Marine Corps Marathon: The Expo

This past weekend, I ran my first marathon.  As one might expect, there is a LOT to say about the experience!  I'll be breaking up my tale into a series of posts this week and and next, taking my time to let my thoughts settle in the hopes of conveying a good sense of what it felt like all along my 26.2 mile journey.  Today's post kicks off with a look at the pre-race expo, which was one of the craziest rooms into which I've ever been crammed!

MCM's expo this year was held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, which I believe is a big change from years past.  Throughout the weekend, my transportation was provided by my wonderful brother who lives just outside of DC and was willing to donate his time to the cause, so getting to the Gaylord was not altogether difficult - we just drove.  There was a longish line to park, but we kept moving and only had a very short walk from our (unexpectedly $10) parking spot at the center.  There were other events going on concurrently so we had to make our way to the far back basement room to find the MCM expo.  Fortunately it was easy to find our way.

Packet pickup was a BREEZE.  I've never really had to wait long for a packet pickup before, even at some of the bigger races I've done, but I was still pretty impressed with just how smoothly I was able to get my bib and shirt.  There were dozens of Marines waiting at well-labeled booths, broken down by bib number, and thanks to the bib card (printable or mobile-accessible from email) the pickup staff simply had to page through the bin of ordered bibs to yank mine out and hand it to me.  I grabbed a commemorative program (and am kicking myself for only taking one) and my MCM patch, then headed over to the shirt tables.

My bib didn't have any markings for which shirt size I had requested, and I had forgotten what I'd put, but that didn't seem to be a problem as people just went to the size they wanted and were handed a shirt.  We weren't allowed to try them on but a small looked about right so that's what I grabbed.  It fits well, but the material is very heavy and it's a kind of putrid green mockneck, so there's a good chance I won't be wearing it much.  Good quality item, certainly, I just wish I'd come last year for the beautiful red ones!

Now that I was ready for the actual race part, it was time to check out the expo vendors.  First up: the Brooks gear store, which had a huge selection of MCM gear of all kinds!  It also had a line that stretched all the way back to the expo entrance, with estimates of about an hour wait time.  I'd arrived at the expo early on Friday morning, pretty soon after it had opened, so I was shocked by how long that line was!  As it was my first marathon, though, I was pretty determined to grab some MCM goodies to wear proudly back home.  My mom and brother helped me pick out a beautiful dark blue long sleeve burnout shirt and a UV protective tank top before we headed to the line.  After a while of waiting all together, my family told me I should go meet up with some of the people I had planned to connect with at the expo while they waited.  I was hesitant to abandon them, but also realized if we killed two birds with one stone, we could get home sooner.

I headed over towards the Motigo booth to meet up with Celeste, one of the creators of the Motigo app.  We'd been communicating about this awesome technology before the race, and had agreed to meet in person at the race.  If you haven't heard of Motigo, you need to check this thing out!  It's a mobile app that allows friends and family to record personal messages for your race, to be delivered at set points along the course.  MCM had provided a bunch of messages for this race as well, so everyone using it would have "cheers" and motivation delivered directly into their ears while running.  VERY cool!

After chatting with Celeste for longer than planned, I went back to Brooks to check on the line - and found my family STILL in the middle of the Cedar-Point-esque line lanes!  I joined them for the last few turns, during which we actually passed a Gatorade aid station in the middle of the line, a cheer station, and a candy station.  Though the long line was kind of annoying and the space was very crowded, the amusement of shopping line aid stations helped lighten the mood, and I must say I was pretty impressed with how quickly that line actually moved.  Eventually we were at the register, then through the register, and confronted with the madness that was the MCM expo.

I was so surprised to see how small the conference hall was.  MCM's field of about 30,000 runners is one of the biggest races I've ever been a part of, but the expo space was comparable only to races of about half the size.  Vendor booths were crammed in and people were shoulder-to-shoulder at most points around the hall.  All of the open space in which the packet pickup booths had been remained largely empty while the rest of the expo was shoved in whatever corner it would fit.  I felt like I was at Chicago's Wizard World comicon instead of a prestigious race expo.  Wading through the sea of humanity was less appealing than I'd expected, so I made rounds as quickly as I could to grab freebies but ultimately spent much less time connecting and browsing at the expo as I had intended.  I DID try to participate in any activity challenges that took place around the hall, as always, and ended up in my best-ever wheel pose every for a while, which stretched me out after the long car ride we'd made the day before!

Finally, after only one half-hearted loop around the hall, I called it a day.  I think this made my family very happy, but I was a little disappointed.  Still, getting off my feet a couple days before the race was ultimately the better choice, so we packed up and headed for home.  My bags were still brimming with goodies, and of course I had my bib which was the number one most important part!  Saturday was a full day of rest, with absolutely nothing race-related to post about - just a bunch of family gaming and Final Destination watching (side note: NOT a great choice before a big day, as I was starting to freak out about all the little things that could go ever-so-wrong), and of course that little INDIANS IN THE WORLD SERIES thing...

My actual race-day experience will be broken up into a couple different posts, and I'm still working on organizing my thoughts.  There was so much to take in and process!  As you've probably noticed in this post already, I took a lot of photos and my posts will be a little pic-heavy, but gimme a break!  It's 26.2 miles PLUS the rest of the "experience" thing, so deal!

Read about the rest of my MCM experience!   Part 1   -   Part 2   -   Aftermath

What's the best race expo you've ever been to?  What made it so awesome?  How about the worst?

Farewell to Summer!

Awwww summer is over!  Though my runs were sweltering, the other activities I filled my time with were incredible and I can't help but admit that this has probably been the best summer of my life.  For this week's Friday Five, here are some of the most fun things I got to do over the past few months!

