week in review: january 19–25

Well, Dopey Challenge training is over and I do not have another training plan in place yet. My next half marathon in which I have a finish time goal is at the beginning of May, so I definitely need to start getting something put together.

Monday, January 19: rest day

Tuesday, January 20: rest day

Wednesday, January 21: rest day

Thursday, January 22: rest day

Friday, January 23: rest day

Saturday, January 24: 13.1 

Sunday, January 25: rest day

Total Weekly Mileage: 13.1 miles

As far as how my week went, not too much happened. I am finally starting to feel back to normal after being gone for nearly two weeks, plus FINALLY starting to get my health back to where it should be. It's been a long two months, that's for sure.

On Friday during the early afternoon, I went up north to grab my packet for the half marathon on Saturday. My husband came with, and since we were so close to the Binny's with the tasting room, we decided to check that out. That Binny's is the largest I have ever been in, but unfortunately the tasting room was closed for that day for an unforeseen circumstance. When we left, we noticed that Goose Island Brew Pub was across the street, so went there for some lunch and a drink. Yum.

Saturday morning was the F^3 Lake Half Marathon. We really lucked out with weather that day. You can read my BibRave review here, and I'll have a full recap later this week. A goal of mine for 2015 is get my race recaps posted in a timely fashion (within a week... minus Dopey Challenge because I'm still processing it all!). 

After the race, I went straight to my favorite brewery for a special party. When that ended, I went home to shower and take a quick nap. Around 7 some friends came over and we chatted and hung out until midnight. 

Sunday my husband and I FINALLY had the chance to go see the final Hobbit movie. Great movie, but the only theatre in our are that had it still has the most uncomfortable seating ever. It was tough to sit there for 2.5 hours, even though the movie itself went by quickly. After that we stopped at the brewery on our way home, because I had the taste for a Bloody Mary and they make them so delicious there.

So that's my week. It was nice to get in some relaxing time — the only running was the half marathon, and I doubt there will be much this week. I want to give my body a little more time to recover from the exhausting month it has had.

week in review: september 1–7

Monday, September 1: rest day

Tuesday, September 2: unscheduled rest day

Wednesday, September 3: Cross Train (Bar Method – 60 minutes)

Thursday, September 4: 2.63 miles

Friday, September 5: Cross Train (Bar Method – 60 minutes)

Saturday, September 6: 2.56 miles

Sunday, September 7: Chicago Half Marathon (Garmin mileage = 13.23)

Weekly mileage:  18.42 miles

Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 157.29 miles

This week has been pretty bananas. I was going to go to Bar Method on Tuesday, but my friend couldn't make it, and I was feeling pretty tired, so I skipped it. Wednesday's class really kicked my butt. My short runs over the week went pretty well. I'm still having slight pain in my hip and arches, but they've been feeling a little better, which I attribute to icing, stretching, and rolling.

Friday during my lunch break I headed up to the Navy Pier for the Chicago Half Marathon packet pickup. I'll have more details when I get my recap written up. Saturday I had to head to a wedding about an hour and fifteen minutes away. I was quite thankful that the ceremony and reception were at the same location, and so started later in the day. During the day I got all of my gear ready for the race, did laundry, did some house cleaning, got ready for the wedding and left around 3:30. It was a really great time, but I didn't get home till after 11:30, and then had to shower and ice my feet. Wearing heels for the wedding wasn't the best idea, but I did my best to sit when I could to rest my legs for the race on Sunday.

Sunday was the race, which went much better than I was anticipating. I was so tired, getting less than 4 hours of sleep, and was expecting a very slow finish time. Luckily, I felt pretty good once starting, and I did better than expected. The weather was pretty nice, a bit warm but not unbearable. I actually almost PR'd, but by the time I noticed I was doing that well, it was too late to kick in to a high enough gear to attain it. So close though. I was happy to have done so well, but couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that I missed it by less than 2 minute, knowing that I had felt good enough to have reached it - ugh! Anyway, I'll have more details in the recap.

