So, I generally steer away from regurgitating others' blog posts, but this one really struck a chord. It's timely and it's something we all need to be aware of and more conscious of. I think that Jeremy did a great job on this post and I'm sure he would love to hear what some of you think on this topic. I was far more opinionated on it that I thought I would be, then I started typing my comment and couldn't stop!
Check it out:
http://thestoryofaredshirt.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/jumping-on-the-bandwagon/
I'm not trying to push anything on anyone, I just thought it was a very interesting post and wanted to share it with you all :) Plus, "greenwashing" sounds funny, and, unfortunately, is everywhere. I'm going to try and fit that one into conversation today :)
Back to business as usual now!
Crash, out.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Working Out the Kinks
I am happy to report I had a fantastic 25-mile week last week, squeezed into four runs. My highest mileage week since Vermont :) And, that was with a supremely stiff neck and upper back. I woke up last Monday physically unable to push myself up out of bed, so I had to roll out of it and onto the floor on my knees before I could raise myself up. Hmm, that's uncomfortable. As the day progressed, it loosened up and I could turn my head a couple inches to the sides, and by evening it was better, but still stiff. Tuesday morning, back at square one. So, I called Dr. H at Active Body Chiropractic and got some ART and some chiro magic on my neck and back that evening. Wednesday better, Thursday worse, Friday WORST. I took a late lunch break and hopped on the bus to Dr. H where I got some delicious e-stim, followed by a long ART session and topped off with an application of BioFreeze, and a physiology vocabulary lesson from Doc H. All better! I woke up Saturday and was able to sit up in bed without much trouble. And the rest of the weekend was great! More on this (with pictures!) later. But the weekend included attending a beautiful wedding up in Door County, WI, visiting with old friends, lots of dancing, kayaking, ping pong, a great run on some gorgeous plush trails, homemade frozen custard, great food, meeting new peeps, and just plain relaxing in a beautiful place.
Shock of shocks, you know when I felt my absolute best, and as if my neck never bothered me before? When I was running. Active rest does it best :) Workin' out the kinks...
Now, back in reality, it's back to the work grind, taking a couple of courses in my 'spare' time (anatomy/physiology and a medical terminology class)...you know, for fun :), getting ready to move once more in October (woohoo!), and kicking my training up a notch so I'm ready to pace amongst those little bumps in the Utah horizon known as the Wasatch Front, oh and so I'm ready for my upcoming 50-miler :)
I can't believe it's almost Fall, and that we've barely had a summer so I'm not quite ready for the official start of Fall (even though this 'summer' has felt like Fall since May). So much to look forward to, and so much I'm excited about. This morning's five miles along the water were lovely, and I'm super glad I got it done this morning so I have time to do some class reading and then relax for a little bit. I printed out a 13-month calendar today so that I can start to 'schedule' my running better and see when I have assignments due and other stuff that is non-relaxing related. We'll see how that goes :)
Crash, out.
Shock of shocks, you know when I felt my absolute best, and as if my neck never bothered me before? When I was running. Active rest does it best :) Workin' out the kinks...
Now, back in reality, it's back to the work grind, taking a couple of courses in my 'spare' time (anatomy/physiology and a medical terminology class)...you know, for fun :), getting ready to move once more in October (woohoo!), and kicking my training up a notch so I'm ready to pace amongst those little bumps in the Utah horizon known as the Wasatch Front, oh and so I'm ready for my upcoming 50-miler :)
I can't believe it's almost Fall, and that we've barely had a summer so I'm not quite ready for the official start of Fall (even though this 'summer' has felt like Fall since May). So much to look forward to, and so much I'm excited about. This morning's five miles along the water were lovely, and I'm super glad I got it done this morning so I have time to do some class reading and then relax for a little bit. I printed out a 13-month calendar today so that I can start to 'schedule' my running better and see when I have assignments due and other stuff that is non-relaxing related. We'll see how that goes :)
Crash, out.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Double Rainbow Run
Last night, Geof and I headed out for a run after work along the lakefront. It was a double for Geof, but my first run of the day. I said aloud that I wanted to do six miles, but quietly knew I wanted to do more :) We extended it a bit and got in a little more than seven groovy miles on a relatively quiet lakefront. It was pretty warm out, but the light rain kept me cool and added to the fun of the run. I love running in the rain :) And I love running on Northerly Island amongst the wildflowers and prairie grass. It makes it easy to extend your run.On the way back in, as we reached Monroe Harbor, Geof pointed out that there was a rainbow. I turned to the right and saw the most perfect rainbow in the sky. And not just any rainbow, it was a double rainbow (like in the picture above), and it was a complete arc, not just a wussy half rainbow! It was gorgeous! I can't recall ever seeing anything like that before. I couldn't look away, it was so cool!
