The bear and the maiden's fair

Yeah, i am totally providing you with a soundtrack to this post.  You're Welcome.

So, i mentioned a while back that i had to pull out of the North Country Marathon.  My training has been ok, but definitely not marathon worthy, and probably not so great for what would have been the hardest marathon i ever attempted.  So i cried a lot and laid around depressed at my failures.  But then Nina tweeted me.  She had a bib for the half that she would not be able to use.

Now, as an unwaivering rule-follower, this was the first time i ever ran under someone elses bib.  I felt dirty and reckless and i loved it.  I apologize, North Country, that i broke your rules to do this, but it is just that amazing of a race, that it can make a girl a little crazy.  So i ducked out of work early, and went to Michigan.

Because Maggie was also doing the half, we were able to drive up together, effectively making it a #gingerroadtrip.  Our main concerns going into this were mostly lack of trail running experience and fear of bears.  Thats right.  There was a bear attack near the race last week (If you read the news, it was that girl who was running at night near Cadillac)  But the race assured us of their bear policy, and we didn't encounter a bear the entire weekend.

Pre-race

We both had a very laid back approach to the race, so the lack of stress led to a great time, and a lot of laughs.  We illegally parked, and had plenty of time before the race started.  The start of the race was a little chaotic, as a couple hundred people tried to share space and time on a single track trail.  After a couple miles, people were somewhat organized according to pace, and by the first aid station, it was smooth sailing.

The first glorious aid station.  

Those aid stations by the way?  More like party stations.  They had EVERYTHING.  Blueberries, watermelon, trail mix, PB&J's.  And the nicest people.  Seriously Michigan, you blow my mind.

Photographing rando's as they ran down the hill

Being the most beautiful race either of us had ever run, we both decided to aim for a personal worst and took many photography breaks.  Sadly, the pictures do the course NO justice.  There just aren't words.

By far my favorite photo from the day.  Not just because we were a mere half a mile from the finish, or because its the most god damn beautiful view i have ever seen, but because as we were trying to figure out how to take selfies DURING the race, another runner stopped, and offered to take our picture for us.  Seriously!  That is SO Michigan!

We ran into super speedy Erica at the finish!!  Ginger sandwich!

As we approached the finish, i felt fantastic.  Something about the whole set up of the race made me wish i would have just attempted the full (guaranteed i would have been kicking trees and threatening squirrels by mile 20.)  There were also a bunch of signs leading up to a proposal at the finish line.  So sweet.

So honestly, what can i say about this race.

It's hilly and hard.  But it's the kind of hard that makes you feel alive.  For the past few months i have been this scared, angry shell of a person, and for the first time in a while, as i ran this race, i felt calm.  I felt so peaceful, and satisfied, and alive.  And aside from about five minutes we thought we were lost and i panicked, i didn't feel scared or anxious.  It was amazing.  I am fairly certain that Michigan is the cure for everything.  This was my first trail race, and i really want to run more.  It has everything i love about races.  It's quiet, there aren't many people or spectators, and lots of shade.  How did i not figure this out sooner??

Honestly, North County Run is an amazing experience, and you should try to squeeze it in at least once in your life.  You won't regret it.  And if you do, you can console yourself with your giant, plate sized medal that is large enough to eat a meal off of.  

#GingersinTheWoods  #WeWon

The dreaded 12.

Yesterday morning was my long run with the CARA group, and i was dreading it.  We had the option to do 10 or 14 miles, and i was totally down for the 14 (in a terrified way)  I've found that in the past, 10 miles is the farthest i can run and still consider it "easy".  The 11th and or 12th miles (especialy during a race) is when i start to mentally freak out and think "shit just got real."  So obviously, any distance over 13.1 miles means i will instantly drop dead.


Adding to my concern is the fact that i just don't feel good.  With the puppy and life in general, i am getting just enough sleep for "sit on her ass" me to get by.  But "stupidly training for a marathon me" is just not having this.  I'm trying to keep myself alive by pounding emergen-C the way the jershey shore crew pounds protein powder...

g.t.r.a.f.m.

