Running Reporters

Media people are just like the rest of us.  Some are fast.  Some are enthusiastic 'back of the pack' runners.  And we all sweat and breathe hard when we run.  Yes, I'm a media person, but when it comes to running, I enjoy feeling like I'm part of 'the rest of us'.  That's because if there's one thing I've been doing longer than working as a reporter, it's running.  So, when I go to races as part of the Chicago Media team, it's kind of strange.  I don't get to see some of my media friends who run very often, except for races.  And I probably act like a random fan!

That was the case Friday, when our sponsor, Fleet Feet Sports, held a reception to kick off the running season.  There has been a core group of runners from the local media taking part in races, but this year, it seems like there are more than ever this year.   I immediately put my foot in my mouth by introducing myself to the attractive brunette woman I hadn't met before, even asking her to repeat her name.  Then I took a closer look and realized it was Kate Sullivan, the main anchor from our competition at CBS 2.  Oops!

My friend Dina Bair (from WGN) has done a great job recruiting new runners, and organizing the team for this season.  And she has brought in some new media runners who admit to facing the same issues the rest of us in the running community face.  Some are new to the sport, and hoping they can finish a 5k.  Others are old pro's but uncertain whether they are ready to tackle longer distances like the half marathon.  Even the fast guys, like Anthony Ponce (from NBC 5) are concerned about whether their training is solid
enough to run the kind of times he is capable of. That sounds like me before  every race.

Dina helped set the tone for the season when she told everyone that the idea behind having a media running team in the first place is to help promote health and fitness, and raise awareness of some of the great races and charity causes associated with them.

I'm all for that.  One of the first opportunities comes at the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle next month.  The organizers are going to make a donation to the charity of choice for the media team that runs the best overall combined time.  I don't know how the teams will stack up, but I want to be on Ponce's team!  Or maybe my good friend Amy Jacobson's (WIND 560 AM morning host) team.  She is admittedly not the fastest runner on the team, but definitely one of the most fun and enthusiastic.

We are still putting together our race calendar.  After Shamrock, the Fleet Feet 10 miler is up next.  And we'll have a busy summer I'm sure.  But I'm also sure many of the media people are not quite as crazy as I am, so they won't be racing just about every weekend! It should be a lot of fun.   I still have fond memories of the MC 200 (now the Ragnar Chicago relay) race a couple years ago.  Former Fox meteorologist Amy Freeze organized a great team for that race, that included the 'Mayor of running', Bart Yasso, from Runner's World magazine.

That was a great experience, but the new season is sure to bring many more great experiences.  It's gonna be a great season, filled with lots of races.  Some with the media team and some by myself or with other running friends.  I'm just hoping to keep my feet on the ground, rather than in my mouth!

See you on the roads.....

 

Race Time

As you might imagine, I have a number of friends who love running.  Duh!  What's not to love?  But the friends I'm talking about are among the few who keep their running very personal.  They run by themselves.  They go out and consistently get in five or so miles a day, rain, snow, or shine, and are in great shape.  They are motivated to run because they love the feeling they get from running, the feeling of being in shape, and the way they look in the mirror.

But they have no interest in running races. They aren't trying to challenge themselves to run a better time, or finish in a certain place.  They don't necessarily need the crowds, or the festival atmosphere at many races.

I get that.  Running, at it's core, is a solitary activity.  I am often most at peace and do my best thinking when I'm on a long run by myself.  If I'm upset about something when I start a run, it's a pretty good bet I'll have calmed down by the end of the run.  I'm sure I would continue to run even if I never ran another race.  

But I hope that's not going to happen anytime soon.  That's because as much as I enjoy running for it's own benefit, Ialso have always considered it a sport.  That means getting  out and racing occasionally.

I don't consider someone who never races to be any less a runner than someone who races every weekend, but there is something to be said for entering races.  They are fun, and it's great to share the experience with a large group of like-minded people.  As I've talked to some of my friends who race a lot, the conversation this time of year always seems to include racing plans for the upcoming season.  "What are you training for?" is a common question.  This is the time of the year when many runners are starting to build up for spring marathons, or shorter races like the Shamrock Shuffle.

