buff sponsored bibchat q&a

You know I rarely miss #BibChat. I block out my schedule every Tuesday night 8pm until about 9:30. Sometimes, things come up... like you are forced {insert sarcasm} to go see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The concert was amazing. How a man of that age has the energy of 21 year old is beyond me. I need his secrets! He played for 3 hours and 20 minutes non-stop. Fantastic.

Anyway, since I missed the chat, I figured I'd catch up on my answers in a blog post (so now I'm not limited to 140 characters - boom!). Buff was the sponsor and the topic was Braving the Elements. You can grab the Qs here.

Q1: Mentally, how do you prepare or psych yourself up for a run that’s going to be tough weather-wise?

A1: Having the right gear is key to feeling prepared for any type of weather. For winter, I find having the right layers are key. This particular winter, I've found some great new items: 2XU Hyoptik Thermal Tights have been great at keeping my legs warm. Definitely the best (and warmest) winter tights I own. Keeping the wind out of the ears is also important for me, which is where the Buff Thermal Hoodie has been amazing. I love that I can cover my nose and mouth, get the air warmed up a bit before breathing, and if it gets a little warm (I heat up pretty easily when running), I just take off the hoodie, but it still keeps my neck warm.

Q2: What's one pice of cold weather gear that's saved you over and over (for running or other activities)?

A2: My Buff Hoodie! I wear it everyday. For running, to go to/from the gym, on errands. Seriously, everything. It's been so dang cold here in Chicago, and that thing has been working perfectly!

Q3: What, er, body parts seem to suffer the most in extreme temps? Cold hands? Sunburned nose? Blistery wet feet?

A3: In the summer, I definitely burn. My long runs/races take me longer to finish than what sunscreen is good for (you know, apply every hour). I can't stop running to reapply (I'll miss cut off times lol), so my arms (and sometimes face, depending on where that sun is... I do wear sunglasses AND a visor to help with this) get a little burnt. I need to find some type of wipes or something that I can bring, but easily wash my hands afterwards (bc I rub my face/eyes a lot, and don't need my eyes to burn too! ha).

In the winter, I'm usually dealing with a chapped face from the harsh winds. That's where Buff has come in handy - the hoodie and the full version are great to protect your face against the winter weather.

Q4: What about warm weather gear - what's something that's saved you time and again on tough, steamy runs?

A4: I love Orange Mud hydration packs!! Having enough water and electrolytes on long/hot runs is something that can get tough - but OM makes some great products to help with that. I love all the pockets for storage, plus the double barrels or VP2 are perfect so you have enough of what you need. I've been known to use a loop, stop back at my car and refill with ice and water that have been in the cooler. I drink a TON when it's hot out.

Q5: Where do you draw the line - what's too hot/too cold for you to run? Is there a line??

A5: Usually - no line. Although, once it hits below 0, if it's a short run, I will run inside. Long runs I prefer to brave the cold so that I'm not so bored. Weather be damned. I think it's possible to run in just about any type of weather, just need the right gear on hand.

For the summer, I try to get out there early to avoid the highest temps, though on some of my longer runs (like for marathon training), since I'm slow, I get caught in anyway. I could manage running in 90 for 3 miles, but anything after that, I'll go inside (for safety!), or I will re arrange my schedule to do my long run on whatever day is nicer (if there is such a thing).

Q6: What was the worst weather conditions - of any kind - that you ever ran through? Share!

A6: Hmmm... well this winter I've run in some pretty hefty winds and cold weather, about 12 degrees. I will admit I much prefer the cold weather, so to me, that wasn't so bad since I dressed for it. 

The Rock N Roll half marathon the past two years have been pretty miserable - I think 70s and humid? They had to add misting machines, sponges, etc to help battle the heat. I suffer a lot in the heat, and so have to walk a lot so I don't pass out or get sick. 

