Sea Legs, Kettles, and Slap Bracelets - Three Mini Race Reports in One Big Blog Post

Wow, it has been a busy month! I'm officially in training for the TransRockies Run, even though it doesn't quite feel like it yet since I'm a little injured. Luckily it's not severe, but I have had to cut down my runs and really listen to my body so that things don't get any worse (and hopefully I can get back 100% soon!) I figured I would play a little catch-up and post about the past few running events in which I've been involved. Here is what has been going on the last month, chock full of fun:

Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 Mile (May 25 - Memorial Day)
This race is one of my favorites, one I've done the last four years in a row (six times total). After my Seven Bridges 10 Mile PR performance, the pressure was lifted for this race. Aside from that, I didn't realize I'd be getting home from a 7-day cruise the day before the race -- Memorial Day was earlier this year. I doubted I could PR, but was pretty proud of my performance for this one and came in at 1:37:25 (9:44mpm) in spite of having "sea legs." :-) Here were some other highlights:

• Some people don't like the long out-and-back section on Duncan, but I love it because I get to see everyone in the race. I was able to say hi to lots of people -- Tom, Katie, TonyG, Dave, Phil, Scott, Christie, Sarah, and Paul. It kept me honest by making sure I looked strong while we ran past each other in spite of the ground feeling like it was moving a bit. :-)
  
  
• Congrats to Christie for running her first 10-miler! She did awesome, too!! This was her longest distance race so far. I think I heard her mention something about running a half marathon...and even her husband James was inspired by the watching her race to start running again. Very cool!
  
  
  Christie and me at the finish
  
• Many thanks to Brian for being my "crew" and cheering for me at several parts of the course. It always gave bit a little boost every time I saw him during the race, which is pretty typical in general actually. :-)
  
  
• It was nice running through the my old 'hood (I lived near mile 9) and seeing some former neighbors. Go NENA!
  
  
  Running the last mile with Hulk Hogan ;-)
  
• There was one lowlight. While I was running like a crazy woman down the big steep hill around mile 4 I did something to my inner quad or surrounding tendon which had me hobbling a little bit but then it went away after about a quarter mile. Since then I have had problems (luckily minor, but still there!) with it and am hopeful it goes away completely soon!
  
  
• Just for the heck, here are my mile splits: 10:05, 10:01, 9:38, 9:54, 9:26, 9:50, 19:56 (missed mile 7 marker), 9:41, 8:55. Not too shabby!
  

After finishing, we hung out for a little bit and then I enjoyed a lovely post-race nap in the afternoon as I was still tired from the previous day of traveling home from the cruise. Ahhhh, I love my post-run naps!

Two weeks later, Brian and I drove to Wisconsin for his 100k race:

Kettle Moraine 100 (June 6-7)

I crewed Brian and cheered for lots of Chicago Ultrarunners (CHUGs) during the 100k/100mi trail race in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It's so beautiful out there! Here are some highlights:

• It was great to meet more CHUGs before the start, and of course chat with those I have met recently on group runs and at the Ice Age Trail race last month. Such a fun group we have!
  
  
  A few of us CHUGs
  
• I was glad to be able to hang out and cheer with Torey (who would later pace Geof) and Geof's stepmom, Andrea, for much of the beginning of the race. It made the time really fly by. Fun people to be with for so many hours!
  
  
• In the later part of the race, I was able to cheer with Jonathon's wife, Jen, and their family and friends. Jen is such a doll, and her friend, Jen, is one of the loudest, awesomest cheerleaders around. Brian, coming into Emma Carlin towards the end of the race, was probably wondering how all the crazy people were cheering for him, hehe! Thanks to Friend Jen for offering to drive my car to the finish from Bluff Road. One of the many reasons why I love this ultra community. :-)
  
  
• While I was waiting to run with Brian (thanks for the bug spray, Michelle!), a runner came up to me and said, "Christine, did you win the race?!" I knew he was talking about Christine Crawford, and I was shocked I was mistaken for such an elite runner. :-) I replied back, "Sorry, I'm not Christine, but I sure wish I could run like she does!!" I heard that Christine actually had gotten injured during the race, hope she recovers quickly and gets back to tearing up those trails!
  
