Last night, I got ready for another 5k that I was unprepared for hoping that the rain would hold off long enough for me to make it home nice and dry.

Ha!

I headed down Michigan Avenue to catch the Austin bus headed east and while waiting for the light to change in my favor, a car sped past me and hit a huge LAKE of water on the road COMPLETELY DRENCHING the upper half of my body.

I was on the phone with Ivan at the time it happened, and yes, I actually screamed…maybe it was more like a scream/squeal. I couldn’t BELIEVE it actually happened that way. You see it happen like that in movies or cartoons…but in real life? Really? Yeah, well, it DOES and I got SOAKED!

Luckily I had another running shirt on me, so, while on the Mag Mile, I changed out of the one soaked shirt into another nice dry running shirt.

I made my way to the race and was able to drop off my bag at the designated area AND make it through the pot-o-johns before the race gun went off. AWESOME! While in the line up I tried moving closer up to the front so I wouldn’t be fighting with people for space on the road. The gun went off and I realized I hadn’t set up my Nike+ for the race. Quickly I fumbled around with that while walking forward to the starting line…I had it ready to go JUST as I was about to start running. Phew!

The race itself was challenging for me as I had run fairly hard the night before. Nike+ told me I had run 6 miles at roughly 10 minute miles but that seemed off to me. I had actually run faster than that…I think I ended up running 7.5 miles in 60 minutes…so you can figure out the pace per mile on that one.

Anyway, I knew I had run harder the day before but thought I’d be ok to “kick it up a notch” for the race. I was TIRED though. So tired. And I didn’t really eat much the past couple of days so I wasn’t properly fueled. Oops.

The first mile marker came to pass, and it said something insane like 13:44! I was like “SH*T!!!” Because I didn’t think it had taken me 3:44 to cross the starting line. I knew I had to move faster than I seemed to be if I wanted to reach my goal of sub 9 minute miles.

Mile marker 2 came to pass…Nike+ (uncalibrated) was telling me I was still at 1.89k. Um…yeah. The time on the clock at mile 2 was ALL wrong saying something like 4:44:43. Uh…so that was no help. I had NO IDEA now how fast I was running and I couldn’t gauge ANYTHING. So I kept going…running as quickly as I could while being comfortable and not pulling a Danika Patrick by burning up all my fuel before reaching the end.

The mile 3 marker was a welcome sign and I was excited that the ominous clouds collecting over head hadn’t yet opened up on us. I turned a corner…finish line? Nope. Damn! I keep running…the internal dialog starts up, “Should I start sprinting? Am I at 400 meters yet or not? Should I slow up? Speed up? What should I do?” I decided to keep moving forward swiftly but not sprint just yet.

But my heart was already experiencing the adrenaline high and I could tell my energy was about to give out on me. I tried picking it up a bit, I really didn’t know how fast or slow I was running…runners were slowing and speeding up all around me. Suddenly I turn another corner…finish line? Nope. But I was met with a few fatty rain drops that felt really good on my over heated body.

Another corner…another false hope. DAMN YOU FINISH LINE!!! WHERE ARE YOU??? Now I’m slowing up because I’m tired…another corner. Finish line? YEP! RIGHT THE F THERE! Like 30 meters in front of me.

“SHIT” I said out loud and tried to pass as many runners as possible without slipping on the wet roads.

I stopped my Nike+ which told me I still had nearly 2k to go. The clock on the finish line said 27 minutes and change.

I was sort of bummed but I thought I might have made a sub 9 mile anyway since I knew I hadn’t started right at the gun.

Note to all novice racers out there reading this: When you cross the finishing mats, PLEASE KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!! Do NOT stop there and block the way for others who are sprinting it in. I WILL KILL ONE OF YOU ONE DAY BY PLOWING YOU OVER IF YOU DON’T KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!!

