Five Favorite Races

April 19, 2024 by 7 Comments

This week the Fit Five Friday crew is inviting you to share your Five Favorite Medals/Races. While it was hard to narrow it down to just five races, it was fun to take a little walk down memory lane!

Fit Five Friday – Five Favorite Races

Boston’s Run to Remember — This was my first half marathon and I’ve run both the half and the 5 miler numerous times. I love the course and I love the vibe of this race! I’m also a fan that the race honors fallen first responders. I will miss running it this Memorial Day but can’t wait to run it next year.

Philly Half Marathon — This is was my first destination race and was definitely another good vibe race. I really enjoyed both the course and the great crowd support! I ran the 8K (also part of the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend) last year and it did not disappoint, but I would love to get back to run the half again.

Western MA 10M — If you’ve been around here a bit than you know how much I love the 10-mile distance! The Western 10M is a point-to-point course, starting on the UMass Amherst campus and ending in the town of Northampton, with most of the run taking place on the Norwottuck Rail Trail – a beautiful trail for runners, walkers, and cyclists, especially in the Fall when the race takes place. This race had great volunteers and a fun post-race party and it’s another one I’m hoping to run again.

Ocean Road 10K — This is another repeat race for me and with good reason! The 10K course winds along Rhode Island’s coastline, starting at the Point Judith Lighthouse and ending at Narragansett Beach. It’s a lot of fun, well organized, and how can you beat running near the ocean?!

Chicago Marathon — How could my first (and only) marathon not be on my list?! This is such a great race – I loved everything about my experience. Running through all of the different Chicago neighborhoods was amazing and the spectators came out in force! A fabulous experience, especially for a first time marathon!

What is one of your favorite races?

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Boston's Run to Remember, Chicago Marathon, Friday Five, Ocean Road 10K, Philly Half, races

Chicago Marathon – I did it!

October 18, 2019 by 30 Comments

After 18 weeks of training, I can’t believe that race day has already come and gone! I’m not even sure there is any way to sufficiently recap a marathon. There was so much to take in – the sights, the crowds, the distance…and unfortunately an angry hip flare-up that almost derailed the whole thing!

Chicago Marathon Recap

I was so happy to learn that IG friend Pam was not only staying in the same hotel but was also in my corral! So we made a plan to meet in the lobby at 6:45 to walk to the start together. I only managed to get a few hours of sleep Saturday night – no surprise – and I was up and moving long before my alarm. My husband J and I met Pam and made the 3/4 mile walk to the start. J and I said our goodbyes and Pam and I headed through the gate. It was so great hanging out with Pam, we chatted like old friends and it really helped to keep me calm.

As our corral inched its way towards the start I started to get a little teary – I was really going to do this! Pam and I hugged and wished each other a great race and like that, we were off!

Early miles

My plan was to break the race up into 4-mile “buckets” much the way I did with my long runs. Bucket 1 flew by in a blink and J was right where I thought he’d be. J had a pretty elaborate plan to try to see me multiple times on the course – I didn’t think there was any way he could hit all the spots he had planned…but spoiler alert he pulled it off, and I’m so glad he did!

The miles continue to click off and I was feeling so strong. I was hanging near the 5:30 pace group and the miles felt breezy. I hit mile 8 – bucket #2 was done. I started feeling some mild discomfort around my right hip. I saw J again and mentioned it to him but wasn’t too concerned. I snagged some Biofeeze from one of their tents, quickly slathered it on and pressed on. By mile 10 the discomfort had quickly gotten much more intense and I slowed a little.

Mid-Race

I plugged along and enjoyed every moment of the crowds. People were amazing and so encouraging! I stopped at the next aid station around mile 12 to get some help working out the intensifying knot in the muscles around my hip. While my angry hip had flared up occasionally during training, I’d been feeling really good during the final weeks leading up to the taper. I was so frustrated, but my new friend Larry helped to loosen the knot enough to get me moving again.

I hung on until just around 17 before making my second stop at an aid station. Here I met an angel of a woman named Michael. She was so positive and encouraging and did some deep tissue work to get my hip to cooperate again. When I told her it felt better and I was ready to roll again she yelled “Go finish this thing!” and I was off.

Final Miles

The crowds through Pilsen and Chinatown were amazing and I really fed off their energy. By the time I found J again at 23+ my right hip was beyond unhappy and I took my longest walk break. I remember telling myself that this was a good day because I was out there going after my goal and a lot of people don’t get to do that. There were just over 2 miles to go.

