Markemmanuel

After three years of living in plastic bins, I finally bought real furniture. My clothing and possessions need a decent place to live.  I need more room to keep things organized.  Everything I owned were in disorganized piles on the floor, crammed and lost in plastic bins. It was a mess!

I had a few things in mind when I bought my stuff.  It had to fill two of my three criteria.  First, it had to be eco-sensitive.  The manufacturing, shipping, and end of life of the product needs to tread on the environment and society lightly.  Second, I prefer a product made in the United States of America made mostly with USA manufactured components. Finally, it has to fit within my budget.

I chose to furnish my place with storage units and a comfy couch to create some structure. In an ideal world, I would have found great pieces at garage sales and on garbage day.  I didn’t have time this summer to ramble around the Chicagoland area.  I need the storage and organization now.  Based on my shopping and research, I can’t afford quality furniture made in the USA. I finally settled on furniture on Ikea.  All the furniture I have should last me at least ten years.  I envision a long life cycle in which each piece will be re-purposed multiple times.

You probably think it’s crazy that I don’t own furniture.  It’s insane that I chose to live in plastic bins for three years. I did it to save money.  I thought I will more transient.  I did it to be a pretty nice fellow. After a past ex-girlfriend and I broke up, I allowed her to take my furniture we bought together since she started fresh when she moved home. I was jumping from apartment to apartment.  I finally decided to save money and move in with my parents.  She promised she’d pay me back but I guess she forgot.  She’s getting married soon and I won’t want to mess with her wedding savings plans. However, $2500.00 would be very nice in my pocket.  Time to wash my hands of the $2500 and move on.  I don’t want to be the horrible ex. I promised myself no more negative vibes and stop looking back. That’s how runners lose races.  That’s how I’ll lose forward progression in my current journey.  I also hope she has a wonderful wedding.

Now that I have fly furniture, you’re probably wondering what happened to those bins.  I reused them and I’m storing my detailing supplies. Reduce, reuse, and re-purpose is a great mantra to follow.

There are a lot of runs scheduled during the Chicagoland winters.  I registered for a few so I can focus my energy on some running goal.  I chose races tasty races this year.  They’re part fun, part speed workout, and part delicious!

Run 3.14 Pie – November 24th at 8:30a

http://run314pie.com/

It’s their inaugural race but it looks promising.  First, the race is named after pie.  That’s a good sign.  Second, they used 3.14 as part of the race’s name.  The #RunNerd in me got kinda excited about numbers.  Finally, they’ll be giving a Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie to the first 500 registrants.  Mmmmm!!! Pie in LaGrange, IL

5k Chilly Chili Race – December 3rd at 12:30p

http://www.parkfun.com/events/event-details/2011/07/18/5k-chilly-chili-race

They serve chili and beer on a chilly December Day.  I’ll be working retail during the holiday season in Schaumburg, IL.  This is an ideal race for me to pre-game before work on delicious chili and beer.  I’ll needed with the occasional non-regulars that will attempt to wrestle discounts out of me.  (Side note: I’m pretty super flexible and nice IF you regularly visit the place I work at OR you’re super nice and patient with me. Hell, it works with anyone that works retail.)

Midwinter Cruise 5k – Mid-January

http://www.pfrpc.com/index.php/club-news

The Midwinter Cruise has been featured in a number of websites and magazines.  You run a 5k and they serve you pancakes.  Sounds tasty! I totally dig that the running group that hosts this is called the Park Forest Running and Pancake Club.  It’s a bit of a drive down to Forest Park, IL but pancakes are definitely worth it!

I love reading recaps of the personal journey of others.  We trained all summer for this moment.  Each of us walked onto the course with different expectations, experiences, and purpose.  Here’s a list of recaps and results I’ve read so far.

Turtle Against Cancer - “Happy Birthday, Sarah” Dave ran with Sarah “Birthday Girl” Coulam this year, raised money for the American Cancer Society, and became a Marathon Maniac that day.  Here’s a snippet from his blog that shows why he’s so awesome… “Running a marathon is largely a solitary activity, but we had taken it on together. When we drifted apart, it became difficult to hold it together. I compensated by finding other people to help.”