Unfortunately, after the race, I didn't get to go home and relax. I had to shower really quick and head out to a bridal shower. I was happy to be fed brunch food (EGGS!) and grab a mimosa. When I got home I was so wiped. My husband and I laid on the couch the rest of the day/night watching "Orange is the New Black" — we are almost done with the first season. Hooray! I dozed off a little during one episode, but not so much I didn't get what happened. We ordered pizza and I rehydrated with glasses upon glasses of water and Nuun. It was a pretty great way to end the busy weekend.

How was your week? Did training go well? Any races over the weekend? Let me know how it all went :)

week in review: august 18–24

Dopey Challenge Training: Week 8

Monday, August 18: rest day

Tuesday, August 19: Cross training – Bar Method (60 minutes)

Wednesday, August 20: Cross training – Bar Method (60 minutes)

Thursday, August 21: Rock the Night 5k (3.1 miles)

Friday, August 22: Cross training – Bar Method (60 minutes)

Saturday, August 23: 9.52 miles – Trail Run

Sunday, August 24: rest day

Weekly mileage: 12.62 miles

Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 119.58 miles

I'd say this week's training went pretty well. I missed one run this week of 45 minutes, but had decided that since I was having some hip/knee issues, it would be best to use an extra day for rest – I wanted to be ok to run the 9 miles on the schedule over the weekend. 

Bar Method is going well. I'm still really enjoying it – every single class has been challenging, and they have a variety of movements that change a bit each class, so it doesn't get boring. I'm really starting to see a difference in my muscle tone :)

As for my runs, the Rock the Night 5k was a lot of fun (check out my BibRave review here)! I'll have a recap up eventually, but weather wise it was a bit nutty with a downpour for about an hour between 4–5, and then it cooled off, but the heat and humidity came back for the race start at 7. The post-race party and food were excellent.

Saturday's trail run was slooooow. We headed out a bit later than I intended, but weather wise it wouldn't have been any better earlier (it was hot and humid all the live long day, even in the early morning hours). It was about 80–85 degrees, but with 99% humidity which made for a pretty miserable run. Every once in a while there was a breeze, but most of it was quite stuffy. I did 30 second:1 minute intervals, and once in a while had to skip the run portion. I have a bit of trouble breathing in the humidity, so would take an extra walk break if I needed it. I was dripping sweat the instant I got out of the car! Oy, it was tough, especially since we've had such a relatively mild summer (still warm and humid, but not nearly as bad as these past few days and what it normally is). My husband came with and ran with me, so at least I had company (you know what they say, misery loves company haha). I had KT Tape on from Thursday's race and Friday's barre class, and it stayed on even through that humidity, so I'd say I found a good method of applying. 

My Orange Mud HydraQuiver Double Barrel pack worked perfectly again, with Nuun Energy Lemon Lime in one bottle and water in the other. I had filled them both with ice, which melted about a half hour in because of the heat, but everything stayed fairly cold until the end. I really love that bad boy. Another runner on the trail jokingly told me I was going to get mugged for my ice. I still use my Fitletic belt, which I use for my phone, energy chews, kleenex, chapstick, and inhaler for easy access. 

I drank a Powerbar Performance Energy Blend about a half hour before the run, and then took a Clif Shot Blok every 2 miles (Tropical Punch with 25mg caffeine). Energy wise I felt ok, just the heat and humidity was a bit exhausting. I received my Energybits on Wednesday, but hadn't had a chance to get that organized prior to my run Saturday, but I look forward to giving them another try before/during my upcoming runs.

We stopped at Jewel on our way home to pick up some items for lunch and dinner, so I got some chocolate milk to help with muscle recovery. I also iced my knee and my left foot arch when I got home (after my shower, of course... I was too nasty not to shower immediately, even though I was starving). I used a bag of ice for my foot, but used my Dr. Cool Wrap for my knee – it was awesome! I was still able to walk around if I needed (like when I needed to switch the laundry in the machines) or to go get some food. I think a small one would work well for my foot. That'll have to wait until next paycheck. I wore my compression sleeves and KT Tape out Saturday night, because really, I'm more concerned with my recovery than I am what other people think haha.

Besides hanging out with friends, going to a two year olds birthday party, my husband and I also went to The Field Museum to see the 1893 World's Fair Exhibit before it went back into the vaults next month. It was a really neat exhibit, and if you're from Chicago and haven't gone to see it, I recommend doing so before it's gone! 

