Who Are the Runners in Chicago?

Taking a step away from a blog all about me me me... I know... insane..

I want to share some information I collected on the runners in Chicago.

SOURCE SURVEY

Four months ago I created a survey for a forum I created to gather some anonymous information from the readers. There is a little over 1200 subscribers and 96 of them responded.

Here are the results (pdf) or for a photo of it. Below is a thumbnail of it, but it doesn't enlarge too well. Just use one of the links!

click me!

I also merged my map of select running clubs in Chicago (with pretty static locations) with markers where runners responded to looking for people to run with, Link.

You can see some areas of Chicago that are Running Club deserts. Groups on meetup.com and Facebook pop up pretty often, but pretty often dry up after lack of attendance.

I would like to see Park Runs pop up, that would be fun.

Some data I didn't chart out: Where do runners like to run? Lakefront path the overwhelming victor, followed by the 606, and Prairie Trail.

I had thoughts of doing this on a neighborhood level, but I didn't have enough data.

 Any thoughts, suggestions, or types of data you'd like to see?

Terrible Topics Thursday

Running rest day. Ain't got any hot topic to go write about today or super neat running links that haven't already been shared in the local blogosphere this week.  So I'll just go into the treasure trove of reddit and share some random links that I enjoyed over the last 24 hours!

Carved from a leaf

 I'm a big Bulls fan, so I enjoy watching mash ups like this daily, SEE RED!

Trembling with emotion GIF

If you die in Canada do you...

Epic Conan quote

Sherlock lives!

Ever have a historical question but not sure who to ask?

Only way to make burgers!

I need to find this cereal!

I hope your visit to my blog was fruitful and a delight!

Tomorrow: Pace run

I hope ya'll got to run in this nice change of temp!

Now back to your normally scheduled Maybach Music.

I make that blog come and go

Couldn't think of a title for today, so I decided to fashion it after the first song Pandora played. Please don't judge me too hard. (Can you name the song/singer?)

Keeping in line with my rest day blog posts..

Would you say you have a plethora of random information for me? 

Why yes, yes I do have a plethora of random jazz from you, let us strike the internet pinata  and see what stale candy falls out:

Saw this on reddit the other day from Louis CK's show:

Did someone cut an onion?

A few other quotes from his show here.

When I'm walking/running by myself I often think of conversations I want to have with my daughter when she gets older. Lessons that I can share with her, try to lessen the chances of a turbulent teenage relationship, try and be a good father. They grow up to fast, I hope I can grow up too.

Ever curious if you are using your foam roller right? Check here for videos!

Do you like Asian food/culture or just want to do something tonight? Why not check out Argyle Nights! I'll be there! Will you?

"A weekly Night Market on Argyle Street on Thursdays from 4:00pm – 8:00pm from June 27 through September 19 (except July 4). The Market will be held on Argyle Street (5000 N) from Sheridan Rd. on the east (1000 W) to Kenmore Ave.

Vendors will include farm stands and local Argyle area restaurants, live performance arts, and retail goods.

Confirmed vendors: Tank Noodle, Sun Wah BBQ, Tai Nam Market, Uptown Brownie, Phoenix Bean Tofu, Inspiration Kitchens, Hai Yen Restaurants, Uptown Arts Center, Ba Le Sandwich, Hoa Lan Hair Salon, Farmer Nick's, Beijo de Chocolat, Karl's Craft Soup, All Eyes on Art, and other farm vendors via the City of Chicago’s Farmers Markets.

Live performances will be held each week including performances of “Romeo Juliet” by The Hypocrites the first four weeks and Chinese Dancing Dragons at 5:30pm on Thursday, June 27."

Brokeback Burger- I'm surprised this hasn't popped up on more menus!

Ever wonder how elite runners train? Graph! (and link to comments here)

NBA Draft is tonight! Doesn't mean a lot to Bulls fans for the next season as Thibs doesn't even give you a few minutes until year two. Keep those hopes high! Butler and Gibson have been awesome late round picks.

I created a twitter account last night as one of my friends reactivated their account and didn't want to have like 1 follower. So I went ahead and added a lot of the running bloggers so far! Add me @StopRunningDad !

That should be enough for today! What are you up to today?
How much do you love the Three Amigos?

Link it Together Thursday

No run today, scheduled day off. Miss the morning push and body wake up call, at least there is the gym at lunch where I will look a lot like this:

I don't have a lot of deep thoughts or topics for today, so here are some of my favorite links from reddit.com/r/running over the last few days:

• Interviews with average runners who've run a Boston Qualifying Time - A bunch these are a little older before BQ times got cut down, but still insightful. From a discussion on this, the host intends on adding more participants to it. 50+ MPW seems to be a common theme. On it!

