Sunday, March 1, 2020

Leaping Out of the Comfort Zone

Even though yesterday was Leap Day, I didn't intend on even mentioning it in a post. But looking back on my week, I realized there were a few instances where I did some leaping, both literally and figuratively. I continued to train for my upcoming Florida trail race, a race I really have no business running. But hey, what fun is life if you don't try new things, right? There was a bootcamp workout where I did 75 box jumps. I pushed through RA pain all week to get my workouts done. And on Saturday, I drove downtown to meet my fellow CARA ambassadors.

No big deal, right? This might sound ridiculous to some of you, but I'm a bit of an introvert when it comes to meeting new people. I never considered not going, because I'm really excited to represent the organization. Plus, there was a plan to go to the Lo Rez craft brewery after our meeting. So I gave myself a pep talk, went for a run, and made my way down to the headquarters in Pilsen, where the plan was to watch the Olympic marathon trials.





Weekly Rundown
Monday: CrossFit
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: Trail run 5.15 miles
Thursday: Strength training and Bootcamp
Friday: rest day
Saturday: run 4 miles
Sunday: run 13.1 miles

Monthly total: 80 miles!

Running:
I don't know if it was my achy joints, the new snow, or the wind, but Wednesday's run was tough. I considered my trail options and figured that the forest preserve trails would be icy. So I ran at the preserve with the wide, limestone trails. There was a decent dusting of snow, which put some padding between my feet and the frozen ruts on the path. I ran into the wind for the first half of the run and it about broke me! Hoping that the challenges of these trail runs are like money in the bank for my Florida trail race, even though I won't be acclimated for the heat. Its the best I can do.


Saturday's run was a short 4 miler in the cold sunshine. I did a leap for leap day, but really I'd like to take a leap to somewhere warmer. Good thing warm weather is coming my way soon. Sunday morning warmed up to the 50s pretty quickly, so I exchanged my long tights for shorts and headed out onto the bike path for my long run. I planned on doing 12, but tacked on an extra half mile somewhere and so I made it 13.1. The wind was really blowing and even though I headed out into the wind, I couldn't escape the gusts no matter what direction I ran. I also had to make 2 pit stops-booo! and the only places with bathrooms were churches. I'll let you ponder the significance of that, lol. Anyways, I was mostly pleased with this run. I did take some walk breaks, but only 30 seconds every 4 minutes. That worked well for me. I'm as ready as I can be for my upcoming 25k in the Everglades!


CrossFit:
Monday's CrossFit had one of my nemeses, overhead squats, in the strength workout. These are HARD and I almost didn't go to class. We alternated those with chin-ups, which I did with the band. I was happy with my progress with the chin-ups, but the OHS got me. The MetCon was an AMRAP of double unders (I did taps) alternating with power snatches--those incorporate the overhead squats. So as you can imagine, I was in a world of frustration. SJ and I made a plan to work on the OHS at our next strength sesh.


Bootcamp was a straightforward 40 minute AMRAP of 400m row, 15 abmat situps, 15 box overs (I did jumps on a 20" box), 15 hanging knee raises, and 15 medball ground to overhead (I did 30#). We rested for 2 minutes every 5 minutes, but did a 45 sec plank hold each time. I completed 5 rounds of this.

Strength:
As promised, Sammy Jo broke down that OHS for me and not only did I get it, I set a new PR of 45# for my 3RM. It may not sound like a lot of weight, but trust me when I tell you that the overhead squat is a humbling lift. I was floating on a cloud after this. It sure feels good to master something, doesn't it? After that she had me do that push-pull thing with the prowler. I feel like there was something else programmed in there, but for the life of me I don't remember it. Does it really matter?


Off the Road:
When I arrrived at the CARA ambassador meeting, the Olympic Marathon trials were on. It was great to see Galen win so strongly. I was disappointed to see Desi come in 4th, but how about Molly Seidel? Who? Did you know she qualified with a half marathon and had never run a marathon before this? What a first marathon!

At the end of the trials, we talked CARA stuff. I love that they are expanding their focus to reach more runners in the Chicago area. They talked about growth. CARA has it's largest membership ever, 11, 300+ members. The program they started, Go Run, which was initiated to expand running in the city to mostly underserved areas, is coming to the suburbs--my suburb! There's going to be a 5k run on April 4th at the retention pond, Lake Arlington, where I do a lot of training. The run is free. I'm pretty excited about this!

I've run the Lakefront 10 miler, CARA's signature race, multiple times. Regular readers know this is my favorite race and you can read my recaps here, here, herehere, and here. The medal for this year's race was on display.

Looking forward to earning my own!
After our meet up, several of us headed over to Lo Rez, a craft brewery which was right around the corner from the CARA headquarters in Pilsen. My husband and I visited Lo Rez last fall and loved it. I was excited to return. The beer was as good as I remembered. My son and his friend joined us and we had some laughs over a couple of beers. Interestingly, a 'Barrel Bus' pulled in with a large group of men, which kind of killed our vibe. I guess the bus takes groups around Chicago to various taprooms. Who knew this was a thing? My son commented that it looked like like the Wienermobile for drinkers.

