Perfect Running Weather….

Posted on April 5, 2012 by tootallfritz

This week has been good weather for running with temps in the low 50s. Last night I had to get started a little early so that I could knock out the Jelly Bean Virtual Race Half Marathon for Run with Jess, which I am considering a “challenge” since I wanted to do all 4 events but am a “little” short on time this week. When I hit the trail a little before 4pm, it was cool and there was a slight wind. I had to seriously convince myself that it was “ok” to leave the jacket in the car! I knew I would be warm within a mile or so and didn’t want to have to deal with something to carry or tie around my waist once I warmed up.

It was a beautiful afternoon and Old Plank Trail has really come alive over the last couple of weeks with budding trees/flowers everywhere. I love you, Spring!

I even saw a new runner on the trail. I wasn’t really sure how to treat him as I couldn’t identify a consistent pace……should I pass him, or will he pass me, or is he going to attack me? I was cautious, to say the least, with my new “friend”.

Soon after I left Mr. P in the dust, I caught up with Susan D. who unknowingly was signing on for a rather quick 10 mile run with Ms. TooTall. Thanks Susan for helping me complete the Jelly Bean Half!

We caught up on life and crushed some miles before picking up the rest of the Wednesday Night F’N Runners. I asked them to ~~stare into the sun~~ stand by the lilacs for the photo since I’m in love with Spring. 🙂 From left: Cathie, April, Nicole, Susan, Kathy & Me. Wayne is “manning” the camera, apparently he was the only guy who ~~wasn’t afraid of the peacock~~ felt confident enough to run with us F’N chicks.

It was just one of those perfect runs. Everything was right: the weather, the company, my legs were fresh ~~since Aby had track meets all week~~ and it was a great run. We took a few small water breaks but basically just kept pumping out the miles. The goal was to go sub 9 for every mile and other than the ~~peacock photos~~ 2nd mile and one 9:03, all the splits were well below 9 minutes miles. We finished the 13.1 in 1:54:35 and for a Wednesday night, running a Jelly Bean-Old Plank Half, that’s pretty darn good. Thanks Susan for helping me slug out those miles!

Have you done any random, non-supported half marathons that were not part of a training plan? How did it go? Was it hard to push without the adrenaline of race day? We certainly didn’t run all out but this was faster than a normal Wednesday night jaunt on Old Plank.

If there is anyone left who has not already registered, or won a free entry, to the 13.1 Chicago on June 9th, they are offering the TTF readers a $5 off discount on registration through April 22nd. Use the code: 131BLG5

Last point of business, the PunkeeLove Headband Giveaway goes til Monday morning.

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Sharmock Shuffle 2012

Posted on March 26, 2012 by tootallfritz

Now onto the good stuff!! RACE DAY!!

Race day was insane but went very smoothly! Those of us who drove in or took the Metra Electric arrived in the city early with plenty of time to spare. Some of the F’N Runners braved the Rock Island Metra and arrived a little later and we didn’t see them before the start. Here is our early bird “skeleton” crew. See the green sparkle!

It was fun seeing a few of our friends pre-race but it was short-lived before we ran off to our corrals so that we wouldn’t be locked out like last year! The photogs had a hay day between all of us dressed up and the fact that we were also early before the big crowds arrived. I bet we got stopped for photos 10x before we made it to gear check. Me, Rachel & Lisa.

Each year, the organizers change a few things. Starting last year, they separated gear check into two locations and it was a challenge. However, this year we knew what to expect and dropping gear was easy and smooth.

In Corral B awaiting the start, we had plenty of time to chat, do some light stretching & take some photos with Maggie’s (MagMileRunner) camera since the rest of us checked our phones/cameras with our gear. Source: MagMileRunner: Maggie, Kelly (Running Kellometers), & Me.

The boys: Brian & Kevin:

The race started on time, as usual, and being that we were toward the front we were across the start line in a matter of minutes. The first mile is always a little clogged and I didn’t run as fast as I should have but it was good and exciting to see all the people waiting and cheering for us. I was trying to keep the boys in sight because I knew they would run just outside of my comfort zone. The temperature was perfect in the mid 50s and the sun had not yet broken thru the clouds so I was hoping for a good race.

