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Run-ning? What's that? Oh yeah, the reason why I created this blog in the first place! So, let's talk about running for a change. I got the chance to run with the FNRC last night. Looking at the calendar, I hadn't had the chance to run in almost 2 weeks. Oops! I guess that's what happens when you're busy working part time while being a mom. (I don't know how I'll do it when I'm back at work full time. I guess I'll have to figure it out!)

Bathroom Selfie (the only area with a light)

Amanda and her boyfriend Derek slowed it down and hung back at my pace during the run. I have been feeling that my pace is about 11:00-11:30 these days. I don't really like to focus too much on pace on my Garmin at this point, but I thought it was funny that my average pace for the run was 11:09... Right on target with how I was feeling. Little by little, I'm getting back into shape. I'm enjoying the journey along the way! I'm trying to get back into the habit of taking photos of myself (instead of just the baby). I finally got the chance to test out my Oiselle Flyte top on a run. (I bought it while I was pregnant and I've been looking forward to wearing it!)


And just for good measure, here is an adorable Patsy photo of her in her pjs... complete with bunny slippers.

I said before that I thought I was having a boy, but Patricia has totally rocked my world! I absolutely love picking out her outfits pajamas included) every day.

Thanks so much for all your kind words and support on my post from last week. It really is great to open myself up and be honest with all of you, and to hear all your kind words of encouragement and support!

It really is quite crazy how quickly the time goes by. Pregnancy and raising an infant is kind of a weird time vortex. Things seem to go extremely slowly yet very fast all at the same time. It really is hard to explain. I've been trying to run 3 days a week but it seems like 1 or 2 days a week seems to be much more normal. I'd like to get back to my 3x per week runs, but that will take some time. Patsy isn't really on a routine just yet and I'm doing some part time work for my job while out on maternity leave (this will allow me to take more leave time off).

I've been able to meet up with the folks on my Thursday night group a few times. The group is so amazing and I love that there are some people willing to hang out and go my speed. Definitely a "pay it forward" type of thing; no runner left behind! It is starting to get a little too cold to bring Patsy out on runs in the BOB so I've been out with Pepper. I'm hoping to make this a part of my weekly routine. I had to wipe the dust off my head lamp and find my reflective stuff all over again!

While some of my friends were running the Naperville Marathon on Sunday, I was going for a leisurely jog around my neighborhood. My SIL came by to watch Patsy and I went out for another run with Pepper!
The temps were beautiful! I had a lot of fun out there in some nice weather. I also loved wearing all my running gear again. I have lots of stuff that I still need to take the tags off of. Oops! I think I have a bit of a shopping problem. I only went for a mile but it was a fun mile!
This is what a mother runner looks like. I wanted to post this photo also as a follow-up to my post from last week. Looking at this photo, all I can see is my little pouch. I totally get why many moms hide behind flowy tops and capri pants. I'm working on getting my confidence back and posting this photo is taking me down the right road. :)

And because she is smiling all the time, I just had to post my new favorite photo of my little angel, Miss Patsy Rose. She was kicking up a storm (the hubs calls it "riding a bicycle") and smiling like a big ham for the camera. I just had to share this photo with all of you. I hope it makes you smile just like it makes me smile all the time.

Since my little "funk" continues, I thought I should embark on another "inspiration" post talking about all those that inspire me.

Today I'm going to talk about the running community. I first started running as part of the track team in high school. There was definitely a huge sense of community as you were part of a team and all that jazz. When I started running again in college and afterwards, I did it by myself. I would run on the treadmill, around the city, just because I liked to run. I would run with a few friends here and there but I did the majority of my training on my own (including my first half marathon).

It wasn't until I decided to tackle the marathon that I realized I wouldn't be able to do this on my own. I signed up for the local CARA group and started training.

With some of my training pals at the CARA compound before the Chicago Marathon 2011

After the Illinois Marathon (and half marathon) 2012

After the training for my first marathon was over, I didn't know what to do. I had all this extra time on my hands and I had made all these new running friends! The training group kind of dispersed afterwards so I decided to get in touch with my local running group, the FNRC. I had run with a few of the folks a few times, but over the winter, we really got the chance to do some bonding over the weather conditions and general running talk.

