Balega Sock Giveaway Winners!!

Posted on November 20, 2013 by tootallfritz

Runners love socks. Runners love NEW socks. The only thing that a runner loves more than NEW socks would be FREE NEW SOCKS! So without further adoo, we have 6 pairs of Balega socks to give away. I used a random number generator to generate 6 unique values:

#76 – Running Whit

#11 – John B – Bye Bye Butterball

#23 – Julie Molenar

#88 – Amanda W – Get to Goal

#95 – jenereesa – Scoot A Doot

#28 – Rose Hill

If you see your name above, please email me at Amanda@TooTallFritz.com with your name, address & shoe size. The info will go to Balega ASAP so they can send your socks!!

For everyone else, I recommend adding Balega’s to your wish list and/or grab some the next time you go to the local run store because they are sweet! My favorite Balegas so far are the Hidden Comforts but I see they have a new Blister Resist style which I should probably check out next. And if you don’t like the cushion in your run sock then stay with the thinner style, Second Skin, that is thin and performs so perfectly that you will never even know it’s there. Those are the best kinds of socks, the ones that you forget that you are wearing. Smile

** Happy Feet Run Faster ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

As See On The Run, Swallow Cliff & Schubert Woods Edition ….

Posted on November 19, 2013 by tootallfritz

This last weekend brought us ~~crappy, destructive weather~~ unseasonably warm temps and most of the runners in my area were out trying to enjoy it, the only way we know how …. running. What’s better than running? TRAIL RUNNING, of course!

Saturday, I had Swallow Cliff on deck. I had anticipated going alone to run two loops but much to my delight, I had two rounds of F’N Runners to keep me company. We ran the 8 mile yellow loop and were easily able to accommodate an early AND a late crew. 7am crew on the left, 8:30am crew on the right. No, I didn’t change clothes but added a layer for the second loop. The temps were cool with the drizzling rain.

Fun times. I’ve posted about Swallow Cliff before so if you want to see more pics or take a peak at the map, go HERE. Otherwise, below are trail pics from Saturday’s trip. I’m not sure why but I was surprised when I hit the trial and it was totally COVERED with leaves. We had to be pretty careful in spots because the bigger hills have ruts where water runs off and those ruts were totally covered by leaves. It wasn’t a fast trip but it was beautiful!

Trails, Bridges, Hills, Runners & More

Many of our runners braved the stairs too, either before or after their run. Swallow Cliff is know for it’s stairs which were originally built for the old toboggan slides, which have since been removed for safety reasons. However, the stairs are still present and provide area locals a great workout. The stairs are always busy. People are always climbing. All day long. Every day. Year round. How many trips up/down can you make?

Sunday I slept in with Michael, made the family breakfast, did a few loads of laundry AND THEN managed to get Aby motivated to run. All morning we had been watching the radar waiting for a “window”’ where we could squeeze in a run. When we left the house, the radar was clear and we were between storm cells ~~but that didn’t last long~~. We headed to Schubert Woods in Park Forest specifically because it’s a 4 mile loop which is the perfect distance for Aby. Plus there is an added bonus in that the trail possesses a short hill, which is decently steep and good for hill repeats. We have a very hilly Turkey Trot coming up so she needs to stay in decent shape and well, I ALWAYS need to work on my hills ~~because it is one of my weakest areas~~. Unfortunately, the bad weather rolled in before we got to our hill repeats. Bummer. Next week!

More details, pics & a map of Schubert Woods via my previous posts HERE and HERE. These photos below are from our run on Sunday. Love this trail, it’s one of my absolute favorites, and only about a 15 minute ride from the house.

Good run weekend. I’m currently training for the Huff 50K Trail Run on December 28th and the Disney World Dopey Challenge (January 9-12) so I’ll be logging some really good miles in the next month. Or that’s the plan. Let’s hope life let’s me put down the miles so I can enjoy both events, walk away with a smile, and earn all those January weekend sleep-in that’s I’m already planning! Smile

Do you prefer roads, trails or do you just want to stay on the treadmill? I’d love to hear where you like to run, tell us!!!

