Run for the Cheetah 2010

I’m probably never ever going to sleep in past 8:00 on the weekend ever again, am I?  Ahhhh…. how life has changed from when I was a 22-year old college kid nursing a hangover…

But that’s ok.  Yesterday was a good reason to be up early.  I was out the door and picking up Annie to take a drive down to Lincoln Park in Chicago by 7:30.  We had things to do.  Like kicking ass and taking names… Details you want?  Ok. Here’s Annie as we’re walking to the park- we were both anxious for the race to start:Wave at Annie!  And feel free to say hello!  She informed me she’s one of the regular readers of SCR… Hey girl,  heeeeyyy!The race started right at 9:00 with a little rain in the air.  Nothing too bad- I was more concerned about wind- but that wasn’t much of a problem, either.  My leg was feeling quite alright.  I could feel a little twinge (is that a word?  If not, I’m using it from now on to describe feeling the spot of concern without really feeling pain).  I started out at a decent pace, and closed in on the first mile a little under 8:30.  This surprised me considering I haven’t really ran at all since the Shamrock Shuffle three weeks ago.  As soon as I realized my pace, I knew that I would comfortably hit a finish under 27 minutes (the time I had decided I’d be ok with all things considered).  I hit my stride in the second mile and pretty much just carried it through the rest of the race. 

After I got done, I quickly turned around, grabbed our stuff from gear check, and hustled to find a spot to watch Annie finish.  This girl rocked it!  I am soooo happy for her!  I found her after she crossed the line and we gave each other a big hug- victory!!!!  Here’s Annie’s re-enactment of crossing the finish line:And here’s me stretching out the little leggie that gives me problems and just giving my body some recovery from the shock of all the sudden having it’s owner telling it to run:

And after I got up, I realized my big mistake…  The ground was a little damper than I realized.  Awww… my poor flat and wet butt.  I just can’t win… in more ways than one.  Come ON Jillian, we’re supposed to be working on this issue!

Final time you ask?  25:18!  That’s a 8:09 average pace!  And I placed 8th in my age group- so that’s kind of neat.  Considering all the protest my legs have put up, I was completely happy with the time.  I’m hoping to break 25:00 on my next 5k I run.  Still up in the air if that’ll be Race to Wrigley in two weeks.  I’m hoping it will be. 

And little Miss Annie clocked in her first 5k ever at about 32:30!  I was soooo proud of her!  Can I say that enough?  I love that I have a few running buddies now…

But enough about racing.  It was time to eat.  We ended up at Toast (thanks for the suggestions, btw!).  I asked Annie if she would be ok with that one and she said her boss had also told her that’d be a good place to go.  We had to wait to be seated, which was fine because we were still walking it out and stretching.  And the wait was seriously worth it…  LOVED the restaurant.  Loved the food.  Loved the company!And loved the coffee… mmmm.  We both went back and forth on what to order.  After giggling about the menu’s “pancake orgy” (yes, I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old), I settled on the Omelette Lorraine.Oh man it was good.  We enjoyed our breakfasts over some good conversation.  Well, good conversation on our parts.  I don’t often mind the people around us (or even notice- hello, I’m focusing on my food!).  But we were seated next to a first class jackass.  I mean really.  I wouldn’t have even mentioned it if some of the things that came out of his mouth weren’t some of the most obnoxious and egotistical bull I’ve ever heard.  Apparently, there are no girls hot enough for him in the clubs anymore these days.  But it doesn’t matter because he’s too good looking to have a girlfriend right now anyways.  The couple sitting with him looked embaressed because they knew he was offending everyone within ear shot.  He said much more, but I’d rather not get into much more detail than that.  I have never had such a strong desire to stick my foot out as he got up to walk out.  But I was in a good mood.  And I didn’t want to deal with the possible law suit that would occur.  Not worth it.

