Park Forest Running & Pancake Club – Turtle 10 – 2012

Posted on September 4, 2012 by tootallfritz

Wow, what a difference a year makes. Last year I breezed through the Turtle 10, at a killer ~~for me~~ pace, knocking out those hills at the Hickory Creek Junction like we were old friends. The fact that I had ran a 20 miler just 2 days prior didn’t even enter my mind as I flew on the downs and attacked the ups. This year, I knew would be quite different but I wasn’t about to miss one of my favorite events ~~just because I’m out of run shape~~. Here I am last year heading out of Hickory Creek toward Old Plank as I get ready to tackle the last 4 miles (photo source PFRPC). I remember hitting that clock and seeing 46:xx something for my time and thinking, “This is a good day”.

This year, when I hit the same spot as the above photo, I stepped off the course because I had hit my mileage limit. I was not feeling at all serene or in control. I struggled thru the hills and the heat, I walked quite a bit and it took me 55 minutes this year for the same distance. Not great but I’m still glad that I went.

The Park Forest Running and Pancake Club always delivers a first class event at a very low cost, plus they usually throw in some wacky SWAG and FREE PANCAKES to all the participants. The fee for the non-members was a mere $5 for a 10 mile supported event on one of the most beautiful trails in our area. Participant numbers are normally low for this event. I would guestimate possibly 50 or 60 people this year which works well for this trail since it remains open during the event.

Water and Gatorade stations were located at approximately 3 miles, 6 miles & 8 miles. The bathrooms were located at miles 0, 3 & 6. The volunteers were very helpful, friendly and the certified course was marked well to avoid confusion. There is no chip timing or numbers but they did present awards this year and everyone received a finishers medal.

Overall, this is probably the best bang for your buck on the racing scene. I encourage you to join us next year at the Turtle 10 to brave the hills of Hickory Creek. It may not be easy but it will be worth it. The way this course it set up it is easy to do 6 miles if you are not ready for the full 10. Myself, a couple of my fellow Frankfort New Lenox Running Club members, in addition to a few others showed up to support the PFRPC but opted to step off after 6. This race is very informal. So if you are intimated about the racing scene, this is a good one for you because it feels more like a group run than an actual race and many people treat it as such. Very relaxed atmosphere!

Frankfort New Lenox Running Club – Turtle 10 Runners

Top Left: Jenny G, Lynn, Barb, Kim, Me, Jen L, Kevin, Susan & ~~Speedy~~ Kristin

Bottom: Jill, Jen E & Sam

The next race presented by the Park Forest Running & Pancake Club will be the MidWinter Cruise in Park Forest, IL on January 20, 2013. Another great race by this awesome run club. I’ll see you there. If you would like a sneak peak as to what you can expect, read my 2012 MidWinters Cruise race report HERE.

Side note: One of the Mission AthleteCare giveaway items were not claimed. I let the Random Number Generator draw a new number and Cynde Gillispie (#28)has won a Sun Defeated Continuous Spray SPF 30. Please shoot me an email with your address, Cynde, and I’ll ship out your sunscreen!

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz.com ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

180s Quantum Cool Training Visor Winners

Posted on August 30, 2012 by tootallfritz

We have winners! I drew one ladies name and one men’s name from the list of entrants who “liked” 180s on Facebook. Even if you didn’t enter today, you might want to go now and like 180s on Facebook because they give away cool stuff all the time! If you are REALLY, REALLY interested in winning 180s gear, then I would recommend also going HERE to fill out the form to be on their mailing list and you, like me, may just get an email that you won a free visor too! Super cool, right?

WINNERS:

Ladies – #5 – April Weber

Men’s – #6 – Brian Parker

April & Brian – please email your addresses to me at amanda@tootallfritz.com.

