Are you comfortable?

 

I ran 17 miles on Saturday.  Your reaction to that likely depends on your own experience.  If you have never trained for a marathon, chances are this seems like a daunting distance to run.  If you have, or are currently, you probably think, "yeah, I did 20".  Or "I gotta do that this weekend".  Then there is always the non-runner comedian who says, "Oh yeah?  I've got a car!"

Well, so do I, and I realize it would be much easier to cover 17 miles in a car.  But running isn't supposed to be easy. One of the thoughts I came away with after reading the book on Ultra marathon running by Dean Karnazes (Utramarathon Man:  Confessions of an All Night Runner) was the idea of 'stepping out of your comfort zone'.  For him that means running 150 miles rather than 100.  But really, his point is that we never really gain anything in life unless we challenge ourselves.

That's why I began this entry by telling you I ran 17 miles.  I have run more than a dozen marathons, and that means I have also done quite a few runs longer than 16 miles.  But no matter how many times I have done it over the years, running further than 14 miles causes a little anxiety.  My weekend long runs even when I'm not training for anything often go up to about 13 miles, so that is still within my 'comfort zone'.

But the day before getting up to run longer than that usually has me paying quite a bit more attention to what I eat, and the amount of sleep I get.  There are also plenty of doubts about whether I will survive the distance intact, and expectations of pain.  Experience should tell me than I will be just fine. 

I feel the same way leading up to many public speaking appointments.  Despite what I do for a living, I do not relish public speaking.  My personality is a little reserved and quiet.  It takes effort to force myself to be more outgoing.  Last week I also had to emcee an event for about 1000 people in the big ballroom at Navy Pier.  I have done this same event for the last five years, but every year I feel anxiety the day before.  And every year, it get through it just fine.  And when it's done I feel a nice sense of relief and accomplishment.

That's why, in a nutshell, that we should all step out of our comfort zones from time to time.  I believe in the old adage about risk and reward.  If you never put yourself out there, you never learn what you are capable of.  Whether it is public speaking, running, or tiddly winks that you challenge yourself with, you are the one with the most to gain by giving it a shot.  You are also the one with the most to lose by standing on the sidelines. 

I believe that is why we run in the first place.  Noone really cares about whether we reach our goals as much as ourselves.  When we succeed, noone feels the sense of accomplishment that we do.  And when we decide against pushing ourselves, we are letting noone down as much as ourselves.

I often think after running a marathon that it was my last.  After all, what more do I have to prove to myself?  But a couple weeks later, I usually get the bug again and realize I'm too young to sit back and relax for the next 40 years.  So I find another race to challenge myself with.  I step out of the comfort zone, and in doing so, feel like I am getting more out of what life has to offer.  Oh, and that 17 miler I was so nervous about?  It was a really nice run, and I survived just fine.

By the way, speaking of taking risks, how about the Olympic marathon race by former Chicago winner Constantina Tomescu Dita!  She left the field behind early, and took the chance that she could hold on.  It paid off!  Congratulations to her on the gold medal.  I got the chance to meet her a couple years ago and was very impressed by how unassuming she is.  She is also tiny!  But she ran a great race, and destroyed a great field.  Hopefully, she'll be back to race in Chicago again soon. 

And finally, speaking of marathon training, the CARA 20 mile training run is filling up quickly.  I ran it last year and it was one of the most enjoyable runs of the year for me.  You can find the info on the CARA website:  www.cararuns.org

See you on the roads...

Elvis Distance Classic

If you are like me, you are excited that the Olympics have begun, but now we've gotta wait another week until the track and field events begin!  And they make us wait until the last day until the men's marathon!  Oh well, in the meantime, there are plenty of local races to keep us busy.  I had a chance to enjoy two of the best last week.  They are on opposite ends of the running spectrum, but both were great events in their own right.  And both made use of the beautiful lake front.

First, Elvis is alive.  Well, the city tried to kill him, but he survived.  The folks from Fleet Feet scheduled the annual Elvis race quite some time ago for it's new location and day.  They had it planned for downtown near Columbus and Balbo where the marathon starts.  Then the Bears schedule came out.  And they had an exhibition game the same night.  Oops.  So the city at one point told Fleet Feet they could not hold the race.  Then they relented and allowed them to move it to the Lake front path near the Columbia Yacht Club.  Good thing.