Every good brunch needs a bit of dessert, so we walked back up the block to this little shop:I had stopped in Starfruit to pick up a race packet before, and loved how cute it was.  But never tried anything.  I’m not a huge fruit person (in which I mean I really don’t eat hardly anything considered “fruity” at all), so I stuck with the original flavor of the Kefir froyo and got a little reese’s pieces goodness to put on top:True love.

I got home and crashed on the futon (which is only around for another week before it gets replaced- so I’m saying my goodbyes).  I also finally watched The Informant.  After much thought, I thought this movie was “ha ha….eh.”  You’ll know what I mean if you’ve already watched it.  The plot bored me.  And I honestly spent alot of the movie semi-confused.  But some of that could be blamed that I was watching it in tired-coma-like-state.  My brother was the one who said it was funny.  And I told him after I watched it, I wanted to write Red Box for my dollar back.  And then we went back and forth with some random quotes Matt Damon had throughout the movie.  His random narrations were pretty funny.  Because they were just ridiculous.  But the movie as a whole was just “eh”.  That’s why I stand by my rating of “ha  ha…eh.”  Take what you want from that…

Have a good Monday!

One Tequila, Two Tequila…

Mr. Craigslist came and picked up the chair this morning.  He wasn’t a creeper.  No worries.  But Mon was there, as my red-headed spunky sidekick.  Just in case.  Ha.  Mr. Craigslist was actually kind of nice- and turned out he and his wife were originally from a farming area in Ohio.  So we got along just fine. 

After he left with the papasan chair crammed into his car, Mon and I headed to downtown Arlington Heights to enjoy the day that was even WARMER than promised.  Gorgeous!  We popped in and out of a few boutiques and stores here and there, but I was a big fan of this store I didn’t know existed called Runner’s High n’ Tri.I was intrigued by the shoe selection, but decided to come back when it was less crowded.  Check out how cool this wall is:The wall was signed by random athletes who had stopped in! 

Then we decided it was time to hit Fuego.But it’s not called Fuego anymore- Now it’s Salsa 17.  For some reason or another, there was a name change last month.  It really made no difference to me or my tastebuds.  We both had planned for this to be a “fun” outting, so we decided to order by the waiter’s recommendations. Margaritas!  Don’t worry- it was almost noon by the time we had our first sip.  That’s acceptable, right?Mon was happy.And so was I.  Clearly. 

Then we decided just to split a couple apps for lunch.  So we had some guacamole made tableside along with spinach quesadillas…Fabulous.  I overdid it a little with one too many tortilla chips.  I blame it on the margarita.  It was a strong one.  And I was a little loopy by the end of it.  So after I dropped Mon off at her car (that was getting fixed), I went home and lounged.  Even got in a little cat nap as I watched the Cards game (great day yesterday, boys!).Here’s something randomly fun- see that upper pic on the bookcase?  That’s me as a blond in there on my 21st birthday…  Wanna see it up close for fun? But I guess it’s kind of hard to tell how blond and overly tan I am for my own good in this pic.  So here’s another one.  Keep the smirking to a minimum, please…Too funny, right?  A couple of you had asked when I mentioned that I used to be blond, so I figured I’d just bring these up for kicks. :)  Oh and that’s Mary to my left and Laura to my right.  It seems we just naturally tend to pose in that order… which I totally didn’t realize until I was writing this.  And even looked back through more facebook pics to confirm it.  I guess we all have a good side?

Anyhoo, it was a fun Saturday.  I hit up the Red Box near me again as to keep me entertained for my night in before the race.  Has anyone seen Zombieland?  It looked kinda funny when it came out in theaters, so I thought why not- I’ve already exhausted most of the options in Red Box.  And it was funny.  I’m not into the gruesome factor, so I had to look away a couple times (even if it is seriously unrealistic), but I laughed.  It was much appreciated “off” humor if you’re into that kind of thing.  I also rented The Informant on a recommendation from my brother.  That one was saved for later today.