My first long run with the FNRC

First time meeting Maggie

After the marathon was over, I also decided to start this old blog. That opened me up to a whole entire world of the running blogger community. Some of these folks started off as acquaintances but have become friends over the months we've known each other. We do meetups, race, drink, eat and do all other sorts of things together. I really am lucky to be friends with so many great ladies.

My first ever  blogger meetup before the Shamrock Shuffle 2012

Girls weekend at Zooma Great Lakes 2012

Oiselle teammate meetup on the Chicago lakefront path

Chicago Blogger Holiday meetup

To me, all of these runners are inspiring in so many different ways! Whether it is my pace leader and pal Jeanne qualifying for Boston for the first time; Maggie PRing all the time getting faster and faster; Amanda W PRing when not planning it while overcoming injuries along the way; Amanda TTF who somehow manages to run marathons, complete triathlons while also raising a family at the same time; Kim who works full time, helps run a company with her husband, and maintains a vegan lifestyle; Sara who loves running marathons more than I ever thought possible; Erin who always looks adorable whether she is or isn't wearing running clothes; and Kelly who (has an awesome name) always shares great recipes and goes after her dream of becoming an Ironman, something I can only imagine in my wildest nightmares... And all the other ladies who I didn't mention but who continue to inspire those around them without even realizing it!

This post has got me feeling all warm and fuzzy... and very fortunate to have such great ladies in my life! I may be taking a little bit of a break but I know when I'm back at it, these ladies (and a few guys) will be there for me, no matter what. Who do you run with and how do they inspire you?

As some of you may know, my dog Pepper is my favorite running buddy.

We love to run together as often as we can. She also absolutely loves all types of people (adults and children) and would never hurt a fly. (Well, maybe a fly. I've seen her try.) She is really great when she comes to our group runs, behaving well within the group (even if people are running ahead). She is also really great with other dogs and is non-confrontational while we're running. She is so focused on going forward, she doesn't stray (unless there is a rabbit or squirrel, taunting her)

Can you spot the happiest dog in the world? The center of attention?

Because I think she is such a great dog (although, my opinion may be biased) and she has so much fun when we're out there running together, I've been dying to sign us up for a 5k. I've seen dogs at races before, and I just know it is something that Pepper would absolutely love. She would love the excitement on race day, the attention from other runners, and the running too (duh).

However, time and time again, I keep coming up to road blocks when finding a 5k for us to participate in. Looking at different websites for small, local 5ks, there isn't usually a policy on dogs. I've emailed 4 different (small, local) races to find out about their policy on dogs. Some have said "We'd rather not" or "No"... While others never responded. If there is going to be a policy, I wish that more races would publish this policy on their website so it becomes common knowledge.  I understand not all people are dog people and there are certain liabilities with having dogs at races.

I've even emailed race directors, received a "no" response, and then shown up on race day only to see dogs (plural, more than 1) participating in the event. Being a strict "rule follower" by nature, I was upset by these "rule breakers." The defensive part of me thinks... Why have a rule if it is not going to be enforced? Another part of me thinks... Should I be a rule breaker like these other folks? Quit asking questions and just start showing up to races with my dog? Have you ever seen dogs when running races? Did it make you think one way or another about the race, or dogs in general?

Maybe this is an untapped market for a new type of race? A dog-friendly 5k! I've seen it done in other states (California mostly) but I haven't heard of anything around here. Would you participate in a dog friendly race? Perhaps the FNRC needs to put together a "grass roots" kind of thing where all dogs are welcome. Have you ever participated in a race with your dog? What race was it? Did people treat you differently, during or after the race?

The day of the F^3 half marathon started out like any other race. I met up with Nicole, Amanda, and Maggie to carpool to the city. We got to the city much earlier than I expected and we were able to find a nice parking spot right by the start with no problem. We stayed in the car to keep warm for as long as possible before meeting up with some bloggers and some FN Runners. Nothing felt particularly out of the ordinary.

Carpool crew (L to R): me, Maggie, Nicole, and Amanda

FNRC, plus 1 blogger

I started the race with Erin and I know we run well together from our Zooma experience. We started off at a conversations pace of about 9:30. This is usually easy for me but it just seemed like a struggle. We kept it going until about mile 4 when I had to dial it back. I knew I had some mental blocks that I had to try and break through if I wanted to finish this thing. I wished Erin good luck and I slowed to about a 10 min pace. Soon afterwards, I ran past some of the Chicago Running Bloggers and their signs made me smile! Thanks so much for coming out to cheer us on!


