Swoosh! Nike's NTC Hits Home in Lincoln Park

Nike's NTC Lincoln Park retail space on level one

Fans of Nike Training Club (NTC) can rejoice. The popular app that we know and love (and recently started loving a little more thanks to a smartphone upgrade) just went live in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. On Monday, Nike opened the doors to its first NTC location, a two-story shop complete with retail and studio space, at 833 W. Armitage.

On level one, you have your retail. You'll find your shoes, your training gear, your sports bras, your tops and bottoms, your carry-alls. Basically everything you'd want at Niketown (correction: Nike Chicago) on the Mag Mile has made its way to Armitage. Except for one tiny detail. NTC has all the women's gear a girl could want. No Air Jordans or football jerseys or any of the other stuff you breeze past inside Nike Chicago when your one-track-mind is sending you upstairs to the running and women's sections.

Holiday Pedaling: A Cool Christmas Ride

To the cyclist who decked out his pedi-cab in full-on holiday decor: You are awesome. The picture to the left doesn't do his transportation justice (it's my fault for leaving my camera memory card at home, leaving me to quickly catch him pedaling by...with my iPhone). And it certainly doesn't caption the full-on Christmas vibe when you see it pedaling toward you.

The bike: It glowed with Christmas lights woven through the spokes and around its basket, which had some greenery--garland or wreath, I didn't get a good look--on it.
The cyclist: Talk about the playing the part. Was this guy really supposed to be shuttling Chicagoans to and from Zoo Lights or did he belong on the stage at the Goodman Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol? His top hat and overcoat looked like they walked off a page of the Charles Dickens classic--or maybe I was staring at Ebenezer Scrooge...before he saw his past, present and future in his nightgown.
The passengers: As Christmas carols boomed from a stereo on the bike, its passengers rang bells to match the tunes.

While I'd prefer to walk from the Lincoln Park Zoo entrance to my next destination--whether it be my car, however far away it was parked, or a nearby restaurant--I'd suck up the calories to ride in that festive transport. It's too amazing not to, and it'd be my escape route from a crowded zoo scene (if you don't have kids, don't go to Zoo Lights on a Friday night when it's not snowing and it's not frigid--it's total insanity). Anything to get into the holiday spirit?

Hey Chicago: have you gone to Zoo Lights and spotted this bike transport? Are we missing any of the holiday details? We're on a mission to find this pedi-cab again--and get a better picture.

Hooked on Brooks RnR Gear

Dear Brooks, when did you start creating such cool Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series gear? No joke, I wanted at least three of the T-shirts and the navy hoodie I spotted in the 10 minutes I had to spend at the expo. And had the lights not turned off, begging expo goers to exit at 6 p.m., you probably would have gotten a sale out of me.

It doesn’t take much for me to drool (almost) over running gear. Name a race expo—Rock ‘n’ Roll, Boston, Chicago—and I can always find something that’s begging me to take out my wallet and spend, spend, spend. Not necessarily because I want the coveted Boston Marathon jacket or all the gear that sports Chicago running pride, although that tends to be my first inclination. I’m practically the ideal customer, always wanting to buy a T-shirt secondary to the race shirt that every participant receives regardless of how many tees I already have exploding out of the drawers at home. You should have seen me at last week’s Ironman 70.3 expo—sure enough, I had to have the shirt with every participant’s name printed on the back to make the M-Dot logo.

The Random Stuff You See While Running

Never expected I'd see musicians while running today.