I also made sure to be semi-productive after the little nap and before the movies.  Yoga and the elliptical.  This was the first time I had been on the elliptical in awhile- and it wasn’t bad.  I read about Kendra’s difficulties after giving birth in an old US magazine.  Good stuff…

Ok, so this is posted as I am on my way to my 5k- Run for the Cheetah.  See ya kids later, I’ve got some business to take care of…

Restored Energy Levels

Ok, so I’m feeling much better!  Nothing that an overabundance of coffee and H20 can’t cure…  Hopefully today I’ll need a little less of the “hard stuff” to get to hyped cheerleader perky levels.  Ok, maybe a few notches lower.  Let’s not overdo it.

Since my mood was “iffy” at best, I decided it was the best for everyone around me that I take a quiet lunch on my own with my current new read.It’s a book I picked up at the library last week before my trip.  I was concerned I’d finish “Are You There, Vodka?  It’s Me, Chelsea.” before the weekend was over, so I snagged a few backups- which included “I Was Told There’d Be Cake” by Sloane Crosley.  I did finish Chelsea’s book (and I love you that much more Chelsea Handler!) but didn’t get to start this new one until today. 

So far I love it.  Her first chapter is dedicated to her weird collection of plastic toy ponies.  Quirky.  Yet fantastic.  Just like me.  And what else is fantastic?  That salad.  Yep.  I’ll throw that word out there.  Cauliflower made a guest appearance today thanks to a sale at my friendly neighborhood grocery store.  Thanks Jewel Osco!  Leftover turkey from Easter also got thrown in.  My mom was disappointed I didn’t load up on candy, so what I lacked in sugar, I made up for in protein.  It’s Thursday and I’m still trying to get through it all!  I don’t usually stick turkey in salad, but whatevs.  It worked.

Yoga went fabulously.  Is it sad that I’m a half-step in front of the girl on the video?  I should probably switch it up, but I’m nervous I’ll end up not liking the next one… I wish there was a “Fitness Fusion Level 2″ or something like that.  Because I really enjoy that it’s not the traditional yoga.  I’ve heard good things about Jillian Michael’s yoga dvds.  Maybe it’ll be something to try?

Jess over at Process of Healing is so lovely and handed me the Stiletto award the other day!  I just wanted to give her a little shout out and say thank you!  I know I’m supposed to tag a certain number of people, but I really suck at this so I’m just going to highlight a couple peeps:

Ten.Eight.Six.Four because she is working her butt off for the race she just did and ones to come!

Simply Shaka because she’s my “go to” for fun posts of life and pop culture and the two combined…

It’s a Great Day to Be Alive! because she’s a fun read everyday!

Low… and Behold! because I’m often a huge fan of the random musings she likes to bring up…

So those are some girlies to check out if you haven’t already.  Now back to business…

I’m skeptical about the planned run today.  The weather doesn’t look like it’s going to be on my side.  I’m bringing the workout clothes to change into right after work, but I’m pretty sure rain is in the forecast all day.  Last night Annie and I talked about the race.  I told her I’m 90% doing it.  We also discussed other important things such as leave time, what to bring, and of course where we’re going to eat afterwards…  I’m looking into that one.  Any Lincoln Park breakfast/brunch spots I’ve just got to try?  I’ve been to a few in that area because that’s where a lot of my runs happened last year.  But I’m open to suggestions!

Annoyance of the day?  This zit that popped up to say hello for the weekend.  What the hell?  Get off my FACE!!!  Honestly now- I have bangs.  Why can’t you hide out under there?  I don’t understand.  Grr…  Was I the only one who thought when you got older, zits would stop happening?  And I have some issues with whoever told me that… Not cool!

Southern Hospitality

This month was Jaime’s month to figure out where we would be going to lunch.  She had it limited down to a tapas place close to where they live.  Turns out, as I’m looking through the website on Friday, I realized I had already been there.  Oops… And one of the rules (yes, we have rules in lunch club) is that it has to be a place where no one has already eaten.  So Jaime started looking again.  And that’s how we ended up at Wishbone.

