Category: Monthly Review

December and Year in Review 2011

This month I ran 82.61miles.  No races this month.  I am too much of a chicken to run in the cold.  Oh well, that will change once I get back to Chicago to continue my training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon.  Just a little over 2 months to go.  So far I have been training on the treadmill but feel like I should get out there.

Total miles ran this year is 736.54.  Last year I had set a goal of running 1,000 miles by today.  Yeah, that did not happen.  I’d like to blame it on the slow months of February (20 miles) and July (17 miles).  I remember in February I got hurt and could not run hence the 20 miles.  This summer I went on a 3 week vacation to Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru which left no time for running (17 miles) but A LOT of time for walking.

Besides the marathon I have signed up for the following races:
CARA Lakefront 10 Miler, 4/28
Fleet Feet Sports Soldier Field 10 Miles, 5/26

I’ve done both races in the past and LOVE them!!! I will also sign up for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K.  Another great race!  However, registration doesn’t start till tomorrow.  🙂

Thanks to Katie at Live Half Full, I found out about the Chi Town Half Marathon & 10K on April 1.  Looks interesting.  I will wait a few months (early registration ends March 4) before I make a definite decision on whether I do it or not.

This year I ran a total of 15 races.
Marathon-1
Half Marathon-3
10 Miles-3
10K-2
8K-1
3.14-1
5K-4

My goal for next year is to run at least 20 races.  That is only 5 more than this year.  For sure I can do it.

What is the most races you’ve done in a year?

Happy New Year and Run Happy!!!

November 2011 Review

This month I ran 84.3 miles.  Much better this month.  Below are the races I completed this month.

  • Chicago’s Perfect 10 Mile, November 12
  • Run 3.14 Pie, November 24

Both races were new this year.  I had a great time at both of them so I plan to race them again next year.

Total miles ran this year is 657.93.  Definitely no chance of hitting 1,000 miles before December 31.  That is OK because my new goal is to run 1,000 miles before November 19, 2012 which is the day before I turn 40.  Yep, you read correctly.  I will turn 40 next year.  Do I feel almost 40?  Nope.

November in Review

I put together a list of 40 things to do before I turn 40.  Below is my finalized list. 
  1. Skydiving   
  2. Rollerskate 
  3. Blackhawsks game 
  4. Scubadiving 
  5. Whale watching 
  6. Taste 40 different beers/tequilas 
  7. Bikram yoga 
  8. Ballroom/pole dancing 
  9. Relay race 
  10. Slumber party 
  11. Drive-in movie 
  12. Pottery class
  13. Visit a country/continent that I have not been to
  14. Go to the Grand Canyon 
  15. Hike at Yosemite Mountains 
  16. Do ultramarathon (50K) 
  17. See U2 in concert  
  18. Hot air balloon ride  
  19. Take a CPR class  
  20. Learn sign language  
  21. Participate in the Chicago Polar Plunge 
  22. Go on a helicopter ride 
  23. Travel first class 
  24. Visit the four corners (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado) 
  25. Learn to play poker and go to a casino  
  26. Learn to play pool 
  27. Watch every movie that has won an Academy Award Winners for Best Picture 
  28. High Tea at the Plaza Hotel in New York 
  29. Get palms read/See a psychic/Get a tarot card reading 
  30. Run a marathon in another state 
  31. Participate in the Women’s Half Marathon 
  32. Run 1,000 miles 
  33. Rock climbing 
  34. View the top 100 paintings and pick top 10 favorites 
  35. Highlights on hair 
  36. Go to a bar alone 
  37. Horse carriage ride 
  38. Speed date/blind date 
  39. Graceland 
  40. Mt. Rushmore

No upcoming races until the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in New Orleans.  I am registered, got my hotel, and now looking for a cheap ticket to New Orleans.

Finally got my Brooks PureProject Cadence.  To date I’ve ran 33.16 miles and they feel GREAT!!  I love them!  They’re expensive ($120) but totally worth it.  My next pair will be a Ravenna.  I know that in a previous post I wrote that I was a fan of Asics.  Well, I have converted to a Brooks fan.

Glad it is December.  That means only less than 3 weeks of work and then off for vacation.  I will be visiting my sister and nephew in San Antonio.  Yay!!  I am so ready for it.

 

November in Review

October 2011 in Review

This month I ran 52.7 miles.  Yeah, SLOW month.  Below are the races I completed this month:

  • ING Hartford Marathon, October 15
  • Carrera de los Muertos/Day of the Dead 5K, October 29

Total miles ran this year is 569.63.  I was really hoping to run a total of at least 1,000 miles this year but a semi-injury in February (ran 29 miles that month) and my 3 week vacation in the summer to Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru (49.5 in June and 17 in July) slowed me down.  I did A LOT of walking during those 3 weeks that I was so exhausted when I came back and the last thing I wanted to do was run.

Upcoming races this month include:

  • Hot Chocolate, 15K, November 5
  • Chicago’s Perfect 10 at Navy Pier, November 12
  • Run 3.14 Pie 5K, November 24

I am really excited about the races this month.  I ran the Hot Chocolate last year and was very disappointed with the course.  This year there is a new course so yes I am happy.  The Perfect 10 race is new this year and is a 10K or a 10 mile race.  Since I am training for another marathon I chose the 10 mile race.  The 3.14 race is new for me.  The name caught my attention.  Plus, the first couple hundred that registered gets to take a pie home.  How cool is that?

October in Review

I cannot believe the year is almost over.  Where did it go?  What did I accomplish?  Well, for starters I traveled to 4 countries from June-August.  I traveled to one of the Wonders of the World..Machu Picchu.  To date I’ve ran almost 570 miles compared to 601.9 at the end of December last year.  I started this blog which I kept putting off and finally got around to it.

I am definitely looking forward to 2012!!