How was your week/end? Any races, long runs, or cross training of note? Would love to hear from ya :)

week in review: august 11–17

Dopey Challenge Training: Week 7

Monday, August 11: Cross Training – Bar Method class (60 minutes) + 25 minute walk

Tuesday, August 12: 3.44 miles

Wednesday, August 13: Cross Training – Bar Method class (60 minutes) + 25 minute walk

Thursday, August 14: 2.69 miles

Friday, August 15: Cross Training – Bar Method class (60 minutes) + 30 minute walk x2

Saturday, August 16: rest day

Sunday, August 17: 3 mile run + 5 minute warm up walk + 30 minute cool down walk

Weekly mileage: 9.15 miles
Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 106.96 miles

Training this week went well, overall. I managed to get in 3 days of cross training with Bar Method, and all of my training runs in. Even though the training schedule only had 3 miles planned for the weekend, I was hoping to tack on an extra 2–3 miles. My body had other plans. Though I felt good with plenty of energy, my right knee was in pain. 

Every time I started a running interval, it would be in pain whenever I stepped on my right foot for about the first 15 seconds, then it dulled. I had attempted to use KT Tape, but unfortunately, it came off almost right away. It was helping a bit, until it came off. Next time I'll have to be better at cleaning the area prior to applying the tape, as suggested in the videos. I also bought some adhesive spray and KT Tape Pro, which I'm sure will all be helpful.

Since my knee was hurting, I knew that if I did extra miles, I'd be hurting other places than my knee, since I'm likely to overcompensate, trying to lessen its pain. I did wake up to some hip discomfort this morning, which I am blaming on yesterdays run. Anyway, I stopped at 3 miles and then walked for about a half hour to cool down and ensure that I would get in my 10,000 steps for the day. Walking wasn't painful at all.

I've really been enjoying Bar Method classes – they are a GREAT workout, and I can already notice the toning in my arms. I'm so excited that I can flex and see the muscles in my biceps and triceps haha.

Before yesterday's run, I had a Pear Apple Peach Powerbar Performance Energy Blend – it was pretty good. Directions said to take 30–60 minutes before the run (which worked out well, I woke up, drank one and then got ready). It's basically like eating applesauce from a pouch. As some of you may know, I have trouble eating much of anything before races, but I can drink without much of a problem. I think these things will come in handy for those types of mornings (when I don't have Energybits, like yesterday... delivery soon!). According to Powerbar, this "fruit-based energy food has a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend found to deliver 20–50% more energy to muscles than glucose alone and improves endurance by 8%". Whatever the case is with these pouches, they taste good and I felt good during my run, so that's what matters to me.

Other than running and taking Bar Method classes, not much has been going on. I spent time watching my nephew Saturday night so his parents could go have dinner and run some errands. I haven't really spent significant alone time with infants since I was younger and did babysitting in my high school/early college days, so I was a little nervous, but everything went well. I even had him smiling/laughing most of the time.

How was your week of training? What do you do to help alleviate knee pains? I know icing and elevation are a good idea, though I'm horrible at actually doing so. In order to help with that, I ordered a Dr. Cool Wrap – I'm excited to try it out with the ability to move around with ease while still getting the healing qualities from the wrap.

week in review; august 4–10

Week 6 of Dopey Challenge Training:

Monday, August 4: rest day

Tuesday, August 5: 3.32 miles

Wednesday, August 6: rest day

Thursday, August 7: 3.55 miles

Friday, August 8: 30 minute walk

Saturday, August 9: 30 minute walk

Sunday, August 10: Chicago 10K (6.2 miles)

Training this week went pretty well. Tuesday I was a bit tired, and my legs felt heavy, but my pace was still pretty good. My runs on Thursday and Sunday felt really good. During the 10K Sunday, I felt really strong for the first 4 miles, though annoyed that I couldn't follow my intervals completely because I was  getting caught in the congestion of other racers. At times, it was impossible to pass people, so I got caught walking when I wanted to be running multiple times, which lead to a slower finishing time than I would have liked. Around mile 4.5 I started to feel tired and my breathing became a a bit labored, along with feeling extremely warm. The weather was great, and before the race it was nice and cloudy keeping the day cool, but right when we started the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and it was sunny the whole race, making for a warm run. 