All was good until the mile 2 clock when I realized I made a judgment error by wearing arm sleeves for the first time ever. They were cute, comfortable, fit perfectly PLUS they matched my ToughChik irun tank so it didn’t even occur to me pre-race that they weren’t a good idea. However, at mile 2 I was burning up and they had to come off! The theory behind arm warmers is that when you get warm you just pull them down to about your wrist and leave them “on”, or take them off and tuck them into a pocket, etc b/c they are small. I tried pulling them down but was so warm I was “kinda” freaking out. Plus they were covering my watch and didn’t look good inside out. I ended up pulling them all the way off but didn’t have anywhere to stash them so I was holding them in my hands. Then I realized the guys were gone. Ugh! I carried them until mile 3 and knew I had to ditch them. But I didn’t want to ditch them since this was the first wear! They were so cute! However, I couldn’t carry them ~~and am not sure how people run carrying their cameras, fuel and other valuables because I just can’t do it~~ so I scanned the crowd for a worthy recipient. Any Tough Chiks out there spectating? It took a while but I finally saw a lady in what I thought/hoped was a Chicago Marathon half zip and she was in the front row. In a very dramatic fashion, I pointed at her and said, “ToughChik for YOU!!!” and I threw the arm warmers between her feet. I can only hope she not only keeps them but also orders a green irun tank to match. May my sacrifice bring another Tough Chik into the ranks?!?

With the arm warmers gone, I tried to refocus on the race but apparently just zoned out in the 4th mile with an 8:08 split. Not sure why, I was running, slightly distracted by a father/son interaction that was not positive from my perspective but I was pushing ~~or so I thought~~. I skipped the water stop so no excuses there, my turnover was just not as quick as it should have been but I felt good.

The goal was to make it in the 38s this year. As soon as I ditched the arm warmers I switched one of the watch stats to “time” so I could focus. I knew the 38 was barely within reach AND I still had to climb the Roosevelt Bridge. I was apparently slowing down cuz Kelly (Running Kellometers) zoomed past me like I was walking. Was I walking? Maybe. I ~~clawed my way~~ powered up the bridge and ~~jogged~~ sprinted to the finish line to see that I had barely made it. A 38:56 finish. Woooooooop! Success at the BEST.RACE.EVER.

Lots of photos, here are a few, more to come later (like the pic with the green men!!!!) My favorite race day photo by far is of Rachel & Lisa from WI. The E. family always does a serious pose followed by “muscles”. Cracks me up, every time. Lookin’ good, ladies!

Tim & Aurelia – A couple that Shuffles together stays together!

Me & Susan:

Fun times at the Shamrock Shuffle 2012! The race was great, plenty of water stops, plenty of bathrooms, gear check in was great, gear check OUT was horrid, post race party looked awesome ~~although I never attend but that may change next year~~ and most importantly, it looked like EVERYONE was having fun.

Lessons learned:

No Arm warmers while racing if above 50 degrees.
No Knee High socks ~~even cute ones with Shamrocks~~ if above 50 degrees.
Need more focus in the middle miles.
Early arrival is good!

Special shout out to LaurenRuns for stopping to visit after the race. Thanks, Lauren! Great to meet you!

The End of Shamrock Shuffle 2012, at least until more photos are published!!

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Look for ME!!

Posted on March 23, 2012 by tootallfritz

If you see me at the Shamrock Shuffle Expo or on race day, please give a shout out so I can meet you!

A few ways you may recognize me:

I may be a head or two taller than most of the crowd. Yep, that’s me in the back with Cathie and Dawn in front of me. No problem picking me out of the crowd.
I travel in a pack so if you see me at the expo with 3 or 4 women, 3 teens and 2, strollers, that’s probably my crew. My munchkins are below, I think we get to leave the dog at home this time, I think:
Race Day = Green Team Sparkle Skirt:
Depending on the weather, I may or may not have my URL on my shirt.
I have a ~~huge~~ large tattoo of a cross on the back of my left leg. Before you ask, this is the script of John 3:16. You won’t see another one quite like this unless you go to the street photog’s website who caught me in motion in South Beach. Source – Christian Robotti Photography
I’ll be in Corral B with hopefully several other green sparkle skirts and a kilt or 2.
I’ll try to stand as close to the green men as possible in hopes of getting on tv.
I’ll be the green sparkle skirt dying in the 3rd mile coming back along Van Buren Street.
I’ll be at the front of the Blue Gear Check Tent awaiting the F’N Running crew to come in from their races after I finish and pick up my gear.

Look for me and say, hey! And good luck to all my F’N Runners, newbies and old pros alike, as well as everyone else who is running. Let’s shamROCK this town! And don’t forget to sign up for the the automatic facebook/twitter updates via shamROCKon for race day!.

Happy Running! Amanda – TooTallFritz.com

Dry Rot Leads to…..

