insta-summer!

It's happened before...unseasonably cool weather one week, unbelieveably hot and humid weather the next. So why I am at all surprised at the jump in mercury is beyond me. I love summer, but 90s and humid is a little much. I did a 6.5 mile run yesterday at 7:30 in the morning...whoa, was it tough. I had a rough time staying cool and hydrated and the temps were only in the 70s! I'm thinking maybe I overdid it because I had about a quarter mile left and I started getting chills- not good. I think I need to invest in a hydration belt to keep myself from over-heating. On the plus side though, I was at sub-9 minute miles...so I'm definitely improving on the speed front!

I have quite a few trips to the city planned for the summer so far, both with and without my boys. I'm kicking it off with a jaunt with my girlfriends to see Sex and the City 2 followed by an early dinner. Should be quite a blast! I hope the movie is better than the trailer makes it out to be. The most awesome thing about the trailer is AIDAN. Love him, though I'm big on Big also. :) Looking forward to seeing what the fabulous forty-something foursome has in store for us this time, which is probably the last time. But we said that when the first SATC movie came out, so who knows.

Then some more city fun is planned for race-day weekend!!! Even though my cousin Dana is not running the half with me (BUMMER), she and her boyfriend are still coming to Chicago that weekend to hang out with us! How cool is that!

The past couple days were filled with fun in the baby pool. We have a little plastic pool and a slide set up in our backyard so the boys have been having so much fun keeping cool. Meyer is all over the place, climbing in the water, out of the water, up the slide...the kid loves the water. And Logan is splish splashing away and having a ball. Which results in an awesome long naptime and break for mommy. :)

After naps, it's time for a trip to the store. When it comes to clothing for the boys, I completely under-estimate sizes. Meyer is so tiny that I thought he'd be swimming in 12-18 month clothes. Um, no. They fit him perfectly. I have 3 outfits that still have tags on them though so I'm off to exchange them for a bigger size. Lesson learned. Then it's salads for dinner!! I made this amazing chicken breast recipe this weekend and have leftovers so I'm just slicing it into salads at my husband's request...delish!

a trip down memory lane.

Today I took the boys on a little trip to LaGrange. I spent most of my childhood years growing up in LaGrange Park, so this was familiar territory for me! I met a girlfriend and her daughter at a park I used to frequent when I was a kid. The basic layout of the park is the same, but of course the equipment has been updated. And the tree my grandma taught me how to climb is still there! It was fun and brought back so many memories. (Trying to play) softball in the baseball diamond, (trying to play) tennis in the clay courts. Can you tell I'm not too great at sports? It's so interesting the way you view things now compared to when you were a kid. The swings looked so big and I remember going so high I practically could touch the sky with my toes...nope- the swings are actually puny. :) The homes in the neighborhood surrounding the park seemed like mansions back then...they are modest homes on well-manicured blocks.

Lunch was at Palmer Place. I even caught a glimpse of Mrs. Palmer who used to be friendly with my grandma long ago when Palmer's was a deli with avocado green booths and laminate flooring. Now I'm sitting outside in the beer-garden ordering chocolate milk for my 3 year old and making sure my 1 year old doesn't throw his whole meal on the ground. How things change.

There was lots of construction on the main roads as I was heading back home, so I drove through my old hood. Funny how I could still name the families that used to live in the houses I drove past. Maybe some of the parents are still there! Past the house of my best friend in 6th grade. It used to be white with green trim, and now it's gray. Past the house of the boy I had a huge crush on in junior high. Past the house I grew up in, which looks pretty much the same from the outside thought I know it's much different on the inside. Then onto the expressway and away from that time of my life. It will be fun when the boys are older and I can show them that part of me.

back on again.

Well, the mommmy switch has flipped back to on. The past few days have consisted of a wonderful solo run, quality sister time, awesome Thai food and a trip to another of my happy places- Whole Foods. I seriously could wander the aisles of Whole Foods all day. How I love it there. Where else can you get shiitake mushrooms in bulk? I also found unsweetened coconut so I can make these apricot almond bars I've been drooling over.

