Cursed

My summer marathon training is cursed. Cursed, I tell you!

Saturday morning I woke up at 4:30 am all gung-ho and ready to conquer 15 miles. I even laid out my running clothes the night before. 

And then I was instantly doubled over, sick.

So, yeah. I didn’t run Saturday. But as soon as I felt better I managed to go to yoga!

On Sunday I ventured out on my own and ran 6 miles. Hurrah! I know that 6 miles isn’t even close to the 15 miles on my training schedule, but considering that I haven’t run for weeks (not kidding, it has been weeks) then it’s not too bad. I ran through my new neighborhood to try to get know the area a little better. In Logan Square, there are these pockets of neighborhoods with gorgeous homes, big leafy trees, and laughing children. But the main roads are dirty with vacant storefronts, trash everywhere, and a crazy amount of broken glass. My apartment is on the intersection of two major roads. Sad panda.

Back to the point. Right now, my marathon training is in salvage mode. I’m already waaaaaaay behind and I’ll miss the crucial 18- and 20-mile weeks because that’s when I’m on a vacation in Lake Powell. I cannot run there, as we are literally on a boat the whole time, but I did just buy some swim goggles to keep up my fitness.

So, new goal: Keep with the biking and yoga, continue running as best I can, and, well, just go out and enjoy the marathon. I know I’m not going to win the thing (*snort*), or even set a PR, but I can enjoy the training and eventually the race if I just relax, do my best, and have fun.

Fun? Fun, you say? Watch, there will be a post as I freak out about the race---again---in just a few weeks.

Friday

I promised I'd post every day. I'm now posting at 11:30 pm---just before the new day---because I want to keep my promise.

But today was just a day. It was just Friday. Nothing special, which isn't a bad thing. Ya know, just a day.

I'm running tomorrow with my running group for the first time in a long time. It has been over a month, to be honest. We're supposed to be halfway through our marathon training program and I haven't gone on a training run in weeks.

This is bad.

I try to always keep a base fitness with soccer and biking and yoga, but we're running 15 miles in the morning. I think that I can get through it, but it will hurt. A lot.

I guess it's now time to get serious about this whole marathon thing. Again.

I'll report back tomorrow. Unless the run kills me, which is very possible.

My Niece Is My Mini-Me

The eldest of my nieces and nephews, Ava, is my mini-me. She is three and a half years old and her mom and I often laugh at how similar Ava and I are.

Most importantly, we both love butter. I mean we loooooove butter. As in a lick-straight-from-the-tub love affair with butter.

We also share a love of the color pink (even though I've somewhat grown out of this). When I was little I had a bright pink leotard that I would never, ever take off.

Ava now has a big girl, princess room. I'm even jealous of this room as an adult.



Snow White dress in Ava's big girl room



Pink! I would've died if I had this bed when I was younger.

And now, for the pièce de résistance, Ava and I have the same haircut! It seems that just this afternoon Ava decided to cut her own hair. I've done this before too. It looked so bad that I cried for days! But luckily Super Mom came to the rescue (after shedding a tear or two about losing that long, flowing hair) and gave Ava the most awesome haircut ever. My haircut!

Ava's self-styling



Ava's cute haircut---and now gone hair!



Here's the side/back view

  

And here's my haircut!



The back view

I say, Way to go Ava! Way to take control of your own hair and end up looking like your awesome and incredibly stylish Aunt Claire!!

Even though I live many states away from Colorado, my legacy lives on. And I couldn't be more thrilled to have a mini-me!

The Art of Bike Commuting

My Cannondale road bike

I've blogged before about bicycles.

But here I am to elaborate again on how much I love having a bike in the city.

I sent my car back to Colorado last year because it didn't make sense to spend $200/month in parking for a car I never drove. I found it easier to get around via public transportation.

But since I don't live in the Loop anymore, my bicycle is essential. Besides, it makes things a lot more fun! I'm also getting a sense of all the streets and neighborhoods.

I have become that "biker chick" I've always envied. Chicago is all about confidence. Confidence at work, confidence when going out, and, most importantly, confidence when riding your bike on the streets. I've had to use my voice on many occasions. I especially feel a twinge of joy when I yell at cabbies right before they pull out in front of me. They immediately slam on their brakes, their face showing a mixture of confusion and respect. Yes!!!

I've also found out that bicycle commuting is an art. It must be planned out the night before.

The above picture shows everything piled on my back during a typical ride to work. Moving from left to right:

• Kryptonite lock. These things are heavy!
• Bern bike helmet in Matte Neon Yellow. I'll take anything and everything that makes me more visible on the road
• Yoga bag, mat, and towel. I try to go to yoga in the morning as often as possible. This bag is the only Lululemon thing I own and at $40, it was the cheapest thing in the store
• Sherpani bag. I bought this years ago in Boulder. It has now proved invaluable
• Sunglasses, compact, lip gloss, and pens
• My kindle---which I can't live without. I'm currently reading The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler for book club
• Chicago bike map. This little thing has gotten me back home many times
• Wallet
• Lunch bag. I try to bring lunch to work as often as possible
• Work clothes. Luckily my office has great showers. I keep in a locker a towel, hairdryer, straightener, and makeup. I think I shower at work more often than I shower at home
• Headphones (absolutely necessary in the city, but not while you're riding!), running watch, CTA card, and work pass

Here is everything strategically packed away. Didn't think it would all fit, did you? Did you? Like I said, commuting is an art.