I’ve heard of Wishbone, but had never been there.  We went to the Lakeview location. I got there kind of early, so I put our name on the wait list and waited for everyone else.  This creepy thing stared at me while I waited…. alone… scared and vulnerable…Roosters are scary.  I don’t care what anyone else says.

So everyone arrived and we were seated with a view of some colorful and fun yet slightly odd artwork: The whole restaurant was open, colorful and fun.  Which I liked alot.  We were there at a time on Saturday that fell into the “Weekend Brunch” menu.  Everything looked like a winner, but here’s the lineup: I had the blackened catfish salad with garlic vinagrette (don’t worry- I wasn’t making out with anyone yesterday).  Once I looked at the menu, I knew I wanted that blackened catfish some way or another.  Shockingly, I wasn’t feeling like breakfast at the time, so I went the salad route.  And it was awesome.  I’m pretty sure it was one of my favorites of all our lunch outtings.  The catfish was perfect.  The vinagrette was just flavorful enough.  Fabulous. Jaime had the andouille hash with scrambled eggs.  She let me sneak a bite and the chicken sausage was really spicy!  Yumm… Cathryn chose the black bean patties and scrambled eggs.  After she was done, she was all smiles in food coma land.  So I assume it was tasty. Scott went with the cheese omelette with a side of cheese grits and bacon.  Believe it or not, with my farmland background, I had never tried grits before.  I tried his.  Not a fan.  There’s just nothing really exciting about them I guess?  I just shrugged and was like, “eh”.  I didn’t hate grits.  But I doubt I would ever order them for myself.  Good to know.

Scott and Jaime had a bloody mary or two and Cathryn tried out the mimosa selection.  Cathryn raved about the pomegranate mimosa, but S & J are always hard up to find a bloody mary better (and cheaper) than what they get at Salt and Pepper Diner.

All in all, another win for lunch club!    We’re 6 for 6 on being well-fed and happy. Not to get cocky, but we’re kind of awesome.  Next month is my pick- clearly there’s a little bit of pressure…  But no worries!  I’ve got a few options in mind that will hopefully be mixing it up a bit! 

I noticed this sign on the way out.  Kinda liked it! After we parted ways, I headed straight home.  My aunt and cousin were visiting my cousin Niki who lives here and they were going to stop by my place because they hadn’t seen my new place since I moved (I moved in June- but really, I always go to Niki’s place, never the other way around).  She’s the one running the Shuffle with me, so we discussed meet up times and the race in general.  So excited! 

I did end up running 3 miles before we met up for lunch club.  Nothing “hurt”, so I’m hoping I was just sitting there freaking out over silliness.  Because I knew I was only going to run the three, I decided to turn it into a 5k, pump myself up, and see what my time was looking like.  I clocked it at about 25:50.  Not bad!  Hopefully, before Annie and I do Run for the Cheetah, I can shave off a little more time.  After I got back and the fam had left, I did The Shred before calling it another lazy night.  I’m thinking it might be time soon for Jillian and I to take our relationship one step further… to Level 3.  Not today… but soon.  Either way, I’m getting tired of Level 2- that combination strength move with a cheer squat involved kills me.  EVERY time.  If I were a grunter, that would be the part where it happens.  Instead, it’s more of an exhausted and whiney squeal.  It burns!

Nothing like the first time…

Everyone remembers their first.  First race, kids- get your minds out of the gutter.  Mine was last year.  Yeah- crazy it hasn’t been that long since I started signing up for races.  I’ve loved running for so long.  Gone up and down with distances and consistency since high school, but have always appreciated it.

Now, I think it’s moved into more of an obsession.  And I’m ok with that.  Thankfully, most of my friends are supportive of it.  Some don’t always understand my love of training and actually getting to participate in a race, but that’s ok.  And now, I’ve got someone else caught up in the fun…

One of my best friends, Annie, started running a couple months ago.  She has always been an active chica (the girl teaches dance and has been a dancer since she was little- so she’s hardcore!), but decided to start hitting the treadmill as part of her regular routine.  She said her goal is to be able to go running with me out on the trails.  And then she started pondering 5k’s.  She works on Saturdays, so a Sunday race was going to be necessary.

