My (CNN-Approved) Chicago Marathon iReport!

Marathon day keeps getting better and better!

I just joined the CNN iReport community a couple of weeks ago and LOVE it. It's totally giving me practice being a "rookie reporter" (so I like to think). Regardless, I must admit- it's FUN!

Yesterday, I submitted an iReport video of the Chicago Marathon. And who would have thought?! It was actually approved by CNN! Wahoo!!!

Let me back up a second. Basically, anyone and everyone can submit an iReport on any topic under the sun. However, only if it is considered "vetted and approved" by CNN, will it be potentially AIRED on CNN! So you KNOW my day was TOTALLY made yesterday, when I received an email from one of the CNN iReport producers yesterday afternoon, indicating that my iReport was CNN-approved! Wahoo (again!)!

As if that weren't enough, I just checked my "views" and my iReport is up to 6,000+ views! In a mere day! I know that isn't like earth-shattering, but for me it is! If this is how excited I get about my 6,000ish views, I can't even imagine my excitement levels if I were to ever "go viral". Hahahah. I don't think Mother Earth would be able to handle the energy levels, let's be honest...

In the meantime... I do hope you enjoy a brief tidbit of the 2011 Chicago Marathon!

I don't want to run... so you know what? I'm just plain not going to.

Hmmph.

Today was supposed to be the grand day to start my ACTUAL half marathon schedule. 3 miles, baby! It started out semi-promising, as I woke up this morning at 5:45 after a fitful night's sleep. Well, if I'm up at 5:45, I might as well get OUT of bed and get my workout over with, right?

Wrong-o. Sometimes, don't YOU just feel like laying around? This doesn't typically happen with me- I am such a morning person, I'm usually ready to hop on outta bed and get my day started... and then take a nap or two as the day progresses. But I digress. Anyway, today was one of those anomalous (for me) days, where I literally just lay there, pondering life and all that.

Until I got bored after like 15 minutes.

So I dragged myself out of bed and headed to work early (I had a deadline anyway, so that was the other reason why I didn't want to run this morning- because I knew I wanted to get into the office earlier than normal). Anyway, no big deal, I would just fit my running in after work, I figured.

Umm. Then I left my nice, frigidly air-conditioned office and walked out into what can only be described as HEAT and, worse yet, HUMIDITY. The air was THICK with it- it was all rather disgusting, in my opinion. But whatever, I can only complain so much- at least the sun was shining (which is more than can be said about MUCH of this summer... ahem, CHICAGO. Stamp of FOOT, here, people!).

Anyway, no bigs. It's just three miles. I can just hurry up and get it over with in the half hour when I get home. As a matter of fact, I contemplated the pros and cons of running my entire bus ride home. Gotta occupy my thoughts somehow, I guess. It didn't help that I was ready to fall asleep on the bus because I was so exhausted (I SWEAR, I don't know WHAT is going on with me and my exhaustion the past few weeks). But me and that training schedule of mine... I'm anal retentive about crossing things off that calendar, don't you forget it.

Well... clearly, not today. By the time my bus had reached my stop, I'd come to the conclusion that the pros totally outweighed the cons and I should just suck it up and get this run over with. But then I walked off the bus... and was greeted by yet another BLAST of humidity, if that's possible. At which point, I literally muttered aloud "I do NOT think so"... I got only one stare so I think my semblance of sanity was somewhat maintained. Whoops.

It was awful! But I'm just such a wimp in heat and humidity, that there was no turning back. Not to mention I had a full night ahead of me! I mean, if a night filled with phone dates, eating granola and yogurt, watching Obama's national address, and duh, BLOGGING (changing lives, one blog post at a time, if you will... ha) isn't enough justification to postpone the start of my half-marathon training, I just don't know what is.

Fine, fine, fine. I'm making IN-credibly lame-o excuses. Even I realize this fact, don't you worry. Therefore, I have made a pact with myself to get my lazy butt up EARLY tomorrow to go for my run.

Isn't it amazing how, rather than just getting this one activity over and done with before my day has started, I proceed to dwell on it for a solid fourteen hours? Good times.

Feel free to yell at me tomorrow if I haven't run yet. Because you KNOW otherwise, I'll just endlessly whine about it instead. Take your pick...

My First Group Run Experience... or Lack Thereof

A week and a half ago, I went to the farmer's market and stumbled across a stand for the American Cancer Society (ACS). They were there to talk about sponsorship/etc for their cause for upcoming half marathons and marathons. The sign is what initially drew me to their stand, because I figured I could use pretty much any and all the information I could get about training for this half marathon dealio.

