Holidaze

As we are all busy, we try to be organized/efficient and do things like use lists.

So here’s a list of things.

They are listed in no particular order.

I just really like lists.

1. I have found this week to be more relaxing than my last weekend. Please don’t get me wrong- the weekend was great. This can sum it up:

Marathon baking on Friday night. With wine. Duh.

Chicago running bloggers meetup. More wine. Don’t worry- it was noon. Almost.

We’re a total party.

Date night! Just us and thousands of strangers…

A bloody mary to kick off Sunday Funday for the Bears/Packers game. I can barely look at this photo… ugh

2. My roommate texted on Saturday night that she was dvring Cinderella for us.  After the Bears/Packers game (please refer to the bloody mary picture above), we fell asleep on the couch watching it. And then she accidentally deleted it. Worst. Thing. Ever.

3. I’m back into the gym routine now that my old woman back is feeling better. At least for this week as I am heading home at the crack of dawn on Saturday (that is, if the world does not end as it originally was supposed to). Run 2 miles and do 20 minutes on the elliptical or stairs seems to be my chillaxed routine at the moment.

4. My work holiday party was Tuesday. Several things to be noted:
- My boss quoted Beevis and Butthead Do America. This seems so wrong, but was sooooo amazing.
- I tried duck pâté for the first time ever and didn’t hate it.
- Snuck out early so I would still have energy for the gym the next morning and wouldn’t smell like liquor at work. More people chose the other option and looked miserable. I may have been a little smug about it.

5. The roommate and I exchanged gifts.
Socks with a cape. This means I am now a super hero. BAM.

The dude and I exchanged gifts, too. But I like to be more discreet about such things. No matter how much I love them.

6. In order to not enter this mentality:

I’ve been doing this for every time I’ve gone out/drank/celebrated the holidays:

We call this “let’s throw all the vegetables in the refrigerator onto some lettuce and see what we end up with”.

It’s a half-win.

7. Convicts escaped the correctional facility in downtown Chicago on Tuesday and only one has been caught. I honestly had no idea my place of employment was so close to a prison, but it has made going out for lunch seem that much more thrilling. I like to live on the edge.

8. So I guess the world is supposed to end at some point today? Isn’t that what all this crazy buzz is about?  Just in case, the roommate and I decided to make a “one last roomie date” by staying in and watching a movie with some drinks last night. She got a sweet bottle of cabernet from a vendor at work and it seemed to be a shame to potentially waste it. So we drank nice wine and watched Home Alone. Naturally.

This list is getting too long. I should end it now. And because this is probably the last day of work before Christmas for a lot of people, I just want to say enjoy your holiday and travel safe! xoxo

A Month Left

Oh hey there, everyone!

Since it’s now December, and instead of just concerning myself with everyday stressors, I’m also now taking on the holidays and “oh yeah, those new years resolutions” and the sinking feeling that comes with them.

For a good laugh, let’s see how I’ve been doing:

1. Cook some sort of fish. I never have. For some reason or another, it freaks me out.

I totally did this. I’m too lazy to hunt down the post, but it was a salmon filet from Trader Joe’s and it turned out mediocre. It didn’t kill me. So it still counts.

2. Go on vacation somewhere. Did this last year by hitting Vegas. Twice if you count the bachelorette I attended there, too. Enjoyed myself a little too much. Need to make taking time off to travel a regular thing…

I took a few extended weekends. Does that count? There was a trip to Washington DC and Boston with the sister wives. A wedding weekend in Indianapolis. A race in Geneva, Wisconsin. Maybe if you merge them all together, it counts? Almost win.

3. Beat my 8k time. It was so frustrating to have a goal of breaking 40 minutes and to finish my last 8k in 40:00:00. Now the question is, who’s doing it with me???

I did not do one 8k this year. Not one. However, I PR’d with a new 5k and half marathon time. We’ll call it another almost win.

