pace): The first 5K felt much less crowded than in previous years.  Yay for a wave start!  I was running with ~ 5 runners from our CARA group and for once we didn't start too quickly.  It was eerily quiet for the first half mile or so, with no spectators on Randolph like usual.  I also got a nice glimpse at all of the fun signs, mostly saying that we were running better than Congress. Take note, Mr Sharkie - I'd like a giant sign of my noggin the next time you spectate a marathon.  Mr Sharkie and gang were hanging right at the 5K mark, so I got my high five, and headed into the second 5K.

5K-10K (34:11, 11:00 pace): out of downtown, and into the zoo!  This part of the marathon went by really quickly for me.  We were still all chatting, and I kept running into people I knew.  There were also some pretty cool bands right by the entrance to the park.  I was still adhering to my water, gatorade, sport beans for water stops and felt nice and hydrated.

10K-15K (33:45, 10:52 pace): FINALLY headed a direction other than north.  At least that's what I starting asking very loudly for once we got to a couple of blocks south of Addison.  This is also one of my favorite parts of the course.  Great crowd support, fun dancing (anyone else "jump around"), and you're still not too tired yet.  Mr Sharkie and friends were also at this stop to say "hi!"

High Fives are Fun!

15K -20K (34:28, 11:06 pace): Back into downtown!  Elvis!  More dance party!  This is also a fun part of the course.  I always love running into downtown because there are a TON of spectators.  I also had hit my 4th best half marathon time of the year with a 2:24:49!

20K-25K (35:02, 11:23 pace): Headed west!  Mr Sharkie and gang were supposed to meet me at mile 14, but they had a CTA snag, and I ended up being too fast for them!  The trip west can be a little lonely at times, but a ton of folks were out cheering at charity village.  I was headed towards mile 16, and I spotted Mr Sharkie and gang!! With the pooch!!  The pooch was pretty excited to see me so I stopped and loved on her for about 45 seconds (this becomes important later).  I peeled myself away from the pooch, and headed into Greektown.  It was about this time that my left ankle started to feel a little wonky.  Every half mile or so, just for one step, it felt like my ankle was going to give out on me.  I'd wobble a little, right myself, and keep going.  I don't have any soreness or anything from it, so maybe just a little race day nerves?

Best.  Cheerleader.  Ever.

25K-30K (36:40, 11:49 pace):  Land of the shot block fail.  My number one rule of marathoning is not to take anything new on race day.  Fail.  I stole some shot blocks from Mr Sharkie, which should have been fine, but I neglected to notice the little coffee cup on the shot blocks.  Stupid caffeine!  I got pretty nauseated during these miles and had to stop, walk a little bit, and collect my thoughts.

30K-35K (37:47, 12:10 pace): Now I'm getting hot, too??  It was around 12 pm at this point, and the sun was starting to wear on me a little.  I was working on keeping up with the 4:55 pace group, but lost them at one of the water stations.  I knew that I needed to finish by 1:15 to hit the 5 hour goal, so I started doing a ton of math, figured it was still possible and worked on picking up the pace!

35K-40K (39:03, 12:35 pace): Number two regret of the marathon - not taking beer from the Hash House Harriers at mile 23.  Next time?  I swear it felt like I was running faster than this, but that always seems to happen during the last several miles of the marathon.  I remember hating this stretch in 2009, but I was so focused on staying ahead of the 5 hour pace group that I didn't even notice the lack of crowd this year.

The finish! (14:16, 10:28 pace): Negative split!  I dug deep and hauled my a$$ up Mount Roosevelt.  Slightly annoyed that some chick named Erin (that's what you get for putting your name on your shirt, Erin) was running up the left side of Mount Roosevelt yelling at EVERYONE in her way.  Lady, you're the one who's running, maybe you should go around all of the people who just ran 26 miles?  I hit Columbus and high tailed it to the finish.  I knew that I was super close to sub 5, and knew that I would have to wait for the results to see.

I began the slow shuffle to the exit, grabbing my mylar blanket (too hot!!), medal, water and a banana.  I decided to skip the beer, just wanting to go get my stuff and head home.  I made it back to the CARA gear check, got my stuff and rode my bike home (and excellent cool down, btw).

I met up with Mr Sharkie and the gang for post marathon drinks, which I would also recommend as an excellent cool down.

Beer is good.

Overall: Amazing experience!  So much better than my first marathon.

Would I stop to pet my doggie again and risk losing 12 very important seconds: YES!  She was like a high five times a million!!

Next up: Monster Dash!

Mad Dash to Madison Race Recap!

The short version: I finished this race with a shiny new PR!