Other than the congestion, I thought the race itself was a good one. The shirt and medal for this race were awesome. I’ll have more in a recap (at some point... still super behind, sorry!). I was supposed to do 7 miles, according to my training plan, but that wasn’t able to happen since I had to get to a bridal shower after the race. I’ll make up for the lack of .8 miles when I run a half marathon on a day that only 11 miles are scheduled.

Other than running, I went for two walks during the week for my cross training. I can’t say my eating habits this week were great, but I’ll talk about that during my Weekly Chase post tomorrow. 

As for non-exercise related items, my husband and I went for a wine tasting and dinner date night on Wednesday, on Friday night I had packet pickup, Saturday was a cleaning day and we hit up our favorite brewey, and then there was Sunday. 

I had an early morning with the race, and then I had to hurry home to get ready for a wedding shower at a location a little over an hour from my house. I was a bit late, though wasn’t too worried since I had warned the mothers that I'd be arriving late. I actually ended up getting there right when they had started on salads. Perfect timing ;) The shower was lovely and they received a lot of wonderful gifts (some highlights being a scrapbook of the groom that his mother made (for the bride), and a special recipe book the mother of the bride put together). 

After the shower, my husband and I hit up the brewery again for some pizza from a food truck and some drinks. I’ve found that I really enjoy Bloody Marys on Sundays. It’s the perfect drink to end the weekend on. We finished the night with True Blood. I can’t believe there are only a few more episodes left. It’ll be interesting to see how they end the series. 

On a side note, while out on my walk Saturday, I stopped at the library to drop off ‘Doctor Sleep’ and pick up ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ – anyone read this book? I went almost all of last week without a book to read, because I had already finish ‘Doctor Sleep’, so I’m glad to have something to read on my commute this week.

Another side note: The pain in my feet/arches has gotten much better over the course of this week. I've been doing stretches and rolling, and I think it's really helping. I also think I was overdoing it with the run streak, so glad I gave myself the OK to stop and give my feet a break. I think it's done a world of good.

How was your week/training/races? Would love to hear about it! 

week in review; july 21–27

Monday, July 21: 1.52 miles

Tuesday, July 22: 3.56 miles + 1 mile walk

Wednesday, July 23: 1.15 miles

Thursday, July 24: Esprit de She 10K (60th and Final Day of my running streak)

Friday, July 25: 15 minute walk

Saturday, July 26: rest day

Sunday, July 27: 3.02 miles

I made a very tough decision this week, which was to end my running streak. I didn't think it would be as difficult as it was. Originally, I had only planned on running the 40 that the Runner's World Challenge had set up, but it was such a great motivator, I kept it up for 60 days. I figured 60 was a great number, and that in order to prevent burnout and injury, it would be best to stop and have some rest days, especially since Dopey training will get more difficult as the weeks go on. I definitely don't want to hurt myself now and halt my training, which is more important than a streak. Still, not going for a run on Friday made me a little sad... just ask my husband haha. 

Anyway, I've been having a bit of arch pain this past week, which I think is plantar fasciitis. I ordered some heel seats today, which I've heard from a few people have helped alleviate most of the pain. On my run yesterday, I used KT Tape, which worked well on my right foot, but my left was still in pain (perhaps I applied it more accurately on my right than left). The website also has a lot of videos on how to stretch the area out, which I'll be giving a try.

On Thursday night, I ran the Esprit de She 10K, which was a lot of fun. The weather was PERFECT (which is a rare thing for me to say about weather at the end of July). I'll have a recap up at some point, but it was well organized and a great female-based race.

Due to a very late night Thursday (I didn't get home till after midnight), the rest of my week/end was a bit lazy, as I was exhausted and dealing with arch pains. Saturday I was out of the house the entire day and all night, standing for quite a few hours (which I'm sure didn't help my arches), but other than that there wasn't any type of exercising.

Even with Friday and Saturday being lazy/rest days, I did get all of my training runs in, though I cut the run short by 10 minutes Sunday due to my arch pains. The plan was for 2-45 minute runs and a 5.5 mile long run on the weekend. Since I had the 10K Thursday, I switched the Saturday run to Thursday, and the original Thursday to Sunday. The runs went well, and I felt really good during the 10K (minus a small bit of knee pangs).