Lately my Wednesday runs have been more entertaining than I'd expect them to be. It's not like I'm running at a set time and see the same people, but it's more that my helter-skelter schedule is about as varied as the people and things I see on the lakefront. Take last week...or the week before...or the week before that. Every Wednesday I've had to run. Yet every Wednesday I've been on the path at a different time, running different mileage, and noticing different things that make me feel like I've escaped into a virtual Highlights for Children puzzle where you have to select the items that are out of place. What I spied may not have been out of place--after seeing Speedo guy time and again I'm convinced that anything goes on the Lakefront--but it was enough for me to remember it an hour later and forget about the distance I had to run. Here's what I saw:

• A fire truck and a Univision news truck at North Ave. Beach. I've heard that fire trucks and police vehicles patrol this beach area, especially on summer's hottest holidays, but I never expected it tonight.
• Don't people work? It was 4:30 p.m.--in my defense, my self-employed schedule let me skip out early today only to be back online later--and there were tons of people on the beach. And they weren't there to play volleyball in one of the summer leagues.
• A very convincing ultramarathon trainee. If he wasn't training for an ultra, he sure looked the part with his hydration pack, compression socks and very focused expression.
• A singing duo. Oh yes, north of the boathouse, south of the bridge, two musicians were singing and strumming their guitars.
  
• Someone who looked exactly like an editor that I know...who knows, maybe it was her?
• The freshly paved portion of the path just north of Fullerton. I should have photographed the fresh blacktop that covered what was a twisted ankle waiting to happen, but I was too excited to be running on it.
• What's with all of the backpacked runners? I spied a girl running with a backpack, the drawstring type you get at races, and then right after that I spotted a guy who looked like he was sprinting to meet someone and just happened to be toting a backpack, too.
• A guy who was wearing one of the most unconventional-looking running outfits I've seen in a while. His outfit: what looked like swim trunks and a striped, loose-fitting tank (but not at all like a singlet). I can only assume that he planned this run because he had Newtons on his feet. 

I know I'm not alone in watching people on the trail during the run--I remember Runner's World tweeting about stuff seen on the run. What have you seen while running?

Sweat Session with SELF Magazine

From the 2011 Workout in the Park, courtesy of SkirtPR

Grant Park is no stranger to hosting fitness events. If you live in the Windy City, how many times have you passed the park on a weekend only to see it scattered with event tents, and not the kind that signal a music festival or Taste of Chicago? Probably a lot, especially this time of year. And typically right around this weekend, Grant Park would be ready to play host to an old favorite, SELF Magazine's Workout in the Park, which was held at Butler Field last year on May 21.

One problem: NATO is coming to town and the Workout in the Park won't be in May but in June. I can't blame NATO entirely, even though it is the obvious choice given that businesses in and around the Loop are shutting down Friday through Monday and many workers have been granted a three- or four-day weekend. If the NATO conference wasn't about to take over Chicago, literally, I'd assume that SELF's mobile exercise-y event would most likely stick with the weekend that has worked and not be pushed to later date (especially considering that San Francisco kicked off this year's festivities on May 5 followed by New York City on May 12). But it happened and there's nothing we can do about it except hope that a June 2 date means a greater assurance of warmer, workout-friendly weather.

Ready to rock—and run—a Chicago Half Marathon?

Faces from RnR Chicago, Credit: NVitkus

Forget the earbuds, the iPods and the prearranged playlists. If you’re big on running half marathons, especially entertaining ones, and you’re looking to possibly PR on a course that’s flatter than most, then you won’t want to miss this summer’s XSport Fitness Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon or the registration deal that ends March 31 (keep reading to see what I'm talking about).

It’s on July 22, which for once doesn’t conflict with a Chicago area triathlon or the Air and Water Show or anything else that spells summer in the Windy City. It’s 13.1 miles that covers portions of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s course (albeit in the opposite direction at some points) and cruises along the Lakefront Path—provided the 2011 map holds semi-true for 2012. It’s filled with runners—and walkers—of all ages who range from your average joe to the people you watch, or watched, on TV regularly (like Al Roker, Giuliana Rancic, Dan Evans from The Biggest Loser and Kelly Bensimon from the Real Housewives of New York City to name a few). It’s filled with bands who’ll be performing at every mile, giving runners on-course entertainment and music to power through those miles. It culminates with a post-race concert that promises not to disappoint—Bret Michaels was the headliner last year.

