Race Recap: Soldier Field 10 Mile and Bike the Drive!

And the 2012 Soldier Field 10 mile race is in the books! This race has the most awesome finish of any I've ever run - first, you get to sprint onto the Chicago Bears' field through the same tunnel that the players do. Then, the finish is on the 50 yard line, and they've got a camera pointed so that you can WATCH YOURSELF RUN IN ON THE JUMBOTRON. How cool is that?!?!? I always wear my Chicago Bears gear for this race.

Before and After!

That's my friend Sunhee next to me - the pic on the left is before we started and the one on the right is after the 10 miles. We look a bit redder in the face, but none the worse for the wear! I was so glad that we met up for this event, along with some of her other friends from the Fleet Feet Women's Half Marathon training team. With something like 17,000 runners registered, there is a staggered start. We were in Start Corral 14, we had to wait a full hour (from 6:45 am to 7:45 am) to actually cross the start line and begin running, so I really enjoyed just chatting as we waited. At 7:15 am the sky looked incredibly ominous, and we were sure we were about to get soaked.

One corral's group of waiting runners - and the scary looking sky

Luckily, we just got barely drizzled on, and the cloud cover kept everything cool so running conditions were perfect! We got into a comfortable 11 minute mile pace and kept it steady for just about the entire race - I do believe that our last 2-3 miles were actually faster than our first 7-8, mostly because Sunhee got a sugar high from one of those energy gel pack things and sped up, forcing me to dig deep and keep up! Again, thanks Sunhee, for keeping me going - I would have definitely been slower if I hadn't been with you! I finished in 1:48:05. This is my fourth time running this race - in 2008, I finished in 1:56:01; in 2009, I finished in 1:39:30; and in 2010, I finished in 1:47:19.

But one event wasn't enough for me for a weekend - I had also registered for Bike the Drive. So Sunday morning, Savva & I headed out nice and early for a leisurely ride along the lakefront with something like 20,000 other riders. We decided not to bring Eliana after all - we just didn't want to get 10 miles from home and have her freak out and not want to get back in the bike trailer. Thanks, Grandma Ilene, for coming over at 6:00 am and watching her!

Early in the morning - a beautiful day for a ride!

Now, I was really excited, because the Active Transportation Alliance had invited me to their VIP Tent since they are one of the 12 non-profits that I'm promoting through this project - oh yes, now the perks are coming in! :) Seriously, it was cool to have a nice bagel, COFFEE, and orange juice and just sit and chat with some cool folks from ATA, including their ever bubbly Rebecca Resman, Director of Membership and Development.

V - I - P !!!

A great weekend! And today I'm happy to just sit on the couch. :)

Family Bike Day and 9 miles in 90 degrees :)

Let's just start off with the cutest thing I have to offer you in this blog post:

That's my baby girl! Those of you who have had toddlers understand why this picture is blurry - once they start walking, they're in constant motion. Check out that ladybug helmet! So, next weekend is Bike the Drive, Chicago's awesomest bike event of the year, and that's saying a lot as Chicago has a great bike culture. 30 miles of car-free Lake Shore Drive, from Bryn Mawr to 57th street, and the funds raised support the Active Transportation Alliance, one of the 12 nonprofits I'm promoting this year. You can still register! In preparation, Savva figured out how to assemble the bike trailer that Dad & Kathy got us before Eliana was even born. Then this morning we managed to attach it to the bike, get Elly strapped safely in, and ride about 3 miles north along the lakefront. I was afraid that Eliana wouldn't like wearing the helmet, but she loved it and cried when I tried to take it off. Yes!

I think I've been at Bike the Drive either as a rider or as a volunteer every year for at least the past 9 years, but maybe more. Here's pics from 2011, when little two month old Eliana stayed home with Grandma while Savva & I went out on our early morning biking date. It was eerily foggy the whole time, and nice and cool.

And here's from May 2006, near the end of my first year of teaching. I volunteered at the north rest stop with some of the many awesome Lake View students. (I'm the photographer, so I'm not in the picture. But I did indeed look young enough that first year that you might have had trouble picking me out of the group.)

