Golden Legs 5K Pub Run (Race Recap)

I want to share with you my favorite beer song: B Double E Double R U N= Beer Run

Saturday night, a bunch of my friends and I participated in our very first 5K Pub Run, which was hosted by Golden Legs Running.  For the $40 registration fee, you got a 5K 'race', a cool t-shirt and beer at each of the participating pubs/restaurants.  Let's break down the race.

The Preparation:
I have never ran and drank beer at the same time.  Usually, I run and THEN drink beer.  Having never trained for an event like this, I was pretty apprehensive as to how I would react with foamy beer in my belly running in 90 degree heat.  It is a faux pas to toss one's cookies on the course- I didn't want to be the initiator of a puke fest on Seymour Ave.  Surprisingly, the more beer I drank, the better I ran (or so I thought)!

The Course:
The course was mostly up and down Seymour Ave. in Mundelein.  The course was rolling hills with only one nasty intersection to cross.  We did have a course marshal helping us cross the road safely- thanks Tom!  At the beginning I thought it was cruel to have so many hills on a Pub Run, but the last mile or so was downhill.  After that 3rd beer, you could really get some momentum going and just roll on into the last beer stop.

The T-Shirt:

The Front of the T-shirt

The Back of the T-Shirt

I LOVE the t-shirt that was given out at the race.  It is a cotton t-shirt, which I would rather have instead of a technical shirt.  I will certainly wear this to train at the bar for my next Pub Run!

The Beer:

Thank you to all of the participating restaurants/pubs!  Every stop had plentiful, cold beer to sip so runners could gather their strength to make it to the next pub.  The first stop on the tour was Bill's Pizza & Pub. Besides have nice, cold beer on tap, Bill's is also known for their good pizza.  The next stop on the tour was Jake Moran's (sorry, no website!).  Jake Moran's is a lovely local bar that serves magnificent hamburgers, as well as, yes, you guessed it- beer.  Our third stop was Park Street.  Park Street is a great restaurant that has the best grilled oyster appetizers.  The final stop on the tour was the new microbrewery in town, Tighthead Brewing Company.  And guess what?  All they serve is FABULOUS beer!  The post-race party was here and appetizers were catered by Park Street.  

The Pit Stop:

There was one water/pit stop on the Pub Run.  This stop was hosted by A Taste of Paris at mile 2.  Claude provided runners with cool water and homemade chocolate chip cookies that were to die for!  They were warm and the chocolate was ooey gooey.  The best 5K water stop ever!

Overall Impression:

The Pub Run was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.  The course was challenging, the beer was cold and it was a fun time with friends.  My goal was to finish the run in under an hour.  We finished in 59 minutes- a PR for a 5K pub run for me!  Would I run another pub run again?  You betcha!  

Thank you to Golden Legs Running, Bills Pizza & Pub, Jake Moran's, Park Street, Tighthead Brewing Company and A Taste of Paris for a great evening.  

Test Driving an Ironman

"H2O: two parts Heart and one part Obsession"- Author Unknown

My ducky medal from the Madison Open Water Swim (MOWS)!

This weekend, I had a chance to tag along with my friend Loren to Madison, WI to swim in the Madison Open Water Swim.  The swim is either a 2.4 mile or a 1.2 mile open water swim in Lake Monona.  Loren is training for the Ironman Wisconsin, which takes place on Sunday, September 9th.  Many of the triathletes use this open water swim as a dress rehearsal, then bike the course afterwards.  That was our plan too.

So, I signed up for the 2.4 mile swim.  I have never swam that distance in open water before.  Since the opportunity presented itself, I might as well try!  I could always bail at the 1.2 mile distance since the course was a 1.2 mile rectangular course that you had to do twice.  The start is not like a usual triathlon start where you run into the water and start swimming from the shore.  The start was in the water with all participants treading water before the gun went off.  The first 1,000 yards sucked.  Everyone was hitting each other and swimming over the top of one another.  I have a bunch of bruises on my arms and legs from getting kicked and hit.  At this point in the swim, I was mad.  Really people?  I just don't get why everyone gets off hitting one another in the water.  Just swim around people or draft off of them until the opportunity to pass and draft off of someone else presents itself.  I found my zone and had a great swim until my allergies kicked up.  