Also, you shouldn’t just stop running immediately crossing the finish line, you should be lightly jogging as you slow to a walk pace. I don’t understand why this is such a hard concept to grasp, but it apparently is because I nearly took down 20 people easy by them blocking my passage at the finish. It was almost a disaster!

ANYWAY…so I cross the finish, work my way through the slow-mo’s and head towards the fruit. YEAH BABY! Bike and crew hooked us up! Bananas, water, G2 Gatorade’s, oranges and bagels…all kinds of goodies!!! Of course, 30 seconds after crossing the finish line what happens? The SKY opened up on us. Coach Chris found me while waiting for Beth to cross and we both stood there as we began to really get pelted.

I started laughing, because it quickly turned from feeling kind of nice to be cooled off to super yucky to be getting drenched. The wind picked up and made the rain feel even colder. Eek!

I ran towards the bagels and said “F it! I want one!” and stuck my hand into the bag. I got one dry bite, that’s it. At one point I thought “What a salty bagel”. HA! No, it wasn’t the bagel that was salty, it was my FACE being washed off by the ran that was then dripping onto my soggy bagel.

Eh…kinda gross, I know, but I was starving so I ate it happily. Then I ate a banana, then drank more water, then continued to get soaked.

I stood in line to get my bags, which were also going to be soaked (I was nervous for my phone and camera) and some people around me were getting REALLY uptight. Oh people…they get upset about the silliest of things.

Sadly, the much anticipated after party with beer, live music and other festivities had to be canceled, which was a bummer, so after I got my bag I headed towards the UIC Blue line stop.

While there I met Edwin, a fellow runner, who had snagged a couple of bags of oranges after the race. SMART! I wish I had thought of that! Anyway, we talked about the fun of the various races around town and it was nice to meet someone new who was nice and not sketchy. Turns out he’s not originally from Chicago, but moved here from 3 years in NYC (Brooklyn) and before that had lived in Louisiana…I think that’s what he said anyway.

Edwin was nice because when we switched to the red line, he gave me a dry t-shirt of his to wear. I WAS FREEZING! Sitting on an air conditioned bus while totally wet? Yeah, let’s just say people around me got a little something to look at with how much I was nip’n out!!! Sorry to share if that’s too much info, but it was HILARIOUS, so I couldn’t stop laughing (or shivering). The t-shirt was a very kind gesture and while I know he may never know this, I can’t thank him enough since it REALLY was the only thing that kept me from shivering myself into shock!

Thanks Edwin, where ever you are!

There was another guy we both met on the train, I don’t think I got his name, but he was pleasant to talk with as well. GOTTA LOVE RUNNERS…those of us that aren’t super duper fast are usually really really nice people. And we like talking about our races and running stuff and life. So that made the longer ride home from the blue line much more tolerable.

I got home, I fed the cats, I emptied the litter, I took a shower, I finally got to bed (around 1:20am…eek) and woke up EXHAUSTED!

Today I looked up the race results…YAY! I did better than I thought! My official finishing time was 25:49 which puts me at 8:20 minute miles! YAY! This is good news since I was afraid I had gotten SO MUCH SLOWER since the Wacky 5k.

Anyway…I imagine the Nike Bastille Day 5k is normally a really fun race to do, so I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT for the future…Nike knows how to treat their runners, even if this years tech shirts were a bust being WAY TOO LARGE and only coming in the male cut. It’s still alright because it was a funny experience and I proved that I can still run alright at the shorter distances.

HOPEFULLY, I can work it up so that I can run 13 miles at 9 minute miles for the upcoming 1/2 marathon in NYC later on this month.

Here’s to hoping!!! And thanks for reading!!!

PS- I still think Nike+ is the sh*t, but I definitely see the importance of properly calibrating it!!!

We know I am a huge fan of Apple products. We also know that I am a huge fan of Nike products, so the two of these companies teaming up to create Nike+ iPod is more than a dream come true.

