Friday, August 31, 2012

Searches For The Week

Since it is Friday, I'm feeling lazy, and we're leaving the office early to head to a Cubs rooftop game, I'm going to do a quick round up of searches that have brought folks to my blog this week.

  • schnauzer poodle mix - sorry but I have a golden retriever poodle mix. However, if you're a creepy dog person, you've definitely found yourself on the right blog.
Family Photo 2011
  • my marathon experience - I was actually just talking about my marathon experience last night. I was told that my story was very inspirational. I felt very flattered by this and never thought myself to be an inspiration. I'm glad that my mistakes can help others to not repeat what I did! :)

  • best detergent for sweat smell - This was a big problem for me for a long time. I found a solution that works for me and my hard water! It is still going strong! 

  • elbow sweat from running - I have this problem, but mostly just when running on the treadmill. I'm glad I'm not the only weirdo to sweat in weird places!

  • galen rupp training log - I like Galen Rupp and I definitely blogged about him when discussing the Olympics. But I don't know his training log. I'm sure his miles are ridiculous!

Happy Friday folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I should be back to a more normal schedule next week! :)

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Marathon Regret (Almost)

When it was time to sign up for the Chicago Marathon, I made a conscious effort not to sign up. I knew I had this test to study for and I knew it would be hard to fit in all the training miles in addition to studying while also working full time. With how crazy my work schedule sometimes is, there have been some weeks where I've only been able to run 2 days (instead of the Hal-prescribed 4). It has also been one of the hottest summers on record here in Chicago and I dreaded running for 7 or 8 miles and was happy it wasn't 12 or 13. I wasn't jealous of my friends that were training for the marathon this summer. Not one bit.
Taken after an attempted 7 mile tempo run on July 4th

Now that the temps are cooler and work isn't as busy, my thoughts have changed slightly. The "maybes" start creeping in such as... "Maybe I could have made time for the marathon this year." I quickly snap out of it and realize there was/is no way to do it. But that jealousy I didn't have all summer long is now starting to strangely, slightly appear. The thought of running 15, 18, or 20 miles doesn't sound so bad if temps are in the 50s and 60s in the morning. I know I made the right decision, but that doesn't always help out with the mental game. What I have come to realize over these last two years is how important it is to be in the right frame of mind, mentally, for any race. I let my mind get the best of me during the Chicago Marathon and the RNR Half. This fall and winter I'm going to try to change that. It is my mission!

Have you ever not signed up for a race and regretted it later? How do you get in the game mentally before a race? Do you psych yourself out like I do?

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Important Pumpkin Things and a Running Update

I have really important news to report! Pumpkin is back! Caribou Coffee has been selling their pumpkin lattes and drinks for a week and Dunkin Donuts is finally hopping on this train. Not all stores have it yet but some do. Luckily the one by my house is one of the ones that does! It was a great start to the day, let me tell you!

Pumpkin beer is also something that is available if you can hit up your local liquor store. Most of the brands I've tried are delicious, but then again I love all things pumpkin!

With the coffee and beer comes the pancakes, muffins, donuts and scones. You can bet I'll be baking and eating my fair share this fall season. And hopefully remembering to photograph it along the way! :)

Do you love pumpkin as much as I do? If not, what is your favorite fall flavor?

In other news, I am back to running with my Garmin. I ran 8 miles on Monday night and didn't have enough of a charge so it died close to the end. I guess I have to get used to running with it again! :) Speaking of fall, temperatures are starting to cool off here and there. This is getting me very, very excited for fall racing season. With so many races, it is going to be really hard to choose just a few. Thankfully I'm not under any pressure to make this decision and I can take my time deciding. :)

Monday, August 27, 2012

Let's Talk About Fuel

Last year I completed my first marathon but had some major fueling and stomach issues. I've tried a lot of different things this summer so I thought I'd put together a little summary of the things I've tried, what worked, and what didn't work.

First, let's talk about hydration. Lot's of people can't do Gatorade. I've always been able to handle it in the past. However, when mixing it with other fuels in my stomach, the Gatorade usually  makes a re-appearance. I love it for recovery after I'm done running, but I've learned that I can't use it while running. As a quick note, the handheld I keep referencing is from Fuel Belt and is the 10oz model.

What did work?