Enter Run for the Cheetah.  This was my first 5k that I did with my cousin last year.  You can read about my nervousness and excitement on that race here.  I got an email from the organization a month or so ago about this year’s race.  I dismissed it at first, because I do have other 5k races I’m pondering in April.  But then Annie kept talking about it.  So I sent the email her way.  And we’re going to sign up!  I’m still going to do another 5k (most likely- more about that later), but I am so happy to be doing this one again!  It’s a smaller race, but I think it’s perfect for the race first-timer because it’s not overwhelming.

Why do I mention this now?  Because Annie called me last night (as I was in the shower- boooo000) and left a voicemail.  She just got out of the gym and had to call me- she made it to three miles on the treadmill and couldn’t have been more excited!  I was sooooo excited for her!

I love that she is so excited to do this!  And I can’t wait to do this race!  First of all, because it’s her first (and hopefully she’ll love it and it won’t be her last).  And because I’m going to be doing the first race I did over again.  Last year, Niki and I had said it was a New Year’s resolution.  I really thought I’d do one and that’d be that.  I like to run, but really didn’t think I’d become obsessed with the race.  As soon as it was over, I knew I was going to have to do another one.  And another one… LOVED it.  Again, that’s just the competitive streak in me. 

And seriously- who doesn’t love saving cheetahs?

Hopefully this year I’ll dominate my time.  Yes, dominate.  My mileage is getting up there (3.75 last night if you’re starting to lose track), so it’s about time I start working on speed, don’t ya think?  Any helpful pointers out there???

If Cheetahs are sprinters, why isn’t this the 100-meter dash instead?

Various people asked me what I would be doing on Friday night.  I laughed and said I was making a point of not drinking and going to bed somewhat early.  They looked confused until I told them I was running in a 5K on Saturday morning.  Then they were confused in a different way because they didn’t see me as a runner.  Surprise…

We were up by 7:30 on a Saturday morning.  That should not be allowed.  Nothing good can come out of getting up that early.  But we did.  And we bundled up.  It was cold.  Not as cold as the Shamrock Shuffle last week, but very chilly nonetheless.  We cabbed it over to a corner of Lincoln Park that was already bustling with people.  Neither one of us had done this before- so we were a little lost in what we needed to do.  Good thing the registration table was clearly marked.  We grabbed the free long-sleeve tees and our numbers.  And realized we still had about 40 minutes to spare before the start of the race.  So we walked around- more to keep warm than to stretch out our muscles.  I’m not kidding- it was COLD.  There were a few things to do- exhibits, things for kids to do, info about the organization, etc.  Niki and I hoped they would have baby cheetahs there to see.  No such luck.  Oh well- a suggestion for next year.

Right at 9:00 we were in place- surrounded by hundreds of people.  Niki’s a bit claustrophobic, so thankfully that didn’t last long.  Soon, we were running.  And running.  And we ran the whole thing- which I had been nervous about not accomplishing (cold air, wind coming off the lake- eek).  When we were running, Niki kept swearing she would never do this again.  She changed her mind a little after we finished.  It was a very empowering thing to do.  I, on the other hand, knew right away I was going to be signing up for another one.  Loved it!  We pushed ourselves- we got faster each mile instead of the other way around.  I loved passing people.  I didn’t realize I was so competitive.  Why haven’t I been doing races sooner?

We got through the finish line.  And looked at each other.  We were f-ing starving.  Niki said she knew of a place nearby, so we went.  It was Original Pancake House- an Illinois chain.  This particular one was tucked away in the basement of a high rise.  We saw other runners who had the same idea as we did- luckily we beat the crowd (must be because we run like the wind!).  The menu reminded me of Walker Brothers.  Almost exactly- I’m wondering if they have the same owners?  I was ecstatic- I talk about the oven baked omelets that Walker Brothers has to anyone who will listen.  So you know what I got.  It had mushrooms and bacon in it.  Yum.  I will eat mushrooms in pretty much anything.  I’m slightly obsessed.  And I ate the whole damn thing- don’t judge, I just ran a 5k!

