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Have you entered my Mizuno Wave Rider 15 raffle yet? Every $5 donation to Open Heart Magic = 1 entry. If you've already participated in a previous raffle, you don't have to donate again if you're looking to enter. Details on the original post! The raffle goes until Monday morning!

All week I look forward to meeting up with my Thursday night running group. However, Metra had other plans. My normal train was indefinitely delayed so I had to take a later train. That got me into the train station at 6:35 when our group run started at 6:30. Dang you Metra!! I was still planning on running, but I decided to eat dinner and relax a bit first before heading out.

This face kept following me around because she knew she was going with!

My goal was to do 5 miles and I wasn't sure how I wanted to pace it. Once I was out there and realized it was cold and there was wind, I decided to do a tempo run (aka I'll be home and done faster). I warmed up the first mile, had 3 tempo miles at about 8:15 pace, and then a cool down (which was actually still kind of quick). In the end I completed 5 miles in 42:22 (8:28 pace). Pepper was a trooper and loved every minute of it. She kept looking back at me, checking on me. She kept up great with the pace and I think it is now time to start training her to finish a 5k with me! Some of the smaller races in our area allow dogs so I'm hoping that we can finish one together some time. If she keeps up this great work, she'll be ready.

Afterward I got home, I had an email from Ali at Running with Spatulas, reminding me to take a photo for her virtual race. I already did the miles at the Shamrock Shuffle over the weekend so I decided to have some fun with the dog and a spatula!

I may or may not have put peanut butter on the spatula to make the dog interested!

Next up, my half marathon this weekend! If you're running the Chi-Town Half Marathon too, meet up with us! I'll try to post a pic of my outfit on my Facebook page so you know who/what to look for and say hi! Also, speaking of virtual races, the Jelly Bean virtual race is this weekend too! I'm counting my half marathon towards participation, but there are lots of different options! Check out Run With Jess' page for more details!

What races are on the schedule for you this weekend? Are you also participating in the Jelly Bean race?  Happy Friday Everyone!!

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

Have you entered my raffle yet for the Mizuno Wave Rider 15s? $5 charity donation = 1 entry into the raffle! The raffle goes until Monday, April 9 and the winner will be chosen (using random.org) that same day. For more details on how to gain additional entries, click on the blog post here!

Last night I met up with our friend Ryan for a 4 mile run on the trail. Because of the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday and the Chi-Town Half Marathon this upcoming weekend, I've decided to take a break from speedwork again this week. I am looking for a goal 5k coming up, but with all the other races I've signed up for, I'm not sure when would be the best time. If I don't choose one in April, I'm not going to have time again until June. (May is pretty booked with bridal showers and other races.)

The goal of last night's run was to just take it easy at a conversation pace. We met on the trail like usual and headed out. Thankfully I actually remembered to take a photo this time!

Pepper came with us and had a fun time! She always loves going for a run, especially when we see rabbits, squirrels, or any other animal out on the trail. I haven't done a weights workout in a little while, but running with her when she sees a rabbit must be some sort of equivalent, right??

Our splits were right at 9:30 which I was pretty happy about. Even though I've been running regularly for quite some time, I always have a sense of accomplishment when my splits are consistent.

Tonight is the last night of CCD for me this year. I'm excited to get my Wednesday nights back! I think I'm going to take next year off just because I need a break. Those little 7th graders sure can be draining! Teacher friends and readers, I don't know how you deal with those kids every day. I guess since I plan on being a mom some day, I'll find out! Dun dun dun....

I know this was on Parks and Rec a few weeks ago, but it is one of my many, many favorite scenes. Growing up, as a kid in the 90s, Ginuwine's "My Pony" was a classic jam.

So naturally the scene when Tom Haverford realized that Ginuwine was Donna's cousin was quite amazingly hilarious.

Source

Just looking at these gifs make me laugh again and again! Please tell me, have you seen this episode? Toph told me he had never heard the song before. I refuse to believe him, but he swears that when I was playing it was the first time he heard it. Was this song also your jam back in 1996 when it came out?

I debated the night before how to best get to the race. I ended up carpooling with Amanda's caravan to downtown Chicago. It was great to get down there early and have time to gear check, stretch, and use the porta-potties (TMI?). We met up with a large group at the Hilton for a group photo.


