Running – Page 40 – Zenaida Arroyo

23
Feb
2018

Friday Five 2.0-Top 5 reasons to run the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K

categories: Ambassador, BibRave Pro, Friday Five 2.0, Running

Disclaimer: I am promoting the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K is next month and I am excited to run it again. It is one of my favorite races in Chicago! This race marks the start of the official running season in the city. Are you signed up for it? If yes, GREAT but if not then read on to find out why you MUST run this race. I will even give you a discount code. 🙂

1. Automatic PR and sweet medal. Isn’t it beautiful? An 8K is 4.97 miles so if you’ve never run this distance before then you automatically get a PR. I’ve run this race 9 times and my PR is 48:38 in 2014. I am having a great marathon training season and hopefully will get a PR this year.

2. Beer! Celebrate that new PR and/or show off that sweet medal at the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Post-Race Party. Each runner gets a ticket for one (1) Michelob ULTRA (must be 21 years or older to consume). There will also be live music. The party doesn’t stop there. The celebration will continue at The Scout Waterhouse & Kitchen (1301 S. Wabash Ave.) from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Shamrock Shuffle participants who bring their race bib will receive a ticket that can be redeemed for one (1) Michelob ULTRA.

3. You can dress up! How fun is it to be all decked out in green and run in a beautiful city? I’ve lived in Chicago for almost 40 years and never get tired of the view. This race is also great to do with friends. Each year I’ve been able to run with friends and have a fabulous time.

4. It is a short but yet popular race. An 8K is a unique distance and in Chicago there aren’t that many 8K races. Over 30,000 runners run the Shamrock Shuffle. It is so popular that on race morning NBC 5 Chicago provides live, streaming coverage of the race start and finish from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. where supporters can watch their favorite runner cross the line.

5. Save $10 off registration fee. Make sure to use code “SHUFFLE” at the following link: http://haku.ly/dd2567 to save $10 on your race entry.

So did I convince you? Will I see you there? Have you run this race before?

I’m linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 2.0.

20
Feb
2018

Dear Running: I do love you but sometimes I don’t!

categories: Running, Tuesdays on the Run

Last week I wrote about why I love running. But it isn’t always unicorns and roses. As much as I love it, there are a few things I don’t like about running. Let me tell you about it.

• Chafing all over. Oh boy, that is definitely the worst. Throughout the years I’ve had my share of chafing in my inner thighs, in the bra area, and the inside of my arms. I make sure to always use body glide but I guess sometimes I don’t use enough. It is much worse in the summer when I am sweaty or when running in the rain. I remember I chafed so bad during the 2015 Chicago Marathon that I could hardly walk. It took a few days for it to heal and for me to walk like a normal person again.

• Blisters on feet. Those suckers are just as painful as chafing. They’re less painful when I pop them and drain the fluid. I know I’m not supposed to do that but to me it definitely feels better. I remember I got a blood blister in my toe from running Goofy in 2014. I didn’t leave it alone and drained the fluid and that helped with the pain. I also got a couple from running the 2015 Chicago Marathon (same year as chafing). << The next time I ran the Chicago Marathon there was no chafing nor blisters.

• The weather. This one isn’t really running’s “fault”. This winter has been a mixture of very cold weather and a lot of snow. Luckily I’ve been able to do most of my runs outside but it hasn’t been easy. I’ve tried to be positive and make the best of each run. Sometimes it works and sometimes I wonder why the heck I am training for a marathon. I know I will complain again when it is summer. Why is it so darn HOT outside?!?!?! That is why for me the best running weather is during the Fall.

• Being tired. When I was training using the Hansons Method, I was tired all of the time. That program is intense but at the same time I enjoyed running 6 days a week. Currently I am training with a coach and I am running 4-5 times a week. Not as hectic as before but there are some days that I am so exhausted and don’t want to get up in the morning and go to work. I actually look forward to my rest days. 🙂

• An achy body or injuries. Long runs and speed workouts take a toll on your body. But it is those runs along with easy/recovery runs that make us better and faster runners to help us achieve our goal. But that also comes with a price. Our body aches. We are sore. A good kind of soreness. But we wake up the next day and run again. Let’s not forget about injuries. Those suck! I’ve been injured a few times and it isn’t fun at all. Not being able to run drove me crazy. But it took time, patient, and rest for me to get better and start running again.

What don’t you like about running?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

TuesdaysOnTheRun

18
Feb
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 12

categories: Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #12, February 12-18

M OFF
T Ran 3.73
W Ran 6.40 miles
TH Ran 3.20
F OFF
S Ran 3.36
S Ran 9.72 miles

This week was awesome!! At the beginning of the week I dealt with some snow on the sidewalk but we also got some warm weather and most of it did melt.

Monday is a rest day. I went to a funeral for a dear friend’s dad. It was so sad and I am always at loss at what to say to a grieving family. As I got out of the car to go inside the funeral home, I saw a beautiful sunset.

Tuesday’s run was actually pretty good! It was sunny with temperatures in the low 30s but I didn’t feel too cold. The snow wasn’t helping so I went to the local park to run around a couple of times.

I was a bit nervous about Wednesday’s workout (1.5 mile warm up and cool down, 2×1 mile @10:02 and 4×1 minute @9:16 with 2 minutes recovery). Mile repeats scare me. It wasn’t easy and I kind of cheated. I had planned to run each one nonstop but just couldn’t do it. I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath. I cannot remember how many times I stopped but at least I got it done. I still did pretty good! 🙂

Thursday’s run was awesome! I came home and took a quick nap. Then I got cold and debated on whether to run or not. I reminded myself that it was only 40 minutes and it was definitely doable. After my run I came home to find Lola still napping.

