Back with the Blade Runners: Terrapin 5K

I've only done one other 5K with the Chicago Blade Runners, and was a little nervous going into this one.  After completing several 5K's I have developed somewhat of a routine starting the night before a race.  My bag is packed, my "pre-race pb&j" is ready and my bib is pinned.  When I arrive at the race area, I find a spot near gear check where I am a little distance from the crowd to switch legs and mentally prepare.  My running buddy, Erick is pretty familiar with my routine and usually helps me to find a quiet area for me to do all of this.  For this race, however; the pre-race routine was a little different.  We were stationed at a tent with about 40 Blade Runners and Guides, in the middle of a crowd of a few thousand people.  I would just like to note that Erick's daughters, Abby and Lex, found a nice little spot by the tent where they sat calmly watching a movie on his phone (Talk about totally unaffected by the chaos around them :P)

This race benefited the Chicago Blade Runners, which basically made us VIPs.  We got to start before the other runners in a corral just for us.  There were so many people shouting words of encouragement and of course telling us how amazing and inspirational we all were.  As always, I thanked them with a smile before rolling my eyes :) 

I ran with Erick and Tom, my new prosthetist from Scotland.  We had a great time running, walking and learning about the differences in Scottish lingo.  I learned that they call Americans "Yanks" and women "lassies."  I was a bit exhausted from a long day at practicum, and walked a bit more than I had expected for this race, but (in the words of Tom) it was truly "nay bother" to him or Erick.  

After finishing Erick, Lex, Abby and I quickly ducked out and headed to a local pizza place where we ate "Pizza Won-Tons" and a deep dish.  Overall, its was a really fun race and night with some awesome people!

Biggest Blade Runner Event EVER in Chicago!

Running Buddies :)

This sums up what happens at Mile 3

Being a "cheap grad student" (screenshot...)

A cool shot balancing on the blade with Erick and Tom

The Biggest Loser 5k!

It was such a beautiful day in Chicago for a run!  We started off a little slow, both feeling winded and unable to catch our breath.  But as we continued we both began to feel strong, running and walking in intervals.  There were so many inspiring people on the course both running and walking.  Many people participating were individuals who were trying to make changes in their life through exercise, bringing so much positive energy to the route.  It was nice to be surrounded by so many people who just wanted to finish rather than people concerned about getting the perfect time.  

There were about 14 different people along the route taking pictures, which kept us motivated to "look amazing."  We decided against our iPods for this run, but kept each other (and everyone within 100 feet) entertained through our own renditions of "Just the Way You Are," "I Swear" and "Show Me the Way." It kept us breathing and was much more fun than earbuds.   As we crossed the finish line, Danni, (Winner of Season 14) cheered us through yelling, "Great job guys! Finish Strong!" This just happens to be Erick's mantra and it definitely pushed us to the end today.   

After we finished and rested a bit, we saw Danni taking pictures and talking to some runners.  We tried to get a picture but she ran to the tour bus before we could get to her.  At this point I believe the heat, hunger and exhaustion hit me, and I flipped the switch into crazy stalker girl mode.  We waited (Seriously... like COMPLETE CREEPERS) outside of the tour bus door for her to come out.  About 10 minutes later, she emerged with Dolvette! (Who just happens to be a really attractive African-American Trainer on the show...)  They were both so nice and I was able to get a picture with them :) 

Erick and I both agreed that this was probably our favorite 5K thus far.  We truly make an awesome running team and I am excited to do yet ANOTHER 5K together on Thursday :)  

  Pre-Race Photo     

   In mid-air and smiling :)

 

Finishers    

                                                                     Finisher's Medals

Hanging with Danni (Season 14 winner) and Dolvette (The Biggest Loser Trainer!)

Under construction: new leg casting, new shoes...

So... I've been a bit MIA from running for a while, due to a couple of things.