1) Gu Roctane Ultra Endurance powder (review found here)
I used this in my handheld for long runs in place of Gatorade. I like that this is in a powder so you can make it as concentrated or as weak as you like. I received this free sample from the folks at Gu for filling out a survey from their Facebook page. The flavors I received were grape and lemon lime. The grape was my preferred flavor and I was sad when I finished the last little bit. Unfortunately, I think it was a promotional product and I haven't been able to find this product at retail stores or at expos. They do have it for sale on their website here. (If you ever find this at a store, let me know!)

2) Gu Brew
Similar to the Roctane powder, Gu Brew is meant to be mixed with water in place of Gatorade. Maggie (who won my Road ID raffle) offered me a sample of Gu Brew Orange to try. It comes in tablet form so you can either break it in half or use the entire tablet, depending on how concentrated you'd like your drink. I used it on a short run and it didn't irritate my stomach. As I only had one sample, I wasn't able to give it a try on a longer run. Either way, it didn't irritate my stomach and I think this is an okay replacement if you can't find the Gu Rocktane Ultra Endurance Powder. This item is also for sale on Gu's website.

3) Nathan Electrolyte Tablet
I received a roll of the orange flavor in my packet from the Southwest Half Marathon packet. I figured since I had luck with the tablets, I should give it a try. For most of the summer, this has been my go-to. It has gotten me through a lot of hot hot days and has kept the stomach monsters at bay. I would mix 1 tablet with a pint glass full of water and then pour what would fit into my handheld. After the run, I'd drink what was left in the pint glass in addition to whatever was left in the handheld. Sometimes I would also break a tablet in half, put it in my handheld, and fill the rest up with water. The tablet package is kind of expensive ($8 at the local running store) but you get a decent amount of tablets inside. I would say it is worth the price. I also recently purchased the lemon lime flavor. I'm a fan but I don't love it as much as I love the orange.

4) ZipFizz
I purchased this for the first time at the RNR Expo. I just recently hosted a Zipfizz giveaway after having their product and really enjoying it. I used on a run for the first time and enjoyed it even more! I don't know if it is the mix of vitamins or the fact that my stomach is now adjusted to the flavor orange, but this didn't give me any stomach rumblings. That is always a positive!

5) Honey Stinger Chews
I really like these guys. Katie at Live Half Full had recommended them to me back at our first Chicago blogger meetup. I tried them and really liked them. They are small and easy to chew while running. They aren't too thick so they are easy going down. They taste delicious and are also organic. A lot of those strange chemicals are not found in these guys which I think is part of the reason my stomach seems to like them. Available at Sports Authority and Dicks Sporting Goods, they are also easily accessible.

6) Gatorade Chews
I first tried these in the packet of the Palos Turkey Trot back in November. I enjoyed their shape (flat and square) and thought they were easy to consume. I bought a few packs at the Shamrock Shuffle expo and enjoyed them on long runs. They helped me to my PR half marathon in April as they didn't upset my stomach along the way! These have become more popular and are now available in running stores. With Gatorade's new marketing, it is confusing to tell which things are for before and which ones are for during a workout. If you're looking to give these a try, make sure you find the ones that say "perform" instead of "prime." (I reached out to Gatorade to see if they would do a giveaway for these guys with no luck.)

What kind of fuel works best for you? Have you tried any of these products before? As you may notice, Gu is not on this list. I just cannot stomach the gels. The taste, the texture, the rock in my stomach. No dice.

Zipfizz Winner

And the winner of the Zipfizz sample pack is....
Julie Belka


Congratulations Julie! Please send me an email within the next 48 hours to claim your prize!
runningkellometers at gmail dot com


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Random Thursday Thoughts

This week has been quite busy. I've been a bad blogger, a bad wife, a bad runner, but a very busy bee at the office. My job is cyclical and right now is our "busy season." I worked an 11 hour day on Monday and a 12 hour day on Tuesday. Wednesday was better and I was able to leave at a reasonable hour, thankfully. When I haven't been working, I've been studying or sleeping. I'm behind on all my TV shows and I'm hoping that things slow down next week (like I'm expecting they will). I'm even hoping to take a vacation day on Friday.

