Underground Polar Express Run

Three years ago, my friend Karen started the Underground Polar Express run to benefit a local charity. Last year was my first time running it, and I had a great experience! This year when she posted the registration link, I signed up the first day. The registration fee is $15, which is a bargain! Not only is there the fun run for which runners don holiday costumes, there's pizza and drinks, a raffle, and a cute stocking cap, all included in the price. The registration is capped at 300 runners which keeps the event small and fun.

This year I convinced Marcia and Sara to join me, and we met at my house to make the drive together. It was a balmy 60 degrees, and I had already reworked my costume to accommodate the warm conditions. There was the threat of rain, so we brought plastic bags just in case. The drive to Batavia was easy and it was fun to catch up. We got to the restaurant where the race was held and ran into Karen. She looked amazingly calm!

Karen, Sara, me, and Marcia

After signing in, we walked to the river path where the race would take place. No Garmins, no race bibs, just a 3 mile "jog" along the Fox River. We did pass some people, natch, but it was fun to run without a goal time. It was really warm and humid, and I was starting to seriously sweat after about 1 1/2 miles. Luckily the rain held off during the run. I was glad to see the finish back at the restaurant, where we immediately went inside to get something to drink. I headed to the bar to get a Blue Moon. Sara and Marcia opted for soda. We perused the raffle prizes, which included 4 tickets to a Bulls game! Then we sat down at the table to wait for everyone else to finish.

Michelle, her family, and a friend joined us, as well as Penny. It was fun to catch up while we ate pizza.

front Michelle, Penny, me
back Sara, Marcia

And while I didn't win anything from the raffle, Michelle and her family were really lucky, winning 3 prize baskets, including one which contained this scarf knitted by Kim from Running on the Fly!

As we rode home in the pouring rain, we talked about what a fun event this was. Karen and her elves do an amazing job of planning. I will definitely put this one on my calendar for next year! Besides being for a good cause, there's something about dressing up in a Christmas costume to kindle that holiday spirit! I was amazed at some of the creativity of the participants. One woman was dressed up like the leg lamp from the movie A Christmas Story!

Have you done any holiday themed runs this year? Do you run in costume?

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap! How was your week?

It's an addiction...

Today I went for my annual checkup. It was the quickest pap smear and exam I've ever had. Kind of like going through the gynecological drive through. My doctor had an emergency in the hospital but wanted to see me before he left. We made small talk while he checked me over, and I told him I ran the Chicago marathon again this year.

Usually, he takes me to his office after the exam to chat, but today we talked in the exam room.

"Everything looks good," blah blah blah. And then he said something that gave me pause.

"You know that exercise can be an addiction, just like drugs or alcohol," he said.

I felt a little defensive.

What is it with medical people and judging patients for our lifestyle choices? I once saw an orthopedic surgeon for knee pain and he told me the 20-25 miles/week that I run was excessive. Let me judge you, Dr. Chubs.

What is the expectation for athletes?

Speaking as a fellow medical professional, it's my opinion that most medical professionals don't know what to do with athletes. Athletes come in injured and we pull them from their sport without addressing the mechanics that caused the injury. When patients come in for well checks, there's not a lot for us to tell them. Low pulse, low blood pressure, normal BMI? My NP training was all about treating illness and disease. Sure, we learn about prevention. We are supposed to promote prevention. But most of what we do is geared towards steering unhealthy patients towards a healthy lifestyle. What happens when we see a patient who is already doing everything right?

We don't know what to tell them. Instead of praising them for making healthy choices, we tell them they're overdoing it. Maybe we even tell them they have a problem or are addicted.

I looked up the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug addiction and substituted running. I don't want to make light of addiction because it is a very serious problem. You can chase the link if you want to learn more about addiction.