If you didn’t win, don’t forget that you can get 25% off the training visors between now and September 7th by using the coupon code: TOOTALL

Men’s 180s Quantum Cool Training Visor

Women’s 180s Quantum Cool Training Visor

** Stay Cool ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Still Trying to Keep Cool…..180s Quantum Cool Giveaway

Posted on August 29, 2012 by tootallfritz

I wish I had a new story to tell but it’s the same thing over and over again, the runners in Chicago, and throughout the Midwest, are melting! I’m still in shock over how hot and sticky this summer has been and I haven’t ran near the miles as most of you.

As your may remember in this post HERE, Aby has found a few innovative ways to keep cool while running this summer, one of which was using a 180s Quantum Cool headband.

Days after Aby ~~made me buy~~ got this headband, I received an email from the company that I had won a FREE QuantumCool Training Visor in their weekly Facebook drawing. I was super psyched and anxious for it to arrive. I’m not sure I even had the visor for 24 hours before it hit the trail with me for a run.

I only own one other visor and to be honest, I have never worn it. I normally only wear “hats” when it rains and a visor is what, half of a hat? I prefer to run in the woods or shaded areas and haven’t found a real pull toward visors for the purpose of keep the sun out of my eyes. However, I get hot. Like really hot. I melt. I get headaches in the sun and the idea of a cooling visor, well now THAT appeals to me in a really big way.

The visor is adjustable but holds tightly to the head. The cooling element is located in the sweatband and the technology is activated with sweat or water. According to the 180s.com website:

QuantumCool moisture activated cooling technology begins to work as soon as sweating occurs. Cooling your skin is 180s answer to overheating, overexposure to the sun and decreased performance. Experience the active cooling and increased comfort of QuantumCool and stay out there longer.

I usually just get it wet myself because by the time my body starts sweating, I’m near death, so I just skip ahead and get it wet for my own safety and it is like holding a cool cloth to my forehead. I don’t notice it being “cold” when I run but I notice it not working when I take it off. I even used it on the boat one day when it was coolish (mid 80s) and I had to take it off because I was chilled between the breeze and the visor.

The specific details on the visor:

QuantumCool is located in the sweatband and actively cools as soon as you begin to sweat, cooling skin. The stretch waffle knit fabric quickly absorbs sweat, naturally increasing the cooling effect. Designed to solve many weather-related challenges that outdoor athletes encounter, the QuantumCool Training Visor offers these additional features:

Hook and Loop Elastic Back Closure: Allows for one-handed adjustment to keep the hat comfortable and in place during activity.
Lightweight: Protection without impacting performance.
Pulse Point Cooling: The cooling element in the sweatband is located on pulse points at the temples, increasing the cooling rate of the body.
Technical Stretch: Increases comfort and improves fit.
QuantumCool Technology: Moisture Activated Cooling Technology
UPF 30+ Protection: Provides added protection from the harmful rays of the sun.

I don’t pretend to be scientific but I like having it when its hot and I keep pulling it out again and again to fight the heat.

The QuantumCool Training Visor made its rounds thru the city with me last week and the temps were in the high 80s.

Although, I still thought I would pass out before I returned to the office, my forehead and pulse points were cool when I took the visor off. If you run in sunny areas or get hot ~~and then feel crappy like me~~, then this might become a new favorite for you as well. 180s Quantum Cooling has generously agreed to give away a QuantumCool Training Visor, a $25 value, to one female and one male reader! The catch? Go like them on Facebook HERE. After you like them on Facebook, then leave a comment below telling me that you did so and I will enter you in the drawing. I will draw one female and one male winner on Thursday, August 30th so that you have a chance to get a hold of this before the weekend’s long run! Good luck!

For those of you who do not win and want one of these babies, order the ladies visor HERE or the men’s visor HERE before September 7, 2012 using the 25% off coupon code: TOOTALL

Please note that although they have a lot of awesome products on the website, the coupon code is only good for the training visors, which are available in white or black and are gender specific:

** Stay Cool ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Mission AthleteCare Giveaway Winners

Posted on August 14, 2012 by tootallfritz

Winner, Winner, Winner! Did you win? I let the random number generator choose 7 winners for the Mission AthleteCare goodies!