Same for the Chicago Marathon (I think this was the worst for me, since it wasn't just getting through 13.1 miles, but 26.2). It was in the 80s by the time I got to mile 5ish, and by 13 I was dragging. There's not a whole lot of shade, and there were NO clouds in the sky, so being in the heat, humidity, AND sun made it almost unbearable for me. I honestly almost quit, but forced myself to keep moving forward. If they made me get off course because I wasn't meeting the requirements, fine, but I refused to stop on my own (stubborn much?). I did finish, though unofficially (over the time requirement), but there were tons of people still behind me, so I didn't feel too bad. I think the weather affected a lot of people that day.

run where i live: chicago

Hello friends, and welcome new readers! I was asked to participate in a Run Where I Live Series by fellow BibRave Pro Danielle (Live, Run, Grow) link-up. It's a series from a few bloggers across the US (and even one from Australia!) that give helpful tips on where to run if you ever visit our cities. You can check out all of the other cities we're running in here.

A little bit about myself, in case you are a new reader: I live in Chicagoland with my husband and two dogs. I graphic design by day, and run and enjoy drinking craft beer and wine by night. I've been running for about 5 years now. I love doing races, though I'm not very fast. I prefer to use the run-walk method that Jeff Galloway suggests – I find it helps with my asthma, and has generally been keeping injuries at bay. I've done quite a bit of half marathons (I think it's my favorite distance at the moment), and haven't really kept track, but I'd say it's at least 20. I completed my first marathon in January as part of the Dopey Challenge. It was a wonderful experience, and it changed my mind about the marathon distance (which I said I've never do). 

I am currently training for my second marathon in October (Chicago Marathon) and am very excited about running in my hometown. Last year I joined the BibRave Pro ambassador program, and through that have become friends with some awesome runners. It's helped to bring me out of my shell, plus gives me some great opportunities to run awesome races and try/test fun products. Anyway — I think that's a long enough introduction, and I hope I haven't lost you! If you're interested in reading more, you can go here or here.

Danielle's idea for the blog hop came from a BibChat (every Tuesday at 8pm CT) a few weeks ago where we were discussing safety while running and traveling. A lot of people voiced concern about being nervous when in a new city and not knowing where a safe trail or running route may be. So, we have some great routes to run from people that live in Cape Cod, Conneticut, New York, Philly, Coconut Creek (FL), Orlando, Chicago, Milwaukee, OKC, Northern California, and Australia!

The road trip began on the East Coast of the US and is making it's way west to Australia. I'm coming at you on the road trip after Cyanne, who also wrote about Chicago running routes. Hopefully we don't overlap too much on locations to run! There certainly are a lot of places to go, so we should have plenty of options for you guys. So the road trip continues in Chicago...

_____________

There are some pretty obvious places to run if you are visiting Chicago and are staying in the city. The main one that you should run is the Lake Front Path. It's miles and miles (18.5, to be exact) of pavement for runners and cyclists to run with Lake Michigan to the east. You have the opportunity to run past museums (Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum), McCormick Place, Navy Pier, countless beaches and harbors, AND have a beautiful skyline to appreciate. It can get pretty congested on a nice day, so be aware of your surroundings when weaving – you are sharing the path with cyclists who not always signal their presence. Generally, you'll see lots of friendly faces out there who will smile, wave, or give the head nod of acknowledgment.

Another fun place to run if you are in/near the city is to head to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's free admission, and if you go at a decent hour (when it's open, but not too crowded), you can run through the zoo and have a peek at animals while you're at it. I think it makes the run a little more exciting :)

I'd also suggest running through Grant Park and Millenium Park — they both have some fun sculptures, fountains, artwork, etc that can keep your mind occupied. If you're like me, you like to look around and check out all of your surroundings during your run — takes my mind off of actually running and possible being hot, tired, and sore haha.

Another awesome thing to check out is November Project Chicago, if you are in town on a Wednesday at 6:28am at the Kwanusila Totem Pole in Lakeview or Fridays at 6am at Cloud Gate (aka the Bean). I hear nothing but great things about this workout group, though I unfortunately haven't had the opportunity to check out for myself yet. You can learn more on their Facebook page or the website.

Now, if you want to take a little bit of a drive away from the city into the suburbs and onto a trail system, I would suggest either Waterfall Glen, the Palos Trail System, or Swallow Cliff. They are about a 45 or so minute drive from the city (as everything in Chicago, it can depend on how traffic is).

