A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena...

oh PS! We did it!

2008-12-08T16:05:00.012-05:00

hey readers! remember how the whole point of this blog was that we were working towards a goal, a big goal, and we were going to chronicle our journey, step by step, until we got there??! so we started blogging about our laziness and our booziness and sometimes our actual training regimens and stuff?

and probably all of you blogfans were like on the EDGE OF YOUR SEAT as the date of the Sfaffy drew nearer to see WHAT WOULD HAPPEN when these three foolfaces finally arrived in san francisco and attempted to actually DO THE DAMN THING?! and then we just vanished into the blogosphere, never to be heard from again!?

well wait no longer. we did it! hooray, hooray. here are a couple of highlights and lowlights of the race and the post-race fun in the sun:

1) no room at the inn: our hotel decides to reject our reservation and throws us on the street the night before the big race. we scurry around and whine and complain and our joints tighten up with stress and pre-race anxiety, but somehow we end up at the ritz and hannahs house. CRISIS AVERTED!

2) morning miscommunications: croat and cube wait 45 minutes for chilena to show up at hotel to head to the start line together. chilena is a no show!

3) the san francisco half marathon: beautiful run along the water and on the golden gate bridge, preceded by AND followed by insane, massive HILLS. everywhere.

4) day one of post-race sonoma wine tour is filled with sun and fun and unplanned matching black/navy strapless cotton dresses + finisher medals for all

5) croat decides that, after a liquid breakfast and liquid lunch, the best idea for dinner is...MARTINIS! (overly aggressive card playing ensues. cube gets bossy.)

6) cube, croat and chilena spend day two in sonoma touring the wineries on bike (helmets ON!) and make all kinds of new townie friends, young and old

all in all, i think we definitely made hal proud and we are all basically ready to pack it in and move to SF tomorrow. the end.

post-script: cube now shuns exercise of any kind, including running. she is desperately seeking inspiration. maybe in the form of a fantastic destination race? suggestions welcome!

croat and chilena, pls feel free to add your own special memories and highlights/lowlights.

the NYC Half

2008-07-31T11:48:00.013-04:00

sorry I have been MIA on the blog. truth is, i have been a bit of a delinquent... but between Hal's encouraging words, and NYPolak's inspiring ones i motivated to get back on the training wagon last week! (check out the bump in my miles on the nike challenge-yeah, that's right!!) and i'm proud to say, i've taken the weekend long runs to the next level. yes ladies and gentlemen, i have now run my first double digit run!!! and the big news is that i didn't die trying!! yay! to prove it, here are pictures of me amid the masses at the NYC Half Marathon last sunday (i ditched at 10 miles since it was just a training run). ran through central park (surprisingly tough/lots of hills--good practice for the sfaffy though), times square (v cool) and ultimately ended up on the west side highway. these pics were taken around mile 8 running through times square...and you'll see that i am definitely looking a bit red faced, doing lots of huffing and puffing! HAHA however, please note that my legs and arms are actually moving--i am indeed running! and by the way, it was really hot and humid, hence the red face. actually Cube, in homage to you, at every water stop i shamelessly poured water all over myself and then recklessly threw my used water cups to the ground!! yeah! hardcore!! HAHA

all in all (and i can't believe i'm actually going to say this...) it was ACTUALLY a really fun time. and it made me SO excited for the real deal this weekend... can't wait to reunite with Cube and Croat and "just do the damn thing"! xoxo

Where Has All The Hardcore Gone?

2008-07-25T10:48:00.004-04:00

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies.....where has all the hardcore gone? I mean I go to check the Nike Challenge page and see Cube hasn't even run once in like a week. Chilena is talking about drinks and having fun in place of tears and sweat. I don't even want to know what Croat is up to. Probably something so heinously un-hardcore that the mere site of this blog makes her cringe with shame and guilt....

I mean come on ladies. I used to come to A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena for motivation. Now it's Artie who's given the pep talks? Cube I mean I get it you are studying for the most important test of your professional career. I get it. but come on ZERO.ZERO runs. I mean hey I don't mind smoking you by 20 miles but I do like a challenge.

I think it's time to bust out the good ole Catalunya flag story to motivate some butts onto the concrete. You see ladies there is a legend in Barcelona about the Catalan flag and it goes something like this:

There once was a Catalunian Count by the name of Guifré el Pilóss also known as Wilfred the Hairy, who had a mighty Golden Shield, and was also known as a tremendous marathon runner*. Old Willie loved his country so much that he would run around defending it against all invaders to his dying breath (Much in the same way hardcore runners defend their hearts against the invading forces of Sloth and Laziness). Soon his beloved Barcelona came under attack from the Moors and he was killed in an intense battle defending his homeland. As he lay there dying, his fingers covered in blood he reached for his Golden shield which lay next to him and with his dying breath he smeared his bloody finger tips onto the shield and cried out "I may die now...but I gave those Moors one hell of a RUN**". That is why the Catalan flag is gold with red stripes you see. Now young ladies the lesson we take away from this is: Even though you may be attacked by the forces of Ease, Laziness and Drinking Good Times you must fight on and RUN. Run until you are bloody and dying and smearing your finger tips onto your racing bibs. The Count and Coach Hal would be proud.

