Ok, ok, so its been over a month since I last updated my blog. Sorry (Ami/ http://bigcitynatu.blogspot.com/) as I believe she is the ONLY person in the free world who reads this blog anyway. I have just felt really lazy unmotivated the past few weeks. Blame it on the month if you will- February...ugh. Chicago hasn't had a bad winter in two years, so I really have no right to complain, but February is just awful. There is nothing worse:  Gray skies. Cold weather. Gross produce. Itchy skin. Dry air. Cliche valentines day gifts. Yellow snow. Icy roads. Bare trees. Short days. Short month (this is just weird and throws everything off). You get my drift. I am clearly not a fan of February. I blame my lack of recent blog posts on this dreadful month.

 

Anyway, I digress. It is only the second week of March and things are already starting to look up. I have been enlightened (and motivated) by recent conversations, books, and the people in my life. Last week for instance, I had an amazing conversation with my friend Jill about artificial sweeteners and their effects on the human body. She really got me thinking and was able to convince me that even the one sweet n' low packet I put into my cup of joe each morning is reeking HAVOC on my health (ie: metabolism). She is always so great to hear from and always knows the right thing to say at the right time. You may be asking yourself how is this Jill person such an expert and why do I put so much trust into what she says. Well, my friends, that's because Jill's last name is Michaels......as in Jillian Michaels....Yes, THE Jillian Michaels.

 

Confession: Jillian and I are not really friends (in case you didn't know). I was just one of the lucky ones who's question was chosen to be answered on her weekly podcast. If you haven't checked it out yet, I suggest you do so immediately. It's life changing and not to mention hilarious. It gets me through my long work commutes and inspires me every week. Anyway, we talked about the damaging effects of aspartame (let's just say that I have moved on to sugar in the raw) and her LIVE tour that is coming up. My friends Ami and Chelsea are going with me to see her LIVE at the Auditorium theater on May 10th (http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/02/20/2507446/jillian-michaels-announces-maximize.html). She told me she was going to look for me at her show and pull me up on stage. When I said "That would be so awesome" she replied with "HA! Um, no it wouldn't. Just wait." Who knows, maybe I will be forced to do 100 burpees on stage in front of 2,000 randoms or something. Stay tuned, I will be sure to blog all about this!

 
More March Awesomeness: March also brought with it the South Side Irish Parade. Being born and raised on the south side of Chicago (yes Chicago, not the burbs), I wouldn't miss this day for the world. Well, I did once actually- It was in 2009 when me and my friends Kelly and Theresa decided to celebrate our heritage in South Boston by attending the "Southie" parade. It was a great experience, but didn't stack up against the South Side of Chicago's festivities. 

 

For nearly 10 years, I participated in the parade by Irish Dancing my way down Western avenue with the rest of the crew from my Irish dancing school. The night before each parade, my mom would sit my sister and I down in front of her as she wrapped each strand of our hair in those pink spongy curlers. She would then send us off to bed telling us to not "try and move much during the night. " I remember trying to lay as still as possible all through the night and waking up with a kink in my neck the next morning. Today, the Irish dancers have it much easier. All they do now is wake up the morning of the parade (sans neck kinks) and put on their wig. Yes, a WIG filled with artificial curls that make them look more "authentic." All I can say to this is: WOWZERS. 

 

Anyway, once my dancing days were over, I moved on to celebrating the parade day with close friends. In high school, this looked like wandering along the parade route with a twelver of Bush Light in our backpacks hoping the police wouldn't stop to check (which they never did). Our college days were much more classier. We would pile into my friends' backyard who lived along the parade route for a nice Irish (beer) breakfast (7am drinking is normal, right?) and then head off to the parade with beer goggles and smiles for miles. We would eventually squeeze ourselves into one of the bars on Western (usually Cork and Kerry) and continue to drink until closing time. Looking back, I don't know how I did it, but man was it a blast. 

 

Our parade festivities look much different these days....more "grown up." Bush Light has turned into Guinness and Mimosas, husbands and wives celebrate together, the smell of corn beef and cabbage (as opposed to cigarette smoke) fills the air, and little Irish Lads (our kids) run around wearing green tutus and mini Irish sweaters holding shamrock cookies in their chubby little hands. They are learning how to do things right; how to celebrate South Side style. At the end of the day, all of this makes me remember where I come from and why the South Side is so special and dear to my heart. 

*There is truly no other place like it.

We're the Windy City Irish-where the craic is always best
Where every day is Paddy's Day and everyone's a guest
If you're Irish on the North Side or Irish on the West
Welcome to the South Side come join our Irish Fest!

(Chorus) We're the South Side Irish as our fathers were before
We come from the Windy City and we're Irish to the core
From Bridgeport to Beverly from Midway to South Shore
We're the South Side Irish-Let's sing it out once more!

Our parents came from Mayo, from Cork and Donegal.
We come from Sabina, St. Kilian's and St. Gall
St. Leo, Visitation, Little Flower and the rest.
The South Side parishes are mighty-they're the best!

(Chorus) We're the South Side Irish as our fathers were before
We come from the Windy City and we're Irish to the core
From Bridgeport to Beverly from Midway to South Shore
We're the South Side Irish-Let's sing it out once more!

We live on the South Side-Mayor Daley lived here too
The Greatest Irish Leader that Chicago ever knew
he was always proud of his South Side Irish roots!
So here's to his honor to his memory we'll be true.

(Chorus) We're the South Side Irish as our fathers were before
We come from the Windy City and we're Irish to the core
From Bridgeport to Beverly from Midway to South Shore
We're the South Side Irish-Let's sing it out once more!