Then, we headed to our corral (B). When charging my Garmin the night before, I wasn't paying attention and didn't realize that it was frozen. When I went to turn it on before I left, the battery was dead. I was heading to the race with a time goal and no way to track my time. I didn't want to run with my phone so I was just going to wing it. Maggie said "Watch, without your Garmin, I bet you'll do awesome and knock that PR out of the water." I doubted it but had no choice but to give it a try. I started the race with Amanda and Maggie but Amanda quickly was speeding ahead. I tend to start off too fast so I wanted to be comfortable yet pushing hard. My goal was to break 40:00 and I knew if I had splits under 8:00, I would meet my goal.

Hanging out with Maggie and Amanda in Corral B before the start

Maggie was so kind to say our splits out loud at every mile and mile 1 was 7:55. The first mile my legs felt tired but I knew I was off to a good start.

Mile 2 the split was 7:40. The speakers were blaring LMFAO's Party Rock and hearing lyrics talking about shuffling while running the Shamrock Shuffle can be pretty motivating (or nerdy, however you want to think about it).

I didn't want to run out of steam so I slowed down a tad for mile 3. I knew most of this mile would be in the sun so I was happy when Maggie announced our mile 3 split of 7:55. At this point I felt great. There were less than 2 miles left and I knew I was going to meet my goal. I started to pick things up during mile 4. I turned and Maggie was no longer with me. I just kept moving and kept pushing towards the finish line.

Right after I passed the mile 4 marker, I spotted Amanda up ahead. I knew she was aiming for the 38's so I started to think either a) I'm having an awesome day or b) Amanda's not having a great day. Even though I was running towards Amanda, I would have never dreamed to be in the 38s. I just kept moving and realized I was gaining on Amanda. I tapped her on the shoulder as I passed and gave her a wave. She shouted "Go Kelly!" and I just smiled and waved. I wanted to conserve energy for the Roosevelt hill so I didn't say anything in return. Sorry Amanda! I wasn't trying to be rude. :)

I ran up the hill and it didn't seem to hurt as much as much as I remembered. I guess that means my hill work in Palos this winter is paying off! I saw the finish line and sprinted to the finish. My name was one of the few announced as I was crossing the finish so I hope the photog got a shot of me with my arms in the air shouting, "That's me!"

I finished and started to look for Amanda behind me. Since I didn't have my watch, I had no clue how I did. She was excited because she met her goal of being in the 38s. I looked at her in disbelief. If she was in the 38s and I crossed the finish line before her, that meant I was in the 38s too. Jumping and cheering ensued and I am still on the runners high from it! Maggie was right behind us and finished under 40:00 too! We saw Nicole Fritz soon after and stopped to say hi.

And snap a pic with the green guys too.

It was now time to enjoy the fruits of this race and drink some post-race beers. Some folks gave us their beer tickets so we were of to a great start.


Amanda soon joined us and the party continued.


More friends stopped by to say hello too!

L to R: Jenni, Nohemy, Mandy, and me

I didn't see everyone I would have liked to and we didn't get our obligatory Kate Kate Kelly photo. I obsessively checked the website afterwards for the official results.
That is a 38:44. Previous PR: 40:49... I couldn't be happier with my time! Another great Shamrock Shuffle in the books!!

As I mentioned before, this was my 6th year completing the race. There were quite a few complaints about the shirts this year. Can you see why? Here is a history of the swag.

Which one of these is not like the others?

*Special thanks to Nicole, Maggie, and Amanda for letting me use/steal their photos!

I'm super duper excited to announce my next raffle!

For those of you that have seen me walking around town, you've probably noticed some new kicks on my feet. I've been sporting the Mizuno Wave Rider 15s that Mizuno sent me to test out!

They definitely stand out in a crowd and are super comfortable. The Wave Riders are in the Moderate/Neutral range.

What does this mean for you?!

The folks at Mizuno have donated a pair of the Mizuno Wave Rider 15 Limited Edition shoes for me to raffle off!