Will I do another open water swim like that again?  Yes!  I really had a great time and enjoyed the swim.  It is on my bucket list to do the Big Shoulders 5K Lake Michigan Swim one day.  

I must have been allergic to something in the water because I could not stop sneezing and my nose just kept on running.  The bike was miserable because of this.  I wish I would have taken some more allergy medicine and some decongestant.  I snotted myself up to the point of wishing my nose would fall off.  My lips were chapped and bleeding by the time we were done, ugh.  I felt bad for Loren having to wait on me since this was a dress rehearsal for the big day.  I'm sorry Loren.

I had been contemplating trying to compete in an Ironman in the near future.  After Saturday, I don't think it is in my cards to do one.  Can I swim 2.4 miles?  Yep.  Can I run 26.2 miles?  No problem.  Can I bike 112 miles?  I don't think so.  It takes a special person to do this distance and I don't think I am one of those people.  And I am ok with this.  I do enjoy doing Sprint, Olympic and 1/2 Ironman distance and will continue to compete in triathlons.  

Good luck to those competing in Ironman Wisconsin!  It was fun swimming and biking with those of you who were training in Madison on Saturday.

Afraid of being Happy? I am.

" You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.  You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."- Albert Camus

Happiness is...having a glass of champagne in a Paris cafe with your beloved.

Life has been pretty darn good to Lisa lately.  This year I did something different.  I wrote my intentions for the year (usually it is resolutions like losing weight, working out more, running more marathons, blah, blah, blah.)  Here are my 2012 intentions:

1) I intend to be sponsored for running and/or triathlons.  

2) I intend to launch my blog. 

3) I intend to move someplace warmer.

4) I intend to get a puppy.

5) I intend to get a part-time job in fundraising.

Let's take a look at these intentions:

1) OK, I'm still working on this one.  I am not the fastest person on the road, but I am quite determined, funny and would shamelessly plug a product I truly believe in.  I just haven't figured out what type of company I would like to sponsor me.  

2) Got this one.

3) The warmth actually came to me rather than me going to it!  Is the universe telling me to stay in Illinois?!

4) Got this one.  I love my Bakon!

Bakon on last week's road trip to WI.

5) Got this one.  I absolutely love, love, love my job at the Historical Society.  I look forward to going to work- this hasn't happened in over 5 years to me.  If feels good to like to go to work.

Everyday, I write in my Gratitude Journal 5 things that I am truly grateful for that day.  

Besides all of these good intentions and being grateful, I am in perfect health, my family is in good health, we are employed and we have enough to renovate the kitchen.  Wow!  It just can't get any better!

I was enjoying my happy, comfortable life, being thankful that all of the hard work and dedication was FINALLY paying off.  I was ALLOWING myself to be happy when I saw this on Facebook from a friend:

Hug your significant other tonight, tight & long! If they are out of town, call them! What if you couldn't do either ever again?!

Then another wrote:

Constantly reminded of the fragility of life. Every breath a reminder you're alive. Life is a gift. Love your family, hug your friends.

Oh shit.  I was too busy being happy to remember that the other shoe must drop soon!  What if? What if? What if?  

It was storming on my way to work yesterday morning.  It was all I could think about that I was too happy, something bad must happen soon.  A tree is going to fall on me, I know it.  Something bad is going to happen to a loved one because I am living it up. I am happy and I don't deserve to be.

For real.  This is how I think.

And it is wrong.

May we all be well.

May we all be happy.

May we all be free from suffering.

We all need to practice some lovingkindness for ourselves. We do deserve this.  Even me.

