Rosemont 8K and a PR

On Saturday Nov 15th, I ran the first annual Life in motion 8K aka The Rosemont 8K. The company Yasmin works for (LifeFitness) decided to put on there first race ever. I must say this came as a shock considering they are the leader in fitness equipment. On the plus and minus said it was not very full, this was do to really poor marketing on there part. In a way it was a nice change since most of the races I've done are BIG. I will also say the choice of route for the course was also very nice. Another nice thing was last min Yasmin decided to walk the race with her co-worker, this would be her co-workers first race. So I told her when I was done i'd walk back and finish with them.

One thing that was worrying me was what to wear on race day, it was going to be cold but I warm up really fast, so I didn't want to put on too many layers. So I decided to go with my Nike Pro combat long sleeve and CES t-shirt over that, then my running tights and shorts over them. I figured I'd be warm enough to not be too cold but also not risk over heating. Of course I wore my gloves and CES hat, I mean i am bald after all. I will say my choice of clothing was perfect at no point did I over heat or feel like I was freezing.

This race was important for me on a few different levels.

1. Yasmin's company was putting it on and I didn't want to be the slowest guy out there

2. I haven't PR'd in a while and honestly was sick of it

3. This was the race i was going to use to get my training paces for my next marathon.

 At this race I decided to do something I normally don't do, I went almost to the front of the start line. I was maybe 3 feet away from the start line. This was a part of my game plan, because I am tired of being in the middle of the pack and then fighting my way around people. The other part of my plan was to PR, so I checked the last 8k I ran and it was Shamrock Shuffle in March and I ran 8:10 pace. I figured as long as a I ran an 8 min mile I can get a PR. As I waited at the start I took a deep breath and cleared my mind, (this is difficult for me). 8 am hit and nothing yet, a min later the horn blew and we were off. I am a very realistic person and as much as i wanted to keep up with the lead pack I decided I was running my race and not letting anyone else dictate my pace. I reached Mile 1 at 7 min and 12 sec, (Crap!) I was going much faster then I had planned. I decided to stay the course and every once in a while check my pace. As I saw the mile 3 marker I realized that I had 15 min to finish and PR. I refused to slow down.  My body would have to force me to slow down before I let it.  Too many times in my life, not just running, I had given up when things got tough.  Not today! I ran down the finale stretch and with only half mile left I saw Yasmin and her friends walking, I gave her a quick hug and kiss and kept going. I made the finale turn and saw the finish line. I did it I PR'D!  I liked the course since it was one I've never ran before and it cut through the entertainment district of Rosemont. 

I stopped my watch and went into the German restaurant that the gear check was at. I put on my outer layer and headed back along the course.  I figured I'd walk backwards since that would give me a better chance to catch up to Yasmin and her friends. As I was walking I made it a point to have the medal showing, so that can see how close they were to finishing. I cheered a bunch of people on, and even say Jennifer (Our niece). As I was walking along they started to re route the last few runners to the side walk so they can get traffic moving again. I finally caught up to Yasmin and walked the rest of the course with her. I told her about my time and she even said "That's a PR, right?". As they got closer to the finish I ran ahead so I could get a picture of her crossing the finish line. 

Not only did I PR for the 8K but I once ran the Cinco De Miler (5 Mile race) well, this course was over 5 miles and I beat my Cinco De Miler time by a good 10 seconds. I Did something that I didn't think I would be able to do, I broke an 9 min mile for a race that is over a 5K. My next big goal is to start training in December for the Wisconsin Marathon in May. When I was trying to figure out what I should shoot for with WI, my coach said "Run a short distance race and go all out" that'll help you figure out your paces and what you can do. Well, I got my paces figured out and fingers crossed I think I can run a sub 4 hour at Wiscons

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Lake Front 50/50

On Saturday I did something that honestly I didn’t think I’d ever do, I did my first Ultra Marathon. What in the hell is an Ultra Marathon?  Basically a race that is over 26.2, shortest ultras is 50K (31.068 miles).  So what would make me want to run this distance you ask? Well, originally my plan was to run 3 marathons in 2014, but by the time I figured out my 3^rd it would have been a big hassle with hotel, gas, time off etc. So I figured hey why not do your first Ultra, the drive was all of 30 min from my house so no brainer right? Also I choice this as my first since it is not a technical course, the lake front of Chicago is a flat course (WINNING). I want you to hold onto that thought of it being a flat course for a little bit for me.  