** See YOU On the Trail ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Favorite Things …… 2013 Edition

Posted on November 18, 2013 by tootallfritz

Every year as the holidays approach, readers start asking for a list of my favorite things. This year I haven’t found a ton of NEW run things that I love but I do have a few favorites.

My favorite lifestyle tees this year are the Whooha Gear, Regret Nothing tee ($24) & the Tough Chik, I Run Because tee ($22), which is actually on my wish list! Both of these are inexpensive items that deliver a message. The bold, neon orange Regret Nothing tee is one of my absolute favorites that I wear constantly (and you can still use the INSPIRE discount code for 10% off). However the “Run Because” tee holds a special spot in my heart. Shannon from Tough Chik sent out a poll asking ladies for the reason as to why they run. All of the quotes in the heart of that tee are from MY friends, YOUR friends, and random Tough Chiks everywhere. We may not all run for the same reason but we will run united as Tough Chiks FOREVER!

My favorite running items this year? The Asics Emma Racerback ($34) & the Athleta Relay Capris. My “Emma” is always dirty. As soon as it comes upstairs from the wash, I pull it for a treadmill run. The butter soft, lightweight fabric makes this baby the BEST shirt I own for a hot, sweaty workout. They have three colors, I only own the Energy Print but would definitely buy more ~~if I didn’t feel guilty cuz my workout wardrobe is larger than what most people own for “everyday wear”~~. My go to “bottoms” are always the Athleta Relay Capri pants ($69). You can say what you want about how costly the Athleta items are but these capris stand the test of time. I only add one pair of capri’s to my “collection” every year and well, I’m still wearing the original black ones that I bought 4-5 years ago. I’ve since added navy, cobalt blue, asphalt and the new sandstone inkblot ($74) to my closet. They come in tall and standard sizes, fit perfectly, don’t move when I run and they also have a zip pocket in the back that is large enough for my iPhone. I don’t own any other capri pants cuz these are perfect and stylish. Total win!

Something that’s been on my wish list for a LONG time, is a pair of aviator sunglasses. Why? Cuz all the cool kids wear them and well, lots of fast runners in my area do too. Somehow my brain now equates aviator sunglasses with cool people who run fast. Yeah, let’s just go with it. Since it’s no secret that it’s hard to find a pair of sunglasses to fit this oblong, skinny face, I thought I was out of luck …… until I saw that Smith Pivloc was making a “slim” version of their Serpico style. Enter into my world the Smith Pivloc Serpico Slims ($90-$119). According to Aby, it doesn’t matter what sunglasses I wear, I’ll never be cool, or fun and she is NOT amused. Sorry, Aby. Actually, no, I’m not sorry. I will continue to embarrass you for THE.REST.OF.YOUR.LIFE. Love you, babe!

Last but not least, I have to cover the feet. My feet take me EVERYWHERE and for that reason, I don’t wear cheap shoes (or socks!). When I’m not running, or hanging with the kiddos, then I’m probably downtown in the Windy City for the J.O.B. It gets cold downtown fast. And stays cold forever. I need a boot that is comfortable, stylish and can take me thru the snow & ice then directly into the office. My boot of choice for the 2013-2014 winter season is the Keen Bern Baby Bern Boot ($170). Love these bad boys! They are light and comfy, keep my feet warm but also don’t cause my feet/legs to overheat either, which is super important if your day ends up as long as most of mine. I’ve already worn them several times this season and they are the best boots I’ve owned to date. One day last week I put them on at 5am and wasn’t able to take them off til 7pm. Long day but my feet felt great, no rubbing, no fatigue, just happy feet!

You’re next, what are you loving this year? Tell me, I’d love to try something new!

** These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Balega Sock Giveaway x6

Posted on November 15, 2013 by tootallfritz

I haven’t done a lot of giveaways this year. Because I’m picky. Because I won’t be giving away anything that I don’t LOVE . Because I’m a creature of habit. Because I’m not usually always willing to try something new even if it’s free. Sooooo, when an incognito Balega rep found me at an expo this summer and so nonchalantly asked, “what kind of socks do you wear?”, I suspiciously politely smiled and said, “Why do you ask?”