4. Figure out my new iPhone. This could take all year. Tech savvy I am not…

I love love love my iphone. And I sort of hate myself for it because I feel so cliché. But it’s true. I love it. And I’m getting better. Win.

5. Bake with yeast. I’m more of a fan of the quick bread variety. Yeast seems like a temperamental ingredient. However, if I really do want to claim to be a “baker”, I should probably grow a pair and man up.

I have not done this. Yet. I still have almost a month. And this seems much more likely to happen than the 8k thing…

6. Run two more half marathons. Thought I had figured out which ones I’d be doing. Now I’m not so sure. Either way, two decent ones shouldn’t be hard to find.

I ran 3, bitches!  The Chi Town Half Marathon where I was totally miserable with stomach cramps. The Chicago Half Marathon where I PR’d like a boss. And the ZOOMA Half Marathon that was one giant hill. BOOM.

7. Master the crow pose in yoga. Not that I’m planning on being a yoga master any time soon, I don’t really even enjoy it, but I bet the crow pose would be an impressive party trick…

I have done yoga maybe twice this entire year. And it was Jillian Michaels yoga. So you decide if that counts. I do not see this happening. I should really just give up. I hate yoga and need to admit it.

8. See a Chicago Bulls game. I heart basketball. The Bulls are my favorite NBA team. Why hasn’t this happened yet?

Took my brother for his birthday. Two birds with one stone kind of deal. WIN!

9. Eat more cookies. It may be hard to beat my consumption from last year. But I’m willing to try.

I’d call this a toss-up. Probably didn’t bake more… but that doesn’t mean consumption was down…

10. Marry a Prince. Kate Middleton did it. Why can’t I?

Well… I’m still in my budget friendly apartment in Chicago, so this clearly did not happen. I’m not so upset about it. Prince Harry seems like a handful who can’t keep his clothes on. What a hot mess. And I’m dating someone who I like better anyway. Win.

All in all, I’m proud of my accomplishments. Especially since the list was practically forgotten about a week after it was written…

Happy Friday, folks!

Thursday Randomness

Ok, I know it’s been a while. Let’s not be all awkward about it.

But don’t think of it as a decrease in blogging. Think of it as an increase in my social calendar activity.

Glass half full, yes?

And as proof that I haven’t just been super lazy (ok, so there’s that, too), here’s what’s been going on around my ‘hood:

Dinner with my friend Annie:

Seasons 52 is a neat place in the suburbs where every menu item is under 475 calories.

Cool concept. And you’d be amazed how expansive the menu is for such a restriction in calories for typical restaurant fare.

We needed the girl talk session and I personally needed a pretty low-key night due to the volunteering experience I was signed up for the next morning.

I think we all remember how I felt about that.

Afterwards, I went straight to Oz Park- a destination on my list of things to do that I was finally able to drag someone along to see.

An old coworker humored me as we walked through the spot in Lincoln Park and caught up on each other’s lives.

The 8-year-old in me nerded out.

Ok fine, the 27-year-old in me did, too.

We also swung through the zoo.

Because you can’t be that close to the zoo and not go. Don’t be silly.

Then there’s always more dinner to be had with even more friends.  And being as how I seem to have a friend who’s a boy who happens to live next to some of my girlfriends, I get to see them all at once.

And also become very familiar with the metra.

Which can get weird when you’re one of maybe 2-3 people left in the car (or, as seen above, the last person) and one guy across the aisle seems to be taking pictures of you on his phone.

But it beats being crammed onto the el and smelling the coffee breath of the 5-6 people you’re surrounded by.

Anyway… something shiny… what?

Mon joined me Monday night at a hole in the wall near our old apartment complex.

It’s maddening we never went there before I moved. I had a sandwich, fries, and a bit of a buzz for just over $10.

Yeah. $10.

Which is good. Because I had to fit painting my hair into the budget.

Processing…

The summer sun did a number on the color of my hair. And I was bored and feeling impulsive.