However, my trip to Whole Foods wasn't perfect. Logan didn't have his listening ears on and wandered away from me in the store. My heart dropped to my feet for those few seconds until I found him. He has always been so good at staying by my side that I guess I took it for granted. I have a feeling that he'll be getting more defiant before he gets better. Between both of them, I have so much to look forward to!

mommy switch is off.

Do you ever have one of those days you just want to turn the "mommy switch" to off? I love being a mom and I love my boys more than life itself, but today has been one of those days. Meyer is not feeling well...so there isn't much I can do to make myself feel better. Usually I'd hit up the Starbucks drive-thru, head to the clearance rack at Target, or get some decorating ideas at Home Goods to clear my head, but that isn't happening today. This weather sure is putting a damper on my spirits, no pun intended. Maybe I can put my bad mood to good use by doing some cleanup in the basement. Or by organizing old pictures and cards. I feel better already!!

could it be? a hint of summer?

What a gorgeous day today! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the air is perfect...so I started my day with an 8 mile run. It felt absolutely wonderful, except for the nagging going on in my right hip. Even that went away so I'm thankful to be injury free so far in the last weeks of training for my 3rd half marathon! I averaged 9:18 miles...just a little quicker and I'll be able to finish the half in 2 hours or less. That's my goal anyway. Time will tell if I actually accomplish it.

In other news, I've decided to tackle Anna Karenina this summer. It's been on my must-read list for longer than I care to remember so I found it (collecting dust in my basement) and can't wait to get started. I am an avid reader, but it's hard to find time to read while raising 2 active, imaginative kids. Something's gotta give and for me, it's books. Mostly because I'm one of those readers who gets immersed in a book and can't put it down. But the 800-something pages of Anna Karenina are beckoning to me and I'll be answering the call, right after my Weeds marathon is finished. I'm on season 5, episode 3 and loving every second of it. I said before that I'd love to be Nancy Botwin...but I'm way too much of a goody-goody. So I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through her immoral life because it's so much fun!

Taste test: Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies. Wow. Everyone has their personal preference as far as cookie texture. Some like them chewy...some like them crunchy...some like a little bit of both. Well this cookie falls into both categories. Eat one at room temperature and it's crispy goodness. Warm it up for 12 seconds in the microwave first and it's crunchy, chewy perfection. I think next time I might substitute butterscotch chips for the white chocolate. I love oatmeal scotchies and I think these might be a hit! One of the best cookies I've ever made...these will definitely be in heavy rotation!

I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I'm a foodie. Maybe not a foodie in the true definition of the word (considering one of my favorite Mexican restaurants is Pepe's), but I LOVE food. I love eating, cooking, talking about food, eating at restaurants, I could go on and on and on. My favorite cuisine? I love them all. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Asian. I could eat Asian food for every single meal, every single day, for an entire month and not get tired of it. So when my little sister posted on Facebook earlier today that she was going to Chinatown for lunch, I felt a little pang of jealousy. Duck Spring Rolls and a Watermelon freeze at Joy Yee's? Sign me up, please! I love my neighborhood, but one of the definite downfalls to living in the burbs is the lack of restaurant choices, especially in our neck of the woods. Here in my town it's heavy on the fast food, pizza parlors and italian beef joints. I would love if a little sushi spot opened up within a 5 minute drive! Trader Joe's would be nice to have too. Oh well...this foodie girl can dream.

Hopefully I'm heading to Target today to pick up 2 bookshelves to help with my organization project. It will also help make our little basement home office a room of it's own, at least that's how I envision it. Stay tuned for more on that subject!

summer, you can come any day now...

The beautiful flowers I received as a Mother's Day Surprise from my husband and kids.


