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Archive for June, 2011

Jun 26

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Mudathalon

When signing up for the Mudathalon, I was sure it would be a really fun experience. But I had no idea just what a memorable day it would be.

Our team name was Summer Strangers as we didn’t all know each other (get it: some are strangers? A play on words.) And by the time we lined up at the start line, we were huddled up, dancing to the music blasting around us and coming up with our new tag line: strangers when we start, family when we finish. And honestly, that’s exactly what happened.

ground cam!

Only 75-100 people could be on the course at a time so we were all aligned with a start time. Ours was 12:45 and we spent the first hour talking to other teams and admiring some people’s outfits. There were some awesome ones from men wearing women’s golf shirts, girls dressed up in tutus for a bachelorette party, a team dressed as hillbillies and a pair of polyester pastel shorts most won’t forget. We had a game plan: no man left behind, run throughout the course and help each other out. Being that it was just a 5K, we were sure we could get it done in about 45 minutes. Ha!

Game time!

The first 1/2 mile was pretty simple. We climbed over obstacles, barrel-rolled over a car, crawled through a long dark tube and hurled ourselves over stacks of hay. The first mud pit was small, but slick. I went down fast and my teammate Jamie had to wipe the mud from my teeth. We then got into the woods where we ran up and down slippery hills and through small creeks full of muddy water. We were still making good time when we came upon a long line for the biggest obstacle we’d face that day (or at least for me). It was maybe 20 feet high (?) and you had to climb up a wobbly rope, crawl over the top, and down ladder-like boards. I am deathly afraid of heights and the more I watched people go over, the more frightened I became. We waited in line for about 20 minutes which only amplified my nerves. But I was at least going to try. My teammate Mike was up and over easily and Jamie was right beside me. I slowly maneuvered my way up but paused about halfway up the ropes. My heart was pounding, my knuckles white around each rope hold and I was shaking. There was no way I could go any further up and as I started to descend, the entire crowd behind me cheered me on “You can do it!” But I couldn’t. I was embarrassed to be a quitter, but the man running the obstacle told me I made the right choice. He said if I was that freaked out at that height, there was no way I would have made it over. Then Gwen got up there. She made it to the top and froze. She couldn’t move any part of her body and started to tear up in fear. Jamie crawled over to help position her hands and the crowd went wild. They cheered her on and shouted encouraging words. Mike crawled up the other side and helped Gwen drop her leg over the edge. By this time, the crowd was getting louder and louder cheering her on. It was the most amazing moment of the day. We called her Rudy the rest of the race for her outstanding moment and accomplishment.

About halfway through the race, we ran through a mudpit that was long and deep. We were told by runners who ran before us that we could avoid getting really muddy and make better time if we stayed on the edges where the mud was less deep. That’s what I did, despite some spectators yelling that it was cheating. Mike, on the other hand, ran right through the middle and lost both his shoes and socks in the mud. There were buried deep. He completed the rest of the race barefoot.

mid-race photo op

Soon after we hit the monkey bars and I got across 5 of them before my strength weakened. As we jogged through the woods, you could hear Mike’s bare feet slapping the ground. I finally took off my gloves and put them on his feet as make shift toe-socks. He lost those in the next creek.

The water felt awesome on our legs and cleaned us up. But as soon as we felt refreshed and less muddy, we’d have to pull ourselves out from the creek by going up a mudslide using just a rope. We jumped over hay stacks, climbed over and through tires and over large wooden spools. When we got to the walls, Marshall always had to boost me up and over. It truly was a team effort.

The last creek was rocky and after I got through it, I went back for Mike. His bare feet weren’t handling it well so Marshall and I tried to carry him. Two steps in and we realized we were all going down if we continued. Mike braved it on his own. I had energy to burn and Gwen started calling me Richie for Richard Simmons….given that I never seemed to slow down. Hopefully I wasn’t as annoying as he is!

We hit the 3 mile marker and were sure that .1 miles would take us only about 2 minutes to hit the finish line. Nope…I swear it took us 20 more minutes. Part of that was the mudslide which was so much fun to go down. But right after, was a steep, slippery incline that we had to pull ourselves up using just our arms. I fell at least 3 times, dangling by my hands and each time, laughed. It was hard to make progress as I was cracking up, my team pushing me up from behind.

