north shore turkey trot 10k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for North Shore Turkey Trot 10k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

For the past six or so years, I ran a fairly local Turkey Trot and loved it. Unfortunately, it was cancelled this year and I was on the hunt for a new race. If I was going to wake up early on Thanksgiving, a day off from work, I wanted to do something longer than a 5k. That made narrowed down my search a lot. There's a ton of races in the area that are 5ks, but not a lot of longer distance races available. Lucky for me, RAM Racing was hosting a 5k and 10k in Highland Park. Though this was a bit of a trek for me, running 6.2 miles made it worth it, plus, I knew the area well enough from the North Shore Classic Half Marathon in June that I have run twice, which means I knew where I could park, which helps ease a lot of my anxiety when doing new races.





Packet pickup was on Tuesday and Wednesday, which I wouldn't be able to make because of work, so  paid the $15 for packet mailing. I received my long sleeve, gender specific and bib in the mail about a week before the race. Race morning my mom and I got to the parking lot around 7:20. The 5k started at 7:30 and the 10k began at 8:10. We were only parked a block away, so we stayed in the car where it was warm for a while before getting to the race site around 7:45. We hit up the portapotties, no lines, and then walked around a bit to stay warm before getting into the corrals. A–F were the 5k, and then G–I were the 10k. We were in the last corral and started around and started at 8:13am.



It was a pretty chilly morning, starting at 33 degrees and feels like 24 with 10mph winds. It was sunny, so that helped keep me warm, but at times, the wind made it coooold. I ended up taking off my gloves and putting them on a few times. My hat came off pretty early too. The views along the course were pretty – nice homes, lots of trees, and enjoyable. The course was open to cars, but most were very much alert to the event and would go slow. There were a ton of volunteers and police officers on the course to make sure the runners stayed on course and were safe. There were two aid stations on course with water and Nuun, and each mile had markers and clocks.



The course had some hills and was enjoyable. It was a nice way to spend Thanksgiving morning with my mom. After crossing the finish line, there were cups of Nuun, bottled water, Apple Pie (individually wrapped with two in a container), Clif Bars, and mini candy canes.







The results were up the next day along with free photos available to download. My only issue with the race was the lack of weekend packet pickup or race day. I appreciate being able to get it mailed, but $15 is a bit much. If my other race doesn't come back next year, then I'll likely do this one again as I like the 10k distance and the course was great. You can read my BibRave review here.

pumpkins in the park 5k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Pumpkins in the Park 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

RAM Racing Pumpkins in the Park 5k took place on Saturday, October 21 with a race start of 4pm (2:30pm for the Kids Spooky Sprint). I love afternoon/evening races, so this is ideal for me (though traffic around/in the city on a Saturday afternoon is not ideal. 



We got to the race site around 3pm (parked in the Lincoln Park Zoo lot) and grabbed our packets. The line was pretty long, but went quickly. We stopped back at the car to get race ready and then wandered the zoo a bit before heading back to the race. They also had packet pickup on Friday at Fleet Feet Old Town, but I wasn't able to make that, so I was very glad they did race day and I didn't have to pay $15 for shipping.



I met up with fellow BibRave Pro Bree for a quick chat and photo, and then it was time to line up. We were in corral C, which started a few minutes after 4pm.  The course is below, but it basically wound around the park, went north, turned around and came back south till the finish.



The course was a bit narrow at times, and you had to be careful of your footing because it wasn't always a smooth surface (cracks and bumps, sometimes pavement, sometimes dirt). It didn't seem as congested as the year before, or maybe it was, but being prepared for it had my expectations on the same level.

It was fun to see all of the families and different costumes. At the finish line, we received a cup of Nuun, bottled water, a taffy apple covered in sprinkles, mini Clif bar, and individually wrapped mini pumpkin pies (two in a package). Yum. I found Bree again and we talked about our race, then she had to get going. We initially were going to grab beers, but then saw the very long line (as they were checking IDs and doing wristbands), and since we were hungry for dinner, decided to leave. They were also making popcorn and handing that out.







For dinner we went to Burger Antics in Brookfield, which has some amazing food and beer. I couldn't decide on a burger, so I got the three slider option where you can choose different ones. It was awesome. We then had some pumpkin pie cheesecake for dessert. Great way to celebrate my birthday - running, burgers, fries, beer, and pie.

Favorite burger? The one on top with FOUR different cheeses.
Get in my belly!

If you're looking for a fun Halloween race, you should give this one a go in 2018. They also have a costume contest, so bring your A game and win some prizes. I think there were also awards for the top 3 women and men, but don't quote me on that.

pumpkins in the park 5k this saturday!