As much as I despise what hot, humid air does to my naturally curly, frizz-tacular hair, I love the summertime. Long days filled with sunshine and clear blue skies, tank tops, shorts and flip flops, weekend summer fests, barbeques and cocktails with friends and family...I love it all. So why is it mid-May and summer is still nowhere to be found? I think about or look forward to something so often, it makes time pass in slow motion. And when I don't look forward to something, it comes out of nowhere. Proof that living life day to day is most fulfilling indeed.

I'm feeling guilty today. I'm feeling a lot of things today, actually, and guilt is pretty high up there. I missed a run this week. I'm tacking on an extra mile to my long run tomorrow to help make up for it, but it doesn't change the fact that I still need to work on forgiving myself. It's been a goal of mine for a long time and I never quite get there. Maybe if I forgave myself and didn't feel guilty for goofy things like missing a workout, I'd feel so much less stress in my life. There are 2 goals to work on this glorious summer. Forgive myself and stress less. I read an article today that said that kissing provides instant stress relief. My husband came up to me out of the blue and started kissing me earlier today and I put that theory to the test. Um, yep- I instantly relaxed. Add that to the list...make out with my husband on a daily basis. So there are three things to strive for. I think I need to add one more.

I can tell that a lot of my stress stems from a lack of organization in my life. In a few areas. My home suffers the most. I live in a tiny house. We've never measured, but there are 2 adults, 2 children and an 80 pound dog (our shepherd/lab mix Cami) living in 1200 square feet or less. That's not much room. I've posted recently that we are updating our home...I'm trying to reorganize things so I don't feel constant stress from the clutter that has become my life. Problem is, I'm a pack rat. I can't seem to throw anything away! That awesome Christmas card we received from the Joneses 8 years ago? I can guarantee I still have it. We need to do a major purge and I'm pretty sure it's called spring cleaning...time is running out on that. But then life happens and reorganization gets pushed further down the list. Let's face it: the day to day things that need to get done supercede anything else and we never have time for the big projects like scrubbing the windows and blinds, or cleaning the dustbunnies under the couch. Maybe I can work on one small project a day and see what happens. Yesterday, it was cleaning out the freezer. Today, I cleaned out Meyer's bottle drawer and turned it into Meyer's sippy cup drawer.

Let's see how well I accomplish these goals 3 months from now.

Meanwhile, Matt's betting on the ponies at the OTB less than 5 minutes from our house. Dangerous. I'm really hoping that one of our trifecta bets comes in. After all these years placing bets during the Triple Crown, it would be nice if it paid off, at least a little bit! And I'm hanging out with my boys, listening to them enjoy each other and enjoying a libation. Smirnoff Ice Pineapple. Pretty tasty! I just took a batch of cookies out of the oven and they turned out delicious.

I feel decidedly less stressed now. Go figure.


recipe: Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
source: Smitten Kitchen

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)
1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.
3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.
4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie
5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

bright, sunshiny day!!

Woke up this morning (a little early- 5:30) feeling not-so-fine. Nothing 2 Motrin couldn't fix and now I'm enjoying my morning coffee and trying to plan my day. How to enjoy this beautiful day? Hmmm...a morning 4.5 mile run with the boys in the jogging stroller is a definite. I've been slacking with my running this week. That's what happens to me when the weather is crappy. My motivation goes to hell. Yesterday was one of those crappy days. It was super hard to talk myself into going to the gym and sweating bullets on the treadmill, but I did it. On sunny days, however, bring it on!

boobasaur?

