The Dandelion Adventure

WARNING: As opposed to my other blog entries, the average reader may find this boring. Runners may be the only ones who appreciate this entry. So, if you are not a runner.....I’ve got other stuff coming. Stay tuned.

The Hot Chocolate 15K this past Sunday marked the end of the 2009 running season for me. Below is my review of the races I participated in (in chronological order).

• THE PHOENIX ROCK-N-ROLL HALF MARATHON (January)
What was nice about this race was no humidity. I had one of my best PRs of the season and hardly a drop of sweat. That, and the medal was cool. You rarely get a bad medal at a RNR (Rock-N-Roll) race event. The bad? WORSE COURSE OF THE YEAR. By far. Every brochure you’ve ever seen on Phoenix shows beautiful mountains and palm trees and gorgeous desert landscape. The course I ran was through the barrio. Seriously. I lived in Phoenix for 10 years (1993-2003) and I wouldn’t drive through most of the neighborhoods they had us run through. RATING: 2 Stars.

• THE SEATTLE ROCK-N-ROLL HALF MARATHON (May)
Seattle had so much to offer here. Using a running event as a vacation opportunity is a good way to go. You are exercising, so you have a guilt-free way to indulge in great local food, which we did happily. The people were incredibly friendly, and the course absolutely beautiful. Vibrant green and lush trees and gorgeous waterfronts. Most runners that I have come across that ran this race all distinctively recall a bald eagle resting on a tree branch along the trail at mile 6. Full view right on the trail. Never moved. It was amazing. Medal was really nice, and a good memory for Seattle. Popsicles and Kettle Potato Chips at the finsh were great. I would love to give this race my highest rating of 5 stars, however, as it was their inaugural race they had some bumps along the way....mostly transportation. Runners had to be shuttled across one of the lakes, and traffic caused us to miss the starting gun by nearly 30 minutes. They’ll get better about that (hopefully). RATING: 4.5 Stars.

• THE SALUTE MEMORIAL DAY 10K (late May)
Located in Arlington Heights, IL. This race is heavily themed (and rightly so) around the American Soldier. It’s incredibly patriotic, wonderfully small and neighborhoody. This is a town where nearly every house has a flag pole and a white picket fence. As we ran through the neighborhoods, I gawked open mouthed at these gorgeously modest homes and felt as if I was actively a part of a Norman Rockwell painting. It was a wonderful feeling to know this kind of world still exists. Proceeds from the race go to a charity called, Salute, Inc., which raises funds to help soldiers and their families in crisis. An overall feeling of gratitude and Americanism is in the air. Hell, they even have BBQ hot dogs after the race. Running with the smell of hot dogs on a charcoal grill in the air somehow makes you run faster. Worth the drive from Chicago. RATING: 3.5 Stars

• THE NIKE WOMEN’S 10K (July)
Always a blast, I run this every year. Just for women, in support of women. There’s a bond that you feel like you are the superior race. And for whatever reason, even though it’s in July it’s never too hot. The best tech shirt you will get too. RATING: 3.5 Stars

• THE CHICAGO ROCK-N-ROLL HALF MARATHON (July)
This race was my first experience running for a charity, TEAM SALUTE. If you’ve have never run for a charity before, I would highly recommend it. Make sure it’s one that you can relate to, as asking friends and family for money (especially in this economic climate) can be tough. Chicago really has the experience to run marathons and other professional races without a hitch. Well organized and planned. Best designed graphics for items to purchase and huge expo filled with cool stuff. Nice medal in a unique shape. Chicago loves running, and the people reflect that. The weather was good, and it was my best PR of the year. If you have never run in Chicago, you won’t be disappointed. Start with this one, then move on to the Chicago Marathon. RATING: 5 Stars.

• THE OAK BROOK (IL) HALF MARATHON (Labor Day)
WORST RACE OF THE YEAR! AWFUL. CARA (Chicago Area Runner’s Association) lists it as the best half marathon in Chicagoland. Whoever wrote that is either smoking something illegal or screwing the Oak Brook race director. It’s crap. The start was supposed to happen at 7AM, but because their packet pick up times were very limited (and in the suburbs - hard to get there) a majority of people opted for race day packet pickup. This slowed everything down as they were not prepared. A “rumor” spread throughout the gathering crowd that the race time was pushed back to 7:30AM....but no announcement was made formally. Then, the powers that be changed it to 7:15. Again, no formal announcement made. We all just heard a faint gun shot at 7:30 and started running. Water stations were placed too far apart from one another, and their only GU station was at mile 10. Too late. When it came time to pick up my gear, no gear check was to be found. Me and a few other runners asked 4 different volunteers and got 4 different answers. Incredibly frustrating. Finally, I found the gear check station, located (unmarked) behind a Muscle Milk Semi Truck. Blocked from view. Everyone I met associated with the race seemed incredibly clueless. To add to the misery, the medal is my worst of the year. Do NOT bother with this race. RATING: 0 Stars (and I want my gas money back!)

