Where in the world???

OK, so 7 months have passed since I blogged last. SEVEN MONTHS. Geez. That's awful. I know that most of you follow me on Facebook, so it's not like you think I have fallen off the face of the Earth, but still - by profession, I am a writer. I should be a better blogger! Here's to making that a goal for the 4th Quarter of 2012!

So let's see... It was an exciting May with Morgan's 6th Birthday and Kindergarten graduation! Maddie's 2nd Birthday followed in June and with June came the start of my Chicago Marathon training! That probably explains my absence from the blogging world. Training for a marathon, maintaining a full-time job, a house, 2 kids, cross-training and working sleep in there somewhere left little time for ANYTHING else. 

I did however work in time for something new and different - my first triathlon! In late July, I competed in RocketChix II in Baton Rouge. I realized that I HATE swimming. I mean, I talk and sell the swimming pool lifestyle all day long, but I personally am bad at it. BOOM, I said it. I really stink at it. I realize that it takes practice, but until I have a pool I can truly train in, it's not going to get better. I can bike/run all day long, but the swim kills me. Anyhow, the event was a great experience, and I had a great time. I even competed in a relay for Girl Power a few weeks ago (the bike part!) and I signed up for Girl Power in March 2013. I am hoping some miracle occurs and I either join a gym that has a pool or my other cross-training efforts will somehow make me a super athlete that can all of a sudden swim like a fish.

The end of summer was upon us and it was time for the kids to go back to school. Morgan started 1st Grade and Maddie entered Toddler 2 at Northlake Christian! They've had an amazing year so far, filled with football games and other school events!

So after actively training for over 6 months, the Chicago Marathon Weekend was here. Unfortunately, Jonathan was on business in Houston for Starbucks, so I had to make the trip solo, but I was meeting my good friend, Alicia there to run! Chicago was beautiful - and COLD!! I left the balmy 90 degrees of New Orleans and arrived to the 39 degrees of Chicago! 

My first day was solo, as Alicia and Walt had not yet arrived, but I went exploring! I LOVED the architecture of Chicago. I also became friends with the mass transit system and took the train to Wrigley Field. 

I even visited the Expo that night, even though I knew I'd return the next day with Alicia!

The next morning, I was itching to run! I wanted to simulate race day conditions - at least temp wise. I set out for a 7am run down on Lake Michigan. It was cold, but so beautiful! 

Alicia, Walt and I then hit the Expo before more sightseeing! 

We hit Millennium Park, Lunch at Carmine's and Chicago Chinatown. 

My Brick Chicken at Carmine's!

Alicia's Spaghetti and Meatballs

After a day of sightseeing, race day was here. We needed to be there in our corral for 7:45am. It was SOOO cold. Gun time was about 36 degrees. But we had prepared as much as we could without having to ditch clothing. Luckily Walt was there to take our jackets before we started. 

So now, for the race report:

I was in corral K and it took 46:00 minutes before we even got to the start line. Luckily, the other thousands of people helped to block the cold as we waited. When we got to the start, it was a fast start. What surprised me right away was the THOUSANDS of people that lined the route. I thought, "well, this is just the beginning, so there's going to be lots of people down here." But it continued for miles and miles. The first few miles of the route were downtown, so it seemed to go fast for me. Before I knew it we were well into mile 3 and I was feeling great. What I noticed about this race compared to others is that the runners really had a grasp on runner etiquette. If they felt they were slower, they naturally moved to the right. There was not a ton of bobbing and weaving around people as in crowded races that I've done in the past. 

What I really loved about this race was that it took you through tons of Chicago neighborhoods. We started out downtown, then ran through Lincoln Park, Old Town, Chinatown, and tons of other neighborhoods. Chicago is really beautiful. But again, throughout the ENTIRE 26.2, people lined the streets - tailgating, drinking, cheering...this is pretty much Chicago's Mardi Gras. The aid stations were great - well stocked with Gatorade, Water, Pottys, and cheering folks. 

I get to the halfway point and I am amazed at how great I am feeling. I know the fact that it's still only 40 degrees, no humidity and I am not sweating an ounce helps, but still, I was good. Then - mile 15 hit. I had to potty so bad that I broke off the route to use a porta-potty - something I NEVER do. But I was so concerned about hydration that I drank more than I usually do. That little stop really took a toll on my body. Though my bladder felt better, I stiffened up just that quick. Picking up the pace again was a challenge, so I just started to do what I could. I continued on until I got to mile 19 when I noticed that everyone was starting to walk or pull over to stretch. I realized that stretching would do no good because at this point, my back, neck, an every inch of my legs hurt. It would take forever to stretch it all out. I then started to attempt to do math...mile 19...is that 8 miles left? No wait, 7 miles left? I then remember thinking, ok, maybe I should attempt different math like 19 is what % of 26.2?? The things you think about while running can be so abstract. I then began to quote movies in my head - ANYTHING to not think about the few miles left. I remember thinking about how my legs felt like 100lbs each...everything felt heavy and cramped at that point...then, bananas from heaven! There were tons of bananas being handed to us. I HATE bananas. They've always given me stomach aches, but let me tell you - I grabbed as many as I could hold and started chowing down on them. BEST FOOD EVER. I didn't realize how hungry I was! Pretty quick, the cramps started to subside and before I knew it, I was near mile 25. 

WOW. Mile 25. Almost there. Instantly, tears started to flow. Every hour of every mile of every training run began to hit me. Every run after work when I was dead tired. Every run in the gym because of the rain or dark. Every run when I would have rather been playing with the kids. Every run when my knee was about to explode. That emotion carried me the rest of the way because all at once I realized that I had done it. I was going to finish. I remember making that final turn to the finish line, surrounded by strangers that were audibly weeping much like myself. Crossing that line was the greatest feeling. In my mind, I have come so far. I have done so much. And I cannot believe that I did it. 

Next stop - food! Wow, I was sooooo hungry. And I had been thinking about that Chicago deep dish pizza for MONTHS. And I got it. We went to Lou Malnati's! 

I had the BEST time. I cannot thank Walt and Alicia enough for joining me on this adventure, and we hope to be able to do a destination race (and bring our families!) at least once a year. 

And the whirlwind continued as I hopped a plane from Chicago to Dallas for the POOLCORP International Sales Conference. Teaching 5 Social Media Classes was on tap!

And then, we represented in the booth!

I then returned just in time to do the Gulf Coast Half Marathon on Sunday. I know it seemed crazy, but I was celebrating the anniversary of my very first half just one year ago. I enjoyed the race, but have no races scheduled until the Color Run on November 17th! Whew!

So that was our whirlwind summer/early fall. We are looking forward to our Disney Family Vacation in a few short weeks! 

Stay Tuned!