Posted on March 20, 2012 by tootallfritz

Yesterday was an AWESOME day. It was another beautiful day in the CHI and I somehow managed ~~thanks to hubby doing toddler duty~~ to fit in a run and a swim!! I met up with a few F’N Runners to run 3 miles in the Hickory Hills extension. Here is the 4:30 group: Wayne, Kathy & Me with Susan behind the camera.

It was hot ~~as hell~~ but a few raindrops started to fall as we were getting ready so I threw on a hat to shield my eyes. Then it never did rain, which would have been nice to cool off the temps a bit. We just did an easy 3 miles, which wasn’t so easy between the hills and the heat but we put it in the done column. We also saw a ton of F’N Runners on the trail as there was also an early bird meet up for those who could start at 3:30. I really do love seeing so many friendly faces on the trail. I also met a triathlete named Kim who I am hoping will eventually join us for some fun runs! Email me, Kim!!!

After the run, the real fun began as it was THE day that I was scheduled to get ~~my ass~~ back in the pool. To be honest, I haven’t been in the pool since the completion of the Great Illini Challenge 70.3 in September of 2008. To be honest, I would never get in the pool again if it weren’t for triathlon. To be honest, YES, I love triathlon that much that I ~~got a tattoo~~ forced myself to get back in the pool. So after a long pregnancy/baby break for Mr. Michael, I feel as if ~~the family~~ he is now mature enough for me to get back to what I really love. And it all starts in the pool (stock photo, not me):

So that I can make it to the start line:

So that I don’t let those ~~bitches~~ swimmers swallow me up:

So that I can meet the first goal of making it OUT OF THE WATER:

So that I can hit the bike:

So that I can thank my Lord & Savior each time I am able to get off the bike, back on my own two feet, RUN (my favorite part by far) and most of all, FINISH:

I knew it would take a little acclimation to get back into the swim. I’m not a fast swimmer but somewhat consistent and my major goal for this season is bilateral breathing. This will be very beneficial in ~~hopefully~~ helping me swim straighter, more efficiently and allow me to be more flexible when the water is rough as I will be able to breathe on whichever side has less wake.

In order to facilitate some of these new goals, I got a small group together for a beginner swim clinic with a young lady I know who first and foremost is an awesome person, but who also swam competitively in High School and is a former lifeguard. Thanks, Jackie! This forced my accountability and made me dig out my swim gear when I would have been content to put off swimming for a “couple” more months. It was a joke at the pool that my swim gear was so old that everyone was surprised my google straps weren’t dry rotted. When I took my goggles out of the box, they were in fact in intact. Well, they lasted most of the session before the straps broke. The new blast of chlorine did not agree with their age. So apparently I need new goggles. Ok.

Well, then the real “giggle” was when I got out of the pool and realized that my TRI top which was fine when I got into the water had basically disintegrated in the chlorine. Thankfully, there was a solid panel in the front, and the “issue” was with the mesh on the sides and back. The mesh DID NOT hold up to the new blast of chlorine either and when I got out fo the pool the top was VERY threadbare. Thank goodness for my new Team Tough Chik TRI top which just arrived, and does NOT have mesh panels!

I basically filled the garbage can at the pool with about half of the gear with which I started. Good times and thank goodness for solid front panels in TRI tops.

Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction?

Last call for the Aspaeris Pivot Shorts winner Bridget Walters. If you know Bridget, tell her to contact me soon or I will have to draw another winner.

Happy TRIing, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com

March Madness?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by tootallfritz

March Madness for many may be ball sport related but for me the Madness of March 2012 is all about the weather. My family and I are rushing around trying to fit in as many outdoor activities as possible afraid that the weather will make an attempt to return to winter. As of yesterday, we had 4 straight days over 80 degrees and I wonder if that is a record? Today may “only” reach 79 degrees but time will tell.

Yesterday I met up with the F’N Running Club to enjoy a run thru the Hickory Hills extension. It was labeled the St. Paddy’s Day run and ironically, I showed up in pink. Don’t ask. Kathy showed too but was in red and refused to be in the pic so she was the photog for the day. Thanks, Kathy! From left back: Me, Kevin, Lisa, Brian, Jim, Kim, Susan, Nicole, Tara, & Angela. From left front: Jeni, Don, Julie, Diane, & Maggie.

We also saw Melissa, Wayne & Nicole F. out running the trails. WooooHooo, F’N Runners! It was a beautiful day with temps in the low 60s when we began.

Since it was so nice, I took full advantage of it by stopping for several pictures. I was having breathing issues too so it was a good break ~~until I realized the group was waiting on me while I was lolligagging~~.

