upcoming october races

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Pumpkins in the Park 5k and Hot Chocolate 15k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Now that the Chicago Marathon is over, I can think about a few more fun races on the schedule - no pressure of time goals, just fun.

On deck I have Pumpkins in the Park 5k on Saturday, October 21 and Hot Chocolate 15k Chicago on Sunday, October 29.

What I like about Pumpkins in the Park 5k, other than that it’s a fun way to celebrate a birthday, is that it’s a later afternoon race, starting at 4pm. Sleeping in for the win! I’m much more of a night runner, so this makes me happy. They also have race day packet pickup, which is essential for those of us that don’t work in the city and can’t make it in there easily on the weekdays.

The race takes place near Lincoln Park Zoo and goody bag includes a long sleeve tech shirt (these were super soft last year, and looks like it’s the same material this year) + individual pumpkin pies at the finish line! Taffy Apples! Popcorn! Costume contest! lots of fun stuff haha.

Hot Chocolate 15k always has sweet sweatshirts and delicious treats awaiting you at the finish line. This will be my third year, but unfortunately not in consecutive, or I’d be able to score that legacy title and get some extra perks. I ran a few years ago, but then the race weekend was always when I was doing runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon down in Florida, so I was happy when they switched to October in 2016. 

Join me for the fun at these races and use the following codes for extra SWAG:

Saturday, October 21 – RAM Racing Pumpkins in the Park 5k. Use code BibRavePP17 for a free RAM racing water bottle

Sunday, October 29 – RAM Racing Hot Chocolate 5/15k. Use code BRHCCHI17 for a free Hot Chocolate branded hat

Are you running either of these events?

my spring goal race is over - now what?

Hello friends! My big goal race of the first half of the year is over and I've finally written all of my posts recapping the experience. If you're interested it's the Illinois Marathon expo + pasta feed, Illinois 5k, and Illinois Marathon. I was extremely pleased with how I did at the marathon – I beat my main goal by over 3 minutes when I wasn't sure I'd even hit my goal during the first half of the race (it was very windy and I just had a lot of doubts rolling through the brain). 

I'm not even sure I've fully processed it yet, as it's been a whirlwind since. The day after I 'ran' another half marathon (with shin pain half way through I pretty much walked the second half... slowly I might add), took a week off, and then was back at it with a half marathon the next weekend, and then a few days later I flew out to California for runDisney Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend, where I spent a lot of time on my feet at the expo, parks, running all three races, and what seems like hours spent in line for everything (purchases at expo, corrals, security, to get into parks, and then waiting for all of the rides). I had some sore feet, let me tell you.

Anyway, I have three more weekends of races and then will have a bit of a break in the summer (it gets too hot here, and with humidity (I get sick in that kind of weather) I only do a few races throughout the months rather than every weekend haha).

Upcoming races include:
Chicago Spring Half Marathon on 5/21 (use code BRCHI17 for $10 off) 
Soldier Field 10 Mile on 5/27 (use code BibRaveSF1017 for a free water bottle)
Ridge Run 5k on 5/29
North Shore Classic Half Marathon on 6/4 (use code BibRaveNSC17 for a free water bottle)
Chicago Bears 5k on 6/24
Rock n Roll Chicago 5k on 7/15 
Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon on 7/16 (use code BIBRAVE15 for $15 off half valid until 7/9)
Burgers and Beer 5k on 7/17
BTN Big 10k on 7/23 (use code BibRaveBTN17 for a free water bottle)
Chicago Half Marathon on 9/24

Ok, so maybe more races than I let on haha, but it's not EVERY weekend like this past month has been so it seems like less to me.

Those races will be for fun. I never push too hard during RnR weekend because it's usually 90 degrees and 100% humidity. Ick. I'm supposed to be in recovery mode, and instead of short miles on the weekend, I'm running half marathons. So far my body is holding up, but I think not pushing too much is the key. Not running for PRs here, and for runDisney I ran with my mom and we stopped for photos.

So other than these fun races I'll be doing, what else is on the agenda? Well, my next big goal race is Chicago Marathon. I'd REALLY like to get under 6 hours. I'll have to shave off 6 minutes from my current PR, and about 16 minutes from last year's finish time. I think it's doable, but closer to race day I'll talk strategy and finish times with my coach and see what he thinks is realistic. Training should start up next month I think.

I wasn't great about keeping up with my hydration game during vacation (I mean, I can only buy so many bottles of $3 waters), so my goal for the rest of the month is to get back to where I was before the marathon and drinking at least 64oz of water a day. I should be drinking more based on my weight, however, getting to 64 is a big deal for me, as I used to probably only drink 20oz a day. Once I can hit 64 consistently, I'll try upping it. 

