SARA Training

CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) is the non-for-profit group I've been training with for the last four years.

Sara is someone I met in 2008 while training for the first marathon.

SARA Training is when one takes three years of CARA training and does their own thing. Not because they don't love CARA, but because, for one reason or another, it's easier to take a different approach.

For example, to avoid 90 degree heat, SARA training will start at 5am (or 6am, pending trenchal downpour)whereas CARA is stuck with their schedule. SARA training can start anywhere, but chooses to start at Sara's house.

CARA's program has announcements and large groups of people divided by pace group. SARA training gets down to business. A pair runs together, picks up a third on the path at Foster, and what remains of our CARA group around North avenue.

Instead of post-run gatorade, there's iced coffee.

Brunch is just as important to a post-run routine as stretching, and the SARA program takes it quite seriously. There's pre-run logistic emails that start on Tuesday. Brunch is a hot topic - where we will go, what time we will get there, if there will be a line, and, most importantly what we will eat. Nothing is off limits. During the run, brunch plans adapt for the late start due to weather. Post-run, we speed up stretching and showering, forego sleeping. And head to brunch.

I order eggs benedict AND a bacon cinnamon roll.