As I kept going, I felt more and more sluggish and the nausea started. I was moving at about an 11 min pace at this point. After getting sick, I stopped to walk and one of the course marshals asked me if I was okay. I knew what I wanted the answer to be, yet that was different than the truth. I wasn't okay and this just wasn't my race. Instead of trying to struggle through the next 7.5 miles, I decided to throw in the towel and DNF. I had to listen to my body and my body was telling me to stop. There are a bunch of different factors that could be reasons why, but I don't want to over analyze the possibilities. It just wasn't my day.

On the plus side, I got to head to the finish line early and see the elites finish. I was most excited about seeing Tera Moody finish! I also got the chance to talk to her after the race, and congratulate her on her Houston finish earlier this month. As we were chatting, some random guy came up behind Tera and gave her a big hug, lifting her up. Apparently he thought she was someone else... Awkward... But Tera just laughed it off an we kept on talking. She lives and trains in Colorado so we talked about the difference in sea level and different running terrains. She was really friendly and I'm super bummed I didn't get a pic of us together! What kind of blogger am I?

I then headed back to my car for a little bit and waited for my other friends to finish. It seems like everyone had a really great race despite the temps an conditions (some of the terrain was quite snowy).

Post-race, posing with medals (which also doubled as cowbells)

After the race, we headed to the Cubby Bear for the post-race party and some beers. With my nausea, I decided it was best to not have any beers so I enjoyed an ice cold glass of water.

The FNRC at the Cubby Bear

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic race. It was well organized and well staffed. Even when I was off on the sidelines, waiting for a ride to the finish, I overheard some of the walkie-talkie conversations and they had each other covered. I wish there would have been more warming tents at the start as they got pretty crowded before the race. All of the post-race eats were great (except, a bottle of water would have been nice versus cups) and I especially enjoyed the donuts. :)

Packet pickup was offered in the city and a few different suburbs and that was definitely helpful. The shirt we got is a nice short sleeved tech tee. I thought it was strange to have a short-sleeved shirt for a winter race, but given my long arms problem, I'm not going to complain.

I hope to run this event next year and cross that finish line smiling. :)

Have you entered my Running on the Wall Giveaway yet? You have until Wednesday, January 9th to enter!

This past weekend we made our annual trip to Lake Geneva. My husband's family has been going up there once a year for the past 30+ years. Last year I had a lot of trouble fitting in my workouts so this year I planned accordingly. I met up with the local running club for a run on New Years Eve morning. Pepper came with me and she absolutely loved the attention! She would just stand by various people in the group, waiting for them to pet her. Lol. Amanda even brought champagne for us to sip on.

Can you spot the happiest dog in the world?

Tuesday I braved the dark and freezing temps to meet up with the running club again for some easy miles. When we left for Lake Geneva on Thursday, I was happy to already have 2 runs under my belt.

In preparation of a long run, I had emailed Kim earlier in the week as I knew she didn't live that far from Lake Geneva. We met on a trail that was half way in between for 9 windy miles. Bobbi joined us too! Since I haven't actually ran with Kim or Bobbi before, it was a lot of fun.

Thanks Kim, for letting me steal your photo!

Kim even got me a birthday present (complete with a card that made me laugh)! Thanks again Kim for the amazing gifts!! :) We ended up having a bit too much fun at the local watering hole on Friday night so I was glad I got my run done earlier in the morning! I brought a Picky Bar with me on the run that we shared as I really want to try and get a fueling strategy down this year. It seems I get part way there and then my stomach has other ideas...

Running on vacation is always hard, but it helps to have some friends that will meet you half way! When you go on vacation, do you run with friends? Do you look up local running clubs to participate with?

Do you have any traditions or vacations that your family has done for many years?

Last night we had our typical Thursday night run. Since I won't be doing my usual long weekend run due to our Blogger Brunch (#CRBHolidaze), I wanted to go a little longer. I didn't want to push it, but Maggie and I ran 6 miles. I wasn't even paying attention to our pace as we were deep in conversation. It really is great to have a running buddy, especially in the winter, for accountability and to help make things less boring.

