Friday, November 15, 2013


This isn't a particularly crafty project considering I didn't even make the actual medal rack. (I bought it on etsy.) Still, my regular medal rack- which is really just a row of coat hooks from Target- actually fell off my wall a few months ago so I figured it was time to double up. (And add some wall anchors.) In deciding which medals got the new prime spot on top of the wall I ended up choosing a mix of first time races (first marathon, first trail run, etc.) as well as my personal bests. It makes me happy to look up and see those special races on prominent display. Even now I can remember so many details about each of those days- who I was with, how I felt, what I did leading up to and after the race. Obviously the "firsts" medals are never going to change but I look forward to, hopefully, swapping out a couple of those PR medals for some new ones. And if I don't get to, at least they're still shiny.


Left to right:

2012 Bewl 15: First-and only!-international race (Wadhurst, England)
2009 Madison Half Marathon: First half marathon
2012 Schaumburg Half Marathon: PR
2009 Lakefront Marathon: First 26.2
2013 Chicago Marathon: PR
2011 Dances with Dirt Marathon: First trail race
2010 Chicago Lakefront 50K: First 50K
2011 North Face 50: First 50 Miler (trails)
2013 Door County Fall 50: First road 50


Monday, November 11, 2013

Big October

So I'm a wee bit late with my October accountability post. Obviously I busied myself with the Chicago Marathon. And two weeks later I did this thing (again) where I ran 50 miles. I really only have about three things to say about that race:

1. I need to go back to Door County again when I'm not running 50 miles.
2. For me, 50 miles is much easier when run on trails as opposed to the road. (Yes, I am aware of the ridiculousness of using the word "easy" in association with running 50 miles.)
3. My little heart still feels all asplode-y with proud when I think of this post-finish photo with Rochelle:


On other fronts, creative projects took a bit of a back burner in October due to all the running and running and preparing for running and recovering from running and then running again. I did take my booty to an African Dance class a couple of times at the beginning of the month which was FANTASTIC. Mama can still shake it! Now that I'm technically in my running off season I'll heading back to some more dance classes until the end of the year. I've even been eyeballing an Aerial Silks class in December because awesome and amazing. Obviously. I'm also going to hunker down and tackle some of these half finished projects around the house so hopefully I'll have a little more to show for myself at the end of this month- you know, besides a marathon PR and a 50 mile ultramarathon. I do have one more half marathon at the end of this month before my race-free December. Will I run a PR in Schaumburg? With everything I've accomplished this year I'll be happy either way but I'm still going for it. I figure why sell myself short? You gotta at least try.