So yeah… it’s not you. It’s me. I’ve been busy.

Let’s try to make this work. We’ve come this far. And I love you. I just need some space sometimes.

Please cue some Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”.

Happy Thursday, kids.

Celebrations With Food

Thanks for all the love yesterday.

You kids are the bestest.

Thankfully, the soreness was kept at a minimum.

After the race and most of yesterday, my hip flexors pretty much hated me. But we worked through our differences, mostly with casual walking around the ‘hood, and today is a much better day.

But let’s talk about important things.

The best part of finishing a half marathon?

Other than that weirdly awesome sense of accomplishment, yada yada…

Indulging in some seriously good food.

After an amazing breakfast with the family, my Sunday afternoon was split into work (yeah- I must stop doing that) and lounging on the couch while cheering on my Bears to victory (Bear Down!!!!).

I was also anxiously anticipating my date with Tiffany @ Snack Snark Bark!

Miss Tiffany was in town for an extended wedding weekend, but we definitely made sure to squeeze in some blogger bonding time.

Naturally, we did it at a restaurant that came highly recommended:

By being featured on Food Network.

Plus, it’s a burger bar. Which is exactly what I was looking for after the Chicago Half Marathon. CHOW TIME.

Tiff came with her lover boy, and he offered to share the massive salad he ordered.

“I ran a half today. There is no healthy food entering this body today.”

This is a rule.

So I went with one of their burgers that included BBQ and bacon. But, as weird as it sounds at a burger bar, the fries stole the show.

Truffle fries with parmesan. ‘Nuff said.

Full of good food and Lagunitas. Sunday Funday!

We caught up with all the gossip “behind the blog” and decided one of these days I’ll have to go to Denver. Who’s comin’ with?

Anyway, as mentioned earlier, Monday was spent being stiff like an old woman. That in combination with my blood shot eyes from lack of sleep?

#HotMess

Hopefully today, weirdly enough because Tuesdays generally blow, I’ll be a little better off.

If not, I’ll just do what I did yesterday. And hobble my way down the street to get one of these:

Technically, it wasn’t race day, so my race day food celebration was over. But to be fair, I hadn’t hit all the food groups on Sunday. And by food groups, I mean “chocolate”.
Also, my stomach hurt 10 minutes afterwards. I’ll remember next time- sharing is caring.

Yes, people. I’ve discovered Crumbs Bakery.

My waistline is already concerned.

Chicago Half Marathon Surprise

Everything that could go well did.

That’s what happened.

Well. Except for the wrong turn made on the way. And the wrong turn or two or three on the way back. Considering the race started in south Chicago, this wasn’t the most ideal of situations.

Thank goodness my aunt owns a Prius and gets about 50 miles to the gallon. Or we surely would have been screwed.

But nevermind that. When it comes to the race, everything was peachy.

My morning started with the usual.

Peanut butter toast. One piece already demolished. Also, did you know Friends is on at 4:30 in the morning? I watched Phoebe get married as part of my prerace routine.

I never ever ever stray from this routine. Like ever.

We got down to the race site about an hour early. Considering the wrong turn, this was surprising. My two cousins and I gave my aunt (from out-of-town) the lay of the land to give ourselves some peace of mind and so she wouldn’t be lost and frantic after the race was over.

And then we were off. To our respective corrals. I started in “F”, which was at about the 1:55 group. This was a comfortable spot for me. Going into my “training season” for Chicago Half and ZOOMA (in October), my secret goals was to PR in at least one of the two. However, because I never quite made it over 10 miles for my long runs, my new goal was to finish under 2 hours and face plant into some pancakes afterwards.

Simple enough.

The race started exactly on time (woah) and I was thrown into a first mile of dodging and ducking others. The first mile or two is always the worst for this and makes me a bit stabby.

The stabbiness subsided, however, after about the 5k mark when I saw the clock and realized my pace was sub-8:30.

“Hmm. I should chill out a bit before I crash and burn.”

