Ragnar Chicago 2015 Part 1

Spending 2 days stuffed into a van with 5 other strangers while barely getting any sleep, eating terribly, and having to run every few hours sounds like a barrel of monkeys doesn't it?  To be perfectly honest it is actually one of the most fun things you can do and hence why I subjected myself to such torture for the 2nd consecutive year. The idea was to join forces with Mo and get together our van mates from last year and form a new team for another round of shenanigans.

As time progressed it became clear that Mo and I would be the only stalwarts and we would be joined by a new band of merrymakers. The call was put out to other running friends as well as using the Ragnar Ambassador program. We finally had a team and started planning a name and all that other fun stuff. Unfortunately injuries kept our team in flux and we had a rotating band of characters for awhile. Once things settled down we were with 2 males and thus One Man Per Van was born.

We finally got some shirts made up near last minute as well as some magnets for tagging other vans. Speaking of vans, Mo booked us some minivans to save on costs and took care of a bunch of other stuff keeping costs for the team to the minimum. Some lineup shuffling put Mo in van 1 and me in van 2 as runner 12. I would be the one who got to carry the slap bracelet to the finish.

Even though I was in a van of girls I either didn't know at all, or barely knew, I decided to break out the Lone Sausage persona and the #andEric created during last year's Ragnar given that I'd be the lone guy in the van again. Luckily the ladies were game and went along with it.

We decided to all head up to Madison the night before the race since we had a 7:45AM start time and wanted to do some team bonding over beer. We met at Mo's dad's place and started our trek from there. I met my van mates - Jessie, Susie, Beth, and Sara. The 6th, Krista would be joining us in Madison. There was a mix up and the rental place and we wound up with a Buick Enclave SUV to squeeze into. We had to play tetris with our bags, but eventually made them fit and off we went. Dinner was a Monk's and involved cheese curds and Spotted Cow. I don't think you get much more Wisconsin than that.

We headed back to our hotel and Mo hung out with my van mates and I for a bit before we finally crashed. After a restless night we awoke to see grey skies and rain clouds. Luckily the forecast called for it to clear up by the time our van was due to start, but we were supposed to go to the start for a team picture. We did and it was raining too much so we just got our shirts and hit the road to grab breakfast and chill before it was our turn to run.

We wound up at a coffee shop playing a game of Cards Against Humanity. It was the same team building game I played before the start of last year's Ragnar. What better way to get into the sick and twisted parts of your van mate's heads before spending 30 hours together. There may have been some real freaks in the group, but that's just between us. So we got notification that Van 1 was nearing so we headed to the exchange and prepped for us to be the active van.

More to come...

Bayshore Marathon

I'm playing a bit of catch up on life right now. I went from running a marathon to closing on a condo to moving to hosting my parents and nephews for a weekend. I've barely had time to breath. Next weekend I'm running Ragnar Relay and I've already started marathon training for my goal race in October. As Ferris Bueller once said " Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around for awhile, it could miss it." And so with that missive I took the time to enjoy a weekend in Traverse City, Michigan even with all the chaos going on.

The weekend began with a Friday road trip to the mitten state with Annabelle. We cruised along and luckily only hit a couple of slow spots with it being a big travel weekend and all. We made it to TC and to packet pick up in the early evening. Afterwards Annabelle dropped me off at my hotel where I waited for Mo to show up who came pretty late after being stuck in awful traffic. After a short night's sleep it was race day.

We were going to get a ride to the race start from Jakre, but the spectator bus was at the hotel as we walked out. The driver looked at us like we were crazy, but we jumped on the bus. We got to the start with plenty of time to spare. We headed into the school to stay warm since it was freezing outside. With bathroom lines crazy long indoors we went to use the facilities outside one last time before the race began. We headed to the start line and were soon off and running.