*Was not known as a tremendous marathon runner. We all know the Spanish hate all forms of physical activity. Let's not kid ourselves.

**Not actually said by Count Guifré el Pilóss. He probably said something about courage or freedom or something.

a letter to hal

2008-07-21T21:22:00.005-04:00

dear coach hal,

there's something that's troubling me. i don't know what's happening but i'm turning into a slacker. it's, well, all quite disturbing and i feel awful. the truth of the matter is that i've only run 3 miles in the past week. shameful, i know. no doubt you are both surprised as well as very disappointed. as you should be. but let me explain, see, it all started about a week ago when i took this trip to hong kong--the 15 hr flights there and back along with a 12 hr time difference were not at all conducive to training runs. but while i was slacking in hong kong, i promised myself i would make up the mileage when i returned to nyc...but upon my return, i just kept coming up with more and more excuses. "is it really a good idea to go running during an oppressive heat wave?"..."i'm still trying to get over this jet lag, surely it's more important to sleep an extra hour?" and i am still tempted to argue that these actually were not excuses but valid reasons why i had to put my training on hold. but now here's the problem. now i just can't stop making excuses. tonight was the limit. tonight the excuses started to border on rationale for slothfulness. unacceptable! what happened is, i left work on the early side to be sure to make it home in time for a 9-miler. i had promised myself that tonight i was going to get right back on that training wagon. and then... i made it home from work...and after almost 2 hours of chatting on the phone (a good chunk of that chat time was with cube might i add) i realized it was 8:30PM and night had fallen...and so, a new excuse: "it's dark, and absolutely not safe to run in the park now, right?" now, i'm sure you could help me rationalize that it would have been irresponsible to go on a run under those circumstances. this might be true, but enough is enough. no more excuses. i want to get out of this rut. i need to be held accountable! i need some pressure. hal, i want to be a good trainee again. when you say run, i want to shout "how far hal? just tell me how far!" so here, right on this blog, i will commit to you, and to all our loyal readers, that tomorrow morning, before work, i WILL run 9 miles. no more excuses. i'm no wimp. i'm hardcore. i can be the best trainee ever. i mean, i was kicking cube's butt in the nike challenge and now...!!! well, no more! watch out. la chilena is back!

all the best, from your loyal trainee...

is it festivus yet?

2008-07-19T13:46:00.006-04:00

Airing of Grievances

The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year.

Frank Costanza: I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

HOLA SFAFFERS!

now indeed, YOU'RE gonna hear about it.

chilena! are you in the business of training any more? i see NEGATIVE movement on the nike challenge charts, and yet i continue to receive texts in which you claim to be "at dinner" and "at a bar". where are your priorities?!

and croat! you have fallen off the face of earth as well. you were last spotted by me guzzling wine at cafe iberico into the wee hrs of the night. i also receive various texts from you discussing "dinner with your bf" and "bday parties" you just have to attend that preclude you from running. where is the discipline??

and to the both of you: WHERE IS THE BLOGGING?!

thankfully, C3 has been capably maintained by our very talented and funny guest bloggers, Nypolak and Bex, during your absence. (we love you, guest bloggers! besos!)

but i am troubled by the fact that both of you seem to think that things like "work" and "work-related travel" and "boozing" and "love lives" are more important than "running in the heat" and "subsequently blogging about it". FOR SHAME!!!

LOVE,
~CUBE

hot time, summer in the city

2008-07-17T18:00:00.004-04:00

omg. it is ridics outside. of course i stayed in this morning doing some work etc, and finally, very intelligently, decide to go out for my run around, oh 2pm (aka hottest time of the day).

it was BAD.

i forced myself to get through 3 miles, but i swear it felt like i had run 3 back to back marathons, all uphill. whew!

after i finally (FINALLY) hit 3, i called it a day, turned off the nike+ (thats for you, doubting schmalvy) and made myself at least WALK 4 more miles. so i strolled and let myself get crazy sportsbra tan lines and listened to lectures (woohoo! double tasking!). bought a slurpee with the little bit of just-in-case money i had tucked in my shorts and called it a day. the end.

The start of it all....