My son and me; My Daemon golden ale.
Yes, that's a dog in the background. There were quite a few dogs there, including a really cute puppy!

I didn't mention it in the post but this neighboorhood is one of my favorite in Chicago.
The Hispanic heritage is reflected in the vibrant murals that are painted on so many of the buildings.
There are so many and I couldn't make up my mind which ones to share!It's really amazing!
So that's my week--what happened for you this week? What are you doing to leap out of your comfort zone? Did you watch the Olympic Marathon Trials? Who were you rooting for? Chicago runners, will you be joining me in April at the CARA Lakefront 10 miler? At the Lake Arlington Go Run? Have you ever seen a Barrel Bus? Is it another Wienermobile?

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.



49 comments :

  1. You look great in that OHS pic! Congrats on your new PR!
    I'm hesitant to meeting new people as well - but I'm always happy afterwards. Will you be doing the 5k on 4 April? I think this is a must-do-race for you.
    I didn't know Chicago had those murals! Very cool indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh for sure I'll be at that 5k--it's practically in my backyard! I had planned on a trail race that day. I'm so glad I didn't sign up for that.

      Delete
  2. Those overhead presses look pretty tough to me! I have never tried to do anything w that much weight like that. I do not think of you as introverted! Way to go on your long run today and I would say a pretty solid mileage month. Aside from the heat, you are definitely ready for that race. Thanks for linking up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, the heat is the only factor that I couldn't train for. I'm happy I have so much mileage under my belt. That definitely has given me some confidence!

      Delete
  3. You put the leap in leap year with all of those box jumps! And your 12 miler that turned into 13.1! Nice week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so close to 13, it seemed silly not to hit it. Then I thought, I may as well do the .1! Aren't we crazy?

      Delete
  4. Nope, didn't watch the trials. Busy with other stuff. I had the same windy run, except unfortunately it was in the mid 20s at the start. Let's just say it was a character builder. But I sure looked forward to my post-run calzone & it's didn't disappoint!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Way to go for your new PR in the overhead squat. They look tough! And great long run. You are gonna do great at your 25k in Florida. I have serious FOMO over that race.

    Nice photo of you and your son. Isn't it nice to be able to have a beer with our boys now that they are old enough? I watched the trials too. Very exciting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now that he doesn't live at home, I enjoy every minute we spend together. That we can share a beer together is a bonus!

      Delete
  6. A great week from a strong woman! I went out of my comfort zone this week when I went to a book launch for a book I worked on - I knew no one there apart from the author, who I hadn't actually met!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It takes courage to go to events like that. I hope it went well for you!

      Delete
    2. It did, thank you - I got to chat to a couple of the women who were featured in the book and who I greatly admired!

      Delete
  7. Ha ha! That Barrel Bus cracks me up LOL I love all those murals...I'd be stumbling all over the place if I saw anything like that on my runs (from looking everywhere BUT at the ground in front of me). I'd love to do the Lakefront 10-miler again someday...bummer it's in April now because I have too much stuff going on in that month to justify a road trip. The weather is probably a bit warmer, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This will be the 7th time I've run the Lakefront 10! Isn't it such a great race!

      You'd go nuts in Pilsen--the murals are everywhere.

      Delete
  8. OHS are my least favorite. They're so awkward and hard! Good on you! How awesome that CARA is expanding, especially up this way. Omg that Barrel bus is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it ridiculous? We couldn't even stop laughing about it. But I bet it's a lot of fun (and my son is already looking into it).

      Delete
  9. Sounds like you are ready as you can be for that 25K!

    I see "pub bike" brewery tours here during the summer. It's a contraption with 2 rows of seats (maybe 10ish altogether) with pedals. I guess for people who like some exercise with their beers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, we saw those bike bar things in Nashville. It's so weird! I'd rather just go to the bar.

      Delete
  10. LOL. I totally agree with your son re: Wienermobile. I see a number of party buses at the wineries out on Long Island but never a Barrel Bus. That certainly has character. Congrats on leaping out of your comfort zone. It takes a lot of self talk to get me to meet a group so WELL DONE.
    your cross fit photo is amazing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Cari! And I didn't even share it in the post, but all the 'older runners' went home before our trip to the bar. So until my son got there, it was me and 5 20-something runners. I seriously considered going home but you know me--I won't pass up good beer! The girls were nice to me, but I was a little nervous...