It was a great evening.  They had the largest group of runners yet, about 2000, and possibly the best party.  I was one of the emcees, but the highlights included some of the best dressed Elvis costumed runners I've seen in the 11 years they've been holding the race.  And Elvis performer Doug Church put on a terrific concert after the show.

And the runners stuck around!  Everyone got a coupon for a free beer from Goose Island at the post-race party.  And it seems like most everyone redeemed them.  They had to expand the size of the beer corral several times to accommodate the huge crowd.  They also had great pasta from La Vita restaurant in the VIP tent.  It made it worth saying a few words before jumping into the run so I could qualify as a VIP!

The run itself was great also.  I planned to jog 7:30 pace miles.  But once we started I got amnesia, and started off at 6:45.  It felt comfortable, so I kept it up.  The weather was nice, and relatively cool.  I figured, what the heck?  It was a self-timed event where they noted the winners in age groups and the first 'Elvis', but otherwise there were no official times posted.

By contrast, I learned about my official time from friends in the Chicago Distance Classic even before I checked myself.  This was a more formal half-marathon race.   The most striking thing about it was that it was pleasant weather!  As race owner John Bingham said on the podium before the race, there are never moderate temperatures for the CDC.  It's always incredibly hot!  But not Sunday.

I got there a few minutes before the race started.  6:30 in the morning is a little early for me to be at a starting line, but I made it.  And in the spirit of a race put on by John 'The Penguin" Bingham, I started in the middle of the pack.  They started the race in 4 waves.  I got off with the third wave, about 7:30 after the first wave began.  I intended to use it as a training run, and that's about how it went.  I couldn't get going much quicker than 8:00/mile pace early on, and I settled into that after a few miles, and realized I had no desire (or energy) to run faster than that.  But I managed to get the run in, and race back home to Elmhurst in time for church at 9:15.  That may have been the fastest I moved that morning!

The CDC really has become a great race runners training for Chicago or another fall marathon.  There were plenty of those runners out there who put this on the training schedule. There were also plenty of first timers.  Chicago Endurance Sports trained several hundred runners for this event.  Congratulations to everyone who finished their first 13.1.  My wife's uncle, Mike Lock, was among them.  He is 47 and relatively new to distance running.   But he finished in under two hours and felt great.  Now he's thinking about running a full marathon!  I think stories like his are what makes running such a popular sport.

Meantime, as far as my own week of running, in retrospect, I suppose I had it confused.  I ran the fun run fairly hard and the more serious race pretty easy.  But that's just the way it worked out.  I won the same prize money for both (zero).  Both were fun events, and generally good training runs for a fall marathon.  And so long as you enjoy the run, that's all that really matters right?

Hope you have some enjoyable runs in the coming days....

Getting technical

One of the things I have always loved about running is it's simplicity.  It's something you can do virtually anywhere, any time, without much in the way of equipment to pack or preparations to make.  You don't have to drive to the gym, or wait until the class meets for your workout.  You just throw on a pair of shoes and shorts and head out the door.  We tend to involve a bunch of other things as we get more and more into running, but at it's core, it's really about nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other for a few miles.

That appeals to me, because I like to keep things simple.  I'm not generally the first to try the new technical gadgets.  I don't have to have the newest cell phone on the market.  When I'm reporting in the field, I generally write my stories by hand on a legal pad.  So when my friends from Nike showed me the new Nike plus Sportband, I agreed to try it, but I didn't really expect to become addicted or anything.

Some of the friends I run with use those GPS watches, that measure the exact distance, time, pace, map of the course, and probably measure your mood during the run.  Just kidding about the last part, but you get the idea.  I've always found them to be bulky, and offering a bunch of information I don't really care much about.  I've always been fine with a simple watch.  I can pretty much gauge the distance I run by the amount of time I've been out.  And If I'm off by a little, who really cares?  Not me. 

Ok, you get the picture.  So all that said, I have now worn the Sportband on 4 or 5 runs and I have to say I am becoming a little addicted!  It's not bulky, in fact it is smaller and lighter than my watch.  It's just a little wristband, with the computer component that comes right off so you can plug it into your computer when you are done.  More on that in a moment.

It comes in two parts.  The sensor that goes in your shoe fits right into the midsole of most   Nike running shoes now.  They make pouches for other kinds of shoes.  But you don't even notice it at all.  You just hit the button at the start of your run and you're off.  You can pause it by hitting the button again, and when you're done, you press it again and instantly it tells you the time, pace and distance you ran.