2008-07-17T17:54:00.004-04:00

So Miss Cube so nicely invited me to be a guest blogger, probably thinking as a fellow runner I might add some good motivation or insight. Sadly, running a marathon, even two, doesn't prevent a person, okay maybe it just happens to me, from becoming a total lazy bones.

First let me take a little credit. I do think I may justifiably take responsibility for inspiring Cube to train for her first marathon. And I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure she had never had the courage for a half before then either. And I think, definitely may be wrong here, it has been known to happen, that neither Croat nor Chilena have run a 1/2-er (or longer) before. So if I am correct that I got Cube going, and Cube got Croat and Chilena going, then I like to think that even without great words of wisdom, I deserve to be a guest blogger since without me, there may not have been a blog at all :).

Okay before I give a little background to how I so nicely inspired this domino effect, let me say, that I am not sure I am technically savvy enough to do this blogging thing. It took me way to long to figure out how to post, and then when I saved it, took excruciatingly too long to then find where it went. So I must say, that I am pretty excited to be back on a roll.

So one my wonder what exactly did I do to inspire Cube. You must be thinking it was some eloquent, heart-moving speech or perhaps just persistence that wore her down (i.e. Cube-style in terms of getting others to join a race with her)...but no...I must admit that it was my sheer former patheticness that really inspired the Cube...Truly. Because after spending 4 years at college with me when she saw that in the entire time, I worked out maybe all of three times total, Cube fully knew that I was by far the least athletic person ever. So when she heard that I was going to train for a marathon, she like everyone else, didn't really believe me (my boyfriend basically fell off the bed laughing trying to picture me doing this, since my lack of any physical exercise definitely continued up until 4 months before the scheduled marathon). So I am pretty sure, since Cube has since confirmed, that once I completed a marathon, she realized anyone could complete one. So thanks to my prior non-athleticness, you are all running a half marathon!!!

Now sadly, I need to somehow kick my ass back into gear since I have signed up for the Philly marathon in the fall and have absolutely no motivation to do a single run (haven't run, except one pathetic attempt in the blazing sun) since May (when I managed to get running for a month).

So...if anyone has any words of inspiration for a former marathon completer, who tends to relapse to her prior laziness...(maybe shame works?), feel free to send some motivation my way as well ;). If not, hopefully my current state of laziness (interrupted by a spurt of athleticism) will inspire a whole new generation of distance runners.

The Cyborgs Amoung Us...

2008-07-16T21:24:00.005-04:00

First of all let me just start off by saying how incredibly honored and humbled I am to be selected as a guest poster on one of my favorite blogs A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena... I've been a loyal reader ever since I was informed of it's existence and have loved it ever since. This being my first guest post I can only hope to emulate its high journalistic and editorial standards as well as entertain the literally tens of people who casually look at this blog from around the Chicago, NYC metro areas (plus randoms from Europe).

As an avid running enthusiast of Polish decent I've come across my fair share of funny anecdotes and humorous stories about the sport. One of particular interest to the contributing Croatian and Chilean female runners of this blog is my ongoing Nike Plus challenge with a one Cuban running ~~nazi~~ powerhouse. We are into our 3rd or 4th week of the challenge appropriately named Let's Do the Damn Thing, the winner of which will gain the title of most hardcore and lifetime bragging rights. In the beginning we were pretty neck and neck in terms of total mileage run and I was feeling good about myself. As the days went on however I began to notice a troubling fact about my Cuban challenger; her total miles run kept going up at an increasingly exponential rate. At first this didn't seem possible and I had to consult a former running partner who let's call Schmalvy or Rhode Islander. The Rhode Islander hinted at the possibility that perhaps Miss Cuban was walking around with her Nike Plus to accumulate miles. How else could someone explain the shear millage this little Platano was racking up? I entertained this theory for a while but knowing the Cube fairly well I am fully convinced of her integrity and know she would never intentionally do something like that. Which lead me to my current revised theory of her mutant, cyborg origins. I've come to suspect that or little Cuban is really a female cyborg from the distant future come back to run an insane amount of miles, torture me and save John Connor from a similarly constructed Arnold Schwarzenegger cyborg. That's what I am going with (to make myself feel better for lagging over 10 miles behind). If anyone has a more plausible story, which I highly doubt, I am open to suggestions.

p.s. On a final note of frustration I was in Las Vegas this weekend for a convention. Obviously the only thing on my mind was how I was going to get a run in so that the Cube's lead could look less embarrassing. I was staying at the Mandalin Bay (which by the way if you have never stayed in is HUGE and really nice). Being that it was Las Vegas and 105 degrees outside I thought I would suck it and run on the treadmill at the hotel gym (something which I find to be unbearable at best). I knew I had to get at least something in because there was no way the Cube was letting out and skipping a "long run" on a weekend. God forbid she upset old Hal. Turns out it cost 30 bucks to use the dumb gym even for hotel guests. I was like screw this I'll suck it up and run outside. So it's super hot and super dry out but I'm thinking ok Arts (I call myself Artie in my head, despite the fact that is and has never been my real name. Just a quick side note for all you (one) foreign readers). So I'm thinking ok Arts Let's Do The Damn Thing and run at least 2 miles in this desert heat. I get chugging along and manage to pull out a decent 3 miler despite the heat and obvious discomfort. I get home today and check the challenge website and come to find our little Pollo a la Barbacoa is smoking me by 10 miles. Anyway just a frustrating final note from this exhausted Pole.