I woke up insanely early this morning and I'm sorry to say I couldn't even blame my kids! Oh, the joys of getting old. Thank goodness for the triple-strength dose of caffeine my husband had ready for me. I nearly burned my esophagus I guzzled that roasty goodness down so fast! My morning routine, if the kids are still sleeping, of course, is to get that cup of coffee and sit down and check my e-mail and facebook pages. I click on my profile and there it is, in the form of a post from my beloved (insert sarcasm here) cousin Nick. Boobasaur. Huh. The image that phrase brings to mind is not pretty. Am I really that ancient and decrepit? Is that what my cousin thinks of me? I need an explanation so I scroll down and finally find that Nick, along with another cousin James, are up till all hours of the wee morning down in Talla"nastee" trying to come up with goofy dino-esque names for the rest of the cousins. I get boobasaur, which is actually pretty hilarious, considering I'm the oldest cousin, have given birth to and breastfed 2 children...needless to say the girls aren't what they used to be, and they weren't that great to begin with. My sister is dubbed Jerkasaurus, which fits her pretty well also. Goofy kids.

My 3 year old loves to play in the basement. He has all his trains and cars down there so he can spend hours with his best friends Steamer and Samuel, Percy and Gordon, the list goes on. I open the basement door to check on him and he tells me he's fine, but "don't come downstairs, Mommy!" Which of course gets me curious as to what he's up to down there.
Me: "Logan, what are you doing?"
Logan: "I'm glittering the couch!"
Um, glittering the couch? I head downstairs and sure enough, Logan's creating a masterpiece in red glitter all over the couch cushions. I was just happy that tar and feathers weren't involved. It's my own fault- I left his craft supplies in plain reach. Lesson learned. And easily cleaned up- thank goodness for leather couches and a dirt devil. No glitter butt in this house! :)

My husband and I are planning a long overdue update for a few rooms in our humble little abode. I've been spending a lot of time browsing the internet, magazines, and books to try and get ideas for what I like. For the bedroom, I'm leaning toward practical, romantic luxury with a lot of cozy, pretty, modern details. It's a small space, so it should be easy enough to accomplish. I am in love with this lampshade and will try to recreate my own version:



So pretty, and so easy to integrate with other textures and colors for a design neophyte like myself! Add zero design acumen to the list of qualities I was born without. But Amy Butler fabrics make it easy to look like I have some design sense! I really love her fabrics (including Floating Buds in Grey from her Midwest Modern II collection, shown on the lampshade above)...they all work together and can be mixed and matched to your heart's delight.

I'm excited for a new and improved bedroom, but what I'm most excited about is my new kitchen! I can't wait for a clean, fresh, organized kitchen! We are still in the planning stages, but we know we are custom building a dining booth that will have storage and I have a few ideas in mind that will make the time I spend in the kitchen (which is probably a third of my life!) more productive and visually appealing:
- pull out pantry that also acts as a hiding spot for dog food/treats.
- pull out waste organizer to separate trash and recycling.
- fun shelving to accommodate my ever-expanding collection of cookbooks.
- cushions for the booth that are both pretty and functional, and made of a material that can withstand abuse from a toddler and a pre-schooler!

And a wonderful end to my morning...Weeds, Season 5 is ready for pickup at my local library!! Oh, how I have missed this show. I want to be Nancy Botwin when I grow up. I don't think my husband would mind if I magically morphed into her one day. ;)

the night of game 6.

Let's hope the Chicago Blackhawks clean up the series tonight against the Vancouver Canucks! Go Hawks! The Hawks are up 3 games to 2 and can finish it off tonight. Then on to the semi-finals and a couple more weeks till The Stanley Cup. Hockey season is painfully long. Can you tell I am not a big hockey fan? The puck is so small and whizzes by so fast I can never tell what is going on. But my husband loves the sport, so I'm forced to watch it by default. I'd much rather tell you about our tasty dinner tonight!

I made Taco Soup. The recipe could not be easier. Thanks to my friend Dee for sharing it! I had a dollop of lowfat sour cream on mine and topped it with crushed tortilla chips for a delightful crunch. The result? Delish!