5. Indian's Games

Though I only got to see a few games live this year (and that's a lot more than usual), I'm including watching games at home with my family in this one.  Going to the game is always fun, especially when my mom treats me to a turn in the club seats and alllllllll the amazing food that goes with being in the club, but my family is just the right amount of batty to make sitting at home watching games just as much fun!  Some of the conversations that have come up while the local ballclub is on the screen have been comedic gold, and I'm really hoping the trend continues into October as our first-place Indians make a playoff run!

4. Half Marathons

Yup, running makes the list even though there have been some days when the heat and/or humidity were brutal.  The bulk of my six-in-six half marathons were in the hot months, including my current PR race, and I have to admit that the travel for some of the events as well as the races themselves were interesting highlights for me over the course of the season.  Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely looking forward to running in the cooler fall weather!  I just think this year I've developed a better appreciation for more aspects of summer running than I had previously.

3. Cedar Point

I used to love going to amusement parks every summer, riding all the roller coasters, and having a blast.  But in the past decade, I haven't had a chance to go.  So when this summer came 'round and I ended up at Cedar Point not just once, but three times, I had lots of catching up to do!  I've now ridden every coaster in the park, including all the newer ones that I had missed over the years, plus I've had a chance to enjoy the Soak City water park next door as well.  Turns out, I'll have yet another opportunity to visit the Point this year, but it'll be even more special since it'll be Halloweekends - an event I've wanted to attend for years and years, so I'm pretty juiced I'll finally get my chance!  That makes this one a two-fer: something I'll miss about summer AND something I'm looking forward to for fall!

2. Concerts

Despite my sound sensitivity, I'm a huge fan of live music and have a long list of bands I'd love to see in concert.  Many of them are broken up or deceased, yet that hasn't stopped me from seeing live performances via tribute bands!  This year I've seen Zoso (Led Zeppelin), Satisfaction (Rolling Stones), a little Limelight (Rush), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)...  A tie for my favorite performances pits Several Species, another Floyd tribute band that I saw in the incredible setting of Nelson's Ledges, against a non-specific tribute group called Classics Live that I saw perform David Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" along with other Bowie hits.  I've rocked out and danced my heart out all over town, all summer long.  Can't beat it - until next year when I get season tickets for the Rockin' on the River series that wasn't on my radar early enough this year!

1. Festivals

Summer just wouldn't be summer without a healthy smattering of festivals and fairs, now would it?  My family has always spent time every summer popping in on every local or community festival we could find, usually in search of the best fair foods.  Quick note here: elephant ears are WAY better than funnel cake, no they are NOT "basically the same thing" and anyone who thinks funnel cakes are better has obviously never even HAD an elephant ear.  Moving on.  This year was no different, and I made sure to get all over town to check out fairs everywhere.  There was a music festival in Painesville, the Cleveland Air Show, several local church festivals, the Cuyahoga County Fair, and of course the Great Geauga County Fair which is always my favorite.  I stopped by my old buddies, the Flying Wallendas (you know, the world-famous aerial acrobatics family), for another great Circus Incredible show and snapped what might become our annual yoga photo afterwards (coming soon to Instagram).  There was a lot more going on at the fair but there's really only one video I can show here to emphasize how cool it was:

I kept busy this summer, between work and constantly exciting activities!  Fall is upon us, and for a while I thought it might be a relatively uneventful season, but there are plenty more races, concerts, day trips, and more on the schedule to keep the momentum going!

What were some of your summer highlights, and what are you looking forward to this fall?

Cavs Championship Parade

If you haven't heard the news, the 50+ year Cleveland sports curse was lifted on Sunday when the Cavs won Game 7 of the NBA Finals.  Around here, that's kind of a big deal.  So big a deal that almost the entire city shut down today and 1.3 million Clevelanders made their way downtown for the Cavs Championship celebration!

My office is located in the barely-out-of-downtown neighborhood of Tremont, and we actually attempted to function normally for a while this morning, even agreeing to arrive early so we could conduct some business before heading down to the parade.  We'd originally had a race scheduled for the afternoon, but decided to postpone to allow registered participants a chance to fully partake of the celebrations in the city.  Everyone showed early for work (I was actually one of the last to arrive, as I hit some of the influx of traffic that jammed up some of the main highways) but it didn't take long for us to realize it was relatively futile: the level of energy EVERYWHERE in the city was just too high and too intoxicating!  Most of the staff was already headed downtown by 9am, with the parade scheduled to start at 11.

I joined my coworker and some of her family on the trek from the office to Gateway, where the parade route would begin.  Her husband was already set up at the end of the route, but we got a later start than the rest of the office and weren't sure we'd make it in time to see all of the parade.  Instead we picked a prime-looking spot right in front of the Q where we'd see the very beginning of the procession, then make our way to the rally afterwards.  Then, we waited.

And waited.  And waited...  Finally around 11:30 the parade was actually making its way around the corner and towards the eagerly awaiting sea of Clevelanders.  The first thing I remember about the parade was SO MUCH CONFETTI!  Other early highlights in the lineup included the Ohio State marching band (along with several coaches including Urban Meyer), the marching band and Irish dance squad from LeBron's high school, notable Cleveland sports figures (including Jim Brown, Bernie Kosar, and Earnest Byner), the Gladiators arena football team, the Lake Erie Monsters hockey team (fresh off their own championship), and even a recent MMA champion fighter who also happened to be from Cleveland.  There was a famous Cleveland rapper somewhere along the line too, but I have no idea who he is...

Finally, we got to the Cavs players, who were split up along a number of vehicles.  Most of the players were engaging the crowd as much as possible (and as much as they were allowed), but I believe early in the parade they stuck more to the vehicles than they did later, as I saw clips on TV of players actually walking into the crowd.  It took the parade something like three hours to complete the one-mile route, due to a combination of so much fan interaction and fans blocking the street.  I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I ended up in pretty much the very front row, which gave me the ability to snag high-fives and handshakes from almost EVERY PLAYER.  The only two who didn't even reach out (at least at my location) were Kevin Love and LeBron.  Once it was clear the parade would go on for a while, many of the players got even more engaged, but I was pretty happy with my experience!  Heck, I even got champagned-on by RJ, sooooo, no complaints here!