But I have to admit that I found it kind of amusing how well running fit into some of these statements. Tell me you don't have an addiction to running:

• -Loss of Control: Drinking or drugging Running more than a person wants to, for longer than they intended, or despite telling themselves that they wouldn’t do it this time. Aka marathon training.
• -Neglecting Other Activities: Spending less time on activities that used to be important (hanging out with family and friends, exercising, pursuing hobbies or other interests) because of the use of alcohol or drugs running; drop in attendance and performance at work or school. This explains the condition of my house.
• -Risk Taking: More likely to take serious risks in order to obtain one’s drug of choice run. Running alone in the forest preserve? Running in the dark?
• -Relationship Issues: People struggling with addiction are known to act out against those closest to them, particularly if someone is attempting to address their substance  running; complaints from co-workers, supervisors, teachers or classmates. I have had some complaints from my sister that I talk too much about running.
• -Secrecy: Going out of one’s way to hide the amount of drugs or alcohol consumed miles run or one’s activities when drinking or drugging purchases of running gear; unexplained injuries or accidents. I hide my TJMaxx bags in the bottom of the recycling bag.
• -Changing Appearance: Serious changes or deterioration in hygiene or physical appearance – lack of showering, slovenly appearance, unclean clothes. I will admit to skipping the shower on my days off.
• -Family History: A family history of addiction can dramatically increase one's predisposition to substance abuse running addiction. Actually, any kind of addiction at all. I know a little bit about this...
• -Tolerance: Over time, a person's body adapts to a substance running to the point that they need more and more of it in order to have the same reaction. Yep, 3 miles just don't do it for me anymore.
• -Withdrawal: As the effect of the alcohol or drugs running wear off the person may experience symptoms such as: anxiety or jumpiness; shakiness or trembling; sweating, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, depression, irritability, fatigue or loss of appetite and headaches. When sidelined for injuries, I have been known to get a little cranky. 
• -Continued Use Despite Negative Consequences: Even though it is causing problems (on the 
• job, in relationships, for one’s health), a person continues drinking and drugging running. 
• 
  

In all seriousness, I have no doubt that I have an addiction. I love to run. Running makes me happy and it makes me healthy. Over the years, I've gotten smarter about running so that I can stay on the road and out of the doctor's office. I work hard to maintain a balance in my life. Running is an addiction that I'm happy to have. I could have chosen something much worse to be addicted to.

But just like anything you can overdo it. If you think you have a problem, seek help. Here's some more reading that might help you: 

http://www.runnersworld.com/run-matters/are-you-addicted-to-running

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20888832_Running_addiction_Measurement_and_associated_psychological_characteristics

http://www.active.com/articles/know-the-signs-of-unhealthy-exercise-addiction

http://greatist.com/connect/exercise-addiction-recovery

Have you ever been told that you "run too much" by a doctor? Been told that you have an addiction? Do you have any of these signs and symptoms of addiction?

I'm linking up with Jill Conyers today!

Celebrating Running in 2015

The year in medals:
Get Lucky half (PR and 2d place AG), CARA 10 miler (PR), Great Western half (2d place AG), Alpine Races Half, Chicago Marathon, Schaumburg Half

As the year comes to a close, it's time to do Auld Lang Syne. Yep, it's the time of year to reminisce about "times gone by".  As far as years on the road go, 2015 has been nothing short of amazing for me. There have been a few PRs and a few AG awards. A relatively injury free (if you don't count PF) year. No DNS and no DNFs. Lots of adventures on the road. And in life....

What am I celebrating?

Best race experience: Oh boy, this is a tough one! But I'd have to say my best race experience was my most recent--that Schaumburg Half Marathon that I signed up for spontaneously. While the race itself was a low-frills affair, as are all the races by this race promoter, what made it so great was that my legs felt fresh and I never ever wanted to quit. In fact, I felt so great that I was able to push the pace on the back half and finish with negative splits. I can't stop smiling when I look at this picture!

Last time, I promise!

Best run: I had some really fun races this year. My Chicago marathon, while not a BQ, was a victory of sorts for me...a race that showed me I could redefine my goals and finish strong even while feeling crummy. Yep, I had a migraine during this one. But I finished with a smile on my face, because I paced myself well and shut those negative voices down. That saying that it isn't about finish times, it's about finish lines? That defined the race for me.

Best new piece of running gear: My SLS3 HiP ZiPP holds all the gear and fuel I need for the long run.