Another thing I need to start focusing on again is strength training. I haven't been doing a great job with that in a while, and I need to get back in the habit. Not only to strengthen the muscles I need for running and to stay injury-free, but I also would love to lose some body fat. Going along with this, I want to focus more on my nutrition. I need to get back in the habit of weighing and tracking all of my food to make sure I'm getting the nutrients I need and not too much sugar/unhealthy fats. This is tough for me, as I absolutely love unhealthy foods. I don't drink as much beer as I used to, but I certainly enjoy it so that can add up to. I hate tracking it all, but I know it's the best way to be conscious of what I'm putting in my body and how much of it.

Do you set different goals throughout the year or have a few that you maintain all year round? I tend to need to re-evalutate throughout the year to help keep me focused. What are you hoping to achieve the second half of 2017? I know we are still in May, but with my goal race over, it was time to look again and see what I wanted to do for the rest of the year (besides having fun, of course).

friday five: free friday

A day late, again... sorry! It's been such a busy few days, spending lots of time with family and STILL recovering from being sick. I hope you all had a great Christmas and are gearing up for a fun New Years Eve.

I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta: Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed up for What?, and Mar at Mar on the Run, as I do every Friday. Thanks for hosting, ladies! This week's theme is "Free Friday", which means we can write about whatever we want. It was a tough call, but I decided to list my favorite races of 2014 (quite hard to narrow it down to just five!), as my final Friday Five post of the year. It's going to be a short post, as I'm sure everyone is busy this time of year. 

Top Five Races of 2014 (though not in a particular order).

1. Tinker Bell Half Marathon. My first time to Disneyland, and so of course was also my first runDisney race there as well.

2. Wine and Dine Half Marathon. This was my third year with this race, and though it was rainy the entire race, I had a great time. I also picked up my first Coast to Coast medal :)

3. Rock 'n' Roll Remix Challenge. I'm just going to lump this race weekend together as I did the 5k and half. I met Shalane Flanagan after the 5k, which was such an exciting moment, and had a really fun time at the half (even though it was crazy hot). 

4. Rudolph Ramble 8k. Just a really fun, holiday themed race that was well organized and had a nice course.

5. Soldier Field 10 Mile. Another well organized race, with a finish line on the 50 yard line of Soldier Field – really cool.

Some other races that I really enjoyed: Rock the Night 5k, Burgers and Beer 5k, Shamrock Shuffle, Chicago Spring Half Marathon, and the Magnificent Mile Women's Half Marathon.

Did you have any favorite races from this past year? What made them so special?

friday five: race memories

On Fridays, I link up with the lovely DC Trifecta ladies for Friday Five: Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed up for What?, and Mar at Mar on the Run. This week's theme is "Race Memories".

1. My first race. November 2010. This was where the race obsession began, though it was quite small at the time. Running started as a way to exercise and stay fit before my wedding. Then it became something I enjoyed doing, so I thought a race could be fun. It wasn't anything fancy, just a local 5k. I don't think I did much 'training', or even know anything about making a training plan, but it was fun, and I realized that having signed up for a race is a great motivator. 

2. My first half marathon. May 2012. Even though this race didn't go as well as my training runs (I got sick at the halfway point, and was much slower than I was intending to be), the accomplishment of crossing that finish line and receiving my first race medal was amazing. I was so proud of myself for sticking it out and finishing, which has given me a lot of confidence during other races where I might be hurting or feeling ill – I've finished feeling that way before, and I'll continue to do so! haha. Of course I can't find any pictures, though I'm sure I bought a few haha.

My first runDisney race :)

3. My first runDisney race. Wine and Dine Half Marathon in 2012 was my first runDisney event. Of course I became obsessed after that race, because it is just so much FUN running through the parks, especially at night. I'm more of a night runner anyway, so this was right up my alley. Plus, all of the entertainment on the course, and all of the fun things to look at really made the miles fly by. Plus, you just can't go wrong with anything that is focused around running, wine, and food ;) Wine and Dine will always hold a special place in my heart, as far as runDisney events go.

Running through Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Magical!

4. My first runDisney race at Disneyland. Tinkerbell Half Marathon 2014 was another great memory. Not only was it my first race at Disneyland, it was also my first time AT Disneyland! I had a great time running with my mom and going on the rides at the parks with her. I'm hoping if we go back, I'll have the guts to hit up some of the crazier rides (California Screamin' or Matterhorn Bobsleds—Soarin' and Goofy's Sky School was as brave as I could get haha. Once on Soarin', I realized it wasn't much of a thrill ride, but I had no idea what to expect when going in, and I'm a scaredy cat).

She is just pure awesome!

5. My first time meeting Shalane Flanagan. Granted, it was the only time, but meeting Shalane was so crazy exciting! She was just too sweet and  adorable. I might have been jumping up and down for hours after the meeting, excited to have gotten her autograph on the ribbon of my medal AND a photo with her :) Score!

How about you — any fun, crazy, standout moments from a race? Tell me one of your race memories — good, bad, or ugly :)

Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting! Make sure to check out their "Friday Five" posts (direct links above in first paragraph) and link up if you are joining in on the fun, and then check out some of the other link up posts – so many great ones to choose from!