Years ago, I tried Balega but we did not become fast friends. I either purchased the wrong size or maybe they just didn’t fit my foot properly. Not sure which. However, those socks quickly went from too big to gigantic as they stretched out over a period of time. They did not get donated to a good cause but eventually “recycled”. That was the year that Michael was born, so 2009. I haven’t owned a pair of Balega’s since.

After the Balega rep identified herself, she assured me that the Balega’s NOW boasted to be the best running socks in the industry. She suggested I try a pair. I stared at her. Unsure. So long story short, she sent me a two pair in the mail.

One padded, the PINK Hidden Contours and then an Ultra Light blue/grey pair. I’m not going to lie the first thing that caught my attention was that pretty pink color, then I immediately noticed the socks were padded. I LOVE padded socks.

I’m on the run a lot both in “real life” and in my trainers and I will ALWAYS grab a pair of cushioned socks first unless I need compression. So I tried the hidden contours the same day they arrived on a fast and furious treadmill run. LOVED them. In fact, I loved them so much that I didn’t throw them in the wash even though they were a tad bit schweaty. 🙂 But instead, I recycled them for a second run.

The ultra lights are really nice too but very thin material that is described as “second skin”. Perfect fit. Just like second skin. They don’t move. As a runner, I have a “few” pair of socks. I like different socks for different types of runs. Is that strange? Absolutely not! I’m totally normal. My preference for speed workouts and speedy races fall to light shoes and lightweight socks. These ultra lights found a special spot in my heart fast as I normally pound out one speed workout every week and I found myself constantly grabbing for these when I saw them in the drawer. That’s a win in my world!

I’m not going to get into all the technology behind these socks cuz who really cares you can read about it on their website but I will tell you that I not only like the socks but would buy more. So there you have it. I’d spend my hard earned $$ on these babies and then hide them in my drawer so that Aby doesn’t steal them even planned to buy the October Breast Cancer Awareness limited edition Balegas at the Chicago Marathon expo but couldn’t find any.

You may wonder why I’ve had these socks since summer and not posted about them? Well, truth be told, I was waiting to see how they were going to “wear”. My 2009 Balegas didn’t make it long before they stretched out to the point where I wouldn’t wear them. So I’ve been wearing, washing, wearing, washing and then wearing and washing these Balegas a lot. And they are still the same as when they arrived. Same level of cushion. Same shape. Same size. Same socks …… that have just been washed 20 or so times now. 🙂 Grabbed them out of my drawer just to show you. They look and feel perfect. Thanks, Balega!!

Balega has very generously agreed to give away 6 pairs of socks!! If you would like to win a pair, please comment below and tell us which running socks are your absolute favorite. And when I mean favorite, I’m saying if you could only have one pair to run in for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, which ones would you keep? You can grab a second entry by heading over to the Balega Facebook page HERE and giving them a “like”. And lastly, you can garner a third entry if you actually leave a message on their wall and tell them, “I want to win a pair of Balega socks from the TooTallFritz.com giveaway!”. Or something like that. 🙂 Just make sure that you tell me {in the comments section below} which of the above you did so that I give you the proper amount of entries!

Six winners will be chosen by a random number generator on WED, November 20th at 9am. Good luck! Go enter the giveaway NOW!

** Love Me A Good Giveaway ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

CrossFit Day 37 & 38

Posted on November 14, 2013 by tootallfritz

Day 37 at CrossFit brought us very cold temps. Only two of us went outside to run cuz well, some of us would rather run than do anything else. Smile Once we got back inside, I noticed that we had a full Murph lined up on the board. Luckily it was a partner workout and I was able to split Murph with one of my best running friends. Oh, and instead of the running part of a regular Murph we would be rowing instead. Uh oh. That added a new challenge.

Team “Rowing” Murph – 2 Person Team

4 x 400 m Row – Each team member rows 400m 2x

20 Rounds of the following – One team member goes thru a full set, then switches. So I did one round, then waited as my partner did a round. Each of us did 10 rounds. I think we were all done 3/4 of the way thru but we powered thru the last 3 or 4 sets.

5 Ring Rows
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats

Then back to the rowing machine to finish out with another group of 400m rows. Dang that was tough!

