As  a runner living in Chicago, I’ve done most of my runs along the lakefront.  There are so many runners out there that you’re bound to see many familiar faces and/or make new running friends.  I love that there are water fountains and bathrooms along the route.  Definitely important.  Oh, and the view is amazing!

I also run around Midway Airport.  Lately, I’ve also been running around my house which sometimes includes a stop at Dunkin’ Donuts.

On Saturday I met up with a few folks from the Western Cook Running Club at Brookfield Woods.  I first heard about this group on Kelly’s blog.  They host several meetups throughout the week such as Hump Day Hustle and Tuesday Night Tune Ups.  On Saturday we met at 7:30am.  There were about 8 runners that morning.  We all started together but then got separated because everyone ran in different paces.  That morning almost everyone ran in pairs.   I thought I had to run 6 miles but then realized I had to do 8.  The path was not crowded and there was plenty of shade. I saw the usual runners, walkers, and bike riders.

This made me smile!

Overall, I thought it was a great place to run and definitely plan on going back .  My only complaint is that there are no water fountains along the way.  I knew this so I took my water belt with two small water bottles.  It was a hot morning and I finished both of my bottles close to mile 6.  I’ve thought about investing in a hydration backpack/vest and now know that if I want to continue running there for long runs then I would need to take more water with me.

Do you have a hydration backpack/vest?  Which one?  How do you like it?