First, let's talk about the Palos Trail System/Sag Valley Trail System. It's a very extensive trail system with lots of different color routes. I personally enjoy taking the brown to orange to yellow part of the trail out to a brewery in Willow Springs – this includes a bit of running on some neighborhood streets to complete my trip from trail to brewery, but it's ok. You really want to pay attention where you are and where you are going, however, so that you don't get lost. You can wind up spending a LOT more time out there than you intended if you don't pay attention. I always make sure I have extra water and fuel, just in case ;)

The Palos and Sag Valley Trail Systems are adjacent forest preserve parks that offer more than 30 miles of dirt trails through thick forests, deep ravines, past wetland lakes and marshes, and across wide-open meadows. Some favorite routes are the hilly 12-mile Maple Lake loop and the 6-mile Swallow Cliff Woods loops. 

Another favorite workout includes going to Swallow Cliff Woods North, where there is 125 limestone steps that lead to the top of a former toboggan run. The run is no longer open, but people love to go to the stairs for a great workout (the stairs is the nickname for local folk). I generally don't do the stairs more than going up to get to the trail and then down to get back to my car, but that's just my hatred for stairs haha.

Another great place to run trails is at Waterfall Glen. It's about a 9.5 mile loop with some tough hills (Big Bertha!), but some great scenery. The preserve features glacier-carved rock ridges, ravins and wetland potholes, which aren't found anywhere else in the country. The trail is limestone, which accommodates runners, cyclists, hikers, and equestrians and are well groomed in the winter for skiing. I really like this trail, because it's impossible to get lost on! You pretty much just follow the trail around and it leads you back where you started. However, they did just add another section to the trail, so I suppose it is possible to get lost now. I haven't had any issues, since I'm used to running it and no where to go. As always, I suggest brining your map with you and knowing which direction you want to go before heading out there. You never know when your cell phone service might decide to go out, or your phone battery inconveniently dies.. Just a helpful tip from me to you. It also has bathrooms at the parking lots (though no running water, just a heads up!) and some port-potties near the fields where people fly airplanes. 

If you are in Chicago, I would definitely check out if there are any races during the week/end you are in town. We have a lot of great races to choose from and they all have some cool aspects. Some give you the chance to run around the streets of downtown Chicago, such as the Magnificent Mile Half Marathon and Shamrock Shuffle 8k, while others take you on the south end of the city near the Museum of Science and Industry – most of it while running ON Lake Shore Drive, which can be a cool experience. Some race series include Hot Chocolate and Rock N Roll, which are both quite fun as well. A few weekday themed races include Terrapin 5k (though this year is the final year), Rock the Night 5k, Bastille Day 5k, and loads more. Basically, you can find a race pretty much anytime you are here! It's fantastic! BibRave.com can be a great source to find races that are rated high in the everyday runners eyes. Is it worth the money? Find out. I'd also ask other runners if they have any favorite races to do in that particular city – I'm sure they'd all be happy to share (we are!). 

I hope you found this post helpful and entertaining! I love running in the Chicago region – it never gets dull since there are so many options. Plus, every place looks different depending on the season! I love Fall and Winter the best, though I know a lot of people disagree. I find it to be the most beautiful in the forest preserves those two seasons.

You can join in on the fun and write your own post for where you live! Either add the link in the comments section, or send it to Danielle and she can add it here.

Now, continue on the road trip over to Tom, another Chicagoan, who I can tell you has a very thorough posting! You are sure to enjoy it!

week in review: march 2–8

Monday, March 2: rest day

Tuesday, March 3: 3.67 miles

Wednesday, March 4: rest day

Thursday, March 5: rest day

Friday, March 6: rest day

Saturday, March 7: Cross training (Irish Dancing) +  2.74 miles

Sunday, March 7: rest day

I had a really busy week trying to get my portfolio put together for upcoming interviews, so running fell a bit to the wayside. I managed to get two of my maintenance runs in, however, didn't squeeze in my long run due to time constrictions. I honestly was proud of myself for even getting in the two runs, especially the one on Saturday – I forced myself to the gym after teaching dance classes for a few hours. It's really a big step for me, considering how lazy and unmotivated I've been since Dopey.

