soldier field 10 mile recap

The Soldier Field 10 Mile took place on Saturday, May 24 at 7am. This was my first year doing race, since usually a week later is a half marathon I run, and I hadn't quite been ready for that in years past. With Memorial Day being a bit earlier this year, I had an extra weekend without a race in order to regroup, so decided to sign up this year, a little last minute.

I was excited to add this boy to my collection. Source.

Packet pickup for the Soldier Field 10 Mile was being held the entire week prior to the race at Fleet Feet Sports in Old Town from 10am–8pm, Monday through Friday. I went on Thursday during my lunch break, and pickup, as usual, was fairly easy. The bibs were being distributed in the Piper Alley lobby-like area, and then the shirts were being distributed in the back of the store, which you could reach just a short way away from where the bib handout was. The only issue was that I had registered earlier in the week, so my number wasn't in with the rest of them, but in a different stack. However, it didn't take the woman too long to find it. The shirts were pretty nice—Nike Dri-Fit, which I think is a must from a race. I wear my race shirts all the time for training, and even in other races. We also received a participant guide. I'd say size-wise they ran a little on the small size, and wish I had sized up. It was good enough that I didn't feel the need to exchange sizes, which I assume could have been done on race day, but am not sure.

Nike Dri-Fit Shirt. Source

Saturday was an early wake up call at 4:30. My mom and I headed to Soldier Field and, for once, they had free parking! It was fantastic. Most other races or events held here have a $20 (or more) parking fee. I thought with so many racers, parking might be an issue, but it was a breeze, with plenty of spots available. We got there approximately 30 minutes before the race start.

Before the race.

Heading into the Green Corrals.

The race began at 7am, with a wave start. I had a green bib, which meant I didn't need to be in the corral until 7:30. They had different entrances to the corrals for each bib color – Blue, Purple, Orange, and Green. Blue and Purple had to be in corrals by 6:45, Orange by 7:15, and Green by 7:30. Then, within each corral color group, there were sections in which you lined up by your number (i.e. 13,000–13,500 in one area—though I don't remember the exact breakdowns).

Staging area. Source.

My corral started at about 7:41. The weather was pretty perfect—sunny with a high of 61, though of course when I got started, I curse the sun and lack of clouds and wish for a breezier, cooler day haha. I think it was around mile 3 that I was feeling the heat. I ran 1/1 intervals, though some of them were broken up by aid stations, which were plentiful. They had 5 total, each having water, Gatorade Endurance, and port-o-lets and were located at mile 1.4, 3.5, 5.2, 7, and 8.7.

Course Map. Source.

The course was a nice change – we actually ran on Lake Shore Drive for about 3 miles. One thing I hate about some of the courses is having to run through the tunnel at McCormick Place, which unfortunately we did at this race. The ground is so uneven, and it's so dark, I'm always nervous about injuring myself. Not to mention when it's crowded and people are pushing their way around others. 

Beautiful view of the skyline.

The turn around at mile 5 was through a patch of grass – there was some wood laid out to go up the curb so people wouldn't trip, and then we ran over grass to get to the lakefront running/biking path. Luckily, it wasn't a rainy day, otherwise that would have been a muddy/slippery mess. Another lucky thing was that we didn't have to go back under the tunnel by McCormick Place, since we stayed on the path. Yay! I love running back north, as there's a beautiful view of the skyline and we run past some harbors with boats. The water always looks so pretty and sparkly. I didn't have any ankle or knee pain, which was awesome, and I took a Clif Shot Blok at mile 7 when I started to feel a bit hungry. 

Heading into the player tunnel - exciting!

Running on the field heading to the finish line!

My favorite part of the race, of course, was getting to go through the players tunnel out onto the field for the finish. It's so cool to be able to run on the field to finish on the 50 yard line. I finished under 2:20, which was my goal. After crossing the finish line, military men and women were handing out the medals and water. I thanked them for their service and happily accepted the cool medal and a bottle of water. Friends and family were allowed to watch in the stadium, and the finish line video feed was on the jumbo-tron – pretty cool. Of course I was focused on finishing and forgot to look up briefly for the thrill of seeing myself up there haha.

Don't mind my askew sunglasses there... 

It's all about where you finish.

The medals.

Messed up picture at the time, but the Jumbo Tron!