                 (Pre race me) 

Oct 31^st Halloween such a spooky and fun day, except this year it was not so much fun. The weather was terrible we had very strong winds and hail.  Crazy weather or not I decided to take Friday as a rest day; I figured it made the most sense since the ultra was the next day. Yasmin and I did our Halloween tradition of going to see the movie Halloween (1978). It helped a lot since to be 100% honest I was nervous about the race. I told myself I am not going to race it, I want to see how it goes and do it for fun.  Nerves still set in because well, I’ve never run 31.068 miles before.  After the movie I ate dinner and tried to call it an early night. The next morning I got up bright and early to set out for out drive to Jackson Park, and the start of my first Ultra. I put on my Nike ProCombat cold weather shirt and my CES T-shirt over that I did put shorts and just in case put my long pants over that. When I got to the start the wind was blowing so crazy. I thought about ditching my pants but Yasmin said “Keep them on for now, if you get too hot ditch them. They are old and big anyways.” She was right I could just ditch them no big deal. So I decided to keep them on. Since the weather was cold I told Yasmin to head home, no point in her waiting for me and honestly it was too cold for her to even walk with Rocky.  I set up E-crumbs for her to follow me along the course. The horn went off and my 31.068 mile journey started. 

(starting the race)

        (The Chicago Sky line) 

The wind was strong out there and ripping across the lake made it even stronger. The good news was I decided to implement and 9/1 run/walk approach for this race.  I figured with the marathon only 3 weeks prior, I should really take this one easy.  I was so glad at the start I kept my pants on because to be honest that lake affects wind was killer and would have frozen my nads. So as the race started we were all together and well I spit and when I did it flew and hit a young lady behind me, opps my bad. After apologizing I said fuck it I can’t control the wind and kept going. I will say that the view going north is awesome! You get to see the sky line of Chicago and with the wind the waves were so cool. Now thanks to those violent winds, one part of the course was closed off, so they had to reroute us up a giant hill. 

Remember when I asked you to hold on to that thought of a flat course well, thanks to Mother Nature we didn’t have that anymore. I decided to take the hill slow on the uphill and fast on the downhill. 

                   (The hill)

 There were other parts of the course that thanks to the storm had to be altered slightly, nothing major we basically ran on the grass then the cement.  The course itself was 3 10 mile loops or 6 out and backs. Really depends on how you want to look at it. As the race started getting longer I’ll admit I started feeling pain in my legs but my endurance was still good, kind of a catch 22 in away, the heart is willing but the body is not. Despite the soreness I was feeling I kept going.  I admit in the later miles the 9/1 walk plan was ditched and I just did my best to keep moving. I’d take little walking breaks and try and run for as long as I could. As the race progressed I was alone and many points but to be honest it didn’t bother me. I even thought  to myself “Damn I am going to come in last”, but then I remembered what a friend told me. You’ll never appreciate coming in first until you’ve come in last. That thought stuck with me during the last loop and I saw others coming towards me. Hey I wasn’t last after all, Yes! 

       (Course was a little rough) 

                    (Detour)

During the ultra I had some less than stellar moments, where I was hurting and questioning myself. As I made the finale turn on third loop, I thought "no one breaks out of prison with 2 weeks to go.” As I kept going three things happened that made me push harder. 

 

1 i saw a big girl and her friend; she was doing it come hell or high water. I found her strength to be inspiring. 

 

2. With 2 miles left i saw my ...fellow members of CES cheering. Seeing them helped so much and I knew i couldn't slow down. They were out there in the cold cheering; I was going to give it my all. 

 

3. And the most important was, I saw Yasmin when I had 1 mile to go. She was standing across the street waving at me. I'm not going to lie, I teared up. Despite the soreness and pain I felt I refused to slow down. I didn't want to let her down. She helped me get through the last bit. 

 

You know in a race, you hit several walls. Every time you hit a wall, it’s a big deciding factor in that race, or in life, if you’re not running. You have a big decision to make. You can either stop at that wall and go parallel left or parallel right. You are looking for that door. When you get to that door you have another decision to make. Should I open it or should I keep it closed. If you keep it closed you made the decision to quit. If you open that door you made the decision to carry on, to continue on your journey or mission, whatever you’re on. I'm glad to say I went through the door. I am now an Ultra Marathoner!

Chasing The Flying Pig

May 4^th was the Flying Pig Marathon. I was shooting for a sub 4 hour time and felt that with my showing at the Chi Town half this was a very good possibility. Well, needless to say that didn’t happen at this Marathon number 2. I’ve spent the past week going over what happen during the race and what happen leading to the race that cause such a poor performance. I suppose it would make sense for me to go over the race itself, so what is about to follow is the good, bad and the ugly.