After Sunday's run, my husband and I decided to go out for some hair of the dog ;) Not to say we were hungover, but it was a nice afternoon, and we wanted to be out of the house, despite the number of chores we were supposed get done. Sometimes, it's more important to spend time together when the chance is there. We also watched 'The Shining' with Jack Nicholson. Anyone ever see this? I was expecting to be horrified and have nightmares, as I had heard it was quite the scary movie, but I mostly just laughed or rolled my eyes, annoyed with some of the acting/story line. We had both just read the book, and found the movie disappointing. While I thoroughly enjoyed Nicholson's performance (he's awesome), that's about all I enjoyed. We're going to watch the miniseries version and see if it's any better (which I am hoping it is, since it was written by Stephen King himself, it may be more accurate to the book, which I found more thrilling than the movie). I know it can be hard to depict certain things in tv/movies, but I just couldn't get on board with the Stanley Kubrick adaptation. Oh well.

Scenes from the week.

I was hoping to get in some strength training this week, but I didn't find the time or energy, but I WILL get two days in this week. I have my first Pure Barre class this week as well, and I am going to try a spin class on Thursday if I can get there on time. Quite the week planned, and this weekend I have a 3-day pass to Lollapalooza. That will certainly include a LOT of walking, as it's a mile from the north end to the south end, and I imagine I'll be doing a lot of running back and forth in order to catch the bands I want to see at the various stages.

It's weird to have two weekends in a row without races, but after the past two weeks having two weekday races and then back-to-back at Rock 'n' Roll the other weekend, it's a nice change of pace, especially since I'm so busy with other things.

What's on your calendar for this week/end? Do you ever have arch pains? What do you do to help alleviate the pain? 

week in review; july 14–20

Monday, July 14: 3.22 miles (Burgers and Beer 5k)

Tuesday, July 15: 1.31 miles

Wednesday, July 16: 3.51 miles

Thursday, July 17: 1.02 miles + strength train (full body)

Friday, July 18: 1.05 miles

Saturday, July 19: 3.14 miles (Rock 'n' Roll 5k)

Sunday, July 20: 13.9 miles (Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon)

Look at that! The streak is STILL alive :) 56 days as of yesterday. I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep it up, but it's been fun so far. I'm thinking maybe 66 days would be a good number...

Delicious eats and treats at the Burgers and Beer 5k after party!

It was a busy race week. Monday night was the awesome Burgers and Beer 5k, and the weekend was the Rock 'n' Roll Festival with the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. I will have race recaps eventually for the races, sorry I'm a bit behind on these. I need to block some time off so I can just sit down and crank them all out. Monday and Saturday races went fairly well, but Sunday was tough for me. I wasn't feeling great, and had a bit of knee pain for a few of the miles, but I powered through to finish (which is always my main goal). I'll describe more in the recaps.

After the RnR Chicago Half Marathon on July 20.

Tuesday was the ridiculous runDisney Princess Weekend registration. The horror! It took me almost 2 hours to get registered, and I had filled out the dang form at least a dozen times just for it to give me errors. Sometimes I would get the error, other times it told me there was a data error when I got to the payment page. Also, a few times it put me into a line, and then when I was at the front of the line, I would fill out the form, and get an error again. By the time I was able to get registered, the Glass Slipper Challenge was already 95% full. Bananas. I almost gave up because I was so stressed and frustrated, and wondered if it was really worth it (I'm sure I'll forget all about it come race time, when I am so excited and happy I am there). 

I know most people were having a hard time, but there were also plenty of people getting in (obviously, if it was at 95% by the time I got in), I didn't understand why I was having issues if they weren't. It was also frustrating, because I was ready to go at 11:30 for the 12:00 start, and the idea of not being able to get in even though I was prepared really irked me. I sure hope Active has it's act together for the runDisney registrations in the future. I mean, they know they are going to get bombarded with traffic, and other sites are able to keep their stuff together during popular race registration times, so not sure what was going on. So there's my rant. I'm happy I got in, but still a little peeved at the whole situation haha. I do my best to stay upbeat on this blog, but I have to be real about how I was feeling during registration. Anyway, I digress...

