We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up!  

For today’s post, I will write about the Elmhurst 4 on the 4th.  I ran this race yesterday and am happy I ran it again.

Here are some fun things about the race:

•I’ve been doing this race since 2013.  It was cancelled in 2020 and I skipped it in 2021.  More than 10 years of running this race.  It is a fun race – there aren’t that many races that are 4 miles.  

•  I didn’t train for this race.  It didn’t matter.  I still wanted to run it because it is one of my favorite races.  I am in week 2 of marathon training and actually felt OK during my run.  I did better than I thought I would do.  

• I didn’t pay attention to pace.  I ran by feel and walked when I wanted to walk.  I got positive splits and my last two miles were the same pace.  

• Packet pick-up is on race day.  I love it when races have this option.  I know sometimes it isn’t easy to get to packet pickup.  I got my bib and shirt and used the port-a-potty one last time before I lined up for the race.

•  It made me feel good.  I had no goal except to have fun and that is what I did.  I was tired at the end but I felt good afterwards finishing a race.

The topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 fitness goals for the last half of the year.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida so be sure to link up with us.  For this week’s Fit Five Friday we don’t have a topic but instead, invite you to also join in Runfessions with Marcia.  

Happy Friday!  I am pleased about it because it is payday, I am off on Monday, and next Friday is my last day of school.  I have one week off then will start Summer School.  I will be doing a similar program that I did last year working with incoming kindergarten students.  I enjoyed it last year and I hope it goes well this year too.

On Sunday I ran my 4th race of the year.  I almost skipped it because I was not ready for it.  I am glad I didn’t because I enjoyed it and it went better than I expected.

Here are some fun things about the race:

🍃 It was my 1st time running this race.  It was also a new to me location – The Forge: Lemont Quarries.  I had never heard of that place!  I got lost driving there.  I should have followed the directions sent by CARA but instead chose to use Google Maps.  The funny thing is that when I made a right turn that supposedly would take me to the race location, there were about 5 other cars behind me.  That right turn led us to a no-trespassing area.  We turned around and I ended up following another car.  Whew!

Instead of a shirt, I got a pair of socks.  I haven’t worn them yet but love the idea.

🍃 It was warm and the course was mostly shaded.  It was great to run in shorts and a short sleeve top.  Finally!

🍃I didn’t train for this race.  I was doing really good in April with my running but then lost my motivation this month.  Then it was chilly in the morning and I didn’t want to get up.  I know, excuses, excuses.  I knew I was not going to PR and ended up with a 1:13:49 finish time.  The last time I ran a 10k was in 2018.  I think this has been my fastest race this year.

🍃 The course was on a trail.  Running on a trail means mosquitos.  We were all ready because the race organizers provided insect repellant for us.  

🍃 I used the run/walk method.  I did really well and was proud of myself.  

Will I do it again next year?  Definitely!  There are other races taking place at the same location that I am interested in doing.  The Forge Fest Night Races looks like it will be fun!

The Forge: Lemont Quarries is an adventure park.  There are a bunch of activities you can do such as zipline, archery, kayak/canoe, and axe throwing.

The topic for next week:  Ultimate Coffee Date with Coco and Deborah.  We hope you will link up. 

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up!  This week’s topic is “Favorite recipe with 5 ingredients”.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.

I am going to deviate from this week’s topic to write about my recent race on Sunday.  I almost didn’t run it because I wasn’t feeling good on Saturday.  I felt so tired and thought I had a fever.  I didn’t. I did a Covid test and it was negative.  Before bed, I took a Tylenol and told myself that if I felt better in the morning, I would do the race. 

Here are some fun things about the race:

⭐ There was a 10-miler and a 5k.  Both began at the same time which in my opinion was not a good idea.  It was crowded at the start.  At mile 1, we split up but then we met up again about 3/4-1 mile later.  The lakefront path isn’t wide and it can get very crowded.  At one point a runner (not from the race) that was coming from the opposite direction yelled at some of us that we were running on the wrong side.  We were running on her side of the path.  She was right.

⭐ I didn’t want to run anymore 10 miles.  I tried to switch to the 5k but was told that it was too late to do that.  So, I sucked it up and ran 10 miles.  

⭐ I was really cold and that is why I wanted to switch to the 5k.  OK, maybe not as cold as the NYC Half Marathon but the combination of the wind (it was very windy) and rain didn’t help.  It wasn’t pouring but just light rain.  Once I got moving it was fine.  There were times when I did get very warm and wanted to remove my jacket.  

⭐ The finish line is on the track.  I liked that.  But before getting to the track you had to go up and down Cricket Hill.  It is a monstrous hill that we had no business to run.  That put me in a bad mood because I was sore, tired, and cold.  I started to run but then stopped and walked.  On the way down I had to walk (I usually run downhill) because I could swear that I was about to fall.  

⭐ My first time running this race was in 2009.  My last time was in 2016.  I’ve done several other 10-mile races but my PR for this race is 1:47:57.  This year I finished in 2:05:15.

After the race I didn’t stick around and couldn’t wait to get home.  I was cold, tired, and hungry.

I know we cannot control the weather and I know I complained about it but I made the best of this race.  I am also glad I couldn’t switch to the 5k.  I’d probably do this race again.  10 mile races are fun!

The topic for next week:  Runfessions with Marcia!  We hope you will link up. 

We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida so be sure to link up with us.  For this week’s Fit Five Friday we don’t have a topic but instead, invite you to also join in Runfessions with Marcia.  

I am behind on reading and commenting on posts.  I haven’t forgotten.  I will be catching up in the next couple of days.  For today’s post, I will write about the Shamrock Shuffle 8k.  I ran this fun race on Sunday and am very happy I ran it again.

Here are some fun things about the race:

☘️ It was my 13th year running this race.  My first time was in 2006.  I’ve run it every year since then except for 2009, 2012, 2013, 2020 (it was canceled), and 2021.  I didn’t realize I had missed it many times but remember that one year I missed it because I went to a wedding in Mexico and another time it was because it had snowed the day before and I didn’t want to run in the snow.  🤣

The photo below is from 2007.

☘️ The weather was perfect!  It was in the 30s but no wind.  I wore pants and a thicker wool shirt.  At one point I was actually too warm.  The outfit I had would have been perfect for the NYC Half Marathon.  

☘️ I didn’t train for this race.  It didn’t matter.  I still wanted to run it because it is one of my favorite races.  I had just run a half marathon the week before so what could go wrong?  Absolutely nothing.  I didn’t use the run/walk method but ran by feel.  I felt really good and ran one mile nonstop.  

My PR is 48:38 from 2014.  This year I did better than expected and bettered my time from last year.  All of my finish times have been less than one hour.

☘️ The finish line is the same as the Chicago Marathon.  I dislike the finish line.  To get there you need to run up a bridge.  Why?  Why?  I walked a bit but tried just to keep running.  I don’t think I’ve ever only run up that darn thing.  I was shocked that I ran that last mile in 11:24 and it was also my fastest mile. 

☘️ It is a great race to run in Chicago.  Seriously, this race is so much fun and I love it!  For me, it is easy to get it via public transportation and the 8k distance is just perfect.  I love that packet pickup is easier to get to (at least for me).

The topic for next week:  Ultimate Coffee Date with Coco and Deborah.  We hope you will link up.