Kicked it off with some time with Connor Friday and saw a movie.
THEN......the crazy time began. Headed to the city for the RNR. In typical Monica fashion, I made a wrong turn and parked at the wrong side of McCormick Place. Literally the 180 degree wrong side. If you have never been there, I swear it is over a mile from one end to the other. And was wearing my minimal shoes so they do not correct for my goofy gait like my running shoes. Shins were SCREAMING by time I got to packet pick-up and the Expo.
This was my first major expo I went to and OMG.... I was overwhelmed with the products, samples and info. I spent over three hours roaming around, trying different protein and fueling products, looking and different vendors..... Yeah... It was crazy. Grabbed a couple things I needed and a zillion samples and coupons. Will likely do a review of all the stuff (the good, bad and the icky!) at a later time.
I bought a shirt on Saturday that said "You don't have to go fast, you just have to go!" That is one of my favorite mantras. Another great one "No matter how slow you are, you are doing laps around those who never get off the couch!". (Anke likes "I thought they said RUM".....)
To make sure it was not "all about me" at the expo I registered to be a potential peripheral stem cell or bone marrow donor. Not sure I will ever get a call but if I can help save a life, I will!
To make the weekend even sweeter, I got to see Dani Vitale and her Mom. I went to school with her and lived down the block for years and like many friends, lost touch over the years. It was like time never passed! And her Mom! Oh how I love that lady! Time was too short this weekend but it will NOT be another 20 years beforeI see the again.
That night attended the CureJM conference dinner with my dear friend Anke and her wonderful boys Alex and Connor. (Her Connor- she has one too!). It was so inspiring to hear the stories and meet some of the families I have seen on Facebook.
Anke was kind enough to let me crash in her room so I did NOT have to get up at 4am to drive back in.
The race started at 6:30am. I am not a early morning person, nor do I like to exercise in the morning. We left the hotel at 5:40 so I figured "I should pass a Starbucks on the way for coffee". NOPE!
Decisions, decisions came next. Anke has two adorable 9 year old twin boys, Connor and Alex. Connor seems to be struggling with stiffness (he has JM, the charity I ran for in this event) and I was afraid I would go too fast for him or if something happened he would need his Mom so he went with Anke and Alex went with me because he is the faster of the two boys. The race starts and Connor decides he wants to try to run. AND RUN HE DID! All the CureJM had this VERY bright yellow shirts. Apparently he was on a mission to pass as many as he could.
That left the faster of the two boys with me and my 16-17min/mile pace. Alex is a ROCKSTAR and my hero! He never complained about me being slower and when I noticed his Mom was getting further away I told him he could run up to her if he wanted and NOPE! He was happy to stay with Miss Monica! Having a faster person with you who keeps a running dialog going makes one not think about "oh, my shins hurt" or "oh it is so hot". We talked the whole time (well, he talked, I was often too busy trying to breathe.). He is a testament to his awesome parents. This little 9 year old boy got me to do something trainers have failed at.... I RAN! It did not kill me and my gait was fine. And I have this pint-sized cheerleader "Miss Monica you are so fast when you run! You are doing such a great job! I hope I can you beat your personal record. I am so proud to run with you!" Seriously, this kid has a future as a sports trainer at the tender age of 9. And he not only helped me beat my PR but CRUSH IT! Previous best time was 16:53 min/mile. DRUM ROLL............ NEW PR 14:31 min/mile. Yup, shaved almost 2 1/2 minutes off my per mile pace! And I am not sure who was more proud.... Me or Alex!
After that, I introduced Anke to the wonderful concept of being "Rolled-out". If you have never had a trainer roll you out with a foam roller after working out, you are missing the best part of working out. She and both the boys tried it and I think it will be a new purchase for the Smith household. I use one at least once a day at home and it is amazing!
Then some post race visits, showers and off to breakfast (and EXPRESSO). And then it was it e to say good-bye. I had to go home and The Smiths needed to get to their new hotel. After a "scenic" way to the new hotel in Lincoln Park (stupid GPS was a little ambiguous at times and we made a few wrong turns....I know you are suprised by this) I dropped them off.
Posting some pics below. This was such a fun but too short weekend. Hopefully I can convince "my Connor" to do a race with me one day!
(Oh, and the medals are awesome too! Check them out in my pics! Very heavy and nice- not plastic but metal medals! I got two- one for finishing and one for being a Charity Supporter!)
The CureJM Team!
Me and my hero Alex running!
Me, Alex, Connor and Anne! This is the first picture in a LONG time I like how I look! Loving watching the transformation in over the last 3 months since I started this journey!
I may be in that sea of people...... Likely the clump of VERY bright shirts at the start line on the far left side of the picture....
Me and Anke at breakfast. I am always so impressed by how well she manages everything and has raised two of the politest and kindest young men! Their compassion is amazing especially considering the medical issues and all.
Look! I AM a runner!
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