The training week called for 45 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday, and then 3 miles on Saturday. The days were moved around, since I had the 5k Monday night, and of course there was the added 13.9 miles on Sunday.

Overall, I was happy with the week's runs, though disappointed in my lack of strength and cross training. I'm proud of myself for continuing the streak, along with sticking to my training schedule, though. The motivation has been strong, so I hope it keeps up through January :) This week's training calls for the same 45 minutes two days and then 5.5 miles on Saturday. I actually have a 10k on Thursday evening, so that will be my '45' minutes, though it will definitely take me longer than that haha.

How was your week? Any races or long runs this weekend? Did you register for any races over Princess Weekend? Have issues? Any tips for how to keep motivation alive when it starts to dwindle? I'm hoping it keeps up, but always nice to get some feedback and tips from others that I can stow away for a rainy day :)

Have a great week, all!

week in review; june 30–july 6

Monday, June 30: 1.02 miles

Tuesday, July 1: 3.50 miles

Wednesday, July 2: 1.58 miles

Thursday, July 3: 3.30 miles

Friday, July 4: 7.4 miles in honor of Independence Day (+ .5 mile walk home)

Saturday, July 5: 1.54 miles

Sunday, July 6: 1.16 miles and Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred Level 1


Week total: 19.50 miles

#RWRunStreak Challenge total: 116.52 miles

July 4 was officially the last day of the Runner's World Streaking Challenge, but I wasn't quite ready to let the streak go, so continued on through Sunday. The thought of the streak and keeping it alive really kept me motivated and pushed me out the door everyday. I didn't want to disappoint myself by missing a day, and getting at least one mile done everyday made me feel accomplished. It may sound silly, but I was proud of myself for completing the challenge by running 40 consecutive days in a row. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I could handle it. I know a mile a day isn't that much, but finding the time and energy (even on stormy days or sick days) to get out there would be my challenge, so having gone all 40 days makes me happy.

Tuesday was Day 1 of Dopey training, which was also on Thursday and should have been Saturday. Since I did a longer run on Friday, I skipped the scheduled 3 miles on Saturday and just did 1.5. I guess it's sort of a swap of days, though I did a longer run than was part of the training. I'm really excited to get started on training. I still have a few months before I have to worry about mileage, since days where I have to run more than I have so far doesn't begin until October. I'm hoping the running streak has helped prepare my body (even if just a little bit) for the back-to-back race days.

As far as fun things during the week: Thursday my hometown had their parade and fireworks. Friday my husband and I went to my cousin's house for a BBQ. On Saturday we went to the in-laws for some pizza. When we got home, I started to feel like I might be coming down with something (sinus/throat), so I drank some chamomile tea and went to bed early. Yesterday I had a lot of errands and house cleaning to do, so I didn't have much time to relax (or at least not as much as I was hoping for). I participated in the #RunChat, watched "True Blood", and then went to bed (though I had a lot of trouble sleeping). As far as eating, I might have overindulged and need to pay better attention of what I'm eating this week.

How was your weekend? Any races? Family or friend BBQs? I hope you had a chance to run a few miles and eat some delicious food :)

week in review; june 23–29

Monday, June 23: 1.1 miles

Tuesday, June 24: 1.07 miles

Wednesday, June 25: 1.46 miles

Thursday, June 26: 1.86 miles

Friday, June 27: 1.13 miles

Saturday, June 28: 12.31 miles (5k in the morning and then a trail run)

Sunday, June 29: 1.03 miles

Week total: 19.96

#RWRunStreak Challenge total: 99.72 miles

I was hoping to get in a few runs around 3 miles during the week, but life was a bit hectic. I was able to maintain my running streak, however. I cannot believe that we are already on the final week. It doesn't seem like I've been running for so many days in a row, which is a great feeling to have.

My sister-in-law and nephew were in town this week, and on Wednesday I met them, my parent-in-laws, and husband at the Shedd Aquarium to check out some fish, dolphins, belugas, etc. It was a lot of fun – I hadn't been there in a while. 

Fishies at the Shedd Aquarium.

Sharks and fish at the Shedd Aquarium.