Amra Durmic, Jaime Torres, Miguel Ayala, Enes Mehmedovic,
David Castro, Jonathan Blanco, Diana Hernandez and Tina Bruce

And here's the 2004 Bike the Drive, with my Dad and my brother Daniel. These two guys are my biking partners from way way way back when. Dad used to take us out on the lakefront path for "Quality Time With Your Father," when we were quite little. We called it the Trail of Death, because unfortunately Daniel, being 2 years younger than I, hadn't quite mastered the art of keeping a bike steady and ended up with lots of scraped and bruised parts - plus then Dad got a flat tire when we were about a million miles from the car and we had to walk FOREVER, or so it seemed to us kids. But we probably got ice cream (or Susie's fries) at the end, which makes everything okay.

After hearing on the news that we hit 90 degrees today, the highest of the year so far, I sighed, drank some extra water, and headed out for my planned 9 mile run. (Actually, it wasn't 90 degrees for me, because I was on the lakefront. Still. Warm.)

I didn't want to stray too far from home in case my knee really started giving me trouble, so I ran 3 miles north, then 2 miles south, then 1 1/2 miles back north and finally 2 1/2 miles south, back to my starting point. And my knee felt great! A really nice run, I feel totally ready for the Soldier Field 10 mile race one week from today. Bear down!

April Training Recap

April 2012 Stats:

• 14 days working out 
• 37 miles running
• 1 strength training session
• 45 minutes on the elliptical
• 3 climbing classes

Well, April was not so great, compared to last month; 3 fewer days working out, 11 fewer miles running, and 3 fewer strength training sessions. But I did do (most) of my climbing class, only missing the last session due to scheduling issues. Check out what I learned!

So I don't fall 70 feet. ;)

Injuring my knee is what really messed up my running and what kept me from reaching my goal of running 60 miles for the month - I was perfectly on track for the first two weeks of April and then had to take some rest. My other goal was to do 8 strength training sessions - and that didn't happen either and my knee had nothing to do with it. It was more just that when push comes to shove, and I'm standing there in the gym deciding whether to move towards the weight room or towards the treadmills, I always end up going towards the treadmills. Sometimes it is a time constraint; running trumps strength training because I've got to build this mileage base before training for the marathon in earnest. And sometimes it is just because I'm uncomfortable in the weight room - perhaps I need a buddy. Anyone else out there a member of EAC and want to do weights together? :)

Goals for May:

• Start swimming! The sprint triathlon is only 5 weeks and 4 days from today.
• Get out on the bike a few times - Savva & I need to install and try out the bike trailer for Eliana before Bike the Drive on May 27th.
• Run enough to comfortably do the Soldier Field 10 Mile race (only 3 weeks and 3 days from today) without re-injuring my knee or hurting anything else!

Race Recap: The Ravenswood Run!

Two days ago (sorry for the delay in posting!) I did the shortest race in my Year of Racing Slowly - a 5K called the Ravenswood Run. And my knee felt great! (Happy dance!) This is a race that I've run four times before, in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, with times ranging from 28 minutes and 16 seconds (my best 5K time ever!) to 36 minutes and 42 seconds. Before Savva and I bought our condo, we lived in an apartment right on the race course, so it was ultra easy to roll out of bed and walk to the start of the race.

This is the first race of the 2012 where I wasn't alone - let me introduce my fabulous co-runner, Ronald Leon Hale the 4th. Ron & I have been friends for about 10 years now, and he's been a support to me through thick and thin - so I was very happy when he wanted to join me! He groused a bit about it being cold and early and such, but we had a great time running at a comfortable pace while chatting, and finished in 34 minutes and 7 seconds.

Note how Ron's bib number is almost like π!

But Ron wasn't my only companion! My wonderful father and faithful husband & daughter also came out bright and early. Dad & Savva walked part of the race course with Elly in the stroller, though she demanded a stop at the playground on the way. Then we all headed to brunch together at Wishbone on Lincoln.

Mmm, breakfast burrito. :)

It certainly wasn't my fastest time for a race, but given that I had barely run at all in the two weeks prior because of pain in my knee, I was just fine with that! Next up: the Soldier Field 10 Mile on May 26th.