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Pumpkins in the Park 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I can't believe we are coming to my birthday weekend! This year has been flying by. We are already past mid-October. Say what?

Anyway, my next race is on Saturday and it's my pre-race birthday fun. I ran it last year on my birthday and had a good time, so decided to come back again for 2017. I generally don't do many 5k these day unless there's a cool medal, but what draws me to this race is that it's in the afternoon (4pm start time), so I don't have to get up at 4am to get into the city for only 3.1 miles. In the afternoon, you can walk around Lincoln Park Zoo pre-race if you get there early, which I intend to do.

Some other fun things about this race:

• Costume contest (Bring out your best costumes for this year's costume contest! This year, prizes will be awarded for the Best Original Costume and Best Group Costume. The sky's the limit, so let's see what you've got!)Individual mini pumpkin pie
• Revolution Brewing Cross of Gold Pale Ale (for our 21 and over participants)
• Post-race snacks
• Multiple options for packet pickup (including race site from 1:30–3:30)
• Kids Spooky Sprint at 2:30pm

Packet pickup information:

Fleet Feet Sports Old Town

1620 N Wells St.

Chicago, Illinois 60614

Friday, October 20, 2017: 10am to 8pm

Lincoln Park – South Fieldhouse

1650 N Stockton Drive

Chicago, Illinois

Saturday, October 21, 2017: 1:30pm to 3:30pm

Looking for plans on Saturday? Come join the fun. Use code BibRavePP17 to score a free RAM Racing branded water bottle at packet pickup.

This year's goodie bag includes a long-sleeved technical tee (purple with a bat on the front and gender specific sizes). All participants in the CLIF Kids Spooky Sprints will receive a youth t-shirt, sure to brighten up those spooky fall nights! They're pretty cute.

Are you headed there this Saturday? Dressing in costume? Let me know in the comments :)

bucktown 5k recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

At the start line.

If you prefer a short version, check out my BibRave review here.

RAM Racing Bucktown 5k was held on Sunday, September 17. This was my second year running it (2016 was my first; recap here). Though I have been trying to mostly run 10k or longer distance races, I couldn't help but register for this Bucktown 5k. Why? Because of the goodie bag. This year's included a super soft, Chicago flag blanket, and when I saw it in person at an expo/felt it, well, it was just too good to pass up.

At the finish line.

My mom picked up my bib for me on Friday afternoon at Fleet Feet Sports in Old Town. She said pickup was easy and no problems. We left the house around 7 and got to the race around 7:30. I went to where I parked last year, and both sides of the street were full. This put me in panic mode, even though we had a lot of time still. Parking in the city isn't easy, and since the course was a no parking zone, it meant all of the cars that normally were parked there were displaced, which means there was going to be limited parking in the area.

The photographer told us to do it haha.

In our search, we came across a policeman on the course. We asked if he knew where some parking might be and he said he had no idea. So, we just drove around. Eventually we found some metered parking on the street maybe mile from the race. A lot of other runners parked here as well, and in the end, though it cost us $4 rather than being free, it was closer to Starbucks and Stan's Donuts, so worked out better haha. I tried to get my mom to get out of the car near the race so she would have time for the bathroom in case we were cutting it close, but she refused.

Free race photos for the win. And there were actually a good amount.

Anyway, we were parked before 8, got our gear ready, and walked over to the race site. Plenty of time to use the portapotties, which didn't have very long lines, and all was fine. There was a DJ and an announcer letting people know when to go line up in the corrals. The race start was different than last year, moved up just a little bit so all of the corrals were on one street rather than being 'L' shaped, turning down a different street.

There were 6 corrals released every 3 minutes or so. We were in the second to last, and I ran with my mom the whole way with her intervals (45/45). The congestion seemed a bit better to me than last year, not running into as many people. I'd say the course was pretty wide in most cases, and MOST cars had parked elsewhere (there was an occasional car you had to weave around). Two sections you ran on half the street, as the other half was for another portion of the course, but it wasn't long or bad, and it was cool to watch the other runners go by.

There were plenty of volunteers and police out to keep the runners on course, safe, and keep traffic off course. There was one water stop (there might have also been Nuun, but I couldn't tell for sure - I skipped it). 

The course.

There were so many families out cheering for all of the runners, it made the race seem very special and local. 

At the finish line, we were given a cup of Nuun, bottled water, a banana, and a bag of snacks which included Soy chocolate milk, a plain bagel, Clif mini bar, Rice Krispy treat, and a piroucrisp. Post-race site had a DJ, games, and a photo backdrop. 

We didn't stick around too long. We headed back to the car to drop off the extra stuff and then headed over to Stan's to grab some amazing donuts. Then we got some iced beverages from Starbucks next door. It was a delicious morning haha.

