Quick Fix: Grab a Last Chance Chicago Marathon Spot

Wait a second...didn't the Chicago Marathon fill months ago? Yes. After all, that's why I rushed to the computer to register when an email warned only 5,000 slots remained. But why do I keep getting email reminders that it's my last chance to register for the 2011 race? Because the marathon sold out to general entry way back in February when we were scrambling to register for a race that was more than 7 months away. But the charities affiliated with the marathon still have spaces available for the October 9 race.

Good news if you forgot to register in February, didn't want to think about running when we had the snowpacalypse to deal with, had an injury or race-day conflict or regretted skipping registration ever since. But bad news because you're going to have to decide soon. While race organizers kindly reminded us on National Running Day that charity registration--for the organizations with slots to spare--was still open, they also warned that it would be closing on June 30. So unless you're planning to borrow a bib from a registered runner off Craigslist--it's illegal anyway--this is your final chance to make yourself a 2011 Chicago Marathon runner instead of spectator.

Once you get over the fundraising factor, which can be daunting if you look at the bare bones of how much you have to raise without noticing the assistance you get or the perks you receive in return, it's almost like you have to ask yourself why you rushed to register in the first place. Thousands of runners are already running for one of the 99 (if I counted correctly) affiliated charities, the fundraising commitment is really not as high as you might expect, and you're helping others by committing to run and submit some donations to the cause. And if that's not incentive enough, if you register by June 30, you're entered into a drawing to win prizes like race day VIP packages and race memorabilia.

Need some suggestions for a charity? Here are some of my favorites--recognizable organizations in no particular order, really--among those charities ready to welcome you to their team with their spots to spare.

• Chicago Run. Kids and running? I was all over this when I learned about their start for an old article I was writing--and I'm still just as enthused about promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for Chicago kids.
• Bright Pink. Ready to enlighten and empower young women with high-risk breast and ovarian cancer outlooks? Now's your chance to get pink, bright pink.
• Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation. Remember my excitement when Tillman, aka Peanut, can to run at Universal Sole? Here's an organization the Chicago Bear started after his daughter was diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy to help Chicago-area kids and their families who are in need.
• Bears Care. Run with Bears Care and your funds will help build public athletic fields around the city.
• Team Hole in the Wall. A pleasant surprise to see this team on the list because I remember swapping stories with my dad about his work involvement with this organization last summer, spending a week at a South Dakota camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses. To help send a child to camp, I'd take it.
• Back on My Feet. Maybe you can't run with BOMF early in the morning. Show your support instead by marathon running with the organization that uses running to promote self-sufficiency for homeless populations.
• A Running Start Foundation. In registering for the 2010 race, I managed to accidentally sign myself up under this charity. Talk about feeling awful--I didn't know until I picked up my packet. It's a cool organization too, using sports to improve the lives of East Africans. Who knows? Maybe there's another Sammy Wanjiru or Moses Mosop out there.
• Salute, Inc. Remember running the Soldier Field race in May? That 10-miler also supported this organization which helps meet the financial, emotional and physical needs of military service members while raising awareness of their sacrifices.
• The MGR Foundation's Team M3. The name stuck: I learned about this student mentor running program that connects Chicago Public High School students with adult mentor a few years back for a community focused article (I'd share the link but it's no longer available online). 
• Imerman Angels. If you were fighting cancer, wouldn't you want a mentor who had been there and beaten that--and could almost act as a sixth sense? Here's a community that provides one-on-one support for cancer fighters, survivors and caretakers.
• Friends of Prentice. By running for the women's hospital at Northwestern Memorial, your efforts go toward the Prentice Ambulatory Care Clinic, which provides care to uninsured and under-insured women who walk through Prentice and NMH.
• Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. They protect us and now it's our time to give back to the Chicago police officers who put themselves in the line of duty and were killed or injured.
• Best Buddies Illinois. Ready to run on behalf of friendship? That's the goal of Best Buddies Illinois, which wants to establish friendships, leadership opportunities and more for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
• Children's Memorial Hospital Foundation. OK, so I've known about these spare spots for months yet have kept mum (sorry!), same as last year. But wouldn't you want to run for the kids?
• Girls on the Run SoleMates. Grab your tiara and your girl power for this organization which empowers elementary school aged girls to run and feel good about themselves.
• Team World Vision. Bart Yasso, Ed Norton, Josh Cox, Dr. Andy Baldwin. All these famous names, and a few others, have run for this group which works to provide clean water for Africa and Haiti.
• Cellmates on the Run. Not to be confused with jails, prisons and convicts, this is an arm of the Chicago Diabetes Project which helps advance diabetes research. 

