Earlier this year, I found about this incredible cross-country relay. As the IL stops are too far south, I decided to run it virtually. So when I run the Ghost Run 10K on Sunday with my guides, that will also be my virtual Old Glory run.
I will post photos from Sunday with the shirt post-race. And hopefully next year, it will come further north in IL (or be at a better time). It would be an honor and an amazing experience to physically participate one one of the legs.
Last year at this time, I had access to a gym and could go run indoors when it got dark early. I still had to navigate there/back in the dark, so a 15 minute walk might turn into 30. This year, the training is outdoors, and we’re just going to have to deal with it (as well as a temperamental weather dog).
Tonight was the first dark run, and it was in the rain to boot. The leg out wasn’t too bad, as we were going into the light, even when we were in the trees. However, it got more challenging on the way back.
The lesson from tonight is that until DST ends in the spring, we’re just going to need to run with the tether. Even if I can’t see a thing as we’re running, I plan on doing it. For two simple reasons – I trust my guide completely and with my life, and I refuse to be a prisoner of the dark.
After the run, we headed over to a meet & greet at a local Binny’s. Meeting Mr. Wilson (’85 Bears) was a great way to end a long week!
I went out with Terri on her last pre-taper run (8 mi). It was a cold and windy day, but the first 4 miles wasn’t that bad. We stopped at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center to use the bathrooms and then turned around.
While the first 4 weren’t bad, the next 1.5 was the absolute worst. Running into a 30 mph+ headwind is no fun for even a short distance, let along 1.5 miles. Until we got back into the shelter of the forest, it was hard to run for long stretches.
And even back in the forest, at 6.5 it was just too much. I think running that 1.5 into the wind took too much out of me, and I ended up walking most of it from that point back.
While it was not the best of runs, two positive things from it:
1) The chalk sidewalk message (see photo)
2) Getting a taste of what it could be like for the Lakefront Half. I just hope we’re not running into the wind then.