4 x 400 m Row – Each team Rows 400m 2x

Our team time was 31:33 and we were pushing. My quads still hurt and we are two days “post Murph”. Those “hero” workouts tend to really tear me up!

Day 38 – Mile run then short workout

21-15-9 (Three rounds of the following, first round 21 reps, second round 15 reps, 3rd round 9 reps.

Kettlebell Swings – 26# – The Kettlebell has fast become my favorite piece of “equipment”. It’s such a good builder of strength without actually making me feel as if I’m “lifting weights”. I’m not a big weight lifter but I WANT and NEED to be strong. The kettlebells work perfectly for that and they just make me happy.

T2B (Toes to Bar, or Knees to Chest if your live in my world)
Push-Ups
Lunges

Then we finished out with 50 sit-ups and 50 superman’s.

** Getting Stronger – One Workout At A Time ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Veterans Half Marathon & Hill Repeats

Posted on November 11, 2013 by tootallfritz

I’ve been fighting a head cold with headaches and earaches off and on since the Chicago Marathon. On Thursday last week, the sickness upped it’s game and came at me full force with increased aches & pains and a swollen sore throat. I cried “uncle” and called the doc for meds. They didn’t work their magic immediately and I continued to get worse. I didn’t think I’d be running the Veterans Half Marathon because on Friday I couldn’t get out of bed until about noon. The race was three hours away from home and I didn’t know if I could even drive that far. I would have stayed home had ~~the kids not been driving me crazy~~ I not planned a fun day with my mom on Saturday. Soooooo, I hauled it up and out of bed on FRI afternoon, drank my Spark and hit the road with my lovely angels ~~fighting in the backseat~~ in tow.

On Saturday, I was actually feeling decent so headed over to the Veterans Half thinking I would just run like the wind after being sick, not hydrating, and not eating for two days. Yeah, I ran like the wind all right.

Before we get to the running part ….. I was able to pick up my packet on race morning. Super cool in my world. Even cooler, the packet pick up was in a large heated tent. The static temp was nice at around 43 degrees on Saturday morning but the wind had been howling all night and well, it didn’t stop when the sun came up. I was also feeling “slightly” chilled from being sick and I was shivering before I even left my car. I found FREE parking a block away from the start, dashed from my car to the potty, then to the warm tent where I was happy to wait in line for my packet. While in line, I also met Kasey, a fellow Team Tough Chik member who was running the full in order to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs. She crushed the full, got a new PR and qualified to be a “maniac”. Great job, Kasey!!!

Then the start went off with the boom of a cannon and I took off like I was going to win. Fortunately my brain caught on pretty quickly that my body wasn’t quite up for a hard run. I was pretty empty on the energy front. My legs weren’t heavy because between life, work and being sick, I hadn’t ran all week but I was just empty. So I settled in and focused on covering the distance. I soon realized that the distance and my lack of energy were not my only issues, but that wind came back full force as soon as we hit the country roads outside of town. No trees or houses for windbreak, just us and the open road. This photo is early on as we are headed out of town. This particular road is smooth and flat, which wasn’t the case with all the roads. However, the race director did an excellent job of marking the course so that was never any confusion as to direction or the distance ran. Loved the all the stars on the road!!!

I used to run a lot of miles on country roads so am very familiar with way the roads slant for water runoff, wind, hills and also those fresh country smells which accost you when you least expect. I was ready for all of that and have ran similar country races, like the 13.1 Valpo, which is also known for high winds. However, Veterans was just a battle for me. I felt like I was constantly running uphill and against the wind. I kept hoping for that same wind to eventually PUSH me but that never happened. Thankfully, I saw a few friendly faces spectating who helped me out a lot. My friend Adella even made a “Go Amanda” sign. Thanks, girlie! And she managed to capture this amazing photo of me looking ~~angry and as if I might hurt someone~~ like a graceful gazelle. Smile

I finished in 2:03 and was super thankful that I hadn’t signed up for the full version because I don’t think I had it in me. Despite the wind and my lack of energy, It was a great race. Very well supported with plenty of aid stations handing out gels, water & Gatorade. Loved the hospitality that the race officials, volunteers and local law enforcement showed to all the runners. It took so many people to put this race together and they did an amazing job. I’d definitely consider giving it another go in the future. It’s a small race but I was never alone. The full marathon had 206 finishers in the double loop course and the half marathon had 257 finishers. They also offered a 5K which brought another 168 runners to the event.