We sing the songs our fathers sang when they were growing up
Rebel songs of Erin's Isle in South Side Irish Pubs
and when it comes to baseball-we have two favorite clubs
The Go-Go White Sox... and whoever plays the Cubs!

Last week, on Super Bowl Sunday, I SUCCESSFULLY ran my first 5k. That’s right folks, I ran the WHOLE WAY THROUGH!  Now, if you had told me a few months ago, that I would eventually be able to run 3.1 miles without stopping, I would have laughed in your face. Actually, I laughed at myself a few times during the beginning weeks of my Couch 2 5k training program. I DID NOT believe that I could do it.  However, somewhere between weeks 5-7, things started to change. I started to believe in myself.  I started to get the confidence I needed to take me to that next level.  My body was starting to feel different:  Strong.   Lean.  Proud.  

I remember the first time that I was able to run for 24 minutes straight – It was week 7. Holy Shit.  Did I just do that?  I don’t know if it was my Gatorade Pre- Fuel drink or my Eminem playlist blasting through my headphones that got me through it, but I was certain about something. Regardless of the fact that I felt like I was going to barf, I felt AMAZING. That day, I KNEW I was going to run the 5k straight through.  I had only one more week of training. The race would be here in the blink of an eye.

On race day, I woke up with a pit in my stomach.  It was snowing and with the wind chill, it was about 5 degrees.  Ugh. Chicago, why are you being so cruel? As we drove to Soldier Field for the race (http://www.chitownbiggame10k.com/), I told Costa that I had felt the same way the morning we drove to the hospital for me to give BIRTH to Sophia. It was a mixture of anxiety, joy, and dread. 

By the time we got to the parking lot, I was feeling much better.  I looked around as people got out of the cars. Laughing, joking around, some in silly outfits.  “This is going to be fine” I told myself.  I noticed people from all walks of life and people of all shapes and sizes.  I saw a woman who looked to be about 50 years old with an extra 20 pounds on her frame. “Ok, if she can do this, so can you. Get with it Sara!”

Everyone lined up at the START line. I stayed towards the back with the other novice runners.  I looked around. We were all there for the same reason- to add our first (or another) 5k to our list of accomplishments.  Here we go. Go time.

As I ran, I tried to stay in the moment.  This was my first 5k after all and I wanted to remember everything.  I remember how cold it was.  How the snow fell on my eye lashes and melted as soon as it touched my cheeks. I remember how my legs felt like there were disconnected from my body. They had a mind of their own that day. They were there to move; to finish this thing in all of its glory. I remember seeing the back of Costa’s neon green shirt as he ran ahead of me (I felt so proud of him). I remember the girl who was running in front of me and what she was wearing (put on some pants girl! Shorts in February is just cray cray). I remember the point when I rounded the back of the McCormick Place and could see Soldier Field in the distance. “Ok, I am getting close. It’s gotta be less than a mile now.”  I was losing my stamina.  “Keep running.  Whatever you do: DON’T STOP. You trained for 8 weeks for this. PUSH YOURSELF! You got it! ” The internal dialogue in my head was my biggest cheerleader that day.  

Finally, I saw the finish line.  I saw people with cameras taking pictures of me and all the others who were approaching that glorious line.  I saw Gatorade and water waiting on the other side.  I saw family and friends waiting for their runners. 

I saw my feet cross the finish line and lastly, I saw my end time: 37 minutes.

Monday, January 28, 2013: I had extreme anxiety as I walked to the gym a few hours ago. Negative thoughts raced through my head:

“There is no way you are going to run for 28 minutes without stopping”

“You had to skip training last week because you were sick, you messed it all up!”

“You barely made 20 minutes the other week.  No way are you going to be able to do this”

Well, guess what?  I DID it. I just ran for 28 minutes straight.  That is literally the longest amount of time I have ever run for in my life.  I am 31 years old and training for my first (and hopefully, not last) 5k.

When I first started this training program, I could barely run two minutes. NO JOKE.  I don’t know if it was the mental blocks or the fact that I am was just sooooo out of shape. I began this journey 8 weeks ago and now, in my last week of training, I can say that I FEEL READY!  Our race is on Super Bowl Sunday.  In 6 days, I will put on my cold weather gear (yes, I bought those hideous Under Armor running tights that make even the most hottest bodies look nasty) and my long sleeved, mock turtle neck (yep, got one of those too.  I look like an out of shape Cat Woman when I wear this get up).  I will lace up my trusty (and old) Saucony gym shoes and head out with Costa to brave the chill of a Chicago Winter morning, along the coast of Lake Michigan. Stay Tuned.........

What is that smell?

The other night, on my drive home from work, I was listening to a podcast that I had recently downloaded, called “The Splendid Table.” The host was interviewing a woman who had lost her sense of smell after she had used one of those nasal inhalers for a cold she had. Note to self: NEVER use one of those inhalers! Luckily, the woman regained her sense of smell (after a few months) and so, the story had a happy ending. Anyway, I was really affected by this story; it made me think of all the smells in the world, or at least my world that I take for granted on a daily basis. To name a few:

1. Fresh Christmas Trees

2. Sophia's bedroom ( ahhh baby smell!)

3. Riley after he gets groomed

4. Costa and Costa when he wears Cologne

5. Basil,parsley, and cilantro

6. ROMANCE perfume

7. Lou Malnates pizza

8. Our house

9. Sweet Pea car fresheners

10. Bon Fires in summer and Fire Places in the winter

These are just a few of the smells I love.  What about you?  Any smell that you would miss if you lost your sense?