Another fun event from the week was a concert at Northerly Island – my husband got us tickets to go see Ray LaMontagne (one of my favorite artists. How could anyone resist that amazing voice?). Neither of us had been there before, so it was great to see Ray and enjoy the outdoor concert venue for the first time. Our seats were pretty great, and the two opening bands were good (Ray was fantastic, of course). The weather wasn't too bad, either – a bit warm, but not excruciatingly hot, which it could have been. 

Ray LaMontagne

Saturday and Sunday were pretty jam packed with family events, a trail run, more family events, and meeting up with friends for a drink or two. There was a pretty big storm that blew through on Saturday, and right before it came, we got to see a rainbow! They always make me feel like a kid.

How was your week/weekend? Do anything fun? Any races, PRs, long runs of note? Hope it was great!

week in review; june 16–22

Monday, June 16: 1.32 miles - weather not recorded

Tuesday, June 17: 2.57 miles on the lakefront during my lunch break; 88 degrees (felt like 91), sunny, with 52% humidity

Wednesday, June 18: 1.04 miles; 79 degrees, sunny with 75% humidity

Thursday, June 19: 2.65 miles; 73 degrees, 83% humidity, and thunderstorms

Friday, June 20: 1.09 miles; 73 degrees, partly cloudy with 75% humidity

Saturday, June 21: 2.73 miles; 79 degrees, sunny with 65% humidity 

Sunday, June 22: 7.11 miles; started around 80 degrees and was 86 degrees when I finished, sunny with 56% humidity

Week total: 18.51 miles
#RWRunStreak Challenge total: 79.76 miles

Hi guys! How was your weekend? Hope everyone had a chance to relax and enjoy themselves!

My running streak is staying strong. I cannot believe I have gone for a run for 28 days straight. That seems insane to me! I can't say for sure, but I think the longest streak I have done is 3 days haha. Not too much longer to go. I think I might be sad when it's over – it's been a great motivator, and I hope it's helping my body prepare for back-to-back race days (for training/Dopey!).

The week was another busy one, but I still managed to get in the runs I needed. I even took my running gear to work one day, since I was unable to get my run in during the morning and knew I had no time after work. There was also threat of rain/thunderstorms every day, so I had to switch around my schedule a bit to try to avoid the lightning. 

As far as my busy week went: Wednesday night I went to a dance recital, met with a friend for dinner/drinks after work on Thursday, Friday the husband and I grabbed dinner at our favorite grilled cheese themed food truck (delicious), Saturday I took my car in for some maintenance then went to a graduation party, and Sunday I did laundry and to the in-laws for dinner (my sister-, brother-in-law and nephew were in town). (I was excited to get home last night so I could participate in the #runchat and for the first episode of the final season of True Blood.) As usual, not a whole lot of down time haha, but it was great to spend some time with friends and family during the week/end.

Going back to the Run Chat, I had heard that TweetChat is a great tool to use, so I tried to use that for the the chat last night — I thought it would be easier to follow and reply to others. I would be reading a post, and before I could finish, new ones kept popping up, making it difficult to reply to anyone. I was SO overwhelmed and frustrated, so I ended up just going back to using my phone. I feel like I missed so much, though. Any advice on how best to follow along with twitter chats? Do you use an outside source (as in, not your twitter app or twitter on your laptop, but Hootsuite or somethine like that)? How do I keep up with the thousands of responses? I'd like to be able to read the majority of answers to the questions, but probably only got through about 20%. Eeks.

Anyway, overall, running has been going well. My pace has been improving slightly, and I haven't even been focusing on it that much. I don't know if my body moves better with the heat, or I am just trying to finish quicker because I hate it (the heat and sun, not running). Either way, I am pleased. 

How was your week? Have any races or long runs over the weekend? How did they go? Any True Blood fans?

week in review; june 9–15

Monday, June 9: 1.08 miles / abs

Tuesday, June 10: 1.02 miles in the rain / arms

Wednesday, June 11: 3.24 miles / abs

Thursday, June 12: 3.17 miles / abs and arms

Friday, June 13: 1.11 miles / abs

Saturday, June 14: 9.26 miles

Sunday, June 15: 2.64 miles / abs

Week total: 21.53 miles
#RWRunStreak Challenge total: 61.25 miles

The Runner's World Streak continues! Sunday was day 21, so I officially made it half way as of Saturday's run. I also got in a few exercises to increase strength in my abs and arms (mostly variations of sit ups and crunches + push ups). Hoping to amp that up some more this week and get in different arm exercises.