It was a 9 mile day for me on Saturday. Not what I like distance wise for a long run but between the hills and my breathing, it was enough for one day.

Today I set out to meet up with the Park Forest Running and Pancake Club in Schubert Woods. I didn’t make official run plans for this morning because last night was date night and well, no need to plan something that may not happen. But, of course, we were home and in bed by midnight and Michael gets up between 5 and 6 am no matter what, so I was up to run. I decided to go meet up with the Pancakers since I haven’t run with them in a looooonnnnnnng time, like my last run with them was the day before I found out I was preggo with Michael in February 2009. And the bonus is that they run at 8 am on Sunday’s and somewhat close to my house so it wasn’t a big rush.

I wasn’t really sure where I was going, which was a bit stressful, but I knew I had to head toward Sauk Trail and Western, then what?? I had the map up on Eve ~~my gps~~ and as soon as I got close to that intersection I saw Chestnut Street pop up to the north and that triggered a ~~buried~~ memory that I was supposed to head that way. So I did, turned on Chestnut (off of Western Ave in Park Forest) and ran right into a trailhead. Yay for dumb luck!

Unfortunately, I only saw one car and nobody waiting around so I assumed that nobody was coming. I knew this Sunday run group was really light so I thought possibly with the racing schedules today or ~~St Paddy’s Day~~ the long run yesterday, that nobody was going to show, so I took off running right at 8 am. I was instantly in LOVE with the beauty of this trail and wondering why I had never been able to come before now.

The main trial is a 4 mile loop. There were lots of access points with parking and port-o-pots, plus I even saw picnic areas. The trail had light traffic for today and was mostly shaded. This will be an awesome spot to run when the temps are soaring this summer! I only had one spot where I questioned the direction, and ended up running a short spur that lead to a road before returning to the main trail. So if you go by yourself, just say on the loop and keep going in a circular motion. However, my ~~lolligagging and picture taking~~ misdirection allowed the Pancakers to catch me! When I came back to the main trail after that short spur, I saw Mark B, Sue & Rob H (who mostly runs with Yankee). I picked up the pace and ran a bit with them before Sue & Rob dropped at the trailhead to return to their cars.

Mark & I ran on to hit the “The Shoot”, a set of woods across Sauk Trail for a few more miles. And then we picked up Alexis!

Alexis is a local chiro who I have attempted to make contact with on many occasions over the years. However, it seems our schedule between work and kids is not very compatible so this was our first meeting and I’m super excited to have finally met her! According to Jenny G, Ms. Alexis recently “pipped me to the pole” in a local 5K race, so it’s good to know the chick who very recently kicked my ass racing. Now I while can keep my eyes open for her “sneaking up” on me in the future!

The “Shoot” was an older section of the trail and very shady with mature trees and mossy green on the trail. Super sweet! This photo was in motion, so not as clear as I’d like but still cool!

Today was a little over 8 miles for me. Not fast at first but a few fast miles in the middle with the group, then I had to back off toward the end because I was toasted. But I could breathe much better today and that is a huge WIN. I was seriously thinking I’d have to go to the doc. Yikes! But I’ve pocketed hubby’s inhaler and am feeling decent. Yay!!

Have you tried any new trails lately? Do you think all trails look the same so find yourself content to run the same place all the time or are you always up for an adventure?

Last day to enter the Aspareris Pivot Shorts Giveaway HERE.

Happy Adventuring! Amanda – TooTallFritz

Oak Forest Fleadh 5K – Race Report

Posted on March 10, 2012 by tootallfritz

Fleadh – festive event of Irish traditional music and dancing; festival of Irish or Celtic culture.

Where to start in regards to the Oak Forest Fleadh 5K? Well, it’s a great big party and when it comes to parties that include running, I like to be right there in the middle of it, especially when the party is basically in my own backyard. Yep, I’m there. I was number 59, so it “might” be safe to assume that I signed up early too. 🙂

A lot of things have changed over the last few years, one thing is that I have ~~attempted~~ stopped being so serious. Not as serious about my ~~seriously~~ messy house, or my crazy toddler who seems to always be defining ~~death~~ safety and not as serious about me or my running. Part of that transition has allowed me to have more fun while running and do ~~stupid~~ stuff like dressing up. The St Paddy’s Day races are the BEST for dressing up. I highly recommend you being as OUTRAGEOUS as possible and trust me, you will fit right in with all the other ~~lunitics~~ runners. Our group had previously chosen a green sparkle skirt from Team Sparkle for our St Paddy’s Day racing fun! Here are the F’N Runners minus Susan M who was floating around with her friends and family. Top left: Kim, April, Judy, Gennie, Kristina, Nicki. Bottom left: Aurelia, Maggie – MagMileRunner, Melissa – MadMamaOf4, Aby, & Me.