Freebie Fitness Friday...at Flywheel

You won't want to use this gearing at Flywheel. Credit

Try saying the first three words of this post's title five times fast. Freebie fitness Friday. Freebie fitness Friday. Then add one more word to the tongue twister, Flywheel, and see if it gets even harder to spit out of your mouth. The words might trip you up but it's worth it for free fitness on Friday at Flywheel Sports. That is, if you live or work in Chicago and can get yourself to the River North indoor cycling studio before 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.

The journalist in me knows that I should be sharing this news, but the cyclist in me is apprehensive about hitting publish. I love the word free when it's tacked onto a workout (that's how I found Flywheel in the first place). I love the 45-minute adrenaline-inducing, cardio-blasting workout that leaves my legs feeling limp and my arms turning to Jell-O with exercises that shouldn't feel as tough as they do. I love the loud music that drowns out the pain and makes my legs spin faster, perfect for this gal who always needs to work on her quick cadence. I love searching for my name on the torque board and pushing to get a higher power number to raise my ranking. I love that Flywheel is only a quick bike ride or short walk for me, and I can get there regardless of the weather Mother Nature throws at us.

Fit-Pic: Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Is it possible that Chicago's lakefront could look this awesome in October? Apparently so, as I snapped this picture on my bike ride home from the Homecoming 5K. A calm lake, runners on the path, temperatures just warm enough to keep sweat at bay, sunshine with no clouds, and my personal favorite: no crowds. It's interesting how a pristine fall day doesn't elicit the same masses that flock to the lakefront on the first nice spring day. But hey, I'm not complaining. I only wish that my running legs had more in them than a 5K (note to self: do not ride mountain bike with flat tires to race site and do not get three hours of sleep regardless of race distance). With the month we've been having weather-wise, I'll be adding this memory to the vault. My eyes are going to need it in January and February, unless I'm out west skiing.

Running is Better with Chocolate, Hot Chocolate

Isn’t there a saying about how the world is better with chocolate? I’d like to think that it’s true, but I’ll also stand by another statement: will run for chocolate. And yes, I will run for chocolate. I did it once before, thus earning myself a sweatshirt bearing that statement, and I’ll be doing it again at the Hot Chocolate 15/5K when it cruises into Chicago on November 5.

But this isn’t a repeat of past Hot Chocolate races that have been labeled too crowded, not enough chocolate or a so-so race jacket. There are so many changes to the 2011 edition, good changes, that are making the race seem entirely new in every aspect but the name. And I’m not even referring to the most obvious fact that the race has gone national, with Hot Chocolate races to run in Washington, D.C., Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco and Denver through December 2012. Nope. It’s the Chicago changes to look out for.

Disco Fever

Platform shoes, jumpsuits, bell bottoms, big wigs, disco balls. What's your best John Travolta impersonation? If it involves any of these--and even if it doesn't but you love the 1970s, disco or running--you'll want to make your way to Lincoln Park's Diversey Harbor on Saturday morning for the Disco Dash 5K.

But what makes this race extra special is its reason for existence, a.k.a. its beneficiary The Peapod Project, which provides special memory keepsake packages for families at Children's Memorial Hospital who are about to lose a young child. The Peapod Project was founded by Ted and Annette Stenstrom who lost their little girl Moreland Grace, affectionately known as Gigi, when she was only 16 days old due to complications from her inability to breathe on her own. In those 16 days, the Stenstroms tried to pack in as many memories as they could so Gigi wouldn't be forgotten. They took photos, introduced her to friends and family, made footprints and handprints, all those memories that get packed away in a baby book. Knowing that they weren't alone in a loss of this magnitude, they created this program that would essentially provide these memory-making moments to other families.

So if you want to run, support a cause that's a little different from the other charities you've likely been asked to fundraise for this summer (nothing against them), or just party in the park, you'll want to come out to Disco Dash. The race starts at 9 a.m., but the fun keeps going until 3 p.m. with music, refreshments, a raffle and more. Definitely not a bad way to spend a Saturday whether you're alone or looking for a reason to be outside with the family.