Yasmin and I drove down to Cincinnati early Saturday morning but first we dropped Rocky off at my parents for the week. After the race we had to go straight back home since Monday morning we were flying to Puerto Rico. Interesting thing as we go into Ohio my ears popped because of the elevation. I have to be honest I was taken a back by this. So we checked into our hotel that was in Kentucky that is ridicules close to Ohio, like cross the street and you’re in a different state close. We went to the expo and got my T-shirt and Bib and picked up a few souvenirs. I picked up a T-shirt and so did Yasmin. After a night of carbo loading at Olive Garden we called it a night. 

                                                                     Start Line

It was the big day race Moring. We left the hotel and made it to Duke Energy center where we parked for the Expo and walked about 4 blocks to the start line. The start for the runners was the parking lot of Reds stadium. I got into my start corral but couldn’t find the 4 hr pacer so I said forget it I’ll just keep my own pace. I mean I had my Nike Watch and I had my pace tattoo. Interesting this they did not have waves for this Marathon unlike The BOA Chicago Marathon. The start gun went off and we started the race. It seemed really crowded but that was because the Half marathon and relay started at the same time. We were off to the races so to speak.

The race started and I tried to make it a point to not get overly excited and start out to fast, so I did my best to keep my pace in line with my pace tattoo. My pace at the start was 9:15 – 9:30 I figured I’m better off playing it conservative at the start. Since at Chicago I did 1 hr 55 min by the time I reached that half, so I didn’t want a repeat of that. I was feeling good at the start of the race and before I knew it we were crossing into Kentucky. I got to say seeing the sign that said “welcome to Kentucky” was really cool. I can now say I ran a race sorta in 3 states haha. I was still feeling good and doing my best to take in the sights and just really enjoy the race.

                                                          So hot I had to roll up my sleeve

Weather wise it was a perfect morning for a race, the sun was coming up and it was really windy but there was a nice breeze in the air. As the day progressed what started out as a beautiful spring day seemed to turn into a heat wave. The temps hit a high of 75 but much of the course was tree less and one large part was even on an express way. I am very self conscious so I wore a T-shirt under my racing singlet that I am sure did not me with the heat. I tried to make it a point to grab water and at least rinse my mouth out with it so I wouldn’t get dry mouth really bad. I pushed through the heat and just did my best to keep going.

HILLS! DAMN YOU HILLS! I’ve heard The Flying Pig was a very hilly race and many people down played it. Of course since all the hills are at the start was another big reason that I started off a slower then I could have. Between the elevation and the hills they kicked my ass. I was making it a point not to charge up them like Spartan heading into battle. And not all the hills were huge some were small ones but even those as the race went on were ridicules tough. Sorry to say that the hills got the best of me and made it very difficult for me to finish.

By mile 18 I was done, I started to walk as fast as possible and at some points would jog a little and then the pain started and I’d walk. Truth be told I gave up and at more then one point I seriously started questioning my running. Did I want to do more marathons a mistake was it a mistake to ever think I could get a BQ. Maybe I should stick to running halfs and 10Ks since those I could get done and not have to walk. As I came into the last mile or so I came across a couple who have changed my thinking. They were a married couple who’ve done a ton of marathons together and as the wife told me there times have all varied. We power walked together and they talked to me about BOA Chicago and how much they loved Chicago and that I should feel discouraged. At mile 26 we came across 2 guys who walked most of the race and were in much better shape then me. I tried following them thru the race and in the end I caught up to them.

Before we got to mile 26 we started running slow but we were running. The husband told me that no matter what we were going to finish. He pointed to the finish “Swine” as they called it for the race. As he told me no matter what we were finishing under 5 hrs. I crossed the Finish Swine and puked. Note don’t eat a pretzel in the hopes of getting some salt back into you. The husband put my medal on me and I thanked him an his wife for helping me finish strong.

                                                           Crossing the finish Swine

What happen? I didn’t train proper for the race. Not only did I need more hill repeats but I needed to make it a point to cross train and stay on top of my nutrition better. I’m changing a few things up for this next training cycle, 1.) I am going on a strict diet 2.) I am getting more aggressive with my cross training and 3.) I am going to follow a more advanced training plan. What are next other then a couple of half marathons and 10Ks BOA Chicago Marathon and it all go as planned a sub 4 marathon. 

                                                       Not my best but I got it done!

13/13 Reflections on Chi Town half and running 13.02 before racing a half.