After receiving your medal, you walked into the stadium where you could get your photo taken, take lots of fun photos, and receive a bag filled with goodies. The bag was on of those reusable, plastic bags with a nice handle and velcro to close it – it was pretty sweet! Inside included a Clif Bar, fruit snacks, and pretzels. I think they might have handed out bananas as well, but of course I'm writing this more than 2 months later, I can't remember for sure (that's the problem with not writing them up right away! I really do need to get better at this...).

The goodies.

When you left the stadium, the after post-race tailgate was being held on the grass outside. Goose Island was providing beer (each participant had a ticket on their bib redeemable for one beer). You could choose between either 312 Urban Wheat Ale of Urban Pale Ale. There were lots of vendors set up – mostly other races with information, and a band on stage. Hot dogs were being sold, as well as beer if you wanted more than the one, and Clif Bar was giving out samples - yum! It was a good time, and a beautiful day to hang out post-race and have a beer. 

Enjoying a 312.

Anyone else run the #SF10? It was a great race—I hope I can run it again next year :)

PS I've joined BibRave and added a review for this race. You can check it out here!

rundisney tinker bell half marathon weekend

Medals from the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2012. Source.

Yesterday, registration opened to the general public for runDisney's Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend. Last year, runDisney introduced a Tinker Bell 10K in addition to the Neverland Family Fun Run 5k and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. This year, they've introduced the Inaugural Pixie Dust Challenge. Runners registered for the challenge will receive two medals for completing the 10K and Half Marathon, along with a challenge medal. Two races and three medals! People love their challenges and bling—I know I do :)

I ran the half marathon this year and had a blast! It was my first trip to Disneyland, and I really enjoyed running through the two parks and along Anaheim streets. 

AND for those also doing Princess weekend in February—running the half marathon—you'll receive a special pink Coast to Coast medal! Don't worry though, I do believe you have the option to get the regular one, if you don't want pink (at least you could last year, from what I understand).  

Pink Coast to Coast medal. Source.

Other events over the weekend include the kids races, health and fitness expo, and a Pasta in the Park Party on Friday evening inside Disney California Adventures Park. 

Now, the way runDisney races have been selling out lately (challenges usually within an hour and then most other races selling out the same day as registration opening), I was expecting the same for Tinker Bell weekend. Shockingly, this was not the case. The only races to sell out yesterday were the kids races. The Challenge, Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K are all still available (though the challenge and the 10K are close to capacity). When I just looked, the PDC was at 90%, Half Marathon 70%, 10K 98%, and 5k 80% (on registration page says 80%, but on their meter at the top it says 75% – I'd go on the safe side and assume 80%). The Pasta Party is now sold out, as well. I wouldn't wait to long to register for any of the races, if you are interested. It'll be interesting to see when each one sells out.

Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2014 map from runDisney.

What do you think is the culprit? Were people mad about the change in weekends (Tinker Bell was usually held the weekend after WDW Marathon weekend, but was replaced that weekend by the Star Wars races)? This year, it is being held over Mother's Day Weekend. I imagine some people are unable to attend because of said holiday weekend. Also, the other races are all inaugural races, so perhaps that also gave them them the upper hand, if people have to choose between races (and really, most people do – these things are expensive!). Do you think runDisney opened up the race to more people, too? Hmmm... lots of factors to consider, I guess. I imagine there are a lot of factors and reasons that add up to less people registering for Tink. I have to also add that going to California in May is more expensive than it was in January, and I imagine it will be much warmer as well. Boo. 

Tinker Bell 10K 2014 map from runDisney.

It's really too bad not all of the races could be like this... or how they used be (aka didn't sell out until months later). I didn't even see about my first runDisney race until a month or two after registration opened, and when I decided I wanted to do it, it wasn't a problem getting registered. This was when I was still a newbie with the half marathon races and didn't even know that races sold out or were crazy popular to sell out in hours. But alas, runDisney has grown exponentially in popularity, and I fear this Tinker Bell registration (lack of madness) is some fluke. Remember how quickly Avengers and Star weekend sold out? Perhaps people opted for these races instead of Tink, since they're also at Disneyland and have a popular following themselves.

