Minneapolis-Star-Tribune-runningkellometers

Wednesday-Friday: Walk to and from the train. 4.8 miles total.
0.8 miles each way. 2x per day, 3 days a week. I took a business trip and was gone on Monday and Tuesday hence the smaller mileage this week

Hers and Hers Sunday ice cream treats.

Sunday: 3 mile walk with Pepper.
I really am loving this Sunday tradition. This week I even let Pepper cheat on her diet a little bit and get a baby come. Shh, don't tell anyone. :) I even took a video to commemorate the event. Lol.

Saturday: Rowing 15 minutes
Toph and I had wedding to go to Saturday night downtown and we were leaving for vacation soon after. That led to lots of errands but since I hadn't run all week, I wanted to be sure to get in some sort of workout before vacation.

Just after getting off the rowing machine, I went to check the mail. A wonderful surprise arrived! Amanda (aka Too Tall Fritz) had bought me a ForTwoFitness shirt that we had talked about online last week. It brought a smile to my face (and perhaps a tear to my eye) as the shirt is so cute and Amanda is so thoughtful! I can't wait to be wearing this one all around town once the weather warms up enough to wear a t-shirt!

Thanks Amanda! This shirt is definitely motivation to get out there and sweat!

With the business trip this week, I was really thrown off. I didn't properly plan my workouts to account for the extra time I'd need to spend in the office, closing up loose ends before being out for a week. Now that I'm on vacation, I know we'll be doing a lot of walking. I also brought a prenatal pilates DVD that a friend gave to me. I'm very much looking forward to lots of relaxing and some delicious food!

**Don't forget to enter my 13.1 Chicago Half Marathon giveaway! You have until tomorrow (Wednesday, March 13) to enter!**

I'm feeling a little grumpy today with the lame weather tease we got over the weekend. Therefore, I'm going to put together a round of First World Problems to help me get out of my grumpy mood. Lol.

This morning I sat down to have my typical bowl of cereal for breakfast. I had bought some more milk over the weekend so I was ready for a heaping bowl. However, much to my dismay, I accidentally bought soy milk instead of almond milk. Thankfully I had just enough almond milk for my breakfast but what am I going to do with this soy milk? I don't want to drink it and should I return the milk to the grocery store I just bought it from? I don't even have a receipt.
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

On Friday I had the best donut in the world from Fleckenstein's bakery in Mokena. It was a chocolate old fashioned and it was AMAZING. Since then, I have been craving another one but I know that I don't want to get into the habit of eating donuts frequently. Lol. So yesterday, I caved to the craving but I got something that looked similar from Dunkin Donuts (chocolate glazed). It was not nearly as good and probably had about the same amount of calories. Totally not worth it (but I ate it anyways). Now I know that once you've had something good, you can't expect a second-rate version to taste as good.
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM


I'm so sick of this Chicago weather. The temps warmed up over the weekend and the snow melted. Then it rained a ton. You got to feel the nice weather, but you couldn't do anything with it. Then, after the snow all melted, it got cold again and the temps are calling for more snow today and again on Thursday (and we also got some snow yesterday too). I know we've had a fairly normal winter and I don't mind the snow in November - February... but it is March. Shouldn't the snow be gone by now?
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM


We are going to New Orleans again in a few weeks! We leave on March 23 and come home on March 30. We are driving down with 2 other couples so it should be a blast. I plan on doing another food post and taking lots of photos, so get ready for it! However, before anyone goes on vacation, they know the chaos that ensues beforehand. We still have to take dog to vet, go to salon, attend an out-of-state client meeting for 2 days, get the dog groomed, pack, buy/make road trip snacks... Next week is going to be crazy so, I'm going to take my time enjoying this week!
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM


Daylight savings took place this weekend. Therefore, everyone's schedule is thrown off. I'm more tired than usual and I've only changed about half the clocks in the house. Does anyone know the point of daylight savings, like really? I just don't get it.
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM


I went shopping over the weekend at a new local grocery store and I was checking out their selection of goodies. I came across something that left me truly perplexed. Frozen grilled cheese sandwiches. A grilled cheese sandwich has to be one of the easiest thing in the world to make. All you need is 3 ingredients: butter, bread, cheese. I am no chef and even I can make it. It also takes only a few minutes. Why would someone want to buy a frozen grilled cheese when you can easily make one yourself in the same amount of time, with no chemicals or preservatives. (And you just know the frozen version doesn't taste nearly as good as one that's homemade.) Only in America...
FIRST WORLD PROBLEM


Ahh, that feels better! Do you have any First World Problem gripes you'd like to share?

Whenever the husband and I go on vacation, we like to explore some of the local fare. Looking for some of the best local restaurants can be difficult when you're in a tourist town in the "off season" when a decent amount of establishments are closed. I spent the weekend in Wisconsin Dells with some friends, and we shied away from huge chains that we can get back at home. Here is a quick summary of some of our favorite eats from the trip.

I've been to this place before and it was just as delicious the 2nd time around. They make their own beer and pop so there really is something for everyone (you may have tried their root beer before). Their menu was extensive with lots of vegetarian options. I have eaten there twice and both times it was outstanding. The service is always fantastic and I really can't say enough great things about their food. I highly recommend the fried cheese curds. It is a Wisconsin delicacy and one you shouldn't miss! (website)

Foodie photography skills to the rescue!

This restaurant calls you in with their huge signage and an adorable moose mascot. We arrived on a Saturday night with no reservation and were able to get a table for 7 with less than a 30 minute wait. They make their own beer and had sampler platters available (which is always fun). The restaurant was 3 levels with a bar on each level and an arcade in the basement. This was a great place for families or friends to gather together and eat. On our way to our seats, I saw someone eating taco pizza and I just knew that was what I had to order. Sauce, meat, cheese, lettuce and Doritos all on a pizza? How could I go wrong? It was delicious and lived up to my expectations. The beers were also very good. I think this is a great restaurant for a family where mom and dad could have a good time too! (website)


Staying at the Wilderness Lodge, we passed this place any time we left the campus. It didn't look like much on the outside but it had some great Yelp reviews. There was one drawback for our group, it was a vegetarian only restaurant. This deterred some of the guys in our group from wanting to go there, but after having some disappointing breakfast meals at other local restaurants, we ate here for our last meal before heading back home. The menu had extensive options including meatless and fake meat options for both breakfast and lunch. I went with a skillet that was full of fresh grilled vegetables that you wouldn't normally see in a skillet. They had a delicious coffee bar with cool specialty flavors as well as homemade baked good and some to-die-for looking desserts. They only had 1 waiter for the entire restaurant so the service was a little slow, but they brought out the food as it was ready so everything was nice and hot. I would highly recommend this place if you're in the area, even if you're not vegetarian! Although, it is only open for breakfast and lunch (I think this was because it was "off season"). (website)

Yesterday I had a meeting in Michigan and then met up with some friends for a "couples trip" in Wisconsin Dells. I drove an hour to Chicago, 3 hours to Michigan for a client meeting, another 3 hours to a Chicago suburb to drop off a colleague, and then 2.5 more hours before reaching my final destination. As I sit here writing this post and doing the math, that is a lot of hours and a lot of driving. Yikes. I didn't get my run in afterwards because I was absolutely spent when I reached my final destination. That is probably the most driving I've ever done in a single day in my entire life.

I wad hoping to sneak in a run before we have too many activities to do today, but I slept in instead. Oopsies! We did go to some waterparks so at least I got in some cross training with the stairs and swimming. That totally counts, right? :)

Tomorrow I'm hoping we can go the the outlet mall and get in our run while the boys are at the casino. We have very different ideas of fun so it will be nice to split it up like we did when we were in Las Vegas.

Have you ever been to Wisconsin Dells? We've hit a lot of the tourist hot spots today (including Wizard Quest) and it looks like that will be continuing into the evening!