Want a lesson in physics? Try carrying your bike up two flights of curving stairs. Fun times.

So, my advice to you? Get a bike. Ride to work. You don't have to ride every day, but just a few days a week. It's worth it. Next lesson? Bike lights. They're even more important than my neon helmet.

Every Day

I wrote a long post last night while on the plane. I had a late flight (landing time 1:08 am in Chicago) and I'm terrible at sleeping on planes, so I figured I'd at least get something done and start blogging. So, I typed everything up on my iPad, had a great post completed... and it's now gone. Gone. Nowhere to be found. Isn't technology great?

In any case, I'll try to recreate my original post here.

I was just in Colorado over the weekend. Overall, it was a great trip! But I was also excited to come back and attack my To Do list again. There's something about traveling that helps you to push that reset button. I always feel more motivated when I return.

So, here's what I would like to accomplish over the next few days:

1. Blog every day. Even if it's about nothing. I just need to write---even if it's not written well.
2. Tackle the reading list a colleague recommended to me.

3. Cook more and find good recipes for my upcoming trip to LAKE POWELL!! I just downloaded the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook on my iPad (even if my iPad does lose blog posts, it's awesome to cook from). I think I bookmarked every recipe in there.
4. Run. I'm supposed to be midway through my marathon training program for the Chicago Marathon in October. Except for soccer, I haven't run for two weeks. Oops. It has been so long since I last run that I'm actually afraid to get out there again! What if my legs have forgotten how to move?

If I kept thinking, there are a million kajillion things that I want to do and accomplish in my life. But I think this list is a good start. The above are all goals that I can accomplish if I put my mind to it.

I’m a Writer.

No, seriously. I am officially a “writer.” One of my long-time dreams has finally come true!

I was recently promoted at work and my new title is Associate Writer/Editorial Services. I can now tell people on the street, “I’m a writer” and not look like a crazed coffee-house addict.

Though I’m very experienced in working with publications, I still have a lot to learn. For a long time I was in a dead-end job and I thought that I’d never be able to have a career as a writer or editor, so I stopped writing. I haven’t really written for a long time. (As seen by my steady drop-off of blog posts.)

But that has all changed because I’m now a writer!

I have many goals for this new position. As a “writer,” I’m going to write them down here:

• Get a firm grasp of AMA (American Medical Association) style. I work at a medical advertising agency and while I’m familiar with Chicago Style, I will need to become bedfellows with the AMA Manual of Style.
• Take courses and become involved in membership organizations to improve my writing and understanding. A colleague recently forwarded a set of classes and conferences that all appear to be very helpful.
• Become intimately involved in the accounts I work with so that I will be seen as a resource for that product or marketing goal.
• Most importantly, write! It’s incredibly nerve-wracking to put my work out there, waiting for it to be criticized. But that’s the only way to learn, right? Right.

Signing off from my throne (before the reality of hard work sets in),
Claire

Bicycles... and life

About a month ago I bought a brand-new bicycle. It was pretty and shiny and expensive. 

My new Trek 7.3 FX

Remember when you first learned to ride a bicycle? That sense of freedom it gave? That’s how I felt with my new bicycle. Since I was no longer living downtown, I was restricted to the trains and buses---which were sometimes a huge pain. If I had a late soccer match, I would spend more time on three busses just trying to get home than I did playing the game!

I loved my bike. It was great. And then I locked it up outside my apartment rather than bringing it up two flights of stairs. (Note: want a lesson in physics? Try carrying a bike up flights of a winding stairwell) My bike got stolen. I only had it for three weeks.

Want to know the saddest website in the world? The Chicago Stolen Bike Registry. Some of these people had their bikes for only a few days before they were stolen!
The theft bothered me, but everyone's self blame bothered me the most. I met up with a group trying to track down our stolen bikes and everyone in that group had locked up their bike. But everyone still said, “It’s my fault that the bike was stolen.” We all had excuses: We had either left it in an alley, or left it outside, or it only had one lock on it instead of three…
NO! If you locked up your bike, it’s not your fault! You didn’t steal your own bike. It bothers me how we all instantly blamed ourselves when it’s the crime that’s the problem. There should be a special place in hell reserved for bike thieves. 
The good news is that my friend Sean and I went Craigslist hunting (I HATE Craigslist, but that’s a rant for another day) and I found a new, better bike!


My new bike is a road bike---something I thought I was never “good enough” to be able to ride. Turns out that they’re just like every other bike. You just hop on and enjoy yourself!
Here’s a picture of my new baby:

Women's Cannondale Synapse 7

Maybe the new bike is a blessing in disguise since it works much better for my needs, but I still wish I wasn’t out $800 in the process. Stupid thieves.