1. My "good" ankle has been a little... bleh.

After the "Race to Wrigley 5k" my "good" ankle began hurting.  I figured I twisted it, and decided to see how things went.  Six weeks later I was still in pain and decided to seek help.  I saw a podiatrist in the city and it turns out I have tendinitis as well as a small extra bone in my foot that I was born with (apparently this is common).  He gave me a brace to wear and an ibuprofen cream to apply, as well as a prescription for new running shoes.  Um... yes.  I got to go to Fleet Feet and be fitted for new running shoes and inserts to better support my foot and ankle :)

2. My prosthesis doesn't fit

I've had this prosthesis a few years, and since then have slimmed down a bit.  My limb isn't fitting super well in my prosthesis, and the lack of support in the socket has caused a lot of pain and discomfort.  Because of this, I am currently being fitted for a new leg.  It's a long process.  The "casting" day requires the prosthetist to wrap me in plaster to get a mold of my limb.  He then creates a "test socket" for a series of multiple fittings.  I come in, walk, and tell them how things feel, and they make changes to the socket's shape.  The first day I was able to try the "test socket" I noticed the "test" foot was black.  My prosthetist was somewhat embarrassed, explaining that they didn't have any small Caucasian feet in the office for test sockets.  I laughed and was sure to take a picture of "my first black foot." Since then I have been to several LONG fittings and finally was able to bring the "test socket" home to wear around a few hours each day.  This gives me a better idea of how things feel and where I am feeling discomfort so that they are able to make more changes before creating a final socket. 

In the meantime, my ankle has been feeling a lot better after wearing the brace and new shoes.  I decided to continue running (even if only a small amount) and signed up for a few upcoming 5K's.  I will keep you all updated on my next races and my new prosthesis!

Disposable shorts to prevent my clothes from getting plastered while casting. Yup. Fashionable. I know.  

New cover on my C-Leg

My new kicks :)

The infamous "black foot"



The "test socket" for fitting  

Oracle Fun Run: Routing Runners

A few weeks ago my co-worker asked me if I would be interested in making a few bucks helping out with a run that one of her friends was coordinating.  I love volunteer work, and couldn't pass up an opportunity to make money :)  I even convinced my running buddy to join me, thinking it might be fun to be a part of an event together, after all of the 5k's we have done. 

When my alarm went off at 3:50am, let's just say I was NOT a happy camper.  Luckily, Erick and I made a quick dash for Dunkin' before heading to meet the team. :)  Gotta love a hot vanilla latte lite at 4am.

We got to the hotel, and the coordinator handed us two t-shirts.  Erick checked the sizes and laughed saying, "You are going to be swimming in this."  Turns out, I am NOT a size XL :) Ha.  However, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.  I found a way to "work" the shirt, and we headed out to the route.

We followed Dave along the path the runners would be taking, weaving in and out of Millennium Park.  I guess I assumed that the event would be bigger, and that groups of us would be placed at different "stations."  Instead we were placed individually along the route, and our job was to direct runners to the next "Red Shirt."  I was placed on the path just before the runners got to Chicago's famous "Bean" sculpture.

The event was very small, and included 35 runners, all wearing white hats (I didn't realize they would all be wearing the hat and directed a few individuals who were just out for their morning run.  Haha....oops).
The runners came through the route twice to complete the 3 mile course.  I cheered the runners on and directed them using the saying, "Keep going up and around 'The Bean!'"  I even adopted a nice flight attendant gesture pointing in the right direction.

After the run I decided to try to catch up on sleep before heading to work.  I believe my head was on the pillow for 3 seconds before I was out light a light for a few hours.  :)  Overall, a fun way to make $50 on a Thursday morning :) 

Giant T-Shirt...

Race Staff :)

I was bored before the race started and snapped a shot wearing my new kicks

Breakthrough for Brain Tumors: Team Chelsea's Chelupas!

As many people may know, my sister Chelsea was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in her left frontal lobe 2 1/2 years ago.  She underwent two major brain operations as well as seven weeks of radiation therapy  and is cancer free, and more importantly, still the girl I know and love, today.  I was so excited when I saw the "Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5k" as it was the perfect way to show how much I appreciate all that was done for Chelsea.  

I created a team, called "Chelsea's Chelupas" for the race.  For some reason, Chelsea has always called me her little "Chicken Nugget" and I call her my "Chelupa," so it seemed like an appropriate team name. 