Hope you all enjoyed my first guest post. I hope it was entertaining and somewhat enlightening to all the many (one) readers of A Cube, A Croat and a Chilena... Thank you and get those runs in.

What's in a shoe?

2008-07-13T23:56:00.003-04:00

What a week. Sfaffy training was chellenging due to a sick day Monday, a 6:30 am flight Wednesday, followed by a 5:30 am flight Thursday... Finally back home on Friday and excited to get in a loooong run with Cube. I planned on stopping at Fleet Feet early afternoon before making it to Cube's, to finally get a pair of running shoes I love. My current running shoes are okay (Nike btw and designed for the Nike+ chip I don't have yet!!), but they're pretty worn out and rub my feet in weird places - one place strangely being the third toe on my left foot. Gross, I agree, but bottom line is that they are not the right runnig shoe.

Needless to say, ended up working too late and had only enough time to run down to Cube's for a Friday late run. Slipped on the old Nikes and we ran 9 miles! It was great even though my feet were hating me afterward. Next day, decided to slip on a dress and wear my 3.5-inch peep toe heels, for Saurday night sushi and drinks with friends . My sore and now burning legs didn't appreciate them but the heels were unquestionably cute. Justin decided to wear sandals so had to hustle to keep up. Made it to Martini Park - a semi new martini bar downtown. Walked up to the bouncer and all he says is, "No sandals, man." Of course no sandals. Justin, what were you thinking? Not the right shoe.

That wasn't going to slow us down, so we take a cab back to his place to change. Made ourselves a quick vodka tonic and Justin was now in leather dress shoes. But wait, I have to run upstairs to go to the bathroom before we leave. And I mean run. Kicked off the uncomfortable heels, ran into the bathroom and didn't even have a chance to flip on the lights before I crashed into metal and tools. This time, no shoes to blame, foot bleeding all over the place. Forgot Justin is doing some work in there and that poor little third toe slipped right under some metal. Now I am on the bathroom floor with one thought - ER or no ER? I mean, I see the flap of skin and blood. but it will heal on its own, right?

Didn't go to the ER but forced to wear a couple of bandaids and uncovered shoes for a while. It will likely be about a week until Fleet Feet or even my next run, but the next time you slip on your running shoe, work pump or even that cute sandal, stop to think - what's really in a shoe?

i'm hungry!

2008-07-09T13:31:00.006-04:00

cube did you do your run today? i had big plans to run my 5 miler last night buuuuuut instead went to delicious big italian meal at da andrea (your old hood in wv!!). lots of wine, bread, pasta, more wine! yum yum. btw, my appetite has been INSATIABLE the past few weeks. i think i can rationalize increased food intake because we're burning like 100 calories per mile...not to mention increased metabolism! which basically means my huge italian feast last night practically gets canceled out by 7 mile run from this past weekend...riiiiight?

oh, and i was discussing insatiable appetite over dinner with a certain at-times completely tactless boy last night...and just as i was popping another olive in my mouth he says i should "be careful!", not so subtly hinting that i may blow up like a whale lest i watch my food consumption. (btw, guess who tactless boy is..) ha! well, i'll show him. and in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy unreal equation of increased food intake miraculously equaling slimmer more toned bod as long as i can!! i love training for the sfaffy!!

oh, so yeah, doing 5 miler tonight instead. ;)

trash talk, parts iii-iv

2008-07-09T00:25:00.004-04:00

nypolak: ok, ok, i see where this needs to go
nypolak: well hold on to your hats, 'cause im doing nothing but running this month
--------------------------------------------------
nypolak: how the hell did you get from 19-31 in one wknd?
nypolak: i think youre walking around with your chip, taking it everywhere
nypolak: i thought i would surpass you this wknd with my 6 miler
nypolak: damn it now i have to stop eating and only run all day
nypolak: well, you gotta do what you gotta do--so lets do the damn thing.

BRING IT!

today i ran to...