You just don't get to see that kind of thing if you're cooped up inside. As runners, we are constantly treated to such surprises on the run. I highly recommend getting outside and enjoying the scenery; you just never know what you'll stumble upon!
Crash, out.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The North (In Your) Face
Yay, I did it! I registered for another race!! I figured that since it's been almost four weeks since Vermont (tomorrow, to be precise) it was time to officially register for the next race on my to do list :)
The North Face Endurance Challenge - Madison, Wisconsin...but it's actually 60 miles south of there and really much closer to Milwaukee than Madison. I can't wait! And, what's better? A bunch of us CHUGs will be racing together!
I signed up for the 50-mile version...better swag, more miles of delight, more quality time with the course. And, as Gary (aka Bison) put it recently, "I'll never sign up for the underdog distance in a race again." Obviously, 50k is a perfectly respectable distance. I just really, really love the 50 mile distance even more :) Just enough of a challenge, but not so much that it leaves you trashed for a week and you finish before it gets dark. Love it.
October 24th is the big day. Then, a week later, I'll be flying out to Phoenix with Geof and a bunch of our beloved CHUGs for the Javelina Jundred, where I will crew and pace for Geof. I'll also double as an official race volunteer from 5am-1pm at the main aid station, and be a cheerleader for all the other CHUGs racing, and Michael Hanes (running his first 100M!). Fantabulous!! Gotta love the CHUG.
And now, it's time for the weekend! The Chicago Air & Water Show is this weekend, as well as some Dunmore fun, some lounging, some great weather, and maybe even some runnin' if my legs agree with me :)
Happy Friday!
Crash, out.
The North Face Endurance Challenge - Madison, Wisconsin...but it's actually 60 miles south of there and really much closer to Milwaukee than Madison. I can't wait! And, what's better? A bunch of us CHUGs will be racing together!
I signed up for the 50-mile version...better swag, more miles of delight, more quality time with the course. And, as Gary (aka Bison) put it recently, "I'll never sign up for the underdog distance in a race again." Obviously, 50k is a perfectly respectable distance. I just really, really love the 50 mile distance even more :) Just enough of a challenge, but not so much that it leaves you trashed for a week and you finish before it gets dark. Love it.
October 24th is the big day. Then, a week later, I'll be flying out to Phoenix with Geof and a bunch of our beloved CHUGs for the Javelina Jundred, where I will crew and pace for Geof. I'll also double as an official race volunteer from 5am-1pm at the main aid station, and be a cheerleader for all the other CHUGs racing, and Michael Hanes (running his first 100M!). Fantabulous!! Gotta love the CHUG.
And now, it's time for the weekend! The Chicago Air & Water Show is this weekend, as well as some Dunmore fun, some lounging, some great weather, and maybe even some runnin' if my legs agree with me :)
Happy Friday!
Crash, out.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Pick Your Poison
It is the year of the Rite. The Rite of Passage that is. Lots of milestones being reached, and this weekend was no exception. To what do I refer? I earned myself my very first outbreak from...poison ivy...! Boy does it itch like a mother! I think I got away pretty lucky though, considering. My lower legs are spotty little specimens of...gross. They actually do look a lot like mosquito bites, so the untrained, non-outdoorsy eye wouldn't know any better.Ah well, it's totally worth it (since it's a pretty mild case). It was a fun weekend of running and camping, and I'd do it again. Except next time I'll slather on the Ivy Block first! I'm not that hardcore :-)
Meantime, I hopped over to the pharmacy and got some Caladryl (the clear kind), and the effect was immediate. What poison ivy?
Oh the joys of trail running!
Crash, out.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tango in Marengo
It all began with a simple suggestion by one of the CHUGs to get some night run training in before Leadville 100...
Sarah and Ben took that and ran with it, literally. They picked the venue, reserved the campsites, created the formal event on the forum, and made reservations for brunch. Brian made a spreadsheet (naturally) where everyone signed up to bring food and drink; and so it went. Sweet and simple, that's how we do! CHUGs sure know how to come together for some good ol' fashioned running and hanging out!