So I zone out a bit, and casually observe my surroundings to keep my mind off of all the running.

Word to the wise- if you must wear running tights that are semi-see through, do not wear neon yellow undies that say “I can do anything!” underneath. Unless, of course, you wanted 10,000 runners to see them. Then it’s ok.

Made it to mile 7 under the hour mark.

“OMG I NEED TO START PAYING ATTENTION.”

Because there was still a wee bit of time to think about things, I started breaking down the math. 8:20 pace. Shit.

That’s when I made the executive decision. Which was “Screw it. Balls to the wall. Let’s just see what happens.”

And 8:20 was the pace I kept almost exactly for the next 4 miles. How? Magic, I suppose.

Then came mile 11. Mental breakdown. A bit past the marker, there was a water station. I took a cup and started a walk. I needed this.

“Come on Amy, don’t stop now.”
“What are you doing, Amy? No walking! Keep going!”

The kids at the water station were yelling at me (our names were on our bibs).

Seriously?

Well fine. If I’m gonna get yelled at. Geez…

At this point, the math in my head (as mediocre as my capabilities are), informed me that I was going to beat my old PR unless slowing down to 10-minute miles happened.

That was a really good feeling.

And so was hitting mile 13. The end was near and I was so spent. However, I like to think that the sweet new laces my friend Laura gave me:

and the recent download of tunes from the Project X soundtrack (thanks to Mary for suggesting that movie last weekend) were my good luck charms that did it.

1:50:21. 155/1583 in my division. 2117/12105 overall.

Killed my old PR by almost 4 minutes.

This took me by complete surprise. My long runs were fine, but nothing seemingly stellar. My pace for all of my mid-week 4-milers and such weren’t anything out of the ordinary.

But I’ll take it.

And since I accomplished my original goal of a new PR, this takes a little less stress off of the ZOOMA Women’s Race next month. A good thing- because I hear the hills on that course are challenging to say the least.

However, I did not accomplish the second part of my goal.

We hit one of my new favorite breakfast spots in the city- The Breakfast Club.

And by the time we were seated and ready to order, I went a non-pancake route.

They had me at chorizo.

But now I kinda want pancakes.

Sigh.

Guess you just can’t win them all…

Anyway, thanks to everyone for all the awesome comments and tweets this last week. You have no idea how motivating you can be- it is very much appreciated.

Much love on this Monday morning,

Amy B

Things I Apparently Hide From My Friends

It’s always sad to have a friend leave after a fun weekend.

Luckily, I get to see Laura again next weekend for a second round. For now, I’ll put my feet up and rest from all the crazy.

And for those of you who are curious, here’s a quick rundown of what we got into:

1. Laura got ridiculously stuck in rush hour traffic. Not that we were on a super strict time schedule, but it caused us to break out the beverages early due to the stress it caused.

I was more than happy to oblige with vodka lemonades. And don’t ask why I have vodka called Ice Kube. The store manager convinced me it was better than Svedka. I think he was just trying to get rid of it. What a trickster.

2. Laura’s schedule and Rod Tuffcurls’ tour dates finally aligned.

Laura drank the kool aid. And is upset this is the first time she’s been able to witness the greatness.

She is now an official Rod Tuffcurls fan. FRIENDZ!

3. Because of the late night dance-a-thon at the Rod show, we scrapped the idea of running on Saturday. And decided a walk to the beach was more appropriate.

This was also Laura’s first time visiting the beach. She could not believe Chicago had this lil’ hidden treasure.

Chicago is the awesomest. I simply cannot state this enough.

4. It’s a shame we didn’t run. However, there was plenty of walking. Not only did we walk on Saturday, we also wandered the neighborhoods on Sunday before she drove home.

I got to show off my new laces during said walk. Laura brought my belated birthday gift with her and it involved accessorizing my kicks. I’m now the coolest kid on the block! Weee!

