The winner for the 13.1 Chicago Race Registration is #115, Joe DeMarco! Congratulations Joe! Contact me at amanda@tootallfritz.com so I can get your information and send it to 13.1.
Good luck to Joe and all of the rest of you running 13.1 Chicago! I’ll see you on course next year!
Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz.com amanda@tootallfritz.com
I am sooo excited to announce that I have free race entry to giveaway for the 13.1 Chicago event on June 9, 2012! 
Coming off the recent 13.1 Miami Beach race (recap HERE) makes this that much more exciting for me and I am super envious that I will not be hitting the pavement with you on June 9th!
This is a very unique race for the CHI as it does not go through the loop or the same tired section of the Lake Front running path that you may have run a million times in recent races. THIS race according to the website: starts and finishes at the Historic South Shore Cultural Center (SSCC) on Chicago’s south side. The SSCC offers beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline and has hosted many notable events, including the wedding reception of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The 13.1 mile course takes you along the Lake front Path past La Rabida Hospital. After passing the hospital, you will run through Jackson Park, home of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, the Osaka Japanese Garden, a strolling garden on Wooden Island. You will then pass the Museum of Science & Industry, the only original building remaining from the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and one of the largest science museums in the world. You will then head back to the Lakefront Path to almost 35th Street before heading back south, past the 63rd Street Beach House and finishing at the SSCC. This course is 13.1 miles of perfect Windy City experience.
This is a totally different race experience than what you normally get in Chicago and I will definitely be out there with you next year!
So if you would like a chance to win a free entry to the 13.1 Chicago 2012 race, an $80 value, you probably already know what to do but here are the hoops through which you will need to jump:
After you have done some/all of the above, please leave a comment in the comments section below and tell me what you have done and how many entries to assign you (max of 15). If you are already a follower and a TooTallFritz Facebook fan, that is 2 free entries for you, just let me know that you would like to be entered in the drawing! I will randomly generate a winner via a Random Number Generator on Monday, March 26th at 9 am.
And for all of you running the 13.1 Chicago, feel free to enjoy the after party, then head to North Beach to cheer in the Madison to Chicago Ragnar Relay teams. That’s where I’ll be….. running it in with the Ultra Team (You Just Got) Chicked! See you next year, 13.1 Chicago!
Good Luck, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com
As a follow-up to yesterday’s Don’t Count Yourself Out post, I asked my friend Angela to write up a little something about her journey. Angela is a good friend of mine who I have known for years. When we first met, I believe it is safe to say that she was NOT a runner. But alas, she finished the 13.1 Miami Beach race on Sunday right there along side 3200 other RUNNERS!
Angela’s Journey (unedited)
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. – Author Unknown
Until 3.5 years ago, I had no idea how to re-write my ending. I was constantly unhappy with the face and body that looked at me from the mirror. I was in a constant state of wanting to change, but lacking the power, dedication and knowledge to do so. But when my daughter was born, a switch in me flipped. It occurred to me that if I didn’t want her to grow up with the same body image issues I have had for my entire life, I had to make a conscious effort to change the path of my life. Otherwise, she would most likely end up as I did—a teenager ashamed of her morbidly obese mom and incredibly lacking self-confidence.
So a few weeks after Summer’s birth in September 2008, I began the new chapter of my life. I was 220 lbs. I enrolled in a boot camp at our local YMCA. By showing up and giving my all, I was able to win a six month membership that helped keep me on the right track. 
My neighbor was a runner. My husband was a runner. For so long I had sat around and said “I could NEVER do that. I’m not built for it.” But I finally made the decision to give it a shot. I was tired of staying behind and of saying I couldn’t. So one day I started running. I made it less than half a mile and thought I was going to die. But I didn’t. Every day I went a little farther. And farther. Until one day I made it all the way around the 3 mile loop in our neighborhood.
In February 2009, I ran my first ever race, a local 5K. It was so great to have something active to do with hubby. 