Following the parade, the city hosted a huge rally, with speakers from the team, management, and ownership.  Because it was sweltering hot and the stage was on the other side of the city (and who knew how long it would take for that to finish), I headed back to the office/my car once the parade had fully passed by my location.  With so many people still hanging out downtown, I was able to get back to the office to respond to some emails, then get all the way home before the rally started - so I just watched it on TV at home while rehydrating.  I'm writing this as I cap of the evening watching the Indians game (they're in first place, don'tcha know) and playing Frisbee with the puppy, making it an all-around pretty awesome kind of day!

Now that Cleveland has finally brought home another pro sports championship. maybe we'll get on a roll with a few more.  The aforementioned first place Tribe could easily be next!  Of course, those Browns are probably still a lost cause, but two outta three ain't bad, as they say.  As much as I've enjoyed some of the celebrations, I think I'll be happy to see the frenetic energy of the city die down a little.  There's so much going on in my own life, having the additional craziness of a frenzied city has been a little overwhelming - but I fear there is only more to come with the RNC slated to take place in Cleveland in less than one month.  Hopefully, the RNC will be as incident-bare as the Cavs saga has been (only a few major issues from the crowds, and no rioting/looting so far), but I'm guessing considering the Republican candidate, we won't be so lucky again!  For now, let's rest on our laurels and recuperate a bit!

Has your city been overtaken by a massive celebration?  Did you partake, or avoid?  What is your favorite part of huge city-wide parties?  Does a sports championship in your city make you feel like you, yourself, are a champion?

Speaking to My Soul

As usual, I'm running behind on some posts I had planned.  Life is taking me on a crazy ride (doesn't it always?) and I'm trying to trust the currents will keep moving me forward - and then there's this whole bonus where I get to enjoy some incredible experiences along the way!  I didn't think I'd have time to spend on writing today, and there are some posts that need my attention soon, but I'm putting a few things aside because I feel compelled to post today about one of my weekend experiences and a package I received today.

First: the weekend.  Though I had to work at 6am both Saturday and Sunday (typical race manager schedule), I was able to spend the entirety of Saturday afternoon and evening at Nelson's Ledges Quarry Park for a large portion of ClassicFest.  I've never been to the Ledges, and honestly hadn't even heard of the park until recently.  It's apparently a big camping and festival site here in Ohio that often caters to the "hippie" crowd.  Not too long ago, I would have avoided a place like that like the plague, hating to be around drinkers and substance users.  I don't do either myself and for ages I felt incredibly uncomfortable in those situations.  Lately, though, I've been getting in touch with my "inner hippie" more and more often, through meditation, yoga, spiritual reconnection, and other activities - remember when I started with that drum circle last year?  So when the opportunity to see some tribute bands for my favorite groups came up, I was actually intensely curious about being a part of this festival.

Heading out to the Ledges ended up being one of the most fun events I've ever attended.  Not only was there excellent music all day (including Rush tribute band Limelight and Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction), there was also hiking and rock climbing and swimming and even a little bit of cave exploring.  I took a couple quick photos but for the most part I was too busy enjoying the amazing park to have my phone out!  There were tons of people, and many of them were using substances of all sorts, but for the first time, I didn't feel out of place or nervous or uncomfortable.  I'm learning that it doesn't matter what those people are doing.  I'm there for me, and for the people I choose to spend my time with, not for the people I don't know.  And those people are there for themselves.  I did interact with other people, but it was always pleasant and respectful, making the experience even more enjoyable.

My Saturday culminated in a fantastic Floyd tribute band performance from Several Species, right on the beach at the Ledges.  Pink Floyd is my all-time favorite band, and their music was the perfect soundtrack for the evening.  So many great songs - and a giant flying pig - kept me moving and grooving all night long.  I'm not even sure I have words for the way I felt being a part of that concert...  I definitely won't ever forget it!  The fire dancing on the shore afterwards kept the streaking lights and driving beats alive in my head and heart even after Several Species left the stage, tattooing the whole venture into my soul.

Then today, I came home to an unexpected surprise: a perfectly-timed package from an old favorite!  I've been a huge fan of Sapphire Soul since day one, and it has helped me grow my soulistic side by leaps and bounds over the past months.  Now under the even more fitting name "Soulistic Life", this monthly subscription box continues to blow my mind.  In fact, every new package speaks even more directly to my own soul and situation that I'm starting to wonder if the Universe created these boxes specifically for ME!  Today's surprise is just a small sampler of the May box, which had been called "Go Smudge Yourself With Soul", but even my little taste is amazing and inspirational!  I received a handmade smudge fan, some much-needed stress relief incense, and a piece of dumortierite, all of which will help me cleanse some of the tense energy my busy schedule has created in my home.  After my festival experience taught me to just chill out a little more, this is such an ideal follow-up ritual to perform to keep those good vibes alive!

I'm way late in posting my review of the April Soulistic Life box "Gypsy Magic" (video unboxing here) AND of the April Ashi Box "Goddess Within" (video unboxing here), but every new box I receive from the inspirational ladies who created them always seems to carry a message specifically written for my heart.  Today's Soulistic Life "fortune cookie" was, to use an industry term, "dead-on-balls accurate":

Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.

My divorce is finally over, my career track is heading in a direction that I actually enjoy, I'm pushing myself to do things I never imagined possible...  My life is coming together so wonderfully as a direct result of things that, at the time, felt like the worst possible situation.  All of these constant reminders telling me it's only going to keep getting better?  I'm starting to believe them...

What speaks to YOUR soul?  How has experience changed your perception of something?  How do you live a Soulistic Life of your own?

Arnold Fitness Expo and 5k

I'm waaaaaay behind on this recap, but it's because life has been full of exciting challenges and interesting opportunities, so I don't really feel too bad about taking my time!  A few weeks ago I went to the Arnold Sports Festival down in Columbus to experience the biggest fitness expo in the world - and it was unbelieveable!