  
• Pacing Brian is always a highlight and it was good to be moving after many hours of standing and cheering. I got my first experience running in the dark on trails. Fun and different!
  
  
• We got to say hi to Master Volunteer Ian at Tamarack after a couple miles. It is a requirement that I must give a big bear hug to Ian every time I see him -- this night was no exception. :-) Ian was part of a great aid station and I can see why so many have mentioned it as a highlight during their race.
  
  
• Seeing Brian kick it in to high gear in the last half mile, dang! I had to sprint ahead so I could take a picture of him crossing the finish line! Congrats on the finish and earning your kettle, Sweetie! Awesome!
  
  Brian crossing the finish line
  
  
  Brian, his kettle, and me after he finished 100k
  
• Another big congrats to first-time 100-mile CHUG finishers Geof, Vishal, and Dominic. What a huge accomplishment! You guys did great out there!
  
  
• Kudos to über-volunteer Paige and über-pacer Gary for being at the race and helping out. Rock stars!

After finally getting home at 2am Sunday morning, we crashed and had a lovely lazy Sunday to rest and recuperate. I'm not sure who was more tired! ;-)

Most recently was the Madison to Chicago Relay (MC200) that was held on Friday and Saturday last weekend:

Madison - Chicago Relay (June 12-13)
I was part of the Chicago Area Dead Runners Society (ChiADeads) 12-person team for this 200-mile relay that started at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, WI, and ended at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. Our team finished in 27 hours and 46 minutes (8:13mpm average pace), placing 38/115 overall and 14/61 in the Mixed Open division. Nice! It was such a fun time! Here are some details/highlights:

• I was runner #9 and ran legs 9 (6.20mi), 21 (6.27mi), and 33 (5.86mi). Being a little injured I needed to be careful so I maintained a manageable 9:45mpm-ish pace.
  


• On leg 9 (5:30pm), I ran down a rolling country road, said hi to (and smelled) some cows chillin' in a field near the road, and then ran the last 4 miles on the lovely Glacial Drumlin bike trail.
  The perfect relay transition! Handing off the slap bracelet, fanny pack, and a kiss. :-)
  
• It started raining later on in the evening while were were waiting for Debbie to come in so that Maggie could leg 19. Luckily the rain was not torrential!
  


• I started leg 21 at 3:00am, got a little confused on where to go initially but then was okay after that. I loved running in the dark in the middle of the night, with a little bit of rain thrown in for fun. ;-) I even had a couple of spectators out on their front porch cheer me on -- that was unexpected!
  


• My last leg (33) was mostly on the McClory bike path starting in Lake Bluff and finishing in Highwood. While on the path I was actually attacked by a red-winged blackbird -- it landed on my head and then luckily flew away without pecking my eyes out. 8-} After I was finished, I removed my shoe to find a bloody sock! Apparently my little toenail had a blister under it, I think. It didn't hurt at all. Weird!
  
  After my last run, I took off my shoe to discover this! I didn't feel any pain...there must have been a blister under my pinky toenail...
  
• It was great that last year's team members, Russ and Matt, came to watch us finish. Nice to see you guys!
  


• I really struggled to just include a handful of things here, there were so many fun times over the course of the 30+ hours we were together. :-) The pictures we took don't even do it justice!

