Fit-Pic: Oh the Sights You See on the Lakefront

Spring--or rather, summer--has sprung in Chicago. For this week anyway. After the sun pushed its way out on Saturday afternoon, it was sticking around for a Sunday fun day on the Lakefront. And by 10 a.m. Sunday morning, people were out in full force taking advantage of that path we love for all of our active pursuits (including Biggest Loser Season 9 finalist Michael Ventrella). Walkers, runners, cyclists, leisure bike riders, inline skaters, baby joggers--you name it, they were out. And early, too. By 10:15 a.m. the popular beach spots had comfortable crowds and the path had runners and cyclists battling for space--and I was among them but more focused on taking in the scenes than trying to hustle home and back to the AC.

That's how I was finally able to get a picture of the above Lakefront fixture--Speedo man donning the straw hat--I've spotted in years past but never had my camera--or the guts--to snap a shot. This marks the third season I've seen him pacing the Lakefront, usually somewhere between Oak Street and Fullerton, and he walked right by me while I snapped a picture of the beach bootcamp (see right). And well, since he was out and about--and I stood still--I finally wanted my proof that interesting characters do exist on our Path. And well, some people have unique ways of exercising on the Lakefront. You have the cyclists and the runners, in the blurry distance you have the beachgoers, and then you have peeps like the Hi-Guy (missed catching him out there today and he deserves a write-up all his own, so stay tuned) and this Speedo-wearing resistance-band-carrying walker.

Consider yourself warned for things to look for next time you're out along Lake Michigan. Speaking of which, have you ever seen any odd-ball or unique characters while out and about?