Since I was able to leave on-time yesterday, I got in my first run for the week. I've been so stressed out and overwhelmed it felt good to get out there and just RUN. My plan was 4 miles in this one loop around my neighborhood. I don't know if my Garmin distance was off or I was just having one of those "I LOVE RUNNING" kind of days, but it felt great! I didn't really have a plan before setting out. My pace was quicker than an easy run but slower than a temp. Now that I don't have a coach and am not really specifically training for anything, I have to come up with a better plan before leaving the house. That will start next week, when things aren't so crazy...

I ran with my handheld (standard) and drank Zipfizz during the run for the first time. It didn't upset my stomach. (yay!) I always get excited when I take something during a run that doesn't upset my stomach. If you're interested in trying Zipfizz, I'm hosting a giveaway! You have until Sunday, August 26 to enter. Click here for more details!

As I said in my Liebster post, I've been loving the flavor orange this summer. It is familiar, simple, and I like to keep the flavor consistent across drinks/chews during a run. I recently organized my runner junk drawer and realized I have a few varieties of orange flavored stuff.
Do you have a favorite flavor that you like to stick to? Or do you have an iron stomach where you're okay with anything?

This weekend we're heading to my husband's family cottage in Michigan. I've done plenty of runs up there this summer, but none longer than 6 miles. This weekend I'm going to attempt an 11 miler with my friend Kate S and I've already planned out the route. I've never done this route before so it should be fun! I love getting in a run while on vacation! Gotta balance out all the drinks and snacks we'll be consuming the same weekend...

Monday, August 20, 2012

Long Run, Surprise Bridal Shower, and Ragnar 2013

This past weekend was another busy one! I got in a 9 mile long run with some beautiful temps. I wanted to stay close to home so I met up with the FN Runners. I joined some of them for the last 9 of an 18 miler. I gotta say, I'm not really jealous of those training for the marathon this year. I'm glad I'm taking the year off.
post-run in my Oiselle Distance Shorts and Bani Band (that I won from Mag Mile Runner

After my run, I headed to Kate LF's house to help put the finishing touches on the surprise bridal shower for Kate S! I've never planned a shower before and it was hard work! Especially the part about keeping it a surprise... Overall, I'd say it was a success because guests came and Kate was surprised! :)
The theme of the shower was "red white and blue" since Kate
is a July 3rd baby and those are her favorite colors

As some of you may remember, I volunteered as a part of Amanda, Jess, and Kate's Ragnar team in June this past year. To take advantage of the early bird discount, we're already putting a team together for 2013! I'm excited as we start to piece together ideas, team names, sponsors, etc.! I'll probably be talking about this more and more in the months to come and I'll be looking for tips and advice for those of you that have completed a Ragnar in the past! If you're interested in being a part of the team as an alternate or volunteer, please let me know!

How was your long run this weekend? If you live in Chicago, how much are you LOVING these temps?

Also, don't forget to enter my Zipfizz giveaway! You have all week to enter!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Zipfizz Giveaway

As some of you may know, I have a fairly sensitive stomach. I can't do Gu and, lately, haven't been able to do Gatorade either. The tablets have been my friend this summer and seem to be easier on my stomach. Now that I know I love them, I'm always interested to try new tablets. I went a little crazy at the Rock N Roll Expo and tried a bunch of different types of Nuun, Clif, and Zipfizz. The only one I ended up purchasing was  Zipfizz. After giving it a try, I really liked it! The folks at Zipfizz even sent me a sampler pack with 5 different flavors, including a special ZipFizz water bottle!

Not only is a great rehydrator after a few long nights when energy to study is necessary (um I may have had a glass after last weekend)... but it tastes great and can help you out during or after a run too!


It has sodium and caffeine (essential for long runs) while also having low sugar and a low calorie count. One packet is mixed with 16-22 oz of water and you're good to go. (All of this information was taken from their site here.) The flavors included were grape, citrus, orange soda, pink lemonade, and berry. I've tried the orange soda and pink lemonade (pictured above) and both were delicious!

Why am I telling you about Zipfizz? Because the folks have offered to send the same sample package they sent me to one of my readers! What do you have to do to enter?

1) Comment telling me your favorite way to hydrate after a long run

For additional entries, you can do any of the following:
2) Like RunningKellometers on Facebook
3) Talk about the giveaway on Facebook, mentioning RunningKellometers
4) Follow RunningKellometers through Google (click "follow" on the right hand side of the blog)
5) Tweet about the giveaway (@kellywils0n)

PLEASE summarize all entries in a single comment!