The day started with a race!  The Arnold Pump and Run 5k is a combination of bench press and running that sells out within mere hours of registration opening each year - but thankfully the 5k only option almost never sells out and I was able to get my first race of 2016 during the trip.  Before we ran, I actually got to meet up with fellow Move More Fitness ambassador Theresa, who traveled all the way from (sunny) Florida to participate in the Pump and Run!  We took the obligatory flex photo in front of the Arnold statue before (putting our layers on and) heading to our events.  I ran a pretty solid race considering how cold it was and how little I'd trained for actual running.  At 27:52, it's my second fastest 5k to date, so I'm certainly not complaining!  The course went through some of the neighborhoods I used to frequent when I was a grad student at OSU, making the run a nice little homecoming in a way.

Post-race, I made the awful mistake of sitting on a cement barrier in the cold for a couple minutes to talk to another friend, and my poor calves paid the price!  As soon as I hopped down to head back to the car for a quick change, I realized how bad a decision that short break had been.  Hobbling my way down the street, I thanked my lucky stars that I had found a parking spot that overlooked the finish line.  Twenty minutes and lots of in-car massage later, I threw on a pair of compression sleeves that helped for most of the day before hitting the convention center floor for one of the noisiest, most crowded, most sense-boggling experiences of my life: the Arnold Fitness Expo.

This place was wall-to-wall crazy!  My weekend at the Fit Expo Chicago last May was nothing compared to five minutes at the Arnold.  Many of the same big-name vendors were present, but the sheer masses of people packed into the convention hall was almost overwhelming.  In fact, if I didn't have a handful of popular comicon events under my belt, I probably would have been completely unable to handle the huge scenario before me.  Fortunately, I'm no newbie, and I dove right in!  One of my favorite things to do at fitness conventions is take part in the mini challenges all over the show floor.  At the Arnold, I was able to hop into two: the dips challenge at Muscle Sport (do 20, nailed it, sweet shirt prize) and the squats challenge at Muscle Tech.  I pulled out 70+ squats in one minute, enough to get me on the top five leaderboard but not enough to come close to the 90+ first place spot!

I quickly learned that, unlike the Fit Expo where lines were pretty short and moved very quickly, there would be no "easy" supplement freebies at the Arnold.  Some lines moved less than 10 feet over the course of a full hour, and since I went on Sunday (the last day of a four day event), some of the vendors were actually OUT of samples by the time I made it through the line.  It was hard to pick which booths should receive the most attention, and I probably could have ended with a better haul, but I still came away with some great stuff.  There weren't many small-scale vendors that interested me much, even though I was looking to buy some more tank tops or leggings, so at least my wallet stayed in my pocket all day!

Being back in Columbus, even for a day, was a rush of memories from a different time in my life.  I did have a chance to reconnect with some of the people who had made the most positive impacts on that past life before making the long (and painful) journey home, but eventually me and my sore calves made it back to Cleveland where we quickly passed out to recuperate from an awesome yet exhausting day at the Arnold!

Have you ever been to a fitness expo?  How about the Arnold?  Ever tried a pump and run?

POUND Training - Rockout. Workout.

After waiting months for money, schedules, and the stars to align, I finally had the opportunity to expand my group exercise repertoire this past weekend with a training for POUND!  I'd first heard about POUND way back in May at the Fit Expo (right before the wheels that took me out of Chicago started turning), and in the turmoil since, it's been a top priority on my fitness career checklist, so it was an absolute pleasure to finally check it off yesterday!

Even though it's been around for years, many people still haven't heard of POUND - and I'm not surprised, I'd never heard of it either until I saw the demo in May!  POUND is a full body cardio-strength fusion class inspired by drumming, of all things.  At first it seemed to me a wacky concept, until I picked up a pair of Ripstix and tried it myself.  I was hooked.

Though the basic movements of POUND originally seemed like they might be a little repetitive, my training proved the incredible diversity that can be achieved from the basics.  With something like 100 variations on the building block moves, there's plenty of opportunity to keep a class from getting stale.  Plus, most of the moves really make you work!  Though I'd experienced the class before, the training reminded me just how much of a sweat those little sticks can generate.  And I'm pretty darn sore today, too...

I think POUND is going to be an excellent addition to my class schedule!  I see a few financial hurdles that might slow me down a bit (for example, might have to buy my own Ripstix package if I want to teach at various locations, and like Zumba there's a monthly fee to stay current with the brand), but that's all it would be: a slowdown, not a dead end.  Making it to and through this training was just another step - and another victory - towards the bright future I've been building all summer.  It was a great way to start the fall group ex season, and I can't wait to kick off classes at Elevated Fitness in November.  Classes are so much fun, and diversity keeps things fresh; I'm sure POUND and I will get along very well!

Have you taken a POUND class?  What was your favorite part?  What is your favorite group ex format (to teach or to take)?  What fun classes should I add next?!

Event Recap: Soul Pose Yoga Festival

While the Dirty Girl mud run certainly set the tone for my last weekend in Chicago, Soul Pose definitely exceeded expectations for my last event in the city!  I can't think of any better way to have ended my time (or at least, round one) in the Windy City, nor any better way to start refocusing my life on myself as a single person once again!

Disclaimers:  I was provided a comped entry to Soul Pose in exchange for promoting and reviewing the event.  All opinions expressed herein are my own, and I have not received any additional compensation for this post.  This post DOES contain affiliate links.  Any Color Run registrations made via this link provide monetary kickback to Adventures with FitNyx, allowing me to continue my hobby while easing some of the financial burdern of maintaining a blog presence.  Thank you for your support!