Christmas is around the corner and I still have so much to do. This seems to happen every year, despite how much planning I try to do beforehand. Although, this year, I didn't get the chance to do much pre-planning. The tree is up, about half the presents are bought, and I still have a long ways to go. Oopsies. Part of the reason is that I don't know what to get folks. I often go the giftcard route if I can't decide, but I try to think of an actual gift first... And now it is also getting to be crunch time for the "free shipping" at various online retailers. And now I am anxiously awaiting several packages, hoping they arrive on time. Why do I always leave things to the last minute? My goal this year is to not have to shop on Christmas Eve. This usually ends up happening, but I'm going to try and avoid it this year, honestly. Are you a last minute shopper like me or do you get things done weeks (or days) in advance?

And I've finally decided to try Crossfit. (Although, I've heard that "You don't 'try' Crossfit. You either do it or you don't.") There is one by my house that is only $10 a try and I plan on going the week after Christmas. I could hate it (I think I might hate it) but I want to give it a try anyways (just to curb my curiosity, if anything else). If you have any tips for newbies, please let me know.

This winter I would like to have my little pup, Pepper, complete her first 5k. There have been a couple races where I've thought about it, but there ended up being not-so-great weather, dogs weren't allowed, or I wanted to PR and knew she couldn't keep up. Pepper was totally jealous of Waffles and Rex completing 5ks this past year, so we are in the search of a small, local, dog friendly 5k. If you know of one, please let me know! (If you're not sure if it is dog friendly, but it is a small and local race, I have no problems emailing the race director to ask.) :)

Goldendoodles think they are lapdogs. I guess I help perpetuate this thought.

Since every post needs a photo, here is one of me with Pepper on my lap. Yes, she tries her darndest to sit on my lap and loves the extra pets and cuddles that ensue. I think she believes she is still the same size she was when she was a puppy. Obviously, that is not the case.

Tuesday I got the chance to actually work out on the treadmill. I haven't run on a treadmill in awhile and I was reminded why I am not a fan of that device. I felt like I couldn't find a steady stride, and I kept getting static shocked from the "safety bar" whenever I would accidentally touch it. (I'm not sure if this is because my iPod earphones were rubbing against the bar or what.) Either way, it made for a very uncomfortable run. And, in true FWP form, the free wifi at the gym kept going in and out so I couldn't watch the old episode of The Office I was planning on. It was really annoying, but luckily I had some jams on my iPod I was still able to crank up. When you're out running by yourself, do you sometimes sing the words to the songs out-loud? Or am I the only one that does this? At the gym, I was mouthing the words, without saying anything out-loud and other folks around me probably thought I was a weirdo. It's alright, I was trying to have some fun while running on the treadmill. That can sometimes be hard to do. Lol.

Xaarlin (who blogs at Pain is Nothing) and I had made plans via Twitter to meet for lunch at the Chriskindlemarket in Chicago. Our first date was thwarted by rain so we rescheduled for yesterday. It was great to finally meet her in person (as it always seems to be when meeting fellow running bloggers). We chatted over some delicious potato pancakes, and oogled over all of the chocolate covered fruit and strudels while trying to restrain ourselves. We both bought some cool Christmas ornaments while talking a lot about or fur babies. I don't know what is up with me lately, but I didn't take a photo of the delicious food (I was too focused on eating it before it got cold). And then Xaarlin and I forgot to take a photo together too. I know, I don't know what I was thinking.

Tonight is our group run and I'm very much looking forward to it. Our group has grown quite exponentially lately and I think it has a lot to do with our consistency. Rain or shine, light or dark, snow or sunshine... we will be out there, at 6:30pm, regardless.

Here is our group from last Thursday (12/7/2012)... Love this group of folks!

This weekend, a bunch of Chicago Running Bloggers will be heading to Erin's house for a Christmas brunch after a fun run. The internets shall be aflutter with posts, Instagrams, and tweets of the event, you can probably count on it!  I'm having dreams of our Zooma weekend and I'm very much looking forward to it. We are doing a grab bag gift exchange too! It might even turn into a game of Yankee Swap so we shall see! There is also going to be a costume contest. I like dressing up so I'm going for the prize. I think I'm going to have some stiff competition though. We'll see who comes out with the win! If you're looking to follow the shenanigans checkout the hashtag #CRBholidaze to follow along on Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have anything planned this holiday season that you're really looking forward to??