Team ChiADeads - Ken, Angela, Eric, Paul, Gerry, Debbie, Maggie, Katie, Kelly, Brian, Janeth, Nathanael

Team Captain Brian and Team Turtle Kelly ;-)

ChiADead MC200 Team Site
MC200 Photos

Next up is hanging out with some CHUGs at the Beer Run 100 this weekend, a group fun run which starts at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago and ends nearly 100 miles later in Milwaukee. I'll be doing about 25 miles total and crewing the rest of the time. Oh yeah, I should also mention that we'll be wearing COSTUMES. Oy! Should be crazy and fun!8-)

2009 Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile

Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile
Woodridge, IL
May 3, 2009

Last Sunday I ran the Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile race, a well-organized, small CARA race that I’ll definitely run again…especially since it’s now home to my 10-mile PR! For this race, my goal was to have something to aim for in between the March Madness Half, which was back in mid-March, and the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 mile on Memorial Day. I wasn’t expecting a PR, which was last set at 2006’s Park Forest Scenic 10 (1:35:48), but I was hoping to get under 1:40. I thought this was pretty doable, in spite of a bad 9 mile long run the previous weekend (on Saturday) at Poplar Creek. That day it was warm, so I was hoping my lack of warm weather acclimatization was at fault.

The day before the race I was feeling a little nervous and excited. Brian and I had fun with my dad and his girlfriend talking about our upcoming cruise vacation in a couple of weeks and ate a prime pre-race meal of pizza followed by cake and ice cream. Perfect! We got home early and were able to get to bed early, too. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best night of sleep…I actually had a nightmare that King Kong was standing over our house trying to get into our bedroom, through the window. He ended up getting into our attic and was trying to stick his arm through the attic hatch in my closet…weird dream!

Luckily the sound of the 5:30am alarm interrupted the King Kong attack. I got up, feeling pretty rested. I was glad that the day was sunny and supposed to be in the 50’s for the race. Brian and I got to the race start pretty early, which allowed for us to take our time getting my race packet, which was a nice reusable bag, tech shirt, water bottle, and about a million flyers from sponsors and other races. I made an early stop at the portajohns and picked the wobbliest one on the end…I seriously thought King Kong from my dreams came to knock it over (ugh!). All of them were in a row, butted up against the curb which caused them to tilt forward a little bit. Ironically enough, while waiting in line for a final pit stop, the same exact one (out of the 10 that were there) freed up for me to use. Lucky odds. ;-)

After warming up a little, we headed to the start of the race. With a little over 150 people for the 10 mile race (5k race started 15 minutes later), it was a pretty laid-back start.

Start line

My strategy was to start the first 2-3 miles at 10:00-10:15 pace and then try to go under 10:00 pace for the rest of the miles. My March Madness Half Marathon average page was 9:42, so I figured I could run 9:30-9:45. The first mile went by pretty fast, and my legs felt pretty good, which is rare since it usually takes me a couple of miles for my legs to warm up. I looked at my watch and it said 9:27. Woah! A bit faster than I expected but the pace felt ok so I decided to continue at that level. The first part of the course is on paved streets, which leads to the Greene Valley Forest Preserve trails, where most of the race was held. Brian was at the trail entrance, cheering me on and taking pictures. I didn’t expect to see him at that point, but it was a nice surprise!

The trail was a nicely groomed, wide crushed limestone trail and with the smaller number of participants, I didn’t have any issue with crowding, which was nice. I was able to maintain my pace and passed by mile 2 in 9:26, wow! I felt great and was really enjoying the trail, which was relatively flat and curvy during this segment. I cut the tangents as often as possible, in full-on racecar mode. ;-) I saw the omnipresent Brian again when I got back onto Greene Road and then to the trail on the other side of the street. This section had a couple of nice hills, but it didn’t seem to affect my pace too much as Mile 3 and 4 were 9:31 and 9:40. I was actually passing people here and there, enjoying the sunny day on the prairie trail. The volunteers at some of the trail junctions were the only spectators, but they were great and cheered us on. Mile 5 was a beautiful wooded section and mostly downhill. At the marker, Brian was there again, happy to see me hit the halfway at 47:07 with a split of 9:02! I still felt good and while this pace was pretty speedy for me, I felt I could hold it. I figured that even if I had to slow down in the last couple of miles, I would still make it under 1:40.

