Chicago Lakefront 50k

my first ultra for the year! it was a relatively flat course but it was a perfect way to test yourself at the beginning of the season. it was a cold run w/ some crazy wind coming in off Lake Michigan, as the entire run was along the lake. my plan was to run 8 min miles all day and see how i felt. but that just seemed to slow. i ran 7:40's for the first marathon or so and then started to get tired. the last 6 miles i had to dig pretty deep and i was moving pretty slow but i pulled it off.  i finished 10th overall and 4th for my age.  good to see a few people i know and recognized from other runs in the past. good to slap hands w/ them as we passed each other on the out and backs. overall it was a really good day. couldn't stick around long afterward b/c once i stopped running, my wet shirt and jacket didn't mix well w/ that wicked wind. my teeth were chattering five minutes after i stopped. no worries...by that time i was on a serious mission for some food!! oh yeah...PR by 81 minutes!!

chicago-bound

i'm totally amped.  tomorrow i will run my first ultra of the year--the Chicago Lakefront 50k.  i have never done this event b/f and am looking forward to it.  it'll be a relatively flat course but i'm guessing it's going to be extremely windy b/c it's right along Lake Michigan.  i am not as prepared as i could be d/t Life getting in the way of my training but am stoked regardless to get out there and give it my best shot.  send me prayers and good vibes!  full race report to follow...

12 hour trainer ride.wmv

winter trail runnin....wmv

12 hour training ride

you decide to do a 12 hour training ride.  just to see if you can do it.  to see if you can sit on the bike that long.  you have yet to go beyond 8 or 9 hours (8 hours on the bike, 9 hours running) and you just want to see what's possible and where your mind goes.  it's the mental hurdle you have to get over.  besides...you want to do a 24 hour training ride sometime this year, so you have to start somewhere.  some people call you crazy but this is what you call a good time. 

you prepared the living room the night b/f.  swept it all out.  put air in the bike tires.  laid out food and water next to the bikes so you are able to just hammer all day.  the alarm goes off at 5:20 and you jump out of bed, psyched up for the big journey that will take you nowhere.  you have a coffee and at 6:00 you mount up and start peddling.  this isn't so bad.  i can do this for a day / you think to yourself.  you watch a movie.  two movies.  three.  you listen to music.  you switch to the spinning bike for a while b/c you can stand up for a longer period of time and give your rump a rest.  every time you get off the bike you have to do 10 pull ups or 30 push ups.  it's your own personal rule.  the first 9 hours is pretty easy.  after that it gets tough.  mentally tough.  you're getting bored.  time drags.  the bike seat is miserable.  you push on.  your sister comes over for the last hour.  that helps motivate you some.  she cheers you on and you push hard throughout the last hour.  and at 6:00 pm you get off the bike and that's it.  open a beer and celebrate.  you do not know how far you peddled.  you have no way of tracking beyond 8 hours.  you were probably close to 200 miles but you don't know that for sure.
food eaten:
1 apple
3 peanut butter and honey tortilla roll ups
3 clif bars
4 mandarins
1 pot of coffee
4 bottles of water
1 powerade
2 avacado

you got off the bike 8 times for food / bathroom breaks.  which means:
40 pull ups
120 push ups

My Fault

Once

one of my all time favorite movies

the b-day run!