The slightly longer version:

Registration - a breeze!  Mostly because I drunk registered.  Someone should really take my credit card away from me when I've been drinking.  Seriously?  Anyone else out there get a little drunk and think that signing up for races is a good idea?  I'm also drunk registered for the Kiawah Marathon this year because "it was only $10 more than the half marathon"

Packet pick-up - a breeze!  Mostly because my friend picked my packet up for me.  Seriously though, I heard it wasn't terrible.  And the t-shirt is awesome!  Love the little Stanley Cup on the front.

The start - I had 5 miles on the calendar for the evening, so a friend and I ran from my house in the West Loop to the start line.  Easy!  From others, though, I heard that parking/traffic was a nightmare

The run - The was the second time I had run the Mad Dash to Madison, so I was familiar with the course (read: boring, industrial, and slightly smelly).  Nothing super exciting.  The first quarter mile or so was straight into the sun, and then wound around the West, west loop neighborhood.  Super flat, not too crowded, and one water stop around mile 1.5 or so.  Oh, and someone stopped to tie their shoe directly in front of me.  Pull it to the side, chickie!!  I didn't have a lot of expectations going into the race, just that I was with a super speedy friend, and I wanted to see how much marathon training had paid off this year (my fastest 5K's have always come at the tail end of marathon training).   I couldn't really gauge my 5K time because I didn't reset my watch after the 2 mile warm up, but I knew we were flying!

The finish - 28:25!! A new PR!!  My last PR is from 2009 with a time of 29:21, so much speedier!  Kind of makes me wonder what would happen if I stopped registering for marathons and worked on speed for a little bit.

After the finish, I grabbed a water and a banana and headed into the UC for my bobblehead.  We'll just say that I have a tiny little collection going

Sometimes my co-workers worry about me

Would I do it again?  YES!! I love the Blackhawks and I love 5K's!

Next race: Warrior Challenge in Maui!!

Madison Mini Race Recap!

August 17th 2013 was the 5th running of the Madison Mini Marathon, and my 1st time running in Wisconsin!

Friday AM - I packed up Mr Sharkie and the pooch, and we headed for Madison.  The drive wasn't too bad except for the 30 miles of construction on 90.  We arrived at our hotel, got checked in and headed straight back out for packet pick-up.  Note to self for future travel half marathons - we're out in the boonies because it was the only hotel that would accommodate the pooch - maybe not worth it, especially when there's a metal festival at the concert center next door...

Guys?  Why am I in this creepy hotel room?

Packet pick-up - at the Union South at the University of Wisconsin.  A logistical parking nightmare.  I'm having flash backs to the last time I tried to park in a college town.  UGH!!  I idle out front and send Mr Sharkie in for the packets.  He said it was pretty organized in there, and I got a bib, so no big deal.

THE RACE

After a 5:30 am wake up call, I ran the pooch out, then we hit the road for downtown.  I had studied and re-studied the parking maps, and had a plan.  Unfortunately that was everyone else's plan.  It took us about 30 minutes to get parked, but it was free, so score!  We rolled up to the starting line with ~ 10 minutes to spare.  The pre-race port-potty situation was pretty dire.  ~ 20 potties for 5800 runners, so the lines were pretty gnarly.

Start line - there were corrals that weren't terribly well enforced so Mr Sharkie and I lined up between I and J.  After a quick national anthem, we were off on time at 7 am!!

Miles 1-3.  This race pretty much starts up a hill and then it's rolling hills all the way.  We run up to the capital, past an amazing looking downtown farmer's market (um, cheesy bread, anyone??), and then past the Kohl Center and Camp Randall.  Pretty nice tour of the University of Wisconsin!

Miles 4-6.  THE ZOO!! OK, the outside of the zoo.  But there are some beautiful bike trails in Madison.  It almost feels like they built the city with biking in mind versus Chicago where they're just trying to cram it in.  The course is a little crowded at this point, and the streets are pretty banked, but the weather is perfect!

Miles 7-9.  Enter the arboretum.  Rolling hills throughout.  Pretty.  But boring.  I guess you could call it pretty boring.

Miles 10-12.  Exit the arboretum.  Some little kid is handing out popsicles.  I totally took a popsicle from a child.  I'm pretty sure her mom is going to be pretty mad when she gets home today and she realizes that daddy/daughter were out handing out organic fancy popsicles, but it HIT THE SPOT.  I'm sorry ma'am!  I owe you $3!!  Still rolling hills.  Except for the random 0.1 mile out and back in a parking lot.

Miles 13-13.1.  I shall call this the trail running portion of the half marathon.  We were running along the lake at this point, but it was pretty narrow and crowded.  And hilly.