I'm sure people were extremely happy not to have to deal with the madness and website crashing that was Princess registration day. It certainly would have lessened the stress if everyone knew it wasn't going to sell out yesterday, am I right?!

As for me, I'll be there running the Pixie Dust Challenge and will be (hopefully) earning a pink Coast to Coast medal :)

What are your thoughts about the lack of sell out? Are you running any of the Tinker Bell weekend races?

the weekly chase #19

On Tuesdays I link up my Weekly Chase goals with Mindy from Road Runner Girl. Below is a recap from how the goals from last week went over, and my new goals for this week.

Weekly goals for August 4–10

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals.
A. about 80% with this guy. I did great logging all of my foods except on the weekend, and I went over my calories on three (!) days. Tisk tisk. I must do better with that this week.
B. Check.
C. Though I was going over my calories, most of what I was eating wasn't so bad. My worst day for going over was when we went wine tasting and had dinner.

Goal #2 - Hit goal of 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.
An ok week, but I didn't hit my goal everyday. Here's a breakdown: 5315 (really bad), 11160, 7734, 12613, 13180, 9509, 19840.

Goal #3 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train two days.
Yep! I ran 3 times this week (one day was a race), and I did 30 minute walks two days as my cross training.

Goal #4 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.
50% for this guy.

Goal #6 - Clean/organize the office. I should have a good chunk of time on Saturday to do so.

Yes - I made a small dent, but have some more to do.

Weekly goals for August 11–17

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals. D. Hit 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.

Goal #2 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train three days.

Goal #3 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.

Goal #4 - Write two race recaps for posting. I'm quite a bit behind on my race recaps, and hope actually sharing the goal of getting them written and posted will motivate me to get on it!

Goal #5 - Spend Sunday cleaning and catching up on blogs. I actually have a free day and want to spend it wisely.

Thanks for hosting the weekly chase link up, Mindy!

How about you — what are your goals for this week?

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! 

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!

friday five: what's new

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 "What's New".

1. I tried out Pure Barre for the first time this week. It was crazy intense, and I felt completely out of shape! If I had the money, I would go a couple times of week - I could really feel the burn. The class really worked my muscles – everywhere! You can read how the class went here.

2. Lollapalooza weekend is here! I can not believe that it is August already! I am super pumped for 3 days of awesome music. My schedule is jam packed with some pretty rockin' bands, and other than possible rain in the forecast, looks like it'll be perfect weather (knock on wood... it's usually about 100 degrees with 100% humidity, plus at least one big storm every year making the festival grounds a real mess). Anyone else headed there?

3. Heel inserts have arrived. As some of you may know, I've been having some issues with my arches being in pain. I ordered some heel inserts that are supposed to be pretty good at alleviating such pain. I wore them all day today, and though they felt a bit odd (I'm sure I'll get used to them), I did notice that they made my feet feel better. Here's hoping they continue to do so, and the pain subsides completely. I plan on being the girl in gym shoes all weekend, even though I usually like to wear my Toms at Lollapalooza. I really think it's necessary to have some good cushion and support over the weekend, especially since I'm starting off with pain before it even begins haha. 

4. I've become obsessed with American Ninja Warrior. I just enjoy the show so much! I love it when I see regular joe's do well. You know, the kind that have jobs like animation artist that means they aren't in the gym 24-7, such as some of the trainers. Not that that's not ok, I just feel like they have to work a bit harder to squeeze in the time for training. Either way, all of those men and women are awesome–super talented to be able to do any of the obstacles! I don't think I'd make any of them... especially since so many require upper body strength. I really liked the navy dude with the therapy dog on this week's episode, and I find myself getting super excited for the folks that make it far/to the end, and bummed when they don't.

5. It's another weekend of no races. Can you believe it? My schedule was so race heavy for a while there, it seems so weird not to have anything. Not that there wasn't a race this weekend I wanted to do, but having gotten a 3-day pass for Lollapalooza, I didn't think my body could handle any more beatdowns. It's crazy how exhausting this festival is, especially the older I get (not to mention all of the running back and forth in order to see all of the bands you want to see). Last year I went two days (unable to get the 3-day like I wanted... you used to be able to wait a few days prior to buying, but just like runDisney events, tickets began to sell like hotcakes and they sell out in hours, if not sooner)—so I did Lolla on Friday, a packet pick-up in the city Saturday, Biggest Loser 5k Sunday, and then Lolla Sunday afternoon. Saturday night I ended up with food poisoning (being up all night was no fun) so Sunday was pretty rough, but I wouldn't let myself not do the race or miss the festival. All was well after taking a nap after the race and drinking some ginger ale ;) I just got a later start for Lolla than I had intended. 