You have until Sunday, August 26 (by 11:59pm CST) to enter. The winner will be chosen (using Random.org) on Monday, August 27. The winner must contact me within 48 hours (2 days) to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen (using random.org again). If you have any other questions about the rules of the giveaway, please contact me before entering. This giveaway is open to all readers.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Liebster Award

As I'm sure many of you have seen, the Liebster Award is making it's way around the blogger world. I've been nominated by two different bloggers and fellow Oiselle ambassadors (Paulette and Andrea)! What does this award mean? The Liebster Blog award is meant to honor "up-and-coming" blogs with smaller followings that you really like. I'm excited to be a part of it to share my story and to nominate other bloggers you should check out (including the above ladies who nominated me.)

The Liebster Blog award asks the blogger to do the following:
1. Answer 11 questions posted by the person who nominated you.
2. List 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 11 blogs.
4. Write 11 questions for the blogs you nominate.

As I was asked by 2 different folks, I'm only going to answer 11 questions total, picking and choosing my favs. :)

1. What's your guilty pleasure running song? I really love songs that talk about running. I mean, I'm not even tired of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen yet! Right now my favorite song that mentions running is Florence and the Machine "Dog Days are Over"

2. Do you have siblings? Yes, I have 2 brothers.
One of my brothers will be returning home in the fall after 5 years of military service. I'm really excited to have them both home soon! Since they both are pretty active, I think a family race, crossing the finish line together, is in our future. At least, I hope so! :)

3. Best meal of your life? I'm a Chicago girl at heart so I have to go with the standard... PIZZA. Pequod's has the best deep dish you can find in the entire city and I miss it ever so dearly almost every day. (I'm not joking. I really love pizza that much.)

4. What did you want to be when you were little? I wanted to be a doctor. Yikes, I'm glad that didn't work out!

5. Ever have major surgery? No *knock on wood*

6. Do you have pets, and if so what kind? If you're new to my blog, I have a pup named Pepper. She is my favorite running buddy and is just pretty much amazing in every way.

7. What is your favorite long run fuel? The night before a long run I have some frozen fish (for protein and salt), brown rice (for carbs), and some sauteed veggies (obvi)... and maybe some ice cream if it's around! During my long runs, I haven't yet mastered the fueling aspect. I have a pretty sensitive stomach and I've had a lot of issues in the past. So far what has worked the best this training season are electrolyte tablets (Nathan, Gu Brew) instead of Gatorade for hydration and Honey Stinger energy chews for energy. I've been loving the flavor orange lately so I try to keep it consistent across energy chew and tablet flavors.

8. If you could vacation anywhere for a week, where would you go? I'd love to go back to Europe with my husband. I'm glad I had the chance to go right after college with a friend because life just seems to always get in the way of going back again! My husband has been a bunch of times and I'd love to go and share that experience with him.

9. Coffee, tea, or none of the above? I can't do anything productive in a day unless I have my standard 1 cup of coffee.

10. What hobbies do you have outside of running & fitness? Hobbies outside of running? What are those? Who has time for that?

11. Why did you start blogging? I've had blogs on and off since I was 18 (now THAT is an embarrassing read) including a vintage LiveJournal. I mainly started this running blog after the dust from the Chicago Marathon settled and I realized that all my friends and family were tired of hearing me talk about running. 

Now... Time for my 11 random facts...

1. I'm allergic to cats, but that never stops them from coming by me all the time. If you have a cat at your house and I come over, regardless of how shy they are, the will find me and try to sit on my lap. Those jerks.

2. I used to run the 400m in track in high school and even attempted long jump and the 100m hurdles. You may have already guessed that I'm extremely uncoordinated so those "attempts" at the hurdles and long jump didn't really work out so well.

3. Keeping on the high school track topic, my coach wanted me to try the 800m. I was stubborn and didn't feel like it so never gave it a try. Based on my life since and my love for the middle distance, I sometimes wondered how fast I could have run or how far I could have gone if I had only not been a stubborn 16 year old. Insert image of Uncle Rico throwing a football at a video camera. (Thankfully I found a gif instead.)
Source

4. I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd and have read the entire series from cover to cover twice. I've read a few of the books in the series as many as 5 times.

5. I just recently started watching Glee and I wondered where it has been my whole life. I LOVE musicals and, obviously, love the show. If only I had more time to watch it to get caught up...

