New Kicks

With the help of some birthday money from family, I splurged and bought a new pair of running shoes. I hardly call it splurging, because when you're training for a marathon, it's all about the shoes. On Saturday, Scott and I hit up Green City Market for some fresh produce and then walked to the Fleet Feet store on North and Wells so I could buy some new shoes. As it turned out, they were having a decent Memorial Day Weekend sale, so while Scott picked up a few shirts on clearance, I tested out a new pair of Nikes. Here is a picture of my new kicks:

Aren't they magnificent? These shoes are compatible for the Nike+ chip. Thanks to my mother & father-in-law, I am now a proud owner of the Nike+ chip. The chip tracks running workouts and logs all of your runs. It also documents your PR (personal record) for specific distances, such as a 5k, 10k, etc. I've only used it a few times, so I need to calibrate it soon to improve its accuracy. The chip fits in a carved out section of the right foot shoe, underneath the sole. Here is a picture of how it fits into the shoe:

It's kind of sad to think that by late August, I'll have to buy yet another pair of new shoes. You put on a lot of miles training for a marathon and everyone I've talked to highly recommends getting a second pair of shoes about a month or so before the race.

On a serious note, official training starts June 7. I'm scared to death. Once June 7th hits, there's no room for excuses. OMG, I'm 7 days away from hell. Pray for me.

Video Clips

This video is enough to scare a rookie marathoner!

Chicago Marathon Course in High Speed

Here are some good inspirational clips:

2008 Chicago Marathon

2009 Chicago Marathon Recap

Inspirational Clip

Personal Stories

Survey Says

I don't want to jump the gun too soon, but my early morning runs have been great! For the past two days, I've gotten up at 6 am and I'm out the door by 6:15 am. I can't believe how sunny it is at that time of day. I was expecting to run as the sun was starting to rise, but I was sorely mistaken. Not only is the sun out, but so are bikers and runners. Running in the morning is great because the lakeside path is not overcrowded. There are enough people out so you don't feel alone, but there aren't so many people that you're dodging a bullet.

Lake Michigan is so peaceful at 6 am. I think running early in the morning and soaking in the serenity really allows me to to relax before I kick off my work day. I usually get back home around 7 am and stretch my muscles in my living room while watching the morning news. What a lovely little morning, if I do say so myself.

Enjoy the comic!

Executive Decision

I've made a decision. I'm going to try and do my runs early in the morning while the rest of the city sleeps peacefully in their beds waiting for their alarm clock to go off. When I go to the gym, I almost always go in the morning before I head off to work. Why should running be any different? I've found myself being too tired after work to go running (just like tonight).

I'm hoping that the beautiful Chicago sunrise will be enough to motivate me to get out of bed at 6am. I'll only be losing about an hour of sleep per night, so it shouldn't mess with my beauty sleep too much (I hope).

Tomorrow will be the first time I'm going get up and go running in the morning. Afterwards, I'm going to reward myself by visiting the Green City Market . Maybe I'll just walk through the farmer's market taking in the Chicago summer or maybe I'll pick up some fresh fruit or a breakfast danish. I just don't know. Oh, the possibilities.

Book Worm

I just finished reading my book by Hal Higdon (see previous post) and I am already looking for a new read. The last chapter of the book offered some advice and words of inspiration from runners. Here are a few of my favorites:

- On Inner Strength: "Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough." -Thomas Davis, Baltimore

- On Power: "Finishing a marathon was much more emotionally powerful than anything I could have expected. It was an exquisite combination of pain, relief, and pride. It was all I could do to keep from crying." - Pete Jones, Denver

- On Waste: "I realized how much time I wasted doing nothing. An hour spent watching TV became a 7-mile run. Time wasted daydreaming became time spent in the morning sun. It's about setting priorities." - Bob Winter, Illinois

- On Advertising: "Putting my name on my shirt was one of the smartest things I did. Everybody cheered me by name." - Mary Beth Winklejohn, Illinois


I could go on and on with other pieces of advice offered up in the book. Reading all 358 pages, cover-to-cover, has gotten me in the marathon mindset. I feel like I am actually prepared to take on 18 weeks of training. I've been using Twitter to connect with other runners who plan on running the 2010 Chicago Marathon. Recently, I asked Fleet Feet Chicago (via Twitter), how many miles a pair of running shoes is good for. The response was shocking. I quote: "Oh, you are due for a new pair of kicks! General rule of thumb is every 300-400 miles."

Hmm. Let's evaluate my current running shoes. I bought my Nikes back in May 2009 just before I started training for my first half-marathon. Since then, I've probably put on nearly double the recommended maxed out mileage of 300-400. I guess it's time for some new kicks. I'm going to head on over to Fleet Feet Chicago after my birthday (in 10 short days) to get some new kicks. I'm hoping the new shoes will put a little extra bounce into my run. But wait, there's more! The professionals at Fleet Feet and my running friends all told me that I'll have to buy yet ANOTHER pair of shoes just over halfway through marathon training. Oh. My. Goodness. Forget the budget I blogged about last week. That's been thrown out the window at this point. Shoes are $100 a pair. If I'm really going to run this marathon, I'm going all in.

The next book I'm going to take on is Marathon Woman. It's a recommendation from my friend Sue, who ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon. She said it's an inspirational book and to be honest, I need another book to read on the bus and train. My morning commute is just plain sad if I'm not reading a book.

