Weekend Things {06-17-2013}

Posted on June 17, 2013 by runningthewindycity

1. Sorry things were a little bit sponsor heavy on the blog last week. I had two posts waiting in queue and unfortunately was asked to post both in a row. The Malibu sweepstakes is still open but I did want to announce the winner of the FrogFuel pack…Mike Dalton! I will be e-mailing you to figure out the deets.

2. Spring is a hectic time to work in academia. I feel like every important deadline happens to fall between May and the end of June. I really felt it this past week and even with going in early most mornings, I still had to stay late on Friday… boo. By the time I got home, I had no desire to do anything but lounge on the couch and hang out with my boys.

A lot of this type of playing happened. Sonic gets to play and I get to sit on the couch. Win-win for both us.

3. I woke up early on Saturday and headed out for a solo 3-mile run before Ian and I left Chicago to drive to the Run for Boston 5k. Unfortunately, about three-quarters of the way there, Ian had car trouble and we had to call for a tow.

It was raining, so we hung out in the car for a few hours while we waited for the tow truck to head our way. As luck would have it, after waiting five-ish hours, we found out the tow truck had decided not to come and we had to wait for another one. Thankfully, one of Ian’s friends had taken pity on us and picked us up to grab lunch but we were all pretty stir crazy after waiting around at a Shell gas station all day.

Look! Ian got a new watch!

Eventually the tow truck came and we were able to get a ride home. Whew!

4. Fortunately, we weren’t stranded in the middle of nowhere and I was able to find a Target within walking distance. Hello, cheap new work shoes!

I did feel much better about the stranded situation after spending money on myself and yes I do have absurdly large feet for my height.

5. We made it back to Chicago with just enough time to shower, change, and head out to The Vic to see The Tenderloins, the comedy troupe behind Impractical Jokers (if you haven’t watched the tv show, you need to ASAP because it’s absolutely hilarious). The show was really funny although a little bit short which worked out perfectly because Ian and I had plans to grab Taco Joint for dinner!

Margaritas were much needed after the day we had. I tried the chile mango and Ian had the guava and while both were tasty, we agreed the chile mango was the better choice.

We split an order of rojo guacamole and then I had two tacos, the camaron (grilled chile and garlic spiked shrimp, garnished with avocado salsa and crispy flash fried spinach) and the cochinita (Yucatan style pulled pork garnished with picked red onions and spicy habanero salsa). Taco craving satisfied.

6. On Sunday, after an early longer run, Ian and I headed out to run our errands. We grabbed Starbucks, went to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, and even visited the animals at the Anti-Cruelty Society. Ian was craving a sub for lunch so we stopped into an Italian bakery and deli near our apartment where I found the world’s largest cannoli.

Get in my belly!

7. I also started a new book that I bought at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest, The Beautiful and Damned, and happened to find this written on one of the pages.

Isn’t that amazing? There are also notes and underlined passages throughout the book. I can’t wait to figure out what or why certain parts of the book were noted.

8. In Sonic news, he now believes that our kitchen rug is a large bed for him. He used to sleep in one of his beds (yes, plural) placed throughout our apartment but recently he’s started laying on the rug. He also refuses to move when we’re in the kitchen…

Territorial much?

9. I’m working on a post about the training plan I’m using for the Chicago Marathon including why I chose it, how I’m adapting it, etc but I thought I’d ask you guys if you had any specific questions that you’d like me to address. If you do, let me know if the comments!

Obviously, my weekend was kind of lame (outside of my control…) so what did you guys do over the past two days?

Life is All About Balance

Posted on June 13, 2013 by runningthewindycity

Sometimes I forget that life is all about balance.

For the most part, April and May were really hectic. With moving, running the Boston Marathon, dealing with running injuries, work demands, and going to Michigan for Mother’s Day, life had felt pretty devoid of quality Ian time. Fortunately, that changed a few weeks ago when after what felt like one of the longest weeks ever, Ian and I went out for a nice night on the town.

After much debate, we decided to go to English, an upscale restaurant and bar in River North, to enjoy a nice dinner and a much needed “bring on the weekend drink”. We arrived a few minutes before our reservation and were seated at a great high top table near the front windows where we could really appreciate the longer days and sunshine that Chicago has been experiencing of late.