As I came down Michigan and looked up and saw the street sign for Roosevelt I thought I was going to cry. Up “Mount Roosevelt” and as I turned the corner I could see the finish line. I pushed with whatever I had left and reached my number one goal – I crossed the finish line upright and smiling!

Some Final Thoughts

I cannot say enough good things about the Chicago Marathon! I loved the course running through all of the neighborhoods and the spectators throughout were just incredible. The course support from the water stops & aid stations were top-notch.

To be honest, I am disappointed that my finish time doesn’t reflect what I think was a really solid training cycle. I know that you “shouldn’t” put pressure on yourself for the first marathon, but, as with any race, it is hard to train well and not have it come together on race day. Nonetheless, it was an amazing feeling to cross that finish line, and I’m really proud of my effort on a tough day.

A huge thank you to everyone for the support and encouragement – a special shoutout to my family, and my amazing husband who put up with my special brand of crazy these past many weeks!

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, race report

Chicago Marathon Week 18 – Race Week!

October 13, 2019 by 18 Comments

I finally made it to the last week of training! And, let me just say taper about put me over the edge! It was a week of trying to stay relaxed, light workouts and a trip to Chicago!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 18

Monday — Rest day, plus planks to keep the streak going.

Tuesday — 5 miles. A quick and easy run before endless rain descended on the area.

Wednesday — After a crazy workday I drove out to watch my son’s cross country meet. 3 hours in the car round trip, plus scaling hills in the pouring rain = not happy legs. But on the plus side, my son knocked a couple of minutes off his course time!

Thursday — After Wednesday’s adventure, I opted to pass on the 3-mile run on my plan, and instead spent some much needed time on my yoga mat, followed by a trip to the massage therapist.

Friday — Travel day! My husband J and I had an easy, uneventful flight to Chicago and we hit the expo after checking into our hotel. The expo was sensory-overload for sure, but fun!

Can you tell I’m a little excited to be there?!

Saturday — International Chicago 5K. We woke up to a serious drop in temps (try a real-feel of 28!) so instead of walking over to the race start, we shared a car with Kim and her mom. Staying warm while waiting in the corrals was a bit of a challenge, but the race itself was fun. We made sure to keep the pace nice and easy.

Later Kim and I met up with blogger/IG friends for brunch at Beatrix. So much fun! It was really nice to meet Jen, to see Erica again, and to finally meet Lacey.

Lacey, Erica, me, Kim & Jen

Sunday — Chicago Marathon! Race recap to come, but I am happy to say that I crossed that finish line!

Total miles for the week – 34.3
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 474.5

That’s my quick run down  – now I’m off to rest and eat all the things 🙂

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Marathon – Just 7 days to go

October 6, 2019 by 31 Comments

Seven days…just seven days! By this time next week, I will be out somewhere on the streets of Chicago. But, before I get ahead of myself, here’s a quick rundown of this past week.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 17

Monday —  I wrapped up September with a rest day and 140 miles for the month!

September miles

Tuesday —  5 miles. October kicked off hot and steamy. It was 74 degrees before sunrise – not cool Mother Nature! It was a really good run despite the humid conditions. I also started a new plank streak.

Wednesday — I woke up just feeling off so I did a short core workout, including my plank and called it a day.

Thursday — I don’t know if it was the rainy weather or my mileage catching up with me, but I was feeling creaky. So I pushed my run to Friday and opted for some time on my mat.

Friday — 6 miles. This was probably one of the worst runs I’d had in a while. I felt like I was dragging the whole time and could not get out of my head.

Yep, this sign in the road pretty much summed it up!

Saturday — 8.5 miles. And just like that this run was glorious! It was just 38 degrees when I started so I had to break out gloves for this one but I was not complaining. This run was everything Friday’s run was not!

Total miles for the week – 19.5
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 440.2

Today, and most of this week really will be very low-keyed. Daily planks, rolling/stretching, and my PT exercises. I have just two short runs this week plus the International Chicago 5K on Saturday…and then training is done. My biggest challenge this week will be keeping my nerves under control!

That’s my rundown for the week! Any suggestions for race week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Week 16 – Ups and Downs

September 29, 2019 by 22 Comments

Week 16 of training is done and it certainly had its ups and downs! Thankfully this week ended much better than it started. Here’s how things went down.

 Chicago Marathon Training Week 16

Monday — Rest day/Sick day. By late afternoon on Sunday, I was huddled on the couch under a blanket with a sore throat and headache. I wrote it off to just being overly tired and had hoped a good night’s sleep would take care of it. Yeah not so much. I woke with the same sore throat, headache, and now the added bonus of being completely congested.