I have been having some issues with my prosthesis recently, with the main problem being that it no longer fits.  I am in the process of being fitted for a new one, but in the meantime, things are a bit uncomfortable.  We decided ahead of time that we would be walking quite a bit of the race, which ended up working out well.  I have learned that for me, it's not about getting an amazing race time, or just getting to the finish line.  It's about the journey, and the people you surround yourself with.  We had a great time talking, laughing and enjoying the beautiful view of the lake.  

We ran a bit at the beginning., through each mile marker, and in front of the photographers (gotta look good...duh...).  Everyone learned the "5k secret handshake".  The water stations, however, have become a problem.  The water fight, which took place at the "Race to Wrigley," was only the start of the vendetta between Erick and myself.  This time the volunteers seemed to be fine with the fact that we took MULTIPLE cups of water.  Needless to say... we were both soaked for the last 1 1/2 miles. :) We finished running as a team, which is exactly how every run should end.  

After the race Beata and Will headed out to the Veggie Pride Parade (Yes. Only in Chicago...Only in Chicago...) and Erick, Abby and I adventured to Garrett's Popcorn for a sample and bags for friends.  We continued to Lou Malanati's for lunch, because pizza is our 5k tradition.  After pizza Abby and I insisted that fro yo was extremely important to us.  We hit up Yogurtland, and walked through the Saturday Farmer's Market eating our fro yo.  Erick went on to watch his other daughter play three basketball games, where I on the other hand took a shower and a two hour nap. Haha. I guess I was a little tired. 

A great day and a great run :) Thank you Erick, Abby, Beata and Will for supporting my cause and helping to raise $200 for brain tumors :)

Team Chelsea's Chelupas!!

Running Buddies for Life :)

New Best Bud.

Awwwww

                    

Fro Yo!!!

Racin' to Wrigley :)

I felt the need to run another 5k, and since Erick and I had yet to complete a REAL 5k (The last one we did was routed wrong and we ended up doing a 3k...) we decided to sign up for another one together.  

Erick lives in the 'burbs, and has never had the opportunity to experience Chicago's lovely public trans. We decided it was best to take the L today to avoid traffic and parking issues.  The race was very well run and organized, with clearly marked areas.  While waiting in the corral for the race to begin, a volunteer noticed that I was trying to warm my hands and gave my his gloves off his hands.  It was extremely kind of him, and I was much warmer.  

When we got to the water stop we were both a bit burned out.  After taking a few sips of water I noticed Erick was finished with his and was a few steps ahead of me.  It was pretty warm at this point, and I decided that it would be a wonderful idea to give him a small splash of water on his back.  The minute I threw the water at him I immediately regretted it.  A bunch of people around us started laughing as he turned around, soaked.  He took one look at me and asked a volunteer for another cup of water.  I pleaded for a few seconds, claiming that I was a good person, and that I didn't mean to get him all wet, before I decided it was best to start running away from him.  I took off, sprinting ahead of him before I gave up and he splashed me.  

We ran, walked, sang, and danced the whole way.  A while back, while running at the track toegther, we realized that we both were big on creating secret handshakes with friends.  We came up with an awesome "secret handshake/pump up move" involving an in air hip bump. (Erick is a bit bigger than me, so we decided the jump and hip bump can only happen when we are standing still to prevent Meaghan flying to the next county). 

There was a second water station at the end of the race... :) At this point we were both a bit delirious and tired.  My simple splash at mile 2 resulted in a full on water fight at the finish.  We both ended up soaked and freezing, but in good spirits. 

Afterwards we celebrated with my favorite after race tradition... a slice of pizza and a coke :) We were running a bit late, so I got to tag along with Erick to pick up his girls at church.  We all jammed out to "Pitch Perfect" in the car on the way back to the city (Love these girls already...)  The famous "Cupcake Van" was parked in front of my school, and we all jumped out and grabbed a cupcake before saying goodbye.  A perfect way to end a race morning :)

Overall, a great race! So well organized and so fun to meet up with my amazing running buddy and friend :)

        

Capturing Erick's first Subway experience :)

      Meh. Changin legs.

reeeeeaaally excited to be running at 8am

A little bit wet after the water stop... oops :)

chillin' on the statue

An INCREDIBLE 5K: The Bunny Bolt

This year, my dad's 60th birthday fell on Easter weekend.  Chelsea and I decided to fly in and surprise my dad.  As a part of our weekend plans, I looked up 5K's and decided that it would be fun to do one as a family.  We decided on the Bunny Bolt 5K through City Park in Denver.  I haven't been running much, and was a bit nervous about this one.  It was Chelsea and dad's first 5K and they were both feeling a little nervous.  It was Mom's second 5K, and she has been training like crazy ever since she finished the Hot Chocolate run in Chicago this past fall.