But I still had a very love/hate relationship with running. I hated it while I was doing it, and I hated the thought of doing it, but I was always proud of myself afterward. It wasn’t until Christmas 2009, when we took a trip to Missouri and got basically snowed in, that my attitude shifted. As I ran on a treadmill at the Y there, after being holed up with my two crazy kids for several days, I realized I would never again look at running the same way again. When we got back home to South Florida, it was no longer something I just did. It became something that defined me.
Lucky for me TooTallFritz and I had become friends in my former life. I picked her brain a lot. She wrote in her last post that sometimes you are lucky enough to have a friend who will support you and give you motivation, and she was that friend for me. I always knew if I was hung up or stuck, I could drop her a line.
I don’t race much. My race history can be summed up as a couple of 5Ks and a sprint distance triathlon. I don’t run to train for things. I run to stay sane, to be strong, and to set a good example for my kids. I would race more if we were not on such a tight budget. Every single year, I plan to do a few races, but I usually end up doing only one. I’d been thinking about doing a half marathon for a while, but was having a hard time justifying the expense. I finally took the leap last year and signed up for the Miami Beach 13.1 in March 2012. You have to understand. Up to 3.5 years ago, this fell under the category of IMPOSSIBLE. UNIMAGINABLE. UNATTAINABLE.
Now, nothing is impossible. The whole thing was made absolutely perfect by the fact that Amanda decided to make a destination race of it and came to see me for this thing. I always tell people that if I can run, they can run. Nothing is impossible. The only limits that apply are the limits that you impose on yourself. Sometimes I have a hard time coming to terms that I will never be the fastest—in fact, everyone I know is significantly faster than me. But no one has my story, and I have to remind myself of that often. I finished my first half in 2:49:52. It was made extra awesome by all of the friends waiting for me at the finish. By Amanda coming back to run those last few miles with me. 
Nothing is impossible. Dream big and go for it. 
Angela – March 9, 2012
I think we can all agree that this is an amazing journey. It’s amazing because she wanted to make the change and she did it. Nowhere will you see her say that it was easy. We all know it w
Most of us start running for fitness. We start as run/walkers and we build. Very few people I know are like my friend Abby S. who was a spectator at the London Marathon and decided on the spot that she too was going to run a marathon. Of course, Abby had never ran a single mile prior to that decision but she signed up for the 2007 Chicago SCORCHER Marathon and ran it. Because she wanted to do it. Because she could do it. Because who knows what tomorrow will bring and where it will take a person. Abby & I in the 2008 Fort 4 Fitness Half Marathon in Ft Wayne, IN.
For those of us “builders”, it’s a process. We don’t start out with the intention to run long and the thought of a marathon NEVER enters our mind. If we are lucky, we have one friend who is on the fitness bandwagon and will help and encourage us through daily emails and mentoring. If we aren’t that lucky, we slug along ourselves, watching our food intake and fitting in as much exercise as we can muster, probably giving up much-needed sleep in the process. We are sore from not knowing the proper protein to carb ratio for recovery (4:1). We are discouraged because we are hungry from not eating enough but we are DETERMINED to do whatever it takes to lose the baby weight or the freshman 15 or the “just married” blissfully ignorant to our heath 25. 
Regardless of your level of education on health, wellness & nutrition in the beginning, you will start do research, ask questions, and learn what works for you. Your body will get stronger and while it will never be easy, you will be able to do “more” with the same level of effort. If you run/walk, you will be able to run longer, or possibly you are running the same distance but you are getting faster. You will meet new friends who are EXCITED about your new lease on life and your new healthy activities. Your new friends will create a support system for you that you may not have had at home. You will gain the courage to join a group run. You will say that you can’t really run because you have bad knees. And then before you know it you will be standing on the start line…..because that is where your new friends are standing. You are ready to run your first race. It is probably a 5K but this is just the beginning. You know you will NEVER be ready for a half or full marathon, well, maybe you can try a half. You know, just run/walk it. With training, it might be a possibility. And the “group” is signing up for a full, which is 9 months away. Where will you be in 9 months? Could you? Hmmmm, let’s see how the half goes…….