BONUS: A little something extra for you. I started reading 'Doctor Sleep' this week, which is the sequel to Stephen King's 'The Shining'. Great reads, if anyone is interested.

Any shows or sports you get super into when watching on tv (as in cheering and clapping)? Do you love concerts, too? Tell me one thing you have going on this weekend :)

Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting! Make sure to check out their "Friday Five" posts (I'm on the train using the Blogger app to edit my original draft and can't figure out how to add links to their direct link up pages... I'll add them when I'm at a computer, but you can click above links to get to their pages) and link up if you are joining in, and then check out some of the other link up posts – so many great ones to choose from!

the weekly chase #18

On Tuesdays I link up my Weekly Chase goals with Mindy from Road Runner Girl. Below is a recap from how the goals from last week went over, and my new goals for this week.

Weekly goals for July 28–August 3; recap

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals. I give myself an exception for the healthy/under calories for Lollapalooza. I already know I won't be doing either.

Even with Lollapalooza happening, I managed to stay within my calorie allotment, though I'd have to say it wasn't with healthy food. I drank enough water every day except Sunday.

Goal #2 - Hit goal of 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit. Should get plenty of steps in over the weekend, at least. Lots of running around at Lollapalooza from one end of the festival to the other end, multiple times a day.

I was under Monday and Thursday, but did well the rest of the week. Here are my numbers: 4939, 14985, 12054, 5621, 21762, 17484, 17364

Goal #3 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train two days. Strength train two days. I have my first Pure Barre class tomorrow – is that considered cross or strength training?

I only ran once last week. After my Pure Barre class, I was extremely sore until Saturday, it hurt to run. Honestly, it felt good to take a break, if only to gave my arches some more time to start feeling better (which they have, though still a bit sore... I'm sure Lollapalooza didn't help at all). Pure Barre was my cross training, and it was harder than any two days of cross training I could have done on my own (not to say it's ok to only do the one day, but whooo it was tough).

Goal #4 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.

Yes! This felt really good after being on my feet all day this past weekend. I think I woke up less sore because of it, as well.

Goal #5 - I have quite the stack of papers piling up. It's time to go through them all and get organized.

Whoa is me. With the business that was the week, I didn't get through very much.

Weekly goals for August 4–10

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals.

Goal #2 - Hit goal of 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.

Goal #3 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train two days.

Goal #4 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.

Goal #6 - Clean/organize the office. I should have a good chunk of time on Saturday to do so.

Thanks for hosting the weekly chase link up, Mindy!

What are your goals for this week?

week in review; july 28–august 3

Monday, July 28: rest day

Tuesday, July 29: 3.61 miles

Wednesday, July 30: Pure Barre Class (55 minutes)

Thursday, July 31: unscheduled rest day

Friday, August 1: rest day (Lollapalooza)

Saturday, August 2: unscheduled rest day (Lollapalooza)

Sunday, August 3: rest day (Lollapalooza)

Hi all! Sorry for the delay in my posting today. I had a very exhausting weekend spent out of the house, and then my computer at work was giving me a hassle so I wasn't able to get this done until now. My apologies.

The week in training went a little off schedule, as my Pure Barre class left me extremely sore, as did my 3-day Lollapalooza extravaganza. You can read about the Pure Barre class here, if you'd like. I'd say I was sore from that class until Saturday, and then all new pains from standing/walking all day on odd surfaces started at that point. I mostly felt it in my abs and arms, which are my weakest muscles. Better get to work (even more so than my feeble attempts) on my core and arms! 

I was supposed to have a 45 minute run Thursday and then a 3 mile Saturday, but ended up skipping both in order to have some extra 'rest days'. I have to say, though, that Friday through Sunday was anything BUT rest days. I was pretty much on my feet for at least 8 hours of each day (usually more), not to mention all of the walking back and forth to catch all of the bands on my 'must see' list. I saw a ton of great bands, and had a lot of fun (even though I was on my own all of Saturday and Sunday). I read somewhere that the four main stages (north and south sides of the park) were 1 mile from each other, and I did a lot of walking back and forth between them (plus, a few trips to 'The Grove' stage for shade and other bands. I walked about 8+ miles each day! Anyway, my feet and legs are pretty tired and achy, even though I wore sensible shoes. 