• In response to that thread, someone asked - what is the most direct way to go from a slow beginner to BQ (not marathon training, but training to train for a marathon), and the top response was great - see here - a small piece from the response:

 Before I give you my advice, you need to realize that there is no 'right' path to get to a BQ. You can do it in many different ways, but likely what's holding you back is the commitment to do it. It's what separates a Boston marathoner from the rest. Anyone who is willing to sacrifice a Sunday morning every week for a long run for a few months and can get in a few 3-5 mile runs per week can run a marathon. To BQ, you need to NEED to qualify. You have to be hungry for it. You need to be willing to get up at 4:45AM the next day to run a 9 miler despite how tired you are from work. 

        BQ is still my pie in the sky goal, and I'm sure as hell giving it my commitment and will try.

• On a lighter note - Sympathy Cards for Runners

• Chicago Marathon Update Email, ended up in my spam folder, so if you missed it too, check it out.

• Comic on everyone's favorite part of running, a skill I haven't used yet.

• Aaaaaand a Monthly Motivation Thread

Now if you still need something to comment on, lets talk about Vanity Running! You know the type, they worked hard for their summer bodies and are beasts in the gym, but more than a few miles of running is just not what they train to do or enjoy. Two miles along the beach though? Lets strut run! This may be more a guy thing for once.

How do they make you feel? Do you honestly think they are out there for a solid cardio work out? Or doing a bit of showing off?

I've seen them running too hard, legwork is bad, and they are somehow not sweating yet...I realize I'm a bit more negative on them and kudos for anyone that gets out to exercise, but don't you ever feel like the gym is their kindgom and we can feel prouder of our work on the trails?

Happy Friday Eve!

Back to Normal Blog Posts - 2 Day Recap

After two posts filled with many a photo and non Chicago related adventures, I'm back to blogging on daily runs and so on!

Yesterday I planned on doing 10 miles - 1.5 miles warm up, 7 miles pace, 1.5 cool down. 4:30am came, I got up and dressed, got outside and the air felt fresh. Medium force breeze from the south and a bit humid. Overall, good conditions. I start my watch and oh my did my legs not feel ready. I'm not sure if its getting up earlier again or what, but I could not get up to my pace ( I wanted to hit ~ 6:50-7 per mile after warm up). My best guess is that after hitting a sub 1:30 half on Sunday, I pushed my legs harder than I ever have and am still recovering.  I ended up getting closest to my pace around mile 8.

Everyone was pretty friendly, as it was Friday. I am always curious as to what the NikeFuel House is that I see a sign for just south of Belmont. Here is a blurb from Time Out Chicago:

Nike renovated a Lincoln Park field house, where you can take free classes, play basketball, join a running club and, of course, check out (and buy) the company’s latest innovations (such as Nike+ Training and the super-popular Nike+ FuelBand). Stay updated on the schedule and hours by following @nikechicago on Twitter. 1800 N Stockton Dr (312-218-2795).

The only part of my run that I didn't like was that in the last mile of my run before I went to cool down pace, a group of runners came out that were going slower than my current speed, but faster than my cool down.  That meant I was going to pass them then slow down and seem like THAT GUY that just wanted to pass you and can't keep his speed.  I decided to just keep my pace and cut my cool down distance a bit so that situation wouldn't happen.

~
Onto this morning ( 1 June). Recovery run day! 7 miles at 1-2 minutes below pace. 68 degrees and muggy. I'm loving this shirt free weather! Out the door at 5:30am. It was a very peaceful run.  Slightly overcast for the first part of the run, so no pretty sunrise photos.  The Elijah Running Group were out in force to go along with an increase in other runners and bikers. Got back home and my kid was already rolling around in her crib.. to early little lady! Daddy needs to stretch! hah.

Now a couple useful links (From reddit):

• Summer Heat is Coming - A Guide to Electrolytes , some useful suggestions on what to take during runs and my favorite part:
  "The manufacturers of sports drinks that contain electrolytes would like you to believe that you should be consuming their products before, during and after exercise. The fact is this is actually unnecessary for shorter duration runs of under 90 minutes.
  For runs under 90 minutes muscle glycogen and electrolytes already in your body before you exercise are sufficient to fuel your activity. There is little to no advantage to additional supplementation and in some cases additional supplementation can lead to your body holding excess water weight."
•   10 Commandments of Sincerely Unapologetic Runner

Any run plans for you this weekend  or just fun things in general?

Dear May, Man up and get warm, from- a morning runner

I'm really hoping this morning's run was the last run under 40 degrees until fall. Was a brisk recovery run, no clouds, not many runners.  Now I don't mind running in my +ASICS tights (I just learned how to tag in my blog, womp), but I would really like to settle into my shorts.