Another 40 minutes of running for Saturday. Most of the snow had melted already and that made me happy. However, we got more snow later in the afternoon. Not a lot like last week but enough for the roads to get slippery. It did look kind of pretty.

I was excited about Sunday’s workout (5 mile warm up, 15 minutes @10:45, 8 minutes @11:58, 4×25 second strides @9:16 with 60 second recovery, 2 mile cool down). I waited to run in the afternoon because I knew it was going to warm up (40 degrees) and I had no desire to run in cold weather (it was 19 when I woke up). Plus, Lola was keeping me company while I watched TV and I just wanted to stay with her. 🙂 Isn’t she cute?

Once I was out running it was WINDY and I got cold. I had headwind for about 4.5 miles and then I turned around and it was much better. I was very surprised to hit almost of my paces. I think my Garmin watch is broken. 🙂 I know, I know. I need to believe more in myself.

I am very pleased with all of my workouts. I was a bit nervous for doing them but I actually enjoyed them and am happy with my results. It is another confidence booster and that is exactly what I need now. I am freaking out because the Illinois Marathon is in 10 weeks. I’ve run a marathon before but still get nervous when training for it.

Total mileage for the week: 26.42
Total mileage for this training cycle: 220.81
Total mileage for the year: 142.01

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10
• Week 11

How was YOUR week?

Link back to the host and let’s support other bloggers linking up as they train for a marathon, half marathon, or any other event.

12
Feb
2018

Dear Running: I do love you!

categories: Brooks Running, Oiselle, Running, Tuesdays on the Run

No matter how much I complain about running, I will always love it! When I started running in 2005, I couldn’t run a mile. Heck, I couldn’t run 5 minutes. It took me years to get to where I am now (I ran mostly for fun and never paid attention to speed). I focused more on endurance and can proudly say that I’ve run over 150 races ranging from ultra marathons, marathons, half marathons, and over shorter distances.

Why do I love to run?

• I know it sounds cliche, but I run because I can. I am healthy with no medical condition that stops me from running. Basically, I have no excuse. I am the one with the excuses – too hot, too cold, too tired, or just lazy. 🙂 I’ve found that getting out there is hard but once I’m done with a run, I always feel GREAT.

• I like to see how much I can push myself. I signed up for my first marathon in 2006. With less than a year of running, a friend convinced me that I could run a marathon (glad I believed her). I had NO idea what I was getting myself into and didn’t know the distance of a marathon. I didn’t stop there, I’ve run a few more marathons and 2 ultra marathons.

2006ChicagoMarathon2

50kmedal

• The challenges. Let’s mix them up. Do a race one day and then another one the next day. No big deal, right? The most difficult one I have done is Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday and marathon on Sunday). Oh man, that was tough but definitely memorable.

photo-10

photo-14

• I love buying running clothes. Pretty much all of my tops and shorts are from Oiselle. I always get excited when my order arrives and I wear it on my run.

• Let’s not forget the shoes! Brooks shoes are the best!

• Support and encouragement from running friends. I belong to several Facebook groups and my feed is always full of motivation and advice from friends. Or sometimes I have a question about hydration, socks, gels, etc. and can count on someone to answer it for me.

What do you love most about running?

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

TuesdaysOnTheRun

11
Feb
2018

Illinois Marathon Training Recap, Week 11

categories: Illinois Marathon, Marathon Training, Running, Weekly Recap

Week #11, February 5-11

M OFF
T Ran 2.78
W Ran 6.51 miles
TH Did not run
F OFF
S Ran Did not run
S Ran 1.71 miles

Ugh! What a week! I won’t complain that it is too cold. I will complain that all of this snow is ridiculous.

This was Monday evening. Luckily it was a day off.

I had a little bit of trouble on Tuesday. Still a lot of snow on the road. I ran for a little over a mile and then just went to the local park where I ran a few loops to get in my 35 minutes of running.

More snow Tuesday night/Wednesday so I knew I could not do my quality session (15 minutes warmup and cooldown, 4 x 4 minutes @ 10:45 with 400 m recovery, 3 x 3 minutes @ 10:02 with 400 m recovery) outside. After school I went to the gym to get it done.

I love my gym!

I skipped my run on Thursday because I wasn’t feeling good. I have been coughing a lot lately and decided to rest and take it easy. That evening I found out that school was closed on Friday because of – you guessed it – snow.

The top photo is at 7pm, middle at 11pm, and the bottom at 7:30 the next day.

My sister and I went to the laundry and then did a few errands. This is my view from the laundromat around 1pm.

I had every intention of going on Saturday for a “quick and easy” 30 minutes. How hard could it be right? Nope. I woke up with a headache and had it pretty much all day. I even took some pain medicine but that didn’t help. I had plans that evening with a friend to see a film “Tales of Mexico” downtown. I almost cancelled but decided to go. It was a great film and it was great being outside even if it was cold.

Saturday night MORE SNOW!!! I really dislike winter and snow. Sunday morning I went to the gym to do my run but couldn’t do more than 2 miles. I was frustrated with myself because I let the weather get to me.

I think this has been my WORST week of training. Am I disappointed? Absolutely. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Let’s hope this week is better. Hopefully we are done with the snow too. 🙂

Total mileage for the week: 11.00
Total mileage for this training cycle: 194.39
Total mileage for the year: 115.60

Here’s how training has gone so far:
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10

How was YOUR week? Any snow in your hometown? Isn’t all of this snow simply ridiculous?