Iowa is firmly in a winter storm cycle, with seemingly every Wednesday and weekend adding to the accumulation. I have read about where some of that snow goes (I mean, aside from the ONE day we had when it was 45 degrees and melt happened), but also is there a company that will come and remove these feet of snow from my roof? Also: Did you know it is IMPOSSIBLE to buy a snowblower in the middle of winter? Like, nobody has them for sale in the metro. It’s like when summer hits and you want to buy a bathing suit but they were sold out in February. (So, suffice to say, if you are looking for a bathing suit, NOW IS THE TIME PEOPLE!)
Gimme that sugar, baby.
oh the corntroversy
Iowa corn farmers are PISSED. Don’t mess with the corn industry, man. Also, your shitty commercial was dumb, Bud Light.
Snow is in this week’s forecast! I’ve already seen flurries at least once and it was not of much significance. But with temperatures falling to a possible FIFTEEN DEGREES, there’s a chance this might stick for a bit. At least until it’s 40 again over the weekend. I’ve barely opened my apple cider – and YES, my Halloween lights are still up.
I’m one of those weird people who positively loves the approach of winter (but maybe I don’t have the same fondness for my ugly winter tires). Playing outside in the snow feels like being a kid again. I love trail running in the snow. I miss my snowmobile so much (and always tempted to get another one). Last year I purchased a saucer to use on our back hill. Growing up on Lake Erie, I’m used to getting dumped on in terms of snow accumulation – like, when it snowed in Ashtabula, it would snow 3 feet. Iowa finally gave me a bunch of snow last winter. What Iowa also gives is an unholy wind chill. On New Year’s Day last year, it was negative 30-something. So, as I do every New Year’s Day, I joined my fellow runners. My Garmin died because of the cold. My eyelashes froze into mini icicles. At times, it was painfully cold. But it was one of those things I had never experienced, and I had to know what -34 felt like.
Iowa’s got nothing on Cleveland Lake Effect.
In looking for more ways to enjoy the cold winters in Iowa, I have been on the hunt for clothing items that will resist those sub-zero wind chills. Spoiler alert: Most winter gear is shit and rated to only, like, 20 degrees F. This search also includes what fun outdoor activities I can enjoy. I already enjoy trail running, and I have snow shoeing on my “winter bucket list.” I’ve also been kind of obsessed with fat bikes – especially seeing them out in snowy conditions, so I went to Rassy’s and “test drove” one last week. I’m pretty sure you’re going to find me on two wheels this winter on the Des Moines trails… but you might not recognize me under all the layers.
What outdoor activities do you do in the Iowa winters? SHOW ME YOUR LAYERS!
If you’re reading this from outside the metro Des Moines area, did you know that we weirdos celebrate trick-or-treating a day early? The tradition is called Beggar’s Night and historical lore tells us that it was to curb the the not-so-harmless tricks (like vandalism and breaking shit) that occurred the night of Halloween. I’m not sure how that logic works creating a “new” holiday the night before, but the costumed kids are adorable because they tell you jokes.
Mmmmm… corn syrup.
winter tires are here again
The Changing of the Tires came so fast. Though I am exceptionally happy for my favoritest time of year (besides the fact that my car’s winter tires are seriously fug). I have been tossing around the idea of getting a fat bike this year to continue my biking obsession through winter here in Iowa (I have been riding my bike 4-5 times a week for the last couple months). There is a pretty large bike community in Des Moines – and I’ve seen a few Fat Bikes on the trails here – and, well, I just want to continue playing in the snow in as many ways as possible.
What’s the over/under on accumulation this year?
midwest shenanigans*
*Now with more road trips! Running has already taken me to random points in Iowa and beyond by way of road tripping for races and places to get additional elevation gain. Now with roller derby back in my life, I’m exploring back road towns and B-roads even more (and let me tell you, my performance tires are NOT happy). Last month, I took another trip to Dubuque (that there-and-back and also playing a derby bout was a little painful). Last weekend I was in Vinton. This weekend, I’m off to the Quad Cities. And then the following weekend, I might be playing in a mixer scrimmage in Milwaukee and visiting some of my favorite Brewcity skaters (and definitely going a day early so that I can go to Alt Brew in Madison on the way).
What gluten-free brewery or restaurant suggestions do you got for Milwaukee?