The finish: water, banana, medal, chocolate chip cookie, granola bar, chocolate milk, and popcorn!  Really organized, fast moving, and tasty!

The finish-line party: Honestly the only finish line party I've been at that still had beer and/or didn't have an obscene line for beer.  We lined up, and were promptly handed our party cup of free Capital City Beer.  Not my favorite beer, but pretty darn tasty :)

The medal is also a beer opener!

The walk back to the car: Frustrating.  We couldn't figure out how to exit the party, and probably walked an extra mile and a half to get to the car :(

Overall: The is a very well run race.  I realized that I still suck at rolling hills.  I'm not sure that I would do it again, but I would definitely encourage others to come out for the weekend.  Madison is a great place to spend a weekend away from the city!

Next half: Maui Half Marathon!

Marathon Training, Week Ten!

Also known as the week I had too much fun...

Sunday: rest day.  Worked and then cooked dinner for my parents at home.  Homemade penne a la vodka with meatballs.  Not really a rest day?

Monday: 4.11 miles in 43:06 (10:28 pace).  Really beautiful night and we took a different route than usual.  Downtown is pretty!

Tuesday: 45 minutes of strength

Wednesday: 6.88 miles in 1:15:05 (10:55 pace).  This was accomplished before work because I was meeting my parents and a friend for wine dinner at Vinci.  Seriously the best deal in the city.

Thursday: Rest day because we went to Ravinia to see Lord of the Rings Two Towers as accompanied by the CSO.  SO COOL!!

This was my first time riding the Metra, much to the amazement of my friends

This screen was seriously high tech

Friday: Unintentional rest day.  So.  Tired. From Ravinia.  Oh!  And drove to Madison for the Madison Mini!!

Saturday: 13.2 miles in 2:24:30 (10:54 pace).  Not the greatest half marathon ever.  But it's done!

Overall outlook: Good!  We're getting into the meat of training, so hopefully everything continues to go well.

Next Up: Warrior challenge in Hawaii!

Have a great week everyone!!

Thursday Night Shenanigans.

I'll admit it.  I'm a bit of a hermit crab.  I KNOW that I live in an amazing city, and I KNOW that there are amazing things happening around me.  But...I kind of hate chaos.  And people.  And people causing chaos.  Which is what summer can feel like to me in Chicago sometimes.

Every once in a while, though, I put by party pants on, and engage in what can only be described as Thursday night shenanigans.  Why Thursday night?  Because Friday or Saturday just makes too much sense.  And I work a ton of weekends so sometimes Thursdays feel like Fridays.  

This past Thursday started off all innocent.  I came home from work, and went out to meet my CARA peeps for our 7 miler.  While I was out running, and then declared that I was done running, I received the following text message from Mr Sharkie:  "OK.  We might drink some bubbly real quick."  followed by "on the patio out back."

Bubbly??  Patio???!?!?!!?!?  I'M IN!!

Stop One:  Madison Vine Wines - home of free wine tastings on Thursdays from 6 pm to 8 pm.  I'm in freaking love with this wine shop.  There is a seating area upstairs if you want to sit inside, or you can scale the catwalk to get to the outdoor patio (essentially a deck they built on top of their garage).  The best part about Thursdays is that you can taste the wine, find something you like, buy a bottle, and enjoy it on the patio.  Or, if you're the couple next to us, 3 bottles.  It's a really friendly atmosphere, and no one will judge you if the entire patio has a conversation about where Game of Thrones is headed next.  Pontificating on the end of Game of Thrones (I know, I know, read the books already Sharkie) was amazing and all, but Sharkie was hungry!!

Stop Two: Pizzeria del Mercato - new pizza place with wood fired thin crust pizzas in the heart of the west loop.  Mr Sharkie and I stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago while we were out running, and knew we had to go back and try it!  We were the only ones in the restaurant.  Which I typically find pretty creepy/a bad sign, but we got the owner all to ourselves and got to learn all about the pizza!  They use all organic ingredients, and make their own mozzarella.  Also, they get all their meats from Le Saridine down the street, so everything is super fresh and local!  So...how was it?  Delicious.  Feast your eyes on these pics:

Prosciutto and arugula.  Pretty classic.

Sausage of the day (chicken curry) and chili oil.  So good!!

I should also mention that they are BYOB.  And BYOB we did.  You know, from stop one (genius, right??)

Stop Three: If I wouldn't have been messing around on facebook, this never would have happened (see kids, facebook is bad).  Johnny's Ice House.  I have a couple of friends who play on leagues at Johnny's, and I've been dying to scratch my hockey itch, so we decided to stop by and see a friend play.  His game started at 10:40 pm.  We hit the Ice House, and I encountered this:

Unfortunately.  The whole Ice Crew thing didn't work out for me.  This time.

and then we hit the bar upstairs.  Johnny's Ice House is home to one of the best kept secrets in Chicago: The Stanley Club.  Home of $13 Labatt Blue pitchers, and actually pretty good hockey!  We watched my friend's team get killed, then he headed up for a drink.  So much fun!  But also so much 12:30 am!! We finally decided to head home.  