Love good swag? Check out this cool full zip, unisex jacket.

I already tested it out on SUN for hill repeats with Aby. After struggling up a few hills on Saturday at Veterans, I’ve decided that I REALLY need to work on my hills. So Aby went with me to show me how it was done. How does she fly up and down the hills so fast?

We managed 10 hill repeats, each up/down was approximately 0.25 miles. Fun. Okay, not really. Even Aby was begging to stop after #3 but who gets better after 3 repeats? LOL!

I hope you had an awesome weekend.

** Run With The Wind ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

CrossFit Day 35 & 36

Posted on November 8, 2013 by tootallfritz

Another great week at CrossFit! Our 5am class has really been hopping for the last 4 weeks or so, I know everything is a process and we do get a great turnout ~~for 5am~~ but we’ve added some new people too! Yay!!

Day 35 – Partner Up! The good thing about having a partner is that you don’t want to let them down and work extra hard to do your best. The bad thing about having a partner is that both of you will never be amazing at everything and it bothers me when we get to a move that I really ~~suck at~~ need to improve upon, I feel like I’m letting my partner down. Fortunately, my partner was a run friend and well, she’s seen me at my worst so this workout was no big deal! LOL!

10 Wall Climbs – Each partner does half of the workout (may be broken down into small units if necessary.
20 Pull-ups – Assisted with two bands
60 lunges (in places – alternate legs)
60 Push Press
60 Sit-ups
60 Squats
4×100 meter sprints

Susan & I finished in 15:20. I totally slowed us down in a few areas, like the wall climbs and the push presses and the pull-ups. But I ran fast, hope that counts for something! Side note – CrossFit is constantly adjusted to each person’s fitness level. The other CrossFitters are always encouraging to everyone else. It doesn’t matter if I’m first or last, the support is the same. And for that, I am always grateful and it’s one of the many reason why I love CrossFit.

Day 36 – Tabatas. 8 reps at each station. 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
Ball Slams – 10# balls
Supermans
Step-Ups – 18″ box
** 1 Minute Rest **
Rowing
Sit-ups
Push-Ups

** Get Strong ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Mind Over Matter …..

Posted on November 6, 2013 by tootallfritz

At this point, I definitely consider myself an endurance athlete. I’m a runner. I’m a triathlete. I’m an endurance athlete. I run for fun. I run to de-stress. I run to be alone. It’s no longer about fitness for me but rather something I need to do in order to be a healthy, happy person both physically and mentally.

Goals, tough races and new distances no longer scare me. I’ve run enough miles in this body to know that I can do anything. At anytime. If I really want to do it. And I’m not going to say that I always want to finish what I start but I can persevere over horrible conditions, and fatigue, and pain, and heat, and metal games. As a result, life no longer scares me either. I know that I can conquer anything. I can persevere over horrible conditions, and fatigue, and pain, and the heat of life, and mental games. I know that no matter how hard I am “punched”, I will still get back up to “fight the fight”, whatever the situation. It really is mind over matter.

Ever wonder if sometimes we maybe “think too much”? I’ve noticed that when I stew over things too much then I really can make a mountain out of a mole hill. I’ve also noticed that so many of the things that were so upsetting BEFORE I laced up my run shoes, are just no big deal once I’m a mile or two into a run. Or maybe those “things” are just more manageable afterwards? Who really knows ~~or cares~~ why running, or hard workouts, help us me cope better with life, but they do. Maybe it’s the rush of endorphins. Maybe it’s the quiet solitude. Maybe it’s the fact that most of the blood in our body is rushing to ~~our~~ my muscles and it gives ~~our~~ my brain a bit of a reprieve. Whatever the reason, ~~we all~~ I know that it just quiets the soul and takes the “bite” out of life.

I’ve learned a lot from running. I’ve learned even more from pushing past my comfort zone and tackling new distances that are not only hard but seem “almost” impossible. Oh wait, nothing is impossible when I acknowledge that it’s mind over matter. If I’m healthy, and strong, and ready, then I can do anything. I will persevere over horrible conditions, and fatigue, and pain, and the heat of the battle, and the mental games. It’s just mind over matter.