The weather, for the most part, was perfect. It rained a little Friday, and though it was warm, it wasn't like previous years. Saturday was really warm in the sun, so I did my best to stay in the shade and applied a lot of sunscreen throughout the day. I think it's my first year without any sunburning. Yay! Sunday rained the better part of the day, but I had my poncho, so didn't care much. I'd say it made it even better, really. Kept the day cool, and cloudy for the most part. My favorite kind of day ;)

Anyway, I'll be back on the schedule this week. I honestly don't feel too bad about missing those two runs, though, since I'd been having plenty of decent runs done in my not to distant past (and plenty of unscheduled run days when I was keeping up with the streak). Now if it was a long run, like 6+ miles, I'd feel guilty.

My friend and I are going to try a different class in the next week or two at a different studio. We really liked where we went, but the class availability was pretty much nonexistent - they were all wait list sign-ups, and the days/times didn't fit in our schedule well. I'll let you know when/if we try it and how it goes. It's called Bar Method... so not sure how similar/different it is to Pure Barre, but I'll let ya'll know.

I'm sorry I'm behind, again, on my blog reading! I'll try and catch up a bit and leave comments throughout the week. It's tough not being home all weekend, and then not being able to use your phone much because the battery drains so quickly in the large crowds at the festival.

How was your week/ends? Did you have a better training week than I did? I hope so ;) If you did a Pure Barre class, how long were you sore afterwards?

pure barre class recap

Hello guys and gals! As some of you know, I tried out my first Pure Barre class last night. Let me tell you, it was a doozy! 

Pure Barre

Here's a little bit of info about Pure Barre (from their website):

Pure Barre is the fastest, most effective, yet safest way to change your body. 

In just 55 minutes you will achieve a full-body workout concentrating on the areas women struggle with the most: hips, thighs, seat, abdominals and arms. The Pure Barre technique is low-impact, protecting your joints by avoiding any bouncing or jumping. Each strength section of the workout is followed by a stretching section in order to create long, lean muscles without bulk. The technique works to defy gravity by tapering everything in and lifting it up!

The concentration involved while taking Pure Barre allows you to block "life" out for the hour, creating the mental benefits similarly obtained by the practice of yoga or meditation. A transformed body and a clear head in just one hour—it doesn't get much better than this.

I met with a friend to try it out together, so after work we met at the River North location. About 15 minutes before class, we went inside and filled out a waiver. The woman working the front desk explained to use that if we wanted to get the special new client package, we could do so after class or within 24 hours online. She also let us know where the lockers were and how to set the locks. There was one bathroom, a small changing area, and a water bottle filling station (I thought that was pretty neat). She also let us know which pieces of equipment we would need to start out with and where to find it.

Grip Sticky Sock

When we walked into the studio, it was already pretty packed (we were two of the last people to enter), and not knowing how much space we needed, we kind of walked around like idiots trying to figure out where we should go. Luckily, one nice gal said she could move over so we could squeeze in together. 

When I read it was ballet-inspired, I was expecting to work on some core muscles and do some toning by using some ballet-esque moves. WRONG. For the most part, when they say 'ballet-inspired', it seemed mostly like they meant the studio – mirrors and barres along all of the walls. I don't feel like any of the moves we did were inspired by ballet itself, though. However, I never took any ballet classes, so maybe I'm wrong? I guess I should have known better from watching the video and reading the descriptions haha. Oops. I was also expecting a bit less intense. The ladies in the video made the moves look easy! Haha. That was not the case for this girl. I feel like there should have been a few more sweaty, red faced, hard breathing people in the video ;)



It was definitely one tough workout! They mean it when they say 'Lift, Tone, Burn'. Ouch. I feel like I am relatively in shape. I run 3–4 times a week, getting faster each year (though not fast by any means), and I've begun to do some strength training more frequently. However, this class kicked my butt and made me feel completely out of shape! I was using muscles I apparently have not been using, like, at all. Honestly, 15 minutes in I felt like I might pass out or vomit, so I stepped outside for a few minutes to cool down. Talk about pathetic haha. The women that were working at the front desk area came over the check if I was ok and needed anything. They were super sweet, but I just needed a bit of cooler air and to take some deep breaths. After a few minutes I felt better and returned to class to sweat some more.