Fun, right?  

I kinda like the city again :)

Marathon Training! Week Nine!

Holy Crap!! We're halfway through marathon training!!

The little widget on my blog is saying that there are 63 days until the marathon, so that's fun.

Sunday: Rest!

Monday: 50 minutes of strength training

Tuesday: 4 miles in 42:38.  One of those get out there and just get 'er done runs.

Wednesday: 50 minutes of strength training.  We also went to the White Sox game!

Thursday: 7 miles in 1:16:30.  Ran with my CARA group, so at least I wasn't lonely!  And then I ate this:

OMG so freaking good.

Friday: Unintentional rest day.  Please see additional post re: Thursday night shenanigans

Saturday: 10 miles in 1:51:20.

Total mileage: 21 miles

Overall outlook: Good!  And ready for winter!!

Next race: Madison Mini

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Marathon Training! Week Eight!

Finally got back on the exercise wagon this week!  Work-life balance, here Sharkie comes!!!!

Monday - 4 miles in 44:29 (11:06 pace).  Ran to Road Runner Sports and back for gel shopping.  Not super impressed by the running gel selection, but I did finally get a running visor!!

Tuesday - 60 minutes strength.  It was supposed to be a semi-private group session, but it was me, myself, and I.  So I pretty much got my ass kicked for 60 minutes.  Welcome back to the gym, Sharkie.

Wednesday - 5.58 miles (6, I swear.  I forgot to restart my watch at a corner) in 1:02:54 (11:16 pace).  Ran through Illinois Medical District for a change of scenery.

Thursday - 60 minutes strength.  Followed by wine tasting!  What can I say, you can take the Sharkie out of Sonoma...Anyways, there's an adorable little wine shop in the West Loop that does wine tastings on Thursdays.  I'll be back!

Friday - 45 minutes group conditioning.

Saturday - 12.99 miles in 2:29:25 (11:30 pace) - nice training run on the lakefront.  Followed by dinner at this Chicago legend:

Sometimes, a girl just needs a filet.

So tasty!

Sunday - rest day!  And by rest I mean grocery store, twisted spoke for bloodies, and grilling with Mr. Sharkie.  The perfect day!!

Total mileage: 23
Overall outlook: Better!  Especially once the gym soreness wore off
Next race: Madison Mini!

Have a great week everyone!!

Next! And marathon shop talk with Chef Dave Beran. This is a running blog after all.

Mr Sharkie and I had the pleasure of dining at Next last night for their vegan menu.  For those of you unfamiliar with Next, it is the sister restaurant of Alinea, and they change their menu and theme about 4 times per year.  Past menus have been themes such as Paris, Childhood and Sicily.

Upon sitting down, we were greeted with a card explaining the premise behind offering a vegan menu. Essentially, the menu is not about showcasing the "meat is murder" philosophy, but instead being challenged to showcase vegetables in a new venue, and to challenge perceptions of vegan cuisine.

 Short version: the menu knocked my socks off.  It's the first purposeful vegan meal I've had, and every perception of vegan cuisine I've had has been thrown out the window.

Long version (and yes, we went with the pairings):

The meal begins with what the waiters can only describe as an onslaught of appetizers, aptly named "starters and burnt avocado" on the menu.

A lot of courses were served on rocks and pieces of wood

• Burnt avocado - this was smothered on the top of a rock.  It was like really complex guacamole spread.  It was eaten with a cracker that was hidden in a plant tree on the table
• Kale bouquet - little crispy bit on top of the burnt avocado - very yummy
• Sprouted tempeh 
• Frozen baked potato - this was a crispy purple potato skin with a potato sorbet inside.  It was an amazing combination of hot/cold and crispy/creamy.  One of my favorite bites of the evening
• Nori dumpling
• Earl grey rambutan
• Baby artichoke - three ways.  The plate was full of roasted artichoke leaves, then they essentially made a "twice baked artichoke."

This course was served with Chauteau Moncontour Brut from Vouvray.  A delicious sparkling wine.  Kept trying to get seconds

Fermented apples and lichen - cubes of apple with apple sorbet.  Really delicious transition into dinner. 

This course was served with house fermented apple cider vinegar.  Really tasty.