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?

When I heard fellow Oiselle ambassador and blogger Lisa at Yo Momma Runs was coming to Chicago for a few days, we decided to plan a run together! Since she had never been to the city before, I knew we had to do it up right and made plans to head to the lakefront path. (Those of you unfamiliar with the path can check out some great photos on these blogs here and here.) Due to my short "lunch break" time frame, I jogged to Lisa's hotel and we headed to the lakefront from there without much haste. (I wanted to get the most out of the run.) It was so nice chatting about life and some of the differences between the south and Chicago. Once on the path, it was not at all crowded so we really got to experience the view of the lake and the city in some of the best ways possible. She's thinking about doing the Illinois Marathon (which I helped Amanda run earlier this year) so I gave her some ideas about the course, etc.

When setting up the self timer on my phone, we realized we had on the same capris... I guess that is what happens when you run for the same great brand! :) On the way back, my navigating skills were not as great as the way out so thankfully Lisa had remembered a short cut from her explorations earlier in the day. (You can check out some of her explorations here.)

I know I've said it before but I'm really lucky to be an ambassador of such a great organization and I get the chance to meet other runners and bloggers from across the United States!

Speaking of other bloggers around the United States, a ton of us from the Illinois/Wisconsin area will be running the Zoom Women's Half Marathon (and 5k) this weekend. I'm really excited to spend a whole weekend talking about running with some of my favorite internet pals IRL! So excited, in fact, that I was (procrastinating) packing on Monday night... I had to make sure I laid out all possible outfit ideas for all possible weather conditions.
You never know how it could be on race day morning, especially if you're racing away from home! Thankfully I've already packed most of the things on my checklist! :)

Have you done a destination race? Do you tend to overpack (like I already know I'm doing)?

Don't forget to enter my Haeleum Insect Repelling Clothing Giveaway! You have until Monday, September 24th to enter.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! The husband and I have returned from Las Vegas, safe and sound (although, with less money than when we left). I didn't get much running done while I was gone since you have to pay to use the fitness center at the hotel and the sidewalks are not really conducive to running. Now I'm back home and plan on going for a run today for the first time since Saturday. (Oops). We did a lot of walking while we were there and this is yet another reason why I'm glad I'm not running the marathon this year. :)

We did venture off the strip and go for a hike in the Red Rock Canyon. It was breathtakingly beautiful! My friend has one of those fancy cameras and got some great pics, but for now I'll hold you over with a pic from my iPhone.

All of the landmarks and everything about Red Rocks was so pretty. We went for a 2 mile hike and I'm not sure if we ended up in the right place. There was a fork in the trail that wasn't on the map (I know those are always fun). Either way we got some nice photos and had a fun time!


Overall, we had a really fun time and it was a fun trip. I'll probably put together a restaurant post in the next few days with some of the fun places we ate!


Some of the things I liked about Las Vegas:
The food was really amazing almost every where we went. It was hard to have a bad meal.
There wasn't humidity so my hair actually held a curl (what???)

Things I didn't like about Las Vegas:
The air was so dry, I was constantly thirsty and my throat was dry and sore the whole trip
Most things are expensive every where you go
There was no room in the fridge for anything because there had to be room for the mini bar items, that were electronically monitored. (You were charged if it was lifted up.)


Have you ever been to Las Vegas before? What did you think of it??

Please please... have you entered my SpiBelt raffle yet?? Your odds of winning are really good! I've extended the deadline until Monday, July 16th!

This weekend I'm at Mall of America in Minnesota stocking up on actual work clothes and trying to find some good deals on running clothes. So far I've bought more things for work than running so that is a win. I'm about to do my last dress rehearsal run before my goal race and I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I've put in so much work and effort into this race, I just hope things work out as well as planned. I know that doesn't always happen on race day so I guess I can only hope for the best (and some 70 degree temps). Here's hoping the dress rehearsal goes well. At least I look the part in my new bright pink tank, right? :)

Many moons ago my friends (Kate S and Kate LF) and I came across a Schwaggle deal for a half marathon in Wisconsin Dells. It was cheap and not too far away so we signed up. The plan was to run this together as a team and help lead Kate LF to a PR if possible. We drove up to Wisconsin Dells early Saturday morning and the highway lead us through the main road displaying all of the waterparks that make Wisconsin Dells famous.

