Does this make me a runner?

I forgot to tell you guys... a couple weeks ago, I ran my first 8k race! It was the Bastille Day run, and this year they added the 8k option in addition to their traditional 5k. I did the 5k a few years ago, and a crazy downpour makes it the least enjoyable run I've ever done. If my count is accurate, this is the 8th race I've completed. A few years ago, I think I would have slapped you if you told me I'd be running for fun! Now, I still don't have any interest in really long races, but since I did ok on this 8k, I know I could manage upping the distance to a 10k at some point. 

See the girl in the yellow shirt, smiling like a dork? Yup, that's me!





Feeling slower around mile 4... but I kept pushing to the finish!

My pace wasn't fast, since the race was the day after we got back from eating and drinking excessively in L.A. Also, I've been battling allergies and/or a crazy cold for far too long now, and was all stuffy and what not while running. No bueno.  But I made my goal, which was to finish without walking! 

I'm sick of crowded races along the lake. Anyone know of any good races where they close off streets? The lake is always beautiful, but the trails on Lincoln Park just aren't made for full on races, and they get way too crowded. I'm thinking I'll do another race before it gets too cold... maybe September? I'd love to improve my 8k time, but since there aren't too many of those, I might just try that whole 10k idea out. I'm kind of still thinking that's crazy, though, so we'll see!

(I'm only blogging such boring stuff on a Saturday night because I'm babysitting. I swear, if I wasn't working I'd be out doing something fun!  Oh, and I'm actually supposed to be working on a powerpoint for an interview for a new position at work, but that is just too depressing for a Saturday night. Maybe it's time to see what's on TV?  Hope you're having a more exciting weekend than I am!)

Ravenswood Run!

Remember when I mentioned that I was training for a 5k race? I wanted to get a better time than previous races I'd completed, so I was specifically training with the goal of achieving a personal record. My goal overall was to be under 30 minutes, which would not even be a PR, but would be faster than the pitiful 5k I did last October. I had a couple weeks when my knee was really bothering me, which had me pretty worried. I ended up taking a couple weeks off from working out altogether, and did a lot of stretching my knee and alternating between icing and heating it. Thankfully, the pain in my knee went away, and I was able to train as I had initially planned.

The race was on Sunday, and it was great! First off, the whole week before the forecast had been saying rain and 50 degree temps, and I knew that would not be ideal weather for getting a PR. Instead, it was sunny and beautiful! Not too hot, but warm enough for running without layers of clothing. It was a seriously perfect spring morning. There were about 4,000 people running, which was enough to feel like a big race, but not so many that it felt crowded (hello, Run for the Zoo, I'm looking at you! Being forced by the crowd to walk mid-race? Not cool.).

And my time? 27:40, which is a 8:55 pace!  Well under 30 minutes, if I do say so myself :)  I felt great the whole time I was running, and probably could have shaved a little more off my time if it hasn't been crowded and slow for the first part of the run. I started with the 9:30 pace group, and I have a feeling some people had optimistically started in a faster group than they should have. It was a fun race, and I was so pleased with my result!

I've also officially signed up for an 8k in July, since this year's Bastille Day race is going to be either a 5k or an 8k. I thought it was about time I pushed myself a little more on the distance, and now I'm excited to train for a longer run. My friend Stacy and I might squeeze in another 5k in June, and I'm also playing around with the idea of doing my first 10k sometime this fall. Looks like it's going to be a busy summer!

Ready to Run!

In the last few years, something strange has happened to me. I have become someone who enjoys running. If you'd asked me in college what i thought of running long distances, I would have told you is was something only crazy people did for fun. I've always been somewhat athletic, and have enjoyed working out... but running was just never my thing. I tried track in high school, pretty much sucked at it, and didn't do more than a little recreational jog for years after that.


Then, in 2007, my friend Becky told us she was getting a group together for a relay race. It was the Brew to Brew race, where groups of 9 people took turns running part of  a 44 mile course from Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City to Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence, KS. Joe was running half marathons at this point, so it was a no-brainer for him. I thought about my love for both of these breweries, and also that it could be good motivation to work out for the next few months... and decided to join the fun!

The race was a blast, and I managed to run 5 miles of the course! It ended up being my second race, because Joe convinced me to do the St Patrick's Day 4 mile race a few weeks before the Brew to Brew. I also ran the Trolley Run at the end of April, which meant I had completed three races in less than 2 months. I guess at that point I was hooked.

The last few years have been up and down with running. Joe suffered a knee injury that resulted in surgery, and is most likely done running. I hope he can heal enough to do short 5k races in the future, but for now we're saving up to buy him a bike (or a guitar), so he can find a new hobby to be interested in.  I have run at least one race per summer... nothing competitive, but it's kept me working out and somewhat focused. I did a terribly slow 5k last October, after a month at a terrible job and not a single day of training. After that race, I decided my next one would be better.

Now it's about time to start training for that 'next one'. I signed up for the Ravenswood 5k, which is run right near my neighborhood in Chicago. I usually miss this one, because it happens early in the spring, and I'm not mentally in running outside mode yet. But this year I planned ahead, and even found a training plan to help me set a personal record with this run.

Then, two weeks ago I did an awesome sprint workout. It felt great, and I was so excited about training after doing this workout. Unfortunately, my knees did not agree that this was a great workout, and my left knee has been hurting significantly for the last week and a half. I'm pretty stressed out about this, after Joe's experience with a knee injury. For the last week, I've still been working out, but not really running and generally taking things a little lighter than usual.

I decided today that since it is still hurting, I will take a week 100% off from the gym. My job has me on my feet for the entire 8 hour shift, and living in the city involves a decent amount of walking around, so I won't exactly be sitting around all week. But my official training for the race is set to start next week, so I'm hoping that a week off will be the cure. Add in some ice, heat, and ibuprofen, and hopefully I'll be ready to start running again next Monday. Wish me luck!