      Delete
  11. I'm giggling over having to do pit stops in churches! That's one place I've never even thought of using. I hope you said a hail Mary.: COmpletely agree with your son...it's the wienermobile.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have done the sign of the cross but one of the churches was Unitarian. I felt completely welcome there. The Catholic Church--I just snuck in. There was a musical group rehearsing--probably before mass and it was positively joyful! Maybe I should go back? :p

      Delete
  12. That's a gorgeous medal and I wish I was going to be in Chicago in April to join you, but there's the "I'm injured and not running right now thing" going on... Speaking of Chicago, I might be going back to that fitness conference in October that I went to about three years ago. If I do end up going, I'll keep you in the loop!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That Barrel Bus looks ridiculous. I’m not sure I’d want to be around anyone who climbed out of there either! You are well into double-digit runs! I’m not motivated to go more than 8 but I don’t have any races on my calendar yet.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congrats on your OHS! That barrel bus is just crazy - I can only imagine the condition of its passengers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They all looked pretty sober when we saw them but I'm sure things went south later in the day!

      Delete
  15. great work this week Wendy! that OHS PR is amazing!! trust me, I think I *might* be able to do it with 2x 2.5 kg weights on the bar and that's it!!! well done!! and I love that you lept out of your comfort zone by meeting up with the other CARA ambassadors. I get that feeling - I love meeting new people but I'm also kind of anxious before it happens. I'm an extroverted introvert! Doing the parkrun thing is definitely getting me out of my comfort zone! I love the Pilsen area as well. I think I need to put that taproom on my places to visit in October list.

    I did not watch the olympic trials - we were watching skating though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many good places to sample beer in Chicago--hence the bus!

      Delete
  16. Totally agree about the trials! I was surprised and disappointed about Desi, especially after she fought her way to 4th. But I was watching the last 30 minutes and hearing about how Molly had qualified with a half and never run a full before, and I couldn't believe it! She ran such a strong race!
    I dont step out of my comfort zone very often. Looks like a fun outing, especially when it ends at a brewery!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was just reading about Molly--she's from Wisconsin, ran at Notre Dame. So excited for her!

      Delete
  17. From my little experience (and battles on the trail, LOL) I think you are ready for what Everglades has to throw at you! It's very hard to replicate the conditions, either the obstacles or the weather you'll get, but all the diverse challenges you encounter in training does act as money in the bank as you say. It really does. And one of the biggest tools in your toolkit is the strength and flexibility you have from CrossFit. So you've done what you can with what you have, and I think you're going to be awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I so needed this pep talk! I'm the worst at negative self-talk--I'll probably have myself worked into a frenzy by race day. Yep, the work is done. Thank you!

      Delete
  18. I can totally relate to what you're saying. I am an introvert as well but I've been trying to put myself in more social situations. It can be so uncomfortable but I know it's a great way to meet new people and make friends. CARA sounds like an awesome group of runners!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congrats!! Keep On Leaping - And That Photo Bomb By The Dog Takes The Cake - I Have A Recommendation In Regards To Your Running - Try Walking - I Mean A 10min Mile Walking - Try Walking A Sub 30min 5k To Break Up The Routine - Mix In A Two Mile Walk Between Every 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Running Mile - Also, Glad Your Son Spent Some Quality Time With Ya - Keep Snapping Those Mural Photos And Have A Great Week Ahead

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That dog was so nervous! He did let me pet him, but most people, not so much. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll have to see how it goes. It's going to be flat, so I have that going for me, right? Although I'll need to save energy to outrun any critters.

      Delete
  20. Congrats on that PR for the overhead squats! The CARA event sounds fun, and I love that street art :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got to put all that OHS work to the test this morning as we did power snatches! Nailed them!

      Delete
  21. A barrel bus. Never would have believed it, but your picture proves there really is something for everyone! I am extremely shy with social events and totally would have talked myself out of going - good on ya for doing it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There really is something for everyone. It made me think Nashville, tho, not Chicago!

      Delete
  22. LOL on the weinermobile!! It is pretty cool looking though. The best breweries have dogs! I've heard a few more micro breweries are opening around my town. I plan on visiting them more this summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many great breweries here in Chicago, but Lo Rez stands out!

      Delete
  23. Love this! I'm am introvert, too, and I struggle with meeting new people so I get it.

    I love how Sammy Jo breaks down the moves that give you trouble so you can emerge victorious. She sounds like the best coach.

    The warm weather is coming. I can feel it in my bones. Literally LOL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did those OHS again this week and I nailed them! She is the best coach.

      Delete
  24. I never would have thought you were an introvert! I get it though. I am also an introvert and I try to not let stop me from doing other fun things. I went to Atlanta not knowing my roommate and ended up hanging out with 3 other women throughout the weekend. Glad you like Pilsen. I grew up in Little Village, which is next to Pilsen, but enjoy going there. It is my favorite spot of the Chicago Marathon course. I started running with CARA. Reading about it is giving me some good feelings. I might sign up to be a member.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I started running with CARA too! Way back in the late 1980s. Such a great organization. You should definitely join!

      Delete