Marshall on the mudslide

We did a sack race and then turned the corner to face that long, thick mud pit one more time. This time, I wasn’t going on the edges…I was going all in. I started running through it which quickly turned into a walk. It was deep and sucked my feet deep into the earth. My shoes were easily being pulled off by the mud and I heard one person scream “Save your shoes, go on your hands and knees.” I thought that it would make sense to distribute my weight so dropped down to a crawling position. Though covered in mud, I was making good progress and time. One of the organizers of the race dropped a camera down in front of me and followed my progress. I am sure I looked a hot mess, but he was loving it and said I would be on next year’s promo video. When I finished, mud caked my entire body. Our team was together and though exhausted (and well past our goal time), we had huge smiles on our faces.

inches of mud caked on us

I could not have asked for a better team. We weren’t too competitive, we weren’t too serious. But we worked hard and pushed ourselves. And we helped each other every single time we needed it. Someone from our team did every obstacle and though we didn’t know each other when we started, we ended as good friends.

What a truly fabulous day.

Jun 23

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Monon Bob

I have talked about him before. He appears in a lot of my posts about my Monon Trail runs. And lately, Monon Bob has gotten a lot of local press.

You can read about him here and here and here.

Monon Bob

Those stories are amazing, but here is what I think about Bob. He’s a part of the Monon Trail’s DNA. He is there every Saturday morning and just about any other morning I have been there. Not just when it’s warm, sunny and packed with families and athletes. But also on freezing cold days, with ice covered pavement. And really hot days where the air is thick and suffocating. There’s Bob. With his cane and his big smile.

He loves the ladies and I watch as girls constantly stop to hug him, high-five him or spend some time chatting. He remembers most of our names and always greets us with the most excited look. As if he is saying “What are YOU doing here?!” He claps as I run by, gives me a high-five while I comment on his Butler hat, his Colts sweatshirt or tell him “see you next weekend, Bob.” One time, it was 8 degrees and the trail was covered in snow and ice. No one was on the Monon but me and Bob. I was running 15 miles and seeing him was the boost I needed. If 90 year-old Bob is walking the Monon every day, through thick and thin, snow and rain, I can finish 15 miles. He hugged me and held me tight as we laughed about how we were both crazy to be out there in such conditions.

Bob’s story makes me cry. The Monon saved his life after his wife died. It not only keeps him in good health, but gives him purpose and social interaction. I really hope he knows that he saves all of us too. His presence on the trail every day is not just a given, but it’s an inspiration. He’s incredible.

Thanks, Bob, for being there and reminding us that there really are miles to go before we sleep.

Jun 15

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Runsploration: Kansas City

Kansas City is one of my favorite US cities. I am lucky to have three clients in the area so I get the opportunity to come here often. And this morning I started my 5 mile run with iPhone in hand ready to snap pictures on this Runsploration: KC edition.

Crown Center

no idea.

Sprint Center - love the live images

Power & Light District - love the colors!

Found these characters in an awesome little bar district

A Burger King bar?

The City Market was a bit desolate

me.

Commerce Center. Loved watching the business men in their important meetings through the window

fancy movie theater

JD's two favorite things: beer & coffee

The Coffman Center!

Art District

action reflection shot

Where we went to dinner last night!

train spotting

cool bike!

Union Station

Amazing.

the climb to the Liberty Memorial

View of the city from the top

all smiles.

loved this art

I really want to play in this.

orange monster

Jun 11

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Carmel Half-Marathon

About a week ago, I decided to run the Carmel Half-Marathon and I have regretted it every day since. I wasn’t really ready. Though I ran 10 miles last Sunday, it wasn’t pretty and I would have preferred to have slept-in this morning. Overall, I had a bad running attitude.

ready for 13.1?

But I awoke at 5am and proceeded to find parking. It was about a 10 minute walk from the lots to the start but I was there in plenty of time. JD has boys weekend so I had no one there to accompany me and no cheerleaders scheduled. It was just me and my grumpy attitude against 13.1. Luckily, I immediately spotted my friend George which was a friendly face among the crowd. After chatting with him, I sat in the cool, early morning weather and tried to mentally prepare myself for the distance.

I look just plain mean here.

Though the weather called for 60% chance of thunderstorms, the runners weren’t discouraged. They poured in. Amazingly enough, I managed to see all of my racing friends (Christi, Collin, RJ and Blake) before the race even began! I stretched. Drank Gatorade and lined up at the start.

Start line & pacers

And then the race began. It was humid but the rain stayed away the entire race. I was a sweaty mess before I even saw the first mile marker. My strategy for this race was to not have one. I have never done a race “just for fun” and that was my goal. To go out, run, think, see, enjoy, smile and have a good story to tell. But it was evident early on that my competitive nature was not going to let me do that. I couldn’t stop obsessing over my watch. My pace was good… the first mile at 8:47 and the second at 8:22. I had nothing to lose so decided to just run hard for as long as possible. If I crashed and burned, who cares. There was no one there to see it happen.

