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Hi everyone, and welcome to the first installment of Let’s Wine! This section of the blog will continue to evolve over time, but for now, I plan to use it to sit down and relax over a glass (or two) of wine as I reflect on my progress over the month. Why not pour yourself a glass and join me in my journey? The weather in Chicago this month has run the gamut, to say the least! We’ve had temperatures as low as the mid-30s and as high as the high-80s, and everything else in between! We’ve also had our fair share of rain, whichRead More →

This past weekend I ran (loose term) the Destination Races (DR) Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon, my second in the DR Half Marathon series. The 2016 Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon (their premier race) was such an amazing experience, I made it my goal to complete all of the DR Wine Country halfs. Full disclosure: I am a Destination Races Ambassador. However, I was not an ambassador when I ran Napa to Sonoma, nor was I one when I signed up for this race. But I loved Napa to Sonoma so much, when a call for ambassadors was announced, I applied immediately! The WednesdayRead More →

In a word, wow. As in…WOW! What a great race this was! I’ve been investigating races and establishing goals in the past couple of years, with one of my goals being to run the Marine Corps Marathon, or the MCM. You can check out their website here. It seems like such an amazing race, lined with (hello!) Marines! Also known as The Marathon of the Monuments or The Peoples’ Marathon, the MCM is one of the largest marathons in the world. It also is one of the hardest to gain entry into, and has established a lottery system just for that opportunity. While investigating theRead More →

Why do people run? For some, the answer might be weight loss, for others, it might be to improve heart health and fend off coronary disease, and for others it may be to build strength and stamina. The answer to this question of course, is very individual and probably a combination of many factors. I’ve been involved in some form of exercise most of my life, from basic calisthenics in the home, to aerobic exercise tapes (did someone say, “Let’s Get Physical”?), to weightlifting, and everything else in between! My main reason for exercising always has been for weight loss or to maintain a certainRead More →

For the past couple of months, I’ve had to contend with a real pain in the butt. You know the one…that nagging thing (or person) that just won’t go away. It’s not that it’s necessarily horrible, it’s just that it’s always there. For me, it wasn’t actually a pain in the butt, but rather, a pain in the hip. In early November I slipped and fell down a few stairs and hit the side of my hip pretty hard. About three days later a big bruise externalized, so I knew whatever injury I had, it went deep. I was pretty sure, however, that I didn’tRead More →

As 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to recap the year. This was a big year for me, not because of any significant race or finish, but because this is the year I started to take my running seriously and actually considered myself a real runner. I completed a number of races, earning some serious bling. Given the fact that I have yet to set a time goal for any of my races, I can honestly say I ended the year quite happy with all that I accomplished. In total, I ran one 5K, one 10K, six half marathons, and one full marathon. NotRead More →

Many of us living in the Midwest did a lot of complaining about the heat and humidity this past summer. I sure did. It didn’t help that despite my best efforts, I couldn’t seem to get out for a run until at least 11:00 a.m., by which time the temperatures topped the 90 degree mark with humidity levels in the 80s. I pre-hydrated and planned my routes to include water refills. But still, there were many days where the heat got to me, especially on those long runs. It seemed the hot temperatures would never end. In fact, just 3 weeks ago I ran in shortsRead More →

Everyone remembers their first time~~the anticipation, the planning; the fear of the unknown. For most people, the first time can be an exhilarating as well as an intimidating experience, but there is, of course, the sweet prize at the end; the glorious finish. There is a huge sense of relief, of satisfaction, and for most, at least some degree of pain. I’m talking, of course, about my first race—the 2013 Chicago Marathon! As you might have read in an earlier post, I entered the world of running somewhat serendipitously. Now that I’ve started to share my experiences as a runner, I thought I would write a recap of that very firstRead More →

For those of you have been living under a rock or out exploring space for the past two weeks, the Chicago Cubs just captured their first World Series title in 108 years. Back in February, Cubs manager Joe Maddon was quoted to have said to the team, ‘Embrace the Target’. The team carried that mantra with them throughout what is undeniably the best season in baseball history. But is it? According to Reuben Fischer-Baum, this year’s Cubs team ranks 70th amongst baseball’s historically most dominant teams. 70th??? Wow. I guess you don’t have to be the best to be the best. Maybe this team isRead More →

I am not a writer—at least not by trade—but I do love to write. After years of writing for academic and professional reasons, I’ve been itching to write about much more fun and interesting things. My mind is constantly racing with new thoughts and ideas. But where to write? And more importantly, what to write? Seriously, is there existing proof that people would be interested in reading about nothing? Enter the internet. Thanks to the World Wide Web, anyone can write about just about anything. Or about nothing. But is there anyone out there who cares to listen? Like the tree falling in the forest, will IRead More →