There are several interesting things about running with the Sportband that I never expected to enjoy as much as I do.  One is knowing the exact distance I've run compared to my estimates from my watch.  I have a basic course around the neighborhood that I've always guessed was a little over 4 miles.  Well, I've learned, using the Sportband, that I'm right.  It is 4.13 miles.

Another thing is that you can tell the pace or distance during your run, as opposed to just your elapsed time.  The first time I glanced down at the band during run and saw it read 7:35, I thought, it must be wrong.  I've been out longer than that!  Then I realized it was my pace, not elapsed time.  During a long run (14) last weekend, I needed to get four miles in before meeting a friend on the route for the final ten.  The Sportband told me where to turn around so I could get back to meet him, then it told us where to turn around so we could get the full distance in.  And afterward, I was pleased to know we had run about 7:45 pace, as opposed to our estimate of over 8:00/mile based on how we felt. 

I have run   with the Nike IPOD sensor system in the past.  That's the one that also uses a sensor in the shoe, but the computer component plugs into the bottom of your IPOD.  It's neat, but I wasn't that into it. I used it a few times and not it mostly sits in the bottom of my drawer somewhere.  The Sportband is different though.  I enjoy using it, and look forward to plugging it into the computer when I'm done.  It logs all your runs, so it's like keeping a running diary without having to write a thing.  And it keeps you honest if you have training distance and time goals you are trying to meet.  Check it out at www.nikeplus.com.

If I have a criticism of the Sportband, it's that it can be a little hard to read the screen while you are running.  It's a minor thing, because if they made it bigger or brighter, I might not enjoy that too much.  Overall, I'd recommend trying it out.

On another note, it's a busy race week for me.  The Elvis is Alive 5k was Thursday night, and the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon is Sunday.  I ran pretty well in the 5k, so we'll see how the CDC goes.  I'll post some pictures and thoughts on both races early next week.  Have a great weekend of running!

CDC!

John Bingham from Runner's World called the other day to talk about his upcoming race, the Chicago Distance Classic.  It is a great half-marathon, with a long tradition in Chicago.  In fact, it's the oldest race in the city.  ABC-7 was a sponsor for a several years and I did the public service announcements.  That was when the race was owned by the American Lung Association, and was a fundraiser for them.  But this year it is bigger than ever.  They've got 12,000 runners signed up and it should be a good time.  It's also one of the first big tests for the city and race organizers since last fall's fiasco during the Chicago Marathon.  I don't know what else to call what happened last year, though I have said in the past I believe race director Carey Pinkowski was as prepared as he could be, and was forced to call the race because of the severe heat and humidity.  It's one of those things everyone who was there, and many who weren't, have an opinion about.  I was there, and did run.

The Distance Classic, anyway, is almost always really hot.  And I mean really, uncomfortably,  hot and sticky.  The race about seven or eight years ago was so bad I dropped out, which is not something I had ever done before.  It is obviously only half the distance of the marathon, however, so the stress on a runner's system is not as severe as with the longer distance.  Nevertheless, race directors are taking no chances these days after the nightmare Carey Pinkowski experienced last year.

John had already addressed the heat somewhat by moving the starting time a few years ago to 6:30am.  That is early, obviously, but it also takes advantage of the slightly cooler air at that time of day before it heats up.  Most runners are done by 8:30 or 9:00.

But this year he is also touting a Unified Command Center that will be set up near the start/finish area.  It will include EMS, Fire, and Police from the city who can address any heat issues immediately, and coordinate any actions needed immediately.  John says they also plan to use a couple of fire hydrants along the way to spray runners on the course.  Again, the marathon organizers had an extensive plan in place, but the CDC plan includes some elements that are different from what the marathon did last fall.

John also is starting the race in waves of 2,000 runners at a time.  This will provide some separation on the course and allow everyone to get through the streets more easily.  It will also make it easier for runners to get access to drinks at the water stations. 

So all in all, it should be a good race.  'The Penguin' always puts on good events that are geared to all runners, especially those in the middle and back of the pack.  He's on the far right in the picture.  I know many marathon training programs are incorporating the CDC into their training schedules.  That makes it even more important that they have a positive experience.  It is encouraging to run well at this point in your training before you get into the really long runs! 