Don’t count yourself out. Each day is a new day. Your abilities today have no reflection on where you will be in 6 months or a year. Surround yourself with positive people who have a CAN DO attitude and you too will realize that YOU CAN DO the unimaginable. 
Where will you be 12 months from now? Don’t be afraid to wonder, what if?
Dream, Imagine, Believe! Amanda – TooTallFritz
So for the last month I have been anxiously awaiting the Miami Beach trip to spend quality time with my momma, meet my on-line friend Angela for the first time and to run the 13.1 Miami Beach race. Miami certainly did not disappoint. Mom and I had an excellent time and the weather was unseasonably warm reaching the low 80s each day. We were able to have fun in the sun, walk around and enjoy the city and do whatever we desired without worrying about the weather. Super nice, relaxing and we had an awesome time. 
I also really enjoyed meeting Angela. I was a little “under the weather” when we left for the trip and the head cold: sore throat, ear aches & headache was back full force by late SAT afternoon, which unfortunately was shortly after she arrived. I certainly wasn’t myself but did enjoy her company and meeting her in real life. She is a sweet person, great/loving wife/momma and a kick ass runner. We had non-stop conversation until my voice totally went out. A silent TTF is a very sad thing. 😦
We kept it very low-key the night before the race. We walked the beach and talked, walked thru the city a bit, ate at an awesome restaurant and went to bed early. At that point, I had already realized that the weather would not be good for me ideal and the fact that I had been eating in restaurants and consuming way too many calories, sodium and other additives which are not part of my normal diet would also probably not be a plus in my quest for the 1:50 but I tried to stay positive and BELIEVE that it was possible.
If you would like to read a race report on a perfect race, please click over to RunWithJess for her race recap of the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon HERE.
This race was not perfect in any aspect. We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to 72 degrees and 90% humidity, 9 mph winds with warnings of wind gusts up to 30-40 mph. As soon as I stepped outside the humidity hit me hard, just breathing, not exerting myself at all. I was feeling crappy with the head cold but had taken some Motrin to calm the ear/headache issues so felt okay by race time. We met up with a few of Angela’s friend’s and then we were off racing into the dark.
I lined up with the 1:50 pacer trying to believe that it was still a possibility but knew almost immediately that it was just a dream for a day like this. So I let the pacer run away from me at the first water stop around 1.5 miles. I knew it was vital for me to hydrate properly if I were going to finish.
At this point, we were on a very ugly bridge, which was scenic as it was the bridge closest to the cruise ship docks and we had a decent wind off the water but I was nervous. Really nervous. Not because the 1:50 pacer was GONE but because it was very early in the race and I was already thinking about bagging it. The bridge was several miles long with two very large inclines and corresponding declines, then a long flat section in the middle. The temp wasn’t horrible but the humidity was just thick. I walked for the first time in the third mile going up the second nasty incline. I didn’t walk for long, just long enough to regroup. It was somewhere in this section that I realized I was going to have to treat this race like any other scorcher and run it water stop to water stop. I walked thru every water stop from there on out, drinking both gatorade and water and also dumping water on myself then just tried to keep moving to the next. I had made the conscious decision to finish no matter how long it took and no matter how much I had to walk.
Somewhere in the 4th mile the 2 hour pace group powered past me looking very solid and stong. It was so evident in these early miles who were the locals versus the visitors. We “visitors” already looked like wilted flowers and the locals were powerful and stong in their home territory. It was almost funny, had I not been the wilted flower.
The course map was very simple, we ran a big square, so it was easy to break it down into quarters. As soon as we got off the first series of bridges, it was into town for a short shady jaunt, then a long set of second set of bridges with the ups/downs, then the homestretch. I saw my momma at mile 12 and stopped and drank her water talked to her.