Disclaimer: I received BUFFⓇ ThermoNet™ products to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
This is the 3rd time I’ve been able to review a BUFFⓇ as part of my BibRave Pro ambassadorship. Being an outdoor enthusiast, I love that the company is always innovating its product line. And since I am equally as enthused to run outdoors in winter weather, I was excited to receive a ThermoNet™ hat and mutifunctional headwear.
My BUFFⓇ shipment arrived right as we were experiencing an extended summer season, so it was several weeks before I was able to test out the ThermoNet™ features in lower temperatures. I love the Crash Berry print and colors!
Made of PrimaLoft® yarn, both pieces are designed to be durable and breathable, and has the added benefit of wicking away moisture while maintaining heat — important for winter running! As with any BUFFⓇ product, I love that both are lightweight and easily storable on-the-run. Since this pattern is a little more “fashionable” than my other BUFF headpieces, I keep one stashed in my work bag (this Iowa wind, yo).
BUFFⓇ products are already a regular part of my running gear for winter. Their headwear products are so functional and, as usual, both of these pieces from the ThermoNet™ line are versatile for winter or cold weather running. However, if you are dealing windy conditions all winter like we do in Iowa, you might find a benefit in doubling up your headwear.
Interested in trying out the BUFFⓇ ThermoNet™ pieces for yourself? Use code BIBRAVETHERMONET20 for 20% off any ThermoNet purchase. Discounts expires 11/17/17.
BIBCHAT! Join BUFFⓇ and the BibRave community for BibChat this Tuesday, November 14 at 8pm CST. BUFFⓇ will be giving away a couple pieces of its ThermoNet products to a few lucky participants!
The Hitchcock Experience‘s inaugural event created by the Greater Omaha Area Trail Runners (G.O.A.T.z) opened up last year with 50- and 100-mile distances; this year, a 13.1 distance was added. I found out about this race through the local trail running groups and knew immediately that I needed to add to my winter schedule. Hitchcock was my 9th half marathon distance, my 4th trail race and my last race of 2016.
Flat Mel: SO MUCH GEAR!
There’s a reason that the word “experience” is in this event — it’s much more than a trail race. I experienced many moments throughout; least of which were:
Unabashed fits of joy.
One of our pre-race emails included that phrase, which is spot-on and absolutely sums up my personal experience with Hitchcock. I’ve felt many emotions during my races — particularly in completing my first marathon — but this race transformed everything that’s fun about trail running into something that deeply affected my soul. Can you find yourself in the Loess Hills? It’s quite possible that I did just that.
I knew going in that Hitchcock would be my most challenging race thus far. For starters, throw out everything you might think about Iowa: IT IS NOT FLAT.
Elevation change for the half marathon is just under 6,000 ft.
Location: The Hitchcock Experience takes place entirely within the Hitchcock Nature Center — located north of Council Bluffs — and its adjoining private property. The nature center exists to develop and foster appreciation and understanding of the Loess Hills as a globally significant landform through land management, environmental education and low-impact recreation.
Registration and Cost: Because the half was capped at only 50 runners, I stayed up until midnight when registration opened up on September 2 (at exactly 12:01am). I even set an alarm to make sure that I didn’t fall asleep. The race cost $65 (+fees for online registration).
Packet Pick-Up: I had to leave work early the day before the race to pick up my bib in Omaha — which is two hours away. Packet pick-up was held at Canfield’s Sporting Goods from 2-6pm OR you could do pick up on race day at 4am (uhhhhh, no). It wasn’t obvious where the pick-up was once you entered the store (it was in the shoe section at the back), so I had to ask an employee (who didn’t understand why I was there at first either). I love that the bib is event specific, featuring an awesome nighttime picture of the course from last year’s race.
Swag: We received a branded cinch race bag with a long-sleeved cotton shirt, extra reflective keepsake bib, Hitchcock patch and sticker, and finisher medals! (100-mile finishers under the time limit get a belt buckle, as is tradition with ultra distances.)
Weather: Having a race in December, you’re almost guaranteed SOME level of winter weather; the race started in the low 20s. But as we were running, we got SNOW!!!!! I never really felt cold though until the last 1/4 mile or so when my gloves got damp from the constant snow and chilled over; my nose was running constantly throughout the race, so I also had a frozen patch on my BUFF. It actually snowed quite a bit and was so beautiful. There was a section where it was near white out and I was catching snowflakes on my tongue like a literal crazy person. I loved it!