I Dared to do the Dairyland Dare- Ride Recap

"You must dare to do as many things as you dream of"- Nastassja Kinski

Logo for the Dairyland Dare

The Dairyland Dare was this past Saturday.  A couple of friends and I decided to ride the 50K route of the Dare.  There were 50K, 100K, 150K, 200K, 250K and 300K.  After riding on the terrain of the 50K and being from the flatlands of Northern Illinois, I am glad that I chose wisely and didn't bite off more than I could chew!

The day was beautiful- upper 50s in the morning that warmed up to the 70s by the end of the ride.  There was a bit of wind, but not enough to make the ride more difficult that it needed to be.  The route was well marked, even with a detour.  The volunteers and law enforcement were plentiful and very friendly- thank you for coming out and making sure the riders were safe!  

There was one rest stop on the 50K route and one water stop.  The rest stop was located at mile 17.  There were plenty of snacks to choose- from peanut butter sandwiches to plums to granola bars.  We were well fueled to get us to the finish line.  At the finish, there was enough food to feed an army!  We could get two sandwiches and three side dishes.  The sandwich selection included: brats, hamburgers, black bean burgers, grilled chicken wrap and cheeseburgers.  Sides included: pasta salad, coleslaw (which was delish- it had a lime cilantro dressing), potato chips, watermelon and chocolate chip cookies.  If that wasn't enough, you also got some Culvers custard AND two beers from Capital Brewery in Madison.  Any calories that I burned on the ride, I more than replenished them at lunch!

It was a great ride, one that I am planning on doing next year.  The Dairyland Dare was part of the Wisconsin Triple Crown Endurance Cycling Series. I might even tackle the Triple Crown if my schedule allows.  

Thank you to my friends for riding with me!  I don't get to ride often with this group of friends and it was a true pleasure to enjoy the ride and to catch up with one another.  

Three things I am grateful for:

1) Friends who like to do challenges like the Dairyland Dare

2) Events like the Dairyland Dare are available within driving distance of where I live

3) That my body is able to do these types of activities that I so enjoy!

The Evolution of Bakon

"Special day! Oh, what have I forgotten now?  Now, don't panic.  Is it Bacon Day? No, that's crazy talk!"- Homer, The Simpsons

Since it is the off-season, I have been kind-of lazy lately with the workouts.  This is how pathetic I was last week:
Monday: Yoga, Heat Advisory issued so I didn't do Training to Tri because of my asthma.
Tuesday: Walked the dog 3x
Wednesday: Walked the dog 3x
Thursday: Rode bike to work
Friday: Walked the dog 3x
Saturday: Ran 8-miles (now we are talking!)
Sunday: Rode 30-miles (back on the workout train!)

Sometimes exercise ebbs and flows.  You can't be 'on' all of the time.  It is good every now and then to have a week that is easy.  Just don't make it into a habit.

I am breaking in a new training partner.  His name is Bakon and as of last Friday, he is 3 months old.  Right now, we are walking around the neighborhood.  On the weekends, we venture to the forest preserve for a one-mile walking loop.  Eventually, in about a year, I will start running with Bakon.  I am hoping to work him up to 5-mile runs during the week and perhaps up to 8 miles on the weekends depending on how he progresses when he gets older.

I thought I would share some photos of Bakon- who doesn't like puppy pictures!  I hope it makes your day a little brighter.

May the 4th, Bakon was welped.  Little does he know how close he was going to be named after a Star Wars character.

Memorial Day weekend we got to pick out Bakon.  He was 3 weeks old.

Bakon at 6 weeks.  

Bakon on 'Gotcha Day'.  He was 8 weeks old.

Enjoy at day out at the park at 9 weeks.

Running errands last week at 13 weeks (3 months).

We have had Bakon now for 5 weeks.  In that time, he has gone from being 8 pounds to a whopping 21 pounds!  Looking forward to the many adventures that await with him.