Monday, July 13, 2015

Race to Wrigley 5K: Race No. 9

The Race to Wrigley provided my second opportunity to run with someone else this year. For this one, my sister, a fellow die-hard Cubs fan, joined me. My sis and I also got to hang out a bit before the race with a childhood friend who was also running.



Like my last non-solo race (Shamrock), I paid little attention to my speed and instead chose to chat the majority of the run. Also like the Shamrock, the weather for the Race to Wrigley was not the best. It was rainy and so cold I needed to wear gloves: Understandable in mid-March for Shamrock; not so understandable in late April for a baseball-themed race. But alas, chilly temps and rain are becoming the norm this year in Chicago.



The race itself was a nice route through mostly residential areas near Wrigley. Post-race there was the ubiquitous bananas, beers and giveaways, the most exciting of which were individually packaged steaks from PRE. The line for this giveaway was insanely long, but my sister chose to skip it and instead go straight to the guy transporting the freebies from their truck to their booth. So in addition, to getting our steaks faster, we also got the opportunity to tell our husbands that we brought home meat we got from the back of a truck. #truth


Race Summary:

Race name: Race to Wrigley 5K & 10K
2015 Challenge Race No.: 9
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Organizers/Sponsor: ATI Physical Therapy
Beneficiary: Cubs Charities/Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Cost: $45
Distance: 3.1 miles
Best part of the race:

Location
Cubs tie-in
Swag
Giveaways

Worst parts:
The weather. Not anyone's fault, but it was freakishly cold. 


Next race:

Ravenswood Run 5K, April 26 @ Ravenswood, Chicago, IL

May:
Tough Mudder, May 9 @ Richmond Hunting Club, Richmond, IL
JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, May 21 @ Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Soldier Field 10 Mile, May 23 @ Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
North Shore Classic Half Marathon & 5K, May 31, Highland Park, IL






Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Be The Match 5K: Race No. 8

After the massive Shamrock Shuffle, it was nice to go back to a smaller, lakefront race. The Be The Match 5K in early April also provided the first opportunity this race season for the kids to watch in an outdoor environment. We got lucky with some gorgeous Spring weather, and the kids had a blast running around and not standing still for a photo.



Maya also managed to sweet talk an organizer into giving her a dozen helium balloons.

This was also a charity that really struck a chord with me. So much so that I signed up to join the bone marrow donor registry on the spot. You can too! Check out bethematch,org and learn how.


Race Summary:

Race name: Be The Match 5K
2015 Challenge Race No.: 8
Location: Montrose Harbor, Chicago, IL
Organizers/Sponsor: Be The Match Foundation
Beneficiary: Be The Match Foundation
Cost: $30
Distance: 3.1 miles
Best part of the race:

  • The charity
  • Size of the race. Nice & small!

Worst parts:
No complaints! This was a great race.


Next races:

April:
Race to Wrigley 5K, April 25 @ Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Ravenswood Run 5K, April 26 @ Ravenswood, Chicago, IL

May:
Tough Mudder, May 9 @ Richmond Hunting Club, Richmond, IL
JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, May 21 @ Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Soldier Field 10 Mile, May 23 @ Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
North Shore Classic Half Marathon & 5K, May 31, Highland Park, IL