Tuesday — 3.5 miles. I was still feeling horrible but panicked over missing my run. So I opted to head to the gym for mill miles in case I didn’t last very long – turned out to be a good call.

Wednesday — Another rest day. Did I mention that in addition to feeling lousy, work was just insane?! This was turning into a long week.

Thursday — 6 miles. I had 8 on my plan and just decided to head out and see what I could do. My head felt like it weighed a ton, so I was pretty happy to make it as far as I did.

Friday — 10 miles. For the first time all week I woke up feeling fairly good and surprised myself with double digits!

Saturday — Rest day.

Managing a cold and miles - Week 16 is done! #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #letsrock26.2 #runchat Click To Tweet

Sunday — 10 miles. The first couple of miles were sluggish, but then everything clicked!

Doesn’t everyone break into a dance post-run?

Total miles for the week – 29.5
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 420.7

All things considered, I’m pretty happy with my mileage for the week, and best of all my cold seems to finally be packing its bags.

Marathon Participant Guides arrived in the mail this week – yep it’s getting real!

That’s my rundown for the week! How was your week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Marathon Week 15

September 22, 2019 by 17 Comments

Hello Taper Town!

Week 15 of training is done. Now it’s time to reduce the mileage and put an emphasis on rest and self-care.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 15

Monday — 6 miles. With my husband traveling this week I was on school drop off duty, which makes it not possible to swing a morning run.  I ended up heading out soon after work, and despite being under-fueled and hydrated, had my best run of the week!

Tuesday —  Rest day!

Wednesday — 7 miles. Stomach issues just made this run a struggle from beginning to end. I was happy to just get through this one and spent the rest of the day feeling less than fabulous.

Week 15 of @chimarathon training is done - let the taper begin! #weeklyrundown #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #runchat Click To Tweet

Thursday —  8 miles. Temps dropped dramatically overnight and it was just 37 degrees. I had to break out my gloves and it was glorious!

Friday —  Rest day and acupuncture.  My right TFL and hip had been squawking a bit all week so I wanted to get some extra attention before my long run.

Saturday — 16 miles. My husband J joined me for the first 8 which really helped to make the miles click by. Temps climbed quickly and by mile 12 I was feeling totally overdressed and overheated. Mile 12 was not pretty. J drove out to meet me, bringing salt tabs and water. I re-grouped and finished the last 4 miles with some of my fastest splits of the day!

Sunday — I opted for a nice walk with J and my pup this morning and will spend the rest of the day watching football and getting a few small house projects done.

Total miles for the week – 37
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 391.2

That’s my rundown for the week! How was your week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Marathon Week 14

September 15, 2019 by 9 Comments

Happy Sunday!

It is a beautiful Sunday here and for the first time a while, I woke up to a wide-open day. I’m looking forward to a day of relaxing, watching some football, and perhaps a little yoga (I think my legs will thank me!). But, first I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

 Chicago Marathon Training Week 14

Monday — Took a rest day after the Surftown Half Marathon on Sunday.

Tuesday — 8.2-mile run. While I love that we’re moving closer to the first day of fall, I do miss starting my runs in daylight.

Wednesday — 5 miles in new shoes! I’ve been debating trying a shoe with a bit more cushion and have had my eye on the Brooks Glycerin for a while. They felt really good!

Thursday —  6.2 miles. Another run in the Glycerins. The swampy humidity returned and I was happy to squeeze this run in before the rain came.

Friday — Rest day.

Saturday — 12 more miles in the Glycerins. Pacing and fueling clicked and I was pretty pleased with how this run went!

Total miles for the week – 31.4
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 354.2

All-in-all it was a good week and, as a bonus, I think I may have found my marathon shoe! I think I did a much better job of prioritizing rest and recovery, including trips to both the acupuncturist and massage therapist, so this week the goal is to do more of the same.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Week 13 – Running into September

September 8, 2019 by 16 Comments

And, just like that, the first week of September is in the books. These weeks just keep rolling along, and Chicago gets closer and closer! Here’s how this week of training went down.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 13

Monday — 6-mile run. Took advantage of the Labor Day holiday to sleep in a bit and still got a quite run through town.

Tuesday — Rest day.

Wednesday — 7.5 miles. This run was rough from start to finish, but I got it done. My TFL/quad was cranky throughout the run so after work I headed for a visit with my massage therapist.

Thursday — Finally got some time on my yoga mat…that is, until my furry “coach” took over!