I know, I know, I’m behind the times. This has been around now for over two years I believe, but I’m just now FINALLY getting into using it…and it’s AWESOME! Seriously, for anyone looking to train for any kind of running race without a coach or a group to train/run with, THIS is the coolest thing ever!

I had to replace my Nike+ because I had lost one of the pieces of my original set (thus me not using it this entire time). It’s much cheaper now a days, so while in the Nike store yesterday signing up for the Nike Bastille Day 5k, I picked one up. I also got new earbuds (Nike Vapor 3-Way Sport Headphone) because my apple earbuds broke.

The headphones? PERFECT! It comes with a shorter cord which I thought would be a problem, but it ends up that the designers for both companies are truly genius and CLEARLY get input from actual athletes when designing their products. The cord is just long enough to reach my iPod Nano (the older model, not the new ugly square kind) that’s cradled in my arm band. The cord sits behind my neck and travels up my back to my ears and amazingly, I had NO trouble with getting tangled up in the cords or anything. The comfort grips that wrap around and behind my ear to keep the headphones in place are GREAT! They did the job well and they were not too expensive…actually, they ended up being WELL worth the price. We’ll see how long they last with sweating and heat and the abuse headphones get from us active types!

Anyway, it’s comfortable and a great way to keep my music and information close to my ear without knocking them out of place while fighting cords that are too long! The Nike+ itself is really great. I just put the shoe sensor in a little velcro cradle I got from Fleet Feet that cost me $10.00 and then plugged the other piece into my nano, selected the type of exercise I wanted to do, and badda bing, I was ready to go!!!

Each mile the Nike+ lady’s lovely voice told me how far I had gone, and then how much further I had left once I hit the middle mark.

It tracked how fast I was running, how far I had run and what my average pace per mile was. I LOVE this thing. Not only that, but it stores the information onto my nano so I can then sync it up with iTunes on my computer and info gets sent to my profile website on Nike+’s site! I CAN KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF MY RUNS THIS WAY!

It’s super great! This little invention is perfect, PERFECT for runners!!! It let’s you set it so many different ways, you can set it for time, calories burnt, distance (both miles and kilometers) and even let’s me choose to use the woman’s voice or the mans. I get to pick my “power song” which is a song that I can play whenever I feel I need a boost of energy…it’s a fun little feature.

Basically, I’m in love. Between this new little gadget, my new headphones and my bike, I feel that I’m really going to be able to turn this whole bad training trend around!

To top off the great things Nike has to offer, I learned this past week that Nike has several marathon training sites that they offer throughout the week…for FREE!

So Saturday mornings, at Foster Ave beach they have the weekly long runs that we can join in on at no cost. UM…HELL TO THE YEAH! This is really fantastic! I can’t WAIT to get involved. I’m going to find out more information about it tonight, and once I do, I’ll post it here for everyone else to see, but right now, it sounds like a great way to get back on track and make sure to get my distance runs in there at the right training pace.

Tonight I will be testing out how accurate the Nike+ system is on it’s own. I didn’t calabrate it last night in order to see what happened if I didn’t. Since I’m running a 5k tonight, I know that I can set it to a certain distance, run that distance and compare to see how far it shows I ran as well.

I’ll update you all on that accuracy tomorrow too!

In the meanwhile, happy running, biking, swimming, volleyballing and sporting people! More to come soon!!!

Best,
Devin

And now I finally can!

I did it folks! I FINALLY PURCHASED MY BIKE. My bank account has suddenly lost a lot of “weight”…but it’s an investment well worth it. I’ve been saving up for this puppy for a few years now…weeks and months of eating Ramen, and FINALLY, the bike is mine.

I ended up getting a Specialized Sirrus. There are five grades of Sirrus bikes, mine is the “entry level” version, but it’s a sexy bitch and I LOVE IT!