Random side story: I was finishing up my Marathon Training book on the bus tonight and an older woman sitting across from me started giving me other book recommendations. Through our conversation, I found out she has raced in 8 marathons--all in NYC. I'm slowing earning membership in the runner's club and it's a good feeling. = )

Back to Basics: Education

I figured with as much as I'm going to invest in this marathon (physically, emotionally and financially), I should do my part and learn as much as I can about my new brilliant idea. So, last week I went to my local Borders Bookstore (Clark & Diversey) and browsed the running section. I was surprised to see such a small selection, but I chose a book by Hal Higdon (remember, I'm following Hal Higdon's 18 week training program). The book is called "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. To my surprise, the book is written with a heavy emphasis on the Chicago Marathon. I do believe I chose just the right book!

I thought I would read a chapter or two the night I bought the book. Before I knew it, 10 pages turned into 90. I found myself becoming obsessed with my new found knowledge and I couldn't put the book down. I'm currently on page 232 of 358 pages and find myself highlighting keys sections that I know I will find useful down the road.

Here are a few things I have learned so far:

1. Never go 2 days without running. One missed day is considered rest. Two or three days in a row without running is equal to lost conditioning.

2. As quoted from the book, "If I had to cite one mistake made by inexperienced marathoners when they seek to improve their performance, it is that they run too may of their miles at the same pace and over the same distance. There's little variety, and that limits their improvement." --I think that was written with me in mind.

3. It is highly recommended to schedule massages for yourself before and after the marathon. Yes, I said massages! The book suggests to schedule a massage within 48 hours after a long run (done on Saturdays). This helps ease the muscles back into "regular running". Hey, if the book says to schedule frequent massages, I should probably listen up. = )

4. One word: glycogen. Glycogen is a fuel supply stored in muscles and it pumps out the most efficient form of energy metabolism. Ideally, the more glycogen I have, the longer I will be able to run. However, once my muscle glycogen is depleted, the muscles start to contract poorly.

5. It is recommended that a healthy diet for a distance runner consists of 15% protein, 30% fat and 55% carbohydrates. That's right, 55 % carbs! It's important to know that not all carbs are created equal. I'll need to watch what type of carbs (and fat) I'm eating, but the book has a decent list of "good carbs" to stick to.

As a final note, I was quite pleased to read that slow runners deserve respect, too. Not everyone can run a 3 or 4 hour marathon. My goal is to finish. Repeat: my goal is to finish.

Marathon = Financial Investment

I decided to calculate how much money I have invested as a runner in the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Here is the breakdown:

- Marathon Registration: $135.00

- Children's Memorial Marathon Team Participant Fee: $35.00

- iPod Armband: $20.00

- Nike Fit Running Shorts: $22.00

- Running Bra: $40.00

- Marathon Training Book by Hal Higdon: $20.00

So far, I've spent approximately $272.00 on the marathon and the official training has yet to even begin. It's amazing how training for a marathon is not only a physical and emotional investment, but you need to be willing to shell out some money in order to get to the finish line. I estimate that my total investment will be around $350 - $400 when it's all said and done. I still need to get some new socks (cotton = the devil), a running watch, sleeveless shirts and other miscellaneous items like power gel.

It's funny to think that I actually pay someone to run, because most people think that's crazy. However, knowing that I've already made a financial commitment is a great motivator! It helps keep me motivated and focused: two keys aspects of training for a marathon.

While I'm on the topic of money, l would like to give a shout out to my friends who have donated to Children's Memorial Hospital on my behalf. THANK YOU to Traci (& Harley), Ray, Julie and Marisa. Of the four people who donated, two of them are students that I work with or used to work with (Ray & Marisa). So far, I've raised $60 of my $600 goal. I am aiming to raise $120 by the end of May: double what I've raised to date.

Please consider donating to Children's Memorial on my behalf. Not only does it encourage me to keep training hard, but the children at the hospital are in need. In 2009, the hospital served children from every state and 36 foreign countries and it is the only hospital in Illinois dedicated to kids. Children's Memorial hospital served more than 140,000 children during 2009.

To learn more about Children's Memorial Hospital, please click think link.

If you would like to donate, please click this link to go to my fundraising website. Thank you for your love and support.

Chicago Running Clubs/Groups

Last week I tried something completely new as an effort to keep my motivation high. I participated in the Niketown Run Club (located on Michigan Avenue). It was a great way to meet new people and run a different course. This time, I ran along Erie to Lake Shore Drive and then I headed north along the lake shore path. Once I got to Oak Street Beach, I turned around and headed back. This was the 3-mile run option. The Run Club also offers a 5-mile and a 7-mile path. After the run, Niketown offers FREE bagels, nutrition bars, water, and Argo Tea serves samples of their latest drink. It's not a bad deal, if I do say so myself. = )

Tonight I am going to try out a running group at Fleet Feet Chicago. This is a regular running group, as well. They offer fun runs on Mondays, Wednesdays (Ladies Night) and Saturdays. Tonight is a special run. It's called the Cinco de Ryo Goose Island Fun Run. Just like the Niketown run, you can choose to do a 3, 5 or 7-mile run. What's so special about this run is that afterwards, everyone is going to head over to a local pub and drink up FREE 312 Urban Wheat Ale. This sounds like perfect the motivation.

As a side note, I finally bought a new iPod armband. My playlists are starting to get old, so if you have any song suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate them. Also, I'm considering buying a Nike+ chip. I still need to do a little more research about the product, but I'm definitely interested.

I had a great run on Sunday morning along the lake. I was surprised at how few runners there were, but I was actually quite happy about it. I didn't have to fear of colliding with one of them (or a biker). My run on Sunday also marked one of the last times I will wear capris while running. Bye, bye pants. Hell-o shorts!