If you are interested in the race you can check it out at: http://www.chicagodistanceclassic.com/

Meantime, I'll see you on the roads!

Oh for a waterfall

It was at about the 5 mile mark that I realized I was in a race.  I'd been running along, trying to deal with the heat and the hilly trails of Waterfall Glen, when I noticed people seemed to be passing me.  A lot of them.  The unfortunate part for me was that I felt completely unable to do anything about it. 

This was one of those tough days.  It was hot, humid, and I was not in the right physical or mental state of mind to be racing.  The day before was not spent resting and hydrating either, unless you count beer at a baseball game as hydrating.  Suffice to say my body eventually revolted and forced me to walk several times.  And about a quarter mile from the finish, I had to stop once again so I could, there's no nice way to say it, vomit.  It was ugly.

So are you still reading?  Ok, now let me tell you about the race.  The Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 miler was a really great race!  I had actually been looking forward to it for quite a while.  The trail there is a place I run frequently anyway, and the idea of doing a race on the trails seemed great.

Well, it exceeded expectations.  I would call this a runner's Race.  We showed up early.  My Elmhurst running club friends Jim and Bill were also running it for the first time.  They both ran pretty close to their goal times.  The start is in a big park/field near Argonne National Labs, which is in the center of the trail.  That meant the start was about three miles farther along than the traditional starting point.  It also meant the big hill on the course, dubbed 'Big Bertha" comes about two and half miles into the race, rather than the middle.

That's not a bad thing.  You've got to do the hill some time, so you may as well get it out of the way early, rather than dread it for a few more miles.

So they started the race in waves.  Those running 6:30 or better started first, on through the 4th wave of those anticipating running closer to 10:00 or slower pace per mile.  It was a Waterfall start, which seems appropriate for the venue.   That reminded many of us of a cross-country race.  The picture is an example of a waterfall start from a Nike race.  The one over the weekend had many fewer runners though.  After the start, you had a little over a quarter mile to run before a narrow opening onto the trail.  Fortunately, they limited the entries to 800 runners, so it was about 200 of us in the second wave racing to that opening.  And it was actually pretty civil. 

At the start line, with that relatively small group, I was amazed to see at least eight friends who were in the same wave as I.  This is pretty unusual.  It seems every direction I looked, I saw a friend I said hello to.  There were running friends from Chicago, the suburbs, and even a friend from college track I haven't seen in years.  But the socializing lasted about four minutes.  That was the amount of time between the start of the first and second waves.  The horn went off and we were racing to the trail.  Once we were on it, there was plenty of room.  You could run three wide on the soft crushed gravel. 

There weren't crowds of people cheering at every turn.  Nor was there three kinds of fluid at every other mile.  There were a few enthusiastic people cheering along some of the intersections where the path crossed a road.  And there were four water stops.  Just water.  And it was great!  Lots of runners sharing the path and the day and encouraging each other.

And when it was over, they had one of the best post-race spreads I have seen.  Lots of sponsors were out there with goodies.  My favorite was the Bobak sausages.  They had a chef grilling them and plopping them right into buns for runners at the finish line.  Unfortunately, my stomach was not exactly in the right state to partake.  But I did have plenty of Gatorade!

As we left the race I admit I was feeling a little disappointed.  You never want to have a race like that.  And just as I start to ramp up my running to begin focusing on training for the New York Marathon, the last thing I needed was to struggle through a ten miler.  But, as I thought about it more, I realized I had run a much faster pace, and longer distance in a training run just the week before.  So I guess I just have to put that experience out of my mind and move on to the next one.

I guess it takes some 'off days' to help you appreciate the days when the miles fly by easily.  The good days sometimes come when you least expect them as well.  In fact, when I got home from work the other day, I found a medal in the mail for an age group award I apparently won in the Jim Gibbons 5k early last month.  I never checked the results and had no idea.  But that's a good way to balance out a poor race experience!