** Mind Over Matter ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

2013 Hot Chocolate 5K Race Review–Chicago Edition

Posted on November 4, 2013 by tootallfritz

I must say that after last year’s Hot Chocolate 5K/15K debacle at packet pickup and then a very unorganized, overcrowded race, I did not plan to go back this year. I have a little bit of history with this race. In 2011, it was great. I ran a fast 15K thru the streets of Chicago and was super happy with both the race itself and the Ghirardelli’s Chocolate sponsorship, which brought us handfuls of amazing chocolate. Then in 2012, Ghirardelli’s noticeably dropped from the sponsor list and things changed. The first thing is that there was a lot less chocolate to be had. The second, packet pick-up was moved from Union Station to a heated tent in the Soldiers Field parking lot. Downfall, not many people could fit in the tent and organizers were very unprepared for the crowds. Result, hundreds of people standing out in the cold for hours on end “waiting” to pick up their packets. Race day didn’t improve much. The course was super crowded and management was not properly prepared to keep the runners flowing thru the start. Therefore, the start was extremely backed up and I witnessed a lot of unhappy people. It was even “rumored” that some of the runners ~~like myself~~ may have ran more than one time due to the fact that our friends were stuck in the start corrals for hours awaiting their own race. It was total mess. One which I was not prepared to repeat for 2013.

Then Miss Abygayl heard thru the grapevine that the Hot Chocolate was back in town.

And she wanted to run. Really badly. And she begged ~~and begged and begged~~ until I gave in and said we would run. I mean, if the girl wants to run, who am I to say no. #RunNerdInTheMaking

I registered us without any expectations. However, I happily noticed that packet pickup was moved to McCormick place and turned into a 3 day extravaganza. After the Race of the Dead 5K on Saturday, Nicki & I took the kids over to packet pick up and went very smoothly AND it was fun!

Ronald McDonald made an appearance for RMHC! There were some chocolate squares handed out, mini Hot Chocolate samples, marshmallows & chocolate fondue. Bounce houses & games for the kids. SMOOTH & EFFICIENT packet pick-up with hoodie exchange for different sizes.

Plus a few vendors for us to do some shopping! At this point, most of you know that I run a lot of races. So I normally don’t shop at the expo unless it a big one like the Shamrock Shuffle or the Chicago Marathon. The only race gear that I’ve ever purchased is Chicago Marathon gear. However, I was very surprised that the Hot Chocolate race had lots of chocolate themed gear at a very reasonable price. For example, the long sleeve tech shirts were $24.99. I would normally pay $45 to $65 for a LS tech shirt. Full zip jackets were around $45. Then tees for the kids. Aby even found a pair of pajama pants that she “had to have”. So everyone came home with something “chocolaty”. Michael and I now have shirts that say, “chocolate made me do it”. Fuzzy photo alert, see our new gear below but don’t blow this one up or it will hurt your eyes. Smile

The swag was really great this year too. They went to a half zip tech hoodie with embroidery and a back zippered pocket to up the quality factor. Nice piece of gear that I actually will probably wear. Aby is modeling hers below. Plus a drawstring backpack too.

Race day moved much more smoothly too ~~despite a massive back-up on the Dan Ryan which caused most of us to be late~~. Aby and I ran from the car to the bathrooms {no lines, thank you!!!!} to the start. We slipped into the first wave right as they were closing the gates. Then we jogged to A corral and got in without much time to waste.

The start was right on time at 7am and we all moved up quickly in an organized fashion. Since we were already in A corral, we didn’t push to the front assuming that everyone in our corral would be running “faster”. Not necessarily the case. We were sandwiched in and obviously a lot of the 15K runners were being conservative at the start. We didn’t have enough time to be conservative so did quite a bit of weaving in that first mile to try to get thru traffic and also find our own rhythm. It was much different, and even more difficult than the day before; however, because we were weaving together and trying to stay together so I was constantly watching our positions and trying to find a hole big enough for two or a spot where we could split around one solo person. Very interesting trying to run a faster pace with a buddy. Plus, it was supposed to be fun so we ran a comfortably hard pace ~~when we were able~~ but stayed very controlled and managed to stay together at the same time. Of course, Aby was very disappointed with my slow crawl up “Mount Roosevelt” as well as the fact that I lost my finish kick years ago; however, she was kind enough to stay with me to til the very end. We finished a few seconds over 24 minutes. Decent run considering the crowds.