Here is a little bit about the Wave Rider (taken directly from Mizuno's website)


What makes Wave Rider 15 different?
By combining the best qualities of every Wave Rider that came before it, Mizuno has created its masterpiece with the Wave Rider 15. While the pendulum in running may swing from one extreme to another, the genius of the Wave Rider 15 is found through its harmonious balance of a lightweight feel, wrapped-to-foot fit and exquisitely smooth ride, ultimately producing a brilliant running experience.

And here is a video from Jason Lewis at Mizuno USA talking about the Wave Rider 15.


Just like all of my other raffles, donate to my charity, Open Heart Magic, by CLICKING HERE. Every $5 donation = 1 entry into the raffle. ($5 = 1 entry, $10 = 2 entries, $15 = 3 entries, etc.)

Those that have donated to this raffle (or any previous raffle) can gain additional raffle entries if you:
1) like Running Kellometers on Facebook
2) blog about the raffle
3) tweet about the raffle (@kellywils0n)
If you do any of the items mentioned above, please leave a comment letting me know so I can be sure to include the additional entries! (If you have any questions please leave a comment or send me an email!)

Entries will be accepted until 9am (CST) on Monday, April 2 and the winner will be announced that same day.

I don't usually have time to blog on the weekends and this weekend was no different. This weekend was jam-packed full of fun activities so when I wasn't out enjoying the day, I was sleeping. Lol. So now I have too much to say so I'm going to spread it all out.

Saturday morning I picked up Maggie on our way to the city to pick up our Shamrock Shuffle packets and enjoy the expo. But before we headed to the expo, we met up at the Bean for some photos (obviously, we're bloggers) and a run (obviously, we're running bloggers).

Katie - Live Half Full, Kim - Ilax Studio, Erin - Eri-thon, Bobbi - Zero to 26.2, me, Maggie - Mag Mile Runner, Rachael - A Runner's Crave

We ran on the lake front path, up to Oak Street Beach. It was a nice and comfortable run and we all kept the same pace and it worked out very nicely!


And then back down to Navy Pier. It was great to get to know these folks better in person and now I have more great blogs to follow! (That's never a bad thing.) Once we got to Navy Pier, we went to the food court for lunch and talked about when we're planning our next meetup.

Kim, Katie, Sarah, Kelsey, Bobbi, me, Rachel and Maggie not pictured: Amanda and Erin

Afterwards I was spent and tried to go to bed early but that never seems to work out as planned. Sunday was the big Shamrock Shuffle where I had a big goal that I thought I could achieve. Spoiler alert (if you haven't already checked DailyMile): I met my goal better than I expected :) Race recap to come out later this week!

In other news, I will be posting my next raffle tomorrow tonight (I got too excited and couldn't wait until tomorrow). Stay tuned!

Every Friday I like to talk about my Thursday night run. Today is no different folks! :)

I met up with the FN Runners and decided to do a hill workout this week. I haven't done hills in a few weeks and so this was a great way to get out there and get it done.

Thanks for the photoshop Maggie! L to R: Maggie, Kristin, Amanda, and yours truly

Despite the skies looking like they wanted to rain, we had a new runner come out and met up with another runner out on the trail.
These guys looked like they wanted to join us too (not really). It was humid and dry for the first 2 miles, and then the rain started to come. It rained for about 1.5 miles before it cleared and the humidity came right back. I could hear the squish of my orthodics within my shoes, but the rain was certainly refreshing. I was rushing to get to the run since my train was late so I didn't have time for my snack. Therefore, the entire time I had a side cramp but tried not to complain about it... too much. Maggie and I ran together for 5.1 miles in 46:29 (9:06 pace). I enjoy running with Maggie as the conversation is always interesting. (You can hear more about it by going over to Maggie's blog.) I ran with my Roctane Water again and I definitely think it helped.

It is currently raining here in Chicago and I hope it clears for tomorrow's Chicago Running Blogger Meetup! And then Sunday is the beloved Shamrock Shuffle!! This will be my 6th year running this race. It is always a day full of fun, beers, and friends. Some year it is hot (2007 and 2011) and some years it is cold (2008 and 2009). I'm hoping this year will be "just right."

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

I can't wait to be at the starting line with some new running friends in the best corral I've ever qualified for (B!!). I have some speedy goals that I hope I can meet, but if I don't I know a fun time is guaranteed regardless! Do you have a favorite race that you run every year? Is the weather as unpredictable as a Chicago March?