We started with the care package above, gave the EnduraCool Towel & an Anti-Chafe Stick away a couple of weeks ago and are still left with 7 items.

The Random Number Generator picked #23, #5, #49, #44, #47, #17 & #59. I distributed the items according to your preferences in the comment section, in the order you were selected. I hope all of you love the Mission products as much as me and my family!

#23 – Yo Momma Runs – Foot Rehab Cream

#5 – Lynn Starr – Sun Defeated SPF 30

#49 – GingerFoxxx – 5 Hour AntiChafe Stick

#44 – Frogger – Foot Rehab Cream

#47 – Amanda Wesson – Sun Defeated SPF 30

#17 – Melissa Chronicles – Kids Continuous Play SPF 70

#59 – Judy Fishbaugh – 5 Hour AntiChafe Stick

Please email me at amanda@tootallfritz.com with your mailing address and I will mail your goodies immediately! Enjoy!

Don’t forget the 20% discount code expires on August 30th! I know I’ll be using it to get more of that 5 Hour AntiChafe Stick, the Muscle Rehab (which I gave away with my Favorite Training Items Giveaway) and ~~a lot~~ more sunscreen. Go to Mission AthleteCare and enter the code: TooTallFritz20

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Mission Athletecare Giveaway

Posted on August 8, 2012 by tootallfritz

As most of you know by now, I’m a huge fan of Mission AthleteCare! Their motto is to Perform, Protect & Rehab.

Perform – Enhance performance during competition!
Protect – Combat elements before competition!
Rehab – Restore body after competition!

Those are things which I can really get behind, particularly when their products are formulated to not only to work for you NOW but also in the future by being paraben free. If you are not familiar with the paraben issue, my friend Bridgett has broken it down into laymen’s terms HERE and uses ScienceDaily as a reference. If I understand it correctly, many scientists are concerned about parabens causing health issues including breast cancer. More information and ~~scientific~~ detailed reports on the Eves-Best & Livestrong websites. The paraben issue is enough of a concern to make me pay attention to the ingredients in products I buy and be thankful when I come across paraben free items. I’d personally rather be safe now than sorry later.

I have randomly written about Mission AthleteCare products multiple times in the past as I stumble across a new favorite and I have even given way items out of my personal stash for the Favorite Training Items Giveaway. More recently, I talked about the Mission Athletecare EduraCool Towel which Aby and I are still fighting over. You can read that post HERE. I actually read a review on it from another blogger yesterday who didn’t think it was that “cool” but then she also mentioned she lived in a no humidity area. Our towel, that we use in the Midwest, is awesome, stays cool for hours and we find it very refreshing. The fact that it is reusable, washable and big enough ~~to fight over~~ is just a bonus!

I am also in love with the 5 Hour AntiChafe Stick which I am now using exclusively to combat the infamous chub rub. This product is smoother than some of its competitors, goes on very easily, does not crumble and stays on for hours under very ~~nasty~~ hot and sweaty conditions. The sticks is $9.99 and I have 2 for the giveaway! I use it for running, triathlon and keep one in my purse for skirt/short days.

The Foot Rehab Cream is a new product to me. It has a light peppermint scent that I love, tingles slightly upon application and helps the feet repair from those long/frequent training runs. This is also a good product if you are in sandals all day, every day and your feet take a beating. The kids and I love this one and hubby is thankful that it’s not nearly as ~~stinky~~ aromatic as the Burt’s Bees Peppermint Foot lotion that ~~he always complains about~~ we used before we received this. The Foot Rehab is $9.99 and I have 2 to giveaway.