We made t-shirts and bandannas so that we felt more like a team.  Things were a little crazy this morning with 4 people running around getting ready.  We applied our tattoos, tied our bandannas, and put our shirts on.  We arrived at the park singing, Michael Buble's "Everything."  

It couldn't have been a more perfect day.  It was 65 degrees and a clear blue Colorado sky.  Chelsea and I have been feeling like we are on a tropic vacation compared to our current homes (Rochester and Chicago).  We ended up making tons of new friends, and even ran into a few people we knew... (so not surprising when you are with my mother...).  Chels and Mom crossed the finish line a few minutes apart, and then came back for Dad and I.  We all met up just before the finish and crossed together.  Dad even ran through the finish line.  All in all, a wonderful 5K! We are all very excited about running our next ones in Denver, Chicago and Rochester :) 

  

Popping out to surprise dad!

Daddy's girls :)

Pre-Race Tattooed cheeks

Driving to the race...

The Incredibles!

A post about my biking days... and Lance :)

I decided to take the time to talk about something I did before running. Road biking.  It's something I haven't done in a while, but has helped me to realize that I am capable of doing just about anything if I work hard. I have also been getting comments for wearing my "Livestrong" bracelet, despite all the allegations against Lance.  I wanted to make my opinion known as this is something very personal for me.  So... here it goes...

Shortly after my family moved to Colorado, my mom became very passionate about riding her bike.  She rode in several large events raising money for different organizations, and even got her friends, family, and my dad riding in them too :)  When I was diagnosed with cancer in 1999, she was determined to find a way to help me fight, as well as give back to the hospital that had saved my life.  She created a team, "Meaghan's Modsquad" to ride in the annual Courage Classic that year.  Since that time my mom has ridden every year raising thousands of dollars for the hospital, and of course making the event all the more interesting with the gang of crazy riders each year.  The team has evolved each year and many people we have known for a long time, as well as those we have literally recruited on training rides have ridden in this event.  

I volunteered for the Courage Classic for a few years in a row, and even was given my own title: "Personal Assistant to the Event Director"  A few years later, I began riding tandem with my mom's bike mechanic, Duane and later began riding with Chris, a parent of a member of my school's color guard team.  I loved sharing this passion with my mom and rode in the Courage Classic for several years.   

My mom has always been a huge fan of Lance's.  To this day my mom keeps a life-size poster of Lance in our garage.  When I was in high school I was chosen to be one of the "Livestrong" model patients, and had my picture on the website with the phrase, "I'm Meaghan, and I LIVESTONG" written beneath it.  I attended a few events held in Colorado, and even got to hear Lance speak in person.  

The Tour de France is a race that no ordinary person could complete, let alone win.  No drug, no procedure, and no amount of doping would allow an ordinary human being to get on a bike and ride that many miles and those mountain passes for three weeks straight.

Lance was so focused on what he wanted that he went to crazy extremes to get there. Um. Don't we all?  I'm a girl who needs a latte every morning and a few Diet Coke's each day because I don't have time to get more than 6 hours of sleep each night.  Is that not a little extreme? Every person who has ever risen to the top had to take some extreme measures to get to where they are. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in reaching a goal that we make poor choices.  Lance made a mistake.  There's no question.  But he came clean.  And in my eyes, he's still a survivor and a hero.  So I'm still Meaghan, and I still Livestrong.  

Here are some pictures from my days as a road biker :)

At the top of Freemont Pass... :) 

Sagging to the top of Vail Pass... Not happy. And yes. I wore a crown on my helmet :)

My trusty captain, Chris. The love of my life. Obviously.