The “after” photo – minus half our sparkly crew. April, Gennie, Me, Maggie, Aby, Nicki, Kristina & Kim:

F’N age group placers, who the announcer kept calling Team SKIRT. Maggie, Aby & I – all 3rd place finishers.

Judy F. was also a 3rd place finisher but must have ~~been frozen and had to leave~~ bailed before awards and Nicole F. ~~(F is for FRITZ!! WHOOOOOOP!)~~ took 2nd. I believe it was possibly a PR day for most, if not all, of the F’N Runners ~~other than myself~~.

The LOOT:Holy crap, this is one of the largest loot bags I have ever received. There was some cool stuff, lots of coupons that can be actually used and some fun things like: cups, can cozies, pens/pencils, stick-it pads of paper, letter openers, screw driver, cookies, candy, gripper pad to open jars. And the award for the ODDEST goodie bag item ever has to go to the “Convenience Bag” for the disposal of vomit and urine. Ummmm, Thanks?

Overall though, Oak Forest puts on a great race. This is one of my favorite courses because it is soooo easy. And I don’t mean easy as in flat because this isn’t the case but it breaks down into 3 parts very easily and you know exactly where you are and how far to go at all times. The finish will never sneak up on you here unless you are too involved in running up the ~~gigantic~~ hill into the ~~nasty~~ wind or you were merely absorbed in your music. From the start line, it is almost one mile out (north) on Cicero Avenue, then one mile in a neighborhood, then one mile back south on Cicero to the finish. Done. Perfect. I believe I saw 2 waterstops and there were a few spectators. It was short and sweet. Not easy but well defined.

As for my race, I’m getting faster. This race was a 23:47, which is the fastest 5K thus far for 2012, and considering the wind and hills, plus the near 40 miles that I ran in the last 7 days, I’ll take it. Although my legs were definitely fatigued, I was more mentally prepared for both the wind and hills this year and did improve over last year’s 24:19 finish. So that is a definite win! I still have a lot of work to do but things are looking UP! And it was a total bonus to be able to run the first mile with Maggie, so I had somebody to at least talk to a little bit. Not that we said much but it was “kinda” like we were in it together for a minute before she ran away from me to secure another PR for herself. Go, Maggie!!!!

This race really grew in size this year too. Last year they recorded 330 finishers with the last recorded finisher at 1 hour and this year they had 542 finisher under the 1 hour mark. Plus, last year I won my age group and was considerably slower ~~in this race~~. In my opinion, this year’s 3rd place finish is even more rewarding since the competition is getting better. That’s what I like, let’s ALL get better and kick some ass! Yay!

So if you have a chance to run the Oak Forest Fleadh in the years to come, I would definitely recommend it! The post race party delivered raffles, lots of food, FRS, massages and a free beer at one of the local establishments! Plus the community also had a full day of Fleadh events including a parade for the family!

Happy FESTIVE Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

The Little Things…..

Posted on March 7, 2012 by tootallfritz

In my real life, Miami Beach vacations are certainly not a thing of the norm. In fact, had it not been for my momma & I’s traditional Leap Day trip to celebrate life, then I may have never seen the beauty of South Beach. In my REAL LIFE I cherish the beauty of the little things. A few of the little things that I have been appreciating over the last several days.

The Ability/Flexibility to Try New Things

Mojitos – About 9 out of 10 people were enjoying these refreshing looking drinks while we were in Miami. I decided to take the dare and try one even though I normally do not care for hard alcohol. I thought I might get lucky since Mojitos have ingredients that I like: lime, mint, rum. Unfortunately, the end result didn’t work for me. ~~It was disgusting~~ I didn’t like it at all. I had trouble finishing it, which says a lot since half the glass was filled with lovely greenery. Mojito – YUCK!
Birkenstock Sandals – I have never been a fashionista but I’m certainly not earthy either. The Birkenstock craze was huge in college but I never jumped on the band wagon. I mean, really, why would I pay the same amount of $$ for sandals as I would a good pair of running shoes? It seemed insane at the time, particularly when they didn’t fit my “style”. Well time changes almost everything. I saw a pair of these babies in Miami and they have come a long way in the style department. Plus when I slid them on my feet, they had a lot of support particularly for the Plantar muscle. Sold. Birkenstock – YAY!
Mom tried raw oysters! Wow! She is good about trying new things but let’s just be honest, raw oysters aren’t an easy sell. She thought they were “good” but didn’t really understand the point of eating something that you aren’t supposed to chew. Good point but I still like them. 🙂 Raw Oysters – ???