6. My first concert ever was New Kids on the Block. I was in 1st grade and it was awesome. I remember I wore my GIANT button with all of their faces and I had my t-shirt in one of those neon side clip things. I WAS VERY FASHIONABLE IN THE 90S!

7. My favorite movie growing up was Newsies.

8. My favorite movie in high school was Can't Hardly Wait.

9. I hope to finish a triathlon at some point in my life. I hope that I can make this a priority, after I learn how to swim...

10. I don't own a bicycle and I really wish I did. 

11. I hope to qualify for Boston some day, but I think I have to finish a marathon without throwing up first...

As I know a lot of the folks already tagged, I'm not going to tag them again so I'm not going to list out 11 questions to answer. Basically, I'm drained from answering these questions and coming up with facts that my creative juices are done for right now. I'm taking the lazy way out... Lol. I hope you enjoy these facts about me anyways!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

New Kicks: A Love Story

Last weekend I had a date with my husband's cousin. Not just any date... we headed to Running for Kicks in Palos to buy a new pair of shoes. Running for Kicks is kind of a local legend, and the owner is well known in the local running community. His store sponsors local races and it caters only to runners. I had a really great experience when I went back in February and picked up my new Asics that got me through a lot of races and my spring and summer training cycle. As the miles on those treads are starting to get up there, I knew it was time for a new pair. I went in there wanting to give a few other brands a try, including Brooks and Saucony (plus, they were out of Asics 2170s anyways). (The employee helping me seemed to know her stuff, but at first glance she didn't really look like an employee at a running store. I hadn't seen her working there before so I was caught off-guard a bit.)

Anywayssss, I tried on a few Sauconys that were similar to the Asics 2170s and the Asics Kayanos but I wasn't completely sold. The Brooks shoes, on the other hand, felt like I was running on pillows. So comfortable! I've been running in Asics since I was 14, but now I may have a new favorite. Feet, meet the Brooks Adrenaline 12.

I am in love. I tested them out for the first time last week and they were amazing. I can't wait to try them out more! I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful relationship. I'm really glad I decided to give Brooks a try! What is your favorite brand of running shoe? Have you branched out from an old favorite?

Monday, August 13, 2012

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a pretty crazy one with a family wedding on Friday and a bachelorette party on Saturday. I took the day off of work on Friday (since the wedding ceremony started at 4pm). I was able to squeeze in my long run (9 miles) before the festivities began.

The temps were amazing and I felt great during and after the run. I wore my Oiselle aero tank that I purchased from Running Warehouse. I loooved it and have to invest in more. Since I was running on the trail, I decide to run with my Garmin but I changed the view to be only 1 field: distance. I'm going to keep running without looking at the times on my Garmin for a full month as it has worked out well for me thus far. :)

After a shower, running some errands, and studying for a bit, it was time to get ready for the wedding!

If you follow me on Instagram, these pics are old news. If you don't, here is a pic of me and my husband's cousin outside the church and then one of me and Toph at our dinner table. We danced the night away and I was happy to have done my long run on Friday when I woke up Saturday morning without having gotten much sleep. After coming back home on Saturday morning, I tried to get in some studying, and packing before it was time to head to the city for a bachelorette party! My aunt is getting married for the first time (she's 55 years old), so we celebrated in Wrigleyville at a Chicago Cubs Rooftop.
my cousin and I at the game
Those Brooks shades are certainly getting their use. It really was some great swag from the RNR Expo! Now it is back to the old grind and time to figure out my run, work, study schedule for the week. If you're wondering what I'm studying for, I've decided to attempt the CFA. I'm taking level 1 in December for the first time. I'm completely and utterly terrified and studying has only just begun...

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Olympic Inspiration

In case you haven't noticed, that I get a little into the Olympics. I love watching pretty much any Olympic event and I am thankful we have cable with several different viewing options. (Badminton? Equestrian? Sign me up.) There are so many powerful and amazing women that I've seen compete that give me goosebumps all over. I know the events aren't over yet and I'm sure there will be more motivation to come, but here are a few I wanted to highlight.

Kara and Shalane representing the U.S. in the women's marathon. I guess this one goes without saying. That marathon course was tough. Anyone that has ever run a marathon could tell you that. There were lots of turns, the humidity was high, and the terrain was a bit uneven. Kara and Shalane gave it everything they had, coming close to their PRs and really ran fantastic races. I don't care that they didn't medal or didn't come in the top 10. I just know they did all they could and gave their very best to represent the USA.