In spite of the cold I decided to run in just shorts and short sleeves. It was going to warm up greatly during the race and I didn't want to be hindered. My conservative start soon gave way to recklessly fast miles much like I ran at Circular Logic.  I felt much comfortable this time though and wasn't straining. I even struck up a conversation or 2 with fellow runners. The course was beautiful. We were running down simple 2 lane roads past beautiful homes and amazing views of the bay. It was certainly one of the more scenic routes I've run. I reached the halfway point in around 1:37:xx much like I did for Circular Logic.

The race was an out and back course. After the turnaround I was facing a wall of wind I didn't realize I had been running with the first half. That along with rising temperatures had me feeling uncomfortable and off my stride and pace from earlier. I stopped to use the restroom to see if  that would straighten me out, but it didn't. I decided at mile 20 that rather than enduring a ton of discomfort pushing for a PR, that I would enjoy myself the rest of the race.

For the last 10K of the race I switched to a run/walk strategy and even stopped for a couple beers along the way. It may have taken me an hour to finish that last 10K, but I made sure that I wouldn't be miserable the rest of the weekend. I wound up crossing the finish line in 3:32:14 for my 2nd fastest marathon. Once past the finish line there was amazing ice cream and a food tent stocked with pop, homemade cookies, bananas, bagels, pretzels, etc.  All in all it was a well organized event and easy to see why it is so popular.

The rest of the weekend after the race became a blur. There were a couple bars hit after the race meeting with other Chicago runners. We also managed to hit 6 different breweries and a distillery. Somehow we managed to make it back to the hotel in time for Game of Thrones on Sunday night and then promptly passed out and missed the episode. Well at least I did.

Traveling home with @Ortonpants

Recap: Chase Corporate Challenge

This week I participated in my first J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. My company was offering to partially subsidize anyone who ran for their race fees. I registered and then promptly forgot I did. The race date grew nearer and it dawned on me that oh yeah, I signed up for this. I wasn't paying attention at registration because I also realized that it was 2 days before a marathon I had signed up for. I figured I'd just turn it into a shake out run.

As race day grew nearer I looked at those who registered at my company for familiar names and didn't find very many. It looked like I might be in for a lonely night, or trying to make new friends from other departments. I also spied on last year's results and noticed something with the times... they were very achievable for my abilities. The top runner from my company ran the same pace as my 5K PR pace I ran just last month. My half marathon pace would also place me in the top 10 for my company. I was now debating whether to go for broke and try to get top honors for my company and bragging rights at the office.

Race day came and I worked from home so I could get downtown fairly easily. I got to Grant Park and found my company's tent. Good thing I had my head on a swivel because I saw our flags in a spot that wasn't where we were told we were going to be. I walk over and there's no formal check in or anything so I grab some water and a seat and wait for familiar faces. Eventually a former colleague who had transferred departments showed up and we chatted and I met others who I had only know by name and through email. We took team pictures, warmed up, and off to the start corrals we went.

The start was extremely crowded. I found out later that there were somewhere around 25K runners and walkers compared to 10K finishers last year. I found a gap in the gates and squeezed myself into corral A since I learned from others of how awful the start can be since no one lines up where they are supposed to. After the national anthem and some words and thanks, including some from my company's CEO, we were off and running. Sort of. It was very crowded and sure enough there were walkers clogging up things up front. I spent the first half mile moving in spurts through gaps when they opened up.

As the race progressed I quickly realized I was unable to find a steady rhythm with all the dodging and weaving I was doing. So I just settled in and rode it out moving through openings when I could get them and just conserving strength for the marathon. I passed several coworkers along the way and yelled words of encouragement. Heading down the home stretch I saw that people still hadn't even started the race yet. I crossed the finish and had to detour way around the corrals to get back to my company's tent. I was the 2nd person back to the tent which was encouraging. I had finished the 3.5 mile race in 24:28 for a 6:59 pace and wound up finishing 5th of 113 out of my coworkers. Our lead runners were faster than last year so I would of been hard pressed to catch them. After post race snacks and chatting with coworkers I went over and caught up with Maggie who's tent was 2 down from mine. I finally decided to head home since I had to be up for a road trip the next morning.