These people turned out to be like the NICEST people ever, and about ten minutes after talking to them, I'd somehow agreed to coming to their next "fun run" group session on June 14th at 6:30 PM. Twist my arm, really.

Now, if you know me at all, you know that I am pretty staunchly against running in groups- primarily because I am S.L.O.W. Not only that, but there is no way that I'm going to be making any conversation with my fellow runningmates because I'm too busy gasping my way through a run... and chitchatting is the LAST thing on my mind.

Needless to say, I was more than a little nervous about this first group run of mine, but a commitment is a commitment and, quite frankly, I was kind of curious about how this was going to turn out. Anyway, the bus ride home from work was spent mentally pumping myself up for this group run. By the time I got home, I was actually getting kind of excited...


And/or terrified. Whatever.

I figured I might as well play the part of a "real" runner and guzzle down some water...

And sure, a cookie. Why not? It had oatmeal in it! And walnuts! Fuel, if you will.

So, there I was enjoying my second bite of oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookie, when I decided to double check the time and place for this whole running group extravaganza.

Just as I thought... meet at Stanleys. Just as I thought... meet at 7:30...

Yeah- I hope you did a double take of that picture. Because I certainly did.

6:3o?!?!

Immediately, my eyes darted to my DVR clock...

Big. Fat. Buzzkill. I mean, Stanley's is close enough but not SO close that I could get there in 7 minutes unless (irony of ironies) I ran there.

Which was so not going to be happening, let's be honest.

Sigh. It was such a gorgeous night though, that it wasn't too hard to convince myself to get outside and get my 3 miler on. 3 miler!! I know, right?!? I was PUMPED to be on my last week of this whole 5K-precursor-before-beginning-my-half-marathon-training schedule!

You know, it's kind of funny. After all this mental dread regarding this running group, I actually was genuinely disappointed that I missed out on this evening's group run. So disappointed, in fact, that I think I'm going to take it upon myself to find that ACS farmer's market stand this weekend to see when their next group run will be. (I mean, I already tried tweeting them about the next day/time of their group run, but have yet to receive a response. Hmmph.)

Who would've thought? Actually seeking OUT group run opportunities? I think those post-3 miler endorphins are still in high gear here...

Running and Cookies

I'm getting so FRUSTRATED! I'm six weeks into my half marathon training- which is still in the prelim 5K training stages, if you remember... yes, I am THAT out of shape. But that's not the frustrating part...

Being the glass half full kinda gal that I am, let's start with some positivity. Check out how my 5K training schedule has been shaping up!

If I have the ability to "cross things off", you better believe diligence quickly becomes my middle NAME! (That one week had to be ENTIRELY crossed off in order to bump my training schedules up one week in order to finish in time for the Chicago half marathon on 9/11/11).

So hooray! I've gotten up to 3 miles already! Trust me, I was on a total high about this fact on Tuesday, when I ran my first 3 mile leg (at like 5:30 AM, because please- I was SO not going to be running at ANY other time of that day of like 95 degree heat and humidity... gag me).

So I figured today's 2 mile interim run would be a piece of cake. And I was actually secretly a little thrilled that it was F'ING cold outside (for June, at least!)... that was all the excuse I needed to traipse on over to my secret, free gym (shady, sure... let's think of it more as "economical") to run on the treadmill. I know, I know, I was wimping out because it's a lot easier to run on the treadmill than outside, but in my (weak) defense- it was COLD outside!

Yeah right. SO not the workout that I was expecting. It was one of the hardest runs so far! I have absolutely no idea why. All I know is that I could NOT keep my eyes away from the treadmill's darn indicator screen every, oh, 0.10 miles... I know, right? Do you know how LONG 2 miles feels when you're checking the treadmill screen THAT frequently? The Kardashians were playing on the gym TV for some solid distraction and everything! I simply DON'T KNOW what my problem was.

Maybe it was the fact that my my left earphone has busted out, so my music was like BLARING in my right ear... a little painfully, actually. Or maybe it was the fact that I really don't have all that MUCH music on my Ipod as it is (what? I'm not the biggest music person!)... but a girl can apparently only listen to Lady Gaga (the only music on my Ipod that totally pumps me UP enough for running!) for so long before it starts getting old...

Or maybe it was the fact that I was all congested because I'm more than likely getting sick... yet again this year... because of this DARN WEATHER. Dear Chicago, I love you dearly, but I SWEAR, if your weather doesn't STOP fluctuating 40 degrees per day, I am going to have a FIT.

Sigh. I know, I know- woe is me. I'm just frustrated today! I can't help it! What's a girl going to do?

When in doubt...

Bake some cookies! Hahaha. How the act of baking (not to mention the act of EATING) cookies wouldn't cheer up any old soul is beyond my realm of understanding. SO, after I got home from my fine Thursday Dinner Club Mexican feast (XO, Cheryl and Alma!), I took the liberty of whipping up a batch of...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies... I know - YUM! Lunchtime snack for the next couple of weeks, that is for DARN CERTAIN.

Running and cookies... I can't think of a better combination, can you?? Hahaha. I know, I know- after going for a long, hard workout, most people are craving a glass of water or something. But you know me and my sentiments on THAT whole idea (please refer to my blog entry: "The... List of Things I Don't Like that Most Normal People Do... but I'm not picky!!" http://bit.ly/lbvis3).

Darn straight. Cookies it is!

the freeze week diet

can i just tell you how annoyed i get with all these ridiculous fad diets, diet pills, weight loss surgeries, etc that seem to crop up on a daily basis? i mean, it's just. not. healthy. not like im the screaming image of health (yes, i will occasionally still eat a cookie for breakfast), but still. im a firm believer that in order to lose weight, it's gotta be a LIFESTYLE change... words of wisdom that i heard a few years ago from the one and only... jennifer aniston. sigh. i wish people would start taking her a little more seriously. i mean, she's more than just a pretty face and she really deserves a lot more respect from the media than has been given to her after that whole brangelina debacle (ugh, don't even GET me started on THAT shady snafu of a relationship).

ah, but i digress.

okay, so as far as diets are concerned, you clearly know where i stand. no diet will be as fulfilling nor as sustainable as a lifestyle change toward healthier choices. disclaimer: done. HOWEVER, if you MUST continue to be tempted by the diet route, do i have the diet for you. 100% effective, 0% recommended (i mean, it's essentially inadvertent starvation. but whatever). id like to take this opportunity to unveil, in all its glory... da da daaaaa... the freeze week diet.

ah freeze week. what could freeze week possibly mean? well, let's just say that, for my job, any issues that are encountered with these databases we work with throughout the month MUST be resolved come mid-month for reporting purposes. in other words, it's crunch time, BABY!

ive noticed that it's around this time of the month (freeze week, just to clarify for all those guys reading this who were likely bracing for a VERY awkward blog post... haha) that my stomach gets a little bit flatter, my charlie brown cheeks a tad gaunter, my pants just that much baggier... well, you get the idea. i always just thought this was finally starting to be the result of my exercise regimen and healthier (not quite healthy, just yet, let's be honest here, i can always eat a cupcake :)) eating habits. but then, sigh, somehow, my stomach would somehow plump back up, cheeks would resume their... well, shall we say, natural fullness, and the pants would resume standard fitting norms.

it was only after this most recent mid-month time that it totally dawned on me: freeze week. freeze week was totally the secret.

i mean, let's be honest, when stress levels are heightened, nothing will get in the way of me and my work. and by nothing, i mean... nothing. i will work more hours in lieu of running (which, let's face it, i CAN'T skimp out on now! one week without running and im DYING after attempting a mile... i dont have time for this kind of reversion... i have a 5k next week!)... i will refrain from drinking water (which, believe it or not, ive actually started doing now) because i dont have time to go to the kitchen to refill my bottle (although, on a brighter note, i will also refrain from drinking coffee for the same 'lack of time to go to the kitchen' reasoning, which i guess is a good thing)... i will skip/forget about lunch due to the all-too-quickly-approaching deadline... i will eat something along the lines of pita chips for dinner as i will have no time to go to the grocery store after work... well, you get the idea.

how in the world do i concentrate, with so little sustenance? here's the beauty of this week- half the time my stomach is in knots, consumed with the terror of missing some sort of data check (glamorous, i know), SO i dont really even NOTICE my lack of food/water intake! a-mazing, right?? i mean, isn't this the secret formula to any and every diet??

man, i must sound like the most stable person alive, at this point. but whatever. all i have to say is, come the end of freeze week, i sometimes just gaze in the mirror, pat my nicely flattened stomach and think, "wow. i certainly am looking GOOD these days!" i did that just this past friday, in fact. haha. juuust kidding. well. okay, so im not kidding. im actually sadly, very sadly, serious. (oh god, this totally isn't helping my whole push for coming across as the picture of stability, is it?)

but whatever. complete and total vanity aside, at least i can find the positives involved with the beauty of freeze week, right?

in gratitude of freeze week-
christie