What a weekend it has been. Saturday in prep for The Flying Pig Marathon May 4^th I had to do a cut back run BUT I also had a half planned for Sunday. The smart person would have said no run Saturday or short easy run since the race is the following day. Seeing as how I PR’d at the Shamrock after running long I thought hey I can do that again. So Saturday I did my 13.02 training run and to be honest felt good during all be it got a little hot weather really started to warm up. I felt good after the run and figured if I go home stretch and rest I should be ripping roaring ready to go for the half on Sunday.  

The Chi Town Half Marathon, in a nut shell is a really good race. It’s just small enough that you don’t get over whelmed by the people and you don’t have to fight your way around people. The course was nice BUT thanks to all the twist and turn you have to take it seemed way longer that it should have been. If you run an out and back or a loop they seem much faster. Night before the race I seriously debated what I should wear I knew for sure I was wearing my CES jersey (Side note I really need more CES racing gear). The big question was should I wear shorts or tights and shorts over them. In the end I decided to wear shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt under my jersey. Thankfully the long sleeve was really thin. Do to get to the race later then I would have liked everything was rushed. After a quick bathroom break I jumped into the start corral. I was hoping to find the pacer for the pace I was hoping to run but no such luck. Interesting thing is they started the 10K and Half at the same time a lot of races start one and then start the other right after. It didn’t matter though I was in the zone and ready to go. The run went off and I started my race. The original game plan was to start slow and pick up the pace at the end. Since I did not have a pacer I realized I’d have to pace myself. You’d think as a pacer for CES I’d be better at this sad truth is I have to work on it. As the race was going on I made it a point to relax and pass when I could and if I needed to slow down I did. As I was going along I caught up to the 9:10 pacers and followed them for a bit but then realized I could go faster so I passed them. Needless to say I never saw them again. As the race went on I kept my going trying not to go too fast or too slow. As the race started to go on my legs did start to feel tired but I was not going to give up. After a number of twist and turns I finally saw the last turn and knew I was close to the finish line. I started to speed up and when I looked at the clock it said 1:57:56. Since I started a few min after the fun went off I knew that wasn’t my time. In the end my time was 1:54:46, not a PR but still sub 2 hr half.

Now time for my final thought; running 13 miles before you plan to race a half marathon is not a good idea. I justified it because I PR’d the week before at the Shamrock Shuffle but what if I’d have run shorter the day before the Shamrock, could I have done better? Maybe I really can’t say and I can not dwell on it any more. The only thing I can do is take this as a learning experience. I’m disappointed with my setting a PR but at the same time I grateful for the learning opportunity this has presented me with. It has to be quality over quantity. Sure it is awesome to say I ran 100 miles this week but then ask how many of those were good miles? Were you feeling good during that run? These are all the things you have to take into consideration. I’d rather run 6 miles and a good pace and feel good after rather then run 10 or more but feels like crap through most of it.  

Weekend recap and The Shamrock Shuffle

It has been one mighty busy weekend for me. Saturday I had a 18 mile run scheduled and Sunday The Shamrock Shuffle 8k. I’ve had sometime to reflect on my log run and my race. So I think I am best starting with Saturday and talking about the long run. So the plan was originally to run 18 miles and to be honest I was feel good for most of the run. Then on the way back I passed Navy Pier, and that is where the Shamrock Shuffle Expo was being held. I saw the line of cars trying to get in and thought “You know what I’ll run in and grab my packet real quick.” I paused my watch at basically Mile 14; I was maybe .20 from 14. I was all the way across navy pier and then walked the entire expo. As I was heading out I ran into my brother Leo so I decided to walk the expo one more time. By the time we got done and to the front of Navy pier my watch had stopped and was no longer paused. Thankfully it saved my run data though. So I started up again figuring I’d just run out the last 4 miles caring my bag from the expo. I had been mentally debating all day should I cut my run short for the sake of the race. In the end I did cut it short because I just felt like it was the right thing to do and with the walk I covered good 16 or so miles.

Sunday morning was a very nice and semi perfect day for a race. Was a little colder then I’d of liked but still a beautiful day. I got into my carol with my cousin Pete and said my runner’s prayer as I always do. Interesting fact was this was my second race to go without my headphones (I’ll touch on that subject in a later post). I want to say this; I will certainly run the shamrock shuffle again despite the large crowed (40,000 people). As the horn went off we all took off running, now being part of such a large race does offer many challenges since you’re more likely to get stuck behind slower runners. I’ve been working out starting a little slower and then speeding more at the half way point since I knew that things would clear up the deeper into the race I got. So I started to do what I normally do and zig zag in and out of other runners buy still trying to remain calm and keep my breathing steady. I will admit there were points during the race I did get a little overly zealous and speed up too soon but I did work on dialing it back. As the end was near I started to speed up more because I wanted to finish strong. Now the one issue I had at the end is that right before the finish there is a hill! I powered up the hill and refused to walk.

