Day 361 - 2011 Event Totals - Wow!

At the beginning of my blog (360 days and posts ago!), I created a self induced challenge to participate in some type of "event" every month. I even started a page within my blog to track my progress and now, to some shock, have added up my totals. Total money spent on registration fees (YIKES!), miles traveled (roughly), and the amount of dollars raised for charity. So here's the break out!

In the past twelve months I have participated in: 15 different events.

In the past twelve months I have raised: $1,400 for charity, specifically Children's Memorial Hospital, breast cancer research, and my favorite, the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

In the past twelve months I have spent: $506 on entry fees. Wow, is all I can say...wish I hadn't kept track of THAT number! But, the fact is, I wouldn't change a thing about the events I've participated in and can't wait to repeat some of them next year!

In the past twelve months I have traveled: 61.9 miles via foot and pedal during events, and heaven only knows how many extra miles I've tacked on to this total by driving and walking to the events themselves.

In the past twelve months my favorite event has been: The Dirty Girl Mud Run allowed me to prove to myself that I can tackle anything and I felt a HUGE sense of physical accomplishment after completing this event. Climbing over the two-story cargo net was the worst (and best) thing in the event, besides the mud of course!

In the past twelve months my greatest event based accomplishment has been: Being able to raise over $1,000 dollars for the Cheetah Conservation Fund! At times I thought I was never going to make this goal, but with tons of help from tons of people, even strangers and fellow blog readers, I made it! In doing so, I was one of only 5 Chicagoans who raised this amount of money, and earned the opportunity to meet and pet a live cheetah! It was so amazing!

In the past twelve months I learned: This challenge was not easy! There were days that I didn't feel good and didn't want to get out of bed, and there were plenty of weather challenges that just out right sucked to deal with. I won't even mention the sore feet and tight muscles. There were times I thought to myself, "Who would know if I did these events or not?" but my self conscience always won and shoved me out the door. Despite some of the drawbacks, I learned that I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to, whether I go alone or have fellow "eventers" with me and that I can make friends anywhere I go. I met a lot of new people, if only at the events, who not only did I help, but who helped me through the events in return. 

Day 351 - 5K+

Well today I had a dumb idea. "Save money and warm up" was the thought in my head when I decided to walk to my last 5K event of the year. Upon waking up, I looked out my window to see the first snow of the season, "Great", I thought. Amazingly, I managed to FINALLY dress myself properly for the event. After 11 previous events of either being over dressed or under dressed, I left the house just right adorned in my fleece hat, a running tech shirt, a fleece jacket, workout pants and tennis shoes. What an accomplishment for this girl!

I headed out and as I snorted snowflakes up my nose in route to the 5K, I thought, "Maybe walking wasn't such a good idea". That was quickly followed by, "Ouch, my foot hurts," as I continued the 1.92 mile walk to the starting line. Upon arrival, I gathered my event t-shirt, goodie bag and jingle bell and headed to the starting line. As I started the event, I enjoyed the snow covered landscape and the calm of the lake. My fellow runners and walkers provided the soundtrack of snow crunching and jingle bells jingling.

Soon I was headed home, and again found myself enjoying the scenery of the freshly fallen snow and recounting the year's past events and conditions. I've raced in heat, bitter cold, snow, down pours, and mud. I survived them all, and have learned a lot on how to (and how not to) prepare for them. I'm looking forward to taking the experiences of this year into the next and for now, will continue to stretch and rest this aching body. Ouch.

Note to self: for next year's events, do not add an additional 4 miles to a 5K (3.1 mile) event by walking to it!

Day 324 - Trot

Today I completed the 11th of my 12 monthly events goal.With little sleep, paired with cold weather, I found myself not wanting to even attend. I pushed myself out of bed, got dressed and looked for the Turkey Trot 5K. When I saw the inflatable below, I knew I was in the right place.



The BEST warming station EVER.



Turkeys everywhere!!!



What I was very happy to see!!!

Day 289 - Corn

Today I participated in the World's Largest Corn Maze 5K Run/Walk. Boasting 250 turns and curves, I have to admit that this maze made me dizzy at times! There were also plenty of times I would have loved to cheat and cut under the ropes that tied off the maze, ensuring that we completed the full 3.1 miles of corny craziness, but I didn't. Below are just a few pictures of the event. After having nearly tripped over 3 different downed cornstalks throughout the maze, this event allows me to appreciate the flat paved streets of my "normal" 5K events!