We had an address for packet pickup and that was our destination address. We ended up driving right passed it because we weren't looking for a bar. Yes, packet pickup was at a local watering hole. There was 1 guy with a computer to look up our bibs and give us our shirts. On the website, the shirt was noted as "tech" and this wasn't the case. It was a cotton/poly blend and I will not be wearing it out for a run any time soon. Not to mention, it was gigantic and only "unisex" (aka men's) sizing. Oh well, for a cheap race, I wasn't going to complain (until now I guess). After picking up our bibs and "swag bag," we set out to explore the tourist shops along Broadway street. We even took a stroll down the river walk which was quite pretty.

That night for dinner, we stopped at Sprecher for a delicious dinner consisting of fried cheese curds (standard Wisconsin fuel), beer tastings (6 different varieties), and a portobella mushroom wrap with beer chesse mashed potatoes (it tasted as good as it sounds FYI).

Kate S and Kate LF with our beer tasters

Next up, we changed into our pajamas and took a walk to Cold Stone for dessert. I used to work at Cold Stone in college so I tend to like it made a certain way. These young kids just don't know how to make it like we used to. The ice cream was still delicious, I just had to mix it myself in the cup (kind of defeating the purpose). They also were singing some serious songs that brought me back to those days. I don't miss them (I only miss my 50% discount). After eating our ice cream we headed back to the hotel to try and watch some episodes of Workaholics before going to bed.

We got up nice and early, ate the continental breakfast at the hotel (we all had oatmeal), and headed to the race. We could see a small swarm of runners as we pulled up to the supposed location and we knew we were in the right spot. We overheard a few people talking that there were only 200 people running this race.
We snapped a quick photo and walked across the park to the start.

Me, Kate S, and Kate LF. Black and pink attire required

Before the race, the director (the guy with the computer at the bar from yesterday) told us where some of the big hills were, for those of us that didn't study the race map (raises hand). This worked out nicely when we were figuring out our run/walk strategy.

The first few miles were out on the main road with a bit of a hill at mile 1.5. This wasn't one of the hills the director mentioned so this had me worried. We kept on pushing through to mile 3 when we took our first walk break, as there was a straight hill from mile 3-4. It seemed like it would never end but when it did we picked it up and got moving again. There was another big hill at mile 7 that went on for about 1/2 mile. By this point the sun was starting to get hot and the little walk breaks became more frequent. We were still on target to make Kate LF's PR so we kept on moving forward. Since the course was mainly an "out and back," the previous one mile uphill meant a full mile downhill on the way back! After that downhill, we took some more walk breaks so we could run the last full mile. The last half mile was most uphill and Kate LF was struggling a bit. We cheered her on and she picked it up. When we turned the last corner, Kate LF picked it up into a sprint and we all crossed the finish line together with smiles on our faces. I really hope the photog captured the moment!

Along the course there were water stops (with both water and Gatorade) about every 1.5-2.0 miles. There was also a band playing at every water stop. I thought that was a nice touch and something unexpected along the course. Despite there being a small number of people running the race, there seemed to be lots of groups of people finishing together which adds a nice touch as you're struggling through the hills and sun together with strangers.

The finish line was behind the bar where we picked up our packets. They had hot dogs, chips, fruit, water, Gatorade, Mountain Dew (?), and granola bars all waiting for us at the finish. A fun band was playing some classic rock jams that kept the party going. We didn't stay long at the post race party as we had a 4 hour ride ahead of us. (Plus, we had to get some Spotted Cow on the way home, naturally.)