Lily pond - I like when the centerpiece on my table is involved in my dinner.  There was a little square glass box on the table with floating flowers and a candle.  The waiter came over and scooped some of the microgreens that were in the box (a combo of water and vinegar apparently) and then incorporated them into the dish.  

Fennel with white cherry - One of the more fun dishes of the night.  It was served on a clear plate that had a bulb on the bottom.  The bulb was full of a bubbling liquid that turned out to be the pairing for the dish.  It was bubbling due to liquid nitrogen.  We were given metal straws to drink the liquid while eating the dish on the plate.  The dish was a combo of fennel puree, roasted fennel and pickled fennel.

Salsifies with oyster and dandelion - This dish was done two ways.  There was a charred salsify root on one side that was served with dandelion leaves, and then a sous vide piece of salsify on the other side that was served with this delightful green puree.  I still don't know what salsify is, but it's tasty!

This course was paired with a Guy Breton Regnie Beaujolais that we've loving nicknamed the blackberry outhouse wine.

Swiss chard and douchi - Also done two ways.  There was a tempura chard on one side with a red sauce and a sauteed chard on the other side that had yummy puffed rice and other yummies with it.

Kombu atoll - I don't remember this course.  But I did just learn on google that Kombu means seaweed. Oh wait!  I remember!  This dish was an awesome piece of tofu skin and seaweed in a broth that had this weird jelly consistency.  Odd textures, but pretty good.  

Paired with Scholium Project Gemella from California.  Per the sommelier, it's a winery that makes wine by buying the oldest crappiest grapes they can get.  Consider the solid (terrible) sell by the sommelier, it was't that terrible.

I probably forgot about it because I was distracted by the:

Mushroom cart!  The waiter appeared at our table with one of those carts they use to showcase steak cuts/cheese/desserts at fancy restaurants.  Instead of those non-vegan things, the cart contained different kinds of mushrooms.  We were told that these mushrooms would be featured in our next course.  Which was an AMAZING mushroom risotto made with farro instead of rice.  It was Mr Sharkie's favorite course of the night.  He's still talking about it today.

This course was paired with Parusso barolo.  Hands down my favorite wine of the night.  But that's because I'm a barolo whore.

Red onion/Inspired by Stupak - Probably my favorite course of the evening.  Slow cooked caramelized red onions.  Delicious!

Paired with Schlumberger Grand Cru.  I get confused when I have to switch back and forth between red wine and white wine.  But overall a tasty pinot gris.

Curry roasted cauliflower - Another fun course.  We were able to garnish our own dishes using clear tubes full of cashew crumbles.  Served with Next-made naan.

Yeah.  I did the plate decorating!

Olive oil jam and black truffle - This was a two-parter.  We were given a spoon with a minuscule bite on it.  It turned out to be a palate cleansing Szechwan peppercorn.  I HATE all things menthol-esque in food, so my tongue was displeased with this bite.  The truffle crumble made up for it.  The perfect conversion from dinner to dessert

Dessert was paired with a wine cocktail containing lambrusco, mezcal and carpano antica.  Very refreshing and paired great with dessert

Hibiscus and pistachio - one of the famous deconstructed desserts, very Alinea like.  This was served on a tree stump and contained hibiscus sugar, pistachio cake, and a couple of liquid nitrogen frozen nuggets, one of which was bursting with vanilla sauce.  So tasty...

Sweet potato nest - like thanksgiving.  This bite started out really weird, but got better once the sweet potato broke down a little.

Aerated chocolate with passionfruit - this was awesome.  It tasted like a dark chocolate truffle.

Overall, this meal was amazing!  I've been worried that the Next hype has been played out, but dinner last night restored my faith that good things are still to come.

I should also probably mention that we were offered a tour of the kitchen, which we jumped on.  It wasn't so much a tour as awkwardly standing around a tiny kitchen, but I got a chance to interview Chef Dave Beran about running (see!  It IS a running blog after all!!)

Sharkie: So...you running the marathon this year?

CDB: Yep, Chicago.  And I know a guy who says he can get me a last entry into New York

Sharkie: I'm running NewYork too (while thinking that it must be nice to know a guy)!

CDB: If New York goes well, I'm also doing Columbus

Sharkie: You know, they have a club for people who really like running that many marathons, it's called the Marathon Maniacs

CDB: Let's not get crazy

We also talked about other more important things like why he's not bring the Childhood menu back, and what's up Next at Next.

I'm excited for Bocuse D'Or in November!!

Marathon Training! Week Seven (I think...)!!

Marathon training this week was brought to me by the letter "w" for WINE!!

Sunday - Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon!

Monday - Ha!  I was driven around in a town car for 8 hours visiting 4 different wineries.  There was no running today.

Taken at Frogs Leap.  So Pretty.