Recipe: Taco Soup
Source: Unknown

3 cans Great Northern Beans, drained/rinsed- feel free to mix up the beans, use pinto, black, kidney, or a combination.
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans Mexicorn
1 taco seasoning packet
1 Fiesta Ranch packet
1 can water

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan, stir and simmer for an hour. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

* I used 1 can of low-sodium beans and no-salt tomatoes- it was still pretty salty.
** Other topping ideas: diced avocado, shredded chicken or beef, chopped red onion, minced jalapeno peppers, chopped cilantro.

a baking day!

What better way to spend a cool, dreary day in May than baking? Well, besides the lunch trip to McDonald's for an oh, so important happy meal. And let's not forget the plastic car that comes with it! I was informed by Logan today that boys get cars in their happy meals, and girls get mermaids. I posed an interesting question- what if a girl wanted a toy car? No, not happening in my son's 3 year old gender specific brain. Girls don't like toy cars. Maybe he hasn't met those kinds of girls yet. His time will come, I'm sure.

We also talked a little bit about imagination. My son has been blessed with an amazing one so I was telling him how to make the most of it by inventing stories about the plastic dude who drives the plastic happy meal car. What planet does he come from? Is he a superhero? Does he have a superhero girlfriend? He doesn't quite get the concept, but I'll keep providing encouragement and see where that takes him. Maybe he'll be the writer I never was! Wow- I'm already putting the failures of my life into my expectations of my 3 year old. But aren't all parents guilty of that at one time or another?

Anyway, I've been wanting to try these cookies since the recipe landed in my inbox and they did not disappoint. Enjoy!

recipe: Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies
source: Martha Stewart Cookie of the Day, 4.10.10

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups white-chocolate chunks (about 9 ounces)
1 3/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, (about 6 ounces)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla.
2.Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix into butter mixture on low speed until well combined. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and walnuts.
3.Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 2 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

welcome to my updated blog!

My blog desperately needed a facelift. So welcome to my sweet escapades...where I can escape for a little while without actually escaping! You can find all my old blog entries and hopefully find things a little more interesting going forward so you will want to return again and again. Enjoy!

another weekend gone.

What a busy weekend. The busier the weekend, the faster it goes, so maybe the weekends need to all be lazy. Novel idea. But totally unrealistic, of course.

Friday was awesome. The boys and I started the morning with a 4 mile run, and then headed to a playdate. Logan had so much fun playing with the other kids' toys that I had a hard time getting him to leave! I had a good time too, catching up with friends, girl talk and eating some yummy taco soup! After naps, it was off to the park with another friend and her 3 boys. Talk about outnumbered! It was also Kentucky Derby weekend, so Matt was getting ready for his picks and picked up a racing form on the way home. Watched The House Bunny (one of my picks for worst movie ever, yet I couldn't stop watching!).

Saturday consisted of a little Meyer and Mommy time. We went shopping! And Meyer was SUCH a good boy. He loves the shopping cart and got to ride in at least 5 of them. :) I was on the hunt for shower curtain fabric. I fell in love with this and am trying to recreate it in my house.



We ran some errands and had sub sandwiches at Jersey Mike's. Yum. I have a new sub shop favorite!! We headed home and Matt left for Arlington with his brother...Super Saver was not a super winner in our house this year.

Today was perfect. My long run was 7 miles today...my longest run in a long time! It gives me hope that I can finish the half at around 2 hours. That would be amazing! Then it was off to Pump It Up for a birthday celebration for a special 4 year old. Logan had never been to one of these places before and he absolutely loved it. He wasn't so sure about the slides, but he had a blast running around with his friends and jumping and climbing all over the place. I didn't tell him that he's going 2 more times this month, for more birthday celebrations. :)

Oh, the weekend, how I wish you could last forever!!

manscaping?!?!

How it's possible that I never heard this term till last night is beyond me. I was hanging out with some friends last night, snacking, wining and gabbing and my girlfriend Lisa starts talking about her husband's grooming routines. Manscaping. Love it! And it turns out that my husband definitely has some manscaping routines of his own. :)

waiting till next year.

