After finishing our loop of the Waterfall Glen path on Saturday I was headed to my car when two guys came up to me and asked whether I could put the word out that there had been a radiation leak in the area. They weren't serious. But I immediately knew what they were talking about. The place was really crowded! There were cars parked on the street outside the parking lot for at least a quarter mile, maybe more.
I've been running out at Waterfall Glen about once a month for the last couple years. And I've never seen it so crowded. There are always marathon training groups running from there, but usually just a couple, and they leave at different times. Some of them even start at different places along the route. But this week there were several large training groups along with lots of smaller groups (like mine) and even a high school cross country team or two.
I guess the secret is out. A few weeks ago the Chicago Tribune listed the area's top 11 outdoor workout spots in a Sunday article. I missed it when it came out originally, but I heard about it the next week when we were running in Barrington. Another runner mentioned it. Our immediate reaction was disappointment that the crowds might suddenly flock to the area to run. That's pretty far away though, and a really difficult run, so it's not likely to ever get too crowded.
Waterfall Glen is another story though. It's about a half hour from downtown Chicago, and it's a really nice, challenging 10 mile loop with rolling hills. It is a perfect change of pace for the thousands of runners who fill the Lakefront path every Saturday morning. And truth be told, once you get out on the path, it winds around so much, you really don't see all that many other runners. And on a hot morning, the shade is quite welcome, as are the water pumps conveniently located at the start and at about 7 miles (depending on your direction). It was also part of the Tribune story. Here's a link:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0809-best-outdoor-workoutsaug09,0,2402282.story?track=rssPerhaps I'm a contributor to the crowding. I really don't know how many people read this space on a regular basis. I assume most are serious runners (aside from my family), and I have written about the great running conditions at both Waterfall Glen and Barrington quite a bit over the last couple years. I recently wrote an entry about the XTreme 10 mile race at Waterfall Glenn. My friends and I generally rotate between those trails and the Prairie Path ever weekend. Occasionally we'll run on the Lakefront, but that's rare now that I live in the 'burbs.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. The reason I write about all of this is to share with other runners. We are blessed with some wonderful places to run in the Chicago area, and I would never be so selfish as to try to keep them a secret!
Anyone who is game for running the 12.5 mile loop in Barrington is ok in my book. Same goes for the loop at Waterfall Glen. And no, there was no radiation leak I'm aware of. Maybe a just a little toxic spill....
See you on the roads.....
Comments