 Tuesday - Ha!  Unless visiting 2 wineries and In and Out Burger counts, no running today...

Yeah.  I went Double Double.  Not pictured: chocolate shake.

Wednesday - Flew home.  Too sad to run.

Thursday - 6.22 miles in 1:10:54 (11:23 average pace).  Apparently I felt compelled to turn my 6 mile run into a 10K

Friday - First day back at work.  Worked for 11 hours.  Really didn't feel like exercising.

Saturday - 12 miles in ???? (left watch charging on kitchen counter.  oddly freeing).  Anyone else have a terrible run today?  I don't know what it was, but my legs gassed out around mile 10 today.  Power cleaned the condo and spent way too much time/money in Target.  Made strawberry basil lemonade.  IN THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BALL JAR!!!!

It doesn't look amazing, but add some vodka and shake 'er up?  Perfection!

Total weekly mileage: 31

Next race: Madison Mini!

Have a great week everyone!!

Napa to Sonoma Race Recap!

Yesterday was the 10th edition of the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon, and my second time running it, so go me for running 20% of the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathons!

I'll be posting on my overall vacation in a separate post, but the half marathon itself is so awesome, it deserves its own post.

The basics:

1. Race registration: a giant pain in the a$$.  It took Mr Sharkie 6 hours and a lot of words I can't post here to secure race spots.  But we got in!

2. Packet pick-up.  Easy location, about a mile from where we were staying.  Could be pretty difficult if you don't have a car.  They also had early pick up and race day pick up for those of you with $20 extra dollars.  Let it be noted that there was a bonus timing chip attached to my bib.  The 16 year old working the table couldn't tell me what that was all about.  I think this becomes important later.

3. The swag: super ugly white t-shirt, a virtual goody bag, and a wine glass you can fill again and again!!

I'm pretty sure the medal doubles as a coaster

The race:

1. Parking:  I set the alarm for 4:40 (I know, right), and we were headed to downtown Sonoma.  We snagged an awesome free spot, and hit a shuttle to the start line.  This race starts between Napa and Sonoma, and runs back into downtown Sonoma, so you pretty much need someone to drop you at the start (total cluster) or hit a shuttle.

2. The start:  ~ 3500 runners lined up in no particular order.  There were tiny signs designating pace, but other than that it was pretty much a free for all.  The race started about 10 minutes late (minor race pet peeve), and we were off!!

Miles 1-3:  this course is pretty hilly if you're used to Chicago flatness.  The first half mile is straight up a hill, and then the rolling hills kick in.  I was running with Mr Sharkie and a fellow CARA runner, so the miles were ticking away.  Finished 5k feeling strong, and kept on moving.

Miles 4-6:  remembered why you use a port a potty before the race, if the port a potty lines at the start weren't ridiculous.  Killed about 10 minutes in a port a potty line, watched some people pee in some vineyard (it's organic, right), and kept on trucking.  Super interesting conversation happening around us.  Mostly involving runners declaring that this was the furthest they had run ever.

Miles 7-9: we were told before the race that there would be a wine stop.  Everyone starts talking about the wine stop.  I'm mostly shopping for Sonoma houses at this point (gorgeous!!), but could get on board with some wine.  Oh, and there are alpaca for sale!  Still rolling hills.  Also, the sun is starting to peek out.  But not too hot yet.

Miles 10-12: At the top of yet another hill.  I hear someone yell something about Guinness.  And ice cold.  Yeah.  I stopped and had a shot of Guinness in the middle of a half marathon.  And it was delicious!  It sat weird for about 30 seconds, and then everything was OK.  And then about a mile later there was wine!  And it was delicious!

Wine while running is surprisingly delicious!

 I specifically remember tossing the phrase YOLO around a lot during this stretch.  This race pulls into downtown Sonoma around mile 12 or so when you run through a cute little park, then it's two turns and:

Mile 13-13.1: After a REALLY long straightaway towards the world's biggest American flag, you reach the finish line, get your wine glass, and go to taste really terrible wine!  No.  It's really terrible.  And you have to wait in huge lines to drink it.

Finish time:  Oh right.  Back to wondering why I had a bib chip and a shoe chip.  I ran with both, and still don't seem to have an official time.  So we're going to go with my nike plus watch time of 2:30:49, even though I paused it for bathroom breaks.  But I know I finished cause I have a medal, and multiple pictures of me on the course!

Would I do it again?  Heck yes!  This race is worth the trip to wine country.  One of the prettiest runs I've ever done, and a great little vacation spot.

I'm actually curious enough to check out the rest of the wine country races.

Next up: Madison Mini!

Greetings from the IR!

So I'm officially on the injured reserve following the great running wipe out of 2013 yesterday.