We also just recently ventured into the Mission Athletecare Suncare line. We use so much sunscreen that I should buy stock. Skin Cancer runs in my family so we use it liberally, we frequently reapply, then reapply again. We are constantly outside, at the pool or on the lake and go thru as much as a large spray can of sunscreen (or more!) a day. However, I keep buying different brands because I can’t find one that we like. My biggest complaint is that the sunscreen burns our eyes and is greasy and/or sticky. For a family that runs & plays hard, sunscreen burning the eyes is just not an option but I haven’t been able to get around this problem. One of the Mission ads, below, specifically identifies the problems with sunscreens “stinging eyes, clogging pores, leaving hands greasy” but I was still a little skeptical.

We tried both the Kids Continuous Play SPF 70 and the Sun Defeated SPF 30 which both retail for $9.99 per can. The kids loved this stuff and there was no saving it for a “special” occasion because every time they got called in for sunscreen, Aby would demand that I use the Mission because it didn’t burn her eyes. Ummm….Okay. She didn’t know anything about what it should or shouldn’t do but knew that’s the brand she wanted. That’s as good of an endorsement as I can possibly give so after we use up our current stock of randoms, it will be all Mission sunscreen for us. The applicator worked well, didn’t spray too hard and the spray dried immediately without leaving a sticky film. This was a big win for us! I have 2 cans of Sun Defeated SPF 30 and 1 can of the Kids Continuous Play SPF 70 to give away. This totals 7 items available to win!

So let’s get some winners! I will pick 7 winners via a random number generator on Tuesday, August 14th at 9am. In order to be entered in the giveaway, please do one or all of the following then make one comment below to let me know what you did.

“Like” Mission Athletecare on Facebook HERE – 1 entry
Write on Mission’s Facebook wall that TooTallFritz.com sent you for the giveaway – 1 entry
“Follow” Mission Athletecare on Twitter HERE – 1 entry
Tweet, Facebook or blog about the giveaway – 2 entries for each share
Comment below and specify which product you would most like to try (this will help me distribute the goodies!) – 1 entry

In all there is a possibility of 10 entries. Good luck and please share the giveaway to throw some love Mission’s way for being so generous!

If you want to try a few Mission AthleteCare products use the 20% off coupon code: TooTallFritz20 I won’t make any $, you will just save some! Coupon code good thru August 30, 2012.

** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Mixing Things Up & Giveaway Winner

Posted on July 25, 2012 by tootallfritz

I have just reached the point in rehab where I am able to run a little bit at a time. Yesterday was 2 miles in the dark at a conservative 9:19 pace. A two mile run, although quite an accomplishment, and testament to the effectiveness of my rehab, still does not constitute a full workout. So I’ve been doing a lot of random things to fight the boredom and keep moving. Yesterday included the 2 mile run, then a 30 minute StairMaster session. Today began with a 9.5 mile ride on the trainer and tonight I will do my weekly swim workout. I just try to focus and keep moving while utilizing workout DVDs, various pieces of equipment like the elliptical & StairMaster and I ride my bike both inside and out. While riding on the trainer is not fun, think running on the treadmill ~~mindless and super boring~~, it certainly has it’s benefits. The trainer gives me freedom to ride in the dark, when I’m with the kids and when the weather is less than ideal, like this morning during the thunderstorm! I admit, I feel empowered by the fact that I can ride my bike even when it’s not an option to take it outside.

My bike set up is below. I move the bike on and off the trainer all the time, by myself. So if you are looking for an indoor riding option ~~while the kids are napping, playing or watching a movie~~, there is no need to spend extra money on a spin bike, just purchase a trainer and use the bike you already own. I bought this fluid trainer years ago via an online sale at Performance Bike. I think it was $139 circa 2006. Just an idea to keep things moving even when the weather is bad! And this is way cheaper than a treadmill!

Now, the giveaway winner! Last night around 8pm, I read Aby all of yesterday’s comments on “keeping cool” and let her choose the winner. She had a tough time deciding between two but finally decided that Susan D’s suggestion to freeze her underwear was the best, most creative and funniest suggestion! She and her brother then promptly ran to their rooms for a pair of clean undies to put in the freezer. Thanks, Susan…..I really appreciate your “suggestion”.