5. We ate ALL THE FOODZ.

And dressed up to do so. Before silly shenanigans with some of our dude friends, we took ourselves on a dinner date to Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar.

Sure, I made homemade calzones the night before, but the polenta fries at Frasca blew my sweet cooking skills out of the water.

A garlic aioli was involved as the dipping sauce. I should apologize to the guy I was chatting with all night.

However, a little aioli didn’t deter him. Thank goodness.

6. Being too lazy to even pour ourselves bowls of cereal, we took ourselves out for breakfast on Sunday morning.

Laura requested a coffee shop atmosphere. She suggested Starbucks, but I quickly shot that down.

There are so many better places than Starsucks… come on, girl.

Bakin’ and Eggs is a super cute lil’ joint for breakfast and people watching. However, it is NOT a place to be snarky. When the waiter asked how I liked my eggs, I worked SUPER hard to keep from spitting out “unfertilized, thanks”. Being a lady is SO DIFFICULT sometimes.

The chilaquiles (baked corn tortillas mixed in with tomatilla salsa, onions and parmesan cheese) were delicious. SUPER hot, but sometimes a good kick in the face like that is what you need to wake up. Am I right?

7. My official recovery came in the form of a 4-mile run this morning. I could have easily slept more, and totally justify it, but the strong desire to feel “back to normal” consumed me. And pre-5am gym time is apparently my normal.

I don’t understand it, either.

Have a great start to the week, kiddos. It’s crunch time in the office, so I hope I’ll be staying busy and happy and breezing through it all before a nice lil’ Labor Day vacay. Fabulous!

Laters!

Pizza Evolution

When growing up, my favorite pizza was Pizza Hut pepperoni pan pizza. My mom or dad would often bring it home after a big shopping trip in the city next to us (it was an ordeal to go because the grocery store was an hour away). It was also a frequent destination for outtings with family friends on a Saturday night. Which was super cool because I was 8 and there were the old school video games in the location we went to (score!).

When it came to toppings, I always went with pepperoni- it was the only one I liked at the time. Although my mom swears up and down I used to eat mushrooms as a toddler.

Then there was college. Where we had the pizza chain, Gumby’s, that soon became my new favorite. This was mostly because it was one of few delivery spots open at 3:00 in the morning.

I was still mostly a pepperoni-only kind of gal, but learned I could bend the rules quite easily if you offer me another Keystone Light while in the ordering process. In addition, Gumby’s was the chain that introduced me to the harmonious combination of pizza with ranch dressing. A habit I still take up on occasion, as it is sinfully delicious.

Then, after moving to Chicago, I was sure that one of the main deep dish spots was certain to strike my fancy.

There was my first experience with deep dish at Gino’s. Eh.
The Rosati’s conveniently located across from my apartment building. Eh.
Lou Malnati’s. Giordano’s. Not bad. Not bad.

What am I missing? What is going on??

After a year or two, the realization was made.

I’m just not excited over deep dish pizza.

I mean… the concept is fabulous. A literal pie of cheese and meat and more cheese? Holy wow.

But I rarely indulge unless with out-of-towners who want to try it. My preference is to just make it on my own (via Trader Joe pizza crust) for a movie night in on the weekends.

Chicago is the mecca of pizza. How is this possible that I do not have a favorite?

Then along came Piece Brewery.
My first time was about a year ago, and I never looked back. The now infamous combo of goat cheese and bacon solidified my membership card to the Piece Pizza fan club.

It may not be Chicago-style (it’s actually New Haven-style), but this Chicago spot ranks up there in my top 5.

They even have their own beer.

I went with Golden Arm- one of their lighter brews. It was a school night, after all…

My heart is theirs forever.

And that is a reason why I was actually looking forward to this last Tuesday (woah- right?). My former manager and I are both pizza lovers and decided, after weeks of trying to plan something, to catch up last night after work at Piece Brewery & Pizzeria.