All in all it was a successful night in that I ran relatively well and at the effort I had wanted to without jeopardizing my marathon. I made a few new connections with coworkers as well. I'm not sure if I'd do the race again though just because the crowds were a bit much.

I'm Moving!

Some of you are already aware of this, but now it's blog official. I am moving. Not only that, but I decide to take the next step in adulthood and am buying my first condo. I've been renting in Chicago for the last 8.5 years including 5 years in my current apartment so this will all be a big change. In addition I'm heading to a new neighborhood that I've visited many times in the past, but never lived in.

I'll be making the leap from southeast Lakeview over to Lincoln Square. I'm trading easy access to the lakefront path for the river path. I'll also be less than a mile from the River Park Track. Yet another perk is being close to Fleet Feet. I know the Lincoln Square store is smaller, but still nice to be near a running store for the fun runs and whatnot.

So I lucked out and found a great place. My realtor told me that the housing market this spring was crazy and boy was she right. After only a week of searching I found a place I loved and wound up in a multiple bidder situation. My bid was chosen and soon I'll be closing on it. I've be upgrading from 1 to 2 bedrooms and will also get an extra 400 square feet for my current place in addition to a storage unit and a private patio. It'll be nice when I'm finally settled in this summer to have some cookouts.

Obligatory pictures:

Living room

Another angle

Kitchen

Dining room

Another angle

Master bedroom

2nd Bedroom

Bathroom

Patio

Floorplan

Wisconsin Half Marathon

This week's adventure would be my first serious attempt at a half marathon since last September's Chicago Half. For those who don't remember I set a monster PR at that race which served as a testament to how much work I put into training last summer. I've kept pouring on the mileage and expected even more gains this time around. Heck, I even ran the first half of a marathon faster than Chicago's time. We'll just ignore the 2nd half implosion that occurred after. All signs from other races indicated that a sub 1:35 wasn't out of reach. I appear to be cursed though since things didn't go quite to plan.

The nice thing about the Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon is that they do a local Chicago packet pick up. It was at Fleet Feet the prior Sunday and I headed down their after my post-Ravenswood shenanigans. I raced down there with about 5 minutes to spare and only a little tipsy. The shirt was kind of a blah white, but whatever. Fast forward to Friday and I start experiencing the first signs of trouble.  I spent the morning running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Not good at all. I made it through the rest of the day and was able to eat ok. I was up bright and early on Saturday for the drive up to Kenosha. All was pretty uneventful and I arrived in time to see the sun nice and low over the lakefront.

Waiting for the race to begin I used the facilities and walked around a bit. I spotted one of the Redditors and went and sat next to him. From there I spotted Kelly and gave her a wave. There were mosquitoes everywhere and it was starting to get annoying. I could also feel myself already getting warm and the air was thick with humidity. This was sounding less fun. Soon I decided to hit the restroom one last time before heading to the start corral. All seemed fine and after some announcements and the national anthem we were off.

The start of the race was quite crowded and I had some trouble finding room to run. At about the half mile mark I finally found more room and did some mental calculations and figure out I was behind pace for how I wanted to start so I sped up. I never display my pace while running, instead relying on mental calculations which gives my brain a distraction while running. Well my calculation was off and I also sped up a bit too much and hit mile 1 in 7:15. According to my Garmin stats later on I had sped up to 5k speed. Oops. The next couple miles were also low 7s.

Around mile 5 I was starting to feel both the warmth and humidity as well a developing stomach cramp. I guess the issues from the day before weren't done yet. I kept soldiering on, but slowed my pace to mid 7s. I took a little longer at a couple of the aid stations to make sure I stayed well hydrated. Some of the roads that we ran on were quite rough and full of potholes so it turned into a game of be careful where you step. The course is relatively flat, but there are just enough gentle hills to keep you on your toes.

Getting towards the late miles I was definitely in discomfort. I was still holding around a 7:45ish pace and knew I was still on track for a PR, but no where near my goal. I finally decided that I had enough and stopped and used the restroom just past mile 12. I know I was just a mile away, but I figured the relief would allow me to pick up speed to account for the time lost. This was my slowest mile of the day at 8:13, but not all that bad given the restroom stop. I pushed myself and crossed the finish line in 1:38:22. This was a 2.5 minute PR over September's time.

