The Race That's Good For Life

Did you know there's a race that's good for life? Believe it or not, there is.

Where is this race you might ask? Well, it's out in Oak Park.

Oak Park is a place I often think of visiting but never seem to get to living and working on the lake. I spent time in undergrad learning of Oak Park through an extensive Frank Lloyd Wright study, but outside of that, Oak Park is a community relatively unknown.

The Race That's Good For Life 5K has been around for decades. It's a race that's won awards, including the Chicago Area Runner's Association's race of the year. 

It's been a good, long while since I'd run a 5K race. Six or seven years.

As we drove out to Oak Park Sunday morning, we took in the sights of old homes with big front yards and appreciated some of the finer things in suburban life - free and easy parking, low traffic, children riding bikes. It was on the drive that I realized I'd forgotten to look up my standing PR (though it's not much of one) for a 5k on athlinks.com.

We parked and headed in to Oak Park River Forest High School to grab our packets and meet up with friends. I had an opportunity to meet some representatives from Liberty Mutual Insurance who sponsored the CARA Circuit Runner promotion as well. Seeing the gathering in the high school made me realize and appreciate the smaller race set up - We parked two blocks away. Restrooms and indoor heat was plentiful. The race started at a reasonable time (9:10 for the women's race).

The Race That's Good for Life's format has the women's race first, followed by the men. It was a unique opportunity to watch part of the men's race after we finished.

Kim and I headed to the start line together. We talked as we waited for the race to start. In mid sentence, the gun went off. We commented on how we could hear the gun (unlike in a big race where you might be many blocks back). Within a few seconds, we had crossed the start line. I realized I hadn't set my Garmin to "locate satellites." I quickly thumbed over the buttons and hit start.

The route took runners down wide streets lined with houses. Some residents smiled and cheered us on from their driveways and front lawns. The sun was out and temperature was mild. Oh spring, there you are!

I looked down at my watch to see I hadn't started a new run, but rather was adding to my Shamrock Shuffle time. I tried to start a new lap or reset it.

Thoughts going through my head:

I really should learn this watch properly...What runner messes up their Garmin like this? There's only four buttons.

Oh well, we're at mile 2 already. Guess I can spend some time with my watch post race. 

I wonder how far I'm in two mile two now? Ah, the cross street is Augusta. The school is around Ontario. I'm thinking five blocks to go? But it might not be in a straight line...should have looked at course map.

Regardless it's less than ten minutes to run. Just go for it already and stop thinking about strategy since all systems are failing. 

We crested a small incline and saw the finish line ahead of us. Questions in my head answered.

I crossed the finish line and was handed a flower along with some post run nutrition. Nice touch!

I headed over to the car to grab a change of clothes before watching the men's race start. Following the end of the men's race, we met a bunch of our friends in the school cafeteria. We caught up for a minute on summer plans and racing before heading out to brunch.

By 10:30 we were brunching and drinking bloody marys.

Suburban racing is pretty good.

The Race that's Good for life is Great.

CARA Circuit Runner

If you're a runner in Chicago area, you've likely heard of the Chicago Area Runner Association. CARA is a non-for-profit organization devoted to expanding, motivating, supporting and celebrating the running community of Chicagoland.

I first heard of CARA when I began searching for 5Ks nearly ten years ago. The CARA website was a great resource of quality, community races. As my training journey evolved a few years later, I was reminded of CARA's marathon training program. Since 2008, I've handed over my summer Saturday mornings to the CARA marathon group at Montrose Harbor. It was in this group that I met some of my closest friends.

During the winter, CARA holds an awards banquet to recognize the previous year's milestones and shining stars. This past January was no different. As part of the banquet this year, all attendees were entered to win a great prize - Free entries to races in the 2014 CARA circuit. This Christmas-like gift was presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

A few weeks ago I received an email from CARA notifying me that I'd won the prize. I received the email while in a work meeting and couldn't help but get excited. I won! Awesome. And I didn't just win something random, but something I really wanted! Who doesn't love a free race entry (or a few)?

The only requirement is that I run at least seven races this season. It's a challenge I'm willing to take on (and hopefully succeed).

Now to make my selections and commit to training for spring and summer.

The Shamrock Shuffle (held last weekend) was the first race of the circuit.

The second race is coming up this weekend. Heading to Oak Park for The Race That's Good for Life!

Shamrock Shuffle 2014

If you're a runner in Chicago, you know of and have probably run the Shamrock Shuffle. 

It's the race that unofficially represents the "start" to racing season in Chicago. 

The Shamrock Shuffle is an 8K race that leads about 30,000 runners through the streets of downtown Chicago. For years, the first few miles of this race mirrored the Chicago Marathon (which is fitting, since the same organizers who put on the marathon also handle the shuffle). It's a large and very well run race. 

In 2005, I ran it for the first time with my friend Margo and Uncle Mark. Some things have remained the same in nine years, like the expo being held at Navy Pier (mighty convenient for some) and start line set up. 

Other things have changed, and I can say, definitely for the better. 

Some time ago, the race announced a wave start which introduced qualifying corrals. This helped the faster, more experienced runners be grouped together and removed from the slower, more casual runners. Overall, I think it created a better race experience for all. 

This year, the race announced a new course. The course no longer took a western jaunt out down Jackson. Instead, miles 3 and 4 of the race visited the financial district and River North before heading down Michigan Avenue into the South Loop. 

Margo and I started together in Corral F on Sunday. We couldn't have asked for better weather. 