Deekin – “My Second Marathon- 2011 Chicago Marathon” Joe ran his second marathon this year.  I thoroughly enjoy reading his mile by mile recap.  I’m so happy that he enjoyed this race so much more than last year.

Cubicle Dad – “My 2011 Chicago Marathon Recap, part 1” It’s also his second marathon. Dan kept on moving despite what happened to him that day. The “wounded Gazelle” kept running. Awesome job Dan!

We Wonder We Ponder – “Chicago Marathon 2011: Race Recap” Do you want to know why I loved reading Jenny’s race report?  She qualified for Boston, she met a DailyMiler she follows for the first time WHILE running, AND she peed while running so she can BQ.  I gotta give her some #RunNerd props for that.

Ali Engin – “Chicago Marathon Gallery” While this isn’t a blog, these are great photos of the Chicago Marathon.  I encourage everyone to check out Ali Engin’s Gallery of Chicago Marathon photos.

Good for You - “Volunteering at the Chicago Marathon” Go check out the volunteer’s perspective at Cate’s blog.  I’ve volunteered at the expo of every Chicago Marathon I’ve ran in. Volunteers make or break an event.  Volunteers that does race day setup and strike rock.  ‘Nuff said.  Thank you to all the volunteers that makes the day special.

The Robbins Nest – “The Chicago Marathon… Our Experience” Running a marathon was on Eddie Robbins’ “before I die” list. After losing over one hundred pounds, he decided on Chicago for its a flat autumn race (sorry for the Chicago weather!). Finishing the Chicago Marathon added to the list of states that he has traveled to run.  Congratulations on the weight loss Eddie!

A Girl Runs Through It - “Chicago Marathon – Race Day” She was so close to qualifying for the Boston Marathon but she earned a personal record 15 minutes faster than her previous one! I also learned that beets turned urine red.  Who knew?!”

…And some more:

• Finishing Firsts – “Chicago Marathon 2011 Recap“
• DetermiNators.org – “Chelsea’s Experience with DetermiNation“
• DetermiNators.org – “Running for DetermiNation – A Chicago Marathon to Remember and Honor“

If you have a race recap, result, or story on your blog about your 2011 Chicago Marathon experience, let me know! I’ll add it to this post.

PS- Here’s a link to the list of 2010 Chicago Marathon recaps.

I found myself disappointed with this year’s run.  It’s a dis-satisfaction that ate inside me.  It wasn’t the race that beat me.  The annoying new configuration with charity village out in no man’s land didn’t beat me.  It was myself.  I gave up on myself. However, there is a lot to be proud of.

I burned some energy off to get from charity village. It’s a REALLY far jog from the seeded corral area.  The race started off well but I didn’t follow my plan well.  I ran a full minute faster for ten miles than I should.  I just felt good and was able to sing/have a conversation. Every mile I tried to slow it down. I started questioning motivations to run and my life, everything.  I got it to where I wanted it to be and then BAM! I cramped up by Malcolm X College.  I slowed down to recover and continued on.  The legs just gave up in Greektown right before Little Italy.  Usually, I work on myself to jump start my body but I mentally gave up on myself. That’s never happened to me before while I ran.  I jogged Pilsen when I was able to run it.  I walked Chinatown because I was afraid.

The names on my shirt kept me going.  DetermiNation cheered their team on.  The DetermiNation coaches encouraged me and reminded me of why I’m running.  I’m running for my uncle.  I’m running for Nikki’s sister.  I’m running for Tina’s mom.  I’m running for Pam’s friend Tamara who’s currently fighting the fight. I’m out there for a higher purpose.

I finished the Chicago Marathon in 4 hours 51 minutes and 38 seconds. Ugh.

Charity Village was much farther than I remembered it. It felt like a death march going to the tents.  The disappointment kept repeating itself in my head. It felt good meeting up with my mom, Patrick, and Mari at the DetermiNation tent.  I tore into my bag to find my phone. I wanted to see how other people did.  Matthew finished his first marathon but didn’t get the time he wanted. He did it in sub four hours due to cramps. (I’ll gladly take that finishing time!) Chris and Diane were still on the course with a predicted time of under six hours. They’re closer to being officially being marathoners.  When I received the text messages that they finished, their finish soothed my personal disappointment.  I was so happy they safely finished.