As much as I love getting a good sweat in early in the morning, I also really enjoy going out with Ian and/or friends and having a drink or two. Unfortunately, unless you enjoy running 10+ miles with an awful hangover, it can be difficult to enjoy both lifestyles. Enter, Malibu Island Spiced, a Malibu rum that’s made with Truvia® so you don’t have to worry about having crazy blood sugar spikes (or sugar hangovers) the next day. Plus, if worrying about alcohol calories is your thing, one serving of Malibu Island Spiced is only 70 calories– much fewer than your typical serving of alcohol and probably less likely to make you feel guilty and sluggish the next morning.

At English, Ian and I each started with a specialty Malibu Island Spiced cocktail while we perused the dinner menu. I sipped the Sparkling Spiced which was made with Malibu Island Spiced, soda water, and garnished with an orange wedge and Ian tried the Malibu Spiced and Diet Cola.

We both really enjoyed our beverages and noted that we could taste the coconut, cinnamon, vanilla flavors. The Spiced on Ice was also really tasty and smooth– something you don’t always experience with your typical alcohol + soda water cocktail. We also agreed that we preferred the Malibu Spiced and Diet Cola because the spice paired nicely with the sweet coke.

What a perfect no-guilt cocktail to enjoy on a summery Friday night!

For our meal, Ian and I split an order of mussels & frites to start. The mussels were cooked in an allagash white ale broth and were really tasty but definitely on the smaller side. The frites were fabulous though and super salty.

For my main, I ordered the ahi tuna salad.

And Ian had the lobster mac ‘n cheese.

Both of us were very happy with our selections and happily cleaned our plates. We also enjoyed the first round of drinks so much that we ended up each ordering another Malibu Spiced and Diet Cola to sip while we feasted.

After hogging our table for more than a few hours, Ian and I ended our fabulous date night and headed home where I happily traded in my cute dress and heels for some running shorts and my bed. What more can you ask for on a Friday night?

To make matters even better, I woke up super fresh, sans hangover, and ready to sweat on Saturday morning and was able to head out for an awesome, early morning run.

See, life really is all about balance.

Now it’s your turn:

Leave me a comment telling me what dishes you like to enjoy with rum cocktails for your chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 6/13/13 – 6/30/13.

Visit Malibu Island Spiced Rum on Facebook to get more drink recipes and join the brighter side of spiced rum!

And be sure to visit the Malibu Island Spiced brand page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers’ posts!

SIP EASY. ENJOY MALIBU RESPONSIBLY.

Truvia® and the Truvia® logo are registered trademarks of the Truvia Company LLC.

PER 1.5 FL. OZ. SERVING. AVERAGE ANALYSIS: CALORIES 70; CARBOHYDRATES less than 1 gram; PROTEIN 0 grams; FAT 0 grams.

*when mixed with your favorite zero calorie mixer. Limes and other garnishes may add calories

Please note that I was compensated for both the night out and my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday Workouts + Giveaway {06-12-2013}

Posted on June 12, 2013 by runningthewindycity

Wednesday – 6.2 miles (average pace – 8:01 min/mile). This was my longest run without walk breaks and while it felt weird, I was really happy with how I felt. It was also pain free which was a huuuge deal to me!

Thursday – 5.1 miles (average pace – 8:24 min/mile). I woke up with stiff legs but managed to run through the stiffness and loosen up my muscles. I also went to PT after work and did quite a few drills like high knees, butt kicks, and ladder stuff.

Friday – 7 miles (average pace – 8:19 min/mile). When I woke up and saw that it was in the 50′s and overcast, I knew it was a perfect morning for a run! I ran down to the lake front and then south a bit before turning around and heading home. I haven’t run south since I moved in early April and I missed it. I can’t wait to head down to museum campus this summer!

Saturday – 5 miles (average pace – 7:20ish min/mile). I assumed that I would have been sore on Saturday but I woke up feeling really fresh. My legs wanted to run fast and I had to keep reminding myself that I’m recovering from an injury and shouldn’t do any speed work yet. I think part of the speediness can be attributed to the warmer temps and the sun being out. I tend to push harder on shorter distances when I’m slightly uncomfortable.

Sunday – 8 miles (average pace – 7:53 min/mile). Considering that I had run fast for me right now the day before, I wasn’t expecting to have a quick run on Sunday. My only goal was to get in a longish run and to enjoy myself. Surprisingly, I felt decent and ran my longest run since injury. Woohoo!