• THE QUAD CITIES HALF MARATHON ( early September)
The Quad Cities is really doing a good job with this marathon/half marathon. Aside from a few issues they have a good thing going here. They do a good job of organization, down to the logo and clothing graphics. The medal is nice, although it’s smaller in size all my other medals and as such and could be a bit bigger. The course starts off a little rough, some basic neighborhoods and some hills. Then, along the Mississippi, it’s quite beautiful. They also had Nestle Quick Chocolate Milk at the finish. The most amazing part of this race is the beginning. Not only do they have a huge American Flag at the Starting Line (quite a few races did this year of which I’m incredibly proud) but we all sang the Star Spangled Banner AND.....were lead in a prayer by a pastor who was also a runner. No other run I’ve ever taken part in has done that. Very beautiful. Very American, at least the America I want to be a part of. I wanted to live there. The only bad part was I think they do not know how large they are growing, and could really use a corral system. At 5’ 2”, I found myself very squashed and scared being pushed around by much bigger people. Seriously. Also, I stepped on the timing pad and just tiptoed for the next 4 minutes. I would have had a PR. I would like to run this race again, however, I will call them directly next year and ask if they have instituted a corral system. If not, skip it. They’ll wise up eventually. RATING: 4 Stars.

• THE CHICAGO HALF MARATHON (mid September)
Remember what I said earlier about if you’ve never run in Chicago that you will not be disappointed? You will be with this race. Located near the Museum of Science and Industry downtown, the only reason I signed up for this half marathon was because my cousin Cathy, also a runner, wanted to visit and go shopping. We can’t be in the same town without running, so we did this race. It’s a bitch to get to via public transit, and you really need to use public transit to get there cause parking is limited and extremely expensive. The course is B-O-R-I-N-G. It’s out and back, up Lake Shore Drive. It was a warm day, and with all that concrete soaking up the sun, I witnessed quite a few seemingly fit people go down puking. Not pretty. The medal is equally boring too. Second worst race of the year. Rating: 1 Star

• THE INDIANAPOLIS HALF MARATHON (AT LAWERENCE) (late September)
Drumroll please......BEST RACE OF THE YEAR! This was the marathon/half marathon that seemingly Mother Nature created. Set in a National Park, the race course was a vibrant flood of red, yellow and orange as the fall foilage welcomed us lovingly. It was awe inspiring. As we arrived in the morning, the gathering field for the runners was a welcoming sea of hay bales and bon fires, golden corn stalks and pumpkins. The smell of apple cider filled the air as we chatted and kept warm with other runners. I could not stop telling my friend Cristina how gorgeous this race was. Nicely sized (less than 5,000). The people were wonderful, fall designed medal and tech long sleeve shirt with the ultimate highlight: Oreos at the finish line. Highly Recommended. RATING: 5 Stars.

• THE HOT CHOCOLATE 15K (November)
This race got too big for it’s own good. It was nice an small last year, and always promotes that it offers the best swag. The swag indeed is good, but the promise of the end of the race being a “Chocolate Lover’s Paradise” is a bit too boastful than the end result. That, and it’s chilly. If it’s not chilly, it’s muddy. The final chocolate shaving on this race is, by November I’m ready for a break. RATING: 2 Stars.

Ultimately, the best part about running this year is that I realized it can be much more a part of my life, in a good way. Running for me has become an opportunity to travel and visit old friends, and within the realm of running I’ve made new friends that I cherish. That never really happened in previous years. I would go out, run along the lakefront alone, then come home. I was scared that I was too slow or that no one would possibly care. I kept that world at arm’s length, wrongly assuming that I was not going to be welcomed. As I’ve started signing up for organized runs, I’ve realized not only that there is a vast community available, I’ve been slowly and happily sucked into it. I’ve made some wonderful girlfriends this year of all levels of running talent, that through their friendship, I feel more of a runner than ever before. I’m so very grateful to them.

This running is a baby-step process, and I’m getting there. I still have a lot to learn. Heck, just today I had to ask my running gal-pal Rachel what a 800X4 meant. I’m clueless. I’ve never trained to my full potential, never joined a group. Could I be running better than I think I could? What do I not know? 2010 seems exciting. I’m already set for many half marathons, which are going to give me the opportunity to visit friends I have not seen in a while and friends I want to bond closer with. Races I have never run. New places to explore and medals to admire. Mostly, new stories to tell. A new me to show myself through this medium I enjoy. The only thing that will stay the same is the butterflies I get when I come up to that starting line.