What a whirlwind of a weekend. I can’t believe how much we crammed into 4 days.
We started off on Thursday by boarding the train and heading into Chicago. We being myself, Jennie and my brother-in-law Brad. As a Christmas present, we gave him a delayed trip to Chicago. He had never been and shopping for a 15 year old is near impossible so the trip seemed perfect. His Spring Break fell last week so he cashed in on the trip.
The trip is probably best told in pictures (you may have already seen these on FB).
- Looking up on inside Cloud Gate (aka The Bean)
- This is the line at the Shedd Aquarium. Because Jennifer Kotenko Neumann was smart en…
- My Bro-In-Law Tebowing at The Bean.
- Damn seagull ruined the picture.
- That’s better.
- This. Book. Was. Awesome! Pays for itself after visiting just 3 venues and gets you i…
- I totally want to get an otter. I could have watched these guys play all day.
- Cool to look at. Not cool to swim with.
- Our City Pass also got us into the Jellies exhibit which would have normally been ext…
- Upside down jelly fish.
- Nemo!
- Shark eggs. They were alive and moving in them.
- Just keep swimming…
- Dolphin show! Also included as part of the City Pass.
- I had to take a picture here. This is where I warmed up for the Chicago Marathon in 2…
- My high school humanities teacher would be so proud of me for incorporating some art …
- Did you know that this paining (American Gothic) is a farmer and his daughter, not hi…
- Jennifer Kotenko Neumann in the French impressionist room. Given the opportunity, I t…
- Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?
- Lame Van Gogh joke in 3… 2… 1… A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintin…
- Caption not necessary.
- Sunrise over Lake Michigan on my early morning run.
- I totally want to do this race some day.
- Just chilling 103 stories above the street.
- Can you see Michigan??
- Sandwiches at Lucky’s. They had the fries and coleslaw inside the sandwich ala Priman…
- This is what the sandwich looks like when you are half done.
- The Mummy exhibit at the Field Museum (yes, another City Pass)
- Hey Jeff Irvin – I have a CrossFit exercise for you to do. Quit all that biking and r…
- RAWR!
Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher
After the trip to Chicago, we brought Brad back home to his parents’ house which coincided with Easter. It turned out to be an amazing trip and a great weekend overall. However, with all the running around, I am exhausted and feel like I need a break already. haha.
Ironman waits for no one though. Last week was my recovery week which actually worked out well with all the travel. I didn’t do any “official” training on two of the days, however, I did a crap ton of walking on Thursday. I estimated that we walked around 12 miles on Thursday as we wound our way through Chicago. We walked everywhere that day and didn’t use the L or buses at all. It was a nice way to see the city, but even with my Hokas on, my feet were killing me by the end of the day.
I did get in a glorious run Friday morning along Lakeshore Drive while in Chicago. As I started my run, I noticed a guy wearing an IMWI finishers hat. I struck up a conversation with him and ended up running and chatting with him for nearly my entire run. I ended up with 6 miles which was all I had time for but it was one of those days where I felt like I could run forever.
This week is my return to a structured training plan. I have been following the No Plan Training Plan for the past couple of weeks and while I enjoy it, I want to get some of the structure back. I had to hit the trainer today to get my ride in because the 35mph wind gusts proved to be too dangerous as I was nearly blown into oncoming traffic. Hopefully the weather cooperates for the rest of the week so I can nail my workouts.
On the racing front, I have my next race on Sunday. It is Fisk Knob, a 17.3 mile time trial. This will be my first ever time trial race. I am hoping to hit a 22-23 mph average, but that all depends on the weather and how well I can handle the course – the final 1/3 of the course is pretty much all up hill. It will be interesting and fun to just hammer it for 45 minutes straight.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!
14 comments
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Ellen
April 9, 2012 at 11:15 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Dude, I’ve seen a whole lot of “Chicago Shiny Bean” photos but I think that’s my favorite. Nice.
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Matthew Smith
April 10, 2012 at 8:08 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The wind was CRAZY yesterday as we were driving back from the South. We almost blew off the road, and we weren’t on a bike! Good call with the trainer.
Man, it looks like y’all had a blast in Chi-town. Aren’t our wives so smart? Every time I don’t listen to Jenn, I get screwed, but when I do, everything turns out beautifully! Your run with another IMWI sounded like fun. Isn’t it fun talking to strangers that have something in common with you?
Good luck with the training. That TT sounds like fun and pain at the same time. You’ll do great, buddy!
Matthew Smith recently posted..Are you ready?
Carolina John
April 10, 2012 at 8:17 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
i know what you mean. I needed a few more days of this weekend as well, since it was all spent travelling. and while we had a lot of fun, it wasn’t quite Chicago fun.
Carolina John recently posted..Ungroomed
Christina
April 10, 2012 at 8:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Love visiting all the cool spots in Chicago. Last time I was there it was just for a conference and I didn’t really have time to sightsee. Had a great trip with a girlfriend a couple years ago though that was a total blast. Your pics make me want to go again! What a cool Christmas present. Will have to remember that for my niece that will be 15 in the fall. A little out of my usual budget for her, but what fun! Traveling with my children – I always need a vacation from my vacations. Good luck at your race this weekend.
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Jon
April 10, 2012 at 9:27 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Glad you had a great time in Chicago. I think I should just go ahead and order that Lou Malnati’s on-line and keep in the freezer. I think its TOTALLY worth the cost!
Also glad you got to run along the shore. Such a pretty run! I remember I did 12 miles and had a total elevation gain of 42 feet. SO flat!
Jon recently posted..Scotland Run 10K Race Report
Mark in Ottawa
April 10, 2012 at 9:36 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Sounds like a great trip that was enjoyed by all! Thanks for sharing the pics – never been myself, but this is good fodder for a future trip.
Sounds like you have the training thing down pat – good on ya!
Mark (in Ottawa, Canada)
lindsay
April 10, 2012 at 10:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
i need a vacation. glad you had a good time and skipping lines, i’m always down for that. i mean duh, i deserve that kind of treatment!
Heather O
April 10, 2012 at 11:49 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Picture #33 is by far the best!
Pictures #40-44 terrify me. I don’t think I could ever step out onto that glass ledge!
Picture #55 intrigues me. Did you bring a different Ironman hat for each venue? I will have to get you some Rev3 visors to replace those
Looks like a really fun trip. I guess I never realized there were so many museums in Chicago. Last time we drove there just because we wanted deep dish pizza
Heather O recently posted..Thank You
katie
April 10, 2012 at 1:33 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
wow, looks like you lucked into a really gorgeous trip! how fun!
katie recently posted..how to make your crotch happy
Beth
April 10, 2012 at 1:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think the seagull pic is great!!
Chicago is awesome, glad you got to see…. just about everything. Well done.
Beth recently posted..Three Things Thursday
Morgan
April 10, 2012 at 9:08 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Swoon!!! I love me some Chi-town! I’m glad you had a great time!!!!
Morgan recently posted..Crossed Off The Bucket List
DR
April 11, 2012 at 8:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I always need a vacation from a vacation!!!
lots going on – fantastic photos (and cool format layout)
and time trial?
seriously you are mixing it up in a great way – mtn bike & time trial’ing…way to go sounds like fun
Jason @ Cook Train Eat Race
April 11, 2012 at 10:42 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Awesome trip and best told in pictures. I am loving that widget. Will be installing it this week for sure.
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Colleen
April 12, 2012 at 11:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It’s so hard to come back from vacation! But… it looks like you guys had a fabulous time. I love Chicago!!!