The Homecoming

Seeing the family. As a busy mom, I loved going away for a few days and having zero responsibilities, being able to just lounge, do whatever caught my fancy, and being able to eat out at nice restaurants; however, by the end of the trip, I was also anxious to get home to the kiddos and hubby. I missed the craziness of being with the kids. And they loved the fact that I was home for about 5 minutes before they started fighting and making demands.
Sleeping in my own bed. Who doesn’t prefer their own bed over any others? I really don’t like to stay overnight anywhere other than my parents. They have a good bed for me ~~and Michael~~ and it’s comfortable and I’m used to it since I stay there a lot. But otherwise, I don’t even want to stay at a friend’s house because I am just not comfortable. I normally do not do well in hotels either. Thankfully the Miami hotel had a good bed and sleeping was good but normally, I’m not a fan.
My dog. I have a Weimaraner, LibLib, who is my baby. Unfortunately, Michael now demands more attention than her and OUR cuddle time is much less than pre-Michael. However, I love this dog more than most people and I miss her when I’m gone. She is my heart, soul, and my very best bed warmer. No electric blanket needed, I have LibLib.

Back to Reality and a Schedule

I like a good schedule. That’s how I get through life. Organization and Time Management are key ingredients to Making It Happen.
Quality time with Aby. It is always nice to steal some quality time with the oldest ~~while hubby is picking up Michael~~ by taking a short run. Now that track season is on the horizon, all of a sudden, I’m more in demand with my oldest because she wants to go running to be in shape for the season. I think we probably missed the “in shape” boat by a month or more but I’ll ~~suck up~~ take all the quality time I can get with her while she still likes me. Last night we did a windy 3 miles on our country roads.

Wednesday Night F’N Runs. Wednesday is now my favorite day of the week because I have locked it in as a Run Day with the F’N Running Club. It certainly isn’t easy for the family to make it happen but we have somehow managed it for the last 5 months. I am hoping we can continue to manage it, even with Aby’s track schedule. We shall see. But this week, I’m in and soooo looking forward to it!

What little things in real life to you cherish and try to appreciate?

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Saucony Guide – 4 vs 5 – 8mm Drop

Posted on February 23, 2012 by tootallfritz

After running a full cycle in the “new” Saucony Guide 5‘s with the 8 mm heel to toe drop, I feel like I can give an accurate and honest review of the changes of this shoe. First off, the new Guide’s LOOK really cool, although this is the last thing we are supposed to consider when buying a shoe, let’s be honest, it ~~kinda~~ matters.

I have been running in Saucony exclusively ~~other than short 5K type races~~ since 2006/2007. Due to my size and forefoot strike, I have to change out my shoes approximately every 300 miles or 3 months. I really like to get 3 months out of a pair of shoes if possible but that is usually pushing past the 300 mile mark. So let it suffice to say that I am familiar with the Saucony line, particularly the Ride (Pre-Michael) and the Guide (Post-Michael – Don’t ask how my foot changed so much from having a baby but that’s not the only thing that changed so C’est la vie).

The Guide 5 is by far the most attractive pair of Saucony’s I have ever owned. It’s actually nice to be sporting a pair of “cool” shoes for once. 🙂 This new version with the 8 mm heel to toe drop is also 1.5 oz lighter. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but it is a noticeable difference. I notice it when they are on my feet and I had both pair in my hands last night and the Guide 5s were considerably lighter than the 4s.

The Guide 5s also fit like a glove. It was love at first fit for me when I slipped these on my feet. They are soft, much softer than the previous versions and they feel more airy ~~like the Nike’s that I just love~~. Great fit in the store, great fit on the run!

Although I was initially impressed with all the new changes, these shoes broke down quickly. And I mean very quickly. I ran the bottom off these shoes by the time I broke 200 miles and that’s just not cool. I ordered a new pair from Running For Kicks once I hit 220 miles because my body was telling me it was time to switch them out; however, since the shoe has won so many awards and has a massive ad campaign in progress, it seems the shoe’s popularity has soared! Therefore, I had to wait 3 weeks for these shoes to come off the backorder and be delivered to the store. In the interim, I ~~panicked~~ ordered a limited edition of the Guide 5 from another source but have yet to receive those either. However, here is a peek at these beauty’s which I will be sporting with my girls at 13.1 Miami Beach! We decided to coordinate with pink & black and these babies will look pretty cool with our color scheme.

