whirlwind weekend

I would just like to point out that Bill is a genius.  Why didn't i think of autosave? Who the hell let me have a blog anyway?? Here is the post i wrote this morning :)

I was going to break this into multiple posts, but hey, i'm lazy.

Saturday morning i had a 12-miler with my training group.  It was great weather, and made me realized what a good distance 12 miles is to run.  When we finished the run, Matt was waiting for me with Waffles!  She got to meet all the other CARA people, and have a fun morning in that park rolling around in mud.  (awesome.)  

After that, i had to head to navy pier to pick up race packets for Matt and i, and meet up with a bunch of other blogger folks.  The short trip to navy pier was definitely the low of my weekend.  My phone died on the way over so i had no way of contacting anyone, and i had to wait 20 minutes to park, because EVERYONE in Chicago decided to get their packet at the same time.  Navy Pier gives me anxiety.  When i got to the Expo, Eric was waiting for me outside, so we picked up packets and looked for the herd of bloggers.  I found them, and they said they would be out front in 15 minutes for some chowing down time.  That gave me 15 minutes to try and score free stuff!

THE EXPO:  This was by far the largest race i have ever been to, so it doesn't surprise me that the expo had a lot of power players.  I snagged some coconut water, 5 hour energy, and ate tons of food at the Clif bar booth.  I shook my fist at the 13.1 booth for their refusal to acknowledge me as a running blogger, but they just looked at me like i was a nameless crazy person.  I don't have any kind of scale to judge things, but the expo was pretty cool.

The best part of the expo?  No heat warning for Sunday.

THE BLOGGERS:  It was so cool to meet everyone in person.  Its weird when you feel like people are your friends and you haven't met them yet, so it was good to finally meet them.  I was bummed i missed out on the fun run, because based on photos, it looked like a good time!  We got a picture of a few of us on navy pier.  It was then i realized that i met up with these ladies having just run 12 miles and wearing no make-up.  I sure hope they still want to be my friends.  Since i hate Navy Pier and rarely go down there, I had to make a stop at the candy store.  To add to my candy hoard.

Kim,  Katie, me, Kelsey, Bobbi, Kelly, Rachael, Maggie

I have problems.

THE SHUFFLE: Thats right, Matt and i shuffled!  I made us an awesome sushi dinner Saturday night to fuel us for the race.  I was super nervous that i would oversleep and miss the race, so i ended up waking up like every 20 minutes.  I finally got out of bed around 5:30, and made matt and I kilt costumes to wear to the race.  

There can only be one!

They weren't very good, because my idea of sewing involves hot glue and safety pins, but whatever, i tried, and they held up for the race.  Our friend Eric was meeting us to take a train down to the shuffle together, so we all left the house by about 7.  We checked our gear at the CARA facility, and met up with Tricia, who is my pace leader for CARA, and Keren and her friend, who was also running the Shuffle.

Keren and I, before the race

 We mosied our way to the C corral, and started to psyche ourselves up for a good race, because i needed this as a redemption race after last weekend.  

I have never really run a short distance race before, so i didn't quite know what i was doing.  I had made the goal of running it in 42:00 minutes, but then changed it in the days leading up to the shuffle to 43:00, because running fast is just too hard.  I didn't know what to do, so i just followed Keren and Trisha and kept up with their pace.  I didn't trust the Garmin, because of all the interference, so i just kept following everyone.  Around mile 3 i realized i was alone.  I wasn't sure if i was ahead or behind everyone.  That made me start to lose motivation.  I stopped for water, and eventually spotted Keren also getting water.  That gave me a boost to finish the race strong, so that i could drink my free beer in happiness, instead of sorrow.  

The weather was perfect.  I got a little warm during that last mile on michigan ave, but at that point, it was like, whatever, you're near the finish.  I lost Keren and Matt again in the last half mile, but i knew they were right behind me.  The last quarter mile was hard!  In my training, i like to always push the last quarter mile as hard as i can, but i didn't push as hard as i could have here.  Next time.  I ended up finish in 41:45 (thats an 8:23 pace! maybe fast considering i somehow managed to tack an extra 1/10 of a mile onto the course).  This girl!  can you believe it??  Keren was a few seconds behind me, and as it turns out, Matt kept up the whole time, and finished in 41:59!  Whaaaaaa?  his whole "only run 15 miles in 2012" training plan is starting to look pretty darn good!  I don't know if i should be impressed with Matt, or start pushing myself a little harder.

Somehow in all the post race confusion, i lost Matt for like two hours.  Next year, i am definitely leashing him.  While i was waiting for him though, i was able to locate everyone else i was with, pick up our stuff, and stopped to play with a puppy.  So it wasn't that bad.  

reunited and it feels so good.

I almost wanted to write a fake post whining about the race, since all i ever do is whine, but i really had a great time.  It was organized, the crowds were great,  i liked peoples costumes, the weather was perfect....i get why people like this race so much.  I am excited for next year, and who knows?? maybe i will run it in under 40 minutes next year!  (why not dream big!)

Trisha, Eric, and i with post race beers.

Its a party, not a race!

Keren and i, victorious!

POST RACE:    I won't lie, i am a little sore today.  Rather than stretch, i chose to drink beers and stand in the sun.   i was actually sore on saturday friday thursday wednesday i'm just sore and have kept pushing.  I should run today, but my poor body is saying no, no, no so i will probably try to cross train tonight, and maybe even sneak in some yoga!.  After the race, i got a lot of walking in - to the train, to the apartment, and then to the park for a puppy play date with Waffles' boyfriend Harry.

Poor Harry, Waffles is so intense....

All in all, it was a good weekend, but i am glad that i don't have any races coming up - running a half and then the next weekend an 8k is a lot of work!  I don't know how the people who race every weekend do it!