Want to learn more about this event? Check it all out at the Disco Dash website--and then get running.


Photo grabbed from Disco Dash.

How to navigate your workouts around Chicago's Air and Water Show

This is Friday's traffic--and it's blurry. It only gets worse.

I'd be putting it mildly if I said I disliked my fine city's Air and Water Show weekend. I hate it. But I don't hate it for what might be considered more normal reasons like it's crowded, it's hot and I'm not into planes (I do like the tricks and stadium fly-bys). I hate it because it alters my weekend exercise routine on the Lakefront--and it starts on Thursday when the tents start popping up. I learned my lesson last year when trying to finish my brick workout and had to abort my run north because I simply had nowhere to go that wasn't fenced off.

Forget biking: I'd either be pedaling at a snail's pace, walking my bike or riding circles around the Path's southern half. Instead I'll be packing up the car to drive out to Madison's hills. I know the course (I'd go to Barrington if I was better versed on the route), it's tough and I can reward myself with custard. Swimming: I doubt I'd find a place to lock my bike if I didn't go before the masses assembled. And if it's hot, I can only imagine people wading in our lap lake. While there are no guarantees that I'll rise early to beat those crowds (I've failed every other time I've tried to swim calm waters and pristine conditions), I at least made sure my mileage got done today. Then I know I can relax a little if I miss Saturday and Sunday and pick right back up again on Monday. Running: Even Fleet Feet had to change up the location of their hydration stations to accommodate the show and I'm not even going to get started on the crowds throwing me for a loop. As for a solution, I'm telling myself it's a good time to rest my legs. I'm not even close to 100 percent strong on my running legs just yet so I know skipping is better than slogging through. Marathon runners, I'm sorry if you have to run even earlier in the morning to avoid any potential mayhem. I'd say hope for rain, but I bet air show watchers come out anyway--the only thing rain stops is the show as I learned three years ago while viewing snippets from my living room.

But this routine-altering weekend doesn't have to be the end of the world as there are plenty of ways to avoid its craziness. Go early, go late--the show runs 10 am to 3 pm. Run elsewhere. Find a race out of town. And I could go on...

If the Lakefront is your running route, how did you switch up your workout to deal with the aerial entertainment (besides pray for rain)?

Chicago's Best Spring Workout

Excuse 1: You spent the last 24 hours awake and the only thing keeping you from a usual Saturday workout is sleep--all day. Excuse 2: You're not going to be in Chicago on May 21. Excuse 3: You have a wedding, or wedding-related event, to attend and the plans can't be changed until another day or moved to outside the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Unless you're sleeping in on a Saturday, and really dragging your feet on leaving the house, you want to make your way to Grant Park and SELF's Workout in the Park.

You won't want to miss the 2011 rendition of this event, which only seems to grow bigger and better year after year. The new and unique workouts that can give you that change in the routine to rev your metabolism. Moving from Lincoln Park to a larger space at Butler Field in Grant Park. Bringing A-list--or maybe I should title it Fit-list--celebrities like Maria Menounos and Jillian Michaels. And now this year, Chicago is matching that with Ali Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser and author of The Mommy Diet, making a special guest appearance. Biggest Loser fans can rejoice now and get excited for Sweeney to share her eating tips and how she makes exercise fun.

Chicago is the last stop on the 2011 Workout in the Park tour and it hosts the event on Saturday, May 21. If you've ever wanted to see what it's like to have the pages of SELF magazine unfold before your eyes in live-action form, now's your chance.

The health, wellness and fitness festival lands at Butler Field, 300 East Monroe if you need an address, in Grant Park, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I know what you might be thinking: four hours is a long time to be working out especially if I don't have an Ironman, half Ironman or marathon on the docket. But honestly, this four hours is so jam-packed, you'll wish you had more time to cruise the beauty booths, snag some samples, break a sweat at the fitness classes, or rejuvenate body and mind in the quiet zone.

