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?

A Week of Breakthroughs

I might have mentioned previously that I'm in the middle of training for the Leadville Silver 15 mile trail race in July. I'm at the point in my training where I'm tired of pushing myself--it's been a while since I've pushed myself this hard--and I'm just ready to be done. I remember feeling like this last spring when I ran those 3 races back to back. I was so happy to be done and to return to running just for fun. In fact, I bailed on a planned fall half marathon last year because I just didn't want to train that hard anymore. 

But then there was Friday's run, which was a reminder of what I am capable of. It's kind of funny when that happens.

In contrast to my running funk, I'm really excited about the progress I'm making in the gym! I continue to have breakthroughs in my training and that is making me so happy. I guess it's good to remind myself that even if I can't get faster as a runner, I can get stronger in the gym. Don't worry, I'm not going all gym rat after my races. I could never give up running, But as I look ahead to fall, I'm not going to sign up for any races, instead doing the Mammoth Challenge again and running just for the enjoyment of it. 

I'm just not sure how much more I want to participate in races. In a sense, this may be a different kind of breakthrough. Can I still be a runner and not race? We'll see how I'm feeling after next Sunday's half marathon. 

Or maybe it's just the pre-race jitters talking!

Mini Book Reviews: May 2023

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I won a copy of Up To Speed from Oh! Run Club and Pens and Paces.

What, only 4 books? It's been a very busy month and reading took a backseat to all the other May activities. Plus, 3 of the 4 books I read were long, immersive reads that required concentration. The 4 books I read could not have been more different, yet I enjoyed them all. I'm looking forward to some lighter reads for June!

Let's Runfess

Disclaimer: I runfess that this post contains a few affiliate links. 

Here we are again at the end of the month, which means it's time to runfess! Do you runfess? On the last Friday of the month, Marcia opens the Runfessional where runners can cleanse their soles. And their souls. Long-time blog readers know that I always have plenty of things to runfess. In fact, this month, I had so much to runfess that I had to let a few things go. Don't hold it against me. 

Let's get to it, so I can start June with a clean slate!