Challenge!

I almost don't want to tell anyone this. But I've peeped to a few people already and I better just fess up and take this seriously.

I've signed up for a training program to help me run the Solider Field 10-Miler. This means I'm going to be running. A lot. And on May 23 I will be (hopefully) running 10 miles.

10 miles!?!?!?

What am I thinking?

Well.... I'm thinking that it's a big challenge of course. I've never, ever run this far. The farthest I've ever, ever run is about 3-3.5 miles. That's it. That's a lot less than 10 miles.

It's also a good program to get me active this spring. I don't want to be a lazybones and I really want to give this running thing a serious go.

Running for many miles might help me find more inner calm, be less annoyed with my job, not worry about work or work-related crap, figure out the mysteries of Lost and plan out my life in some zen manner. Maybe. Possibly. 

Finally I get to run across the 50-yard line at Solider Field - go Bears, go me!

So, my training starts tomorrow. I promise to report about this whole ridiculous situation I've signed up for.

House-hunting? Saving money? Whoa.

I'm feeling some bizarre grown-up, responsible person urges of late. I'm not sure if it's the influence of those around me, the emails from my father about buying a home or something I ate. 

But honestly I'm going with it. Here's what I'm trying:

• I moved my banking to Citibank (where B also banks, for easy rent money transfers). I opened a checking account, a savings account and a credit cart account. 
• My clever new credit card (which looks very James Bond) has zero percent on balance transfers for 12 months so I bought a new computer on my WaMu card. I'll transfer the balance to the new card and pay off the computer quickly, with no fees.
• I bought a Refurbished Mac Book - the computer I wanted, but cheaper because it's a returned product, re-checked, cleaned up and resold. I saved 10 percent and got exactly what I wanted. I'm thinking of getting a pretty Speck cover to protect it - what do you think? Pink? Aqua?
• I'm really being a cheapskate. I'm becoming a coupon mogul, saying no pricey things and making sure to eat lunch at work every day instead of spending money. I'm hoping these little cuts will make a big difference. 
• B and I are budgeting. We fill in our Google Doc Spreadsheet and discuss every penny spent. B wanted to round, but I said we should be exact. We're trying it - so far nothing too crazy, though I did splurge on a spicy ginger ale on a walk downtown the other day. I didn't feel so smart when I reported my spending. Lesson learned.

I'm hoping that these moves put me in a good position to look at a place to buy, goodness knows what, when or where. Every penny counts and this week I found one dollar, a quarter, a dime and two pennies on the ground. I'm on my way to riches, right?

A snowy, snowy race

Swirling, blowing, up-down-all-around snow fell as about a thousand people and I ran the Wacky 5K this morning.

It was pretty, even though it was a little blinding whenever I ran northward though the West Loop course (past Michelle Obama's high school and B's too - Whitney Young! Whoo!). My time was decent for me 35:05. I think I could have gone faster if it hadn't been so slippy-snowy, but I'm still darn pleased I didn't wipe out or over-dress as is so easy to do for winter running.

Hopefully my next races will be warmer or at least un-snowy. I actually don't know what's on for April or anything past today's race in my year of 5Ks. 

If anyone is interested in a certain race or ran a good one in the past - tell me! There are so many to pick from, especially now that I have this massive list from Windy City Sports Magazine. 

I'm thinking Run to Wrigley will be next. I ran it last year and it's a big race, close to home and you get to end the race with a dash along the Clark side of Wrigley and come out under the big marquee. Oh, Cubbies!

Even with snow dancing around my window, I can see spring coming. Sort of.