In the end I think cutting my miles down but 3 was truly a benefit for me during the race. Also I am very happy to report that for the 8k I did set a PR! The last time I ran this distance my time was 45 min, so I knocked off almost an entire min off my pace. I do have some reflections from this weekend and it has helped me lay out my future goals. 1. Lose this weight. I can’t help but think if I can do this pace being over weight could you image what I could do being in shape? 2. I am more determined then ever to pick up my pace and make my comfortable training pace an 8:30 min mile. Time to keep training since I do have another race on Sunday.  

Who Am I?

My name is David, I grew up in the Chicago area. I was never much of an athlete, especially since I was one who would give up on things quickly if I didn't see immediate success. I did play baseball as a child and to put in frankly I hated every minute of it. The one sport I did enjoy was swimming and did like running during baseball (go figure).

I finally demonstrated an interest in fitness in my late teens when (because of my brother being a pain about it) I took up Karate. For some reason I really took to it and enjoyed it. At this time I honestly didn’t drop any weight (bad diet). After a little bit I stopped going to Karate and that part of my fitness life was put to the side.

Enter in adult hood and father hood.

These two things happen at the same time. Fitness was a very low priority for me; I figured I’d get on track someday and drop this weight. So I spent time with my daughter and tried to be the best father I could be for her.  During this time I realized I have a little girl who will grow up and boys (evil or good) will come along. So I took up martial arts (Kick Boxing). I figured I could get in shape and hey if anything happen I could handle it.

Much like the first time I got into any physical activity I gave up after a while. Why? Well, because it’s easier to come up with excuses to not do something then it is to do something. And I wasn’t immediately good at it like I felt like I should be. So I went back to my old ways and kept eating bad and not exercising.

I eventually got tired of being over weight and there was a gym and my work. So it was a no brainier. The first thing I started doing was working out and then I slowly started to clean up my diet and I started to see results. The workout itself was nothing crazy I would run for a mile or so (10 Min Mile) and then do some strength training. Fate took a ugly turn and the company I worked for closed and with it my gym. Thankfully it was summer time. So I would take my daughter to the park and run a mile everyday. I tried to eat good even though sometimes I would use my “working out” as an excuse to be bad. Winter came and with it my motivation to work out.

Fast forward a few years

Time passes and with it my motivation to drop the weight comes back. This time I decided to work out and the gym and do martial arts. Good idea right? Please go back the too the first paragraph again. Once again Martial arts (Brazilian Jui Jitsu) did not come as easy as I wanted to said forget it. I did do my best to get to the gym and eat better. Once again I was dropping the pounds. I got down to 190lbs; this was a very big deal for me. Since I haven’t been that low in weight since grade school.

Relapsing into old habits, and the person who changed it all

Once again life has this habit of dealing me with a bad hand and I don’t deal with it well, so I fold faster then Superman on laundry day. I gave in and ate bad and basically settled for the life and physical shape I was in. I did finally try gain to drop the weight but once again fell very short. This time was not running or martial arts but P90X, I was going to get ripped. Didn’t even make it thru the first month (phase 1), of the program. I worked and ate bad food; I didn’t exercise other then going for a walk during my lunch. On Jan 6^th 2011 I weighted in and I was 260lbs. honestly this was the biggest I’ve ever been. I was depressed and almost broke down into tears when I saw that number of the scale.  My best friend and I made a packet that we were going to lose weight together. Truth is without her none of what happen next would have ever happen.

Love is a funny thing and it can make us do things we never thought we’d do. I fell in love with my best friend. I didn’t think she could ever love me and 260lbs. So I started to eat better and in a week I dropped about 5lbs, it was a start and I was excited. My job at the time they started a “Biggest loser” contest. So I of course joined in the contest and I had every intention of winning. I’ll discuss the contest a little more soon.

March 14^th I was working out and eating better and that is the day I finally asked my best friend to be my girlfriend. Up to this point she had been my biggest cheerleader in the biggest loser contest (I was in the lead at the time). Thankfully she felt the same way for me and she became my girlfriend. Had this part of the story gone any other way well, then I wouldn’t even mention it.