After breakfast, I experienced another first- Chicago Public Transportation.  We took the bus to Michigan Avenue.  I had asked the night before how close they lived to Michigan because I needed to go to Tiffany’s.  I had taken my parents to Michigan Avenue in October, and we went into Tiffany’s because my mom had never been.  And I figured she’d like seeing all the sparkly things as much as I do…  Dad sat and waited patiently- obviously not his kind of place.  But he did tell my mom, who was looking wistfully at all the charms, to buy a little something.  She declined, but you could tell she didn’t really mean it.  I took a mental note.  Her birthday’s next week, and I figured if we all chipped in, we could get her something pretty that comes in that little blue box that everyone loves.  Niki insisted on going with me.  I told her not to worry about it, that I didn’t want to make her feel like she had to go- but she had never gone inside and was curious. 

We rode the bus all the way to the front of Tiffany’s.  We were both a little apprehensive about going inside in our running gear, but there really wasn’t a more convenient time to go.  Besides, judge all they want, I knew I was going to be leaving the store with something and that’s all they really needed to know.  I knew exactly what I wanted, so I described it, they pulled it out of the case, and I bought it.  Spending money can happen so quickly.  Niki approved and said her mom would probably love it- so that’s a good sign my mom will, too.  Now I have the little blue bag with the little blue box sitting in my room waiting to take the trip to KC next week.  I wish I had a little blue box for myself sitting there, too.  I really loved this collection of necklaces with key charms on them.  So cute!  It would have been really easy to swipe my credit card again- but I restrained.  Just like my mom did.  I hate being so damn responsible.

What was I thinking? I don’t know about this 5k business…

Along with all the standard New Years resolutions (such as eat healthier, cook more, lose five pounds, etc.), I decided to also list “do a few 5k runs”. I filled out a facebook survey and legitimized these resolutions by actually writing them and posting them for everyone to see. Damn facebook! Maybe I shouldn’t have. My cousin Niki, who lives in the River North area (and is the only other family member to venture to this fantastic city), responded and said she was wanting to sign up for a few herself. She went on to suggest that we do a few later in the year together. I was all in. I might have even bragged a little about how the two of us were going to run together and was so proud of myself for possibly reaching my goal.

Then, Niki wrote me in February and said she was getting a little excited during her morning workouts and had found a race she wanted to sign up for. In April. In the beginning of April. I run on a regular basis, but signing up for the race is still a big deal to me. And I expected to have more time to get ready! I thought about it, made sure my schedule was clear (I’m pretty sure I was looking for excuses to back out), and told her I would do it. I signed up, paid the fee, told them my t-shirt size (that’s right- I get a sweet t-shirt with cheetah paws all up the sleeves), and started to get excited.

I actually have been keeping this race in the back of my mind while working out for the last month. And was thrilled that yesterday’s weather (and the luck of having the earlier shift at work) would allow me to finally do a bit of running outside. I’ve been feeling like a hamster on a wheel on the treadmill in my pathetic excuse for a gym at my apartment. Now, do not get me wrong- I HATE the treadmill. I was lucky enough in college to have an insane Rec Center with an inside and outside track. The treadmill is boring. And it took some getting used to when I realized that was my only option here unless I wanted to pay $50 for a monthly gym pass. I’m poor enough the way it is. But after awhile I got used to the stupid thing. And completely forgot how different the treadmill is when compared to a track.  Or any form of outdoor running at all. It was windy as hell. And my poor knees…  We can safely say I did not run the whole 2.8 mile trail.

Pray for me. I have two-and-a-half weeks to start getting used to the outside running. The clock is definitely ticking.

Or, if you’re interested in participating, check out this website:

http://http://www.runforthecheetah.org/chicago/index.htm

My motivation at this point is that I’m running for a good cause. I would hate to let all those cheetahs down…