Monday – (AM) 5 miles (average pace – 8:38 min/mile). I ran a 5 mile out-and-back route that took me almost down to the lakefront. I wanted to run farther but I slept in a little and had a gait analysis in the evening and I wasn’t sure what it would entail and I didn’t want to wear myself out too much.

(PM) 1.5 mile run at my gait analysis.

Tuesday – (AM) 5.2 miles (average pace – 8:35). I woke up feeling sickish and my body was tired. No surprise since this was the 7th day running in a row. I took my run easy and ran a nice loop reminding myself that Wednesday is a rest day!

(PM) 6ish mile bike ride with Ian to test out his ride to work.

Total miles – 43 running; 6ish biking

I’m happy to say that things finally started to feel normal-ish this past week. I’m not completely injury free by any means but my pain level has dropped so much that I only feel my adductor every other day or so and never before, during, or after running. Given that, I’m finally starting to feel excited for the Chicago Marathon! I took some of your suggestions on my last Wednesday Workouts post and adapted my training plan a bit. too- but more on that later.

I have to admit that I have some major tri-envy going on! Last year was my first time competing in tris and I had a lot of fun. I liked the training variety, felt really strong, and enjoyed the two sprint tris that I raced. However, by the end of the summer, I missed just running and was eager to jump into marathon training so I didn’t think I’d miss it too much this summer… I was wrong. Seeing everyone train and race tris makes me miss them. I’m still excited for Chicago and I’m not about to jump ship and stop running marathons to race tris but the feeling is unexpected so I thought I’d share!

Also, a few weeks ago, I was contacted by FrogFuel and asked if I wanted to try their new protein packs.

I’ve actually been more reluctant to do reviews/giveaways lately because I haven’t been posting as frequently as I used to but I figured that FrogFuel was a product that I’d use and worth giving a shot.

FrogFuel sent me three of their blueberry flavored gel and I’ve tried them twice before runs. The first time, I tried it right from the package and the flavor was a little strong for me. I’m usually a chocolate, mocha, or peanut butter gel girl and I wasn’t used to the fruity flavor. The second time I mixed it with some almond milk (it’s runny so it works well) and it tasted much better. Most importantly, I had two great runs afterwards. While this isn’t a product I’d buy again myself, those of you who like berry flavored things might enjoy it!

If you would like to win 3 FrogFuel protein shots and 1 FrogFuel sticker, please leave a comment sharing your fuel level from the quiz below or your favorite workout. I’ll announce a winner on Monday, June 17. Good luck!

*Please note, FrogFuel is gluten free and lactose free but contains collagen and taurine.

Please note, I was provided with 3 FrogFuel protein packs but was not compensated for my review. All opinions are my own.

Weekend Things {06-10-2013}

Posted on June 10, 2013 by runningthewindycity

1. After a long weekend in Denver and an exhausting week, all I wanted to do on Friday was relax and go to bed early (I know, party animal over here). So Ian and I did just that. We watched some Arrested Development, I read my book, Ian played video games, and I even made some sunflower seed + pepita butter in my food processor!

2. I actually slept in on Saturday morning and woke up at 8:45 to an alarm. It’s been a while since that’s happened. I went out for a run and then sat down to a delicious bowl of peanut butter overnight oats (thanks Megan for sharing the recipe!)

3. After breakfast and some coffee, I met up with Kelsey and Emily at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest.

The Lit Fest is a free festival in Chicago where independent/small local bookstores put up stands and sell new and used books at a discount price. There are also readings, a food tent, and lots of other miscellaneous things like old movie posters, magazines, etc. It’s a blast! I ended up picking up quite a few reads too, all for under $25.

I actually bought the top book at Tattered Cover but the rest are from the lit fest.

4. Ian and I decided to try La Luce, a new-to-us Italian restaurant, on Saturday night.

I had a glass of chianti, Ian and I split an order of grilled calamari, and then I had an order of the chicken limone. It was a lot of food and I’m happy that I was able to take home leftovers!

5. On Sunday I slept in later than planned and headed out for a longish run. When I get back, Ian and I had breakfast and then stopped at Sip Cafe on our way to go grocery shopping to pick up some iced coffee. We’ve been to Sip Cafe a few times but I’ve never noticed the bathroom door before….