Funny thing is, going out to eat is a difficult thing for us. My former boss and I both talk relatively quickly and are very capable of rattling on, hopping from one subject to another with no rhyme or reason (this was the case when we worked together, as well). It makes ordering and eating quite difficult. Apologies go out to our extremely patient waiter.

Still a lover of pepperoni, I now prefer to pile the toppings on. And he’s not a big fan of red meat. So we went the vegetarian route. Mushrooms? I’m back, baby! Spinach? Why not? Olives? I love you.

There were also artichokes involved. Don’t hate until you’ve tried it.

They offer “white” (no sauce) or “plain” (no cheese), but I just can’t call it pizza unless sauce and cheese are involved. I’m a purist like that.

The crust is thin, but don’t think it’s not going to be filling. They load up on the toppings that fill you up. Which is awesome. Because I now have my dinner sitting in a plastic carry out box for tonight.

Too bad I didn’t carry out some of their beer while I was at it.

Because pizza without beer (or wine) is just plain wrong. I’ll remember this tonight as I warmup the leftovers.

Later, kids!

Question of the Day (or month, since I don’t do this often): Favorite pizza chain when you were growing up?

Progress

Remember how I said I’m really awful about how I need things planned and it’s hard to find time to meet up with other peeps?

We’re finally making progress.

Ok, well not on the planning part. Lauren and I, much like with the running kids I met up with last week, emailed back and forth for over a month trying to work something out.

We’re both clearly a big deal. Finally, we found a chill Sunday evening to spend some time relaxing and chatting at John’s Place in Roscoe Village.

I’ve visited this spot recently, and Lauren offered to meet up elsewhere, but I said NO.

Because they have a solid patio and I did not have a burger the last time. And the burgers, according to their menu where they brag about winning Roscoe Village’s Burgerfest in 2010, must be something.

So I went for it.This, my friends, is “The Cowboy”. Sharp cheddar. Carmelized onions. A lil’ BBQ Sauce. And something called “bacon jam”.

The bacon jam was what first weirded me out. But our waitress assured me it was more like a relish- just bacon chopped up really fine.

All in all, it was delicious. I expected more flavor from the bacon. But maybe the amazingness of the cheddar and BBQ had me all distracted. Who knows?

And I love that salad is a side they offer without charging extra for it. It’s a rare thing. Sad but true. I should really write Michelle Obama about this observation.

Anyway, Lauren and I had fun chatting it up about our lives, races, and mutual friends (like woah).

She’s sort of new to this particular area of the city, so hopefully that means she’ll need a partner to check out more places in the area…. I’m so selfless like that.

The meal was definitely a nice protein boost for my next few workouts. I say that mostly because I want to go back as soon as possible.

Well, that and I really have done ok in the morning workout department.

Especially since my roommate woke up earlier than I did today to catch a flight for her holiday in the sun. It left me with the ability to jump and stomp around all I wanted in front of the tv and not worry about waking her up at 5:00 in the morning.

She’s excited about her week on the beach. I’m excited because I can do The Shred in the morning and not wake her up.

There’s something wrong with this.

Either way, I need to work harder at the strength training (what’s new?) and this will help. That and going outside would have been a total downer. The humidity is a bit suffocating. But I’ll still brave it to get to the office with no complaints. I sort of have to. And the sooner I do, the sooner I’ll get to leave for the 4th of July holiday. Which isn’t nearly as exciting as it had been in recent years with an extended weekend.

Nevertheless, a day off is a day off. And I will sleep in. And lounge. And be lazy.

Ahhhh…

Have a good holiday, kids! I’ll catch ya on the flip side.

The Day After

Happy New Years, kids!

Hopefully everyone had a good night. Most likely it didn’t live up to the New Years Eve standards that are impossibly high and out of control. But hopefully a good time, nonetheless.

I know I had a lovely dinner and drinks with my bestie, Laura, who made the trip from St. Louis to hang out for a few days…

After sitting around for 2 hours on Saturday, we finally were able to find a restaurant that didn’t require a 3-hour waiting list or spending $150 on a dinner special.

