May's going out with a bang

You know it’s summer when it’s not a question of how you can workout, train or race without spending a Saturday and Sunday in the gym, but how you can cram all of those outdoor activities into your already busy weekend. Memorial Day Weekend has nothing on this coming weekend, which signals the end of May and the beginning of June.

Even with last weekend’s arsenal of perennial favorites, the Soldier Field 10, Bike the Drive and the Ridge Run, to get you outside, Saturday, May 31, promises to be even more action packed. Check out these four events that’ll get you running, sweating, stretching and putting all those winter workouts to the test come the weekend. Just think: At least you have Sunday to sleep them off!


Get Muddy: Mudderella
Tough Mudder was a huge hit when it rolled through Chicago a few weeks ago. Saturday brings another muddy challenge to the Illinois-Wisconsin border when Mudderella debuts in Chicagoland. Some might think that the five- to seven-mile challenge through the muddy grounds of Richmond Hunting Club means that Mudderella is tamer for the female-focused crowd. So. Not. True. Mudderella looks equally as challenging—and dirty—and its obstacles are designed to put all those studio workouts you’ve been busting out to good use. Or it’s your wake-up call to put in more quality training time (hopefully that’s not the case!).  And even if you’re feeling like you got the wind kicked out of you by the time you cross the finish line—and take as much time as you want because this event is about conquering it not speeding through it—you’ve still earned all the post-event treats like the shower to rinse off the mud, the revive space and the coveted finisher tee.

Get Retro: The Original 5K
What’s with all the tube socks, short shorts and running shoes with next-to-nothing support? No, you didn’t just hop a ride on Doc Brown’s time machine. Running goes retro at the inaugural Original 5K, a Fleet Feet event that’s a bit of a trip down memory lane. The race itself costs a mere $19.72 (when was the last time you paid less than $20 for a race?), the race swag is a pair of tube socks, and there are cold cans of Miller High Life at the finish line. Plus when else can you run in your Chuck Taylors, vintage New Balance and Nike, Saucony Jazz, and other classics?

Get Generous: Dash for Detection 5K
If one 5K in the morning isn’t enough for your endurance-minded legs, head from Montrose Beach to Grant Park, where you can run the Dash for Detecton. This 5K starts and ends in Grant Park and follows a route along the lakefront. The race benefits the Michael Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and the Lustgarten Foundation, two organizations who have goals of developing an early detection test for pancreatic cancer and finding a cure.

Get Bendy: Yoga in the City
There’s nothing like a yoga session to stretch and work out all those kinks after running. And on Saturday, you can do those stretches, sun salutations and asanas in Grant Park at Wanderlust's Yoga in the City. Wantderlust brings yoga festivals to unique locations across the country from ski resorts to urban spots, and the Chicago event is sure to pack a punch of music, yoga and more in its six hours. Besides, who wouldn't want to say they've done yoga with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop?

Now if only there were two of me so I could participate in all of these events--and catch some extra zzz's!

What events are on your calendar for the weekend?