Best running advice you've received this year: From Bart Yasso: "Never limit where running can take you. " Perfect advice for my upcoming "year of the destination races", right?

Most inspirational runner: I've had a lot of inspiration this year, and it hasn't been all on the road. First of all is my youngest son, who at 15, took on a brand new sport, rugby, and made it his own. His drive and desire to excel was so inspiring to me. In fact, in one game, he pushed himself so hard and did so well that he was named "the man of the match"! So much pride and love, right there.

I was also inspired by several of my friends, Marcia, Michelle, and Karen, who took on the triathlon, stepped outside of their comfort zones, and crossed finish lines in a new realm. I'm watching the three of them training now, and I can't wait to see what 2016 brings! Ironman, anyone?

Matthew on his way to a try!

Favorite picture from a run or race this year: When I finished Chicago, I got a text from my oldest son telling me he and his girlfriend were finishing lunch in Chinatown and would be coming to Grant Park to meet up with me. He put his arm around me for this picture. What more could a mom ask for?

Tom and me at the Chicago marathon

Race experience you would repeat in a heartbeat: I wasn't able to run the Sarasota Half Marathon in March due to family issues, and I spontaneously signed up for the Get Lucky Half Marathon in Chicago. Clearly all that heat training I did for the Florida race paid off because I ran Get Lucky fast and steady, achieving a PR of over 3 minutes! I also came in 2nd in my AG. I was so happy to have Sara there to celebrate with me!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?  The song that was my mantra for my marathon training: "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. I didn't, and you shouldn't either!

Can I add a category? Favorite meme of my year?

I'm linking this post with DebRuns--today's Wednesday Word is celebrate! Be sure to head over to her post to check out what everyone else is celebrating!

Linking up with Tuesdays on the Run aka Marcia, Patti, and Erika for their theme of 2015 Running Highlights!

In addition, Courtney at Eat, Pray, Run DC is hosting the annual "Year of Running" linkup! The questions here were taken from her post. I can't wait to read everyone's summaries of their years!

Goals for 2016 #thefitdish

The best part about the end of a year is it gives you a chance to review what you've done and set goals for the upcoming year. Since I'm done racing for this year I have been thinking ahead to 2016 and what goals I'd like to accomplish. Kind of funny, when I ran my first marathon, I thought that I'd met all the big life goals I had set for myself. Then I turned 50 and had this whole--"oh my gosh, I want to maximize the time I have left!". Pretty dramatic, I know. I've calmed down since then, but I haven't been complacent either! In fact, I've decided to kick middle age squarely in the ass. In the past 3 years, I've set PRs for every distance I've run. Just goes to show you that you should never let yourself be defined by a number.

So, looking to the future, what do I have in mind for next year?

Instead of focusing on speed and setting more PRs, I've decided that 2016 is going to be...drum roll, please...

"THE YEAR OF DESTINATION RACES". 

I'm not quite sure if my husband is completely on board with this, but so far I'm committed to (and he's agreed to them) 2 races. I'm signed up for the Sarasota Half Marathon in March and the Big Sur International Marathon in April. Becky and I have been discussing my training, and it's going to be a lot different than my training for Chicago. When I trained for Chicago, I was chasing a BQ. Although Big Sur is a Boston qualifier, this is a bucket list race for me, and I plan to enjoy the course and the scenery without the pressure of running for a time goal. The course has a net elevation gain (and loss) of 2000 feet, so my training will include a lot of glute strengthening and some hill work. This is new for me. It's pancake flat here in the Chicago area, so I need to work on that.

I'm not planning on running any other marathons in 2016, but I've got my eyes on a couple halfs that I'd like to do. After seeing everyone's posts on RnR Las Vegas, I'm going to put that race on my must-do list. My husband is completely on board with that. I told him he could go to the casino while I run. I see that as a win=win all around. I know this is super crowded and I'm not one for big races, but RnR LV just looks like so much fun! 

There are a few other races I'm considering for later in the year as well, including local races, but I'm not thinking much past Big Sur at this point. Stay tuned.