Instead of sitting around worrying about my amazing technicolor knee, I've been killing time thinking about the following:

1. Does anyone else out there think that Runner's World is a far superior publication than Running Times?  I don't even know why Running Times comes to my house, but the content is a little too professional speedy running for me.  Maybe I shouldn't complain about things that come for free?

2. Anyone else out there wonder when the marathon registration bubble is going to burst?  Registration attempts at the Chicago Marathon crashed the server this year and Big Sur sold out in less than 24 hours. For that matter, would anyone like to race direct a marathon with me?  Because there is certainly the demand out there.

3. Has anyone tried the Breyer's Flavor Blast Thin Mint Ice Cream?  If I can't exercise, you can bet that you'll find me on the couch eating ice cream.  Priorities.

4. I am entirely obsessed with this beer:

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager.  Freaking Delicious.

Like so obsessed that I bought 12 bottles at a tasting dinner I was at that really wasn't supposed to be selling beer.  Abita only makes it once a year, and it's really hard to find up here.  I've been rationing my supply, so should be good for the next day or two.

That's all the silly thoughts I have for now.  Hopefully I'll be back to writing about running in no time!

War Wounds

Marathon training week 6 started of with quite the bang this afternoon.  And by bang I mean banged up hands and knees.

That's right, folks, we have Sharkie's first official tumble of marathon training 2013.

IT BURNS!!!!

Now - most runners fall down while doing awesome things like hopping over creeks and trees.  I tend to fall flat on my face while running on sidewalks, this time while deep in conversation with Mr Sharkie.

New rule!  No running while talking!  Just kidding.  I'll pay more attention while running :)

I mostly just need to learn how to fall down with < 1 mile left in my run.  This unfortunate injury happened at mile 0.8.  I'm getting down with a bag of ice as I type this, and hopefully will be good as new for my half marathon this weekend.

Happy Monday to me!

IT BURNS!!!

Marathon Training! Week 5!

This week was brought to me by the letter "H," for "humidity" and "hot"

Monday - 3 miles in 33:33 (11:30 pace).  There's a bank on my 3 mile route that displays time and temperature.  I've noticed that it consistently reads ~ 15 degrees warmer than it actually is outside.  95 is a terrible, terrible number to see when you're out running.  This run was followed by sushi!  And catching up with good friends!

Tuesday - 60 minutes of strength training

Wednesday - 5 miles in ?????  Nike plus watch = uncharged.

Thursday - got trapped at work, so went out for short rib nachos instead of doing strength training.  It was a good summer decision

Friday - 45 minutes of group conditioning.  Part of which involved flipping tires over.  My forearms and wrists are really sore.  Totally weird.

Saturday - 10 miles in ?????  Nike plus watch = charged.  Nike plus app = broken

And then my crazy friends were smoking bourbon.  And making smoked bourbon cocktails.  Cheers for smoked bourbon manhattans!

Best summer day ever!

Mom?  Can I have some of your cocktail?

Sunday - Drove up to Michigan to stalk houses and eat at Redamaks.  Mmmmmmmm.  Velveeta cheeseburger.

Sometimes, I leave the state on the weekends!

Overall mileage - 18 miles
Overall outlook - good!  I can't WAIT to run Napa to Sonoma next weekend.  And to taste wine!!

Have a great week everyone!

Thank You Mother Nature!!

For the 50% drop in humidity today.  I'm not going to lie.  Running morale has been a little low.  But I'm super proud of myself for getting out there and getting my runs done...

...and then came today...

...and the running was GLORIOUS!  I was a little bummed because my Nike watch wasn't charged...

...so the run isn't officially on the books...

...but I did get to explore a new neighborhood...

...go me!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

Marathon Training! Week Four!

I managed to stay mostly on track this week.  Which is pretty impressive considering there was a holiday this week AND I worked 3 of the 4 days of the holiday weekend.

This cat pretty much sums up my overall attitude at the moment:

Running-wise though, I'm feeling pretty good.

Here's what I had on tap for the week:

Monday: 3 miles in 32:48 (11:04 per mile).  I don't remember a lot about this run, so it must have been OK

Tuesday: 45 minutes of strength training

Wednesday: Was supposed to run.  Didn't.  Watched three episodes of Game of Thrones, ate sushi and drank a bottle of wine.  Oops.  I mean, sushi is carb loading, right?  And is anyone else unable to wait for season 4 to come out?

Thursday: 4.21 miles in 48:43 (11:36 per mile).  It was a trail run, so I'm pretty stoked about my pace

Friday: 9 miles in 1:49:00 (12:12 per mile).  Hot, so hot.  I didn't help that I didn't listen to my own training tips and I attempted this run at 3 pm.  Shout out to Mr Sharkie for sticking with me and listening to me whine for miles 7.5-9.  Oh well, at least I got it over with?