Even if I trip over my own two feet when I try choreographed group fitness classes, Workout in the Park's highlights are its fitness classes. With 17 to choose from running throughout the day and featuring top-notch instruction from Crunch trainers, it's hard to want to sit them out--even the ones that were so popular in the past that they're back on the schedule like Retro-Robics, Masala Bhangra and Beach Body. Among the class offerings and experiences, here are four to check out:

• LaBlast. Do your best Dancing with the Stars moves at this cardio fat-burning dance class that involves ballroom dance genres. Its combination of body movements and creative routines will make you sweat!
• Glee. Who knew that a sing-and-dance TV show could be transformed into exercise? Not me. But in this class where you're the star, you'll learn songs and dances from the show.
• Kama Strength. Strengthen now, prep for later? This class also takes on another meaning: Kama sutra fitness. Externally it'll strengthen the muscles, and internally it'll boost your libido.
• Reebok Toning Zone. If you've wanted to know how toning shoes, one of today's biggest fitness trends, compare to your usual sneaks, you can witness it first-hand here where you'll perform unique total-body exercises inspired by Reebok's EasyTone shoes from core tightening to strengthening.

Good news in Chicago is you can plan ahead or make it a spur-of-the-moment decision to attend. The $20 per-person tickets include a subscription to SELF as well as the events for the day and you can score them by purchasing in advance online or pay cash at the door. But don't bring a suitcase for all the samples you can take home with you or you won't be allowed in. Who's ready to work out?

Fit-Pic: No Running Outside

Chicago's 2011 blizzard sent people packing for home midday. It canceled classes--yoga, fitness, universities--and even the Chicago Public Schools, which NEVER close. It stranded passengers on trains and buses for far longer than usual, and it shut down Lake Shore Drive. Yes, that's right, it was an absolute parking lot, there's a slightly blurry photo below to prove it. But my favorite sighting from the night was the sign telling me that I wouldn't be able to run, walk or trek on the Lakefront Path. Unless it's the weekend of the Air and Water Show, when you don't want to run through the hordes, does a foot path ever close? Even the gym was open normal hours...no complaints there, since I skipped my Monday workout and hoped to make up on Tuesday, snow and all. What crazy--or not so crazy--activity did you do during this snowstorm?

Media Mayhem at Blackhawks 5K

Chicago is all about its sports, whether it be baseball, basketball, football or hockey, and the city gets even more into them during a championship year. Or so I've noticed after living here going on eight years (yikes, that makes me feel really old!). I remember pictures of the Bulls championships plastered across the newspapers and the parades. When the White Sox won the World Series, it's almost safe to say that most of the city played hooky from work, school and other obligations to line the streets downtown. And while I never got into following the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup win a few months ago, the pictures from that post-win parade made the turnout appear even larger than who cheered for the Sox, not to mention a Michigan Avenue shut down over a State Street one.

Whether you're a hockey fan, a die-hard Blackhawks' follower, or just a runner looking for a local 5K to log on a Saturday morning, tomorrow you'll want to be at the United Center for the Mad Dash to Madison, a 5K run/walk and 10K skate that kicks off the Chicago Blackhawks Training Camp Festival and benefits the Blackhawks. But if you aren't already signed up, the only way you'll get to participate in this event is from the sidelines. My best guess is that the Stanley Cup win popularized this event even more than the notoriety it already had.

And I guess you could say that's part of the reason for why I'm checking out this 5K--to share in a part of Blackhawks' history after missing the big ticket earlier in the year--plus the invitation to be a part of a team with many more Chicago media, especially some famous names and faces like Amy Freeze, John Garcia, Anthony Ponce, Dina Bair, Billy Dec and Jimmy Greenfield. While most would say they're there to run, walk, or finish their first or fastest 5K, that's certainly not the case for me. I'm going for experience only, not so much caring about the clock--a vast difference from my usual race-day outlook. But I'm not even a week out from completing an Ironman, and one where I struggled on the run like you wouldn't believe (darn leg spasms), so it would almost be stupid of me to even attempt to go all-out in this effort. Don't you think? Regardless, I'm all about survival come tomorrow, and knowing that I'm OK with walking if I have to or feeling totally off my normal 5K pace.