Anyway, I have mentioned a fun race coming up at the end of August.  The Human Race, sponsored by Nike is being billed as the largest 10k in the world.  Kanye West has done a cool promo for it, so I thought I would provide a link in case you're interested:

  Lower quality video- http://abclocal.go.com/wls/media?id=6291985 High quality movie -
http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wls/video/party_with_kanye_061808_1.mov

Hope you have more good days than the other kind this week.  See you on the roads....

girls girls girls

Before I get into the topic I planned to write about, I have to share a note from my weekend long run.  Last week I wrote about running in the rain.  After thinking about it, I believe I probably sounded a little smug, even snobbish.  Well, payback came Saturday morning when it was pouring rain even harder than the week before.  I got the run in, but I was drenched.  And I can do without running in the rain for a while now.

Now to the rest of the weekend, which included being a spectator for a fun event on Sunday.  It's suprising, but true that the slight majority of runners in most marathons these days are women runners.  Some have been running competitively since high school, but many have only just discovered distance running in their post-college years.  It is kind of an 'early 20's' thing to do.  Run a marathon.  I think that's great.

My wife is one example of this trend.  She'd never considered running a marathon before, but discovered a group that she could train with and socialize at the same time.  The idea of finishing a marathon suddenly became realistic, and she did a couple of them.  Then came the babies, and all the responsibilities that go along with that.  She claims she is done with it now, but we'll see.

There are a number of events recently that had me thinking about this topic.  The Dick Pond running store in Elmhurst hosted a kids run a couple weeks ago.  It was great to see all the youngsters getting exposed to running.  The picture is from that event.  The girls, especially, have fewer opportunities like that at a young age I think.  Elmhurst is really a hotbed for running with kids aspiring to run on the legendary York High School cross country team.  I see them running all summer in Joe Newton Champions park which next to where I take my daughters for swimming lessons. But that's a story for another time.

Most recently Fleet Feet hosted the Women's 10k and 5k.  There are relatively few women's only events around the city, and this is one of the biggest.  They had more than 3,000 women runners in the races, with husbands, boyfriends and all the other guys there to cheer them on.  They even had a category for fastest mother/daughter teams. 

I brought my daughters to the kids race.  My three year old finished the 50 yard distance, but she wanted to make sure I ran the whole way with her!  I believe events like this really help encourage the kids by showing them thousands of healthy role models.

Speaking of role models, I was trying to get there in time to see one of my favorite runners of all time.  I wouldn't call her a role model, maybe just a college crush, though I have yet to meet her.  Anyway, Suzy Favor Hamilton was at the race.  If you don't know her, just imagine someone who looks like Lindsay Lohan but can run a world class mile.  I have seen her run at the Drake Relays a number of times.  She is in the hall of fame there, not to mention being a former Olympian.

But she provides a real spark to an event for women like the race.  Hopefully, role models like her and the other women will help young girls catch the running bug early, when they can discover their talents in time to make use of them in high school and college. 

Of course, not everyone is blessed with the talent to run fast.  But most are given the ability to run, at whatever pace gets them to the finish line.  And learning the benefits of that experience at a young age is truly a wonderful thing.  Running is a sport you can participate in your whole life.  It was truly inspirational to see the winners of the 'over 80' division in the women's run.  And it was exciting to see the great times run by some of the younger teens as well.  Congratulations to all.

Meantime, if you are looking for the next race to get excited about, there are plenty of possibilities, but one of the most interesting is coming up in August.  It's called 'The Human Race' and it's the first time Nike is putting something like this on.  The idea is that it's a race being run at the same time in cities all over the world.  The information is below.  Meantime, have a great week of running and I'll see you on the roads....

http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/humanrace/index.jsp 

July 21, 2008

rain rain go away

"Officially, we are not running today as a group", said Bill Sanders, leader of the Elmhurst Running Club marathon training program.  It was Saturday morning about 6am and there was a steady rain falling.  It had been falling most of the night, and the skies looked like it was sure to continue. 

As I drove over, I had no idea what to expect.  I haven't run with this group much, and weather like this tends to separate the hard-core (or crazy) runners from the rest.  The fact that I found parking with no problem was my first indication.  On a normal Saturday there is a group of 50-plus runners .  We gathered under a verandah and I noticed the number was reduced to about a dozen.  Most of the rest clearly decided to do their long run under nicer conditions.  Then, a couple more stood under the shelter for a while and talked themselves out of it as well.

I couldn't blame them.  There was a bit of lightning off in the distance every once in a while.  That is nothing to gamble with.  And that is the main reason this would not be an official group run.  The Elmhurst Running Club doesn't need to be legally liable in the event Mother Nature decides to strike one of us on the Prairie Path.  But we waited until the lightning seemed to be over, before taking off.