Aby’s second choice was Brian P’s idea to hit every ice cream joint on the south side. Aby loves ice cream more than almost anything and she had a very rough time awarding Susan the win when it ousted Brian’s ice cream suggestion. Since Mission AthleteCare has been so generous with the goodie pack:

I decided to award Brian a prize too. Susan D wins the EnduraCool Towel & Brian P wins a 5 hour Anti-Chafe Stick. Please send your mailing addresses to amanda@tootallfritz.com and I’ll get your prizes out ASAP!

The 5 hour Anti-Chafe Stick is one more anti-chafe product in the Mission AthleteCare line. I had previously tried the Anti-Chafe Cream and compared it with Body Glide and was not impressed. The Anti-Chafe Cream works well for bra strap rubbing but did not perform well with the chub rub that I experience in the inner thigh area. It’s an issue for me and I keep Body Glide in my purse and use it constantly when I wear skirts or shorts. So I’m a big Body Glide fan for both life and running/triathlon. When the Anti-Chafe Stick arrived, I assumed that it wouldn’t be able to compete with Body Glide but I was wrong. It actually goes on much smoother than Body Glide and works just as well, if not better. So just in the “application” aspect, I now put the Mission AthleteCare Anti-Chafe Stick ahead of Body Glide. This is big in my world and I’m happy they sent me some to try because I probably wouldn’t have bought any since the cream wasn’t my favorite. Thanks, Mission Athlete! Brian, I hope you like this product as much as I do! Enjoy; I know your feet and body are taking a beating during marathon training in the heat and hopefully this will help prevent blisters on your feet and soothe any other hotspot/chafing areas you get while on the run.

What is your favorite anti-chafe product?

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Middle of the Road….. & Quick Giveaway

Posted on July 24, 2012 by tootallfritz

The great thing about living in the ~~middle of nowhere~~ country is that at 4am, traffic is non-existent and it’s just me and the ~~coyotes~~ open road. Since I am bouncing back from the torn tendon in my foot, I am slightly cautious about footing. This morning, I took the flattest/smoothest section and ran down the middle of the road with my Knuckle Lights shining a bright path in the darkness. Here is the road I ran this morning but in the light, at 5:45 am. Still not “too” busy.I know all of you have been battling the heat and humidity for marathon training while I have been rehabbing my injury. Inside. In an air conditioned, zero humidity environment. Today was my first hot run and let’s just say, I need to adjust quickly. It was 83 degrees at 4:30 am with a feels like temp of 87. It was not only warm but very humid as the rainstorms were still miles away. I only ran 2 miles, at a very relaxed 9:19 pace but it was stifling.

Aby, my soon to be 11 year old, has been running in the heat all summer. She has raced several 5Ks, is running 2x a week at Cross Country Camp and basically suffering thru the miserable heat & humidity just like all of you. She may be young but has figured out a few great ways to stay cool while running.

1) She freezes her water bottles and takes them to Cross Country Camp frozen so that they will still be cold when she needs them. In fact, we just picked up this Nathan Thermal QuickShot Handheld for her at the Sports Authority booth of the Rock N Roll expo. We paid $11 but Running Warehouse looks about the cheapest online for $16.95. ~~I hope she’ll let me borrow this sometime.~~

2) She also found a 180s Quantum Cooling headband ($15 online, $12 expo) that is activated by sweat and/or water to continuously cool her head. It also has a slot for ponytails, which made her squeal with delight.

