TODAY AT THE INSANE HOUR OF 4 AM WE BEGAN OUR TREK TO DOWNTOWN CHICAGO FOR THE NIKE WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON EVENT. IT WAS THE LOVELY NADEEN M’S IDEA. SHE IS ON THE LEFT AND HER PARTNER ANNIE H WAS DOING HER FIRST HALF. WE SAY YES TO ENTRY FORMS AND A FREE YOGA MAT. COACH DEBBIE ORGANIZES A FEW TRAINING SESSIONS, IT IS AN EXCUSE TO EAT AFTERWARD AND WE ARE OFF TO THE RACES. HERE IS A BEFORE SHOT:
NOT ONLY DOES THE RACE CELEBRATE 40 YEARS OF TITLE IX, IT IS GAY PRIDE DAY. WE CROSS THE BORDER TO 773 LAND, FIND UNDERGROUND PARKING, FIND OUR WAY OUT OF UNDERGROUND PARKING TO THE RACE, A DJ IS CRANKING AND WE JOIN A FEW THOUSAND GALS IN A 13 MILE JAUNT ALONG THE LAKE. WE ARE FEELING LIKE SOPHISTICATED URBAN COOL GIRLS. DEBBIE AND ANNIE USE UP A FEW CELL PHONE MINUTES TRYING TO LOCATE EACH OTHER DURING THE RACE SOMEWHERE THEY FOUND EACH OTHER -HERE IS #1 RACER DEBBIE MID RACE: LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE
NADEEN M LETS THE FIELD START,WAITS AND CHEERS FOR THE 5K RUNNERS AND MANAGES TO PASS MOST OF THE FIELD. SHE ALSO DID NOT NOTICE THE CONDITIONS WERE TOASTY. I WAS READY TO JUMP IN THE LAKE AFTER ABOUT 1/2 MILE. WHEW IT WAS WARM.
THE MILES DID NOT CLICK BY, BUT RUNNING THE LAKE FRONT IS ALWAYS THE BEST. AND DOING IT WITH ALL LADIES WAS INSPIRING. KUDOS TO ALL THE RUNNERS IN MY ZONE- I WAS COUNTING ON YOU TO SLOW DOWN THE LAST MILES BUT THEY ALL GOT FASTER, THAT SPEAKS TO GOOD TRAINING. I HAD JUST GOTTEN BACK FROM GOOD TRAINING A BIKE TOUR IN WISCONSIN :
A LOT MORE WILL BE COMING OUT ON THAT MENU ADVENTURE IN THE FUTURE.
WELL THE FINISH LINE WAS EXACTLY WHERE THE CHICAGO MARATHON IS LOCATED WITH LOTS OF HOOPLA AND A FREE YOGA MAT AND AN ICE COLD WET TOWEL. IT FELT SUPREMELY GREAT TO STOP AND GO IN THE SHADE.
I WENT BACK TO THE LAST STRETCH ON A STEEP LITTLE #$%&## HILL (ARE WE IN ILLINOIS KIDS ?) AND CHEERED ON ALL THE RACERS. I GOT INVITED TO JOIN THE “BLACK GIRLS RUN” CLUB BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEIR UNIFORMS WERE THE COOLEST.
THOSE RACERS THAT HAD THE GLIMMER IN THEIR EYE- I TOLD THEM TO DITCH THE WALK AND RUN THAT LITTLE HILL BECAUSE THEY COULD. WATCHING THOSE EFFORTS AND ROUND THAT RIGHT TURN TO THE FINAL STRETCH WAS A HOOT AND A HOLLER. YOU GO GIRLS. RIGHT ON TIME FOR A COOLER DAY COMES DEBBIE AND ANNIE AND THEY MADE A STRONG HILL CLIMB AND A CLASSY DASH TO THE LINE. WHEN THE HORSEY (DEBBIE) SEES THE 9 MILE MARK, MOVE OVER BECAUSE THE HORSEY IS GOING TO THE BARN !!! MAX FULL SPEED AHEAD, THERE IS NO TALKING -JUST SERIOUS PAVEMENT BURNING. WE ARE TALKING FLAMES. THE HORSEY DOESN’T DO HEAT SO THIS WAS AN EXTRA GREAT EFFORT. HERE ARE THE AFTER SHOTS, FREE YOGA MATS IN HAND, FLAUNTING THE BLING.
SINCE IT WAS PRIDE DAY WE GOT REALLY CRAZY AND JOINED THE 10 PEOPLE HAVING BREAKFAST AT TEDDY’S DINER IN ELK GROVE AND CAME HOME WALKED THE DOG AND PUT ON PAJAMAS AND READ THE PAPER . THAT MY FRIENDS IS REALLY WHAT ALL THE FUSS ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE IS ALL ABOUT. SUBURBAN GREY HAIRS GONE WILD. IT’S A GREAT DAY TO CELEBRATE LIFE, GIRL’S SPORTS AND LOVE.
BE AWESOME TODAY AND KIND TO EACH OTHER . GO WORLD
Nanadventure 