205LBS that was my weight in early April when I weighed in for the last weigh in for the biggest loser and I won. I didn’t use any diet pills or other nonsense just a lot of eating right and exercise.  I suppose I should really explain what my workout was during this time period. Running was not something I did; I seriously considered it but then decided against it. I realized as big as I was I wouldn’t be able to run as fast or for as long as I wanted and knew I’d get discouraged right away. So instead I set the treadmill to the highest incline and walked at about 3.5 miles an hour for hour. That was my workout, not very ground breaking I know but it worked.

Don’t get too comfortable

So I got down to 205lbs and was feeling, looking much better. Sometimes in life we have a bad habit of getting too comfortable. I let myself get very comfortable and as summer approached I didn’t work out like I was before. Thankfully at the time I was working for Chicago Public school so I had summers off. To be honest that is a double egged sword. I was able to take Malina out and stay active that way and Yasmin and I would go out a lot too. I was at least staying active but my eating habits were not the best, since I just got too comfortable. Thankfully at this time I did not gain a ton of weight but I will admit do to my getting too comfortable I did gain.

The trail

My cousin would run this forest preserve trail every Saturday and would always talk about how great it was. I’ll be honest running was not something that crossed my mind and I would get invited but never go. I was kind of in a workout limbo so to speak, not sure which way I should go. Well, one Saturday I had sometime to myself so I finally went up to the trail. To be totally honest I had to intentions of running it, I was wearing gym shoes and cargo shorts. I figured I’d walk it to get a feel for the place. Leading up the trail is 100 + stairs (sorry the exact number escapes me at this time), I got to the top and was feeling good so I decided to run a little bit of the 4 ½ mile trail. I ended up running the entire tail without stopping. I want to say it took me maybe 45 – 50 min give or take. I felt awesome after, I couldn’t believe I ran the entire trail.

Over the next few weeks I made it a point to go to the trail everyday and I would run. As I reflect back on those early runs I laugh, not at my pace but more at my wardrobe. Basketball shorts, running shoes (Not fitted or anything) and a cotton t-shirt, It felt awesome to be out on the trail though. It was a sense of freedom that I haven’t felt in a long time. I would just run and I think I was impressed with the fact that I could run the entire trail. I admit I wasn’t but I really enjoyed running and how it made me feel.

Champion Run 10k (My first race)

 So I had been running the trail for a few weeks when I explained to my cousin that I understood why he loved it so much. His next response caught me off guard, “Hey I am running a 10K in a week you should sign up”. Me run a race? I laughed at the idea. My cousins response was simple “You run the trail you can run a 10K”.  So I talked it over with Yasmin and she told me I should do it what did I have to lose. After a little more mental debate, I signed up. I figured it would be a one time thing and hey it could be fun.

So first thing I did was go to a real running store and buy a proper pair of running shoes (Brooks Ravinna 3). I was able to get a few runs in them prior to the race, since I wanted to see how they felt. It felt really good to run in them I didn’t have any foot pain or ankle pain at all. This was because I was running in shoes that were perfect for my feet.

The morning of the race I woke up later then I should have and put on my race clothes. Now my race clothing was a paid of Adidas basket ball shorts and the race t-shirt. In retrospect it really makes me laugh to think about what I wore. So I got to the race just as it was starting, as you can see I was very gung ho about this, hahaha! The other thing I forgot was my head phones, Yasmin did have her but they were pink so that was not going to happen.

So I cross the start line and I am running along enjoying the sights and just in general enjoying the race. Now really realizing that a 10k is 6.2 miles, the distance now is not a big deal but back then only running 4 ½ it was a big deal. I was running a long and at some point saw my cousin on the other side (Turn around was going back) and gave him a shout.  Around the last half mile I started to feel something in my stomach, the dreaded nervous stomach hit. This being my first race I had no idea if I could run off and use the bathroom or not. Now I saw a bathroom and saw other races running in and out. That was my sign that I could do that. So I made a mad dash to the bathroom and took care of that. I took off running again, not passing but staying with a group and feeling good. As I saw the finish line I decided to sprint for it, hey might as well finish strong right?

In the end my time was 1 hr and 11min, might have finished a little sooner if not for the bathroom break.  

Another Race?