So just this week my ~~ankle, feet and hips started aching~~ backordered Guide 5’s arrived at Running For Kicks. I immediately picked them up and got to hit the trail with them last night. I certainly didn’t go far as I have some nagging aches that I need to ~~kick in the ass~~ evict before the Miami race; however, I was able to catch up with my F’N Runners for a bit. Good looking group showed up in the rain, if I do say so myself! From Left Back: Susan, Cathie, Wayne (newbie!!), Dawn, Kathy, & April. Left Bottom: Nicole C, Jeni – Sparkalish Roar, Meg & Nicole W (April’s Daughter!). Not pictured: MagMileRunner, Diane & myself.

I ran 4 miles with this crew before bowing out to go home to ~~Amstel Light~~ Motrin & the last remaining sample of the Arctic Ease wrap. Although the Arctic Ease is not as cold as ice, it is certainly more convenient than icing when you ~~have a toddler~~ don’t have time to sit down. They are temporary though, I had a larger covering that I had purchased at the Chicago Marathon expo and when I went to pull it out, it was moldy. This has happened with other wraps I have had too. They don’t last real long but are certainly handy.

As I was ~~self medicating~~ making dinner, I started to think about the difference between the Guide 4’s and 5’s, knowing darn well that the fact that I ran too long in the current pair of Guide 5’s was the reason for my new aches/pains. This prompted me to dig out my old shoes which I have been using to commute back and forth to work. Since the Plantar Fasciitis issue, I haven’t worn a real pair of ~~non-running~~ shoes for quite some time, so I live in my Saucony’s. The Guide 5’s are on the left, the Guide 4’s on the right. You can see the wear is so much worse on the 5’s with 285 miles verses the 4’s with 330 miles.

Forefoot of the Guide 5’s:

Forefoot of Guide 4’s:

In my opinion, it is conclusive that the Guide 4 wore much better than the Guide 5. That being said, I still think the Guide 5 is a better shoe in all aspects but I find it unfortunate that I will be getting even less wear out of the new version that I did previously. Is it worth it, probably yes but still not good for my bank account.

Do you buy the same shoe each time and know exactly how the updates affect your body? Any shoe you can tell us about that specifically made noticable changes to the good or bad?

Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz

Gloomy Runday……

Posted on February 16, 2012 by tootallfritz

I ~~live~~ work in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago. I normally arrive in the ~~dark~~ early morning and leave mid afternoon. It’s unusual that I leave the building during the day for “lunch” and in this office space, I no longer have a personal office, nor do I have access to a window unless I specifically seek one out. So when I plan to run after work, I do so without regard to the weather. And generally speaking, my life really doesn’t have many time allowances to reschedule runs/workouts anyhow, so the weather is hardly a factor in my decision to run or not run.

So yesterday afternoon, as I was ~~watching the running related facebook pages~~ working, I started to notice my Wednesday night runners begin to drop like flies. We normally have a pretty solid core group that shows up to run with the F’N Running Club, but yesterday we were a little light. My run friends had awesome alibis. Brain P was packing for Ireland. Yeah right, like men actually pack their own bags? HaHaHaHa…..ok, maybe some men. Melissa EM was getting a massage? Hmmmmm, yeah, me too. I want a massage. Can I join you? Jenni H & Meg couldn’t come cuz hubby wasn’t home to help with the little ones. Okay, that one “might” have been legit but it was ironic that once I stepped outside the fluorescent lights I realized the weather was ~~super crappy~~ less than ideal. It looked something like this (not my photo but couldn’t get the source).

By the time I drove all the way back to the Burbs in a cold, drizzly rain, even I didn’t really want to run ~~and was wondering if it was too late to get in with Melissa for a massage~~. But alas, I hauled myself out of my car and just started running because although it was cold and wet, I knew that I REALLY did want to be out there putting in some miles. The gloominess was actually peaceful. There was a bit of ice and snow left on Old Plank east of Frankfort and the wildlife was out thinking they had the world all to themselves. I saw several white tail deer, rabbits, birds, squirrels and other small animals. It was as close to a real trail run as I’ve had for quite a while. Quiet. Peaceful. Majestic.

And since I wasn’t the only one who wanted to run, we still had a nice group of F’N Runners. Top from left: CrazyBoyDon, Diane & Maggie – MagMileRunner. Bottom from left: Dawn, Cathie, Susan & Me. Brian F was nice enough to take this photo. Thanks, Brian!