When I posted a few days back about my love for all things pumpkin, reader and running group friend offered to make me some pumpkin bread. Of course I accepted this offer but the kind of forgot about it. Thankfully, Julie didn't forget and she came to our group run last night just to drop off the loaf of deliciousness. She said that it is some powerful brain food, and I gotta admit that I agree. This stuff is amazing, so.... special thanks to Julie for baking me a special load of your amazing pumpkin bread.

I know I've said this before, but I feel really luck to be a part of such a great running group. If you haven't joined one, I highly suggest you do so! There are several resources online to find running clubs in your area, but your best bet is to try a local running store as they probably have fun-runs on location.

In other "racing" news, this weekend I will be running the Hot Chocolate 15k. I did the 5k last year and the course was long but I really loved the course (you ran through the streets of Chicago). This year they changed the course, expo location, and added an extensive corral system. Maggie did a post awhile ago about "I love your race complaints" and I've gotta say that I've been loving the "complaints" on the Hot Chocolate Facebook page. This is a big downtown Chicago race. If you don't live in Chicago, expect to be inconvenienced. I won't re-hash things she may have previously mentioned, but you should check it out. I'm interested to see how this race pans out with all the changes they continue to make each year. Maybe eventually they'll figure it out?

The Macmillan pace calculator is a funny thing. Have you ever used it before? I know it isn't an exact science but it sure is a nice guide. Based on my 5k PR (22:53), it says I'm capable of a 1:45 half marathon. Considering that is what I was working towards earlier this year, it is nice to know that a computer program has my back, in addition to all of my friends and coach. The calculator also gives projected paces for long runs, mid-week runs, and tempo runs. If you aren't sure what your tempo pace should be, this site is a great guide/start.

I think it is interesting that I ran a better time at Zooma than I did at the Rock N Roll half that I worked my tail off for. It is funny how detrimental heat and self destruction can be. Running a 2:02 at Zooma while having a fun, easy going, and conversational race really gave me the mental boost that I didn't know I was looking for. I haven't been training as hard because of my exam, and I just went out there to run a fun race. (Fun is relative here because no one was having fun on that giant hill.) I worked hard for a 1:45 and I feel like now that goal is achievable. My next goal race is the F^3 Half Marathon and I'm really looking forward to it. I think that I'll be able to PR without a doubt and hopefully get something in the 1:4X range. I just know I can do it. :)

Have you run a race where things turned out better than you expected?

Last night we canceled our Thursday night group run for the first time ever. The weather conditions were actually dangerous with lightening and high winds, so we decided it wasn't smart to be out there. Despite the weather conditions, we still had 6 people (including me) come for the run, hoping things would clear up by the time they got there. I think that is pretty outstanding and shows the dedication of the runners in our group. Rain or shine we will be out there! With the desire to still get our sweat on, I headed to the gym with Amanda and Genevieve. We were able to get adjoining treadmills and had fun running and then doing some planks together.

Don't be jealous of my photography skills...

I really love this running group. Do you usually run in the rain or hit the gym?

A little while ago I signed up for a local 5k the day before the marathon. I was taking my time while eating my breakfast and took this great photo:

When I showed up to pick up my packet, in downtown Frankfort, most of the people walking around were wearing the race shirts (and quite a few folks had their bib numbers on the back). The area where everyone was congregating was close to nice public bathrooms and a grassy area with plenty of space to stretch (including a decent amount of parking).

Due to the date in proximity of the marathon (and the fact that there was another 5k in the next town over at the same time), I thought I could escape with an age group award. As I haven't had the time to focus on speed work as much, I wasn't aiming for a PR. Instead, I was aiming to start slower and have my last mile be my fastest. This race was gun timed so I settled in close to the start line. (For a start line photo, checkout #22 on this photo stream. Don't want to post due to possible copyright issues.)