I shared, I promise.

Definitely looking at running again in 2018 – looks like they are voting between a chicago flag blue long sleeve tech shirt with the 4 stars on the sleeve or a duffel bag. They both looked pretty cool. 

Have you ever run this race? Did anything I mention make you want to register? :)

bucktown 5k this sunday

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Another weekend, another race! Join me at the Bucktown 5k on Sunday, September 17. Some great news? Race start is at 8:30am. A little extra sleep never hurt anyone, plus, since it's a 5k, still plenty of time to grab some breakfast afterwards. There's some great places to grab food nearby, or at least some coffee. I ran last year and had a great time. You can read my recap here.

Registration is winding down, and from what I hear it's almost sold out, so register now if you're interested. You get an AMAZING, soft, snuggly Chicago flag blanket and if you use code BibRaveBT17, you'll also get a free water bottle.

You can grab your packet at Fleet Feet Old Town on Friday, September 15 from 10am – 8pm and on Saturday, September 16 from 10am – 6pm. There is no race day pickup.

Here is the course:

Get this free using code BibRaveBT17 during registration.

You can register here and then let me know that you did so we can meet up :)

bucktown 5k 2017

Disclaimer: I received an entry for Bucktown 5k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Oops, I did it again. I just registered for another RAM Racing event. Sorry, not sorry. This year, the Bucktown 5k is offering a BLANKET! It's soft and cozy and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The design is the Chicago flag, which I guess this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Bucktown 5k always has some unique swag; last year it was a comfy tech sweatshirt that was also the Chicago flag. I love that light blue color, and of course Chicago, so I like that the theme is continuing.



Join me for this fun, Chicago neighborhood race on Sunday, September 17. Bonus: the race doesn't start until 8:30am, so you have a little bit of time to sleep longer. I enjoy not having to wake up at 4am myself. Plus, after the race it's the perfect time to go have some breakfast at one of the local eats (lots of great options).

Use code BibRaveBT17 during registration (right before checkout, click on the button to add a promo code/coupon) to score a free water bottle.



Hope to see you there!

btn big 10k recap

Disclaimer: I received entry for BTN Big 10k to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

The BTN Big 10k was on Sunday, July 23, 2017 with a 7am start for the 10k and an 8am start for the 5k. I registered for the 10k and this was my second year racing this event. You can read my shorter review here.

I was unable to get my packet during the week (it started on Wednesday and went through Saturday at Fleet Feet Old Town), so I was heading into the city on Saturday after my dentist appointment. My friends Angie and Josh were coming into town for the race, so we decided to coordinate a run on the Lakefront Path together with a planned meet up of around noon.

It took me a while to get into the city on Saturday. I left around 10am and got there around 11 or so. Pickup was a breeze – I had my QR codes ready to go and after going into Fleet Feet and going to the back where the pickups are held, I waited maybe a minute or two for a volunteer to be available and it was another minute to get both packets. Turns out, my mom and I had registered early enough we were also getting cookies. I expected it to be one, but it was five or six in a bag held in a plastic RAM Racing cup. Awesome, and as later I found out, delicious. They were from a place called Carol’s I believe.

I had a little time to kill, so I looked around the store and found a Momentum Jewelry wrap I had wanted that said runCHI on it, so I bought that. My friend Mike was working the register, so we chatted a bit about running and shoes while he checked me out. 

It's nice to have someone with you to take a photo.

I headed over to Montrose Harbor to meet Angie and Josh. I had 8 miles scheduled for the day, and so Angie ran with me. Josh ran 11, but we met up with him a time or two on the LFP while he was getting a snack/drink. It was a warm one, and the path was very crowded, but we had a lot of fun. Afterwards, we ate at the Montrose Docks. I got a BLT and fries and it was delicious.

These two are the best.

Anyway - back to the race details :)

My mom and I parked at Millenium Garages (pre-paid for a spot using SpotHero) and arrived at the race site around 6am. I had a planned meeting with the three other BibRave Pros racing at 6:30, so we hit up the porta-potty lines which were starting to get long.

The Start Line.

I ran into my Oiselle teammate Jen while waiting for the other pros and we chatted a bit. She was out there to cheer and we talked about how humid it was – it was going to be a tough race if it was that bad already in the morning and we felt it just standing there. Temps were already at 75 degrees with 86% humidity and 70 dew point.

Eventually, the four BRPs were able to find each other and we high-fived, hugged, took photos, and wished each other luck. It was time to get into the corrals.

The BibRave Pros.

I was in the last one, so didn’t matter so much for me, but the rest had to get up closer to the start. There were about 2 minutes between corrals and the line-ups were along Columbus with the start line (going north) at Monroe. Soon enough, we were off. I was attempting to race on my own, using my own intervals, which for that day I was trying 70/15.