Who else is running tomorrow? Or what other ways are you staying active this weekend?

Photo grabbed from chicagoevents.com. 

Meet Josh Cox in Chicago

I'm in a hotel room in Benton Harbor for a race tomorrow but a little pre-race jitters are leaving me typing away instead of sleeping. I just posted this story at examiner.com but am sharing it here too. Enjoy and more once this darn race is done.

He's Ryan Hall's training buddy out in Mammoth, Calif. He's shoveled snow with 2009 ING New York City Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi. He's run the 56 miles of the Comrades Marathon in Africa with Team World Vision. He won the 5K that was run in Boston the day before the 2010 Boston Marathon. He's been on the cover of Runner's World, a contestant on The Bachelorette and was recently on the cover of Competitor magazine. Enough with the guessing, he's Josh Cox, an amazing runner who definitely doesn't play second fiddle to Ryan and Meb, and he's in town this weekend to celebrate the running of the second annual Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon.

If you were already at the expo Friday evening to pick up your packet, you may have spotted Cox at the Nissan booth signing autographs. Don't despair, it wasn't just a one-time showing. He'll be back at the expo tomorrow afternoon and then will be holding the finish line tape as the fastest male and female runners of the morning cross the finish line. Here's where you can catch Cox tomorrow at McCormick Place:

• 1-1:30 p.m. Nissan Training Tips Seminar at expo seminar stage
• 1:30-2:30 p.m. Autographs at the Nissan booth
• 2:30-3:30 p.m. Panel of Experts Seminar

Then on Sunday he'll be on hand signing autographs just steps from the finish line from 10-11 a.m., again at the Nissan booth. You can find the Finish Line Festival in Grant Park.

Can't get to McCormick Place or Grant Park? Catch running tips from Josh Cox, Ryan Hall and more online through Nissan's 'Master the Shift' program. This is really cool stuff, and I've only had a chance to look at it briefly. Cox is part of Team Ryan at 'Master the Shift', which empowers runners and those who want to take up running to become better athletes. We're talking tons of tips, personal experience stories, advice from experts--you name it--in the form of content, videos and blogs. Check it out at www.facebook.com/mastertheshift.

Girls, Giggles and Group Running

GOTR in Red Wing, Minn.

Chicago likes to do things big. We have some of the tallest buildings in the country. We have one of the largest--and one of the most spectacular, I might add--Whole Foods Markets. We've set a Guinness World Record for the largest triathlon, August's Chicago Tri has drawn about 8,000 competitors, and our Bank of America Chicago Marathon is known as one of the biggies in North America. So it didn't come as much of a surprise when I read that our city's branch of Girls on the Run is shooting to be the largest ever when it kicks off tomorrow morning.

But we're not talking about it being the largest New Balance Girls on the Run 5K that Chicago has ever had. It's aiming to be the largest in the world. Girls on the Run Chicago only needs 6,301 people to be registered to receive that honor. And between the 3,000 girls in the group, which encourages young girls to live healthy lives and have self-respect through a 12-week running program, plus their coaches, parents, friends and the general public who want to support this mission, the race is getting close to that milestone.

The 5K kicks off tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. at Montrose Harbor along the Chicago Lakefront. Beware about trying to park onsite...that Montrose parking lot fills out pretty fast on any race-day morning but with a nice weekend ahead, girls being bussed to the start and a lot of people for a relatively small space, you're better off arriving by bike, foot, or public transportation. The morning promises to be a fun one for all involved. It's an amazing site to see these girls geared up for the race--for many it's their first 5K--and their cheerleaders, ready to watch them reach their goal. To keep the competition from getting out of hand, everyone is a winner at this race, with a clock running but no one really caring about how fast or slow they take it out there--makes sense, right? And if you are that lucky 6,301st registrant, the one who's responsible for bringing the race over that record-setting line, you'll go home with a special prize. No word yet on what it is, but Girls on the Run has a lot of great sponsors so it should be good.

