Five Miles Along Lake Michigan

If you’re new to my blog, then I guess I should let you know that running in a new city is one of my favorite things to do when I travel, whether with Bo, friends, or work. It’s a great way to appreciate the city from a different vantage point and feel like a local.

This week’s work trip was no exception and therefore I was looking forward to my five miler in Chicago as soon as I landed! The weather was supposed to be pretty perfect for August, a cool 70 degrees at daybreak, and super sunny.

Tuesday night, upon checking in at our hotel, I chatted with the front desk to verify my planned route that I’d put together on Map My Run. I highly having locals review your route if you’re in a new city to ensure that it is safe. 

Due to this planning, I was able to wakeup and head out quickly Wednesday morning for five miles along Lake Michigan before my breakfast work meeting. The sight that greeted me as I exited the hotel was breathtaking.

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I took the pedestrian tunnel under the highway over to the Chicago Lakefront Trail along the lake and Navy Pier area.  This path is a runner’s paradise as it is 18 miles long (hear that NYC?!) , paved, and includes amenities such as bathrooms, frequent water fountains, storage lockers, and restaurants.

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As soon as I exited on the other side I was greeted with the beachfront and a scene of swimmers heading into the lake for their morning run along with throngs of runners and bikers. It was inspiring to see so many other people out this early, enjoying the wonderful weather.

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I put in my headphones and just started running along the water, enjoying the scenery and my legs’ unexpected freshness and energy.

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I even saw a runner carrying a large American flag around mile 2.

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I turned around when I saw 2.5 miles pop up on my Garmin, right along a beach area where there were people doing boot camps, taking yoga, enjoying sand personal training sessions, and swimming in the water. While I love running in Central Park, this area of Chicago is pretty amazing and offers so many different fitness options.

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How great would Sun & Moon Beach Yoga be for a Thursday happy hour option after a long day of work?

A kind woman offered to snap a picture of me as she noticed me taking pictures at my turnaround point. A NYC runner enjoying a great Chicago run!

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My views running back towards the hotel were even better as I had the sand and lake to my left and the skyline in front of me.

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Five miles done bright and early before a long day of meetings! I especially loved the negatives splits during this progression run including my last mile at 9:36! Have I mentioned how ready I am for cooler, Fall weather in New York City? My marathon training will be forever thankful if it comes earlier versus later.

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What is your favorite running city?

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A Chicago Evening: Bliss and Fresh Air Dining

Greetings from Chicago!

Today has been exactly what I needed after yesterday’s rough afternoon. I went home last night and relaxed with Meg and Bo, enjoying a home cooked meal and a glass of wine with a side of Sex and the City. This morning I craved a workout in a big way. I wanted an intense sweat session. Luckily for me, Akin William’s Cardio Kickboxing class was on the schedule at my Equinox which meant that Meg and I punched out our feelings for 45 minutes while dripping sweat. WHAT A WORKOUT! It was a great way to loosen up my body after yesterday’s kettle bell personal training session and Monday’s run.

My manager and I were both upgraded on our flight to Chicago thanks in part to the flight’s lack of business travelers and all our travel this year. It was complete bliss to enjoy a meal and comfortable seats on our quick flight. I was thoroughly impressed with the chicken salad and level of service. If only I could always fly first. *sigh*

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When we landed our team had some much needed downtime to catch up on emails, rest our feet, and prepare for the next few days. Thanks to a discount and a stress knot deep in my shoulders, I indulged on a 30 minute massage at Bliss Spa. While it was definitely an indulgence, I stood up from the table feeling light and refreshed. This Bliss Spa was so much nicer than the ones I’ve visited in New York City. It felt like a luxurious experience, from the service to the overall spa. I wish I could have lounged around for longer but I literally only had 30 minutes before our meeting.

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Check out the gorgeous views from their lounge area. I can’t wait to run by the lake tomorrow morning and enjoy the cool morning temperatures and scenery! I really do love running in new cities. It is the perfect way to wake up after a long day of travel, it leaves me energized, allows me to see things I wouldn’t normally have time to see on a quick business trip, and gives me that dose of Vitamin D my body craves!

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The rest of my evening was spent enjoying dinner with my team and our local colleague. Our wish to dine outside was granted by Rosebud Steakhouse which led to a relaxed dinner under the evening dusk. Fresh air dining is one of my favorite aspects of summer. Now if only we had a lovely porch and grill in New York City. 

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Knowing that tomorrow night’s dinner is at another local steakhouse, I opted for a seafood based meal. The waiter highly recommended their fresh, never frozen, tuna as soon as I asked for his advice. I took it to heart and went with tuna for both my appetizer and entrée. My co-worker and I shared the tuna and avocado appetizer, which was the perfect portion to share while not being too rich. It seemed like a perfect summer appetizer.

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My entrée, which wasn’t quite as delicious as the appetizer, was a Japanese inspired tuna dish, served rare and accompanied by seaweed salad and ginger. But, when dining at a steakhouse in Chicago, one can’t be too picky about the tuna I suppose. Was it perfectly rare? Nope. Was it filling, a healthier option than most things on the steakhouse menu and left me satiated? You bet!

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Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to chill out with some gentle yoga stretches compliment of the DVD I brought with me on the trip and my delicious NEST candle which I bought on sale at Bliss this afternoon.

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For those of you who enjoyed yesterday’s travel post, next week will include another installation which features my favorite hotel room necessities when traveling.

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Five Favorites for Air Travel

During August and September I’ll travel 6 of the 8 weeks, many of which will be via plane. All this travel has taught me a great deal over the past year. Today I want to share my five favorite items to make any flight just a little bit smoother. Regardless of whether you travel once a year or once a week, hopefully you’ll enjoy these items. In addition to these items, I highly recommend you check out 3 Fl Oz if you’re a beauty junkie who wants to find your favorite products in airport security approved sizes!

Travel Favorites

1.The Lululemon Scuba Hoodie has been a travel companion of mine for the past two years, keeping me warm on many a cold flight.  I love the cozy factor while still looking partially put together due to it’s sleek lines. The deep pockets are perfect for holding lip gloss and your ticket while you’re running through the airport.

2. Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel is the perfect thing to use as soon as you sit down on the flight in order to ensure you land looking rested, even if you couldn’t get a minute’s sleep on your six hour cross country flight. It reduces puffiness that is common post flight and the cool formula leaves your skin and gentle eye area feeling refreshed.

3. Emergen-C Spending time in airports and airplanes is the perfect way to pick up the latest cold or flu strain. In addition to staying active during travel I mix one packet with water daily and enjoy each morning to give my body an extra burst of Vitamin C. I think of it as my immune system’s punching Gatorade during the fight against germs!

4. I love the new, sleek design of my Kindle, a present to myself earlier this year. It fits easily in my carry-on and allows me to enjoy hours of reading without the weight of books or the clunk of the older versions. The battery on the new one seems to last for hours, which makes traveling without a power cord an easy space saving decision.

5. The Eddy Camelbak water bottle is a great way to save money while also making it easy to stay hydrated during travel. At .75 liters, this no-leak bottle can fit easily into your seat pocket, making it less necessary to use that annoying stewardess call button during a flight. I fill mine up in the airport in between flights and then ask the flight attendant to fill it up during flight instead of the small cup they’d normally provide. An added bonus is that you won’t risk spilling all over your seatmates or computer during turbulence!

Enjoy, because traveling is easier and more enjoyable when you have the right gear!

What am I missing?

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