2008-07-08T23:59:00.008-04:00

...Walgreens! ok wow, i know that is so lame. and really on so many levels. first, it's lame bc i did not actually do a real run, as i had been promising myself i would do today AND yesterday. second, it's lame bc i have become unnaturally excited about walgreens in the past few wks since i have relocated to chicago. there are a few reasons for this as well. for starters, walgreens has a pretty decent selection of goods on sale--i think it definitely outshines my old rite aid across the street (which kind of sucked) AND the duane reade one block further down 6th ave in nyc. additionally, my life has become exponentionaly more boring than it was when i resided in nyc with my normal nyc life--so now these trips to the drug store are like a TREAT! it is amazing what seems exciting after holing up in your apt studying all day (ie rows of moisturizers and band-aids).

i also once again reaffirmed that i AM jane consumer. i decided recently that i am dissatisfied with my usual facial moisturizer and must switch to something new immediately. so on my walgreens field trip this evening (yay!), i spent countless precious minutes of my life holding two bottles made by the same company that i like very much. product 1 was very reasonably priced and seemed like it would do a pretty decent job. product 2 was inexplicably more than 3x as much....but it promised me id be "positively radiant"! and obvs i want to be positively radiant!! i have so little going for me right now and my life is so pathetic, i felt it was the least i could do to treat myself to something that would "leave skin smooth, reflect light to immediately enhance skin's appearance, and improve skin's radiance"!!! right?? and also it has spf. that kind of sealed it--i mean i am also being diligent and doing something good for me. long story short--i was sold! chalk up another victory in consumer product manufacturers of america vs. jane consumer. anyway...

in addition to being lazy and entranced by walgreens, my other excuses for not running today are as follows: (1) it was REALLY hot today. like ridics 86 degrees forever. (2) i was waiting for it to "cool down", and when it finally did later in the evening, it looked like it was def going to rain, which would pose a danger of water damage to my ipod and nike+ electronics. (3) i am really REALLY sore from my awesome yoga class (awesome yoga class in chi-what?!) yesterday. like i can barely walk.

all of that to say--IM GOING TOMORROW MORNING, I SWEAR!!!

8 Mile Run

2008-07-03T15:08:00.005-04:00

I'm a wo-man, I'ma make a new plan
Time for me to just start running, and travel new land
Time for me to just take matters into my own hands
Once I'm over this run man I'ma never look back
(8 Mile Run) And I'm gone, I know right where I'm goin
Sorry momma I'm grown, I must travel alone
ain't gon' follow the footsteps I'm making my own
There's no way that I know how to escape from this 8 Mile Run

Trash Talk #2

2008-07-03T15:02:00.002-04:00

my own personal fave courtesy of nike:

you can run as fast as you want, but you'll still be eating the dirt i'm kicking up.
greetz!!!!

Trash Talk

2008-07-03T14:50:00.004-04:00

from another ongoing Nike Challenge:

NYPolak: I forgot to tell you, Lance Armstrong spoke to me.
NYPolak: He congratulated me on being awesome
NYPolak: and creeping up on you ever so slyly.

8 miles????

2008-07-03T14:46:00.003-04:00

the famed hal higdon builds flexibility into his training schedules, so much so, that if you don't carefully track your runs, you may find you have absolutely no idea where you fall on the long distance running endurance development timeline. my method of Crossing Off Runs on Printed Schedule Tacked to Office Wall seemed like a good one... that is if i had bothered to cross of the runs i'd done. so after some intense calculation/deliberation/denialation i've come to the conclusion that we are in week 8, hence expected to run 8 miles this weekend.

please tell me this isn't true!!!

given that my july 4th plans consist of bbq'ing and lazing on the beach...would be very pleased to learn otherwise... cube/croat??

Fan Mail!

2008-07-01T23:05:00.006-04:00

omg! i was delighted to find out tonight that "A Cube, a Croat and a Chilena" (C3) has at least one secret loyal reader in addition to those previously mentioned (that would be Cube's mom once and Cube's boyfriend, under duress)!

from our (e-)mailbag, from a fan out in sunny California!!!

[Cube],

I am so excited you are in Chicago. I have been secretly following your
blog. I am in chi for 10 days or so. I will give you a call. I should have
some free time. Maybe you, [childhood friend of Cube's and secret loyal reader's] and I can get together. Your blog is awesome and so are all of you--keep up the great work, you will all be champions out in SF!*

*ok, fine i added the last line.

the bottom line is that we have readers, from all over the country--from the west coast to the midwest to the east coast--that are all cheering us on in some way or another (maybe?). YES!!!

Today's Training Tips

2008-06-30T22:13:00.016-04:00

Greetings from Chi-town!

Today we are going to review some important aspects of training for the Sfaffy, as listed below courtesy of Croat and Cube. For the sake of clarity, helpful illustrations have also been added.