Course: Not your usual out-and-back, this trail race is a 12.5-mile loop on varied terrain (alfalfa fields?!) with challenging elevation gains, and great technical difficulty. I went out a couple weekends before for a race preview run with the GOATZ, so I already knew which sections I would hate — thankfully, due to the weather, the much-cursed sandy sections and aforementioned alfalfa fields were frozen over (but severely lumpy!). There’s an addition at the beginning of the first loop for each race, and there are a few places on the course of two-way traffic.
Oh, yeah… and most of it is run in the dark.
There was something positively magical about being in complete darkness in the middle of the woods though. At certain sections, I was entirely alone. I could see headlamps in the distance — some at much higher elevations than where I stood.
Headlamps required!
For this race headlamps and hydration bottles/packs were required. The course was marked extremely well and had reflective orange flags, plenty of colored signs with arrows and/or ground markings to aid in course direction. Even in the dark, I could always see where the next trail marker was. The two-way traffic areas were also marked well, but I had a few moments wondering if I was moving in the right direction.
When the sun rose, I was in a rolling section of the trails in the woods and any description I attempt to use just underestimates the incredible experience. Powerful.
Start Line: Speaking of the dark, start time for the Hitchcock half distance was 5am (!!!). We got to share the start line with the 100-milers in the morning; the 50-milers started at 9pm (so everyone runs in the dark at some point). Oh, and the news was there to broadcast all the crazy! While there were time limits for the 50 and 100 runners, there was only a “just finish” for half marathoners (the last finisher came in just shy of 8 hours).
Aid Stations: An integral part of ultra races is the aid station; there were three stations per loop, and we were all required to check in at each. I used the stops for a quick fuel break; at the Oasis I was strangely craving hot coffee (perhaps because of how early it was?) and had that. Aid stations had a bunch of food and drink options, including: water, Tailwind, pop, coffee, soup, peanut butter sandwiches, chips, fruits, candy and various Honey Stinger gels and waffles.
There was also a fourth aid station located near mile 9.5 and manned by volunteers from Loess Hills Nordic Ski Patrol; they had a giant bonfire, which made it difficult not to stay longer to hang out. One of the kind gentlemen volunteers allowed me to drink from his water bottle, since my hydration pack hose froze over and there weren’t any beverage cups at this station.
Stations included:
The Lodge aka: Beacon of Hope/Despair (start/finish)
Ralph’s (the campground) at approximately 3.65 miles. Named in honor of Ralph Hohneke, who has so graciously allowed us to run on his property on race weekend.
The Oasis at approximately 6.75 miles
Loess Hills Nordic Ski Patrol near the 9.5-mile mark
Finish Line: To add to the physical and mental torture of the event, the finish line was uphill; it was nearly impossible to run at that point, and it seemed most of the finishers around me walked that last part of the course. Good thing, because my dang shoe came untied near the final climb (and was frozen). There was a volunteer who placed the medals around our necks and a photographer who snapped several finish line photos.
After Party: My after party consisted of a gigantic omelet at Henry’s Diner in Crescent, Iowa. After a ride back to my hotel room, a hot shower, and a glass of wine (since I wasn’t driving home), it was then a two-hour trip back home to Des Moines.
Experience: Something that I want to emphasize in this race is the amazingness of all the people — including the volunteers. Everyone involved in race day was so helpful and positively excited to have us there; fellow runners were equally as encouraging, and I loved the spirit of the two-way passes with everyone congratulating one another. By the way, the race communication for this event was The Best — I received no fewer than 3 emails following up to race day with all the info that I needed to know and their Facebook page was a great source of additional info and finishers updates.
Extra Awesome: The race directors sent out a post-event runner survey “thank you” email within a couple days, which also included official results and a link to FREE race photos, where I found this gem:
SO EXCITE!
OVERALL The Great: UNABASHED FITS OF JOY The Good: Snow! The Bad: In the last mile, I slipped going downhill and fell backwards – somehow catching myself on my right elbow and not my butt. Luckily, I did not get injured. The Ugly: My Camelback hose froze; thankfully, a nice volunteer at the Ski Patrol let me drink from his bottle.
TL;DR: Thank you, GOATZ and thank you, Hitchcock for just an incredible event. I will remember this experience forever. I fully intend to run this again next year; though the distance is still to be determined. 😉
OFFICIAL RESULTS
3:16:44
29th finisher in the half
8th female finisher overall in the half — I made the Top 10 Females leaderboard!
the week:
Is anyone else having a mild freakout over the fact that Christmas is less than 10 days away? Not only is it beginning to LOOK a lot like Christmas, it’s starting to feel like it with the sub-freezing temperatures and snow warnings. Since the Hitchcock half marathon last weekend (and after training for multiple races since July), I’m on a little recovery period from running — likely through Christmas. Though I’m already feeling really antsy about not running, naturally.
weekend:
NOTHING.
