Shamrock Shuffle 8K Race

662 out of 1998!!! Not too shabby! I placed in the top third in my age group (20-24) and finished the Shamrock Shuffle 8K run with a time of 48:55. Jake kept me tough and Donna added great enthusiasm to this fun filled race! The weather reached a record high today of 80 degrees! Can you believe it?!?! Who needs to go on Spring Break when the weather in Chicago feels like Florida! I actually sweat from the sun during this run. The rest of our day was spend meandering around the city. We calculated about 10 miles today on our feet just from enjoying the beautiful day! More to come..... love, nat

The Green River

The river is finally GREEN! This means Spring is just around the corner!

Friday night I finally got NEW SHOES! Pat @ the Glen Ellyn Running Co totally hooked it up with the new ASICS - AND THEY'RE BLUE!!!! I ran in them tonight with Jake and I feel like I'm running on air. They're so worth the price - my feet are in heaven! After my big purchase, Ron made us a tasty Italian pasta dinner - yummm! There's nothing like carbing up the night before a big run - Thanks, Dad!

On Saturday, Becky and I ran at the all-Team practice at Waterfall Glen in Darien. It was really cold, but absolutely beautiful! There were some hills along the path, but I guess it's supposed to make your legs stronger or something. Every time I do a hill I think of Donna (Jake's mom) and how we would whine our way up the hills in Rhode Island - that was a miserable run, but so worth the feast at Grandma Madeline's.

We ran about 7.5 miles on Saturday and it felt great! Afterwards, we drove back into the city to be greeted upon by millions of people watching the annual dying of the Chicago River. I took the picture above earlier today - it's still green, but not as bright as St. Patrick's Day. The remainder of Saturday was spent with the rest of the Irish (and wannabes) of Lincoln Park! We visited a few pubs and needless to say made it back to our apartment before dark (thanks to a special someone -wink, wink). Chicago IS a great city!

On Sunday Jake and I met Carly @ Tempo after a short jog through the Magnificent Mile... it's our spot and has the BEST breakfast in town! Bottomless coffee, fresh fruit, delicious omelets, and quick service - everything you want on a sunny Sunday morning.

This weekend is the Shamrock Shuffle and I'm gearing up for the race. Pray for sunshine and warm temps! Thanks for visiting my BLOG!

Love, Natalie

74 Degrees is PERFECT Running Weather!

That's right! Don't be confused, we're not in California - it's the WINDY City! Our windows are open and the air is fresh.... It's the perfect day for a run on the lakefront! Six miles... you bet!!!

Familiar faces, familiar places.... I cannot describe to you how beautiful the lakefront path was this evening. I <3 Heart <3 the Beach! The path was flooded with runners, bikers, walkers, business peeps, and random tourists. Even the buff-body-builder-man with the blond mullet and the two sizes too small spandex shorts made it out for a jog. OH! And Cheri from New Trier was on the path too! What a great city!?!?!

Although it wasn't the same running without Emily or Jake, it was still a fabulous run. I feel like I know that path like the back of my hand - every bump and crack (well, not really). Jake and I have stomped in those tracks too many times to count. Tonight brought back great memories from training for the half-marathon last year and reminded me how wonderful this training experience will be. I got to run in my new shorts, a t-shirt, and even my water belt made a cameo, so sexy!

Unfortunately, it isn't here to stay and the forecaster-men are predicting "wintery-like" precipitation on Friday - yuck! Kids were actually wearing shorts and flip-flops at school today, do you believe it? I guess it's too early to pack away my boots-boots this season... apparently I may need them just one more time.

I will be in San Diego visiting Rodeen in just 2 weeks (or a little more)... I can't wait! Speaking of San Diego..... I'm thinking about incorporating one more run into my training - the San Diego Rock n' Roll Half-Marathon in June.... any thoughts? I need to fundraise a total of $5000, so I'll keep you posted on how that's going. I haven't officially committed yet, so until then.... keep spreading the word about TNT! Thanks, kids!

Snow + Ice + Windchill = VERY COLD!!!

Brrrr!!! Emily and I pushed ourselves today (it's all mental)

1. We made it out of bed
2. We battled the 25 degree temps & snow!
3. We slid over many patches of ice and mounds of snow
4. AND we ran 45 minutes instead of 30!

Thankfully I got new running pants that helped keep me warm. No more wearing Jake's clothes! Next week = new shoes!

....We're ready for Spring!

After I got home from practice, Jake and I had a hearty guilt-free omelet breakfast from West Egg Cafe.....Mmmm!

It has only been a month and my TNT expectations have been greatly exceeded. Currently, I am contemplating running the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in San Diego on June 3rd! I really want to go because well.... 1. it's San Diego 2. it's a half-marathon (which I want to run before the full for practice) AND 3. it's for a pretty awesome cause! I just hope that I can fundraise another $2000! Any advice? We have a bar party in the works, so I'll keep you all posted on those details. In the meantime... please help spread the word!
Thank you for your support!

Love, Natalie