Step 1: Do the damn thing! Go out and do your run, do whatever Hal tells you to do. (Full disclosure: we def just made it up tonight. We had NO idea where we were supposed to be on Hal's schedule, so we just tried to get a nice 7 miler in since we've both been giant slackers.)

Step 2: Hydrate! Never forget to drink lots of water post-run. Especially if you boozed all wknd. Cheers!

Step 3: Blog about it! This step is very important. Brag about your latest 8 miler! Boast about how hard core you've been in the rain! Shame your friends into doing their mileage too! Peer pressure and public shaming will take you EVERYWHERE.

Repeat.

long overdue...

2008-06-27T00:56:00.007-04:00

pics from jp morgan chase corporate challenge in nyc!

EXTRA EXTRA: CHI-TOWN CLAIMS FORMER NYC RESIDENT

2008-06-25T16:29:00.007-04:00

in tabloids today, i read that the great city of nyc is short one young cube woman currently training for the sfaffy! ha. anyway, just thought that the world and all of our loyal readers (i believe cube's mom has read this once and cube's bf was forced to read it and laugh at it by cube on one occasion...are there more??) should know about my recent CITY SWITCH! so now the ratio is 2:1 in favor of chi-town, and not nyc. craziness!

in other news, um, what wk are we on with the hal training program? i need to get with the program. i have sort of fallen off the wagon what with all of the moving and all, but i am totally dying to get back on! but seriously, what week are we on? im looking fwd to doing a lake run instead of my usual river runs! im also going to try to go to chi yoges tonight, so wish me luck. i think there is a 97% chance that i will hate it and say that it sucks and wish desperately that i was in class with cassandra instead, but we shall see! maybe ill love it!

anyway, just had marathon (of the studying variety) sesh with the new toots. i think it is time for a break. and ps i need a map of chicago. last nt on my first foray into the city, i think i took a wrong turn and went somewhere very random and desolate. i called cubes sister (croat was not available for phone calls, apparently, bc i called her too) and was like "um, where are all the people?!?!" oh, new cities.

oh and yes lets coordinate on flts! croat--we are going to have dinner or a drink or something SATURDAY and it will be awesome and amazing and i cant wait and we'll discuss flts then! hooray!

ps-miss you chilena!

UPDATE: worst yoga class ever, i hated it and it sucked. ugh. back to the drawing board...

FLIGHTS (air and stairs)!

2008-06-23T11:55:00.002-04:00

Good work, chicas de Nueva York. This too is several days late, but in the spirit of the SF team, I ran last Wednesday as well. I logged 7 miles on the lakefront bike path. No elbows, but dodged a lot of shaky rollerbladers, bike racers, teams of drunk corporate types waiting for their next chicago sport and social beach volleyball game...Corey, you'll see. :) I felt so great that I decided to run another 8 miles last night. Now, I don't need a Nike+ chip to know that on top of the other runs, I logged 24.14016 km this week! Greetz right back at ya, Tony. Okay, I'm pretty sore, maybe.

So for the real reason I am posting this morning, I suggest that we start to focus on flights. First, flight to SFO before prices and availability get crazy. What days? Times? Maybe we should each research and e-mail what we find? More importantly, I've decided that I'm going to spice up Hal's training program with stairs. I think running stairs between running days will get my Midwest legs ready for the hills of SF. I have 56 flights so let me know if you want to make it a date, even if it's virtual...everyone is doing it these days.

swinging elbows in the rain

2008-06-20T16:08:00.004-04:00

this is 2 days too late, but i just wante to report that chilena and i successfully finished the jpm corp challenge on wed! it def started raining a few seconds before the start and never ever let up. luckily, we had some rainy runs under our belt, so it was no big deal and actually felt kind of nice! i ran as a fake colleague of chilenas and had a great time--we managed to stay together the whole race and finished 1-2-3 along with another colleague. went on to drink one blue moon at the afterparty, which mysteriously made me quite drunk--something i only realized when i popped into starbucks en route to the subway and noticed i was feeling very overwhelmed and confused by the barristas' very non-complex questions about the race...

but anyway. all in all a success and i love that now all three of us--the cube, the croat and the chilena--have completed the jpm corp challenge in their respective cities!

ok nap time for cube. last nts happy hour-that-turns-into-an-all-nt-late-nt-affair with some coworker friends has left me all tuckered out. a million pierogies and ukrainian meatballs at veselka for lunch today couldnt save me. bleh. and i supposedly have a run to do today!? eek.

tony is in with the lingo

2008-06-18T15:10:00.005-04:00

according to urbandictionary.com, "greetz" is a term used by hackers for shoutouts.

omg, tony is a hacker!!!

"maybe, greetz"

2008-06-18T13:10:00.004-04:00

can anyone guess who spoke these (soon to be) famous words? well, ill tell you then! oh, but it's tony of course! HAHA. i just checked the nike challenge page to see how we were all doing, and then i suddenly REMEMBERED that post-7 mile run, chilena and i had decided to send out a little msg to our friend tony the rando who joined our challenge. cro, im not sure if youre able to view the nike page right now (have you bought your sensor yet??), but in case you cant, you should know that theres a fun little option on the challenge page called "trash talk". clearly, we love this option. it allows you to write a little msg to your fellow challengers that pops up in little talk bubbles with your name underneath it. our trash talk board currently looks a little something like this:

cube: "YEAH! LOVE IT!" [expressing approval of the nike challenge, as set up by chilena]

chilena: "oh PLEASE!"

chilena: "that just makes me SEETHE!!!!" [expressing disapproval of cube's clever move where she made sure to run .01 miles more than chilena so she could stay atop the leaderboard]

cube (although actually typed by chilena while at cube's apt): "tony! you're beating us!!"

tony: "maybe, greetz"

HUH? discuss.

we're so intense we can't even stop to drink water we have to toss it on ourselves and throw the plastic cups on the ground

2008-06-17T19:06:00.009-04:00

jp morgan chase corporate challenge is tomorrow! cube and i have run this one before... it's only a 3.5 miler but boy is it a tough one. the heat, the crowds, the intensity!! if you happen to be there, you should be able to spot us easily enough--we'll be the 2 really hardcore girls running at lightning speed and barely slowing down at the water stops to toss cups of water on our heads. post race, you'll find us posing as investment bankers in our race day shirts and stealing fancy gatorade... yay corporate challenge!!

i can walk! it's a miracle!

2008-06-16T10:48:00.004-04:00

following yesterday's 7-miler, i was expecting that every step today would be a painful one. was mentally preparing myself for a day of hobbling around the office, legs feeling as tight as stretched rubber bands. so, i tentatively stepped out of bed this morning and to my surprise, was thrilled to find that my legs felt fine. eerily fine. this is bizarre. and AWESOME! sfaffy here i come!

(ok, so my knees are kinda sore, but i can walk!)

btw, special thanks go out to cube, my official pacer. couldn't have done it without you cube.

the latina contingent: hard core--rain or shine!

2008-06-15T19:15:00.008-04:00

according to paula radcliffe and lance armstrong, both chilena and i recorded our longest runs ever! (full disclosure: i got a new nike sensor post-marathon and have only been using this one for a month) HOORAY!

i suggested that we swap in wk 4's 5 mile wknd long run for wk 6's ( i think) 7 miler, in honor of chilenas and my last opportunity to do a wknd long run together, and potentially my last wknd in nyc (single silent tear). mother nature was not so much cheering us on, however. miles 1-4 were marked by intense heat and humidity, while miles 5-7 brought sheets of rain pouring down on us. visibility was not great and was a teens worried about my ipod breaking due to water damage, but it actually felt GREAT after the unbearable heat we had during the first part of the run (which was rough). and we felt super hard core running rocky style through the intense rain and intense shine.

finished the run with a nice little sprint (chills actually did TWO bc her ipod was lagging behind mine in recording the mileage and she couldnt bear the thought of her ipod not recording her run as anything short of a 7 miler--impressive!). anyway, that was it. felt good. YEAH! amit captured some of the post-race stretching (or just pose-striking, in some cases) for all to enjoy. please note the sweat and rain stains--badges of hard core.

FLIGHTS (not of sake, not of stairs)!

2008-06-15T01:03:00.002-04:00

team!
now that we are all signed up and settled into this idea of the sfaff, we must buy tix to transport ourselves there! and soon too before they become outrageously pricey. theyre actually not that bad at all right now.
thoughts?
love,
~cube

bad idea...

2008-06-14T00:36:00.001-04:00

wine and lamb and 50/50 fat & goose liver pate concoctions before long runs on sat. mornings... bad idea.

cro is slo

2008-06-14T00:23:00.002-04:00

UM HELLO! CRO? chilena and i are here sipping wine and wondering what happened to you? are you running? are you training? are you boozing (likely)? WE MISS YOUR POSTS! TALK TO US , GOOSE! XOXO

ps-i love you croat. all of my antagonizing is in jest. i miss you so much and cant wait to see you in SF (or chi if i can ever find an apt!)!!!

love,
cuber

yo croat...

2008-06-14T00:14:00.001-04:00

you training or what? flights of sakes? flights of stairs more like it!!! get to it CROAT!!!

ok cube. leave me alone. it's official.

2008-06-14T00:09:00.003-04:00

i've signed up. my fate is sealed.

