Back from Hiatus – 2X The Run

I didn’t plan to take a hiatus from the blog.   Just did.  Time flies.

I completed my first double race day on June 1^st.   This was a first for me but I was up to it.   My morning run was the Walter Payton Sweetness 8K in Yorkville, IL.  I had never done this run before but it was for a good cause and it was a mostly residential course through tree lined streets.    The Payton Foundation is such a notable name in the Chicago area and they had a bunch of big name sponsors.   The 8K race started a little after 8 AM with Connie, Jarrett (and his little son) and Britney Payton all up on a cherry picker sounding the horn to start.  We left the high school and did a flat two miles through a residential neighborhood and then made it back to the high school over a grass field.  Once back at the high school, we joined up with the 5K runners and headed towards the river for a little downhill running.  I passed a lot of the 5K walkers, some of them very young and very cute.  How great is that to get your kids out doing these things with you?  We then had a short run on a gravel trail (not fun to run on) and then up a long, not to steep, incline.  At the top of the incline, we turned around for a nice long, not so steep, decline.  But then….then, there was this steep uphill section before returning to the school.  I think almost everyone except the very front of the pack walked this hill.  This was my first 8K so I PR’ed coming in at 58:10 (2^nd in the 55 to 59 age group.)   It wasn’t a really hot morning but it was very humid and I think this slowed everyone a bit.  The Bolingbrook Fun Run Club had a great showing and some of our members won or placed in their age groups.  I really like showing up for these runs and having club members there.  No more showing up and being entirely alone.

My second run was the Naperville 5K Glow Run for Reading that started at 8PM, just 12 hours later.  This was a fundraiser for the Jeanine Nicarico literacy fund.  Jeanine was a 10 year old that was abducted from ^th Avenue Station and waited to see if any club members showed up.  Sure enough, there they were – Michael, Joann, Sherry, Tom and Sandy.   Outside of 5^th Avenue Station, there was a tent set up with music, beer and food and a party atmosphere prevailed.  We took our standard club picture and then went to the starting line.  Only the starting line wasn’t marked well and everyone had to turn around and then the slow people were near the front and the fast people near the back, it totally messed up the start.  At least this was a fun run, so it didn’t really matter.   The run was fun but it was very, very humid and seemed to make it difficult for all to breathe.  Although this was supposed to be a glow run, it happened a little too early for everyone’s glow sticks and lights to really be seen.  I finished in 38 minutes, not exactly a PR but it was fun to be out for the 2^nd time in one day.   Although it looked like there was a good party going afterwards, I said my goodbyes and went home for dinner.

her home and murdered 30 years ago.  The story remained in the news for years as a man was convicted multiple times for her murder but was later exonerated when DNA evidence and a confession led to the real murderer.  We moved to Naperville after the murder happened but it feels personal as the family didn’t live that far from us.  Circumstances of the murder aside, this was my first Glow run and my first night run of any kind.  With race time about 2 hours away, the skies opened up and it began to pour. I drove to the run and sat in my car until 7:30 pm while the rain continued.  At 7:30 it lightened up a bit and I made my way into 5^th Avenue Station and waited to see if any club members showed up.  Sure enough, there they were – Michael, Joann, Sherry, Tom and Sandy.   Outside of 5^th Avenue Station, there was a tent set up with music, beer and food and a party atmosphere prevailed.  We took our standard club picture and then went to the starting line.  Only the starting line wasn’t marked well and everyone had to turn around and then the slow people were near the front and the fast people near the back, it totally messed up the start.  At least this was a fun run, so it didn’t really matter.   The run was fun but it was very, very humid and seemed to make it difficult for all to breathe.  Although this was supposed to be a glow run, it happened a little too early for everyone’s glow sticks and lights to really be seen.  I finished in 38 minutes, not exactly a PR but it was fun to be out for the 2^nd time in one day.   Although it looked like there was a good party going afterwards, I said my goodbyes and went home for dinner.

My next official runs don’t occur until mid-July and then it is two in one week.  In the meantime, marathon training has begun and I’m ready.