Something you might not think about but is a very real concern for me is that destination races take me out of my comfort zone. Let's face it, waking up in my own bed, eating my own food, and driving my own car to a race is pretty simple. Traveling throws my pre-race routine for a loop. So not only will this be a physical challenge, running the races, but it will also be a mental challenge for me. The struggle is real. I continue to make some nice progress in the mental toughness department, and I'm looking forward to stretching even further beyond my comfy routine. Yes, this is a goal.

One of my favorite mantras.

Another goal includes my perpetual goal of hitting at least 100 miles per month. I've done fairly well with this goal for the last couple of years. I'm on track to hit close to 1200 miles for this year. Only 3 weeks to go, and I'm at 1165 miles for the year.

I'm hoping to connect with more bloggers in real life through all these destination races! Mary Beth, Kristina, and Teresa...I'm talking about you! Kim...thinking Iowa might be in the plans this year!

Finally, take notice that I have no time goals. No PRs. You all know I love me some speed. But this year is all about enjoying the ride. And if some speedy finish times just happen, well, that's all good too!

How about you? Do you have any exciting goals for 2016? 

Be sure to check out Jill and Jessica's blogs to see what everyone else is saying!

I'm also linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run!

A Whole Bunch of Nothing

How was your week? Mine was great. I was on a high all week from my spontaneous, speedy, fun half marathon that I ran last week. I finally got the proofs from the race photographers, and they captured me in all my glory:

FYI, I purchased this one!

Of course, if you follow me on Facebook, you've already seen this. This picture puts a smile on my face every time I look at it. This was at about mile 10 or 11, and I knew I had this thing in the bag. That girl behind me? We played cat and mouse for the rest of the race. I looked at the finish times, and we came in together. She's 25. Just sayin'... Anyways I initially posted the proof of this photo and got called out by a commenter for "stealing" the picture. Apparently his wife is a photographer and has "runners stealing pictures" all the time. His comment really bothered me. Who was he to judge me? He later apologized, but still....

So I went to yoga on Wednesday, to stretch it all out. At the beginning of the class, we chant OM three times, followed by an invocation. Chanting OM used to make me feel uncomfortable, but over time, I've really grown to enjoy the harmonious mingling of everyone's voices. It really sets a nice tone for the class. EXCEPT for that one guy with the very big voice who can't carry a tune. When we first start singing OM, it takes a few seconds for everyone's voices to come together. But when this guy comes to class, he never gets on board with the OM. His voice is so loud and discordant that it makes me tense. He also holds the OM for way longer than everyone else. We're all just waiting for him to finish. Instead of relaxing me, his OM really gets on my nerves. I know, so un-yoga of me. Thankfully, the instructor started us out in a supportive reclining backbend, and the tension I was feeling melted away.

One downside to that race is that it made my PF very angry. Everyone and his brother have been throwing suggestions at me. I wonder what Peyton Manning is doing about his? I'm pretty sure he has the National PF Expert working on this. I've got the sports med doc at work. We talked and I am now sleeping with a homemade strassburg sock. This sock is designed to keep your foot in flexion. I didn't want to buy the real thing, so I turned to Google and found a blog post (on a running blog no less!) with instructions.  Becky suggested trigger point injections with lidocaine. And Mr. Off-Key OM suggested steroid injections. Interestingly, the clinical guidelines I found do not support the use of any type of injections. They also don't support time off the feet. Marcia suggested ART, which as a manual therapy, is highly recommended by the research. I think this will be my next step. More to come on this topic.

No wonder my husband sleeps on the couch.

And speaking of Becky, I finally got back to CrossFit this week! We were supposed to start up 2 weeks ago, but she was really sick. She still sounded bad when I saw her on Thursday. She's having me do a strength cycle again, but is changing things up a bit. Yes, we are still firing up the glutes. Yes, there will be deadlifts. But instead of back squats, I am learning to clean the bar into a front squat. This takes some major coordination, but I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself. No pictures, but trust me when I say that I am majorly sore in my posterior region. Pain never felt so good.