Soul Pose is the newest event from The Color Run company: a fusion of the premise behind color runs and the growing trend of large scale yoga festivals.  The end result may be the pinnacle of fitness-related events!  Soul Pose incorporates the throwing-things-around elements of color runs, but without the intimidation of having to travel a 5k distance to participate, making the festival far more accessible to a wider range of people.  Even those hesitant about their yoga level will find joy in this event - it's incredibly newbie-friendly, and delivers the same experience regardless of your previous yoga practice (or lack thereof).

I'm not sure what I did to get the two most beautiful days of the year, back to back, on this particular weekend, but we had perfect weather for yet another outdoor event!  In fact, it might even have been a little on the hot side, since there was no cloud cover to protect from the sun, but I'd rather have steaming sun than pouring rain.  Driving into the city had me a little misty-eyed, knowing it would be my last trip downtown for who knows how long, but arriving at Soldier Field (and parking conveniently, if expensively, right on site) only brought smiles in eager anticipation.  I'd bummed out of Wanderlust last year for a mix of reasons, and had regretted it, so I was determined to make Soul Pose as wonderful as possible.

Upon arrival at the festival, one of the first draws was to the body paint tent, where they had markers in many BRIGHT colors!  Most people attended the event with friends who could help them draw, but I managed to get some decorations going on myself.  On the walk from my car to the tents, I had settled on a mantra for the day's practice, and chose to write that on my arm where I could see it all day: Fiercely Serene.  I have been realizing in the past few months, maybe even over the past year very slowly, that I have always been fierce, but usually I'm fiercely frantic or fiercely obstinate, and these are not ideal combinations!  Little by little, I have been finding ways to work serenity into my life as a balance for my fierceness, but there is still much room for improvement.  By adopting this mantra for Soul Pose, I set my intentions for my own future, and I think having that sense of purpose and awareness greatly enhanced the spiritualism I felt while participating.

After donning my paint, I browsed the other tents briefly.  The Soul Pose store had some really cool items, and they were actually reasonably priced, so I picked myself up an offical event tank top before moving on to the sponsor tents.  Most of the vendors were local yoga places, and their giveaways were all Chicago-based, so I shied away from the area pretty quickly since I have no use for a Chicago studio membership at this time.  Instead, I headed over to the check in line that looked intimidatingly long.  Fortuantely, they were moving very quickly.  Before long, I had my yoga towel in hand (we received our Soul Pose bracelets as we exited), and was searching for a mat.

Somehow I managed to land a great spot right next to the instructor's entry lane, starting the one-hour yoga session off on an exciting foot.  It only got better from there.  The one thing that can break an otherwise fantastic event, or make a horrible event fabulous, is the instructor, and while Soul Pose definitely hit the mark in a lot of ways, here is where they really knocked it out of the park.  Elise Jones was the perfect voice for this event.  Calm, comforting, humerous, understanding, wise, and the list goes on for days.  She offered clear instruction, plenty of encouragement for beginners but not so much that a seasoned practitioner would feel babied, and always suggested modifications and challenges.  What really impressed me were some of her anecdotes.  Her words spoke to my heart and soul, and I found myself identifying my Fiercely Serene mantra within each of her pearls of wisdom.  After the event, she hung around for photos with anyone who approached, and offered hugs and   Truly the highlight of the experience, and a treasure Soul Pose should hold on to tightly!

Most people, though, would most likely peg the highlight to be the confetti toss mid-way through the yoga session.  This is where Soul Pose borrows from its parent company, incorporating the excitement of The Color Run's powdered dyes into yoga.  They made the smart decision to use paper confetti instead of dyes, which was just as much fun but far less messy!  Every participant receives a bag of confetti, and I must admit, the excitement and joy as all that confetti took to the sky was quite a rush!  Back in college, one of my senior thesis papers explored the phenomenon of communitas, the elation of a shared experience.  Used most often in an anthropological context to describe the appeal of pilgrimage or other shared spiritual events, communitas can also apply to things like rock concerts or secular yoga festivals.  The confetti throw, the group clapping, and the shared experience of Soul Pose drew me into communitas at its finest.  Someday soon I'll write up a nice post that addresses the role of communitas in the world of modern fitness...  For now, enjoy a little video of the moment!

Eventually, the scorching heat started to wear on me.  Unfortunately it was right about savasana time that the sun decided to become unbearable!  For those who have not practiced much yoga, savasana or "corpse pose" is commonly used at the very end of a yoga session, and involves lying still on your back with your eyes closed.  It is a resting and reflective position, but when you sign up for an 11:30am outdoor yoga event at the end of June, it shouldn't be much of a surprise when the noon hour heat makes savasana a sweaty mess!  I draped my towel over most of my face, which definitely helped, but by the end of the session I just knew my arms were toast.  Better yet, I'd have some killer tan lines around my body paint!  But as the session drew to a close and I rolled up my mat, I could only think one thing: WORTH IT.

BONUS - Hop over to Instagram this week for a chance to win your very own Soul Pose bracelet!

Ever been to a yoga festival?  What makes a yoga session work best for you?  Any instructors who have touched your life deeply?  How about instructor horror stories?

Event Recap: Hustle up the Hancock 2015

This weekend, downtown Chicago hosted one of the largest stair climbing competitions in the country: the 17th annual Hustle Up the Hancock, which offers a 94-story full climb or a 52-story half climb to the top of Chicago's John Hancock Center.  Over 4,000 people participated in the event yesterday, raising over $1 million towards lung disease research via the Respiratory Health Association.  Among those participants, there were dozens of heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of loved ones surviving or suffering from lung disease, but for me, the story of the day was my father.

I've written a little bit before about my dad, who has been an inspiration and heavy motivation for me in my fitness journey.  We've run some awesome races together, and he's spent the last few years honing his stair climbing technique through annual attempts to Tackle the Tower, Cleveland's big stair climb.  This year, he finally pulled the trigger on the Hancock signups, and managed to reserve his spot right away!  After months (really years) of training in random corporate stairwells after-hours, he made the trip out here to take on one of Chicago's tallest buildings.