The weather here is starting to warm up, which means I'll be able to run outside again (YAY!). The problem with the winter is that people don't shovel their sidewalks, and I don't trust people not to hit me if I run in the streets in my neighborhood – I've seen the way they drive around here. So, treadmill running it's been, and I just can't find the motivation to run for very long on those things lately. I usually don't mind treadmills, but lately I'm just not having it. Anyway, hopefully the ice melts soon and I can do more outdoor running again to train for the upcoming half marathon in May.

On another note... my husband and I finished up all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad, which (maybe pathetically) feels like a great accomplishment haha. It's nice to have the pressure of finishing the episodes off my shoulders. I know it's crazy, but the idea of still having so much left to watch gave me anxiety – I had to know what happened in the end! It was a great series, and would recommend watching it if you haven't yet. Now it's time to catch up on the latest seasons of Downton Abbey and House of Cards. Eeks.

I have a 7k race on Saturday in the city (also the day of the Downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade), plus some more celebrating on Sunday with friends. St. Patrick's Day is a big deal in Chicago – especially on the South Side :) Other plans for the week, besides running/exercising, are a Beer 101 class and hopefully getting a new iPhone.

If you are free tonight, join me and my friends at BibRave for #BibChat at 8pm CT. Bart Yasso is joining the fun and will be answering some questions that runners have submitted over the past few days. I'm super excited!

What have you all been up to? Are you training for any races?

week in review: november 24–30

Dopey Challenge Training: Week 22

Monday, November 24: rest day

Tuesday, November 25: unscheduled rest day

Wednesday, November 26: 40 minute walk

Thursday, November 27: 4.07 miles (RFK 4 mile Turkey Trot)

Friday, November 28: 3.17 miles 

Saturday, November 29: 10.01 miles (Grant Park Turkey Trot & Ugly Sweater Run)

Sunday, November 30: 23 miles

Weekly mileage: 40.25

Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 354.83 miles

Whooooeeee. That was a tough weekend. Tuesday should have been a 30 minute run, but my arches were in a lot of pain, so I took it easy in preparation for my first Dopey Simulation (four consecutive days of running, though the mileage wasn't quite what the actual races are) over the weekend. 

Wednesday I walked from work to the train station to try and catch an earlier train than usual so I could make it for packet pickup for the Turkey Trot on Thursday. Unfortunately, I had on winter boots that aren't great for quick walking, and ended up with blisters on my big toes that came back to haunt me the rest of the week/end. Boo. We hit up our local watering hole for a Black Wednesday drink, then went to bed early. I remember the days where I would be out all night with my friends, and now I'm more concerned with getting home early so I'll be well rested for my race in the morning haha.

Thursday's Turkey Trot 4 mile run was hilly and a little chilly, but really not too bad. After the race my mom and I grabbed some hot beverages and donuts at DD, then I had to rush home and shower so I could go out with the husband for our monthly wine tasting and a light lunch. I felt horrible going on Thanksgiving, but they were open and it was the only day we could squeeze it in when it wouldn't be miserable—we had contemplated Wednesday night, but figured it would be way too crowded (we overheard a server saying how it was a madhouse, so I think we made the right call). It was lovely. After that we headed to my in-laws for dinner, which was delicious. His family is filled with characters, so it's always so fun to get together with them all... we pretty much just laugh the whole time. I filled up on turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, Irish soda bread, dinner rolls, and corn. Then I had some pumpkin pie. Yum. We got home around 8:30 or so, took care of some house business and hit bed pretty early. 

Friday I was up at 4am and could not fall back asleep. I woke up and tossed some laundry in the washer, watched a little tv, and then started to feel sick. That happens to me when I'm exhausted. I headed back up to bed and was able to sleep another 2 hours, which was great. The rest of the day was productive cleaning the house with a treadmill run at the gym squeezed in. I was planning on doing 4 miles, but was having some foot pain and ended at about 3. I figured it was alright since I did the 4 miles before, and still had 10 miles Saturday and 23 on Sunday. For dinner we headed up to our favorite food truck at our favorite local brewery, and had an early night to bed... again.