I had all the best intentions in the world when I thought I might be able to run the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Then the race filled up and I did some research into running for charity. And then I missed the deadline for that. So it turns out that I won't be running the Chicago Marathon this year. And that's okay! I'm going to make the most of this summer getting myself in the best shape ever. I'm going to work on my speed, endurance and distance, and also work on strength so training for the 2011 Chicago Marathon is a snap. ;)

I have a new summer look! My sister came over yesterday and chopped all my hair off. It is a cute choppy bob and I love it! She razored the ends so it's got lots of movement and texture. Now I think I need to add some color and I'll be set for the season.

My run this morning was a good one. I was supposed to run yesterday but there was some major wind going on so I postponed my run till this morning. Still super windy- what is up with that? But I did just fine- 4 miles with the kidlets in the jogger on a beautiful, mild morning.

getting faster!!

This past weekend was such a fun one. On Saturday, Matt ran the Tiger 5K at the Chicagoland Speedway. What a cool race!! It actually takes place on the race track. The track is 1.5 miles long so the race consisted of 2 laps. I stayed on the sidelines with the kids to cheer on my husband (and ran into a friend doing the same thing!) but it was a cool race and one I definitely want to run next year! The weather was supposed to be crappy...it was definitely overcast but comfortable temperature wise and no rain! Matt was super quick...he finished in 24:54, which is a record for him. I was so proud. :)

Sunday I did my long run. 6 miles! Which took me 53:51 to run- I averaged just under 9 minute miles! And I felt great. I can't believe how quick I'm starting to get! I'm telling you- running with a jogging stroller is great endurance training!

fun filled weekend!

We celebrated my husband's 35th birthday this weekend. What a milestone! 35. Wasn't it just yesterday we entered our 30's? Regardless, he's the sexiest 35 year old I know...hungover and all. :) Yesterday was a perfect day...walking around the zoo, cheeseburgers at Portillo's and just spending some quality time together as a family. I love my boys- all 3 of them!

Oh, and I'm super excited about one of his gifts! Matt's a runner too- albeit a casual one. He runs to keep in shape and will do a 5K occasionally. So as part of his birthday surprise, I registered him to run the Tiger 5K in Joliet. It's at the Chicagoland Speedway- 2 laps around the track! Since Matt's a racing fan I thought this would be fun for him. He loved the gift and is excited to run on 4/24- this coming Saturday. We're excited to cheer him on!

In running news, I'm still awaiting entry confirmation in the Chicago Marathon. I hope to have everything set in a week or two so I can get on to fundraising!! Hopefully I will have some fun news to report here soon, so stay tuned for that.

Training for my half marathon is going pretty well also! I did get some bummer news this week- my cousin Dana has an injury that will prevent her from running the half with me. I'm super sad about this but I guess that means I'll just have to run for the both of us! I really hope I can do her proud. Yesterday's run was supposed to be an easy 5 miles. I was going to take my time and run S.L.O.W. But even when I plan to run slow, it doesn't always happen- I finished in 47:13...and I felt great! It was one of those runs where I could have kept going forever. Those are my favorite kinds. :) I haven't set any finish goals for my half marathon...I wanted to set a personal record for the distance, I guess. If I keep running like this, that goal will be met for sure!

I read an article in Chicago Athlete magazine a few weeks ago about a 63 year old woman who can run like the wind. I felt some kind of connection to her because she didn't start hard-core running until after the birth of her 2nd child in her mid-thirties, much like me! She's become an inspiration to me...even though my running aspirations are not as high. I guess I should never say never though. :)

shamrock shuffle race report- 2010.

My goodness, I'm slow. I ran the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K over a week ago and I still haven't written a race report. For a race I was so psyched about! Things just get busy or I start writing and get side-tracked...that's what happens. Life is busy! So let's rewind...

Sunday, March 21, 2010- the Shamrock Shuffle!!