What are you waiting for? Online registration closes at 5 p.m. today or you can register on site tomorrow morning, beginning at 7 a.m. Registration costs $35, which goes back to providing all of this great programming for the girls. For more details, check out www.gotrchicago.org or click here to register. Photo grabbed from chief_huddleston at flickr.

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?

Get Your Rock 'N' Roll On in Chicago...and Fast

Hey Chicago! Do you have your sights set on running a half marathon this summer? Do you want to run this 13.1 miler through the streets of Chicago? Consider running the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon, coming to the Windy City on August 1. But act fast because registration is set to close soon.

Forget scrounging up extra cash for the race fee, begging friends to join you in the venture or wondering how you're going to survive a half marathon in the middle of summer. You need to put all those thoughts aside and just register for the race now before it's too late. Race organizers are announcing online that the race is nearly full and they sent an e-mail with the same warning. When a similar announcement went out for October's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, those last 2,000 spots for the 45,000-participant race were gone before the work day was out. At Rock 'n' Roll, you'll be vying for one of the 20,000 spots available. And knowing our love for running in Chicago, coupled with the out-of-town draw to the city's big-name races, it's no surprise that those spots are disappearing. Score one by registering here.

Some quick facts about race weekend:

• The 2nd annual half marathon will be held Sunday, August 1.
• The race starts at 6:30 a.m. Consider it an effort to avoid the heat.
• Registration costs $110 (plus Active Network registration fees)
• What you get with registration: goodie bag, race T-shirt, entry to the post-race headliner concert, bands playing along the course route, finisher's medal and finisher's certificate
• The race benefits the American Cancer Society and runners can be a part of the organization's charity arm: DetermiNation.
• The race starts and finishes in Grant Park at Columbus and Congress.
• You get to run a portion of the race along Lake Shore Drive.
• Kara Goucher won this race in 2009 and crossed the finish line ahead of all the other competitors.
• It's a flat and fast route that partially mimics some of the Chicago Marathon's course.

What are you waiting for? Register today!

And if you've run it before, what are your likes/dislikes about the course? I'm curious as I was supposed to run this race when it was known as the Chicago Distance Classic but I broke my collarbone the day before--so much for knocking a half marathon off my schedule that summer. But I'll save that story for another day. Photo grabbed from msullivan63 at flickr.

An Evening with Runners Josh Cox and Bart Yasso

It's not every day that world-renown runners come to Chicago. The Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon drew Kara Goucher, the Shamrock Shuffle has brought Deena Kastor (2009) and Tera Moody, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has welcomed Khalid Khannouchi, Paula Radcliffe, Kastor and more and will see Ryan Hall this fall. But this time, it's the fun run that's seeing some famous runner action. Josh Cox and Bart Yasso will be in Chicago tonight to lead a group run from Moody Church, 1635 N. LaSalle, at 6:30 p.m. Cox is ultrarunner extraordinaire while Yasso is the Chief Running Officer at Runner's World, and both are great resources for any and all running-related questions.

The evening includes more than just a group run. At 7:15 p.m., after the run, you'll get to learn about Comrades Marathon--the big race on Cox's calendar this year--and give yourself the chance to win some Chicago Marathon entries or go home with giveaways. Then head over to Pint in Bucktown at 8:30 p.m. where you can watch the unreleased COMRADES movie and enjoy some post-run refreshments.

If tonight's run doesn't work into your schedule, Cox and Yasso aren't leaving the Windy City just yet. Plan to run with them tomorrow out out of South Barrington. They'll be running from Willow Creek Church at 6:45 p.m., then doing more giveaways--including Chicago Marathon entries--and talking about Comrades at 7:30 p.m.