Saturday was another early morning as my mom and I headed in to the city. We had the Grant Park Turkey Trot 5k at 9am and then the Ugly Sweater Run at Soldier Field at 11am. Since I had to do 10 miles that day and got there a bit early, we did 1.83 miles before the first race, then the first race at 3.14, then another mile, the other 5k, and then I after finishing that race I ran around the parking lot to finish another .93 miles. After that I enjoyed an Angry Orchard that was included in the race registration. After the races, I had lunch with my mom and we stopped at a local running store for some socks (I also got a Brooks winter running hat with the ponytail hole and a baclava). Then I showered, took a nap, and took the rest of the day easy.

My left knee was hurting me after the races Saturday, so I did a full knee support KT Tape application, and on Sunday I had no problems with it.

Sunday was tough. This was my first time going 23 miles—until yesterday, my farthest had been 20, and then was extremely tough for me as my shins were giving me a lot of problems. These 23 miles were still crazy hard, but they were better than the time I did 20, and after 3 other days of running, I was quite happy with that. These 23 miles were done all by my lonesome – no one to chat with or give me words of encouragement. Having finished them by myself, I feel confident that I can complete the marathon. I don't know if it rained the night before or if it was the snow/ice that melted, but a lot of the trail was very very messy. I had mud all over my shoes and back of my pants. I didn't mind that it was messy, but there were times that my feet would sink in or turn an odd way that I didn't feel stable on my feet.

Probably hard to tell how muddy it is from that picture in the middle,
but think the pants show it well enough.

As for fueling, I had 20 ENERGYbits and a PowerBar Performance Energy Blend about 15 minutes before starting. I hydrated with some water and about 30 oz of Nuun Fruit Punch. Every 2 miles I had a Clif Shot Blok – I finished off a pack of Orange and then had Mountain Berry. At mile 10 I had a Picky Bar Cookie Doughpness (my favorite!). I felt this fueling strategy helped keep me going. When I finished, I immediately had a chocolate milk with extra protein and a Justin's Nut Butter (Thanks to the fine folks at Justin's and BibRave for providing this BibRavePro an abundance of samples!). This was my first time trying Justin's and let me say, I was quite pleased with it! It tasted delicious and hit the spot after those tough miles.

As far as the weather and my attire... it was too hot for the first 1/3 and then too cold for the 2/3 at the end. I had on a Patagonia lightweight long sleeve top as a base layer, then a tech t-shirt and my Brooks jacket (I love the zipper pockets!), and then I had on Zensah compression sleeves, Oiselle Portman Pants (the only legging to not bother me when running), Features socks, and Brooks trail running shoes. It was sunny and 48 with a feels like 43 when I started, not much wine, and then at about mile 10 it was 34 with a feels like of 25, no sun, and 12 MPH winds. I was cold and sort of miserable for those last 13 miles, but I powered through any way.

I was a bit tired and sore when I got home, but nothing too strange. However, right before bed, I had such a horrible pain in my right ankle that I could barely walk. I didn't notice any swelling or bruising, and couldn't think of any incidents that would make it hurt that bad. Unfortunately  it was still hurting this morning when I got up. I taped it with KT Tape, which has been helpful, but it still gives me shooting pains now and again when I'm walking (or should I say limping). This is a bit disconcerting, but I'm hoping with some RICE and a bit of stretching, it'll feel better pronto. Luckily this week is just some maintenance runs for the week and a fun run 5k on Saturday. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

SIDE NOTE:

With the holiday season now upon us, the frantic search for the perfect gift has begun! Why not "Give BITS as Gifts!"? One size fits all, and many runners and athletes already have BITS on their Holiday Wish List!

BITS come in attractive organza bags so they don’t even need to be wrapped! Everyone loves them -- and what’s not to love?! They’re vegan, Paleo, plant-based, healthy and provide clean energy!

Remember to use code 'HeatherRuns' for a 25% discount on your cart :)

How was your week/end? Did training go well?

P.S. Make sure to review your race(s) on BibRave.com, and join us for #BibChat tomorrow night at 8pm CT.