Weekend: Chicago is WINDY!

Hi!!!!

It's Tuesday already! Can you believe it?? I've had 1 too many cups of coffee this morning, so this post might be WAY too hyper. Consider yourself warned and stop reading now!

So, this weekend I went to Chicago for one of my very best friend's bachelorette party (round 1... round 2 is in a few weeks) and bridal shower!!

I took off Friday right after work and was crazy surprised not to hit ANY good ol' rush hour traffic. 

Don't worry, Hubs-- I was stopped when I took this pic. I PROMISE. I didn't text or do anything on my phone the WHOLE drive.

 

 

It was actually a super nice day, so the drive was nice.

 

The party started at 6:30pm CST, but since that's 7:30pm EST (my time zone) I knew I wouldn't make it without a little snack.

 

Try these. They're good. ALMOST like a candy bar. I don't really think ANY granola bar tastes JUST LIKE A SNICKERS (or any other candy bar), but this is a close second. And, even if it doesn't taste like a snickers, it's still damn good.

 

Anyway-- I got to the party in PLENTY of time (again-- thanks to no traffic). The rest of Friday night was spent bachelorette partying it up! A few too many glasses of wine, LOTS of great food, and ammmmmazing friends. Love, love, love.

 

I have pretty much NO appropriate pictures to show, except this one.

Our ONE "nice" pic of the night where we're not acting like lunatics. The bride is in the middle. LOVE these girls.

 

All the rest of the pics from this night may or may not have a blow up doll in them. I can neither confirm nor deny.

 

I stayed with one of the other bridesmaids, who also happens to be one of my BFF's too (in the yellow in the pic above). She and I got back to her house WAY too late and I crashed immediately.

 

I was up the next morning bright and early and out the door by 8am to head downtown. I had BIG plans. See, the bridal shower wasn't scheduled til Sunday and the friend I was staying with had ANOTHER shower that Saturday for her cousin. So, I had ALL DAY Saturday free. What's a girl to do??? RUN!

 

I got downtown and got off Lake Shore Drive at Montrose Beach and immediately found FREE parking! SCORE. I was a little nervous for the run because Mother Nature wasn't looking the happiest...

Rain and windy? Oh yay.

 

I set out and immediately got hit with that wind. HOLY COW. I heard later wind gusts were over 20mph that morning. I felt like I was running in place it was so strong. But, I kept running. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, minus the whole wind thing. The temps were pretty perfect and there were a TON of people running all over.

 

 

I LOVED the change of scenery. It made the run FLY by. I started at Montrose Beach and ran to Navy Pier. This whole leg was AGAINST the wind.

Told you-- WIND. Check out that hair. WOAH.

I didn't look at my Garmin the whole time. I felt like I was CRAWLING and going ridiculously slow and just didn't want to see it on the watch. I also didn't bring any fuel or water.... whoops. I did find 1 working water fountain, so got a drink once... but, that was it. Not the smartest move I've ever made, but I survived.

Anyway, I turned around at Navy Pier and finally had the wind to my back, though I swear the wind died down a bit the whole way back.

 

Ok-- maybe not. PS- are my eyes even open in this pic?!?!

 

Anyway-- I finished 13.5 miles in 2:03:45 for a 9:09 average pace. Definitely my slowest run in a while, but I did still manage to get the half in under 2:00, so I was OK with it. When I checked out my splits later I found out the half against the wind were all 9:15+, while the half with the wind were all 8:45ish. Thanks, wind.

 

After the run I changed clothes (in the car... NICE!) and did a SUPER quick babywipe down and then walked to meet two of my former staff members from when I worked at my previous job. LOVE them and it was SOOOOO GOOD to get to meet them for lunch and catch up. It was about a mile walk to the place we met, so it was a nice shake out for the legs too. After lunch I made it back to my car (another mile walk!) and then fought some nasty traffic back to my friends house.

 

The rest of Saturday night was spent running some last minute gift-errands, dinner, and getting our b-shower games ready while watching Pitch Perfect (LOVE that movie!!). Oh, and there MAY have been s'mores. DELICIOUS.

 

 

Sunday was bridal shower run!

 

Congrats to the Bride-to-be!!! LOVE you girls!!!!

 

 

So, that was the weekend. Bachelorette party fun, a crazy windy long run, reunion lunch, s'mores and a chick flick, and a bridal shower. A crazy busy weekend, but so, so fun. Can't wait for the wedding in May!!!