I mean, it will include a lot of fleece and hot chocolate and being very near a heating vent, but… with way below negative temps expected, I don’t intend to do much of anything.
seven things, seven days:
1. So there’s a company locally that puts up Christmas lights, and we hired them to decorate our house. It makes me smile with glee every time I pull into my driveway.
2. I lucked out on a one-day sale online and scored a j crew handbag at 40% off (a little xmas gift to myself).
3. Had a wonderful holiday gathering at Alba this week — an excellent restaurant in the East Village.
4. We got an invite to a special preview of the new Star Wars. I got to meet R2D2! I’ve never been to a Star Wars opening night, so that was exciting!
5. Really interesting insight into achieving what’s really important to you: The difference between goals and systems. {via James Clear}
6. When it comes to success, age is just a number. Bottom line: NEVER give up. {via NYT Science}
7. How to run 100 miles. OH, IS THAT ALL. {via Red Bulletin}
Welp, it’s Race Week! And I feel like I’m getting the boyfriend’s cold. UGH.
I leave Friday for Florida to run in the Gasparilla Ultra Challenge races. I feel under-trained and unprepared, but trying to stay strong with my mental game. I do NOT plan to race any of these distances, and I WILL plan to have fun and listen to my body if things start to go awry (despite really, really REALLY wanting those five medals and that crazy-ass finishers jacket). I mean, worst case scenario, it will be 70 degrees and I’m staying on the beach, so I cannot complain about taking this mini vacation at all.
MONDAY: [walked home from work] Spinning for an hour at the Y. This class felt much more intense than usual (which felt good). No knee trouble either.
We had three scheduled house showings in the evening, so killing some time with exercise was the best idea I probably had all week.
TUESDAY: [walked to the hair salon from work, about the same distance from work-to-home; and I went back to being a brunette!] Rest day and catching up on The Bachelor. 😉
WEDNESDAY: What a difference in a week! Last week, I wish I had packed shorts; this week, I wish that there was a Snuggie made for runners. At run//yoga//run//club, we got in about 2 miles and it was SUPER FRIGID. Probably a bad idea to start along the river too, where it was windy enough to make your eyeballs freeze. Running back up on the stadium level was a much better option, but that chill made two miles feel like five.
Zero degrees with wind chill. Eyeball-freezing wind. I got this!
Hot yoga was THE BEST after that run. I don’t usually want to be in the warm room too early, but I went in and settled into savasana for a good 20 minutes before class started. I felt a lot more intention and emotion in this session that I ever do when doing yoga, and I loved our instructors teachings to not listen to all of life’s scripts – just listen to what your body needs. And be awesome, duh.
THURSDAY: [walked to work] Rest day (another house showing after work!)
FRIDAY: Foam roll day with my short-and-thick roller AND my Rad Roller, followed up with a lot of stretching of my legs and hips.
SATURDAY: Since the cold weather cancelled all the outdoor fun, I intended to go do a couple miles on the dreadmill at the Y. But when I started doing some squats and lunges for a pre-workout at home, I was experiencing some left knee tenderness again, so I nixed any running for the rest of the weekend. Later in the day, I felt it again when walking up and down the stairs, which wasn’t enough to mark as “pain”… but it felt different and not normal. Man, I really hope this is just the usual training pains that I experienced before both my first half AND my first full last year!
I also played around with attempting my tripod headstand AND I FINALLY GOT IT without kicking my legs up. Core strength like WOAH. At least I got that to brag about.
SUNDAY: More foam rolling and I did a hip strengthening workout from Runners World. Not overdoing and/or overthinking this right now, and just going to be OK with a less-than-ideal training week.
TOTAL CROSS-TRAINING WORKOUTS: 2 (1 hour of spinning; 1 hot yoga session) TOTAL RUNS: 1 LONGEST RUN: 2 miles TOTAL WEEKLY MILES: 2 miles TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 80.64 miles
the week:
Well, I’m glad my two new classes are rolling out slow this week, as I hit my midway point in my Coaching class (and have another paper due this weekend), AND I started my new job on Wednesday. I have a lot of nervous energy, but through my peer coaching sessions, I made some good measurable goals to take me through this transition with (hopefully) little anxiety and a lot of success and openness.