Day 272 - Corn

October's "One a Month" event will find me scurrying through 3.1 miles of corn field, hope I don't get lost! This looks like fun, and if you want to join me you can sign up at the All Community Events website.

Day 268 - PAWS

Today was the PAWS 4K event, and while my heart was surely not in it, I kept this commitment based on the cause alone. PAWS, "Pets Are Worth Saving", is a no-kill shelter helping drive down Chicago's homeless pets euthanasia rate. PAWS believes in giving every animal a chance to find their furever home. After having experienced one of the greatest shelter cats ever, how could I not show up? The walk along the beach front surrounded by people and their pets was cathartic for me and reminds me that life must go on.

Speaking of life going on, I am continuing with my monthly events and have decided to volunteer for the Chicago Marathon. You know the saying, "Those who run, do. And those who can't, volunteer!". OK, maybe that's not an exact quote, but I'm happy to share that my volunteer spot was confirmed today and I will be a course marshal on mile 8. In addition to the marathon, I've signed up once again to volunteer as a balloon handler in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade. I can't wait to see who (which balloon) I'm assigned to!

Day 208 - Pier

Yep, I've signed up for yet another event. Can't wait!
Check it out at Run The Pier.

Day 197 - Input

Wanting to keep on track with my goal of participating in one active event per month, I've been researching ideas all year. While choices seemed quite lean for August, I seem to have no problem finding an event to participate in for September. Rather, September seems to offer too many events to choose from that conflict with each other. What to do? Hopefully by the time I finish this post and get all my thoughts out on cyber-paper, I can come to a decision. I'm not against comments with input and votes, please help! The events I have in mind for September are:

Sunday September 18th - Century Bike Ride (50 miles)
This is a ride close to home, that would stretch my biking skills and let me see parts of the state of IL that I probably haven't seen before, or at least not by bike!

Sunday September 18th - Run the Pier - (1 mile run/walk)
This is a short event, but takes place at one of my favorite Chicago attractions, Navy Pier. Who gets to do this? I love Navy Pier, and getting to do something totally new there would be very cool.

Sunday September 25th - Apple Cider Century Ride (50 miles)
This would be a girls weekend road trip to Michigan, and would be pretty cool. The ride would be the same length that I could do in IL the weekend prior, but this trip could include winery tours, and definitely experiencing something new, somewhere new.

Sunday September 25th - Run For Their Lives 4K
This event benefits the animal rescue group, PAWS, or Pets Are Worth Saving. Working with pets endears this event to my heart.

Sunday September 25th - Brookfield Zoo Run Run 5K
This would be my second zoo event, as I annually participate in the Lincoln Park Zoo run. The proceeds benefit the Chicago Zoological Society and of course, helps animals!

After reviewing my options above, I've highlighted what are my leading choices in purple. While I seem to have the weekend of the 18th decided upon, I'm still up in the air for the 25th. I am sure time will reveal if I stay home and benefit pets, or road trip it to Michigan. Your thoughts and input are welcome!

Day 196 - Mud

- Dirty Girl Mud Run -

Okay, this should count for two scary things, because I am freaked out that I signed up for this, but so excited! The August non-competitive 5K course includes 11 military obstacles that include, but are not limited to, a water pit, wall climb, cargo net climb, and of course, a mud pit! I am grateful I was able to register for this event as the Wisconsin event was initially full, but had additional last minute openings today. As usual, wish me luck and... I see a lot of upper-body weight training in my future!

Day 191 - L.A.T.E.

I participated in the McDonald's L.A.T.E. ride today, well, I guess technically it was yesterday, or actually, both days. The 25 mile ride started late Saturday, but I don't think my wave got released until 2, or 2:30ish Sunday morning. I am typically afraid of the crowds, or more so their lack of following the rider's rules of the road, and their potential to cut me off or cause me to crash. And of course, the 2 miles of unlit lake front trail is pretty scary too, even with a blinding head light.

Amazingly enough, once my group got through the initial launch, we hit quite a few open spots of riding where we could just, all out pedal and ride, it was pretty amazing. We all took turns leading the group through various city neighborhoods and completed the ride in record time. I think we finished the course in about 2 hours, which is great considering all the stop lights, maneuvering through the crowds, and fighting the occasional lost cab that had worked it's way into the biking crowd.

After the ride,we grabbed our breakfast of tea, waffle snacks and yogurt and sat in front of Buckingham Fountain for a well deserved break. Shortly after, we walked our bikes to the car and loaded them up for the ride, let me clarify, the drive home.

Day 190 - 1 to 100

I was amazed and thrilled to see this sign as I exited a parking garage for an impromptu lunch date with a girlfriend. Not only did I do a "scary" thing by accepting an invite to hang out in a city I had (sadly) never been to, but this just seemed like a reminder to try to put more effort into my "scary" events, and get back to the original intention of my blog. While I can't guarantee that my blog will be "personal post" free, I definitely want to put more effort into tackling my fears. I still have quite a list to complete, and the year is half over! With that said, I've made the photo above the wallpaper/background on my phone as a daily reminder to go forth and conquer that ONE thing every day.

So, because I couldn't have been sent a more clear sign to keep doing what it is I'm doing, the next event I'm signing up for is a Century Ride. That's a 100 mile bike ride people. I'm pretty sure my butt will give out before my legs will! I have a lot of training ahead of me for this event, and trust me, attempting a 100 mile ride is SCARY for me! I don't know if I can do it, but I'm sure going to act like I can as I'm a firm believer in "fake it until you make it"! Bravado and a new seat cushion for my bike should take me far! Wish me luck.

Day 177 - Taste

- The Humana Apple -

Today was the Humana sponsored, "Race to The Taste" event. Although the 2 mile route was not clearly marked, I have to admit, this was one of the more fun events I've participated in this year. It was a great path that encompassed different museums, parks, and scenery throughout Chicago. I loved the people, and being near the excitement of the "Taste". I would recommend the 5K or 2 miler to anyone!

PS) This is my 8th event so far this year, and I'm loving it!

Day 135 - Zoo

As part of my commitment to myself and this blog, I've signed up for my June event! The United Run for the Zoo has yet another participant, ME! If you're in the area, please think about signing up to help such a great place, the Lincoln Park Zoo! Check it out at:

http://www.lpzoo.org/events/calendar/run-for-the-zoo

Day 128 - Short K

I woke up at 4am with a pounding headache and no Advil in the house (not that I was going to get out of bed to go get it at 4am had there been a supply handy anyways). "Go back to bed Lynn, it'll go away", I said to myself knowing the alarm would be going off at 6:15. It was 5:30 and the headache and I were still awake. Somewhere between 5:30 and 6:50 we fell asleep though, only to wake and realize we had now over slept (it's very important when setting an alarm, that you actually turn it on)!

Now, the headache and I were awake in a full panic state because we should have been walking to the train by 6:50 and not just waking up at this time, but wouldn't you know it, that little jerk invited his friends to visit! Now, I had stomach cramps and a backache to contend with. "Damn them!" I thought as I fought back tears of self pity, "I have a 5K to participate in!".

I definitely did not feel up to participating in a 5K with all the free loaders visiting, but I struggled to get dressed, and flopped back into bed immediately as if inactivity and boredom would force them to leave. With their persistence to stick around I thought to myself that, "I just simply won't go" to the Y-Me 5K event, but then guilt kicked in as I had made my boyfriend drive to the city and wait in line just a few days earlier to pick up my t-shirt and race day packet. And now, I wasn't going to use it? Also, what about my commitment to this blog and myself to participate in 1 event per month? Considering all obligations, I finally said, "OK, I'll go." to myself, the headache and his visiting friends.

The ray of hope I held onto was, that there was a 3 and 1 mile option for the event, so I told myself at least go and do the 1 mile, and if you're not feeling better by then you can go home. Having woken up late there was not enough time (or energy) for me to walk to the train, so I hailed a cab and off we went. Pulling up to Grant Park, I screamed, "You can let me out here!" to the taxi driver in the middle of Lake Shore Drive (any Chicagoan knows that LSD is not an appropriate stopping point) but thankfully he pulled over. I simultaneously threw my money over the seat and opened the door to escape his horrid driving. Ahhh, fresh air!

I kept telling myself to focus on the event and, "You'll feel better Lynn." But let me tell you, a crowd of 20,000 excited, screaming people does nothing for a headache. Despite the crowd and noise, I made my way to the starting line only to find myself directly in front of a loud speaker with a lady on the other side of it that should have never been given a microphone. "Just start the race already", I grumbled to myself with my face all skewed in disgust, while thousands around me smiled and danced. (Yes, I realized I was the only party pooper in the crowd). I only hoped the news crew wouldn't find me in range of their cameras as the caption under neath the video would surely say, "What the hell is her problem?".

Finally, we were off. There was no escaping the crowd as there were just far too many participants, so as people passed me by, I was over taken by their over powering perfume and cologne (note: headache makes Lynn super sensitive to smell, and who puts on perfume/cologne to walk 3 miles?). I raced down Columbus and turned west onto Roosevelt and all I could think was, "Where's the damn 1 mile marker already?". Having forgotten my I-pod, I listened to other's conversations as I continued on what seemed to be the slowest mile ever (and it was due to the number of participants ahead of me). After 25 grueling minutes, I saw the 1 mile marker (note, it does not take Lynn 25 minutes to walk 1 mile on a normal day) and then became confused as the walk was either a 1 or 3 mile option but there was no finish line or clear exit of the course at the 1 mile mark. I felt trapped!

Feeling no better then when I had started, I continued up Michigan Avenue and was looking for my escape. Just as the mass numbers of people turned right, I turned left onto Harrison to walk to the train station in efforts to head home. I think I could have had multiple $100 bills pinned to me, and no one would have tried to take one based on the horrible grimace on my face. No one sat next to me on the train, as I can only imagine in my hunched over state they assumed I was going to get sick on them. Once at my stop, I staggered home and went back to bed. It was only around 10:30 that I finally started to feel better.

It was a rough morning, and hard to face "failure" as I did not complete the 5K I intended. I took solace in at least doing something however, and am glad I faced fear and participated. Sometimes it's not how much you do that counts, but rather just showing up.

"Eighty percent of success is showing up." - Woody Allen

Day 79 - 5K #2

- Post Race Breakfast: Guiness Beer & Banana -

Today was the St. Paddy's Day 5K run/walk event which is the third event of my monthly challenge. I really would have rather slept in, all snuggled up warm in my bed, but at the last minute I threw on some clothes and headed out in the drizzle. As I hailed a cab to head to Lincoln Park I wasn't the least bit excited to do yet another event, alone. I had a lot on my mind, and admittedly am a bit in the dumps about the well being of my cat (see "Tird" post). Despite mood and lack of motivation, I planned on finishing what I started.

As I walked about the sea of people in green waiting to start the race, I stumbled upon two women and thought I had nothing to lose by striking up a conversation with them so I did just that. "Have you guys participated in this race before?", I asked. And the rest was history. It was as if I had known Shelly, Jodi and Tom (who joined us later) for years. The conversation flowed between the four of us throughout the race and ended with beer and bananas for breakfast (post race carb-loading).

By forcing myself out of the house and rejecting an invitation for one to my own pity party, I met some really great people. I was thankful that our paths crossed and the conversation made for a quick 5K. I left the post race festivities with hugs and an email address to keep in touch with my new friends. I hope we can do more events like this in the future, together.

Day 48 - Fundraising

- Photo from: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com -

Today I started my fundraising efforts to help save the cheetah. Asking people for money is never easy, and asking people to help me raise $1,000 is downright frightening! I've created my own fundraising page as a start, and will start raising awareness about my project with emails and website updates soon. Wish me luck, I really want to meet a cheetah, which is one of the rewards if I'm able to raise my total goal!

Lynn's Fundraising Page:

http://www.events.org/sponsorship.aspx?id=27510

Day 46 - St. Paddy's Day

http://www.chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=97

I've officially signed up for my 3rd event of the year, only 9 more to go! (See post, "Day 14 -Laced Up" for original content). Of course, as my intent is to collect event t-shirts and have them sewn into a quilt upon my completion of all 12 events (in December), I'm not sure if 12 t-shirts will make a decent sized quilt. I may just have to find more events!

PS) I surely hope there are more walkers in this event then the "Cupid's Dash", I don't want to have to think about walking to my car and giving up again!

Day 44 - Cupid's Dash

- Cupid's Medal of Courage -

Today was Cupid's Dash, a 4 mile walk/run event in Highland Park near Ravinia. This was my first 4 miler, as I usually do 5K's/3.1 mile events. My teammate, the running half of team "Breakfast Burrito", encouraged me at the starting line and then, we were off. The herd of people started to run, and I thought, "What the heck? Am I the ONLY one walking in this event?", and then I thought, "This is a walking event as well as running, right?". By the first turn, I was literally in last place and was mortified when I turned around to see no one behind me. I thought about just walking to my car, giving up and going home, but then as the pack of runners passed the photographer, I thankfully saw that some stopped and began walking. I took this opportunity to run and catch up to the small group of what now became 5 event walkers. While my focus was on completing the event, my pride pushed me as it refused to come in last place!

I met up with fellow event newbies Joann and Mae and we talked the entire 4 miles. We shared other event histories and hopefully challenges to come. We giggled at our progress and encouraged each other on the whole way. As fellow Chicagoans, Joann and I were both shocked at how hilly Highland Park is! The event course consisted of nothing but hills which I'm sure added an extra 5 miles onto our walk, at least in effort if not in actual mileage!

As we neared the finish line, I was thankful to be completing my second event of the year, fulfilling yet another part of my blog challenge. I'm also glad I persevered, faced fear of embarrassment and did not give up! I conquered my four miles, came in third (out of 5 walkers), earned a medal and made new friends - what a great start to my day!

Day 43 - Rain II

The results are in, "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles" was a pretty awesome show! I'm still not a huge Beatles fan (I have to keep repeating that in order to not upset the Elvis gods) but I will give credit where credit is due. The performers, Steve, Graham, Tom and Doug did an excellent job of bringing the audience back to a time of Beatlemania. As we walked into the theater there were two large screens that projected psychedelic images in the background while Beatles trivia questions appeared. I learned a lot by just observing such as Paul chose a violin-like shaped bass as it looked less awkward when he played it "upside down" due to being left handed! Go south paws!

As the show began, the screens served another purpose as they acted as old cameras and televisions that premiered the Ed Sullivan show along with screaming fans. It made you feel like you were in the television audience waiting to see the mop tops step out onto stage in the typical black suits and skinny ties. As the show progressed, we entered the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club era, followed by the activist years. I have to admit, while I loved the first half of the show (since I knew most of the songs) I kind of got lost during the second half.

My only complaint of the night would be, that this show is really a concert and the audience seemed to be a bit stiff and confused as the performance was set in a theater. It seemed as though they didn't know whether to rock out, or just sit back and enjoy a typical theatrical performance. None the less, I'm glad I over came my bias and fear, and purchased the tickets to the show. I enjoyed watching the costume changes, the journey of the music and the talent of the performers. I giggled in observance of fans that must have been taken back to their teenage years as they waved the peace sign and could, of course, only partially share in their joy as I wasn't around in the 60's for the original viewing. None the less, I highly recommend the show to anyone whether you know just a few songs, or are a die-hard fan.

Day 37 - Rain

http://www.raintribute.com

I put fear of hating something aside, and bought 2 tickets to see "Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles" as part of an early Valentine's Day celebration with my beau. My significant other was quite shocked by my purchase, and realizes what a sacrifice this is for me as I've never claimed anything but disgust for the Beatles. I'm sure hearing rowdy neighbors (well, one neighbor - see post 2N) blast the song "Yellow Submarine" over and over and over weekend after weekend, did nothing to help endear the band to me either.

On a positive note, I recently realized I do like some of the Beatles' music (see post Day 19 - Secrets), and while I understand what they did for the world of music, I just don't care - Elvis was way hotter! So with this attitude, you see how attending this event may seem like cruel and unusual punishment to me. None the less, I will put on a brave face the night of the event and insure that I Don't Be Cruel so my Beatles loving boyfriend will have a blast. Who knows, maybe I'll find a hunka, hunka, Burning Love or a Good Luck Charm to keep me entertained. Critique of event sure to follow!