Post race I grabbed some gatorade, water, and a chocolate milk and then headed over to where Lynton an Kiku were spectating and cheered on the runners for a bit. He was watching for a friend who was trying to BQ in the marathon. We figured we had some time and headed to grab a beer and brat. We once again headed out to spectate and his friend destroyed her PR and crossed 12 minutes under her BQ qualifying time. More beers followed and everyone had a good time.  Wisconsin is a fun race and well run. The weather and spotty roads made it a little difficult this year. The tummy troubles didn't help either. Oh well, it just means I'll have to PR again in my next half.

2015 Ravenswood 5K

This year was my 2nd year participating in the Ravenswood 5K. It's a relatively fast course in the Ravenswood neighborhood of the city and includes a leg that takes you through the heart of Lincoln Square. I enjoy the race since it is early enough in the season where it's usually not too warm yet and plus it takes place on city streets so there are less crowding issues than faced on the lakefront path. The downsides are the race features a few more turns than optimal and sections of the course include speed bumps.



Heading into race day I felt a bit less than optimal physically. I didn't sleep well during the week and loud neighbors didn't help. I can't wait to move out of here and get some peace. My weight actually dropped as low as it's been and I even felt a bit shaky on Saturday. After eating a little more than normal and resting up most of Saturday I did feel better, but not at the top of my game. The 6am alarm on Sunday still felt real early.

Good Life Race 5k Recap

I apologize in advance for the brevity of this recap. I've been extremely busy lately and may get much more busy. More on that to come later.

This was my 3rd year running this 5K. I enjoy it because it offers something different than the typical 5K course along the Chicago lakefront path. It also features relatively low registration costs and stiff competition to push you to run your best. Uniquely the race splits the field into a women and men's race with starts timed 40 minutes apart.You could theoretically run and also see your significant other start and finish.

After a rough night of little sleep I headed down to Oak Park early. I saw Annabelle and introduced myself since we never formally met before. I knew her through reputation as well as friends in common. I then headed inside the high school to pick up my packet. I found some steps to sit on and get myself organized when Zoe sat in front of me. She totally missed that I was there so I leaned down and asked if she was ready. Totally caught her off guard and then she was like did I just sit in front of you without realizing? After chatting for a bit we both parted ways to prepare. I dropped off my bag at gear check and headed outside where I spotted Lynton. We watched the women's race start. I spotted Erica, but she was on the other side of the crowd. After the women headed off we took off down the course in reverse to warm up and cheer on our friends.

 We looped around and camped a little over half mile from the finish. We clapped and cheered as the lead runners came through. Eventually we saw most of our friends run by so we finished our warm up. The water table was empty so I headed back into the school to find a drinking fountain. Heading out to the start I spotted Jessie and spoke with her a bit. I also spotted Erin running around in an official capacity. I realized I needed to get moving and excused myself and nestled myself into the starting crowd.

The race started and we were off. I tried to keep it relatively comfortable to start things off, but soon started passing people. I still felt alright and hit the mile marker at 6:27. The 2nd mile is when things started to feel tough. I hadn't pushed myself in a 5K since October so my legs had to get re-acquainted. After a couple turns we went uphill into a bit of wind and the burn really started. Mile 2 was a little slower at 6:39. The 3rd mile had us turn into our final stretch which was a slight downhill, but right into the brunt of the wind which was unkind on this day. Legs were still burning and my heart rate was redlining. I couldn't go any faster on this day. Mile 3 was 6:42. I held on the best I could for the final stretch and ran the final 0.1 with a 6:36 pace. My final time was 20:29 which was slower than my target goal, but represents a 36 second PR which is still a win in my book. Once I get my legs back from the beating I gave them with my  Marathon/8k combo I feel like I'll have no problem getting under 20. It would also help if I had a week of better sleep and no electrolyte imbalance. I'm going to be ready to rock things at Ravenswood coming up next week.