The water stops were about every 1.5 miles. It seemed like a long way to run without water but I am glad they weren’t more often or my time would have been even slower I would have overdrank. There were live bands or music every 3 or 4 miles, the volunteers and police were plentiful and friendly. The post race party was hopping with lots of food, beer, massages and live entertainment. Everyone looked to be having a great time!
Overall it was a good race and very scenic, just a bit too warm & humid for Ms. TooTall. The finish temp was 82 degrees. For me, my race strategy sometimes gets revised to self-preservation, which means running smart and safe to the finish. My body really just shuts down in the heat/humidity, it’s not even a conscious decision, the body just slows down. So I safely made it to the finish and that makes me happy regardless of the time. I was officially a 2:08:22 finisher and I’ll take that! Always good to make it back for the post race photos! Chris, Jess, Me & Angela:
After the finish, I walked/jogged back for Angela so it was a total 16.5 mile day for me. I’m a bit sore but not bad. My biggest “pain” is from the slanted/grated roads that gave me a huge blood blister on the side of my big toe. I did as lot of weaving around trying to find a flat spot to run but it was difficult. Here is the “loot”: 
There wasn’t an expo, the goody bags only had the shirt, one sample of biofreeze, and the backpack. Although, it was a decent race, I don’t feel as if I’m missing out by not yet having ran the Chicago race.
After the race, we were up for some more fun in the sun but that was not in the cards. Rainstorms came thru and the temps dropped to 62 before we left Miami that evening. The high winds were ripping the palms right off the trees! 
We did walk back to our favorite area for lunch but overall with the temperature drop and high winds we were just thankful to have been able to enjoy our days previous and it was easier to pack up and head to the airport. A few of my favorite sites before leaving, most are from a small street called Espana Way with lots of little shops and restaurants.
How do you do with “destination” races? Are they hard for you or do you always rock them? This was my first and probably my last unless I luck into being somewhere when a random race is happening. I race close to home where I am usually familiar with the conditions, can sleep in my own bed and eat my own food prior to race day.
Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz
As cliché as it sounds, I believe…….
I know that the numbers on the treadmill do not define me. I know that I have not been hitting the speeds/durations that I need in order to run as fast as I want. But I believe that my hard work will pay off with positive results. I am working harder than I have ever worked before, logging more miles than in years gone by and I know that when race day arrives, I will bring everything I have to the table. What does that mean? I will bring my attitude and BELIEVE that I can run faster than is possible.
I began simple speed interval work about 5 or 6 weeks ago with the intention of getting back into 22:xx shape for the 5K distance. However, I do not anticipate the upcoming Warm Your Heart 5K at McCormick Place to be a test of the progress of my random speed work since the course map looks as intricate as a good maze. 
After a brief review of this course map, I have decided that this looks like a fun race where I will get to go and hang out with friends but not one that will count as a real test of 5K speed since I can only imagine huge bottlenecks at each of those turns.
However, as I look forward to the next several weeks of training I see the 13.1 Miami Beach race in my immediate future. I anticipate this to be a good test as to my current level of fitness. I haven’t raced a half uninjured since last June and that day ended up being sweltering hot and although I finished in a run/walk fashion, they did end up calling the race and closing it down due to the dangerous conditions. So I don’t feel as if that race was a good indication of half marathon speed since I was in survival mode. I raced a couple other halfs afterwards but they were in a very injured state with the Plantar Fasciitis. Therefore, I have HUGE expectations for 13.1 Miami Beach. I have been trying to get to the 1:50:xx mark in the half marathon for 2 years and I now believe that I will be able to attain this goal with my current level of fitness. 
So I have one more week to train without blowing it and then it will be R&R with my momma in Miami before Ms. TooTall bags a goal that is 2 years in the making. I’m not really sure there will be room for many other people in the race once my attitude hits the start line. Watch out Miami Beach…….I’ll be flying in for you, very soon!
Believe in yourself and know that the impossible really is possible if you BELIEVE.
Do you have any lofty goals which you fully expect to achieve this year?