3) She has also ~~stolen~~ borrowed my new Mission Athletecare EnduraCool Towel. The towel that Mission just sent me last week. The towel that I only have used one time. The towel that stayed cool for hours, even hanging on the chair to dry. The towel that I should have had on my run this morning. The towel that is hidden away in her Cross Country bag. I’m going to get this one back ~~unlike my gps watch which she has commandeered. Is it over-the-top to give a gps watch as a birthday present to an 11 year old?~~

I hope all of you have also figured out a few unconventional ways to keep cool during these sweltering summer runs! In case you haven’t I’m going to do a fast giveaway to get one EnduraCool Towel into somebody’s hands in time for this weekend’s long run. So if you want an EnduraCool Towel, then put on your creative hat! This needs to stay PG because I’m going to let Aby pick the winner at 8pm tonight (winner to be announced tomorrow morning).

Please make a suggestion for Aby (age 11 – 6th grade) of a crazy/funny way to stay cool this summer. Ideas can relate to being “on the run”, cooling off post run, or dealing with the heat in “real life”. In order to respect the laws of creativity, it does not have to be something which is actually feasible or even something which we could implement. We just want to make her giggle. Think/Create an idea & comment below! Good luck!

Info on EnduraCool Towel from Mission’s Website:

Mission’s™ Enduracool™ is made from a proprietary performance fabric that instantly cools when wet with water or sweat, wrung out and snapped in the air to activate the sustained cooling properties. Use during or after competition to provide sustained cooling on your neck, head or other hot zones.

How It Works: A revolution in cooling, this performance fabric absorbs and retains sweat and water, circulating the molecules while regulating the rate of evaporation to ensure an instant cooling effect against the skin for hours, without feeling wet.

Towel Dimensions: 12.25″ x 33″

** Stay Cool ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Winner of Chicago Half Marathon Giveaway

Posted on July 19, 2012 by tootallfritz

A huge thank you to all of you who participated in the giveaway! If you didn’t win this time, don’t be discourage, try again! More goodies to come soon!

Congrats to #3 – Annabelle W. for winning the free entry to the Chicago Half Marathon on September 9th. Annabelle said that the race fees where bankrupting her and I think we all know how that feels!

Please email me at amanda@tootallfritz.com for further details.

If you haven’t signed up for this race yet, consider doing it soon. It’s a great race! Plus, if you ran the 13.1 Chicago and also complete this race then you will receive a special Windy City Challenge medal for your awesome efforts!

Windy City Challenge:

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Whirlwind of Travel….

Posted on July 17, 2012 by tootallfritz

After a 500 mile whirlwind trip to participate in the swim/bike portion of the abbreviated Ironman 70.3 Muncie (Race Report HERE & travel/expo details HERE), it was time for vacation. Fortunately, the kiddos got to spend a few days at the lake with my parents and Mick and I had a few solo days prior to the chaos!

Mick and I took a trip into the city (Chicago) the day after the Muncie event – 100 miles driving.

We then spent a day deep cleaning the house and throwing things away in the playroom ~~while the kids were away and nobody could scream or go thru the trash~~. Trust me, you don’t need a photo of that!

Then we headed to Saugatuck, MI for a day of fun in the ~~bars~~ sun with old friends – 150 miles.

Upon ~~sobering up~~ waking, we then took a cross country trip back to the lake to pick up the kiddos. The phrase, “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go”, never really meant as much until this little cross country jaunt with no direct route. 120 miles later we had our “babies” back!

We stuffed the “little ones” in the car ~~and prayed they would nap~~ for the trip to Wisconsin Dells for a few days of family fun! 350 miles

I’m pretty sure that we left very few rocks unturned at the Dells.

We did the Ducks & Upper Dells Boat Tour:

Ghost Outpost, Lost Temple, Top Secret, & the WI Deer Park:

Go Carts (or “Gofe” Carts as Michael calls them) & Alligator Alley:

Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Thrill Show with Aqua the Clown & Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum:

Water parks small & large:

Michael’s favorite slides were these yellow & blue ones:

Then we made the trip home ~~with Michael screaming that he didn’t want to leave the “Consin Dells” and Aby pouting that we didn’t make it to the Mining Company~~ – 225 miles, just in time for a bit of NMCA racing (Mick’s old car in second photo):

And the FNRC Splash & Dash, the kiddos ran a mile then hit the pool!