Saturday: 6 miles biking.  To and from soldier field.  To see Messi and Friends versus the World!  Spoiler alert: Messi and Friends kicked butt!

This is seriously the best I could do with my iPhone:

Someone enroll me in a photography class

Total mileage: 16.21
Overall outlook: Is it fall yet?  84% humidity and I do NOT get along.

That's all I have for now.  How is everyone else's training going?  I finally have a race on my schedule in 2 weeks.  I can't wait to get back out there!

Training Tips Thursdays!

I can't let a little July 4th Bloody Mary Fun stop me from posting training tips!

Seriously delicious.

Eating on the Run  

Since many of us who are marathon training are hitting 9 miles this week, I thought I would pass along some tips and ideas for eating on the run.

For runs that are between 30 and 60 minutes, your body typically only needs water.  As runs become consistently over 60-90 minutes, you should definitely think about bringing some fuel on your long runs.

Why eat on the run?  When you run for over an hour, your body’s glycogen (glucose + carbs in muscles) stores become depleted and need to be replaced in order to continue to have optimal performance.

How much to eat on the run?  Your body will typically need 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of running.  This amount will depend on your size, and how much you’re exerting yourself.

What to eat on the run? This is where the experimenting begins!  I’ll go through different eats that are available, but your body will tell you what is right for you.

Liz’s Most Important Tip: ALWAYS drink water when you’re taking in carbs on the run.  Running gel + no water = really upset stomach

Sports Drinks (and some fun math!):

Most sports drinks contain 6-8% carbohydrates (15 grams per 8 ounce serving), but watch your labels!  A lot of the “low cal” sports drinks contain far fewer carbs per 8 ounces.  Additionally, some sports drinks are starting to incorporate a 4:1 carb:protein ratio, which I personally think adds to the yuck factor.   My concerns: I’ve had a lot of poorly mixed sports drink during a race, sometimes I hate the flavor/brand on a race course, and I can’t personally drink 16 to 32 ounces of sports drink per hour to keep up with carb needs, so I usually go for the solid options…

Solid Options:

Gels – GU, Cliff Shots, Hammer Gels, PowerBar Gels, and so on…

Most gels contain 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates per gel (and 100 calories), so you will need to consume 1-2 gels per hour depending on how hard your working/your size.  I typically need a gel every 4-5 miles when I’m running, and I tend to only favor gels when the weather favors liquid substance.  I find them to be a sticky hot mess in the summer, and pretty gross when they get cold. 

Blocks/Beans – Shot Blocks, Sport Beans, Honey Stinger Gummies, PowerBar Gummies, Luna Moons and so on…

Most running blocks/gummies contain 5 grams of carbohydrate per piece, so you’ll have to take in 6-12 pieces per hour.  I’ve really been favoring gummies lately because I find them to be texturally better than gels, and they hold up better in the heat.  If you’re going for shot blocks, it’s easier to transfer them into a plastic bag, or cut the tube in half so it’s not as cumbersome. 

Bars – I don’t personally do bars because they’re too “solid” for me and I get confused by the fat:protein:carb ratio that’s best for running.  If you’re going with a bar, it should have 200-250 calories, and I would aim for a bar every hour or two

CANDY!! – When looking for running candy, I would lean towards candy that is high carb, low fat/protein.  Think Swedish Fish, Skittles, Twizzlers.  I would leave things like M&Ms and Milky Way’s for the movies.  You’ll have to read the packaging to find out the carb content per piece, and pack accordingly.   

Perils and Pitfalls:

·      Not bringing your own fuel to a race: more and more races are starting to offer gels on the course.  This does not mean that they’ll still have gels when you get to the table, and just beware (like sports drinks) that this may not be a flavor or brand that you like.  Which brings me to…

·      Trying something new on race day:  Be careful out there!  Different brands of gels have been known to do weird things to my stomach.  That Starburst seemed like a good idea, until it wasn’t such a good idea…

·      Not taking fuel with a glass of water: See Liz’s most important tip

·      Beware of caffeine content:  Caffeine is being added to some brands (flavors) of energy gels due to claim that it helps with endurance performance.  Data is +/- on whether it helps, and if you’re not used to caffeine I’ve seen stomach and jitteriness issues.  Just be aware of whether or not there is caffeine in your gels.  I typically will only consume one product with caffeine in it per event.

That’s all the craziness I have for this week!  

Except for this hilarious sticker I found on someone's car in my garage:

I honestly hate car stickers, but this one is pretty amazing