Amanda – TooTallFritz
This is the first day of 2012 and we are looking at a fresh start with a whole new year in front of us. What will you bring to Ms. TooTall and the family, 2012? 
This is the time in which many are making New Year’s Resolutions; however, I am not really a fan of a “resolution” per say . I think that many treat resolutions like rules with the “they are made to be broken” type attitude. So in absence of a New Year’s Resolution, each year I attempt to develop some sort of challenge for myself and as many people as I can suck into the insane plan. As with all good plans/challenges, it needs to most importantly bring about a good story in the process! I really believe that over half of the endeavors in which I have sucked my sister into completed were for the sole sake of having a good story.
Thru the years, we have developed some REALLY good stories. Still one of my favorites was the 2005 Rim to Rim hike thru the Grand Canyon with (Me), Sara (my sis), Lisa E., Lisa’s Cousin Cindy & Lisa’s mom:
That adventure was my foray back to fitness. It was a long road cuz I had 10+ years of excess eating/drinking to redirect but I not only hauled my ass person from the North Rim, to Phantom Ranch on the Colorado River but then up the South Kaibab Trail for a finish on the South Rim. Good times. Good memories. And it was a heck of a workout! This adventure was a catalyst to my current state of fitness. More importantly, it gave me the confidence to also try other things that prior to that point, I would have NEVER though possible.
LOTS OF RUNNING
Me & Abby S. during the Inaugural 2008 Fort 4 Fitness Half Marathon:
LOTS OF FAST RACING
LOTS OF TRIATHLON
I’m unzipping the black wetsuit in the middle.
MUD & OBSTACLES
CROSS TRAINING & SWEAT
LOTS OF NEW FRIENDS
So after so much fun and sweat it is hard to create a budget friendly challenge for the new year. Last year I challenged myself to run 1000 miles. I made it despite fighting injuries from March thru year-end. This year I wanted something new and fresh and along came….
So the big adventure for Ms. TooTall for 2012 will be participating in a chicks only, 6 person, ultra relay team for the Madison to Chicago Ragnar Relay Series. 33 miles over the course of 2 days/nights in early June. This is gonna be insane fun and should provide us with a GREAT story!
I will also be running the 2012 Chicago Marathon and delving back into Triathlon after a long bike hiatus from Mr. Michael’s birth/toddler years. The goal is a 1000 running miles and 1000 bike miles. This will be TOUGH for me but I joined Team Tough Chik for 2012 so hopefully that will provide extra support that I need to make this happen! If you are interested in being on Team Tough Chik for 2012, click HERE. The deadline for joining the team has been extended until Jan 7. See a few of my fellow Tough Chiks below.
What do you have planned for 2012? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?
Once Again…..Happy New Year! Amanda – TooTallFritz
The response to yesterday’s post on my achieving the 1000 mile goal was that some thought I was crazy were overwhelmed by the idea of running 1000 miles. As in all goals that a person attempts to achieve, break down the hopeless MAJOR undertaking into small parts or baby steps. If one were to train for a half or a full marathon they should might look at a Hal Higdon training program that breaks down the training week by week so that the thought of running 13.1 or 26.2 doesn’t scare the shit out of them seem so daunting. I never think about the “end game”, only what I have to run to get thru this week. And let me just say that anything over 16 miles makes me wanna cry like a baby, I CAN’T think about 26.2 or I’ll never get out the door to hit the start line.
When I considered the 1000 miles as a goal, I broke it down into small pieces. 1) Run 19.2 miles a week or 2) Squeeze in 83.3 miles per month. This makes it much more manageable and very doable on those terms. 1000 miles does sound CRAZY and the 2000 that Frogger is running is certifiably insane but if you take it down a notch, look at what needs to happen for just today, or just this week, then you will be able to manage anything.
Remember, baby steps will carry you through any process from inception to completion. You CAN do it!