That was a very full 8 days of “vacation” which started with the Muncie race and ended with the Splash N Dash. I’m exhausted just reviewing it all!

Any family fun on your horizon?

PS – If you missed it, I’m giving away an entry to the Chicago Half Marathon on September 9th! Click to enter HERE. Good luck!

** Summer Lovin’ ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Giveaway for Chicago Half Marathon

Posted on July 14, 2012 by tootallfritz

You may have seen one or two bloggers giving away entries to the Chicago Half Marathon on September 9, 2012. If you haven’t yet won, then here is YOUR shot! This race is actually filling up faster than ever before so time to either win a freebie or register so you can be on the start line September 9th!

I have fond memories of this race. First, I love racing in September because the height of both marathon training and TRI season is in the done column. The September, October and November races fly. Or more importantly YOU will fly from killing it during summer training and racing. All the hard work pays off in the fall. I always run my fastest races of the year at that point and really just love the sport of running and racing so I am thrilled to be able to giveaway an entry to one of my favorite races.

The best part of this Chicago Half is the lengthy amount of time you spend on Lake Shore Drive. The good, you get to see the elites and fasties barreling back at you on the opposite side of The Drive while you are just settling in and getting started. The best, the views from The Drive of Lake Michigan and its amazing surroundings.

Here are a few notes from the race I did in 2008, yes, even back then I was full of tips and stories…….lots & lots of stories!

The Chicago ½ Marathon (9/14/08)……. Yes, it was raining. Yes, it rained the entire way. Yes, it just kept raining harder. Yes, we were dodging puddles (if you want to call them that) and officials even had to reroute the course due to flooding.

That being said it was a great race. The harder it rained, the further I pulled my hat down to keep my eyes shielded from the pelting rain. I just focused on running rather than the conditions. I don’t mind the rain, actually I prefer it to the heat. Last year (2007) was so hot that I thought I wouldn’t finish, once I did finish I didn’t feel any better (actually felt really horrible) and wanted to give my running shoes to the first homeless person I saw because I was confident that I wouldn’t be needing them anymore. So bring on the cool rain any day!!

Race tips:
1) Don’t worry that the first several miles of a large race are so slow because of traffic, it will thin out and you will be better prepared to cope with the later miles because of the slow warm up.
2) Figure out some sort of race plan and try to stick to it.
3) Don’t let your friends pull you along at a faster pace than you want to run. I heard a guy trying to talk his friends into speeding up before we even got to Lake Shore Drive (LSD) around mile 4. Well, there are at least 3 miles, if not more, on LSD going north then a turn around to go back south to the finish. LSD is full sun/wind or whatever condition are available for the day.

If you aren’t familiar with the course then try to keep it relaxed until after the half way mark, then evaluate your situation and speed up if you can. Running a faster 2nd half is always better than running fast out of the gate and dying.
4) Try to enjoy yourself! Race = Reward.

I have wonderful memories of this race, I hope you run this year and make your own!

In order to enter this giveaway for a FREE entry into the Chicago Half Marathon on September 9, 2012 ($85 value), make a comment below (+1). If you opt to share this giveaway via Twitter (+1), Facebook (+1) or your Blog (+2) let me know when you comment. Go, Share, Win!

Good luck all! Giveaway ends and a winner will be chosen via a random number generator on Thursday, July 19th at 9am!

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

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TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Giveaways

Park Forest Running & Pancake Club – Turtle 10 – 2012

180s Quantum Cool Training Visor Winners

Still Trying to Keep Cool…..180s Quantum Cool Giveaway

Mission AthleteCare Giveaway Winners

Mission Athletecare Giveaway

Mixing Things Up & Giveaway Winner

Middle of the Road….. & Quick Giveaway

Winner of Chicago Half Marathon Giveaway

Whirlwind of Travel….

Giveaway for Chicago Half Marathon

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