The John Hancock Center is a massive 100-story building that stretches up over 1,100 feet along Chicago's Magnificent Mile.  We've seen giant buildings before, but what really struck us as we surveyed the site the night before was that the Hancock's base is so humble and innocuous!  It's hardly the vast construction you'd think would be needed to support such a giant building.  I seriously think the (nerd alert) sandcrawler in Star Wars had a bigger base when they built the scale model in Tunisia for up-close scenes.

It was freezing cold in Chicago all weekend, so I was worried we'd be waiting outside this monster while the runners were in the stairwell - but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was ample space in the lower lobby for family and friends to wait.  It was still a madhouse, though, with hundreds of people packed in there at any given time.  Climber waves assembled every 15 minutes, with another climber starting roughly every eight seconds.  Dad was hoping to reach the top of the full climb (94 floors) somewhere in the 20-25 minute range, based on his previous stair climbs and practice runs in smaller buildings.  His start time hit and off he went, while I waited with my mom down in the lobby.

And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Even if he took a half hour to get up the stairs, we expected him back down in less than an hour - but no!  We forgot about the mob scene at the TOP of the building, when all the climbers finished and needed to recover before heading back down.  By the time my dad reached the top, there was a huge line of earlier participants waiting to come back down in one of only two elevators that was running to bring people back to the ground.  Eventually, we found him after watching many elevator loads that did NOT include my dad, since he had been ushered to the service elevator in an attempt to speed things up at the top floor.

After such a long wait, Dad had all the time he needed to recover, so we headed straight for the Hilton across the street where the Hustle Expo was being held (and, conveniently, where we'd stayed the night before, thanks to a great Hustler discount).  The Expo wasn't much to write home about, just a handful of local vendors and a light buffet for the runners, so we headed straight for the most important thing: the results table.  According to the semi-official results, Dad CRUSHED his expected time, making it to the top of the Hancock in only 16 minutes and 47 seconds!  We were absolutely floored!  I know my dad is The Man but my goodness, I never knew he was Beast Mode!

As a side note, I'd like to point out how awesome the event shirt is.  It says "good things come to those who hustle", which is an idea that was foundational to some of my early soccer coaches and helped lay the foundation for my own athletic career.  I'm kicking myself for not thinking ahead and volunteering for this event, which would have landed me the same shirt in a beautiful turquoise shade - maybe next year!  I also really like the medal, and can't wait to make Dad another medal hanger for this excellent piece of bling!

Dad seemed to enjoy the event (as much as he ever *seems* to enjoy anything that involves crazy traffic and way too many people) and definitely did an amazing job of Hustling up the Hancock, but I'm sure he, like myself, will want to push next year to be better and faster!  Despite my knee issues, I'm incredibly tempted to give this event a try next year myself!  It would be a great accomplishment to add to my racing resume, even if I can't do it in a competitive time!

Volunteering at Women ROCK Chicago!

I've had the pleasure of running a lot of events this summer, and most of them were made extra-special by the amazing team of volunteers that made each of those races possible.  I have wanted to repay all those favors for a long while now, and though I have volunteered at a race once before, it had been a small event had more than enough hands.  This time, I had the opportunity to pitch in for a much larger event that really needed the help: the Women ROCK Chicago 5k/10k/half marathon race series, held this past Saturday by Team Ortho.

I chose to be a course marshal for the half marathon, and was posted along the Lakefront Path just under the Montrose overpass (approximately mile six of the course).  It was the perfect morning for a race!  Sunny, a little cool, not a cloud in the sky...  I was pretty excited to be out and about instead of staying cooped up in the house all morning.  I helped set up the turn cones and signage for my area, and started to wait for the lead runner.

By the time she got to my side of the bridge, she was already off the course a little bit!  Ready to step up, I directed her back onto the right path as she whizzed by - she was really moving!  It took almost ten minutes to see the next set of runners; by that time the marshal on the other side of the underpass had readjusted the cones and made the proper pathing much more clear.  I put on a smile and sent people around the bend, letting them know there was water upcoming and cheering on EVERYONE!

It wasn't long before I started hearing some feedback from the runners.  Apparently it had been a few miles since the last water station, and it was starting to get hot.  I had no problem mentioning that water was coming up, but I was shocked when runners would actually snap at ME as if I was the reason there hadn't been a water station sooner!  I certainly sympathized and was disappointed to hear there hadn't been another station, but there was hardly anything I could have done about it.  After all, I'm just a volunteer, and did nothing to help plan the race, how could it have been my fault?  Thankfully, it was only a handful of snotty runners in the front of the pack who decided to take out their thirsty frustrations on me.  Most of the women who spoke up did complain about the water but at least thanked me for my time and energy.

My particular section of the course was at mile six going out and mile nine coming back, so I got to see everyone twice.  I actually had a blast cheering on all the runners, and I know I put smiles on a lot of faces.  Yelling the same things over and over felt a little repetitive, but then I remembered the most I'd ever see these people was twice, maybe three times if I stopped by the finish line after the race, so I shouted to my heart's content, and reused whatever seemed to make people the happiest.  There was a lot of "it's a beautiful day to run!" and "you are all amazing, wonderful, beautiful people!" going around in my little section!

Of course, the main reason I was there was for safety, and I did keep an eye on all of my runners.  Two ladies stumbled on some of the rocks in the path, but they both got up quickly and dusted off before I even had a chance to get over to them.  I saw them both come back strong, so I am happy to report I had no incidents on my watch!  What I did have was a lot of fun and an overwhelmingly rewarding feeling.  I know what the vocal and encouraging people at my races meant to me, and I am confident I was able to pay those experiences forward this weekend.

Once the final runner was through my section, I packed up the cones and signs, then headed back to the finish line.  My friend Mary had a last minute schedule change that allowed her to volunteer for the race too, so we decided to make the most of the day and head out to lunch afterwards.  I found her handing out medals back at the finish line party, and lent another helping hand to keep the process moving.  We made sure to get some photos in the party area too!