Marengo Ridge is about an hour and a half from Chicago, and on Saturday afternoon Geof and I packed up the truck with all the camping gear, the cooler still fully stocked with beer from the CHUG social two nights prior, our running gear, headlamps and some fresh legs and we were off. After a stop at the grocery store for some last minutes vittles, we hit the road and managed to find the campsite without any problems. Everyone else had been there for a couple of hours, so we immediately hopped to it and got the tent pitched, air mattress set up and then walked back to the fire pit where the burgers and corn were being grilled. Brian and Kelly brought a fancy shmancy shelter with a mosquito surround that was pretty nifty. The mosquitos at this place were not of this world, I was practically eaten alive! Must be because I'm so dang sweet ;)
There were more coolers per capita at our campsite than there are at a Bears Superbowl tailgate, wowza! Beer, Gatorade, Starbucks Doubleshot, water, more beer, other drink stuff, some homebrew that Bill makes (delish!), hotdogs, burgers, fruit salad, veggie salad, watermelon, s'mores, chips, salsa, cookies, it was a veritable feast! And we hadn't even started running yet :) Dinner first, then run. Ultrarunners know how to run on full stomachs anyhow :)
After some eats and some drinks, Ben and Sarah set out on the 4.5 mile loop to mark it with glow sticks. The loop was an even distribution of grassy horse trails and gnarly, technical singletrack. Thank goodness for the glow sticks as some of the single track was so overgrown you couldn't see the trail very well, especially in the dark! Once Sarah got back we snapped a quick group photo, then headed out...
Oh yea, and I of course needed to lube up the feet since it was nasty humid out. We're talkin' 90+ degrees and what felt like 100% humidity. It was a tad warm.
We had a big crowd, 13 in all, and it was a blast heading out on that first loop in one big clump. Sarah said it was going to be tough, but not hilly, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
It was tough. And not hilly. The singletrack really kept us on our toes (and some of us on our faces...but I won't name names ;)). This was a whole new side to night running for me; totally different than the night running I got during VT100 a few weeks back. Vermont isn't technical, Marengo Ridge Conservation Area got technical! I tripped up a few times, but somehow managed to avoid 'crash'ing at any point; wow, you'd think I was coordinated or something.
After one loop, we were all panting due to the humidity, but ready for more. I haven't covered more than 4 miles since Vermont, but this day I was ready for more, bring it! We hung around the "start/finish" area for a few minutes waiting for others to join in, while still others decided to hang back. Brian and Kelly had their pups, Britton and Mia, along for the first loop but let them rest after that. It was their first doggie trail night run!
Hangin' at camp after the first loop
Kelly and Mia (on the left) and me, on the first loop out
On the second loop, my legs were feeling happy so I kept up with Atacama Jim O'Brien. Dude is fast and I was working hard to stay with him, but he was 'taking it easy'. He had done 20 miles earlier in the day so these miles were just bonus miles :) Oh, to be in peak training again! Geof and Kelly were just behind us, and Torey and Leslie were just in front of us. Jim and I discussed the "bullfrogs and ducks" that were rampant on the trail that night (especially surrounding him), Mont Blanc, his 140 mile weeks, and falling on the trail. He caught himself on some near falls. I almost had to hand over my nickname to him. Almost.
Once back at camp, Geof popped a squat...
But not for long! He wanted to do two more loops, after having done 30 miles that morning (for a total of 48 miles for the day, yowza man!). Sweet! I was spent after my 9 miles, and my hip/glute pain was back, as well as the pain on the tops of my feet, so I decided it was time to try one of Bill's homebrews, get cleaned up and into dry clothes, and kick back at camp with the other CHUGs while Geof and Tony went for more trail. Deb had rigged up a sort of sponge bath so I felt pretty fresh after that, thanks Deb!!
Around 3:00 a.m., Geof, Tony, Brian, Kelly, Bill, JimEJo and I were still standing and we finally decided it was time to hit the hay.
Sometime around 5:00 a.m. I awoke to some rather loud snoring emanating from the tent next door. I won't name names, but it was loud ;) Hehehe
After everyone rolled out of their tents, cleaned up the campsite, packed up cars, walked the garbage down to the dumpster and sat around with that familiar post-run/late night ultrarunner vacant look...
Tony, Torey, JimEJo, and Atacama Jim
...we headed into town, to Cafe 20, for some well-earned brunch and more good times.