So Bill said he intended to run on the path as an individual, and anyone else who felt like it could do the same.  We could run as a group of individuals.  Since it takes an act of congress to get me out of bed at 5:30 on a Saturday morning (or at least the promise of a good run), I was planning on running regardless of the weather.  Heck, I already had the hard part licked.  I'd gotten out of bed after working until 10:30 the night before.

So we were off for a 12 miler.  The rain fell steadily for the first six miles, which we ran out and back to where we started.  It was wet, but then, so is the shower.  We got Gatorade, wrung out our soaked shirts, and continued.  Lo and Behold, the rain eased up considerably for the next six miles.  Given the heat we've been dealing with later in the day, this might have been the best time to run the whole weekend.

When we were finished, we all had that smug look, knowing we had gotten our long run out of the way, and everyone else still had it hanging over their heads for the rest of the weekend.

I would never advocate running when lighting is in the area.  It's really not a good idea.  Fortunately, once we started our run, we never saw any in the area.  But rain, while annoying, is not bad to run in.  Some of my more memorable runs have been in downpours.  I survived them just fine.  And, it is good preparation for the conditions of the day of whatever race you are training for.  Lots of races fall on days when it is raining, and there is really nothing anyone can do about it.  Well, I guess you could sing one of the only songs my daughters know.  The title of this entry is "Rain rain go away....."

Meantime, we had a chance for some good conversation on the small group run.  Much of it was about one of the best track races you will ever see.  I had somehow not yet been able to see it before the weekend.  The 800 meter race at the Olympic trials was an inspiration, and a tribute to the three runners who qualified.  They, and the others who fell just short embody the notion of giving it your all.  If for some reason you missed it as well, here is a link.  http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=8ab18f0c-2d0c-417b-9725-e205ca8c6e86 See you on the roads, or the track!

Back on the beat

What a great vacation!  Five days in Wisconsin, filled with relaxation, family time, and fun.  And five beautiful runs in the Wisconsin countryside. We were staying in Delavan, just off the lake, where we were married nearly six years ago.  It's interesting to return with a completely different dynamic:  three young kids in tow. 

In order to disrupt our family time the least, I ran first thing in the morning most days.  That's not my usual time, but it worked out really well.  I realize most of the rest of the world runs at that time, before work, but I work nights.  I usually run before lunch and then it's off to work.  But it's a great way to get your day started off, and to explore areas you may want to return to later.  It was also a great time to reflect on my running an my goals for later this summer.

I think that's what vacation is all about.  It's a time to rest up, refuel, and reflect on everything a bit...get some perspective back away from the daily grind.   The time definitely re-energized me a bit, and has me about ready to start training again.  I also thought up a few things I want to put in this space.

I'll write much about some of those things over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, we returned to town in time for a really great race.  It was the Four on the Fourth in Elmhurst.  As the name implies, it is a four mile race, and a CARA circuit race as well.  That means it tends to attract some fast runners.  I've been hearing about it for some time, even before I moved to Elmhurst.  It attracts runners from all over the Chicago area.  Fortunately, the weather was fairly cool and just about perfect, as opposed to the oppressive heat that can make running in early July a difficult proposition.

It's a relatively small race though with fewer than a thousand runners.  It was a beautiful day for it, and it went off without a hitch.  And because it was my turn to watch the kids, my wife got to enjoy the race, while I took pictures and cheered her on.  It was great to see so many running friends there, even though they were all in running gear, and I was in street clothes.  Race directors Bob Richards and Susan May from the Elmhurst Running Club do a nice job with the race.  My wife is pictured with Bob here.

Bob, incidently is the same person you may recognize as one of the most expert writers on the local running scene.  He has worked for The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Athlete magazine.  He also has a great website on local running http://chicagoruntimes.blogspot.com/  Check it out when you get a chance.

Meantime I'll see you on the roads....

Get outta town

When I was in High School my Cross Country team would usually take a trip to Northern Wisconsin at the end of the summer.  It was a combination of running, having fun, and bonding.  And it created some enduring memories that we still talk about almost three decades later.  All it takes when we're together is for one of us to recall "remember when the dog bit Billy?" during one of our group runs, and it takes us back to fond memories and stories from that time. 