We were both really happy we gave our time to help make the event a positive experience for every participant.  With any huge race event, there will always be little snags and hiccups, but we can both say confidently that we contributed nothing but positive energy and reliable help.  Wandering around the festival area, I was actually recognized by several runners who remembered me as the "super sweet gal out at the far end," and they thanked me for helping them power through the grueling half marathon.  Mary and I both went home all smiles!

Did you ever have a particular volunteer who absolutely made your race?  How did they help you?  Have you ever given back by lending a hand at another race?

Urban Kayaks on the Chicago River

As office manager, one of my primary functions is to keep my team happy and well-bonded.  The best way to do this is by organizing fun and unique events to take us all out of the work context and stretch our friendships as people instead of as employees.  Last month, a group of us took on the Epic Fail Challenge, an inflatable obstacle course event.  This month, we stayed outdoors for a kayaking excursion down the Chicago river!

Urban Kayaks is a neat little operation at the mouth of the Chicago river.  They offer kayak rentals as well as guided tours of the city via the river or the lake.  The office went out with Urban Kayaks last year and were desperate for a reprise, so I made it happen.  We registered for the two-hour historical tour, which took us down the river to the fork before heading back to the lake.  Huge thanks to several of our team members who took hundreds of awesome photos and allowed me to share them here!

Beautiful views of the riverfront architecture all day!

With the weather starting to turn, I was a little worried a mid-September kayak trip would be cold and miserable.  That morning, though, the forecast promised 70 and sunny, and the Brookfield Zoo 5k that morning had definitely been bright, but I should have known from the windy morning that the afternoon might not be all sunshine and warmth!  By the time we were scheduled to launch, it was pouring down rain.  We delayed a little, and the rain let up, so we hopped into the kayaks for our safety meeting and brief tutorial, then plopped into the water and started paddling.

While many of the team members opted for individual kayaks, I decided to partner up in a tandem kayak, just in case my two races caught up to my energy level.  My partner and I quickly figured out how best to paddle as a team, and we had no problem handling our kayak.  The craft was surprisingly stable, and only maybe once did I think we might actually tip, but no one in our group ended up in the river - which, apparently, was not true of last year's trip!

Paddling was hard, even with two of us.

Less than halfway through our trip, the rain returned.  In the interest of time, we chose to continue instead of hiding under a bridge hoping the rain would dissipate.  It did eventually stop, but not before we all got completely drenched.  This is where my trip started to sour.  I hate being wet.  I was also already tired, getting sore from the paddling, and as always, I am highly susceptible to cold weather.  To put it bluntly: I was miserable.  Stuck in that little kayak, all tensed up, working hard and soaking wet was NOT how I wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon.  I quickly lost interest in our tour guide's Chicago stories, and focused instead on paddling us back as fast as I could.

Everyone else in the group seemed to have no problem keeping their moods high, so I put a smile on my face and did my best to enjoy the rest of the trip.  After we pulled out of the water, I rushed to change into drier, warmer clothes, which definitely helped my mood.  We all adjourned to our CEO's awesome rooftop patio, right downtown, and enjoyed some absolutely delicious BBQ sandwiches I'd arranged from Porkchop.  Some of the others hopped into the rooftop hot tub, but I had already had a very long day and was anxious to get home to rest, so I bummed out a little early.  

Even when I'm cold and wet, I still can't help being a little silly...

I almost wish I could convince myself to give Urban Kayaks another chance.  The people running the operations were really cool and kind, and I know they are successful for a reason.  It isn't anyone's fault that the weather didn't hold out so nicely for us, but it did have an impact on my impressions of the whole "kayaking" thing.  If I do every go back, I might try their other location in Chinatown, to see a different section of river, or maybe do the Navy Pier fireworks tour at night.  Either way, I will definitely be waiting for summer before I venture back out onto the water!

Have you tried Urban Kayaks?  I'd love to hear better experiences, I know most people have much more fun!  

namasDAY at Exhale Chicago

I've already raved about Exhale's barre classes, but last night I got the chance to try one of their yoga classes, thanks to their namasDAY celebration in honor of National Yoga Month!

I've only taken one organized yoga class in the past, and it was NOT a happy experience: I had never done yoga before but apparently stepped into a class with a bunch of those flashy, I can do every inversion imaginable, yogis who have been practicing for ages, and my hyper competitive nature was completely crushed when I could barely even get into downward dog (let alone hold it for half the class).  I cried in the class, gave up halfway through, and never went back.

Needless to say, I was a little hesitant to dive into more yoga, even two years later.  The scars hadn't fully healed, but I've been making a point of pushing myself physically and trying new things, plus I've had nothing but excellent experiences with Exhale.  I figured, "it's free, I have a coworker who wants to go too, I'll give it a second chance."

Yup, that about sums it up.

We walked over and arrived just in time to get the last two mats, up in the front corner with a lovely view of the wall and a clock that ticked louder than Big Ben at noon.  There was no way I could have seen the instructor - or anyone besides my friend next to me.  Great start for my confidence and comfort levels.  The class started almost immediately, so I dropped my water and towel and quickly tried to figure out how to relax.  For those of you who know me well, relaxing is NOT one of my skills, especially after a long day at work!  I felt ten steps behind from the get-go, and with that clock ticking in my face, I was pretty worried about the hour that was to follow.

Fortunately, I've been doing a lot more yoga-type practices at home, and my overall body strength and flexibility have been increasing lately.  Though I didn't know all the fancy names for most of the poses, I was surprised how quickly I caught on to the flow, and even more surprised by how many poses I could actually accomplish!  I wasn't perfect, I wobbled a lot, and took the "easier" modification most of the time, but I still did it!  No tears, no quitting, no panicking, just yoga.  And I even DID manage one or two of the intermediate modifications on some poses!  Huzzah!

I can't promise this won't be me someday...