Becky was not at all upset about me running that spontaneous half marathon. Whew! No burpees! In fact, she was really pleased because I followed her instructions for my recovery, which included the ok to do a couple of longish runs. I have to laugh though, I set this goal to run at least 100 miles per month this year, to get to my final goal of 1251 miles (2015 km). For October and November, I was just shy of 100 miles. October was 99.07 miles and November was 99.7 miles. I probably should pay better attention to my mileage.

Finally, today was the final day of my giveaway. I was really pleased with the response to both my giveaways, the FLYJOY bars and the UP move fitness tracker. I'm thrilled that Tricia won the FLYJOY bars and Tamieka won the tracker. I'll be hosting another giveaway this month, for a pair of SLS3 compression socks. Stay tuned!

So that's a wrap! Tell me what you think about posting race proofs? Stealing? Would you call someone out for it? Ever been disturbed by the discordant OM? Tell me your best tip for PF.  

Have a wonderful week! And be sure to check out all the other posts at Tricia and Holly's Weekly Wrap!

Staying Healthy Through the Winter #humidifyme

yep, I am dressed as Doc McStuffins because that's how I roll...

Today I'm coming to you wearing my lab coat, because I'm all about staying healthy and fit this winter! I've already been seeing a ton of sick kids in the clinic and it isn't even flu season yet. I don't know about you, but I don't like getting sick, nor do I have time for illness. If I have to miss a day of work, there's no one to see my patients, which means a lot of cancelations. Plus I don't like missing a day of running. A lot of people ask me what I do to stay healthy, and I wanted to share some of my advice with you.

1. Wash your hands. You all know this. Wash your hands as soon as you get home from anywhere. Before you eat. After you use the bathroom. But what is the best way to wash your hands? Warm water, lather with soap and rub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry your hands, and turn off the faucet using the towel. What about hand sanitizers? Hand sanitizers are a good back up plan but they do not eliminate all germs--particularly norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea. This is the culprit behind those nasty cruise ship illnesses. So all those hand sanitizers on the ship? Not all that helpful. Just wash your hands with soap and water. And keep your hands away from your face.

2. Get a flu shot. Trying to convince patients to get the flu shot makes me feel like a used car salesman. I know that about 50% of you are going to comment on this one. You're going to tell me that you "got sick" the last time you got a flu shot. Or that you "don't believe in the flu shot". Or that you "never get the flu". No matter what you think, you can't dispute the fact that the flu shot decreases your chance of getting the flu. If you do get the flu, most likely you will have a milder course of the illness. And you will be preventing the spread of the flu. Oh, and by the way, you cannot get the flu from the flu shot.

3. Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night. As if you have to convince me to get sleep, there are actually people who fight this recommendation. Besides all the other benefits of sleep, lack of sleep actually impairs your immune system and in one study, demonstrated that less than 6 hours of sleep makes more susceptible to illness.

4. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Oh, if I had a dollar for every patient who told me they don't like veggies. The ones who don't like fruit I don't even understand. While there's no magic nutritional bullet to keep you healthy, the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a diet that is heavy in "minimally processed food, close to nature, predominantly plants". There are a lot of you bloggers out there doing it right. Me, I could do better here.

5. Stress reduction. Multiple studies show the deleterious effects that stress has on the immune system. Short term stress can lead to increased susceptibility to illness. Raising teenagers is extremely stressful. Even though, I run to burn off stress, endurance events count as a stressor. About a week after that last marathon I ran, I came down with a nasty bug. Luckily, I bounced back quickly. Yoga, deep breathing, exercise, and relaxation can all help reduce stress. I found this nifty blog post last week--she has a great technique for a 2 minute meditation.

6. Use a humidifier in your home. We have a humidifier on our furnace, but sometimes even that isn't enough. The air in the house can get pretty dry. Dry air can affect the cilia in your nose, which are one of your defenses against the viruses that cause illnesses. Using a humidifier can help keep those cilia moist. Research also shows that the influenza virus survives better in dry conditions.