There’s a lot to be proud of.  I raised $1,198.61 for the American Cancer Society through their DetermiNation charity team. I missed a month’s worth of training prior to the marathon due to a foot injury.  Despite giving up on myself around mile 15, I completed the entire distance. I didn’t have to run it.  I could have disqualified myself early in the race.  I didn’t.  I finished it.

What’s next for me?  I really don’t know. I love the run.  This race took a lot from me especially when I compare it to last year’s run.  I’ll have a few weeks to figure everything out while I recover.  Maybe I’ll just focus on getting faster in the shorter distances.

It’s going to be a warm one. My foot gets healthier everyday but moans about soreness. I was sidelined for a month because of an injury. Tomorrow will not be a day for me to run my best. I decided that this year’s marathon will be an over glorified training session to learn how to pace myself.

Proper execution of pace and patience can reap many rewards in a race.  An important tool for pace are reverse splits. What’s a reverse split?  It’s running the second half of the marathon faster than the first half.  I go out slowly, build my speed slowly, and be patient.

In one of Bart Yasso’s BartCasts, he said that only 10% of marathoners achieve this feat.  That’s a pretty exclusive club.  I trained with a goal of finishing the marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes.  On Sunday, I plan to attempt to finish in around 4 hours and 20 minutes.  With these much slower times, I can achieve negative splits.

Here’s what I plan on doing on Sunday:

• Mile 1-8- 10:06 pace
• Mile 9-20-  9:56 pace
• Mile 21-26.2- 9:46 pace

Can I do it with an ailing foot? We’ll see.

Also, I saw this from Kate Zimmer:

“When you hit the wall in the Chicago Marathon this weekend, remember this:

I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run & what they’d give to have this simple gift that I take for granted, and I run harder for them. Because I know they would do the same for me.”

Well, I’m off to the Chicago Marathon Expo to volunteer for a few hours and check in at the American Cancer Society DetermiNation tent.  Let the busy weekend begin!

It’s coming. The Chicago Marathon arrives in less than a week.

We laid out the plan, food, clothing, and transportation.  Matthew’s tapering.  I’m recovering. Anxiety around us is building up. Matthew posted, “Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” We discuss.  We breathe deeply.  I review past recaps and results. We spent months preparing for this day. “Have faith in your training,” I tell myself and those around me.

It’s time to embracing it.  It’s time to visualize it.  It’s time to be what we’ve training for.  Chicago Marathon meet Matthew.  It’s his first time.  He will crush your course.  I will dance in you streets. I’m prepared to run, not a PR, but to finish.  I also prepare to cheer. Anything can happen on race day. Injuries may slow me down.  Injuries won’t crush my spirit.

Patience and persistence. Push. Push.

I stood gazing at my things feeling overwhelmed. I have so much to sort through, discard, and organized. I corralled my things into one area and began to piles, stuff to keep and things to toss.  What would be important enough to keep?

As I wrote earlier this week, I didn’t want to leave a mess for everyone to go through like credit card statements, receipts, unusable stuff, broken widgets, and things that have little usefulness in my life.  I want to keep things that reminds me of a good memory, reflects my present, and helps me build my future. If I haven’t read a book in five years and it’s not related to my present or future interests, I’ll give it away or recycle it.  I need to put a limit on what I’ll keep or I’ll fall into the pack rat trap.

The pack rat trap is keeping everything because a person things it has some type of usefulness in the future and everything is attached to a memory.  In short, it’s compulsive hoarding. To avoid this, I need to do a few things.  First, every item needs a proper home. If there isn’t a place in my dwelling, the item’s new home is either be given away, donated, tossed in the recycling bin, or sent to the landfill (my least favorite option!). There will be one small box for relics of the past. My books are limited to only three shelves in a book case I plan on buying.

I’ve recycled two boxes huge boxes of paper, eliminated a few boxes and bags that I’m not using, half of my books moved to the garage so I can sell or give away. Most of my stuff has a temporary home. My outdoor/adventure gear is waiting to be sorted a new shelving unit. Office/school supplies are looking for a new home.  Paperwork is seeking a spot in a plastic filing cabinet.

Next week, I will be organizing and creating some sort of inventory of my office and school supplies.