Soon after that the 10k my cousin told me about a 5K that went thru Brookfield Zoo, I always thought it would be cool to run thru the zoo. Since this was my opportunity I decided to take it.  This was my second race and really the only thing I had to go off of was my 10k race. So I figured I’d run it with my two cousins since they’ve ran a few races already. This time I played it smart and got there early so I can stretch etc. We got into a respective corral (9 min mile or so). And once we crossed the start line I took off. I just started going, I even ran around some people who were slower then me. I had music in my ears and really enjoyed the zoo and got to see it in a different light. I finished the race in I want to say about 28 odd min. I finished before both of my cousins.  For me that was so cool since they were more experienced then I was. I was determined at that point to run one race a month till the end of the year. And it was something I was able to do. Bare in mind there was only 3 months left but hey I was on a roll.

New Year

Winter and a new year came and I did not let it deter me, I was going to drop the weight and keep running.  I had a gym membership so I made it a point to try and go everyday to the gym and run.  From Jan – March I did not run any races. Most because of the cold weather I didn’t want to risk injury. In April I ran the Bunny Rock 5k and set a PR in that race (24:41.90 came in 18^th for my age group). Side note it wasn’t till right now that I did really well at that race.  I was on cloud 9 after that race having run it in under an 8 min mile and my previous 5k time was 28 min.

Cinco De Miler

My may race was the Cinco De Miler the only 5 mile race in Chicago. At this point I was running 6 miles a day 6 -7 days a week. Interesting fact about this race 1) Yasmin was running since she joined the running club at work. Keep in mind she really hates running but was pressured into it by a co-worker and hoped it would help her lose weight. 2) the running club from her job was also running it.  So this race was a big one for me, since I wanted to beat the running club but also promised that once I finished I’d go back for Yasmin. I spotted everyone in the running club since they all had matching jerseys. As the race started I made it a point to pick them off one by one and one by one I passed them up. In the end I was running with the last member of the team who I got to say was very fast. Sadly I didn’t pass him but until we crossed that finish line I was determined to try. In the end I crossed the finish line and 38 min 36 sec. I was running under a 8 min mile for 5 miles! After I crossed the finish line I doubled back to find Yasmin. I found her around mile 3 or so and she looked really tired. In my excitement I told her the good news of my time and how I did the race. She was very proud of me. I ran with her almost all the way to the finish line and then jumped off since I didn’t want my time to be screwed up in any way.  It felt awesome to know that I did something that I never thought I’d be able to do.

My First Half Marathon

Following the Cinco De Miler I decided to run my very first half marathon. The half marathon was the Northshore Half Marathon in Highland Park IL. Realizing I’d need to up my mileage for this we found a training plan online and I followed it to the letter. It was so different to be running 10, 12 and 13 miles I had never run so far or even thought I could do so. Training for the race went very well and I felt good going into it.

Race morning we got there bright and early since Yasmin was running the 5k option. I got into my corral for the half and felt very nervous, since a couple weeks prior I was sick and not able to train. That added with this being my first half marathon had me a bit on edge. One very big fact I a have neglected to mention was this race was in June and the temp that day was 90 degrees. As the race started I decided that I was going to run at my comfortable pace and now race the other runners. Since I figured they’d probably done a number of half marathons. The one big thing I really enjoyed about this race was the course itself. It went thru the streets of highland part a suburb outside of Chicago. As the race went on the sun got hotter but the people of Highland Park are very supportive and even had water and sprinklers for us.

As the race started coming to and end the last 3 miles of the race go thru and treeless culdesac.  90 degree heat and no shade was very rough but I did not walk I kept running no matter what I refused to walk. The next thing that happens to this day is something that I don’t understand how or why it happens. At mile 11 I pulled my shoulder. I was in a lot of pain and even thought about stopping but I realized I was almost at the finish line. As I raced to the finish line I saw something amazing on the clock. I was under my goal time of 2hrs. I pushed forward at the end and crossed the finish at 1 hr 59 min 50 sec. I was so tired and happy all at the same time. I did something that in a million years I never thought I’d do, I finished a half marathon.

Now what?

After finishing the half I ran a couple of more races n August and September both were 5Ks and both had results that I am not proud of. The reason for this was because the month of July I barely ran and I didn’t know where to go next. I felt like I did a half now what. In retrospect the now what should have been to get faster. I felt like I didn’t have another big race to do. I wanted to run the Chicago Marathon but my only option was to run for a charity and I would have to raise a lot of money. So I decided against it and figured I’d keep running and get myself into shape. So I started trying to run 10 miles a day, considering I haven’t run as much a lately this was not the best idea. I was able to get some good runs in at least.