Nice weather is one way to get outside for a run, but cool runners can easily be another, at least if you're local to my home city. Check out all the details--and RSVP--for tonight and tomorrow's events at joshcox.com. Or follow Cox at @JoshCoxRun and Yasso at @BartYasso via Twitter with more updates.

Don't live in the Windy City but going to Beantown for the upcoming Boston Marathon? Stay tuned for more information about events going on with both Cox and Yasso at the event's expo. Photos grabbed from worldvision.org and runtowin.com.

Gotta Love the Hometown Crowd

In case you can't tell already, I'm pretty much obsessed with the Olympics. It started off with all things summer--I like to say I perfected my swim strokes through the likes of Summer Sanders, Pablo Morales and Krisztina Egerszegi--with Barcelona in 1992, and only escalated from there. The winter obsession is a little newer--in part because my husband's even more tuned in than me--but still there. I won't bore you with the details.

Anyway, the point of all of this is to explain why no one should be surprised that I'd be one reading Olympics-focused websites, requesting to follow Games-specific peeps on Twitter and I hardly use the program, and becoming fans with athletes and the Olympics on Facebook. So my latest Games gotta-know-now info left me wondering more about the athletes and where they're from (no, I'm not stalking, really). More because I knew a few Olympians from the Windy City and some figure skaters who trained five minutes from where I grew up (1998 figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski being one of them). And also because I spent enough time on teamusa.org reading about the athletes. So without further ado, here's the local USA contingent we're cheering for...

Ben Agosto--Chicago. Partners with Tanith Belbin in the ice dancing competition.
Lisa Chesson--Plainfield, Ill. Will take to the ice with the women's hockey team.
Meryl Davis--She's not from Chicago but this half of a figure skating ice dance pair hails from West Bloomfield, Mich., five minutes from where I grew up.
Shani Davis--Chicago. He lives in Milwaukee now to be closer to training facilities, but this long track speed skater got his start on the ice at Robert Crown Ice Arena in Evanston, Ill.
Lana Gehring--Glenview, Ill. She'll be competing in short track speed skating and made the team in the 500m.
Brian Hansen--Glenview, Ill. He'll be at the Richmond Olympic Oval racing in long-track speed skating.
Jonathan Kuck--Champaign, Ill. This long-track speed skater hails from the same town as Bonnie Blair who won five medals competing on the long track.
Evan Lysacek--Naperville, Ill. He might live in California now to train with Frank Carroll, but this figure skating 2009 World Champion graduated high school at Neuqua Valley.
Jamie Moriarty--This football player turned bobsledder is either from Winnetka or Glencoe, depending on the list you look at.
Katherine Reutter--Champaign, Ill. Another speed skater from the land of Bonnie Blair, but Reutter competes on the short track. Random fact: Many Illinois speed skaters train in Wisconsin at the Pettit Ice Arena but Reutter used to shuttle between Champaign and St. Louis
before training in Salt Lake City.
Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr.--Wheaton, Ill. She shares a name with her Olympian speed skating mom and now makes her Olympic debut in the same sport (long track).
Charlie White--He's Meryl Davis's skating partner and I had to include him as a shout out to my hometown before Chicago, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

And for one more that doesn't really fit in, but got a nod in my book was luger Tony Benshoof from White Bear Lake, Minn., a hop, skip and a jump from where my husband grew up. There's lotsa hockey in Minnesota but the luge surprised me a bit. Why? I don't really have an answer for that one.

While this list makes it seem like I have a lot of time on my hands (not true as my husband can attest I'm up way past bedtime most nights) or I'm simply crazy for caring about who's from where (I might have to agree with that but it doesn't phase me), it keeps the Games interesting when you're watching for the locals. Maybe there's an athlete or two with a connection to your hometown? Find out here. Check out the athlete bios, too--some are pretty entertaining. And no, I have yet to read even a quarter of them. Photo grabbed from teamusa.org, by Matthew Stockman at Getty Images. Posted by Kate