#9 Fall is my favorite

Best season for running by far in this part of the country. One caveat though, don't like it much when the park district turns off the water fountains and closes the bathrooms around Halloween. Good thing Lincoln Park Zoo is open year round!

FALL

Coach Mike recently included in his weekly missive, "I capitalize Fall because it deserves to be capitalized." To which I say Amen.

I've been on the mend for nearly two weeks after Marine Corps. Today is my first run. The sun is bright and the leaves are magnificent. The wind is gusting and the leaves dance in the road. Beach Drive is closed for Veteran's Day.

Out Nebraska to the bike trail along Oregon, entering Rock Creek Park. Rolling hills heading north, then right into the creek valley. To the left is a trail I've never run. Keep heading north until the trail hits the road, then pick up a familiar trail heading south. Running, alone, on a bed of leaves along the creek, forgot that the legs were rebelling when I started. Trail dumps me on Beach Drive not far above Rock Creek Parkway. Follow the bike trail to the Tilden climb, where a cyclist is struggling. Nearly catch him before the road flattens and he is gone.

Almost home, I am supposed to cross Nebraska and coast in. But the small road through a tunnel of trees to the right is too pretty, so back downhill, left on Nevada, follow it to Military. One final climb to Connecticut before calling it a run.

Tears in the eyes. It's either the cold wind or something else. You guys are runners. You understand.

Welcome, Jesse. Tell more about Big Sur, which I'm running next spring.

Top ten things I have learned while/about running

#10 PRs are still possible

After 10 years and at age 54, I hit two new prs this year. They were in the middle distances which make sense since I have largely lost my top gear (which wasn't much to begin with) and I begin to wear down after 15-17 miles for a marathon. But in the middle, the times are looking better than ever.

My 10th Anniversary

I am rapidly approaching the 10th anniversary of my first race, the 2001 Chicago Turkey Trot, an 8K which I finished in 44:52 according to my diary. I began running sometime in August or September of that year and have now completed 47 races of varying lengths including 6 marathons and something like 8-9 thousand miles in the process.

In celebration, my next post will begin to list the ten best things I have learned about or while running.

Raising Rivals' Costs

In the precious but over-the-hill NBC comedy "Chuck," the Buy-More employees occasionally launch attacks at cross-town rivals -- in their cases, usually other Buy-More outlets that are favored for some reason or another. Hilarity always ensues.

Here's one that's not so hilarious: burning down Papa John's to increase Domino's sales. Allegedly.

Pizza-man Herman Cain will probably incorporate this into his economic plan.

Congratulations to Ted J.

Who rocked a 3:55 NYC marathon earlier today only six weeks after pacing me for the first 20 miles of the Hamptons marathon and then deciding that he was enjoying himself so much that he decided to finish that marathon as well.

Hot Chocolate 15K

As best I can tell this is the Chicago Marathon for amateurs. Almost as large at 37,000 but nowhere near as well organized. Start was delayed. Corrals were irrelevant. I never found the Ghiradelli hot chocolate at the end of the race. Course included most of the downtown and west side of the marathon route with none of the pretty parts. and I was badly outsprinted at the end by a woman in a banana costume.

That being said, it was great weather, the wind jacket in the goody bag was very nice (if weirdly sized), I saw parts of the west side just past the United Center that appear to be gentrifying surprisingly fast, I finished in the top third of the race with a sub 83 minute time (pr for this distance), and nothing bad happened to be my feet.

Overall a decent way to end of the season and try one more mid-distance race post marathon.