Bravo to them.  Last year it seemed like I was racing every other weekend.  It was fun, and I had some memorable experiences in some of those races.  Many of them I did with some of my regular weekend running partners.  It's nice to get off the usual trails and roads and test ourselves in race conditions. 

None of us are lighting the world on fire, and we are all significantly slower than we used to be, but we can still set goals and try to reach them.  That's why I try to set modest goals! 

In any case, my goal this year is to race a little less than last year, and train for the Chicago marathon beginning in the early summer.  Before that, I plan to run some of my usual suspects.  Next is the March Madness 1/2 marathon in Cary, and the Shamrock Shuffle next month.  Memorial Day weekend always includes the Soldier Field 10 miler.  In June, I plan on running the Ragnar Chicago relay.  There's the 4 on the Fourth in Elmhurst in July, and the Rock and Roll half marathon in August.  I'm sure there are many others that I'm not remembering right now. 

Last year my spring objective was to 'race myself into shape' by doing races every weekend.  This year I hope to try a more traditional method.  We'll see.  But if you do plan on doing a bunch of races, you should read what my friend, Coach Jenny Hadfield wrote in a blog entry in Runner's World's website.  She is offering advice to runners doing multiple races this summer with little time to train in between.  She has some good perspective.  Here's a link: http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2012/02/racing-multiple-marathons-everything-you-need-to-know.html?cm_mmc=NL-TrainingExtra81801602212012-_-Multiple%20Races%3F%20Read%20This

In the meantime, whether you run with lots of people or by yourself, enjoy it.  See you on the roads.............

 

Back to Winter

What a difference a day makes.  Or a week.  Last Saturday my friend Mark and I ran the 12.5 mile loop in Barrington in just about perfect, 'fall-like' conditions.  There were so many other runners out there, it felt like a race.  And we ran like it was a race also.

We joined in with the Fleet Feet 'Boston Bound' marathon training group, and burned 7:30 miles through the hilly Barrinton course.  Well, for me these days, that's pretty fast for a long training run anyway.  The Fleet Feet group included about 45 runners who have qualified, and are planning on running Boston in April.  So they are serious.  I'm not planning a spring marathon, and I'm not really serious about anything right now, but it was fun to run with them for a bit.

So flash forward to this weekend.  We were back out in Barrington.  But it was like a different place.  The temperature on the sign at the entrance to the parking lot is electronic, and features the time and temperature.  I usually pay it no attention, but on this day, I couldn't help but notice it read '7 degrees'.  Ok, that's not overwhelming by eskimo standards, but given the winter we've been enjoying in Chicago so far, that's pretty darn cold.  And the big crowds from the previous weekend were gone.  The treadmill at the gym must have been calling out to many of them!

I get it.  It's February in Chicago and cold and snow are we should expect.  In previous years we've run in temperatures even a few degrees colder, and survived just fine.  But the combination of my advancing age (I endured a birthday this week) and the mild winter we've enjoyed so far, had me just a little reluctant.  Ok, a lot reluctant.

But with age comes experience.  And experience has taught me that you just have to get out and start moving.  Within a half mile or so you will start to warm up and forget the cold.  Well, maybe not forget, but at least not dwell on it as much!

Lo and behold, that's what happened.  There were four of us running together on this morning, and as we got going, we started talking about recent races and the like, and the cold became a bit of an afterthought.  Non-running friends say to me all the time they can't imagine running outside when it's cold out.  "Doesn't it burn your lungs?", they'll say.  

No.  Once you get going, if you're dressed properly, it's not really an issue.  We tend to long for the summer heat on days like this, but tend to forget longing for the cold when we are suffering in the summer heat.  I guess there are few perfect days or seasons for running, and we should savor them when they come.

Regardless, there is a certain perverse sense of joy and pride that comes from finishing your run in conditions like they were on Saturday.  While the rest of the world was sleeping in with the heat turned up, we were getting our miles in, while enduring the coldest morning of the year.