I mention this because my family is preparing to leave for a few days of vacation to Wisconsin.  It's supposed to be about 'family time' and relaxation.  We are all in dire need of those things.  But, for me, it's also about the chance to run in a different environment.  The country roads in Delavan, Wisconsin are great to run on.  There are few cars, and it's a little hilly and shaded.  In other words, great training, and no pressure to get my run in before work, or in between taking our daughters to one of their countless activities.  I'm looking forward to it.

It also means going alone on my long runs.  I could run with my wife, but then there would be noone to watch the kids.  And at 3 1/2, our oldest isn't quite up to the task of watching  her two sisters on her own.  There is also the question of running pace, but we'll leave that one alone.  In any case, it's something I'll have to start getting used to.  The injury bug has gotten my two running buddies at the same time.  Our Saturday morning long runs will be disrupted for the foreseeable future because of a torn achilles tendon for my friend Tom, and a variety of issues for my friend Rick.  Rick was my coach in High School, and the leader of those Wisconsin trips.  He'll be back running pretty soon, but for at least the next few weeks, I'm on my own.  Rick is on the left in the photo, Tom is in the middle.  The picture was taken during a fall run in healthier times.

That's not a bad thing.  I am at the point where I need to recharge my batteries and start to focus on my next goal.  That likely means a fall marathon (New York) and a couple of half marathons including the Chicago Distance Classic.  Speaking of races there is also one my wife or I will probably jump into in Elmhurst.  It's the Four on the Fourth, and I hear it's a nice run that is followed by the town 4th of July celebration.

So it should be a good week of running coming up.  I'll leave you with a picture of Bart Yasso of Runner's World signing books as Fleet Feet last weekend.  As you may have read in previous entries, Bart was our teammate in the recent MC200.  It was great to see him back in town.  Meantime, I'm not building as exotic a running resume as Bart Yasso, but everybody has a story, and I'm writing mine.

See you on the roads....

Gibbons Run

How strange.  It seems like it was just a couple weeks ago when I was wondering whether it was ever going to warm up.  Now I'm already complaining that it's too hot.  Runners.  You just can't make them happy!

Really though, it's been nice running the last few days.  I especially enjoyed the Jim Gibbons run on Thursday evening.  It's really nice to work a day shift (I usually work nights), then stroll over to Grant Park for a run.  In this case, it's a run that is close to me.  I never had the opportunity to meet Jim Gibbons.  He was one of the best reporters ABC-7 has had, but he tragically died of leukemia a few months before I was hired at the station.  The race raises money for leukemia research, and it has become a regular part of the late spring calendar for many runners in Chicago.

It's also fun to run with (or at least hang out with) some of my colleagues at ABC-7.  I rode over with Cheryl Burton, Jamie Garton-Insko (producer), and Carleen Mosbach (assignment editor).  We got a chance to catch up a bit on the way over.  It also helped remind me that running a race like this is not all that serious for a lot of people.  We were pushing about 25 minutes before race time, and still on our way.  I was getting pretty antsy about warming up and stretching.  Those thoughts never occurred to them.  It was fun, and I ran just fine without much stretching.

I find I run better later in the day when I'm more loosened up anyway.  And my goals for this race were really pretty modest.  I just wanted to run a steady pace under 7:00/mile.  I hoped to break 21 minutes.  That's exactly what I did.  My time was 20:50.  Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to catch a train home after the race, so I didn't take any pictures other than the quick shot of the set-up you see here.

But anyway, if you haven't done this run in the past, I encourage you to try it next year.  In the meantime, another favorite race of mine, the Elvis Is Alive run sponsored by Fleet Feet, is moving to a Thursday evening this year.  It's always been on Saturday, but this year they have moved the location to Grant Park, and the date to Thursday August 7th.  www.fleetfeetchicago.com for more info.

On another topic, congratulations to Brendan Cournane!  He just finished his 50th state in a quest to run a marathon in every state.  Brendan is a great guy, and a really good coach.  He works with beginning and intermediate runners as a coach for Chicago Endurance Sports.  He is also a big advocate of the run/walk program.  In fact, he has done a number of his races as run/walk, and has run a sub 3:30 marathon taking walking breaks.  Harry Porterfield recently featured Brendan on one of his "Someone You Should Know" segments.  If you didn't get a chance to see it, take a look.  http://abclocal.go.com/wls/media?id=6211924

See you on the roads....