I Didn't Have an Apocalypse on My Summer Running Bingo Card and Other Runfessions

This is a pretty dramatic title, right?

Just when it became safe to go outside without a mask--thank you Covid--people are donning masks again because the air quality is so poor in areas affected by the Canadian wildfires. That includes the Chicago area, where I live. Earlier this week, our air quality was so poor, it was the worst in the world. A few weeks ago, it was the East Coast that was affected. It's almost apocalyptic, viewing the landscape through a smoky haze. And it feels wrong being stuck inside during the best time of year. 

Life has not been dull these past couple of years, has it? Thank goodness for running.

Ok. it's time to runfess! On the last Friday of the month, Marcia opens up the runfessional and we are all invited to share our running transgressions. You know I always have a few. Let's get right to it, shall we?

Remind Me Why I Do This...

While last week was probably one of the more difficult weeks I've had at work in a long time, this week I paid for all that stress. Over the weekend, I had time to process the events of the past week. While I felt pretty good on Sunday and enjoyed a really nice hilly trail run, Monday was a different story.

My body responded to all the stress by going into an RA flare. It wasn't so bad that I was stuck on the couch, but all week I've been achy, fatigued, and queasy. I continued with my workouts, but I couldn't push myself as hard as I usually do. While it probably would have been better for me to rest, I needed to move my body as a way to cope with stress. Overall, the work week was much better and as the week wrapped up, my flare started to calm down.

And then there was that run on Friday morning...read on...

June Gloom

I realize this is a term used by Californians to describe their typical gloomy June weather, but here in Illinois, we're experiencing some unusually cool and cloudy days. Let's face it, we have a lot of gloomy weather here, but not in the summer. Since summer is so short, I always feel we're being cheated when the weather isn't good. To top it off, unfortunately, we're feeling the effects of the Canadian wildfires again. It's weird because the cooler weather should make for good running, but I'm struggling a bit with breathing.

In spite of the less than desirable conditions, I had some nice runs this week! Two weeks to Leadville and I have never felt more ready to be done with a race, lol. I'm starting to think ahead to the rest of 2023 and will share my plans after the race is done. 

A Good Week to Be A Runner

Yes, indeed! It was a great week to be a runner, at least for this runner. On Sunday, I ran my first road half marathon in over a year. It wasn't pretty, but it was fun! And we celebrated Global Running Day on Wednesday this week. While I wasn't able to celebrate with my Brooks RHT teammates at Fleet Feet in the evening--I work late on Wednesdays--I did celebrate with Erica by doing a Go Run Tour.  

It's always good to be a runner, but wouldn't you agree that it's better when you get to celebrate with other runners?

Race Recap: Chicago 13.1

Disclaimer: Because I wanted to share this recap in a timely manner, I did the unforgivable and screenshotted some of the photos taken of me on the course. I plan on buying the digital version when MarathonFoto sends a coupon

Last year was the debut of BOA's Chicago 13.1 race. The course route follows Chicago's 26 mile boulevard system, which runs through multiple neighborhoods throughout the city. The boulevards are lined with stately homes and beautiful parks. While the boulevards are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of the parks along the boulevards are individually listed as well. Many of the neighborhoods around the boulevards have fallen by hard times, but for the most part, the parks are well-maintained and serve as anchors to the communities.

In spite of my increased mileage on trails, I was interested in this one. I couldn't fit the race into my schedule last year, but this year I was in! With my goal race--Leadville Silver 15 miles--on the calendar for July, I made the Chicago 13.1 a 'training race' and didn't make a finish time goal. I vowed to have fun and soak it all in!

When Birds Attack

Unless you saw my Friday IG post, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about! Luckily for you, I'm sharing the recap below. It's late spring and it seems that this week, nature is feeling itself. I blame the heat. It's been really hot this week, especially for this time of year. Hot weather makes people more violent, so why not birds too?

As you read this, I'm hopefully crossing the finish line of my first road half marathon in over a year. I had sworn off long distance road racing, but the Chicago 13.1 intrigued me--it's not the usual location for a long distance race in the city. The course runs the boulevards, a network of sprawling streets that run from north to south in the middle of the city. Beautiful historic architecture lines the boulevards and most of them have large green spaces for recreation. Being a big fan of my city, I'm looking forward to exploring this on my feet. 

Note to self: this is a training run. It's going to be a hot one, so that will be my mantra. Check my IG later for updates.

Coffee Talk

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

Let's catch up over coffee! What are you having? Currently, I'm drinking Philz Coffee Ecstatic blend with my usual scoop of GLG collagen and a splash of half and half.  It's just delicious!

What would you tell me over coffee?