Overall this race was fun, small, and a nice time with my friends. I probably wouldn't do this race again, but us girls have decided to make this an annual tradition. Who knows where next year's half marathon will take us! If you have recommendations for fun, cheap, midwest half marathons in states other than Illinois, we're open to suggestions!

I know I don't talk about food really on this blog, but I wanted to talk about some of the great restaurants we visited while in New Orleans. My husband (Toph) is vegetarian and I gave up meat for lent so we had to find restaurants that had at least one vegetarian option. That can sometimes be challenging in the south, but we didn't have a tough time in NOLA. (I think this is mainly due to the large "crust punk" population.)

Acme is famous for their oysters. They also have an Arnold Palmer drink made with iced tea flavored vodka. (Do I need to mention the amazing ESPN commercial of Arnold Palmer making an Arnold Palmer?) Hello! This is going to be my new favorite summer drink, I can tell. While enjoying our beverage, our grilled oysters on the half shell arrived. Since they were grilled, they were much less threatening than raw oysters and a good way to get our feet wet. The seasonings were amazing and it was definitely worth the trip there. Our meal was kind of pricey but delicious and good for a one time stop.

Toph and I have been here before on our previous trips down to NOLA and the food was just as good as I remembered. I got the cheese calzone and Toph got the spinach and artichoke sandwich. He wished he had ordered mine instead. Sam and Kate also enjoyed their sandwich choices. However, the service was pretty bad. The waiter was attentive, but not happy about it. The wait staff seemed like they preferred to have no customers as opposed to some. Not sure if this is because we were obviously not hipsters or what. Either way it was disappointing since their food is so good!

We ventured to the French Market on Decatur street one day and stopped at one of the walk-up counters. The sign enticed with fresh fruit and real blenders. I absolutely had to order one. Think Jamba Juice with booze. They make the blended drinks right in front of you so you see exactly what goes into it. I ordered a mango margarita that was made with real mangoes. Yum!

This place was part of a local hotel and didn't have a ton of patrons. The reviews on Yelp were mixed but we decided to try it anyways. Since we had a diverse crowd in our group, their "build your own" menu was a nice way to find something for everyone. The portions were pretty big and I ate far too many sweet potato fries. They were the crispiest fries I've ever had, in a good non-burnt way.
This place is open late night on the weekends (not during the week--we made this mistake). They had some pretty good drink specials too ($2.50 Dos Equis on Thursdays) and the food is delicious. The menu offers things ala carte, or meals as well. It is kind of like a Taco Fresco (as opposed to a Chipotle). Toph and I both ordered the grilled vegetable taco salad and it was amazing. I'm a huge taco salad fan and this place met my expectations!

Another Yelp-approved place, Yo Mama's upstairs had a lounge feel with red only light. The bartender was also the waitress and took our orders. They had tons of different burger options including a veggie burger. We tried to swap out the veggie patty with some of the regular burger menu options but apparently it doesn't work that way. We were still able to order our veggie burgers but then they didn't come with sides. I got a mushroom burger and Toph got some sort of southwestern burger with avocado, jalapeños, and salsa. You could tell the veggie burgers were homemade and they tasted delicious--crisp from the grill with a great amount of flavor. Sam got the famous peanut butter bacon burger and thought it was strange yet delicious. Kate got a chicken sandwich with avocado and salsa and enjoyed hers as well. For our last night, this was a very satisfying meal and I would recommend this place to others.

I also feel the need to mention the delicious frozen Irish coffees available at 3 different places. At Erin Rose they're the strongest so that's why I'm singling them out. It is basically a Wendy's frosty, plus coffee, plus booze. Not too sweet, but pretty rich. They are super delicious and I just can't get enough while we're there! If you're ever in town and your dietary restrictions allow for you to have one, I highly, highly recommend it.

On our way home, we stumbled upon a McAlisters Deli and had an enjoyable meal. They had tons of vegetarian options clearly labeled on the menu, which was awesome. Have you been to one of these restaurants before? They don't have one within 90 miles of Chicago, but I think it would do well if they did!

