Tchau 2012

On the running front:

1245+ miles run
618 Cycling miles
1859 total miles

13 Races Run

The biggest change in my usual running routine was hiring Britt as my virtual running coach. With her training plan and support, I was able to achieve one hell of a PR in the marathon which I am certain wouldn't have been possible on my own.

 3 Marathons.
And a PR of 25 minutes in Fox Valley for a 3:40

Running the Chicago marathon with my L, was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Ing Miami, Fox Valley, Chicago Marathon Part 1 and Part 2 (slideshow) 

Grinning like a crazy fool for every step of the Fox Valley 26.2

2 Marathons were run with my best friends in the whole entire world. 

4 Half Marathons.
I took 2 minutes off of my 2011 half time for a PR in the Chicago Women's Half of 1:46:15

Rock n Roll St. Pete (FL), Chicago Spring Half, Chicago Women's Half, Rock n Roll Chicago

While RnR Chicago was a bust because of the heat, I had fun and the photos turned out awesome!

1 8K.
I came back from the hip flexor injury and took 2:11 off of my 2011 time for a new PR of 39:57
Shamrock Shuffle

5 5Ks
No PR this year. My 2011 PR of 22:18 Still stands strong. But I did get 2nd AG, and 2nd overall in the races I ran.

New Year's Day 5K,  Run to Remember, Karhu 5k, Grant Park Turkey Trot, Schiller Chiller Trail Run

Churro Dog

Loads of memories made with the Churro Bear Dog.

Concerts/Events attended:

Several Cubs games attended

Flo Rida post RnR St Pete. He put on a great show!

Starship Cobra post RnR Chicago

And Lollapalooza! My favorite band was Amadou e Mariam, but Florence and the Machine, and Jack White were also pretty good. The whole day was just a crazy experience.

2012 was a great year. 

I got promoted at work, saw family and friends, got to visit a few states, drank over 300+ unique beers and fell in love with the town I live in, Chicago.

I'm welcoming 2013 with open arms. Some things in early 2013 i'm looking forward to: a Chicago Bulls game, and a much anticipated trip to Brasil.  

Tchau 2012, it's been fun!

Feliz ano novo!

Cold, Wind and Waves... OH MY!

I took today off work and decided to make the most of my extended weekend and head out for a run. Made it 7+ miles, but would have gone more if the path wasn't closed around Oak St/North Ave Beach due to large dangerous waves.

We did get "hit" with the snowstorm Draco last night. I really didn't see snow accumulation any where in the Downtown Chicago area. I was really expecting more based on the "OMG this storm is going to be so super bad, be scared of the wind and 2-4 inches of snow and high winds" per the local meteorologists. What a disappointment**.
Churro Bear and his left over dental chew from last night. Breakfast of champions!
I was intimidated by the conditions- Feels like 16, wind gusting at 40mph- but I wasn't going to let something like that ruin my 1st opportunity to run outside this week.
I wore my brand spanking new Nike Pegasus + 29 Shield's out for their inaugural run to see if the weather proofing "Shield"  lived up to its name. Spoiler Alert: The weather proofing worked.
This was my invitation to keep going north past Oak St Beach.
With a lot of caution, of course.
The "OH SHIT" wave which sent a 3 inch high wall of water rushing towards me while I ran as fast as I could, but not nearly fast enough. The ice cold water went right over my new pumped up kicks. And my feet stayed dry! Thank you Nike for making an amazing shoe.
I knew my limits and just took photos from a distance and did not try to get to North Ave beach, because that would have meant you seeing me being pulled out of Lake Michigan on the 5pm News.
The waves were ferocious.
The path was salted heavily in anticipation for the snowstorm that wasnt.
Navy pier Ferris wheel looking good.
Some new "friends" before they got pissed at me and started hissing.
There weren't many people out on the path today- just a few cyclists and hard core runners like myself braving the wind and cold.
It was a beautiful day... Did I even need to say that based on my photos?!?
Some "self timer" fun with one of the pieces of artwork on the path. 3rd times the charm.
Have a wonderful weekend!

**I want to run in the snow, build an honest to god snowman, and sled down sledding hill. Is that too much to ask?

- xaar

Chicago women's half marathon recap

1:46:15 (a 1 minute PR!)

24/ 479 for my AG (top 5%)

89/ 2365 for overall (top 3.7%)

Pre race:



The day before I ran/ walked 11 miles with my man.



Then I ate a burrito as big as my head for dinner. Hey!? Rice are carbs right!?! No spicy sauce I know better than that.


I had no expectations going into this race. I determined early on (and with the guidance of my coach) Because of the heat that I would run negative splits/ progressive run for this race as this is not my goal race.


I did not see a single dude running this race. I ran the Nike women's marathon in 2010 and did see men running it. None here. Not a single one


Walked over to grant park from my place at 6:10 for the 7am start. I love the races close to my apt!


Ate a power bar smoothie berry flavor for breakfast (hour prior) and a Gatorade prime plus a salt tab 15 minutes pre race. I was a ball of nerves and don't really know why. This race wasn't a goal- I signed up for it since it was reasonably priced $65 and was close proximity to my home and gave out a shirt,medal and yoga mat too.

Wore my green Nike lunar racers (first time in a half- wear them on other long runs), MC bra, Nike sea foam tank, Aspaeris pivot shorts.


Soon we were off! I started around the 8:00 pace corral (1:45 finish) to ensure a smooth start. I quickly fell behind the 1:45 group and the 1:50 group within the first few miles. I wanted to be conservative in the heat. The course went south on the lakefront and then returned to Balbo and Columbus Dr for the finish. I always had the 1;50 group in sight- I was about 30 seconds behind them before the first half. I decided I needed to be passing them at the 6-7 mile mark.

(my splits for your viewing pleasure)

And so I did. I passed the 1:50 group and never looked back. In fact for the rest of the race no one passed me. I must have passed over a hundred people. It was fun.


I took a Gu jet blackberry at mile 4, and took a cherry lime roctane at mile 8-9 along with some mango salt strips. I also carried water with me the entire time and never stopped at a water station. Except the last one where I grabbed some water and dumped it on my head. It felt amazing By the way.

While the temps were approaching 80, I just kept chugging along the lakefront. Thank god it was overcast during this point. Soon I was back near the Shedd aquarium with a mile to go and eminems Lose yourself came on my iPod and I started kicking harder. The finish seemed to take forever and I started sprinting as fast as my legs would allow. I felt so sick to my stomach but could not allow myself to stop or slow down until after crossing the finish mat. Pain is nothing, compared to what it feels like to give in. 'Nuff said.


I was so happy to break my PR by a minute, but even more excited to have made an extreme negative split with 7 miles at or significantly below my goal marathon pace for this race. In the heat.


Post race thoughts:

#1,don't stay up until 11pm watching the UFC fights the night before the race. 

This race was fun. It seemed extremely well organized. I never experienced crowding on the course. There were ample aid stations, plus the water fountains on the course. I love the medal and thought the yoga mat was a nice touch. I also like the shirt design too. I'd definitely run this race next year. Thank you volunteers! Go fleet feet!

Post race celebrations included some IPA, Vander Mill Cider and a grilled cheese with Swiss, ham
And pineapple.

83 days until the Fox valley marathon.


- xaar

Last run of 2011

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

Soldier Field 10

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