Mile 5

The course then led back to Greene Road for about a mile. I didn’t mind because the view was surprisingly pretty, looking toward Greene Hill, which is actually a former landfill. I think I’ll come back here and actually run up and down the hill (I think it’s maybe 300-400 ft high?) for TransRockies training -- there’s a road with a scenic overlook at the top. This was a nice downhill mile and I passed mile 6 in 9:10. From Greene Road we hopped back onto another part of the trail, and there were more rolling hills on this segment. I was thinking how well this day was going and how much I was enjoying this course. Brian, super spectator, was standing near mile 7, which was a 9:30 split, and he ran with me to get back to the car and cheered me on for the next mile or so, being the encouraging, wonderful boyfriend that he is. :-) I was definitely in the zone by then, trying to maintain pace, feeling really excited that barring any issues, I was on my way to not only sub 1:40, but a PR!

Just past mile 7

My mile 8 split was 9:17 (still holding!), and then shortly afterward Brian wished me well and told me he’d see me at the finish. Less than two miles to go! Mile 9 was pretty flat and curvy, my stomach was a little upset, maybe because I was nervous and excited about how well things were going, and my split was 9:23. Now we were back on the road and a nice downhill, I kept pushing, passing a couple more people before turning onto the final stretch, a little over half mile left! Ugh, keep pushing! I was starting to feel a little nauseous, but focused my attention to my legs, willing them to go faster…I passed a guy and then set my sights on a man and woman running together who were ahead of me. I pushed a little harder, and moved past them with less than a minute to go, ahhh, the finish line, Brian cheering, keep pushing! Then a few steps before the finish, I began to retch and nearly gave up my pre-race bagel to the pavement, but luckily the feeling passed and then I crossed the finish line. Whew! Last mile was 8:56, total time…1:33:23!! A new PR by over 2 minutes!! I walked through the chute, hunched over, out of breath, but SOOOO happy that I ran a great race. What an awesome feeling!

Heading for the finish

We hung out a little bit afterward and then headed home, stopping on the way to have breakfast, which was excellent. All in all, a great morning! After we got home, instead of taking the obligatory post-race nap, I had a date with my friend Christie to go rollerblading at Busse Woods. We ended up going for a leisurely 8 miles. In spite of racing hard in the morning, the rollerblading felt good and it was fun to be outside in the nice spring weather. Then later, I finally took my post-race nap. No dreams about King Kong attacks this time! ;-)

Brian's Photos:


Brian's Blog Post

Mile Splits and Course Map from my RunningAhead Log

Race Website

Results

Nike's Believe in the Run Contest - Vote for Janeth!

A good friend and runner, Janeth Salazar-Ohst, and her friend, Wendy, made a video for Nike's Believe in the Run contest. This well-made and inspirational video shows us what it means to be runner among all the other life roles -- woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother...it gave me chills watching it. If you like it, too, please vote! You can vote every day until April 28. As of today, April 23, the video is ranked 9th!

Update - April 25 - Janeth and Wendy's entry is now 5th overall, 1st video, and most viral video!!! KEEP THOSE VOTES COMING!

BELIEVE IN THE RUN Sponsored by Visit NIKE USA

Save this link in your bookmarks and vote every day if you can!

Vote for Janeth - "The Run has always been in me"

Brian featured in "Road Killers" ultramarathon article

Brian was featured in a good ultramarathon article called "Road Killers" that was published in the Chicago RedEye today. While I'm not an ultramarathoner myself, I can definitely appreciate why people do run them. It's the same reason why I run (one of many). It's all relative -- 5k, 10 mile, marathon, 150 mile, though things do get a bit more involved the higher up the mileage scale you go. :-)

I love the ultramarathon scene, especially its laid-back atmosphere. The ultrapeople just rock. There's a lot of camaraderie even though it's an individual sport. I have a blast crewing Brian and cheering for people at these races. I look forward to doing that next week at the McNaughton Park Trail Runs, where Brian is running the 50 mile (there's also a 100 mile and 150 mile race). Party time!