This is a cafe I can stand behind .

6. After grocery shopping and running some errands, Ian and I were hungry and decided to walk over to Carbon to have some lunch. We ended up splitting some guacamole and chips and then I had a chicken mole tamale and a steak taco.

I. love. tacos.

7. On our walk back home, we stopped to visit our favorite fruit man and pick up a few mangoes for Ian. He also had these tiny bananas that I couldn’t pass up.

Does anyone know what you’re supposed to do with these? Are they really just miniature bananas?

8. I ended my Sunday on the couch, eating protein ice cream, and watching one of the funniest movies ever, Step Brothers. What more can you want?

How was your weekend?

Long Weekend in Denver

Posted on June 7, 2013 by runningthewindycity

Happy Friday! As promised I’m going to share my trip to Denver with you all today. We did a lot while we were in Colorado and I wanted to keep my recap to one post so I didn’t elaborate too much but if you have any questions about anything we did or saw, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments or send me an e-mail. Here goes!

Friday: Ian and I woke up super early (read: 3 AM) to head to the airport to catch our flight to Denver. We got to the airport with just enough time to grab a snack and some coffee before boarding our plane.

We arrived in Denver around 8 AM and after grabbing our bag, Ian’s friend, Greg, picked us up and took us to Snooze for second breakfast.

Lots of iced coffee was also consumed.

After breakfast, we made a quick pit stop at Greg’s apartment, dropped off our bags, and then headed out to Golden, Colorado to visit Lookout Mountain, Buffalo Bill’s grave site/museum, and the MillerCoors brewery!

Unfortunately, the brewery was evacuated right after we finished our first beer (you get three with the FREE tour) but my first Blue Moon with agave nectar went down really smooth . We ended up grabbing an early dinner at a local Thai restaurant and wandering around Golden for a bit before heading back to Greg’s to crash.

Saturday: I promised myself that I would sleep in on vacation but I still woke up with enough time to squeeze a run in with Ian (on the bike) before we all headed out to Pike’s Peak.

Initially, I had suggested hiking up Pike’s Peak but given the altitude changes (Pike’s Peak is 14,000+ feet above sea level), the weather (COLD at the top), and the fact that Ian and I aren’t in hiking shape (hello bum hip!) my idea was vetoed. However, Greg was happy to drive us up the mountain which was terrifying in its own right (guard rails were present less frequently than I’d have liked) but provided us lots of breathtaking views.

We spent a long time at the top of the mountain, taking pictures, grabbing lunch, and stocking up on souvenirs. The drive down also wasn’t nearly as terrifying as the way up but I was pretty surprised when about halfway down, park rangers (?) checked the temperature of our breaks to make sure they weren’t going to burn out before we reached the bottom.

After Pike’s Peak, we drove around in the mountains for a while before parking the car and going for a hike through the forest. Colorado is incredibly beautiful.

We grabbed a late dinner at a local brewery and then went out for a drink at one of Greg’s neighborhood bars. It was the perfect end to a busy day.

Sunday: After a late night, I slept in on Sunday and then met my cousin, Karen, for brunch at Racine’s. I haven’t seen Karen in about 10 years so we had A LOT to catch up on! Afterwards, I walked the 2ish miles to the 16th St Mall where I walked a lot, found some goodies in a few stores, and then wandered into the best used book store ever, Tattered Cover.

Once Ian and Greg were done with lunch, they joined me and we walked all over the city. We went over to the river and saw the biggest REI store ever, checked out Wynkoop Brewery, and even stumbled across a sidewalk chalk art fair.

We spent the entire day downtown, grabbed dinner and dessert, and then headed back to Greg’s to crash.

Monday: I woke up earlier than the boys on Monday and was able to convince Ian to get up and bike along with me while I ran. It was hotter than on Saturday but I still had fun running in a different area (i.e. not Chicago). We laid low for most of the morning before grabbing tacos at a Mexican restaurant for lunch.

So delicious and so filling.

We took a quick siesta after lunch and then went over to Stranahan’s for a whiskey distillery tour. The tour was awesome, really informative and also really fun and they even gave us a sample. I was quickly reminded of the fact that whiskey is not my thing. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it though!

We also grabbed an early dinner at the restaurant next door before heading to the airport for our late flight back to Chicago!

Have you ever been to Colorado?