Mom and I at the top of Tennessee Pass :)

I'm looking at The Bunny Rock 5k on March 30th for my next race :)  Looking for recruits to run with me.  Been running in the cold... Brrr. It's a little chilly running at night in chi-town, but totally worth it :)

The Shortest 5k EVER! :)

I signed up for this race as a way to motivate myself to keep up with my running.  After I signed up I got an email from a friend I had met a few times running at the track downtown, asking how my running was going.  He mentioned briefly at the end of his email that he would love to do a 5k sometime. Not sure if he was just saying it to be nice, but I took that as a confirmation that he would be signing up for the Polar Dash with me :) He signed up the next day and we both began training on our own to prepare.

I met Erick at Gear Check, switched legs, and we lined up right before the race started.  (I learned my lesson at the Turkey Trot... there IS such a thing as being TOO early.  It was kinda nice starting right away. Less anxiety.  And cold air :P)  The weather was absolutely perfect.  Not too hot, not too cold, a little wind, and a beautiful clear sky over Lake Michigan.  It was a rough start, with a lot of walkers who CLEARLY did not understand the lineup system.  We ran around Grant Park, and onto the path above the lake, heading north and crossing the 1 mile marker.

When we got to the turn around on the lake path, I felt a little confused.  The Monster Dash (same racing company) used an almost identical route on paper, but it seemed like we turned around a lot sooner today.  I didn't think much of it, and we kept going. We ran under the bridge, bringing us back into Grant Park.  I assumed we would take another loop around the park again, when it became clear that we were finishing.  I looked at Erick and said... "Um. There's no WAY that was a 5k!? We didn't even pass a Mile 2 marker." Erick kept saying, "I think we're done! This is it?! This is the finish line!" We crossed at 29 minutes, and got our medals, when they made an announcement: "We would like to apologize for the confusion.  If you were in the 5k group you either did a 3k or a 7k." We looked at each other and started cracking up. So the Polar Dash 2013 marks my first 3K race :)

We ate pizza afterwards (another tradition of mine) and laughed a lot about the "shortest 5k" we've ever done. Erick and I have a similar pace, as we are both more concerned about taking care of our body than making perfect time.  We decided to keep each other motivated through email updates on our training progress, and talked about doing another 5k together.  He's convinced I should do the 7k Shamrock Shuffle, with 30,000 other crazy Chicago runners.  Ha. We'll see about that :)

Some awesome pictures of me and my new running buddy Erick :)

  

Before the race started :) Note new pink ear warmers.  They were made for me.  They even have a hole in the back for my ponytail. 

             After our 3k...The girl taking the picture thought it was awesome that we wore matching neon shoelaces. My response... "Uh... We did? Oh. Um. Ok?"

 

We had to :P   

 The best part of the goody bag! Penguin hats!

The classic "catch me!" shot by the backdrop :) Another "Meaghan 5k" tradition

Back to training...

I've really struggled this week realizing my need for independence and space from the people I love the most, my family.  Being home was perfect.  It was the break I needed and was filled with love and encouragement from my family.  I enjoy being in the middle of the craziness, where everything (including trips to Walmart to return the vacuum "somebody" broke sucking up Christmas tree pine needles) is an adventure.  But part of me really yearns to be out here busting my butt and working towards my dream of becoming a psychologist.  I've been working through some of this guilt, and learning how to let it go.  It's important to desire independence at this stage of my life.

I think my body is ready to go full-force into life again.  I'm a bit unmotivated being on break, and getting myself to work on cover letters and my CV for next year's practicum is difficult.  This week practicum starts up again, and then school, and of course working as well, so I'll be busy again in no time. 

I have been running, however, and my leg has been feeling pretty good.  I even got myself up early on Saturday and ran a quick mile before starting my day.  i found some great neon-green zebra print "cheerleader" spandex to wear underneath my liner in order to run more comfortably :)

Erick emailed me to let me know that it's supposed to be 50 degrees Saturday! :) (I mean... i could have checked on my fancy phone...)  Anyways... I'm very excited to be running in decent weather (hopefully :P).  I'll be sure to update after the run :)

After taking some running shots, Katy wanted to take a few pictures of me switching legs, in order to help others to understand what it looks like, so I thought I'd include them here...