It really did take 2 hours. New Years Eve is a headache and a half.

But we settled on Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. Which was hardly settling. The plan was to go, put our name on a list, and chill at the bar. However, with a smile and a wink or two, we found ourselves in seats with glasses of wine in our hands in 10 minutes flat.

Not bad.

It was a tapas place, so we split 4 dishes and 2 bottles between the 2 of us and were more than satisfied.

Laura even convinced me to try octopus.Can’t say I wasn’t adventurous in 2011, eh?

It was surprisingly delicious.

After our long and fabulous dinner, we hopped to and from a few places to celebrate with random friends and found ourselves at home with a pizza in the oven and Three to Tango on the television by 2:00.

Does anyone remember how awful that movie was?!?! However, I will watch any movie with Matthew Perry in it. Over and over if I must. I really love him.

This morning was one of a slight headache, but there isn’t one problem pancakes and coffee won’t fix today.

I’m welcoming 2012 with carbs, caffeine, and a raised eyebrow.

I’m watching you, 2012. Surely you can kick 2011′s ass without much of a fight. It won’t be hard.

Enjoy the day off, kiddos. I’ll hopefully peel myself off the couch at some point in order to participate in some retail therapy.

So I’ll amend what I said earlier- pancakes AND shopping are the answer to any problems I have today.

Laters.

Hot Chocolate 15k 2011

Hello there!

Enjoying daylight savings? I’m not. My internal clock is all up in a tizzy.

However, I did find out TBS plays Saved by the Bell SUPER early on Sunday mornings. So there’s a win.

Another win? Finishing the Hot Chocolate 15k with a new PR!

Obviously, that makes me feel like this:Yay!

There were doubts. Because even after listing out all the things I knew to do better from last year’s disasterous run, there’s a pretty good chance I did not learn anything.

For example, there was only one long run done outside. And none in the colder(ish) weather. My bad…

That was ok, though. Going into the race, I really just wanted to have a good run with my friend. And it was a gorgeous day to do it:Not a cloud in the sky. And even though it was low to mid-40′s, the sun made the temps feel so much better.

Already better than last year.

What also made the race better? The bigger race course- it was ALL on the streets (unlike the narrow lake path last year). I only felt a little claustrophobic from race congestion for the first mile or two. As did the two girls who collided and ate serious asphalt around the second turn. It was a cringeworthy fall to watch.

My friend and I stayed together and kept a pretty good pace up until entering the 5th mile. That’s where he started to slow down and shooed me along. Little did he know, I was feeling the fatigue, too, but slowly crept ahead anyway.

The 6th mile is where I hit a major wall. The entire mile SUCKED. I wanted to walk. I was tired. My body was starting to ache.

It cannot be stressed enough- the 6th mile was AWFUL.

My stride came back in the 7th. My legs knew the end was near and picked up the pace to get this business over with.

From there on out, it was a breeze.

Wait, I take that back.

What genius makes the last .3 uphill?

And what genius lined that stretch with event photographers? There were 3. And I imagine those 3 pictures will look like this:

1. A pained expression because the hill started. Not realizing a picture of me is being taken.

2. An annoyed expression because the hill sucks and I cannot believe they are documenting this hot mess.

3. Me laughing at the ridiculousness of what is going down. This may also look like slight delusion.

Final stats:

1:19:08.
8:30 pace.
1133/9067 out of the females.
311/2324 out of my division.
2860/13430 overall.

Oh, and about a pound of chocolate was consumed after…Yes, I do run for chocolate.

Once again, I traded the apple and banana slices for extra pretzel rods. Fruit should not be allowed anywhere near my plate…

In summary, this race ended up being way better than my experience last year. The course was better, there was better overall organization, and I was much more prepared.

Oh happy day…Enjoy your Sunday! I shall be lounging. And after looking at the race pictures, I think I’ll also be repainting my nails. Word.