Kim Conley in the 5k semi finals. I don't know why but I really love her story. I was first inspired by Kim during the Olympic Trials in Eugene where she came from about 6th or 8th place in the final 200m to lean for the 3rd place spot. Not only did she run a PB that day, but she also beat the London Standard at the same time. She earned a spot to represent the US in London! When the day came to race in the semis (btw, I don't like how the 10k doesn't have a semi but the 5k does. What's up with that?), Kim gave it everything she had. She didn't make the finals, but she got a new PB by 5 seconds and ran a great race. (I can't find the video. NBCOlympics.com only has video of the men's 5k semis, not the women's.) I mean, not everyone can say they've gotten 2 PBs in 2 months, especially at the pro/elite level. I think Kim is just getting started and we'll be seeing more of her in the years to come. 2013 world championships? Rio perhaps? I'm hoping for Kim either way!

There was a TON of coverage on the swimming events this year. Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps, and Ryan Lochte were all over the TV on any given time of day. I love all those three, but I feel the need to mention Katie Ledecky in the swimming 800m freestyle (the highlights reel doesn't do it justice--you have to watch the full here, but the commentary is by Brits, not Americans 43:06-53:15). At 15 years old, she is the youngest Olympian on the entire US squad. She was up against the big favorite and current world record-holder of Great Britain, Rebecca Adlington. When the race started, Katie went out quick. The announcers continued to doubt her. They said that she was going to fast and didn't have enough experience. They'd go to commercial only to come back and see that Katie was still leading. She was keeping her pace. They'd continue to repeat the same thing and at every commercial break, yet, Katie was still leading. And she wasn't just leading by a little; she was leading by a full body length. Towards the end of the race, you could hear the US announcers not believing what they were seeing. When the announcers, crowd, and media doubted Katie, she didn't doubt herself. She kept on going and she got the gold medal (winning by that same body length that she maintained the whole race), and missed a world record by tenths of a second. (She did get the American Record which had been held by Janet Evans since 1988.) When she looked up after the race was done, you can see her say "Oh my gosh!" (time 52:53 on the full feed) and I could barely fight back the tears. I always love when someone does what isn't expected, and they win by overcoming so many other thoughts and believing in themselves. Congrats to Katie Ledecky who has been deemed part of the "future of US swimming."

Speaking of swimming, I gotta say that I absolutely LOVE this Call Me Maybe parody done by the US swim squad. I'm not yet sick of this song and I don't know if I'll ever get sick of this video. It is so "of the times" and I love it. Ryan Lochte's "contribution" makes me laugh every time!

 

Who have you been inspired by during these Olympic games?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Monday Night at the Track

Yesterday Maggie and I had plans to hit the track to participate in Run With Jess' virtual Olympics. I had a super fun time the last time I visited a track so needless to say, I was pumped. We met up after work at the nearby high school track in between our houses. Thankfully there wasn't anything going on (we heard rumors about football practice) but we were pretty much on our own. We did quite a few distances (1500m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m) to compare ourselves to the Olympians. Uhhh if you cut our times in half, they were kind of close. Lol.

I was most interested to see my 400m time. My PR at the distance is 62 seconds, from 2000. I never broke the 60 second barrier and more consistently ran 64s... over 10 years ago... After completing the 1500m and 800m (we ran all of the distances together), I still had high hopes for the 400m. I ran my butt off and thought I nailed it. I had to be close to that PR, right? I was looking at my stop watch expecting to see a time in the 50s. Why? High hopes I guess... Needless to say, I was off... My stopwatch read 1:20.5... That is 80 seconds amd not even close. I still had lots to smile about--it was a lot of fun! I really liked going fast even if I'll never go pro. Hehe. That's what 5k age group awards are for, right?!
Maggie and I getting ready to start our 200m dash

I ran in my Mizuno Wave Inspire 8s and I really loved how they helped grip the track and keep me on my toes. I really like these shoes for racing and will continue to wear them for 5ks in the future. While we were out there, we thought how fun it would be to participate in a local track meet with other local running clubs. But then the thought of getting the track time, the logistics of timing the various distances, etc... we thought a cross country invitational may be more fun. I guess we'll start planning after the Chicago Marathon... :)

Pro Compression Raffle Winner

And the winner of a brand spanking new pair of Pro Compression socks is.....