The course was hilly. Not San Francisco hilly…but very hilly compared to the Mini Marathon or Monumental Marathon. And my feet were burning. I definitely need to buy new shoes as I could feel every pebble in my soles.

The yellows are on their last leg

I told myself that I couldn’t listen to my iPod until mile 6 so was very aware of other people’s conversations. One man was talking about how he was impressed with the large pool of runners this race attracted in it’s inaugural year. He then said “Well, it’s not surprising. Carmel is the running Mecca of Indiana.” What? Says who? Another man was telling a story and used the most obnoxious sound effects to describe how a car hit the median and it sounded like ‘BRRRRRRiiippppppp. Crash!” I needed to drown these people out and fast. Luckily, I saw my good friend and running partner Matt at this time. He’s doing the full marathon and we passed each other while cheering each other on.

I got to mile 6 and was wiped. I had done it in 52 minutes – fast and furious. My legs felt fine but I was panting and knew I was in some anaerobic state at this point. So I made the smart decision to walk for a couple of minutes. During that time, I tweeted that I was just about halfway through. Some might say that my need to tweet whilst in a race signifies a social media problem…but honestly, it was fun and I needed to find a way to make this race fun.

Funnily enough, walking at that time felt like I was hitting the reset button. When I started back up, I was once again around the 8:35/mi pace. Luckly, around mile 8 we hit the Monon trail which was flat and cool. And at mile 9, I saw my friend Adam. It was awesome to see a familiar face cheering for me and especially at that time. Once again, I was fading fast. Soon after, I took another walking break and got some water. Only about 3 more miles to go.

I felt fine until mile 11.5 when my stomach felt awful. Honestly, I thought I was going to throw-up. I tried eating a fruit snack but it didn’t feel so great. And right before I hit the 12 mile marker, I took one last walking break. It was unavoidable. We were going up a hill and I was exhausted. My legs were tired and my tummy ached. Then a man ran up besides me and just held up his hand, giving me the thumbs-up. It was all I needed.

Powering into downtown Carmel, I once again saw my friend Adam. Another jolt of energy but nothing could power me up that last hill at a fast speed. Who puts a hill at the end of a race!?

final mile

When I finally crossed the finish line, I knew I had gotten under 2 hours and was ecstatic. How on earth I managed to finish in 1:58:43 after walking 3 times is beyond me. But the minute I stopped, my good friend Amy came running up to me. She was volunteering at the end and looped the medal around my neck. I gave her a huge hug and then promptly stepped back as I was convinced I was going to vomit. Luckily, I found some chocolate milk which settled my stomach.

I then collapsed by the Palladium and Adam found me once again. Soon after, the “thumbs up man” came up to me and congratulated me on the race. I thanked him for giving me the much needed encouragement. This is why I love races…the camaraderie and support is incredible. As I told Adam about the race and checked my tweets, we saw this guy. What an outfit!!

he wears short shorts

In conclusion, I am really glad I signed up for this race. It was fun getting out there and proving to myself that I could get a good time without training too hard and without taking it too seriously. And more importantly, it’s an awesome way to start off marathon training for Chicago.

all smiles

race results

medal

 

Jun 9

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Brew Mile

The BlueMile (artist formerly known as The Running Company) has kicked off a series of events focused on fun, fitness and friends. They call it the BlueMile Brew Mile event and last night was the first one! Partnered with the Thr3e WiseMen Brewery and NewBalance, the idea was to donate $5 (proceeds go to Back on My Feet), run 1 mile and be rewarded with not just fellowship of others, but an ice cold beer. Sounds like a winning combination to me!

It was HOT out. 90 degrees at 6pm and with no sign of relief. But the crowd was massive…over 250 people showed up. There were some elite runners, some walkers and plenty who don’t run at all but figured they could get one mile done for a good cause and good beer.

My favorite part of it? NewBalance had huge containers full of their shoes in various styles and encouraged runners to try out a new pair for the run. I always struggle with buying new running shoes as I like changing it up, but worry I’ll get stuck with something I don’t like. What a perfect way to test-drive some new kicks! I picked a “racing flat” which were very lightweight and had little support. I was sure I’d be Kenyan speed in them.

silly shoes

JD and I decided to run it together and figured this was a great way to answer my age old question “How fast could I run one single mile?” Granted…it was hot. And I was in new shoes. And it was crowded. But it was a fun way to get out there and sweat.