I also pleaded with Matt to be on puppy duty so i could catch up on some zzzz's.  She has been wild and wanting to play at night and keeping us up.  When i woke after a solid seven hours of sleep, i found it strangely quiet.  I went into the living room, and what to i find:

Those assholes were taking up the entire couch!  I might as well run because there is nowhere to sit.  Because this was a longer run, i was going to need to bring a little extra something to keep me going.  Sadly, the absolutely useless pocket on my sweater only holds a single energy chew...

seriously, that is a single chew.  Also, i have really small hands.

Talk about the most useless pocket in the world....


The run was actually really awesome.  The weather was perfect.  It wasn't too cold, and it was overcast.  I know most people like a nice sunny day, but when you're a ginger, a little cloud cover is a gift.  I ran 10 miles, which blew by, and then did two more.  I felt great, and was totally ready to keep going, but my group leader advised that taking it slow is the best thing i can do, and you should feel great, and not tired after a run.

If you don't feel like taking 10 million photos of yourself, you've run too hard.

That really made me think of all the training runs where i felt like i would die after.  Maybe i was doing something wrong there... 

I got home and foam-rolled, because i have been really slacking at stretching...

While i was down there, i realized waffles is hoarding her toys.  And that i am terrible at cleaning.

Just to prove that i was still feeling good, i agreed to go to Costco with Matt.  I hate Costco.  With a passion.  I love the deals, but i can't step inside that place without wanting to murder everyone around me.  We had to park at another store and walk there, because there were no parking spaces, and then when we got in, there were NO CARTS.  I just started laughing.  Like, that scary laugh, where you have obviously given up on the situation, and are sorta half laughing, half crying, and appear drunk to the world.  Yeah, that was me.  

I was so annoyed that i just grabbed a cardboard box and dragged it around the store as a ghetto cart.  When a girl needs bulk waffle fries, a girl needs bulk waffle fries.....  I got a lot of judgmental looks as i scooted my box of groceries all over the store (Matt said it looked like i was scooting and looting), but i like to think that a few people were like, "yeah, you don't need a cart!  you scoot that box!"

In case you were doubting any of this.

Thats all i have for now!

The windy city of doom.

There is one thing more than any other that i hate to wake up to.  I don't mind the alarm.  I actually enjoy sun on my face.  Even the train is an endearing thing to wake up to.  The one thing i loathe in the morning is the Weather bug alerts.

Guess what?!? Your morning run is cancelled.  And you will spend two hours in traffic.  And you will still be late to work,

Chicago is under some kind of attack, from what i can only assume to be poseidon, god of the ocean, and acting ruler over Lake Michigan.  The city is being sacked right now with pouring rain, super high winds, colder than usual temps, and even 15 ft waves on lake Michigan.  Thats quite a wave for a lake!  They even closed down the lakefront path so that innocent joggers won't be swept into the abyss. Needless to say that exclamation point ruined my morning, and so many other warnings as well.  (excessive heat warning! freezing rain! blizzard!)  I have my hot yoga class tonight, so i wont have time to run after work, unless i go really late, which totally interferes with my desire to go to bed at 9, so this left me with no choice but to run on the dreadmill.

Remember me??  VWA HA HA!

We have one in the basement at work, so it is kinda my plan C when i can't find the time to run both before and after work, and have to run on my lunch break.  LAME.  Today i did 4 miles at 9 minutes a mile.  I even tried to entertain myself by pretending to do speed training, but in reality tried to find the speed at which i fall off the machine.  (8.4, in case you were curious)  


I just cannot run on a treadmill.  I get so bored, and then start to focus on how it makes my shins hurt.  Or how long a minute really is.  Or how slow i am actually going when you have the time to think about it.  Then, because i am at work, i have to spend the next hour with the dreaded tomato face, which i get real bad.  (the downfall of being ginger.)  Having red hair and a tomato face is unacceptable.  UNACCEPTABLE!


Ok, i should probably stop whining and start working.  Some people train for marathons using only a treadmill, because they live in places even more uninhabitable than Chicago (the horror!)  I will just pout way through this bad weather, because to be honest, it's only going to get worse from here.  Winter is coming.

You have no idea, girl.  NO IDEA.