I woke up that morning with a start. Race Day!! For the first time ever, I was so excited to run this race. I usually dread race day. I don't know why. I guess I'm scared of pushing myself, or not pushing myself hard enough, or being too hot/cold, or getting injured...who knows. But on this morning I couldn't wait to get running! I woke up at 5:30, got dressed in my cold weather gear...black running tights, a compression mock l/s top with a cotton l/s tee over it and a green fleece sleeveless vest. I threw my gloves and skull cap in my bag, poured myself a cup of coffee and was off! The weather sucked though- cold and rainy the whole way to the train station.

I was meeting my best friend Eunice and we were taking the train in. She got on at the Rt. 59 stop and I met her at the Fairview stop. She looked all nice and cozy in her brand new Vancouver 2010 Olympic gear!! We chatted and caught up and then we made it into the city with over an hour to spare. We made a pit stop in the bathroom (I didn't go) and we headed outside. No rain!! We started walking to Grant Park and the start of the race and stopped in Starbucks for some coffee. The crowds began forming as soon as we turned down Michigan Avenue and was vibrant with excitement despite the cold, dreary day. We started walking looking for gear check for our backpacks. We found it, deposited our bags, decided on a meeting place for after the race and went to find our spots at the start line somewhere in the sea of 25,000 other runners! The race started at 9:00 and about 24 minutes later we were finally walking toward the start line. Stepped over it and we were off!

Mile 1: 10:01
The first mile was quick. It always seems to be! And I ran it a little fast (for me). But at least I was keeping up and not jumping in and out of people's way! I felt pretty good. Eunice took off- but she is speedy that way and I knew we wouldn't be sticking together long.

Mile 2: 9:08
Holy moly. The second mile was even quicker! I started getting a tad out of breath and I did start cramping up but I pushed myself through it. I started strong and I was going to keep going strong, no matter what!

Mile 3: 9:18
I guess I slowed down a little bit somewhere along the way, but I was searching out the 3 mile mark, that's for sure. I was running fast, but I couldn't seem to slow myself down for some reason! I guess it was all that adrenaline pumping. :)

Mile 4: 8:35
As soon as I saw the time on my 4th mile, I knew I had a chance to beat my previous shuffle time. So I went all out. I started trying to encourage people around me to keep going- it was the only way I could encourage myself!

To the finish line: 8:34
Toward the end of the race I was a little directionally challenged. We made a right turn onto Michigan Avenue which signaled that the finish line was within reach. The one last stretch, and then the dreaded hill and then the finish! I made the left turn onto Roosevelt and just gave it all I had. Then I found out I should have gone to the bathroom before the race on the way down the hill. *blush* That's okay- things happen! I crossed the finish line strong at 45:38- I shaved over a minute off my previous shuffle time!! I was so proud and it gave me confidence that I can run quick if I want to!

After the race I was searching for Eunice and she found me at gear check. We grabbed our post race beer and drank up! We were going to go in search of a bar for celebratory bloody mary's, but we decided to go shopping instead, so we headed to Nordstrom. Typical girls. Eunice and I have decided to make the Shamrock Shuffle a tradition. Here's to next year!

yesterday- 60...today- snow?

Only in Chicago is it completely normal for the weather to fluctuate so drastically. Yesterday my husband, boys and I took a trip into the city where the weather was gorgeous...and today- it's freezing and blowing snow. Absolute craziness!

I've completed my training for the 2010 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle- which is TOMORROW!! My last training run was Thursday. I ran 2 miles late in the afternoon with my boys in the jogging stroller along the streets in a small subdivision behind my house. Goofy me- I forgot to time myself, but I know I ran those 2 miles in under 20 minutes. Yay for me! The extra weight and resistance that the jogging stroller provides, not to mention 50 pounds of kids inside, makes for one tough workout for sure. I'm slowly but surely building my endurance.