I had enough of that successful feeling after the class that I'm willing to open up to adding yoga as a more regular event in my life.  There are tons of local yoga studios available through ClassPass, so I'll have the opportunity to bounce around and try different styles and instructors to build a well-rounded practice and find true fulfillment through yoga.  I believe my life can really benefit from learning to focus and to relax, and the physiological benefits are much-needed as well.  I'm looking forward to developing a practice and advancing mind, body, and soul all together.

But of course, Exhale is never satisfied with just delivering an excellent class experience - they always throw in a little extra!  Last night it was an excitingly PINK pair of Bombas Socks!  The Bombas brand is pretty cool: they're focused on not only providing a well designed product, but they are dedicated to giving back.  For every pair of Bombas socks purchased, a matching pair is donated to a person in need.  What a great idea!

Thanks Exhale and Bombas!  These socks really are the BOMB!

How are you celebrating National Yoga Month?  Check out the official website to get a week of FREE classes from a yoga studio in your area!

ClassPass Launch - Exhale, Flywheel, and The Dailey Method

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a core fusion barre class at Exhale Spa as part of the ClassPass Chicago launch - but I didn't make it to the other events they ran the rest of the week and couldn't tell you anything about the other classes.

Fortunately, when I made a new friend, I picked a good one: Natali wrote all about her experience at all THREE ClassPass launch events, and shared them today!  Here's a quick summary of her recap, but be sure to head over to The Race That Never Ends to read the full article!

Awesome jump-shot courtesy of Azuree Wiitala.

Core-Fusion Barre at Exhale Spa: "The exercises started off easy enough.  However, as they gradually increased in difficulty both the ladies around me and I couldn't help but laugh whenever we slipped or couldn't hold a pose.  It was a low pressure class and from what I could tell everyone really enjoyed themselves.  Our instructor was smiling the entire time."

Cycling at Flywheel: "Goodness gracious.  From the moment we were in the saddle she kept us motivated and pushing harder than I thought my legs could pedal.  Her high energy and infectious spirit kept us going when we thought we had nothing left to give."

Yoga/Barre at The Dailey Method: "The stretching was just what I needed.  My core felt strong and engaged the entire time.  It was a workout but super relaxing.  We did a mix of yoga, barre, and some weights that worked your whole body."

Show Natali some love for her excellent recaps, and be sure to check out ClassPass!

Core Fusion Barre at Exhale Chicago

As part of the Class Pass Chicago launch, fitness studios throughout the city have graciously thrown open their doors to host some fabulous exclusive classes - and I have been lucky enough to make "The List"!

Last night's class took place at Exhale, a combination spa-yoga-barre studio in the heart of Chicago.  I've never done a barre class before, but have heard lots of raving about how great the workout really is, so I was very eager to jump in on the latest trend.  At the same time, I haven't done much strength work in a while, and I was worried I would struggle with the class.

I made a new friend: Natali from The Race that Never Ends!

I arrived super early, as Exhale is pretty close to my office and I could easily pop right on over, so I got to take some time to check out the studio before the masses descended.  Exhale is located above a corner storefront, and they have made excellent use of the space!  The main entrance takes you right into a little yoga/wellness shop with the main counter running the length of the narrow space.  Every person from both Class Pass and Exhale was incredibly helpful and super sweet, you couldn't look in any direction with seeing smiles!  Although the lobby and store were kind of pressed into a narrow space, the room still had great flow and, on a non-party night, is probably more than ample space for regular business.  There are Buddhas and Hindu figures throughout the space, augmenting the feeling of serenity exuded by the general decor - and tickling the fancy of this Asian art historian turned fitness buff!

Exhale is pretty much a full-service facility, offering not only lockers (with built in locks, so you don't have to bring your own), but also a retouching station fully equipped with brushes, hairsprays, tissues, and anything else you might have forgotten at home!  You can shower (they provide towels and flip flops) right there on-site as well.  I didn't look much into the spa section, but if the locker rooms are any indication, I bet the spa services are top notch!

Finally, we got to enter the workout room for our class.  As expected, the entire room was ringed with a ballet barre.  Exhale provides thick mats to cover the beautiful hardwood floors, handheld weights for various toning classes, and fabric straps for stretching.  Each of us set up a small little station (we were pretty crammed in, but we made do) and waited eagerly to jump into the workout!

John really knew how to push us...  HARD.

About thirty seconds in, Natali and I just looked at each other, faces full what can only be described as stunned intimidation.  This class was going to be TOUGH!  If you've never heard of barre fitness, here's what it's all about: agony.  Tiny little pulsating movements that work muscles you didn't even know you had, until all you can do is laugh when your instructor moves on to the next seemingly impossible position and movement.  We were full force in this class, no stopping to rest, no backing down the intensity - just hardcore workout from start to finish.  I struggled, I know Natali struggled, looking around there were plenty of people falling or having to take pauses to reset, but we ALL pushed through it and finished the workout!  It was easy to keep pushing with John (our instructor) constantly willing us forward, talking strength right into our muscles and encouraging us every step of the way!

Finally done with the excruciating - but certainly incredibly effective - workout, we sweated our way back into the lobby for some photo booth fun and a nice surprise: Loop Juice!  These guys brought samples of several juice blends for us to try, including green juice (spinach, kale, parsley, celery, ginger, cucumber); red+lemon (beet, carrot, apple, ginger, pomegranate, lemon); and wake-up shot (ginger, lemon, cayenne).  I tried the red+lemon and it was goooooooooood!  I didn't try the green due to my cucumber allergy, and avoided the wake-up because of the cayenne, but I hear they were pretty darn good too!

All natural, fresh squeezed juices!

All in all, the experience was super fun!  Got a great workout, met some new people, tried some new things, and went home happy!  Best part?  I get to do it all again tonight at Flywheel, a stadium cycling studio right down the street!

Photo credits for the in-class images and the Loop Juice photo go to Joel Maisonet, who provided his services throughout the evening and also happens to be a pretty cool dude.