I chose this bike because it seemed to fit all of my needs and major requirements. I didn’t want a road bike because riding in that hunched down position scares the crap out of me! I didn’t want a mountain bike because they are too big and cumbersome and heavy! I thought I wanted a hybrid, which is a combo of the two, heavy tread wheels, upright riding position like a mountain bike, but thinner tires and lighter frame like a road bike.

What I ended up getting is called a cross bike. It’s got much thinner wheels, similar to a road bike but slightly thicker, a more upright position but not fully cruise style, a front fork suspension good for sharp turns and inclines while still being able to take some bumps and not hurt because there is no spring suspensions on the bike.

This bike is specifically designed for those looking to use it for exercising, commuting and light racing.

That’s great, because, THAT’S ME!!! In the long run, this bike is going to save me some mullah! AND it’s going to help kick my ass into gear (and shape) for the upcoming marathons I’m crazy enough to be running!

I did it all right too, the bike that is. It’s sexy silver with sassy silver fenders and a black water bottle holder to make things POP! I got fancy schmansy anti theft devices put on my bike so no one can try to steal my precious!!! I ordered a cool skater type helmet in iridescent silver and grays and then got the safety lights and stuff that are required for use on the bike paths. I’m really in love with it.

I rode it from the bike shop, Kozy Bikes of Chicago, to beach volleyball and it was a great smooth ride. I have to fix something on the fenders because my foot was running into a part of them, and I need to take the cages off the pedals because I find those more cumbersome than helpful.

Eventually I’ll make my bike crazy and add a basket to the front and have a crate on the back, but in the meanwhile, my baby is rip roaring and ready to go!

Now…it’s time for a name. It has to be something really sexy and sassy and me. Meg suggested Thunder…I keep thinking Quick Silver which is SOOO lame, but damn catchy.

I’ll take a picture of me and the new bike this weekend so you all can see and hopefully suggest a good name for!

Oh yeah, and for the record, I ended up biking 12 miles from the bike shop to the beach and then the beach to back home. It was a good work out and my legs feel stronger already!

Cross training is soooo essential to my success this running year!

Jamie and I ran five miles last night. It was a nice casual five mile run (as most of them have been for me lately) and we got to talking and walking and running some more…good times.

I have realized that I’m having a harder time this year getting really energized about my training. I think it’s in part because of how much more I have on my plate these days.

I need to step it up, and I’m aware of this, but still, I’m struggling to do so. Meanwhile, summer keeps passing me by and I feel that I’m just getting more and more behind as each day fades into night.

However, I will not allow myself to get too DOWN about it or beat myself up over it; that would lead to nothing good or productive. Marathoning is a choice, and it’s my choice, and I am fully aware that I can run a marathon successfully and without injury. This year’s goal was to beat last years time…and by a significant amount. I don’t know if I can run a four hour marathon, but I would like to. But I am also giving myself a 15 minute leeway. The goal is to run a 4:00:00 to 4:15:00 marathon. Ideally, I’d run a sub four hour marathon, but I’m not thinking that is at all reality for me this year since my training just hasn’t shifted into high gear yet.

In the meanwhile, two weeks of training will come to an end this Saturday with my long run. I plan on running 11 miles. Hopefully I’ll be running with a Nick from my beach volleyball team…he’s training for his first marathon this year and has a similar time goal (though I’m sure he’s MUCH faster than I am). We’ll see if that can work out.

For now I just keep cheering to myself:
Keep going, keep going! You can do it runners! One.More.Mile!!!

One more mile indeed…

Tonights game was a very *interesting one*.

Sadly we were down a couple of our ladies; Meghan was out due to her lower back injury (she is feeling MUCH better after some serious bone and muscle adjustments at the chiropractor) and Ann was out of town visiting her grandmother who is over 100 years old and just got out of the hospital…both completely UNDERSTANDABLE reasons to miss the game.