The only possible obstacle to obtaining a personal record in the 8K distance tomorrow will be the weather. Which is supposed to be more snow, wind and chill. Yuck. Mind over matter, I say!

Packet pick-up at Navy Pier was yesterday and as I mentioned above, we made a family trip out of it. The energy of the expo made me so excited for the race- I can't wait! I wanted to pick up a 13.1 sticker for the back of my car yesterday and I found one. I gave it to Logan to hand to the cashier- good move, because the man he handed it to was the marketing director for the race and thought Logan was cute and gave him the sticker for free! We tasted apple samples and I got some information about the Team in Training program for the Chicago Marathon. I'm going to head to an informational meeting and possibly join that team. We'll see! We headed out of the expo, grabbed burgers for lunch and Logan got to ride a train- the highlight of his day. And then it took us an hour and a half to get home thanks to traffic. The joys of suburban Chicago living!

So the plan for tomorrow is to be up and at 'em bright and early. Eunice and I are running together- and we're meeting on the train around 6:45 tomorrow morning to head into the city together! It's Eun's first Shuffle- I'm sure it won't be her last. I'm hoping to make this race a yearly tradition for us!

And then Monday commences training for my next race- 13.1 Chicago on June 13. BRING IT!!!

time's a flying.

Looks like twenty-ten is already beginning to become a blur. It still amazes me that time seems to pass so slowly when we are in the moment and then becomes a distant, precious memory to look back on way too quickly. Just another reason to live life to the fullest and to appreciate all that I've been blessed with. The passage of time has also made me so aware of all of life's small and large blessings. Goodness...how serious have I become lately? :)

Onto what's been happening the past several weeks since I have posted. I have been training for my 2nd Shamrock Shuffle 8K here in Chicago. This is such a fun race and my best friend is running it with me so I'm super excited. I also just found out that I somehow qualified for a corral start- so that got me extremely pumped. Maybe I have some running potential after all! Right after the race, I start training for my 3rd half marathon. I've found that I'm so much better at being disciplined at my running if I have a goal set. Hence, my decision to run the 13.1 Chicago on June 13. And then after that...drumroll, please...

I start a 17 week training program to get ready for my very first marathon!

That's right, I've decided to give 26.2 miles a try and participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10. Wow...how about that date??? I never thought I'd be a marathon runner, but I want to prove to myself I can do it. I have not yet set any goals for this race- I'll be happy with just finishing. And then no more marathon running for me. I guess never say never though. I did say I'd never run a full marathon and here we are!

My boys and I just spent 10 days in Marco Island, Florida. We had such fun and it was incredible being able to give the boys new experiences. Logan has found a love for building sandcastles, finding seashells and swimming with Grandpa Shawn while Meyer discovered he loves eating sand. Tasty. :) I had some wonderful experiences myself...blackened grouper sandwiches and rumrunners at the Snook Inn, watching the gorgeous sunsets while hugging my boys, late nights of wine and rummikub with my parents and long runs along the beach. It was paradise and the only thing missing was my husband. We missed him so much but he'll be able to come next time!!

Now I'm planning Meyer's 1st birthday party, enjoying time with my kids, redecorating my house and getting ready for a kid free weekend in Las Vegas for my beautiful cousin Kim's wedding. I can't wait!

training schedule.

So I'm currently training for the Shamrock Shuffle here in Chicago. I can't wait. This race is such fun! There are SO MANY PEOPLE, but that's the fun part of it. I'm running with my best friend and we'll be knocking them dead!

The day after the shuffle, I start training for the 13.1 Chicago half marathon on 6/13. My friend Mandi worked her magic and persuaded me to train and run so I am...my 3rd half marathon. I'm super hopeful that my cousin Dana comes to run with me as well. It would be such fun!

And since I already have training on the brain, what's another 17 weeks...oh, that's right- just enough time to train for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon!! Yes, I have decided to run my first (and quite possibly, my last) marathon on 10/10.