What a fun weekend! Some very quality night running on some tough trail, super fun camping, hanging with my CHUGs, s'mores and even top notch homebrew thanks to Bill J.! What more could a girl ask for!
Round II will be in September, when the CHUGs descend on the Kettle Moraine, mu hahahaha!
Crash, out.
Sarah and Ben took that and ran with it, literally. They picked the venue, reserved the campsites, created the formal event on the forum, and made reservations for brunch. Brian made a spreadsheet (naturally) where everyone signed up to bring food and drink; and so it went. Sweet and simple, that's how we do! CHUGs sure know how to come together for some good ol' fashioned running and hanging out!
Marengo Ridge is about an hour and a half from Chicago, and on Saturday afternoon Geof and I packed up the truck with all the camping gear, the cooler still fully stocked with beer from the CHUG social two nights prior, our running gear, headlamps and some fresh legs and we were off. After a stop at the grocery store for some last minutes vittles, we hit the road and managed to find the campsite without any problems. Everyone else had been there for a couple of hours, so we immediately hopped to it and got the tent pitched, air mattress set up and then walked back to the fire pit where the burgers and corn were being grilled. Brian and Kelly brought a fancy shmancy shelter with a mosquito surround that was pretty nifty. The mosquitos at this place were not of this world, I was practically eaten alive! Must be because I'm so dang sweet ;)
There were more coolers per capita at our campsite than there are at a Bears Superbowl tailgate, wowza! Beer, Gatorade, Starbucks Doubleshot, water, more beer, other drink stuff, some homebrew that Bill makes (delish!), hotdogs, burgers, fruit salad, veggie salad, watermelon, s'mores, chips, salsa, cookies, it was a veritable feast! And we hadn't even started running yet :) Dinner first, then run. Ultrarunners know how to run on full stomachs anyhow :)
After some eats and some drinks, Ben and Sarah set out on the 4.5 mile loop to mark it with glow sticks. The loop was an even distribution of grassy horse trails and gnarly, technical singletrack. Thank goodness for the glow sticks as some of the single track was so overgrown you couldn't see the trail very well, especially in the dark! Once Sarah got back we snapped a quick group photo, then headed out...
Oh yea, and I of course needed to lube up the feet since it was nasty humid out. We're talkin' 90+ degrees and what felt like 100% humidity. It was a tad warm.
We had a big crowd, 13 in all, and it was a blast heading out on that first loop in one big clump. Sarah said it was going to be tough, but not hilly, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was tough. And not hilly. The singletrack really kept us on our toes (and some of us on our faces...but I won't name names ;)). This was a whole new side to night running for me; totally different than the night running I got during VT100 a few weeks back. Vermont isn't technical, Marengo Ridge Conservation Area got technical! I tripped up a few times, but somehow managed to avoid 'crash'ing at any point; wow, you'd think I was coordinated or something.
After one loop, we were all panting due to the humidity, but ready for more. I haven't covered more than 4 miles since Vermont, but this day I was ready for more, bring it! We hung around the "start/finish" area for a few minutes waiting for others to join in, while still others decided to hang back. Brian and Kelly had their pups, Britton and Mia, along for the first loop but let them rest after that. It was their first doggie trail night run!
Hangin' at camp after the first loop
Kelly and Mia (on the left) and me, on the first loop outOn the second loop, my legs were feeling happy so I kept up with Atacama Jim O'Brien. Dude is fast and I was working hard to stay with him, but he was 'taking it easy'. He had done 20 miles earlier in the day so these miles were just bonus miles :) Oh, to be in peak training again! Geof and Kelly were just behind us, and Torey and Leslie were just in front of us. Jim and I discussed the "bullfrogs and ducks" that were rampant on the trail that night (especially surrounding him), Mont Blanc, his 140 mile weeks, and falling on the trail. He caught himself on some near falls. I almost had to hand over my nickname to him. Almost.
Once back at camp, Geof popped a squat...
But not for long! He wanted to do two more loops, after having done 30 miles that morning (for a total of 48 miles for the day, yowza man!). Sweet! I was spent after my 9 miles, and my hip/glute pain was back, as well as the pain on the tops of my feet, so I decided it was time to try one of Bill's homebrews, get cleaned up and into dry clothes, and kick back at camp with the other CHUGs while Geof and Tony went for more trail. Deb had rigged up a sort of sponge bath so I felt pretty fresh after that, thanks Deb!!Around 3:00 a.m., Geof, Tony, Brian, Kelly, Bill, JimEJo and I were still standing and we finally decided it was time to hit the hay.