I have to say, I am loving the autonomy and flexibility that comes with this position (no more asking for bathroom or lunch breaks). But holy crap, you guys, I have been EXHAUSTED.
weekend:
I’m excited for a Trigger Point workshop hosted at the new yoga/spinning studio Urban Elements on Federal Street (North Shore) on Saturday — it’s targeted to runners and athletes with and emphasis on myosfascial techniques and work on mobility and flexibility or injury points common with runners.
Then, I’m GETTING MY HAIR DONE! (finally.) It’s also the Super Bowl this weekend, if you’re into that…
52 books in 52 weeks:
#5: Coaching & Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice — my required textbook for my Organizational Coaching class, but finished the book in advance of some intense assignments coming up for the next couple weeks.
seven things, seven days:
1. Snow, YAY! LOTS of snow. Woah.
2. I tried out three different modes of commuting to work this week: car, walking, and bus. It’s certainly a benefit that I have options!
3. Is it silly that the thing that made me most nervous about my first day at work was lunch with my boss because of all my diet restrictions. (edit: it went fine — but of course I had to return my salad when it came out with tomatoes.)
4. LOTS of fancy deluxe-size sample goodies came with my Bergdorf beauty order, and my feminine side is all SQUEE.
5. Received — and LOVE — my new furniture from West Elm. Now I need to get this old couch out of here!
6. Some perspective we all need to consider: How to embrace Plan B {via Carrie Cheadle}
7. As I have been exploring more about the topic of Authenticity, I came across: The Authenticity Paradox {via Harvard Business Review}
the week:
Winter semester (and, well, WINTER) is upon us. My first class started on Monday, and in a couple weeks I’ll begin two more. Two semesters to go! Also, this week marks the return to roller derby. Can you believe tryouts are already next week? We held our introductory meeting (in my tiny house!) this week, and I announced my final season and leaving my post as team Captain. I loved our leadership team last season, but I really needed to step down from those responsibilities to maintain extra focus on school and upcoming graduation.
weekend:
Looking forward to the Frigid 5 Miler in North Park this Sunday!
52 books in 52 weeks:
Let’s try this again, shall we?
1. Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose by John Whitmore. Recommended/required as part of my Psychology course this semester — yes, I got a head-start on my reading — this book provoked a greater interest in performance as it pertains to organizational coaching through Whitmore’s GROW framework: goals, reality, options, and will — through context of awareness and responsibility.
2. Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality by Samuel Barondes. It was an quick easy read — with a lot of footnotes and references (almost 100 pages!!!) — but not very instructional in “how” to actually read people. Not required or technical reading by any means, but informational to the novice or “armchair” psychologist. I enjoyed the profiles of Benjamin Franklin and the comparisons of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama; likewise, the expanding of the Big Five personality traits was engaging (and I followed a link to another personality quiz included in the book). Otherwise, the book left me unsatisfied.
I also started and abandoned two other books because, boring… and WOW are we dead at work right now.
Does anyone else love the movie Less Than Zero as much as me?
seven things, seven days:
1. HOLY SKATE BAG SMELL, sMEL.
2. Surprisingly not very sore after my first derby practice back… and I had to re-test my minimum skills. Won’t take a 90+ day break again!
3. We had two weather-related work delays this week, at two hours a piece. The days did not go any faster, and, well, it’s fricking freezing.
4. I put in my notice at work, by the way. MORE LATER.
5. Because of winter, I finally got to break in my new Sorel boots. These things are legit!
6. The subtle art of not giving a… well, you know. Strong language alert, so likely NSFW. {via Mark Manson}
7. Long-form, interesting and a must-read: Has Technology Killed the Jewelry Industry? {via Pacific Standard}
Christmas:
Heading home to Ohio just for Christmas Eve, which means a lot of driving in one day. I am looking forward to relaxing in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day in front of our tree (and piled on the couch with three snuggly kitties). Trying not to stress out about one gift that hasn’t yet sent me a shipping notification. *sigh*
New Year’s Eve:
We decided to stay home again this year (“home,” aka: neighbor’s house) playing games and listening to ridiculous records. Since I have to work both NY Eve and Day, and most restaurants have fixed menus on the holiday, I have no desire to get dressed and dolled up for a few hours of drinking. I can also then bypass all the drunk idiots.
