Perspiration Inspiration
When I made the leap into triathlon, it was a commitment to improve my health through athletics and hard work. What I didn’t know was that I was creating an amazing network of people that was empowering my commitment to a lifestyle change. I enjoyed living in Chicago, working all over the United States, and actively pursued amateur water skiing and triathlon. What I found was that, the people around me were helping me to consciously make new life changes that applied to not only my fitness, but my career, my relationships, my physiology, and my overall mental and emotional state. My goal of becoming an Ironman transformed my life and my perspective. I continue to meet inspirational people along the way which have given me the courage to pursue a lifestyle based on wellness and fulfillment. There are so many people that inspire me to actively perform at my greatest potential.
The mission of Perspiration inspiration is to share all motivational mediums and promote the discussion of stories, anecdotes, videos, songs, dance, and creativity. Collectively we can learn from each others experiences and empower each other to follow our dreams.
Running Word Cloud
This word cloud is based on a question is asked to my Chicago Marathon survey participants: What words describe what running means to you?
read moreChicago Marathon 2013 Pre-Race Pulse
My pre-Chicago marathon survey got responses from 7 other runners. Not bad for sending it out 3 days before the race! Out of the 7 runners, 3 were first time marathoners. The experienced respondents were running their 2nd, 3rd, 7th, & 10th marathons respectively Check out their pre-race pulse responses: What advice would you give to first time marathon runners? Ø Enjoy every mile. Ø Slow down – You can’t really do anything great in the first 5 miles of a marathon. But you can really destroy your chances of a good marathon in the first 5 miles. RUN SLOWLY. If you give up 15 – 20 seconds per mile in the first part you can make that up. But if you go out and run beyond yourself you will be guaranteed to suffer later. Ø Start slow, ridiculously slow. Ø Enjoy the moment, don’t try to beat a certain time, and run your own race. Do the training: a marathon can be done with relative ease if you train for it What attracted or inspired you to run the 2013 Chicago Marathon and what are you most excited about? Ø I’m not sure exactly what made me decide to run a marathon, but I think it was that I had gotten to the point where half marathons were finally a somewhat “comfortable” distance and I was ready for a new challenge. And Chicago just seemed like a fun, flat course. I continue to run for my favorite charity – Opportunity Enterprises. Ø I have met an amazing group of friends through running the Chicago Marathon, and we are all running it together again this year. Ø I wanted to do the marathon as a challenge again this year. It’s a physically challenging experience but more than that its mentally challenging. It takes you to places you never thought you could do before. I am excited about running it again and experiencing all of the emotions. Ø I’ve been an avid runner now for the past three years; usually running about 5 miles, six days a week. I’ve run in a smattering of 5 and 10k races but was never interested in a marathon. It wasn’t until a few of my coworkers started talking to me about their Chicago Marathon experiences that I became intrigued. I’m a pretty competitive person, so I took the plunge, got through the crazy online registration and endured the long, incredible training season. I’m most excited about the energy and “Chicago Marathon runners high” I keep hearing about! Ø I mentor runners who are running their first marathon Ø Always wanted to run a marathon, and figured why not now What do you hope to gain from this year’s marathon? Any personal goals? Ø No real goals other than finishing, but I definitely hope to gain a crazy sense if accomplishment at the end of the race! Ø Mental strength. The marathon has torn me up in most of my years – it is a huge mental game. This year I’m up for the challenge again. Ø I want to finish this marathon feeling strong, not completely depleted. And I don’t want to be hobbling around for the next three weeks. Ø Personally I want to prove to myself that my training this last...
read moreCassie’s Pre-Race Pulse
Cassie is a fellow University of Michigan alumni who I met when our fraternity and sorority were paired for Greek Week. We performed an awesome A Capella version of Mr. Brightside by The Killers. She is still seeing the bright side of things and is out to running in Chicago these days. Cassie was the first to respond to my survey and graciously answered some extra questions about the charity she is running for and her running team. Q1: What are 3 words which best describe running to you? Dedication, Perseverance, Victory Q2: How many marathons have you run? This is my first. Q3: What attracted or inspired you to run the Chicago Marathon this year? I watched the marathon as a spectator last year, and watch my boyfriend finish the race and be so elated. I’m excited to have that same feeling as I cross the finish line. Q4: What do you hope to gain from this year’s marathon? Any personal goals? I hope to gain a sense of “I can do anything” by finishing the race. I’m just hoping to finish under 5 hours with the ankle tendonitis issues the past few weeks. Q5: Are you running for a cause? If so, what would you like to share about the experience? I’m running for Chicago Youth Centers. It’s been wonderful to get to meet some of the children I’m raising funds for. Really brings it home. At the start of the year I was still working for Career Builder, and they got a group together to run for Chicago Youth Centers. They are a big reason I signed up this year. I have been a runner for a while, but a marathoner? I was unsure at best. Running for a cause helped convince me to sign up. To learn more about Cassie’s cause or to donate please visit: http://teamcyc.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1065270&lis=1&kntae1065270=577F40EB5EAE4D839E61CCA352A98984&supId=384425648&team=0&nmv=true Q6: Can you tell me about the running team you train with? I train with Track and Trough Athletic Union (TTAU). They are all Chicago area runners, the name comes from the running meeting points (north park track for speed workouts and the “trough” along the lakefront path for long runs). I got involved because my boyfriend runs with them. We enjoy it because it is an “everyone is welcome that loves to run” team. When he and I started dating, I was just kind of “merged in”. Before I signed up for the marathon my longest race was a 10k. Now I’ve done 3 half marathons and the soldier field 10 mile with the team. For more information about TTAU, visit: http://www.trackandtrough.com/ Q7: What was the hardest part of training for you? The hardest part of training has been the injuries. I’ve had tendinitis issues throughout training, and staying motivated has been difficult given this. Q8: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while training for the marathon? I fell flat on my face during the first mile of the Chicago Half. I can laugh about how ridiculous I must have looked re-pinning my bib and continuing on, now that it’s over. Q9: Will you be listening to music while you run the marathon? I’ve been transitioning away from listening to music if I can, and enjoying the sounds outdoors. If I do listen to music though, I run with Pandora and usually leave on the Robyn station. Gets me pumped. Good...
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