Another great run! Thanks to those of you who came out because I am not sure I would have been strong enough to go by myself if we hadn’t planned to meet up as a group. It was just one of those days where you start out and you just aren’t feeling it but as always, I think we were all happy as we were driving home.

A special shout out goes to Don for coming out in the rain. His schedule usually doesn’t allow him to make an appearance on weeknights and it was great to see him, although he did push our pace a bit. CrazyBoy is getting strong….P-90X, maybe? Gotta check that out!

Happy Running! Amanda – TooTallFritz

Six Degrees of Seperation…..Virtual Run For Sherry Arnold

Posted on February 11, 2012 by tootallfritz

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, “a friend of a friend” statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

Today was the day for the Virtual Run/Walk for Sherry Arnold. Running communities throughout the world sponsored virtual run/walks to honor Sherry, a “fallen” runner, and all of the other runners who have left their homes to go for a run and never returned. I think each time we hear a story of a runner who has gone missing it cuts to each of our soul’s. I usually remember the names of these individuals for years, if not forever, after the fact. I find the six degrees of separation reference to be true in most instances and this time most of us need even fewer “degrees” as many of us are connected to Sherry thru her cousin Beth at Shut Up + Run. We may not know Beth personally but we know her “on-line”. We may not have known Sherry personally but we knew her thru the stories which Beth took the time to share.

So today, we did the only thing that we could possibly do…..we ran. Here is the group that showed up in single degree temps today to run. I only wish I could say that our static temp was indeed 6 degrees, but the truth of the matter is that it was 8 degrees at the start with a “feels like” temp of -2. The wind was howling and viscous so we grabbed a quick pic and took off running! From back: Kim, Susan, Kerry, Jenny, Kathy, Brian, Lori (middlish in purple), Stacy (Lori’s hubby!!), & CrazyBoyDon. Front: Joe, Meg (Jeni’s 11 year-old – middlish in black), Aby (my 10 year-old), Jeni – Sparkalish Roar, & Melissa.

As we were moving toward the trial, I also gave some brief safety tips. I will highlight them here in case nobody could hear me with the howling wind.

Run with a friend or a group when possible.
Carry a pepper spray or something to defend yourself if necessary. I like the PersonalSavers.com Wrist Saver. At $12.95, it’s definitely a good deal in my opinion. I ordered the small but its a tight fit on me. I did that though so that Aby can also use it.
Run without music or just use one ear bud with music at low volume if you must have it.
Pay attention to your surroundings at all times.
Make eye contact with the people you meet and the drivers of the cars that pass you up.
If you are running on the road, run against traffic. It’s the law and it allows you to see what is coming at you. React appropriately and don’t be afraid to dive in the ditch if necessary. I step off the road ALL THE TIME. I do not trust that cars see me. Plus, as soon as I see a car, I immediately look behind me to see if one is coming from the other direction, which will inhibit the oncoming driver from moving over to give me more room.
Don’t take a ride from strangers.
If at all possible carry your cell phone with you in case you have an emergency. I know today’s cell phones are usually big and bulky ~~so we can surf the web~~ so I had to purchase a spi-belt to carry mine.

I also use knucklelights (see above) at night and ALWAYS run in clothing that is VERY reflective and has multiple reflective accents. Always assume that cars/drivers/people CAN’T see you!
Tell a family member (or leave a note!) your running route but also inform them that the route may change if the situation changes. I always leave the house with a plan but frequently change it up due to circumstances: something that makes me feel uncomfortable, a wild animal, the wind, the traffic patterns, etc. So make sure the family knows the “intended” route but also have them be aware that ~~shit~~ things happen and a route is never written in stone ~~at least for me~~.
Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, then it is wrong and it’s your responsiblity to change the situation.

So today, we ran for Sherry, no moment of silence or quiet reflection, just a quick safety check and then the joy of running. May Sherry and all the other “gone missing” runners feel our joy today and take comfort in our remembrance of them doing their favorite thing, regardless of the weather.

And of course, Michael wanted to participate too but with the weather, there was no way that I was taking him out in the jogger. So we grabbed a photo with him once we got home. And some of our friends who joined virtually who were not able to be in Frankfort, IL today. Angela from sunny Florida. Lynn who is local but couldn’t make it out with us today. Several of our F’N Running Club members were racing today and couldn’t join us in person but still ran with Sherry’s bib on their back’s. From left: Amanda – Get to Goal, Kelly – Running Kellometers, Gennie & Maggie – MagMileRunner: