Will Run for Pizza

My second 5k of the year is behind me. It's been a tough winter for runners -- especially if you have an intense dislike for treadmills like I do. We've had more than 77 inches of snow and seemingly infinite subzero days, which meant the snow just kept piling up. Here it is, past mid-March, and sidewalks have just begun to reappear from snowbanks. It's hard to believe that two years ago -- my first year in Chicago for St. Patrick's Day -- we were on the Chicago Riverwalk in short-sleeved shirts. This year, I ran a 5k in a sweatshirt, Smartwool socks, gloves and a headband. 

Despite not running much this winter -- maybe once a week if I was lucky -- I managed to get a personal best in Saturday's 5k. The secret sauce? Two things: a combination of mental trickery and cross-training. First, I know I can run 3.1 miles. Sure, it might be painful, depending on the running surface and how my body feels that particular day. Second, I've been cross-training a lot more this year. Running is hard on your joints. 

I don't always feel great (some days are better than others), but I do something every day. A broad range of activities keeps things interesting! I do yoga once a week, plus swimming, workouts on the elliptical, walking the dog (anyone who 'walks' an Australian cattle dog in the city knows this means a pretty brisk pace!) and strength training. When the weather was clear and it wasn't too icy, I'd run in a nearby park with Baxter or (if I wanted to be alone) at the Morton Arboretum. A couple times, I banged out interval workouts on the dreadmill treadmill. 

And somehow, I got faster. Not fast like a six-minute-mile, but I cut down my time and wasn't exhausted when I finished. Plus, I didn't get a migraine after the 5k, which was like hitting the jackpot. I've found that chugging water with electrolytes before & after runs makes a big difference in keeping the migraines away. I'm a big fan of Nuun electrolytes and keep a tube of the tablets in my gym bag and in the car. They're really portable and can be thrown in a bottle of water anywhere, anytime. It's a much better way to get hydrated fast without all the sugar or corn syrup in energy drinks! 

We're supposed to reach 53 degrees today -- I'll believe it when I feel that sunshine on my face. Planning on a short run at a nearby park that Baxter and I haven't visited since before it snowed. He's going to be so excited when he figures out that's the afternoon plan! 

Now to figure out which 5k to run next! 

Green Saturday

Today wasn't officially St. Patrick's Day, but Chicago celebrated anyways. I kicked off the day by running a 5k in Naperville with a couple thousand other runners. (There was also a sunrise Instagram meetup at North Avenue Beach this a.m. -- if only I could be two places at once!)

I'm slow. I start toward the back of the pack!

It was a reallyfun 5k -- I may do it again next year. More on the run in the next blog. After the run, I rushed home to shower and change so I could hop a train to downtown Chicago to meet up with a friend at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. I took a little detour on my way to Navy Pier to check out the neon-green Chicago River:

After the long, gray winter we've had, the emerald green was refreshing! Would you believe this part of the river was pretty much frozen last week? It was a whopping 33 degrees today; when I was here for my first St. Patty's Day two years ago, temperatures were in the 70s and we were wearing short-sleeved shirts! I was a little bummed by the weather because I found the funniest (at least to me!) T-shirt for this year's shenanigans, but it was too cold to show it off. Maybe next year!

just keep going

A few weeks ago, I told someone I was considering quitting stepping away from running and focusing on other things. I was not feeling well, frustrated by a bad run, and not enthusiastic about slogging through more mediocre, slow runs. 

But I'm stubborn. I've worked hard to get to where I am: workouts on the treadmill, had a great swim workout, and core- and leg-strengthening workouts. And I just found a wonderful new chiropractor. Chicagoland finally had a day of sunshine and almost-above-freezing temperatures, so I headed to the park for a run outside with Baxter last week -- I figured if the run was bad, we could at least have a nice walk and enjoy the weather.

I surprised myself by running my fastest mile and a half in, well, a long time. I'm not sure who was happier -- me or Baxter. This long winter has not allowed many walks or runs outdoors -- most sidewalks haven't seen a shovel since December. We went out again today and took a quick 1-mile run around the park, but I confused Baxter because we kept turning around. Whoever plowed the paths only cleared about half of the loop. I kept running into plowed "dead ends" of snow piled 4-5 feet high! Of course, Baxter thought we should go through the snow and slush, but I wanted to keep my feet dry! 

So the running continues. The cross-training I'm doing -- strength-training, swimming, yoga, and the elliptical (on the days I don't want to work out!) -- are paying off. I have a St. Patty's 5k coming up March 15 and a time goal forming in my head. 

Also? This is happening:

Gotta work off that pizza! And, um, chocolate. Because spring isn't that far away (29 days, but who's counting?).