To me, that's a good part of what running is all about.  Although if the temperature reads 45 degrees next weekend, I won't complain.

See you on the roads....... 

Marathon Madness

By the time you are reading this, you may already be too late to sign up for the 2012 Bank of America Chicago marathon.  It's February 4th.  Training programs generally don't start until late May or early June.  The race is eight months away.  Chicago, c'mon down, you are the latest to join mega-race club!

In terms of the huge, high-quality, big race experience, Chicago has been in the club for many years already.  It is one of only 5 World Marathon Majors, whose contestants compete for points that lead to a million dollar prize.  Few of us have to worry about paying taxes on that prize, of course.  But many of us might feel like we've won something big by simply signing up for the race before it fills up!

This year race organizers stepped up their efforts to promote the start of the registration period with a special 'invitation only' event the night before.  About 300 runners who, in the past have registered on the first day, were invited to sign up early that night.  The event, at Fleet Feet Sports in Piper's Alley, also featured appearances by Marathon Director Carey Pinkowski and recent U.S. Olympic qualifier Abdi Abdirahman.

Last year, the marathon set a record for filling the 45,000 person field in 31 days.  17,000 people signed up in the first 24 hours.  It was amazing.  This year, those numbers seem quite pedestrian.  After 24 hours this year, registration was up by about 150%.  It will likely be full in less than a week, rather than a month.

I asked race director Carey Pinkowski the obvious question, "Why?".  He answered that the popularity of marathon running is an an all-time high, there is great support from the city, and the community support have a lot to do with it.  He left out the obvious.  He and Mike Nishi and the rest of the marathon staff put on a great race.  And despite the lottery system they use for the New York marathon and a number of other big races, Carey says he intends to stick with the current system in Chicago.

On this night, Carey joined Abdi and the other runners for an easy 3 miler.  Carey and I are friends, and we've talked about going for a run any number of times. Despite the fact we live in the same town, it's never happened. He has quite an impressive resume from his days of competitive running.  But this was the first time I've actually witnessed him in running shorts putting in a few miles!

But the real star was Abdi.  The former University of Arizona runner is a 3 time U.S. Olympian in the 10,000 meters.  But in Houston a couple weeks ago, he was the big surprise, finishing in 3rd place to secure the final spot on the U.S. team with Meb Keflizghe and Ryan Hall.  Ryan and Meb were the favorites.  Runner's World magazine gave Abdi 13-1 odds.

But he beat those odds, as he has his whole running career.  Before the Fleet Feet event, he spoke to a group of high school runners at the Latin school downtown. He talked about how, coming out of High School, he times were good, but not impressive enough to merit a major college scholarship.  His coach at Arizona, however, saw potential, and the rest is history.

In the trials race, Abdi held off a charging Dathan Ritzenheim, who might have had the best pure speed in the field, and was the best U.S. finisher at the 2008 Olympics.  I asked him whether he knew where Dathan was in the last mile, and he had an interesting answer.  He said he couldn't look back to see Dathan, because that would be a sign of weakness, and possibly give Ritzenheim encouragement as chased that final spot.  Instead, Abdi says he listened closely to the crowd.  When he went through the crowd they would cheer, and then get relatively quiet until Dathan passed them.  By paying attention to the time gap, he figured he had about a :20 lead, or a little more than 100 meters.  He was right, and it paid off.

Abdi ran his marathon P.R. of 2:08 in Chicago several years ago, and is a bag fan of the race.  That's why he was happy to come here to promote the beginning of registration.  I know organizers are also hopeful of getting him back to Chicago for the Shamrock Shuffle in March.  That would be early in what promises to be a great summer for him, leading up to a little 26 mile race in London!  You can see my full interview with Abdi at this link: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=8529434 

Speaking of Shamrock, registration for that 8k race is also about to fill up, so if you are on the fence about running the premier early season run in Chicago, you probably should make up your mind quickly!

See you on the roads......

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=8529434