Sometime around 5:00 a.m. I awoke to some rather loud snoring emanating from the tent next door. I won't name names, but it was loud ;) Hehehe
After everyone rolled out of their tents, cleaned up the campsite, packed up cars, walked the garbage down to the dumpster and sat around with that familiar post-run/late night ultrarunner vacant look...
Tony, Torey, JimEJo, and Atacama Jim...we headed into town, to Cafe 20, for some well-earned brunch and more good times.
What a fun weekend! Some very quality night running on some tough trail, super fun camping, hanging with my CHUGs, s'mores and even top notch homebrew thanks to Bill J.! What more could a girl ask for!
Round II will be in September, when the CHUGs descend on the Kettle Moraine, mu hahahaha!
Crash, out.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Everything's Coming Up Roses
I have sunshine coming out of my a** :) It's pretty great!
Tuesday, I ran 2.2 miles in the morning along the lakefront. It was lovely out, a little humid, but lovely. I felt okay, better than last Friday for sure. I could still feel my hip/glute problem, which brought me to a walk a couple of times, but it's worlds better than last week. Phew!
This morning, I really upped the anty and ran 2.7 miles on the same route. I know, I know, I'm pushing it ;) It was a much better run! I even had some speed in the ol' legs...I glanced at my Garmin a few times and I was cranking out sub-8:30 (hey, that's good for me these days!). I even had my heartrate up! To quote Krissy from a recent blog post of hers, "I felt human." And that is good. Still could feel the same hip/glute thingy, but it didn't reduce me to a walk. I'm thinking this Saturday's CHUG camping/night running outing at Marengo Ridge is going to be a "high mileage" night for me...maybe 10 miles??? Who knows, but I do know that I will be indulging in some s'mores, some good old smack talk around a campfire with some of my favorite peeps, and plenty of laughs and good times. I enjoy night running, so this will be a treat!
Speaking of treats, I got my new running jacket in the mail today! I ordered the ladies' North Face Venture Jacket:
It's water and windproof, super thin and can fit over layers...perfect for cold/wet runs! I got this sweet little number from Backcountry...which if you've never used them before, use them. Or use Steep and Cheap. S&C is somehow tied to Backcountry and it has ridiculously low prices on outdoor gear; every 20 minutes is a new item, so I just keep it up in my browser throughout the day when I'm trolling for something specific...like my new jacket! Not to sound like an advertisement or anything (and there's no financial interest, just a happy customer).
Tuesday, I ran 2.2 miles in the morning along the lakefront. It was lovely out, a little humid, but lovely. I felt okay, better than last Friday for sure. I could still feel my hip/glute problem, which brought me to a walk a couple of times, but it's worlds better than last week. Phew!
This morning, I really upped the anty and ran 2.7 miles on the same route. I know, I know, I'm pushing it ;) It was a much better run! I even had some speed in the ol' legs...I glanced at my Garmin a few times and I was cranking out sub-8:30 (hey, that's good for me these days!). I even had my heartrate up! To quote Krissy from a recent blog post of hers, "I felt human." And that is good. Still could feel the same hip/glute thingy, but it didn't reduce me to a walk. I'm thinking this Saturday's CHUG camping/night running outing at Marengo Ridge is going to be a "high mileage" night for me...maybe 10 miles??? Who knows, but I do know that I will be indulging in some s'mores, some good old smack talk around a campfire with some of my favorite peeps, and plenty of laughs and good times. I enjoy night running, so this will be a treat!
Speaking of treats, I got my new running jacket in the mail today! I ordered the ladies' North Face Venture Jacket:
It's water and windproof, super thin and can fit over layers...perfect for cold/wet runs! I got this sweet little number from Backcountry...which if you've never used them before, use them. Or use Steep and Cheap. S&C is somehow tied to Backcountry and it has ridiculously low prices on outdoor gear; every 20 minutes is a new item, so I just keep it up in my browser throughout the day when I'm trolling for something specific...like my new jacket! Not to sound like an advertisement or anything (and there's no financial interest, just a happy customer).That's my story morning glory. Just having a great week, and really looking forward to the weekend. I am also really looking forward to this whole 'post-100 recovery' thing to be over. I wanna run far again! I'm thinking I might wear these for the camping/running trip:
Chili-peppin' it before VT100
Oh, how I miss that race!! I've got an itch for another 100-miler...
Crash, out.
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