Amanda – TooTallFritz
The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. John Bingham
Yesterday was one of those days that if you hauled your ass out of bed got out to run, you are a winner in my book. The wind had been howling out here in NoWheresVille since Saturday and by Sunday morning we were under a wind advisory aka….hope you have a big ass ate a lot of Halloween Candy so you didn’t blow away. I specifically registered for 13.1 Valpo to chase the elusive 1:50 dream goal. I ran a 1:53 in September in a very injured state and knew was pretty sure I had this in the bag. However, I shouldn’t have been so cocky a person can never predict performance since each race, and the conditions, is distinctly different…… even if you think you know what to expect. 
The Valparaiso wind factor was approximately 26 mph with gusts up to 36 mph. (Update: I was told below in the comments that the wind was even stronger and hitting 45-50mph and gusting to 55mph at times.) Had we been running a city race, this wouldn’t have been as much of an issue because the large skyscrapers provide a great wind break. However, if you have been to Valpo, you already know there really isn’t a “city”, but lots of corn fields and we run past all of them, on tar & chipped, sloped country roads. You might ask why I would choose this event for a PR and that is because I have run enough races to know that the fewer people there are to dodge on course and at water stops the faster the finish. I have also ran a lot of miles on my own tar & chipped, sloped country roads so am somewhat of an expert in country running. I was familiar with this race, knew the course, and was happy with last year’s set up or lack there of. This may be a small country race but the Fleet Feet Schererville Team sponsors it so there is adequate water, port-o-pots, and on course support without it being overwhelming. You won’t find support at every mile here but more spread out to every 2 or 3 miles. They don’t have fancy clocks at every mile but instead exuberant volunteers calling out the time. David M. (aka: Frogger) was calling splits and encouragement at mile 9!
And nothing beats the post race spread at a Hoosier ran event. So happy to be Hoosier born on days like this……
I really came for the chili! LOVE!
I can’t possibly lie since TH Timing already published my finish, this race was rough for me. I never really felt bad but also never got into a grove either, then we can add in the wind which literally pushed me from side to side multiples times. I felt like I was crawling in spots and several times a foot in the upswing would kick the opposite ankle cuz the wind was so strong it would push my foot in mid air/stride. I also made a stupid rookie mistake early on and started with my jacket knowing the temps were good but the wind had me scared nervous and shaking with fear cold. So I was busy repinning my bib to my shirt and taking off my jacket in the second mile. The early splits which I usually see are in the late 7, early 8 range and well, there just weren’t any many of those. The first half was okay, if there was any tail wind it was here but I hit the 7 mile at 1 hr and knew I was screwed not going to be make 1:50 or anything close. I typically take a dive in the later miles, plus I knew we were preparing to run directly into the wind. The good part about being slow letting so many people pass me was that I met some new runners. People talk to you when you wear your heart on your sleeve have your name on your shirt. Thanks Bob H. at RaceExpressions for another great shirt!
I ran with Mitzi T. around the 5th mile. She is coach to the Speedy Cat J. who was 2nd overall female with a 1:35. Here is an “after” photo with Cat, Hubby Eric, & Coach Mitzi. Ms. Mitzi has both a brother and son named Fritz so my shirt caught her eye! Thanks for talking with me for a bit before flying by to your phenomenal finish! Great job Cat & Mitzi!
I also had the pleasure to meet another crazy blogger, Nick Q. from quirken.com. Nick was kind enough to chat me up for a bit in the 7th mile and offer me a wind break once we dove into the wind in the 8th mile but alas I couldn’t hang. Great race, Nick and thanks for slowing the pace hanging with me for a bit!
All in all, it was a great race. I would definitely run again and am happy with the race and overall support and post-race event. We certainly can’t control the weather but I would certainly like to try just have to deal with what Mother Nature gives us with a positive attitude and a few prayers for a swift finish. Today that finish just took a bit longer……2:02:25…….but I still got one of these…….
Today I was thankful this race was a 13.1 and not a 26.2…….that was my main focus in the last half. Some days you just need to keep moving toward the finish and focus on the fact that you are doing something that most would never even think to attempt.
Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com
TooTallFritz 