The picture from the article was taken right before last Sunday's Shamrock Shuffle 8k. The photographer was definitely a trooper for following us around in the blizzard-like conditions before the race.

As I was freezing from standing outside in the snow for so long before the race, I thought about ultras that Brian has run...if he can survive those, I can certainly survive only 5 miles in slush with numb feet!

Photo taken by Russ Foster right before the start of the Shamrock "Shushle" 8k

Check out Brian's blog posting about the article:

Brian's Blog Post

Who knows? Maybe I'll join the ranks at some point...though I suppose the TransRockies Run (113 miles in 6 days) that Brian and I will be running together in August sorta qualifies, doesn't it? :-)

2009 Running Goals

It's already March, but I think it's better late than never to make an official 2009 Goals blog posting. It also gives me a reason to actually post to my blog! After a fun time at the Milwaukee Marathon, I got a bit lazy in November, and even lazier in December. Luckily I bounced back a little in January, but this winter had really zapped my motivation, so I was still slacking on my training. As February started, being that it's a short month and still in the dead of winter, I decided to run every day of the month. In the nearly 13 years I've been running, I have never done a "running streak" before. I think I have only run about 5-6 days in a row, so this would definitely be a challenge. The rules were that I needed to run at least 2 miles each day and that if I ever felt any pain other than sore muscles that I would stop the streak, knowing that it's just plain dumb to get injured doing this when I have other, bigger goals this year!

I am happy to report that I was able to complete my 28-day February running streak and impressed with how my body held up. Yay!


It involved a lot of treadmill running (I have turned into a winter wimp), but also a fun week of trail running in Arizona. I liked that I dismissed any excuse I've had in the past and just RAN. After all, 2 miles -- 20 minutes -- is not that much of a commitment. I am so glad I did it!

Now it's time to resume a normal training schedule and incorporate more formal, quality workouts. I have the March Madness Half Marathon coming up in a couple of weeks. While I don't expect a PR, I now feel prepared for it. This month I'd like to just run consistently (not that hard now that I ran every day last month!), lose 5 lbs, and try for a new 8k PR at the Shamrock Shuffle at the end of the month. It will be crowded and I unfortunately don't have a seeded number in the first wave this year, but I am in "Corral D" of the second wave, so hopefully I will be able to maintain my goal pace. We'll see!

Here is what the rest of the year looks like so far:

May 25 - Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 Mile
I just love this race. This will be the 7th time I've run it. It's too early to tell if I will be able to PR here. By then I will have started a new training schedule so this may just be more for training and fun purposes.

June 12-13 - Madison to Chicago Relay
It was such a fun race last year, I am sure this year will be as fun! Hopefully without massive downpours and tornado warnings. ;-) Last year I ran 10-11 mpm average. I am hoping this year to run 9-10 mpm.

July 9 - Bastille Day 5k
Maybe a 5k PR? This race is sponsored by my company -- I organize a corporate team. Hopefully the weather will be better than it was last year and that the course is marked properly (2007 was .2mi short and it would have been a PR for me).

August 23-28 - TransRockies Run
This is the BIG ONE of this year...it's the BIG ONE of my 13 years of running! It is a 6-day stage race -- running in the mountains anywhere from 12-25 miles each day, from Buena Vista, CO, to Beaver Creek, CO, for a total of 113 miles(!!!). Brian and I will be running this together as Team New Leaf Ultra. We start training in May. I am excited and a little terrified at the same time... :-) After running marathons almost every year for the last 12 years, now is as good of a time as any to up the ante a bit!

October 11 - Chicago Marathon
I should be recovered from TransRockies to run well at Chicago. Running Chicago is always a party (well, maybe not Heathathon 2007...), I figured, why not? After all the TransRockies training, maybe I'll PR!

There may be other races I decide to do, but that's all for now. Aside from that, I'll continue having a blast crewing Brian at his races this year, I just love the trail ultra scene. :-)

Here's to a fun 2009!