I've waited in the start corral at the Shamrock Shuffle and experienced many emotions over the seven times I've run it. The first year, it was pure nerves. It was my first 8k race. Other years, when I maintained a strong winter training program, the Shuffle seemed like a piece of cake. 

On Sunday, it was a question mark. How would it go? I haven't been running much this winter season. Not like other years anyway. What type of performance would I be happy with? Keeping my Shamrock Shuffle PR in mind, I hoped I could get somewhere in that range. 

Parts of the race I felt great, while others I questioned how it is that I think I'll run a marathon again this year (especially when 5 miles seems, well, not easy as it should). In the end, I was happy to be out running on that beautiful spring day. It made me hopeful for summer in Chicago.

Guess it's time to get back on the roads. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. 

Chicago Spring Half Marathon

One of the benefits of being part of a running team is the occasional free race entry. I'm scared to even ballpark a dollar amount to what I've spent on race entries over the years (but hey, it's better than spending the money on fast food, right?). The Chicago Spring Half happened to be one of them.

Kim S. turned me on to this race a few years ago. The race's start and finish is extremely convenient to her place, which has been the home of some fun post-race parties over the years. But this year, Kim was out of the country and Jen and I were taking on the race.

We decided we'd meet each other down at the start line. This race has a small field for a half marathon. As I got off the bus at Michigan and Randolph at 5:45am, the bus driver asked me what race I was doing. I told her of the race and she said she wished me luck on winning it. (right!)

After checking my bag at the Universal Sole tent, I headed to the start line and found Jen. The weather was overcast but warm. A few announcements were made as the field faced south. The weather didn't look good in that direction. A dark, heavy cloud was hanging that way. It looked like rain. The announcer ensured us the race was keeping tabs on the weather and we may get drizzled on at the southern most part of the course, but after that, we should be in the clear. As we stood there waiting for the delayed start, the temperature started to drop and the wind picked up.

The race finally starts and Jen and I spend the first few miles catching up. Around mile 5, she picks up the pace and I maintain mine. All was good until about mile 6. Rain. Then came mile 6.5, our turn around. Now wind.

At the halfway point, I checked my watch. I had a good pace going in relation to my half marathon PR time at about three minutes faster than anticipated. But could I maintain in the rain and wind. Then I remembered the 2008 Chicago Half Marathon - my standing half PR race. Conditions were anything but ideal then.

From 6.5 to the end, it was a tough, windy race. The rain pelted our bodies from the air and reflected off the ground onto us. The path was covered in puddles. Our shoes were soaked. The wind made our shirts into sails. Out on the the lake shore we had no cover. I'd set a good pace to start with. Now that it was nasty out, I figured it best to try to maintain and get out of the elements.

In the last mile, the rain slowed to a drizzle. I checked my watch as we came into the River East neighborhood. This race would be a PR. And by six minutes.

Maybe the key to PR success (besides drinking three the night before) is rain.

Jen and I met right after the race and headed to a brunch spot to change our clothes, have a hot cup of coffee and celebrate with oreo smores pancakes.

Soldier Field 10

Dear Soldier Field 10,

We need to have a talk.

As you know, we have a sorted history.

In 2007, I'd signed up and trained with your official training program. I made it to 8 of 12 weeks before coming down with my first running injury. I was not able to run that year. It was the only time I missed a race.

The next two years, I was out of town Memorial Day weekend.

In 2010, after working through an injury all winter, I decided, due to our history of course, that you couldn't be my comeback race.

Tricia and I volunteered with Salute and handed out finisher's medals. Though I wasn't running, you still got the upper hand when you possessed my brand new cell phone to land in to a toilet at the stadium.

Now we're nearing the end of 2011. Nearly five years.

So I made a decision. I signed up again. This time, I will run you.

And so will some of my friends. The stars have aligned.

And there's nothing you can do about it.

See You in April, Nashville

It's January and, or so it seems, all the runners I know are planning their race season.

I may be reluctantly running on a treadmill while the sidewalk's a sheet of ice, but my sights are on...Nashville.

Why Nashville you ask?

I need a spring race.

I need a goal. I need to be able to mark off progress of four months of training each day.

I need a training schedule to be staring me in the face every time I open the fridge.

I need a reason to buy a new pair of running shoes and to continuously update my ipod's playlist.

And it certainly helps to have a race to blog about.

So, it's been decided that a small group of us will travel down to Nashville at the end of April to run the Country Music Half Marathon & Marathon.

This year will not be my first Country Music Half. In 2009, I ran this race with Mary Beth, her sister Katie and her cousin Meghan.

It's a very hilly race, which makes it challenging when training in completely-flat Chicago. It was also unseasonably warm the day we ran the race. Sounds like a familiar theme to my races, eh?

The Country Music Marathon & Half is unique in the way the race is set up. It is a large race which has all distances start at the same time. All runners estimate their finish times and are then placed in to corral assignments based on that number. Both the Marathon and the Half run the same first ten or so miles, then the Half Marathoners turn off to head to the finish while the Marathoners continue on.

I vividly remember standing in the corral in 2009 looking down and then up a very steep hill and around at people's bibs and picking out those who were doing the marathon. At that point, I'd done my first marathon just the October before, but regardless, preparing for a spring Marathon seemed like a far-fetched dream rather than a possibility - mainly due to the winter weather training that would be involved.

I guess that goes to show you how much time training takes for a single race, and then how quickly your body falls out of that shape. That is the great challenge of distance running.