Friday — 6.25 miles. My legs still felt pretty tired, but this run was much better than Wednesday’s. I also got an awesome surprise to learn that I had won @runtheworldinbabydays ProForm treadmill giveaway on Instagram!

This will be mine in about 3 weeks or so

Week lucky 13 of @chimarathon training is done! #marathontraining #mychicagomarathon #runchat Click To Tweet

Saturday — Rest Day. Got an acupuncture treatment before heading down to Westerly, RI to hang out with Kim and get ready for the race.

Sunday — Surftown Half Marathon plus warm-up (14.75 miles). I’ll recap the race later this week. Added bonus – I finally got to meet Darlene!

Total miles for the week – 34.5
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 322.8

That’s my rundown for the week! How was your week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Chicago Training Week 12

September 1, 2019 by 24 Comments

Another week of marathon training is done. It is hard to believe that 6 weeks from today I’ll be running through the streets of Chicago!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 12

Monday — 6-mile run

Tuesday — Rest day! After running 4 days in a row for over 32 miles, to say I needed a break is an understatement!

Wednesday — 6-miles with J. This was a nice start of an extended long weekend for both of us! We then piled into the car with our boys to head to the Berkshires for an afternoon of kayaking. I had no idea kayaking on rapids could be so challenging! We had a blast and I was thoroughly exhausted.

Thursday — Unplanned rest day. When my alarm went off I just knew there was no way I was going for a run. I had a great call with my coach who agreed that a rest day was needed. I also got a much-needed massage.

Friday — 10-mile run. With plans to hit the road early on Saturday to move my son into his dorm, I moved my long run to Friday. J joined me for the first 7 miles which helped to keep me moving.

Saturday — Moving my son into his dorm should definitely count as cross-training, right?!

Sunday — 8-mile run. My husband surprised me by deciding to join me again! The weather was perfect and it was a nice way to start off a lazy, low-keyed Sunday. I was also able to snag an acupuncture appointment to help keep my recovery on track.

Chicago Marathon Training -12 weeks down and 6 to go! #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #runchat @chimarathon Click To Tweet

Total miles for the week – 30
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 288.3

I have to give a shoutout to my husband J for racking up 22.5 miles this week. He’s gearing up for a trail race in October and I really loved having some company on my runs!

I finished August with over 136 miles which I’m pretty happy about!

The week ahead

Overall I was pleased with my runs this week, but I’m not loving that I didn’t get any strength training in or any time on my mat. It was all about the run, and I know that if I don’t try to strike some balance, that is not a pattern I can sustain.

This week I’ll be sure to get back to my PT exercises and core work and hopefully a little cross-training. I’ll be running the Surftown Half as a training run next Sunday as part of a longer run – still not sure whether to run the additional miles before or after the race. I’m really looking forward to seeing Kim!

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Uncategorized

Chicago Week 11 – Getting back in the Groove

August 25, 2019 by 22 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I have to say that I am way behind on replying to blog comments, so I first wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who commented or reached out on Instagram and Facebook to offer some words of encouragement! I was feeling pretty down after cutting last week’s long run short…and will admit to having a mild freak-out.

I’m happy to say that after an extra rest day I feel like I’m getting back into the groove. Here’s how this week went down.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 11

Monday — A much-needed rest day!

Tuesday — 5-mile run. The humidity was off the charts again, but my legs were feeling good so I was all smiles.

Wednesday — 6 miles on the treadmill. I just couldn’t bring myself to face another run in the humidity so I opted for a trip to the gym for a mill run.

Thursday — Had a fun day off from work with the family that included arcade games, mini-golf, and way too much ice cream!

Getting back into the groove for week 11 of @chimarathon training! #marathontraining #mychicagomarathon #runchat Click To Tweet

Friday — Another day off from work to celebrate my husband’s birthday! I got him to join me for my run and 6.2 miles were done!

Saturday — 16 miles – a new first! Thankfully, the weather was near perfect, in the low 60s when I started and just 72 by the time I finished. Running 16 miles solo was definitely a mental challenge! Physically, it was a pretty good run through mile 12, things got a little rocky for miles 13 & 14 before I got back on track for the last 2 miles.

Sunday — 4-mile recovery run.

Total miles for the week – 37.2
Total miles on the road to Chicago – 258.3

In addition to my runs, there was daily PT exercises, planking, and time spent on active recovery. All this combined with a bit more sleep definitely helped to make for a better week! Hoping this trend continues as I take on week 12.

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Weekly Run Down