Sara aka Gingerfoxxx of Run Gingerfoxxx Run!

Congrats Sara! Please contact me at runningkellometers at gmail.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize!

Thanks again for all of your generous donations. I was able to meet my goal with this last raffle and I'm so grateful and so are the kids and Open Heart Magic! :)

Monday, August 6, 2012

Olympic Marathon Brunch

On Sunday morning while my husband and most of my friends were still sleeping, I got up at 4am to finish prepping to host a brunch for the Women's Olympic Marathon. We knew Kara, Shalane, and Desi had worked their butts off and we wanted to see them represent the U.S.! Who was crazy enough to come to my house before the sun rise to drink some booze and cheer for the USA? These ladies!
Back: me, Kate S, Maggie, Amanda C, Amanda W, Susan
Front: Sara, Nicole

Thanks to this article on Buzz Feed, I got some great ideas on some things to do for decorations and food.
star cookie cutter + watermelon
"Beers of the World" L to R: Japan, Mexico, Belgium, USA, Ireland

Then other folks brought casseroles, fruit, booze, and other stuff too.
Drinking a mimosa at 5:30am while watching Kara and Shalane lead the pack. #winning
In case you haven't seen the latest issue of Runners World that describes the course, it had tons of turns (110 to be exact) and did the same loop 3 times. Also, we kept checking the weather and temps were in the mid 60s with 85% humidity. That humidity looked like a killer and the athletes out there were soaked with rain and sweat. It looked positively miserable out there and I felt so bad for our ladies. The Internet was a-flutter the days before the race regarding Desi Davila and whether or not she would start.

Spoiler Alert! Desi started but she didn't finish. She is such a strong runner so I can only image her disappointment to not feel 100% on race day. Shalane and Kara gave it all they got and finished 10th and 11th, respectively. Neither athlete put up a PR but Shalane was pretty dang close. With those conditions including the course, that is quite impressive. Even though these women didn't win the gold, they didn't give up without a fight and proudly represented our country. There are tons of photos of Shalane and Kara after their finish, with their arms around each other for support. It is such a moving image and a great demonstration of these women. (I don't want to post and risk copyright infringement stuff. BORING...) These Olympics so far have been so inspiring in so many ways!!

Remember that today is the LAST DAY to enter my Pro Compression raffle! The winner will be chosen tomorrow morning!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Olympic Summary

Have you entered my Pro Compression raffle yet? You still have a few days and the minimum donation required to enter is only $2!

As many of you know, the track and field portion of the Olympics started today in London. There are some pretty awesome events that will be aired tonight and this weekend. Here is a quick schedule of some of the events I'll be watching out for. The times listed are the times when you can see them live, streaming on the web (nbcolympics.com). All times given in CST and provided by USATF.org.

Today (8/3)
Womens 10k Final 3:25pm

Saturday (8/4)
Mens 10k Final 3:15pm
Womens 100m dash Final 3:55pm

Sunday (8/5)
Womens marathon 5:00am
Mens 3000m steeplechase Final 3:25pm
Mens 100m dash Final 3:50pm

Tuesday (8/7)
Womens 100m hurdles Final 3:00pm

Thursday (8/9)
Mens 200m dash Final 2:55pm

Friday (8/10)
Womens 5k Final 2:05pm

Saturday (8/11)
Mens 5k Final 1:30pm

Sunday (8/12)
Mens marathon 5am

Some of these events will be played in the evening summaries (starting at either 6:30pm or 7:00pm CST, depending on the day) and some will be covered live (like the marathons). NBC's coverage isn't really clear as they lump all of the "track and field events" together on the website. Don't they know there are runnerds that need to know the exact coverage of all events at all times??

Also, I'm not sure if many of you have been following some of the athletes on Twitter, but there is a lot of controversy around the "blackout" and Rule 40. It dictates when athletes can talk about their sponsors and what sponsors they're allowed to wear at the Olympics, etc. Oiselle did a nice summary of things here as well as listing of athletes and their sponsors. I plan to tweet to some of my favorite athletes' sponsors in the days to come. I really like Oiselle's idea as it isn't aggressive and it still gets the message across. To follow along with my tweets, feel free to follow me!