Of course, my Garmin went back to the home screen by the time the gun went off, so I started it a few seconds afterwards. The first mile I tried not to go out too quick as people were blazing by. My Garmin beeped at a pace of 7:30 for mile 1. I felt good and thought this was going well.

I tried to pick it up a bit for the second mile and passed some folks ahead of me. I know the trail we were on pretty well (it is the same trail we run on every Thursday) and there is a big bridge/hill along the way. Before reaching the 2 mile marker, the course shifted and I saw were were going to head up and down the big hill. Since this part of the course was "out and back," I was mentally preparing to do it again as soon as it was over. Mile 2 (including the first hill) was a 7:35 pace.

After mile 2, I didn't really pick it up. I knew the hill was ahead so I tried to keep it steady and save my energy. Once reaching the top of the hill, I kicked it into gear on the way down. I read somewhere that most people go uphill too fast and downhill too slow. I tried to reverse that and use the downhill portion to propel me forward finish strong! I saw a teenager ahead of me, I visualized that he was pulling me, and I focused on trying to pass him. I didn't pass him, but I'm happy with my finish as my last mile was 7:23... And I broke 23 for the 2nd time this year with a time of 22:59. (I'll take it.) Considering the 2 hills and my lack of speed work in recent weeks, I'm very happy with this time!

With the out and back course, I could see that there was only 1 female ahead of me... That means that I was the 2nd female to cross the finish line! I hung around for the awards ceremony in hopes of winning an age group award. While I was waiting, I munched on some of the post-race snacks including bananas, donut munchkins, bagels, and coffee. I gotta say that the thing I love most about local 5ks is the coffee they always have post-race! It was delicious and helped keep me warm while I was waiting. I did end up winning first in my age group and I'm very excited about it!

1st Place, Female 20-29

After I received my award and had a local spectator take this photo of me on the Old Plank Trail, I headed home to clean around the house and get ready for a full day of marathon spectating! I really enjoyed this race!

Pros:
Nice long sleeved t-shirt
Cheap entrance fee ($15 if you preregistered)
Beautiful course (out on the trail)
Fantastic support from local police to make sure runners were safe
Well-marked course

Cons:
The course with that hill, twice (I guess it makes for a challenge)
It would be nice if they had awards for 2nd place too instead of just 1st

Would I do this race again? Absolutely! I also highly recommend it to other runners! Although, if they changed the weekend of this race to not be so close to the marathon, I bet they would have a lot more folks enter.

Wow. This past weekend was pretty much a runnerd's dream so it will take me a few days to talk about everything that happened! First, I'd like to talk about spectating the Chicago Marathon.

I headed downtown bright and early because I wanted to see the elites run by. One of my running group friends, Diane, carpooled with me as we parked and walked to our designated spot: Mile 17. After watching some of the speedy wheelchair racers go by, it was time for the elite men. Diane had never spectated a marathon before so I told her she was in for a treat! The first pack sped past us in a blink and Diane grabbed a quick pic (better than mine).

Not too far behind was the elite I was most excited about seeing, Dathan Ritzenhein!
I absolutely love this photo. Dathan looks like he is literally FLYING. He ended up finishing 9th overall in a very tough field and shaved 2 minutes off his previous PR, finishing in 2:07!! This interview video from Flotrack is great. Dathan talks about some of the mistakes he made (even elites make mistakes) and how he struggled with the "Roosevelt Hill" (just like the rest of us)!

After the elite men went by, it was time for the elite women!

After the elites, we had some down time before our first group of friends came by. We decided to make the most and take some more photos!

Diane and I at mile 17

My general store was quite the site.

Diane was meeting her friend Jeni at the halfway point so she hung out as long as she could at mile 17 before making the walk to mile 13 (due to logistics of the course, this walk was actually less than a mile). Due to the wave start, my friend Kate S. passed Maggie so I walked to try and run with Kate! I walked to try and meet her but with the wave of runners and spectators, I totally missed her and a bunch of our friends that she was running with. I was so upset!!!! :( I was so worried looking for Kate (and obsessively checking my phone for the next update) that I almost missed Maggie! Thankfully, she spotted me in my bright FNRC shirt and we were on our way! Maggie was running this at her own pace and just enjoying the scenery. (You can read her full recap here.) I took a lot of pics but this one is my personal favorite.