Recently, I was sent this Honeywell Console Humidifier from Influenster to try out. Even though I received the humidifier free to trial, all opinions here are my own. 

When FedEx brought the box, I felt like Santa came. It was huge. I was pretty excited to open it.

The Honeywell Top Fill Console Humidifier is perfect for this time of year. For most of us, during the winter, the windows are closed and the furnace is running. The air is dry in our homes. This humidifier is designed to provide invisible mist to extra large rooms or multiple rooms. There are three speeds and an automatic shut off once the desired humidity level is reached. The two tank design makes it easy to fill and clean. On low settings, the humidifier can run for 24 hours. And it comes in white and black.

I really liked the ease of setup--once I took the humidifier out of the box, it was easy to fill the tanks and turn it on. Within 5 minutes, the moisture was misting out of the device, although the mist isn't easy to see, you can feel it. Even though the humidifier is rather large, it's quiet, and you kind of forget about it once it's going. Actually, it makes the home environment so comfortable that you don't even realize it's working. 

Besides the health benefits, my skin gets really dry (can you say wrinkles?) in the winter, and the extra moisture is really beneficial. 

I don't see any downsides to this humidifier. You can purchase it on Amazon or Walmart.com.

What do you do to stay healthy in the winter? 

I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta for their Friday Five link up! Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar host this awesome link up. Be sure to check it out! 

I'm also linking up with Jill Conyers for Fitness Fridays! She's talking about Making Time for Fitness, which fits in nicely with my staying healthy theme. Check it out!

Why I won't be #RWRunStreaking

If you are on Facebook at all, you may have noticed a lot of runners posting about this year's Runner's World Run Streak. The goal of the streak is to run at least one mile per day for the 37 days between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The purpose of the streak is to keep you moving through the holidays. Runners are encouraged to post their runs and hashtag them on FB, IG, and Twitter. It's a tradition that RW has been hosting for the past couple of years.

This is one tradition I'll be taking a pass on.

You know I love to run. Sure, I've Turkey Trotted the last couple of years. I run on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day. Last year I ran in the Underground Polar Express run and I'll be doing that one again. I'm not above running traditions. But run every single day during the holiday season? Actually during any season?

Karen, me, Penny, and Michelle at last year's Underground Polar Express

No thanks. I have a couple of friends who have been streaking for much longer than 37 days, which is pretty cool. You probably have a few of those friends too.

But I've got a few reasons not to streak.

1. I'm prone to injury. Right now I'm battling plantar fasciitis. And yes, it's painful. It doesn't hurt when I run, but it hurts like hell when I'm done. Taking a day or 2 off between runs really helps it calm down. I probably shouldn't be running at all, but heck, it's PF, and it is what it is. But a daily run probably wouldn't be my friend.

2. It's cold this time of year, and getting dressed to head out the door for a run would probably take longer that running the actual mile. I just don't think I could swing it on those days that I'm at work for 9 hours. Sure, I could run on the treadmill. Sure.

3. I don't need any more incentive to run. I run 4 days per week, and I rarely miss a run. But I bet I'd start to feel pretty burnt out running every day!

4. The extra laundry would put me over the top. I have teenage boys, remember, and their laundry baskets get filled if a shirt touches their body for even a minute. Add to that 7 running outfits? Ayyy.

5. Not that I care what people think, but my neighbors already think I'm nuts. Although Mrs. Kravitz would certainly be on top of neighborhood happenings!

To those of you streakers out there, I bow down to you. Your devotion and tenacity is admirable. But for me? Streaking just isn't going to be one of my holiday traditions.

Do you streak? What has been your longest running streak? Are you in the Chicago area? You should consider the Underground Polar Express Run, which benefits the Batavia Suicide Prevention Services. It's a great cause and a really fun day.

I'm linking up with DebRuns for Wednesday Word, which this week is Tradition. I thought about writing about our family's Christmas traditions, but as the boys are moving through their teenage years, a lot of our traditions have gone by the wayside. Getting them to participate in any decorating or baking is like pulling teeth. It's not fun and makes me sad, and I didn't think it would make a great blog post! Plus this is a running blog after all...