So off we went…dodging and weaving through the crowds and picking up speed as we went. He pushed me hard…always running in front of me (which I hate…so he knows I’ll run faster to catch up). It was fun going full speed knowing that I only had to do one mile. Completely out of breath, kicking up my heels and powering through with sweat pouring off me. When I crossed the finish, my watch clocked at 7:32. Not too shabby…

And then I drank a fruity beer with new friends. A lovely way to spend a Wednesday.

You guys should do the next one. No really.

Jun 5

Sunday chatter: Babies. Chicago. Friendships. Family.

So this Sunday Random Thoughts post stems from my most recent weekend in Chicago. I went up there to co-host a baby shower for my sister-in-law. And after spending a few days with my family, my favorite high school friends and talking all things baby…I have some chatter.

First of all…I am going to be an Aunt in about 5 weeks. (A REAL LIVE AUNT!) They don’t know if it’s a boy or girl but I can tell you that whatever it is, I will love the hell out of that baby. And spoil it. And tell that little munchkin all about the things his/her dad and I did as kids. Here are just a few:

Looking back, we were pretty creative kids. And we were the best of kin. We had a game we called “water people” which we could only play when it was raining. We would use a few buckets and put them underneath the gutters. The whole premise was that you couldn’t let any of them overflow so had to constantly monitor your time to run to the back yard, empty one and get back to the other buckets in time. We LOVED this game. We also used to catch garter snakes in our backyard. Once caught, they’d go into one of my dad’s old coolers and he would drive them out to the country to let them go. Then we’d complete a manila file folder on each one. Information included the name we gave the snake, length, where we found him and where we let him go. And finally, our love for wine started early. We found some grape bushes (trees?) at our neighbor’s house. So we’d collect lots and lots of these hard, green grapes and stomp them into mush. We’d then put this mush along with some water and sugar into my mom’s old hairspray bottles (Final Net). We stored them in the basement for months to ferment so we could make homemade wine. Unfortunately, mold ended up ruining all of our batches. And this little baby is going to love hearing about our imaginary world of Elfton someday…

siblings.

In addition to attending a baby shower, we went to Mayfest which is a German beerfest in Lincoln Square. My friend Nathan and I were more concerned about the carnival games than the beer so we lined up in front of balloon darts to win a prize. I schmoozed the carny to let me have more darts for my money and off we threw. Within $7 and 4 darts, we both won very high quality Twilight pictures. I offered to hang mine up in the nursery but my brother responded with something to the effect of “I’d rather swallow a grenade.”

Vampire Art

My friend Nathan has a framed picture in his bathroom that says “Happiness is Expensive.” I love it and it couldn’t be more fitting for Nathan. I am sure Pete the Planner does not have this same art in his house.

Nathan and my sister-in-law also have clear glass bowls full of Skittles at their respective houses. I know this doesn’t sound revolutionary…but the pop of color as well as the tasty treat should seriously be added to all homes. Taste the rainbow.

I get really excited watching how cute my parents are as they prep for becoming first-time grandparents. They are ecstatic and my mom may wear her “Grandma to be” pin everywhere she goes. They will be amazing grandparents. Added bonus maybe? This little baby very well could squash all the side comments that theme around “So Meggie. When are you going to have a baby?”

That being said. Looking at baby clothes makes me want to have one right this very moment. Then the thought of having to teach the kid to read. And do math homework. And watch cartoons really settles me and my womb down. So though tiny onesies make me consider it, don’t get too excited people. I get my fix from all my friends’ kids so no babies in 2011.

We hosted the shower at Branch 27 in the most amazing room. Think Harry Potter meets old library meets greenhouse. I want to live in that room.

If you live in Chicago and haven’t eaten Smoque’s BBQ, shame on you. Magic.

My friend Stephanie is a Nurse Anesthetist. She’s incredibly smart, talented, hard working and I never bore of her stories. The things they surgically remove from people is outstanding! Bring her to every party you have…trust me, you won’t tire of this topic.

And let us not forget The Hunt. Nathan’s amazing boyfriend who was adopted into our circle of friends from the beginning. He gave Nathan the most amazing 30th birthday gift. He rides rickshaws. He has decorated the White House and met the Obamas. He is a Polly Pocket.

The Hunt with Nicki & Nathan at Branch 27

Nathan and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We played house together. He taught me to jump hurdles in junior high. We shared a locker in high school. He’s the type of friend that I can laugh with. Do fake modeling shoots with. And sit in my jammies eating taco dip straight from the dish until 3am with. This time around, it was Jack’s frozen pizza from Walgreens and he, my SIL and I dominated it. That’s when real memories are made.