The week was extremely busy, with limited time spent at home. While I enjoy seeing friends and family, or spending time with my husband outside the home, I did miss having at least one lazy evening on the couch haha. 

Monday night we went to dinner at Gordon Biersch so we could use the free entree coupon we had before it expired. We might have also gotten some frozen yogurt after dinner ;) Tuesday after work I met up with a friend I haven't seen in a while to catch up. Wednesday I did my run in the evening (when I checked the weather before bed, it said it would be storming in the morning, so decided an evening run would be best, when it was only 10% chance. Of course, it ended up being fine in the morning, oh well.), so by the time I got home, showered, and ate dinner, it was basically bed time. Thursday evening my husband and I went and saw my nephew play in his t-ball game (lots of little kids running around in their uniforms, most not paying any attention = adorable and hilarious), and then we had our monthly wine tasting date. Friday night we went to the White Sox game. The game itself was horrible and way too long (KC scored 5 runs in the first inning, for crying out loud), but the fireworks afterwards were pretty great. Saturday we went for a trail run/walk and then had dinner with his parents. Sunday was spent cleaning the house, and then some friends popped over for an hour before heading to their family's house, and then our families came over for a Father's Day BBQ. Another great, but exhausting weekend came to close, and here we are again at Monday. Why must the weekends fly by so quickly?

How was your week/end? Any races or long runs of note? Are you in the midst of training for anything?

week in review; june 2–8

Monday, June 2: 1.07 miles run/walk

Tuesday, June 3: 2.72 miles run/walk

Wednesday, June 4: 1.10 miles run/walk

Thursday, June 5: 3.33 miles run/walk

Friday, June 6: 1.07 miles run/walk

Saturday, June 7: 13.35 miles run/walk (Michelob Ultra 13.1 Chicago, I always have a bit extra mileage for races...)

Sunday, June 8: 1.13 miles run/walk

Week total: 23.77

#RWRunStreak Challenge total: 39.72 miles

I have to admit, I'm pretty pleased with myself for maintaining this running streak for 2 weeks. It's my first experience streaking, and I wasn't sure how it would go over. I had a few reservations. Would my knees, feet, and shins be able to withstand 40 straight days? How would I manage to get in the runs on busy days? Do I have the willpower to wake up early most days to check it off the list for the day? So far, things have been going pretty well, and squeezing in one mile on my usual rest days hasn't been too much of an issue (I know it's quick, but it sometimes takes me a while to get moving and out of the house haha. Seems dumb for one mile, but it is what it is.). 

Monday night I got my hair cut—just took 1.5" off, but it'll be nice to have a bit less for summer. Thursday I headed over to Fleet Feet in Old Town to pick up my packet (and my mom's) for the race on Saturday. Saturday ended up being a hot day for a run, and the sun was beating down on us almost the whole time. Since it was so warm, I decided to take it easy and just hang with my mom for the whole race. Not a great finish time (unofficially 3:15:40), but decent enough for us, and honestly, it was a better time than any of my half marathons last year (beating my best from 2013 by about 3 minutes). I've mentioned before how slooooow I am, now you see what I mean haha. I'm finally starting to feel better about races, and my nerves aren't as bad as they used to be. I don't know why I would get so nervous, but I did, and it would usually have a negative effect on my races. So I'm obviously happy that it's getting better. After the race I had lunch with my mom, showered, and spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading. 

Saturday night after the race I met up with some friends, and Sunday was spent doing laundry, reading (I'm about half way through my library book), cleaning, and hanging out with the dogs and the husband. It was such a beautiful day, I loved getting to open up the sunroom and sit in there reading and relaxing. Ahhhh. There's only a handful of days we can enjoy that, since it isn't air conditioned and we basically have two seasons here: winter and summer. I'm a wimp, so once temps are in the 80s and the humidity hits, if there isn't a good breeze, I don't sit out there. With weather like that, I find the only appropriate outdoor activity to be swimming haha. I actually laid out there Saturday after the race with my compression socks and just listened to the breeze. It was lovely.

How was your week/end? Any races or long runs? Do you lessen your training in the summer months?