Monday night Toph and I headed down to New Orleans with our friends Sam and Kate LF. Taking a road trip vacation doesn't leave much time for working out. Since I've been working my body very hard these last 3 weeks with so many races (and PRs :) ), I was welcoming some rest for my legs. I worked a full day on Monday and we left Monday night for our 14 hour drive. We stopped only at gas stations about every 2 hours and arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday late morning/early afternoon. We took naps and tried to get caught up on a normal schedule. Monday, Tuesday rest.

I'm no cowgirl, but Wednesday night we wandered in the Bourbon Cowboy and I rode one of those mechanical bulls for the first time. Those things are definitely tougher than they look. I stayed on for about a full minute. There may or may not be video of this event. Lol.

Afterwards, we discovered another bar with a mechanical bull and Kate, Sam, and Toph got to ride too. It was completely hysterical and all the videos are us jeering and laughing in the background. Bottom line, I'm counting my 1 minute bull ride as cross training since my legs were sore for the next 2 days because of it! I mean, Gingerfoxx said that Hal Higdon agrees. That means it must be true.

Thursday morning Kate and I got up early and went for a run through the French Quarter and by the levee. Of course we decided to go for a run on the hottest day of our trip. Kate wasn't feeling great because of the heat, but we were able to do 3.13 miles in 34:56 (11:09).


I had bigger plans to lift weights and do another run on the trip, but those didn't end up happening so Friday and Saturday were additional rest days. It's okay though. My body needed a break and vacation was the perfect excuse! We did a lot of walking and a lot of good eating (restaurant post to come tomorrow!)

After a good nights sleep on Saturday, I attempted a 5 mile run on Sunday at a trail by my house that I haven't been to yet. The sun was hotter than I thought and my lack of proper hydration over the past few days really caught up to me. It was a struggle to finish 3.5 miles since I drank too much water and my stomach was a sloshy mess. Old Kelly would have been extremely disappointed with this run/week and considered it a failure. New Kelly is looking at this is a much needed break and just one bad run. Today is a new day and today will be a good running day, I can feel it.

Yesterday was a day of great things.

1) Mizuno tweeted and Facebooked about my Wave Rider 15 raffle! Have you entered yet? Every $5 donation to Open Heart Magic = 1 entry into the raffle! My blog hits were up significantly and I got the most hits ever in a single day! Hello to new readers! Please enter my raffle if you haven't already! :)

2) The last day of CCD! I loved teaching and all, but I needed a break from those kids. God bless moms of 7th graders. They sure are a pain. That also meant that I got to eat some delicious cupcakes that my assistant made. Funfetti = the best.

3) My PRO Compression socks came in the mail! Thanks Schwaggle for having a great deal!

Don't mind the creepy Goldendoodle calendar in the background

4) I ordered a pair of Oiselle Lori shorts from The Clymb for only $21 (including tax and shipping). I've belonged to RueLaLa and ideeli for years but only recently heard of The Clymb and it is my new favorite site!! Daily discounts on the best brands of running clothes? Yes please! My bank account is thankful.

5) 3 days away from my 2nd half marathon of the year and 4 days away from my vacation!

Oh yea, I guess I haven't really mentioned my vacation very much since I've had so many other races going on. I leave on Monday and am driving with Toph and another couple (Sam and Kate) down to New Orleans. Toph and I have been there before. A few times.

On Bourbon Street in 2009

Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's in 2010

I'm excited to go back to share the experience with friends! Of course we (Kate and I) will be running while we're there, running up and down the French Quarter (making sure to avoid the puke spots and plastic cups along the way). Hopefully I'll remember to take some pics along the way! Have you been to New Orleans before? I've hit up several different restaurants and the classics too (Central Grocery, Cafe Du Mond). I'm totally open to suggestions, especially any vegetarian friendly options? 

What are some of your favorite things from this week? Any other great running clothes deals you'd like to share? :D