It was super intense the first 20 minutes – which was using the hand weights (I only used the 2lb set), working on arms. I was dripping sweat 5 minutes in. I was obviously the only newbie, as everyone else new and anticipated the changes in movements and transitions from one thing to the next. 

After that it calmed down a bit, though the class was still working it hard. We used small balls, stretch tubes, and a mat for the rest of the exercised. During leg exercises I was shaking so much, as well as with the abs. I took a few breaks here and there to regain composure and to fix my form. When I get tired, form goes out the window. The barre was used for abs, legs, seat, and then we did floor exercises for more seat, hips, and thighs. It's amazing how tiring such small movements can be! I also had to skip some of the exercises, because the position we had to take on the floor bothered my hip a LOT. As in, sharp pangs each time I tried. I was ok with it on the other side, but I felt like a lazy bum just sitting there waiting for the next moves.

The class was fun, but it really wore me out. I was happy that the time went quick—no dragging. Even though it's a bit pricey, I'd say it's definitely worth the money. You could tell everyone in the class was working hard, evident by the sweat (though not as much as me haha) and shaking legs/arms/abs. I was sore when we left—it was tough to carry my bag haha—and I woke up with sore muscles just about everywhere (though my legs feel ok... does that mean they are the strongest part of my body? Most likely). I'd say from the pains, I need to work on my core and arms/back the most.

Online I had read that it can take up to 10 classes to get the hang of it – I can definitely see that being the case for me. Obviously with each class, you'd understand more of the movements, plus you'd be building up your endurance and strength with each one. Our teacher was very friendly, and you could see her going around the room helping people with their form. A couple times she came by us to push my back a bit, or give us a tip about what we should be doing (I couldn't always understand the lingo, or when it was a bit faster paced, so I often just took a quick break to check out what everyone else was doing). She was also around after class to answer questions, if anyone had any.

They have a deal for new customers, a cheaper unlimited package, however, the class times were a bit limited and a lot of the days we were interesting in going were already booked (only wait list available). That's a bit of a bummer. 

A little more about Pure Barre if you are interested:

What is Pure Barre? 
Utilizing the ballet barre to perform small isometric movements set to fantastic music, Pure Barre is a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs, abs, and arms, and burns fat in record- breaking time. 

What does Pure Barre do for my body? 
By taking Pure Barre classes, you will burn calories and gain lean muscle. Its low-impact, isometric movements target and tone certain areas of your body, and your heart rate will go up and down depending on how hard you work. 

How soon will I see results? 
You can see results in just 10 classes! For optimal results, classes should be taken at least 3-4 times per week. Your actual results will vary, as it depends on how often you are coming and what you are eating! 

Do you have different levels of Pure Barre classes? 
All classes are the same level as the technique was designed to work for people at all levels of fitness. That way, you can choose the class that suits your schedule, rather than being forced to work out at a specific time based on the level of class. The positions and movements are basic - it’s how deep you work in them that makes the difference. We are constantly changing our music and moves to keep each class fresh and exciting. In fact, you should never experience the exact same class twice! Studios periodically offer a few specialty classes, as well as intensives. 

Why does my body shake? 
When your body shakes, it means your muscles are reaching the point of fatigue, which is a good thing! Your goal is to have the muscle group you are targeting during a specific section of class shake every time. After the shake, you will stretch, to elongate the muscles while they are warm and malleable. This leads to long, lean muscles!

Beer flight = YUM. Great for post-workout, right?

I forgot to take any pictures with my pal, and since phones aren't allowed in the studio itself, I didn't get any of the inside. BUT... we did go out for drinks afterwards, so here's a picture of the flight we shared :)

Anyone else try a class like this? Was it hard for you? Does it get a little easier, the more you do it? Did you use sticky socks?

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post in any form. I paid for my own class. I was not asked to review it, but wanted to for any one that might be interested. I also like to document my own experiences – it's one of the reasons why I started the blog, after all.*