I don’t have a real sister, but if I did…I can’t imagine we could be closer than my sister-in-law and I are. I got really lucky. She is one of my closest friends and will be such an amazing mom. That kid is already blessed.

And so am I. My friends are genuinely excited that JD and I are running the Chicago Marathon in October. I have no doubt that they will be out on the course cheering for us every chance they get and celebrating with us after. Marathon training is right around the corner so knowing that they will be there to support me will fuel every training run. Bring it CM2011.

And lastly, we got to talking last night about friendships. How they change and evolve. How some weaken over time, only to circle back with greater strength years later. How some are based on convenience and circumstance, and once those go away, the foundation crumbles. And how as we get older, it seems natural that we start to become more selective. We “defriend” those that are one-sided. The ones where we pour our heart into the friendship only to have nothing returned. That’s the point I am at in my life. Reevaluating the energy I spend on certain people, if I know it’s never going to be reciprocated. That being said, the people I spent this weekend with are lifetime friends. The ones I have pages and pages of memories with. They have seen me at all stages in my life and love me regardless. They can look at my Dad and know whether he’s having a good or bad day healthwise. These are the friends I can talk about my hopes, fears, dreams, embarrassing moments and Brazilian waxes with. They really are more my family than anything.

Nicki. Stephanie. Nathan. Me.

And after a weekend with them, I feel loved.

Jun 1

Running with Kenyans

Meet my guest blogger, Suzanne. I am honored to be her friend. She’s one of the smartest, nicest, most carefree, outgoing individuals I know and is an amazing runner. She has more stories and adventures in her young life than most people could dream of. This one gave me chills.

I have run many races before, even a few against Kenyans (though they usually finish hours ahead of me.) I did not expect that in traveling to Kenya to work with the Umoja Project, I would find myself competing in a Kenyan track meet. But yes, I recently had my international running debut.

The Umoja Project builds partnerships with schools, guardians, congregations and community organizations in western Kenya to support the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. On our recent trip, we spent much time traveling to rural areas, visiting schools and talking to the students and teachers.  At the end of week three, we set out on our final visit to Barandingo Primary School to see their new poultry project, vegetable garden and fuel efficient cook stove used to provide a school lunch program. As soon as we pulled up we saw crowds of students cheering wildly – it was clear this was no ordinary school day. It was athletics day and students from three neighboring schools had come to compete in track and field events. A track had been carved in the dirt in front of the school and parents, guardians and students crowded the sidelines cheering on the runners. It must have been obvious that I was showing much more interest in watching the competition than in the chicks, veggies and stoves so Leonard, the Umoja link teacher, asked if I would race with the students. I immediately shook my head and said no acting as if that was a silly idea, but secretly was dying to join in.

Leonard saw right through my bluff and went to arrange a spot for me in the next race. The next and final race turned out to be the 4x100m relay for the class 8 girls, but I was without a team. It did not take long for him to round up three other guardians to complete my team and we were ready to go.

Pre-Race coaching

I was running the fourth leg so I found my place on the track, tightened up my shoelaces and waited eagerly for my new teammate to round the curve and pass me the baton. I felt a bit unprepared as I was wearing a calf link skirt and street shoes, but no one else in the race was even wearing shoes so I knew I could not use that as an excuse for a poor performance.

my competition

The class 8 girls turned out to be stiff competition and by the time the baton was passed to me, the other teams had almost finished. Victory was out of the question, but this was my first race in Kenya and nothing would deter me from completing the final leg of the relay. The crowd had moved in along the track and erupted in laughter as I dashed by. At the end I was swarmed with students yelling “mzungu, mzungu,” the common Swahili term for white person.

Finishing strong to laughter and cheers of “Mzungu!”

I may not have impressed them with my athletic prowess, but I think they enjoyed the show. Though I still remain winless against the Kenyans, both the elite marathoners and the class 8 girls running without shoes, this was certainly one of the most memorable athletic events of my life.

The Umoja Project’s approach has always been to “lead with relationships, follow with service.” I did not fully understand the importance of this until I saw firsthand the close friendships and mutual respect the Kenyan and American project staff has built with the communities over the last few years. Had I been scheduling the trip, I would have condensed all of our meetings and school visits into 10 days rather than three weeks. But it is in allowing time to just be a part of the community – to accept an invitation for tea, to watch the students dance and sing, to even run in a race on athletics day – that the real relationships are formed and a lasting impact is made.  And I am excited to say that Barandingo Primary School has invited me back to compete again in next year’s athletics day!

4x100 relay team