I counted 5 runners down and 11 up. I didn't even see ducks waddling for their morning exercise. I did see a few normies, including previously mentioned thumbs up guy. ( as I write this on the bus, I see a lot more people now)

Today's shout out goes to a short middle aged Asian lady that that has been so constant, she could be part of a math proof. She hustles, I usually see her around the golf course, and she pulls out a wave faster than a champions gunslinger. Props lady!

On the way back, I missed a good chance to grab a sunrise photo. By the time I had some good views, the sun was already unrelentingly bright, I better start bringing my shades.  One fun thing about the morning run, is a really long shadow. Yesterday around the path by the Theater by the Lake at about 5:40am, my shadow  extended from the Lakefront path, over the grassy field, and over the north bound section of Lake Shore Drive.  I felt like a giant!

And my link to share for the day:
Excuses you use to skip a run

Enjoy the day and don't forget to get a run in!

And on Thor's Day, He Rested

Thor’s Day! A day of rest for my legs from running, and I feel like an addict that needs his drug to feel normal. We’ll get to that in a minute.

Last night, I went back to Dak Korean Chicken Wings for dinner, and shared dukbokki with bulgogi (chewy rice cakes covered in a sweet & spicy sauce, topped with thinly sliced bbq ribeye) and wings of course with my wife and daughter.  I wasn’t going to go into this at all, since I already posted about Dak before, but my daughter decided to pull up her own chair, take my fork, and proceed to poke the chicken all dinner and just enjoy the sauce. She doesn’t like the food, but she loves the sauce!  This was also my first experience with Dukbokki (chewy rice cakes in the shape of cheese puffs), and I LOVED them.  Just be warned, they are a lot more filling than you might expect.

Is she my daughter? Wings with a FORK?!

Now for the running portion of the blog.  Throughout the week, I think of topics to rant/flesh out on my non running day, but this morning, I blanked on them all.  I don’t feel I am experience enough to provide more than basic tips (plenty of excellent athletes already got this covered), I don’t have races to review, or running gear to tell you about (although I am curious about the Columbia Omni Freeze Zero line, but I find the price point to be a bit too high just to try out).

As I can’t recall any wonderful topic, I’ll simply share how it feels not to run today.  It feels like a puppy stuck inside and watching other dogs run around the yard.  I don’t feel worn out, sore, or tired.  Walking feels boring, my legs scream GO GO GO! (or as my daughter would say, one, two.. GO!) I know I need the rest them, gotta keep injuries at bay.  I feel slightly guilty eating my normal amount, as my wife says- oh he’s busy stuffing his face (I couldn’t argue with that… I’m constantly grazing).  I’m still going to the gym to work out, but it’s not the same.  It was 62 this morning, and I envied every person I saw outside running.  Just like me get my hit man.  Don’t send me to rehab, I swear I’m fine.  I feel a bit less sharp in the morning and less awake.  Remind myself, I’ll be fresher and stronger tomorrow.

Does anyone else experience this? I’ve read posts about enjoying the time off, relaxing, and it’s important. Totally agree, but doesn’t mean we always have to 100% like it. 

On a side note, a shameless plug for a subreddit I created last year:  http://www.reddit.com/r/RunnersInChicago/

It has a little over 200 subscribers, and is all discussion about running and runners in Chicago that use Reddit. Good place to post questions to a targeted community that is a little less harsh than larger running forums.  I enjoy talking about things there that I don’t want to make a full blog about (and it gets a lot more views than my blog! Hah)

Enjoy Thor’s Day!

How was your run today?

Have you ever had Dukbokki?

Afternoon Links: Saucony #BostonStrong Lace Medallion and You know you're training hard when ....

Just got an email from Saucony for  #BostonStrong Lace Medallion , pre-order for $5. 100% goes to the One Boston Fund.

and
You know you're training hard when... (reddit link)

Lots of funny responses, a couple might be mildly offensive, but I'm sure you can relate to a few responses!

Syrians send their condolences to Boston

Just some brain food for the morning. 

(source: reddit.com)

Boondock terrorists

I woke up this morning ready to make some mental complaints about how its a below freezing windchill and gusty outside, fml right?

I check Reddit.com for any news or hot things on the internet and see one of the two suspects was killed and the other is on the loose. Check Facebook and see my Massachusetts friends are lit up and on this like white on rice.  I won't attempt to be a news outlet, but be safe and stay inside if you live in Boston or its greater area (follow reddit.com/news if you want a lot on info ). Hopefully I can make some post later about this coming to more closure.

As for my own run, the lakefront was weirdly vacant for the first 4 miles. Saw one person and my two duck buddies. I intended to turn this run into a temp run, but I need more time for a warn up. I have trouble getting pace so soon after waking up. My legs told me its Federal Friday and they chillen.  I tried to override that and the wind wrestled me back. Just one of those days.

Pray for the law enforcement out there, especially in Boston and the safety of everyone in the reject of humanity's way.