I’m sad they missed it though because it was a fun one. I got to the beach a little early and met up with Jani, the fourth girl on our team who wasn’t able to make it the previous week, and we got some “practicing” in. By Practicing I mean I was making poor Jani run around all over the beach trying to get my balls. I was nervous because I kinda stunk the week before and really didn’t want to be the weakest link on the team so I tried to get better. Practicing wasn’t proving to make me a better player at all and I started to grow nervous.

Fortunately for me, Jani is super sweet and was very cool about me not playing so well.

Taimoor and Omar were walking by and we caught up with them to talk to the north courts for our game. Omar was going to play relief if we were down too many players which was awesome (thank you Omar).

We got to court five and Nick was there ready to go with Scott. I was really excited to see everyone again. The 6:30 games came to an end and we took both sides of the court for some volley practice.

That’s when it happened. The swarm of people dressed in red t-shirts came over to us. I heard one ask “who’s your team captain” and my teammates all pointed to me. I walked over to the person asking for me and he puts out his hand introducing himself (not politely mind you) as team captain of Gensler. Only it didn’t sound like he said Gensler…I was confused.

Anyway, they all keep moving in on the one side of the court I am on and Nick jokingly says, “I guess they are telling us to get off their side of the court huh?” and I sort of looked at him smiling as we walk to the other side where the rest of the Dune-Dawgs were. This little chica on the Gensler team, in response to Nick, says “Yeah, that’s what we’re saying” all chalk full of so much attitude I nearly spun around and punched her in the face.

Instead, I continued to walk forward without paying her any mind while thinking to myself, “Bitch, you are going down!”

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not really that competative anymore…unless I LET myself be. I used to be TOO competative and people didn’t to play games with me anymore because I’d take it and myself too seriously. So I toned it down. A lot. But when you get all silly and full of attitude in my face, I’m gonna bring it and really want to serve your ass to you on a rusty platter. Which is exactly what “Little Red” did.

I turned to Nick and Scott and said “That was rude” and both kind of smiled and shrugged it off. In my mind I thought, “It’s ON”.

We got a little organized and the captain of Gensler came over to ask about calling sides. He wanted to do Rock.Paper.Scissors for it. I agreed and nominated Nick as our man for the job (I didn’t really want to be the one to call it because I ALWAYS loose at that game). Nick pulled it out for us (the first of many great plays from my teammates that night) and brought out the rock when Gensler whipped out the scissors. Score!

We called the shady side of the court that the Gensler’s had just pushed us off of. So now we had the shade, sun to our back and the wind working for us. Awesome…

First game, we kicked their asses. Big time. Normally I wouldn’t put it this way, but Little Red just ticked me off so much with her bad attitude that I wanted them to go down Down DOWN!

The entire time us Dawgs were complimenting each other verbally and with the moves on the court. It was great. We really rocked. The other team was just all over the place and it only got worse throughout the game.

The big thing we need to work on is calling the ball. Which we did, a little, but we still need work.

I was happy to find that my little practicing really helped a bit. Instead of sucking hard core I wasn’t too bad and even scored us some serious points the first game (almost bringing us home for the win). It was a good feeling…but the best was beating Gensler.

We won the first two games taking home the match. We asked them if they wanted to play the third just for fun, and they did. They won that game, but only by two points and mostly because we weren’t trying that hard. All in all, it was great fun and the Dune-Dawgs REALLY rocked.

I’m so excited about how great our team is and how well we all work together, especially considering how none of us (with the exception of Meg and I) knew each other before hand. It was a lucky mix!

Next week we play the Sex Panthers. They are currently 4 – 2 and in 32nd place. I’m a little nervous to play them since it seems they won all three of their games last week, but that could have also been a forfeit. I guess next week we’ll see! After the game we, as a team, are going to head over to one of the sponsoring bars for some after game drink specials and shooting the shit. This is turning out to be a lot of fun, and not just because we are winning, but because I’m on a great team with great people.

We are currently 5 – 1 and in 11th place (out of 68). I don’t know about you, but I’d sure say that sounds like a pretty good place to be after game two!!!