The course this year was much better too. Nice street route for the entire 5K. The 15K was mostly on the streets til the end when they were rerouted onto the lakefront path. Good run. I wish there was a way to space things out a bit more but it’s hard to get 20,000+ people thru the start. Fun time and well, for this race, most of us really just came for the chocolate. At least we did! Everyone received a finishers mug with hot chocolate, a banana, rice crispy treat, marshmallow, wafers & a bag of mini pretzels. Fun and delicious! Tip, take a gallon zip lock to the race to pack up the finishers mug when you leave cuz it’s chocolaty & messy!!

According to Aby, we WILL be running the Hot Chocolate race again in 2014 so maybe I’ll see you there!

** We Run For Chocolate ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Uno 5K Carrera de los Muertos Race Review

Posted on November 2, 2013 by tootallfritz

I run a lot of races each year and while I enjoy them all to a certain degree, only a few hold a special spot on my heart and demand a repeat. I must say that the “Race of the
Dead” which is officially called the Uno 5K Carrera de los Muertos is one which I have been anticipating for well over a year. And it did not disappoint.

This is a themed race for a local community to celebrate the passing of loved ones. There was an alter, or memorial site, to honor those who passed, plus lots of costumes, painted faces, etc. to make it a full celebration rather than just a memorial atmosphere. So much fun! Seriously.

I’ve heard from previous year’s participants that both the shirts and the age group awards are “one of a kind” and to be honest, I didn’t sign up for a shirt. I really wanted a hand painted/crafted skull that the local art department creates for each year’s age group awards. After looking at the past results, I knew that it would be “almost” impossible to win one but that didn’t stop me from trying. At some point, EVERYONE will have a perfect race. Who knows, today could be that day?

Swag on the left, including an amazing gender specific tech shirt which is super cool, bonus in that it actually fits! The back of the shirt and the 2013 age group awards are on the right.

I knew I needed to be in the 21s, probably a 21:30 finish {at the slowest} to even have a shot at the third place award in my division (35-39 women). Well, the third place lady in my AG took it with a 21:30 but that wasn’t me! I was almost 2 minutes behind her and that put me in 6th place. 🙂

No worries, I’m not upset. I’m not injured. I did start a bit too far back, even with the chip timing. I found my pace group sign and stood there awaiting the start, thinking that the people in front of me would run faster than me. They did not. It was a community/neighborhood event and well, the community started in front of me without concern about pace, or time. It surprised me a bit and I did my best to be polite as I attempted to squeeze thru every crack I could find; however, I never really got in a rhythm due the crowds. It thinned out at the half way point but I failed to rally back and increase my pace. I actually slowed down ~~much to my dismay~~ in that third mile.

Regardless, the entire race was awesome. Lots of on course entertainment. And I do mean a lot. I was focused on getting thru the crowds but the entertainment and cheering crowds were constantly garnering my attention and that’s super cool. Lots of costumed runners, which I absolutely LOVE. Lots of community spirit. One aid station at the half way point. Lots of potties at the start/finish area. Massive block party style “after party” with a band, food from community vendors and a few other vendors on site. Really good time. Really fun atmosphere. Great event for the entire family. I can’t wait to go back next year and try to put myself in a better position to snag an AG award!! A few photos of the after party below.

My girl, Nicki, & I after the race (on the left). We tried to dress for the race theme in our Spandits “Skull” pants & she added a few “day of the dead” tats for decoration! And our “babies” (on the right) went to ~~see all the costumes~~ be our support crew.

Great day. Perfect race weather. Amazing neighborhood race. I hope to be able to go back next year because it’s honestly one of the most fun non Shamrock Shuffle, non Chicago Marathon races I’ve ran in our area. I’d highly recommend your giving it a try in 2014!

** Run Fast & Have Fun ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

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