I ran with Maggie from mile 16-23. It was nice to sing along to Gangham Style (complete with the dance) as well as cheer for the runners while they were running. People looked at me as if I was crazy and that I had too much energy! That was why I was there! To help boost the energy of those that didn't have it anymore. :) I hopped out at mile 23, knowing that Maggie could finish this race at ease (and she totally did). Next up, I hopped in with Amanda and ran with her until they pulled me off the course.

I think Amanda was smiling much more here, at mile 24 than when I left her at 25.5. Either way, I'm glad I was able to help her reach her goal! Amanda got a shiny new PR and finished under her ultimate goal time as well. You can check out her race recap here.

Afterwards, I walked to the Congress Hotel to congratulate all my Yankee Runner friends. The FNRC was pretty split up after the race so it was hard to get together.

Either way, I had an absolute blast out there cheering for all my pals along the way! I'm surprised I still have a voice, to be completely honest. It was a great day and this only fuels my desire to get out there and give the Chicago Marathon another attempt. We have some unfinished business! (To read about my Chicago Marathon experience the first time around, you can check out my post here.)

CONGRATULATIONS to all the finishers, whether you PRed, completed your first marathon, or just crossed the finish line with a smile on your face. You are all awesome and I hope to join you out there again some day! :)

I knew I would be excited for my friends running the marathon this year, but I didn't think I'd be this excited... A chill remains in the air. Banners are up throughout the town. Street closure warning signs are posted. Plans for the expo are coordinated. Marathon fever in the city of Chicago is in full swing and I'm soaking it all in. I have to admit, it is really nice to be on the spectating/support side of things. (My previous marathon regret has passed with all the studying I've been doing these last few weeks.) This time of year always gets me excited! I have to admit, I fully plan on wearing my GR Marathon tee to casual Friday.

Yes, it is lime green and may be a bit much but I don't care. I am a member of the "finisher" club and I will be wearing my shirt with pride. :) When walking to work this morning and remembering the course, I got a little choked up. I guess this will always be an emotional time for me, until I'm able to tackle and finish the Chicago Marathon. In the mean time, I'm suuuper pumped to cheer on my running friends as they tackle this beast of a distance!

Do you ever get emotional thinking about a certain race? If you live in Chicago, are you sporting your marathon gear this week?

My guest bedroom has been completely taken over by running gear. Outfits and necessities are laid out for both Saturday and Sunday.

Thankfully the guest bedroom is rarely used so I can lay out all my running stuff and not feel guilty about it! :)

So, my strategy for the 5k on Saturday is to take the first mile easy-ish, and get progressively faster so my last mile is faster than my first (this rarely happens for me, so that is what I'm going to work towards). Pepper and Toph may be there to cheer us on! Yahooo!!!

I'm getting really excited about the Chicago Marathon this year. And I'm NOT running it. I think this is the most excited I've ever been about a marathon! :) So many of my friends are running the Marathon this year and I'm happy that I'm going to be able to support them! I started the Chicago Marathon last year but was a DNF. This race and I have some unfinished business. I know I will once again attempt the Chicago Marathon, but this is not that year.

The runner tracker is set and I should be receiving text alerts on race day. They only let me track 3 people so I had to make those choices wisely. I know there is a runner update on the website that can be used, so I'll be using that probably more.

On race day, I plan on hanging out at mile 17, near the mile marker, until I see Maggie run by, when I'll be joining her for a few miles of the race! If you're starting in an earlier corral and in the first wave, look for me on the east side of the street. I'll be wearing my FN Run Club shirt! (It also has "Running Kellometers" on the back.)

With Maggie and Julie on their 20 miler, wearing my FN Run Club shirt

If you see me out there, say hi! I plan on having a lot of stuff in the pockets of my shorts to help aid runners along the way. If you need something, ask! I already have my outfit and a lot of the items laid out. How am I going to fit all of it in my shorts? That has yet to be determined...

Thankfully my shorts have a lot of pockets in them. The particular shorts I will be wearing are very unflattering, but when it comes to race support it is definitely time to chose function over fashion. If you're part of wave 2, I might still see you at mile 17, but I might also end up at mile 23 (on the South side of the street, by the overpass near the El tracks). I'm not a fan of this wave start as it makes spectating and running with different people quite difficult.