Mascots at the start line.

I was doing ok the first few miles, though the very high humidity had me struggling. By mile 3.5 or so, it hit hard. I couldn’t keep up with my intervals any more, and I had to walk a lot more than I wanted. I tried bringing them down to 60/15, and then 60/30, but I still struggled. I decided that day was just going to be about finishing, and I assumed my mom would catch up to me before the finish. 

Great views of the city. This was right after aid station 1.

The first aid station was pretty packed, so I kept going (I brought my own hydration for situations like these – and I get to drink the electrolytes I prefer), but I stopped at the second and third for some water (to both drink and to dump on my head). 

Shedd Aquarium.

I really like the course (minus the bad cracks and holes in the lower path near the lake, but that can’t be helped. One of these days the city will fix that area, right?). We had some beautiful views of the city, and the lake looked really enticing on such a hot day – I wanted to just jump in.

When you aren't having a good race, might as well stop for some photos.

There were clocks and mile markers for each mile, and three aid stations, and 2 slip and slide blow-up things. I passed on those, assuming I wouldn’t have the energy to slide the whole way haha. I think there was a timing mat around mile 3.1 too, but not completely sure. I get runners brain and forget a lot of things about on course happenings ha.

Around mile 5 mom caught up and so we ran the last mile together, keeping each other going when I know all we both wanted to do was walk. We did 30 secs running and 60 secs walking I think. Eventually we crossed the finish line. Summer running in Chicago isn’t my favorite, and so I know to have lower expectations of my finish times. This one was far from a PR.

At the finish line you got your medal, which was the same for everyone this year (10k finishers only), bottled water, a banana, and Clif Protein Bars. I saw towels laying around, so they must have been giving those out, but I couldn’t find any and assumed they were all gone. I did grab a bag of ice to help cool me down (wrapped it in my BUFF® and then held it to my neck, face, and put it on top of my head).

Trying to cool off using ice in my BUFF®

After leaving the finishers chute, we headed to get our magnetic coins. This is where you would go to your alumni tent for the school you chose when registering. You tore off the claim ticket on your bib and exchanged it for the coin, which then stuck to your medal. Mom got the generic BTN Big 10 Fan shirt at pickup (liked the colors a lot), and so we headed over to that tent first to grab her coin. Then it was to Illinois for mine. Luckily, Iowa Hawkeyes was right next to it, which made it easy to find Angie, Josh, and Kelly. I also met up with another Oiselle teammate from WI, Allison, who was super sweet.

A ton of people hang out for quite some time at this race. There are games, photo opportunities at your alumni tent (if there weren’t trophies or mascots, there was at least the school backdrop). The Illinois tent gave out coupons for Chipotle (free guac and chips). Food was Amylou sausage and pretzels – I didn’t get any, as after being super hot, the thought of eating something hot just wasn’t doing it for me. They also had Revolution beer. I was SO happy to see that the race partnered up with them, a local brewery, instead of one of the big guys. Thank you RAM! I didn’t have any, but I’m always in favor of supporting and promoting local. 

We hung out behind the tents in a tree shaded area for a while, then decided it was less crowded so we could get our photos taken at our tents with props and things. On our way out, we had a small dance party (I believe Angie posted a video on her twitter or instagram) and then some more photos by the blow up football. We went to Buckingham Fountain for some photos, then Dunkin’ Donuts for some drinks (I was very disappointed that they didn’t have the iced teas they had on the menu, but the Strawberry Banana smoothie was good… and the hashbrowns), and then over to The Cloud Gate. Lots of great photos and conversation. Lucky for us, my mom doesn't love to be in photos, so she took all of the group ones for us. She's awesome. Eventually will sat down by the fountains where the wind would bring over some cooling water spurts that felt awesome. Kelly headed out and we talked with Josh and Angie a bit longer. Around 11 I think it was, we all said our final goodbyes until hopefully Marathon weekend. 

I'm a good sport.

Exhausted. Early wake-up. Hot. Humid. Sunny.

Though I’m not a super fan of college sports, I enjoy this race. It is well-managed, packet pickup is easy (and you can have it mailed if you wanted up to 3 weeks before the race for $15 and packet usually arrives about a week before race day), the course is a little different, great scenery, and great vibe from the runners. Though there’s school rivalry, it’s all in good fun. I’d recommend this to anyone that’s looking for a fun race, there is an Elite start so it’s great for the fast runners too. I love that so many people are still there when I finish. A lot of races, most people are gone by the time I finish, so I think it’s cool that there’s enough going on at this post-race tailgate that entices people to hang around.

Closing out a fun weekend with fun friends.