Momentary (ongoing?) freak out!

2008-06-12T14:48:00.003-04:00

Signed up--it's official!!! Well, not exactly. Ok...here's what happened...I suffered a 72 HOUR freak out. Had to call Cube for emotional support. And then sleep on it. And then announce triumphantly via email that I had signed up! But I hadnt actually! HA! Then I slept on it again. And pondered a bit more. But then...

Have I signed up? Have I not? Wouldnt you like to know!

[to be continued...dun dun DUN...] hehehe ;)

TONY IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL

2008-06-11T16:49:00.003-04:00

omg apparently tony is training for like the san francisco ultramarathon 100-mile trek. he just logged like a 10 mile run or something! is he serious?

the sfalf and other random mid-run thoughts...

2008-06-11T16:42:00.003-04:00

one of my random thoughts today while finally doing my run in the hot hot sun was that the "San Francisco Half Marathon" is a mouthful. Even just saying the "San Francisco Half" makes me weary. when youre typing it, of course, its not so bad--you just write SF. but saying it sounds awks, no? so i was thinking we could combine it into one word--"the Sfalf!". maybe even drop the l and just write sfaff? the sfaffy? all comments welcome.

one of my other random thoughts while running is detailed in one of my comments to a different post. and that was that i am probs going to vomit at the sfaff. i feel like i tend to get kind of naus fairly easily. and of late, i have experienced some exercise-induced bad bodily reactions. ie almost passing out in yoga the other day due to intense heat and movement, ie projectile vomiting after completing my first 20-mile long run while training for the philly marathon. maybe i have a weak constitution? anywho, while closing out today's 3.5 i realized that vomiting while tackling the miles and miles in the rolling hills of SF is highly likely, and i have made peace with that fact. i hope you all will too.

Oh boyskies...

2008-06-11T16:12:00.002-04:00

So, I'm a little behind. A little behind on the blog invite that I thought was junk mail, 4 weeks behind on Hal's training schedule, more than a couple of miles behind this unidentified "Tony" character and not fully behind running a half marathon in a city famous for its hills. BUT, I am very excited and know that we will have a great time. Without hyping it up, I know this blog will be ridiculously funny and hopefully teach me something about race training, such as NO martinis and a sake flights the night before the long run.

This Croat is in and off for a run on the lake!

who's tony?

2008-06-11T14:09:00.008-04:00

Oh, so I see Cubana finally motivated to go on her run today. And let's see... she ran 3.52 miles. What a coincidence! This just HAPPENS to be .01 miles farther than I've run so far. Oh, I'll show you CUBANA!! And you might be beating me, but you're still in second place...Tony's totally showing you who's boss!

Um, by the way. Who's Tony?

gracias cubana!

2008-06-11T13:51:00.006-04:00

I think we owe a word of thanks to our official motivator Cubana.

Thank you Cubana for starting this blog--we promise to strive to make this a funny blog, if not THE funniest international young female professionals running blog out there

Most importantly though, thanks for peer pressuring us into running the San Francisco half marathon with you. (I commit this to paper/blog so that in a few weeks, when I start cursing you and your crazy idea(s), I will be able to point to this post and prove that I have absolutely no will power when it comes to Cubans and their orders and I felt totally peer pressured to do this).

Thanks Cubana ;)

competitive nature

2008-06-11T10:30:00.002-04:00

also, i just noted that chilena has already completed her run and is now leading the nike challenge. i need to take care of business asap.

this one's for you, hal

2008-06-11T10:25:00.004-04:00

so i am sitting here in my running clothes, continuing to postpone today's (actually yesterday's) 3.5mi run. this is a favorite trick of mine, this throwing on running clothes and then sitting around the house thinking of reasons why i should continue lounging at home routine. today, i keep telling myself i should just do ooooone more essay before i get up and go. this has gone on for about 2 hrs now. i will note, however, that the last essay i did involved a co-conspirator named HAL. i think it's a sign. im OUT! :)

good idea/bad idea?

2008-06-10T20:52:00.003-04:00

ok so yes, i think creating a blog to chronicle our training (or lack thereof) shows questionable judgment, at best. i am, after all, an unemployed bum who is supposed to be making much better use of her time. BUT, at the same time--i thought maybe it could be fun! and motivating! and funny? so we shall see. anywho, 8:53 and still no run yet. OOPSIE. (sorry hal!). its just so damn hot out. i was literally waiting for the temp to drop below 90 degrees and we just FINALLY slipped down to a cool 88. so i think i am going to reschedule today's 3.5 for tomorrow morning when it is only like 85 degrees. hopefully my radioactive red legs will not shrivel up or burst spontaneously into flames when i allow them to see the sun tomorrow morning. again, we shall see.