I've been so excited about spectating and laying out my helping outfit, I haven't really been focusing on the 5k I'm running the day before! I don't think I'll PR as I haven't been as dedicated to my running while studying, but I think it will be fun regardless! I'm still going to give it my all, and I plan on pushing outside my comfort zone (which I sometimes have a difficult time doing).

Are you running the Chicago Marathon? Are you spectating the Chicago Marathon? If you're spectating, where will you be?

It seems as if fall has finally arrived. Temperatures are cooler, it is getting darker earlier, and the pumpkin flavored things are everywhere! I don't know if I would put away the running tank tops just yet, but it sure feels nice to run in capris! Fall running clothes are my absolute favorite. Arm warmers, light jackets, long sleeves, capri pants... Another reason why I am oh-so-thankful to be a runner for Oiselle: their fall kit. I received it a few weeks ago but temperatures have been too warm to wear any of the gear. The past two weeks I've been able to break in and wear a few of the pieces and they are amazing, as expected!

I pretty much LIVE in the Onyx jacket and wear it to work almost every day instead of a normal jacket. Can we say runnerd? Probably. (But that is nothing new...)

The Run Tee is also my new favorite "Casual Friday" office outfit.

If you'd like to purchase any of the Oiselle gear shown here, check out their website! If you're a first-time purchaser, use code "RUNTODAY" at the checkout for 10% off your order. Some of their stuff is also available at Running Warehouse and Amazon.

It has even been cool enough for Pepper to once again join me for a run! Our first run of the season was on Sunday with the FNRC. We went 4 miles and she did really well. She was a little hard on the leash as there were a lot of rabbits and squirrels on the trail, but I know she'll get better once we are back to our old routine.
I'm really excited to be running with Pepper more! She may even start to occasionally join us on our Thursday runs!

What is your favorite running season? Are you also as excited about fall running clothes as I am??

As I may have previously mentioned a few times before, I run with the Frankfort New Lenox running club. We call ourselves the FN Runners. This past Saturday, the group put on a supported 20 mile run out on the trail with help from a local grocery chain (Berkot's supplied water, cups, Gatorade, bananas, and oranges) and a local running store (Running For Kicks provided Gu). The stations were manned by other members of the group and helped by local high school kids. So many people helped to make this run great and I was happy to be a part of it! I didn't help by manning an aid station, though. I cheered at the half way point, helped direct some folks where to go until I met up with Maggie and I ran the 2nd half with her. I know Maggie's had a few posts lately about how she's burnt out on running and tired all the time. It is at that point in the training cycle so I was happy to help lend some fresh legs and fresh energy out there for the 2nd 10 miles!

I hadn't run 10 miles in a few weeks so I wasn't sure how things would go. However, knowing someone was depending on me, I knew I couldn't let them down. In some of the chaos of the morning, I forgot my Garmin. I was kind of glad because I wasn't obsessing about how far we were, etc. we chatted a lot about food (what can I say? I like food) and the miles seemed to breeze by. There was tons of support along the way which was really amazing. (This running club seriously rocks. And there isn't a membership fee to join! You just have to show up!) Before I knew it, we were at mile 8 and only had 2 left to go. I think I said a couple times, "Only 2 left?!" We had a little fun quoting Dylan from Modern Family. (I couldn't find a YouTube video of the clip.) "This is the farthest I've ever run....... Now this is the farthest I've ever run...... Now THIS is the farthest I've ever run." that never got old (to me at least).

Thanks for snapping this great photo Amanda!

When we finished, there were cold beers, water, and more Gatorade waiting for us. I was so excited for those that finished their last long run before the marathon and now it is taper time. I gotta say, I like vicariously living through my friends running the marathon without having to complete the entire distance. Haha I'll be back out there to run another marathon some day, but I'm glad that time isn't now.

Have you gone out and supported folks during a training run or race before? Do you have similar thoughts as me? :)

When I was finished, I went home and ate a delicious cupcake from Cupcakes for Courage in Chicago. It is a food truck (with a recently opened store front) and their cupcakes are THE BEST in the city. That's right. I said it.

Best in the city.

Don't forget to enter my Haeleum giveaway! You have until Monday, September 24th to enter.