At the beginning of November I ran a local 5k option that I had run the previous year Carrera de los Muertos. I really enjoy this race since it goes thru one of the local neighborhoods here in Chicago. It was a rather cold day but I didn’t care I was going to run this race and do well no matter what. As the race started I kept going and went around slower runners. Maybe it was the fact that I was not thinking about the race and I just ran but I did awesome. I set a new PR for the 5k (PR is now 23 min 23 sec) which was 24 min 18 sec. As proud as I was for what I did in the race I did not capitalize on it. Thanks to winter coming in and me no longer having gym membership things got bad.

Falling back into bad habits

As I said before I did not have a gym membership and started a new job that made it easy for me to eat and be very lazy. Sadly thanks to the lack of working out and real effort on my part to drop the weight I started to gain again. I got all the way up to 220lbs. I had previously been as low as 179lbs and now I was back up again. Eating became a favorite past time and my motivation was at an all time low. I did finally join a gym but it was at my local park district and needless to say working out there was not all that helpful. The equipment was cheap and the room itself of too small. I did do my best to get some kind of work out in at least. I really started to try and make things right by watching what I eat and even trying this weight loss shake plan. Old habit of looking for the quick fix set in again.

I did run two races during this time one was Race to Wrigley 5k missed my pr by maybe 20 sec so not so bad. The other was Cinco De Miler, every time I think about this race I get filled with disappointment. I came in 5 min under my time from the year before. I know the reason for this was because I hadn’t been running. I was overweight and not ready to run the race and should have trained more or at least not set my sights so high. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now.

I am going to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

I decided that I was going to run a marathon and the Marathon was going to be the BOA Chicago Marathon 2013. The date registration opened the website crashed and I had to put my name into the lottery. I decided to stay positive about the process and knew I would get into the marathon. Well, needless to say I got an email confirmation that I was picked for the lottery and had to register by the deadline. I was absolutely ecstatic with getting in. Then of course the reality set in that I was going to run a marathon.

I decided to join a training team for the marathon in June I had my very first run with Chicago Endurance Sports (CES).  My first training run was tough, to say the least. Reason for this was because I was running an 8:30 pace and was not in shape to be running an 8:30 pace. During my first training run with the group I did meet a couch who would become not only a couch but a good friend. Walter had been through the same thing as I have with weight gain and he himself was not an athlete. The more I trained with the team the faster I got and in better shape too. I made a lot of good friends and found so much support in the group. During the summer of training I did run a few races and even set a new 10k pr.  I’ve had other couches on the team who’ve really helped guide my training and never let me fall and always had an encouraging word for me. There is something about being part of a group such as CES that really helped me find the love of running.

“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he find the love in what he does.”

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

I spent the entire summer training for this day and I started to drop the weight. The night before the race I was honestly so nervous I couldn’t keep a thought in my head. I had a good time at the expo for the marathon and I am so happy Yasmin supported me through the entire process. The morning of the race we got to the “race day resort” basically was what CES setup for us as a post race party. As Yasmin walked with me to the start line or rather entrance to the runner only area, I was very nervous.

It was interesting being in the runner’s area they had it all fenced off and you could see helicopters over head. Honesty I felt a little bit like a refugee, lol. I got into my start corral and stretched and just got myself mentally ready. Before I knew it the race had started and we were off. I tried to do my best to keep my pace at 9 min mile as I wanted to finish in 4hrs. I think because of all the excitement I went out way too fast. I got to the half at 1:55. I just kept running enjoying the sites and going thru all the different neighborhoods of the city. I knew I lived in a great city but during the marathon is when I really realized it.

People love to talk about the WALL. Well, I will tell you this there is no wall! I kept going no matter what sure at Mile 23 my paces slowed but I refused to stop and give up. I worked way too hard for this and I was not going to let it beat me. I crossed the finish line at 4 hrs 18min and 30 sec. I admit I didn’t hit my 4 hr goal but of the 6 friends I ran with I finished at least 10min before all of them. Running the Marathon was a great experience and something I look forward too doing gain.

The future

Since the marathon I have set a PR in the 5k (23:18), 10k (50:15) & the half marathon 1:51:30. I decided to train with CES Winter Warriors training program, I figured this would be a good way to fight off the winter. The one disappointing thing that has happen post marathon is I have gained weight. Thankfully it has been 10 pounds or so. I know if I get strict and back on track I can drop this weight.  I do have more races coming up; March 30^th Shamrock shuffle, April 13^th ChiTown Half marathon & May4th Flying pig marathon. I have a few more planned for the summer but those the next three on my list. I will try to do my best to keep this updated with training and race results.