And that's just a sampling--even more are listed in the charity section of the event's website and none that are less worthy of getting support. But be sure to read about each charity carefully if you're blindly choosing--the fundraising amounts and perks for you the runner vary by charity. Anyone out there who's run with a charity before? Why'd you do it and why'd you like it?

If there's one good thing that comes out of having a 45,000-participant race, it's having a second chance at registering with entries to still be had. You just have to look among the charities. But you have to act fast because the countdown is on. June 30 will be here all too quickly and then you'll be SOL til next year.

Photo courtesy of Children's Memorial Hospital's team.  

Blink and You Missed It: Ironman NYC

11 minutes? Seriously, that's the amount of time it took for the inaugural Ironman U.S. Championship, to be held August 11, 2012, in the New York City area, to fill its general registration. I can barely get ready for a bike ride in 11 minutes. You can't watch a complete quarter of football or basketball. Even an elite can't run a 5K that quickly.

I can understand why so many people are obsessed with this Ironman...to a point. A race that's in a bustling metropolitan area--I don't think you could consider Louisville or Panama City Beach hopping when compared with New York. A race that's guaranteed to have plenty of crowd support--if everyone in the tri-state area understands and knows to line each mile of the course. A race that runs between two states on the bike and the run--and finishes in Manhattan with the most urbanized backdrop in the states? OK, I get it.

But still, I don't think I'd pay $895 to it--if I even had $895 to spare. I thought $525 was bad the first time I registered for Ironman, yet I still coughed up the $575 to do it again two years later. But I like the Wisconsin course and the farmland tour--I don't think I could say the same for the bike route along the Palisades Parkway and the Hudson River swim. While I appreciate that the Parkway will be closed to traffic--it's scary when the cars pop up in Wisconsin--I can't help but associate it with cars, cars speeding far faster than they technically should be. My cousins grew up within walking distance of the Palisades and I remember trips to their house and from their house that were rarely at the speed limit and still having cars whiz by. Thank goodness that's not a concern for this race, but the Hudson River can be. Not the nicest body of water to want to swim in. If I thought Town Lake in Tempe, Ariz., looked awful, I'd be even less inclined to swim the Hudson.

It's not for me, which is a good thing for those clamoring to grab a spot when registration opened at noon yesterday. Price tag and course aside, I'd have a bed to sleep in that doesn't require a hotel stay and guaranteed crowd support--I'm sure I could convince my parents to visit my aunt. But I guess all you other Ironman triathletes are thinking, "Good riddance, more for me." And I'm fine with that. Sorry, but Ironman St. George excited me more. But that's likely because I know the New York region far better than Utah--and I love wide-open spaces.

But from an organizational standpoint, it's pretty impressive a race of this magnitude, which has to cover 140.6 miles in a tight metropolitan area, found a way to do it. Closing the Palisades when it's only been closed for emergencies? Not being allowed to close New York city streets except for two blocks? Race organizer John Korff is a logistics genius. I know why any local would rush to register. But how do you train for the bike? Does the Palisades Parkway allow cyclists or is this a CompuTrainer-only practice session?

Photo grabbed from Koshyk at flickr.

Marathon Motivation: Nike 26.2 Preview

Who's running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9? Who needs a little marathon motivation to get off the couch and start training? Who needs advice on how you're going to complete this event you mindlessly signed up for months ago, not thinking about training, fueling, clothing and everything else a marathon might involve? If you're nodding your head yes to any of these, you can get that jolt, knowledge, inspiration and more this Saturday, but you'll have to come to Chicago to get it.

If you're not within driving distance to the Windy City, start looking at weekend fare specials now because the Nike 26.2 Preview sounds too cool to miss. And if you can drive, bike or run your way to Soldier Field's south parking lot sometime between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. on June 18, you may have to do just that. Trust me, I already got excited about this event once--sharing it with Chicago at Time Out Chicago's The Rundown--but after I learned even more about it last night, my energy levels spiked again. And for an injured runner who's starting to really hate her leg for quitting on her when the running season couldn't be more perfect (minus the heat and thunderstorms), that's saying a lot. Here's why even injured me wants to make an appearance:

• Saturday promises to offer a motivational start to whatever event you'll be training for this summer. The marathon is the focus but you could be running a 26.2 outside Chicago, a half marathon, your first race ever...you get the idea. Nike and the companies who are coming out to be a part of this special day really just want to get you excited about running.
• Earl Bennett, a wide receiver on the Chicago Bears will be in attendance, offering training tips from an athlete's perspective. He's set to arrive at 11 a.m.
• Rumor has it that Dathan Ritzenhein will also be on-site, maybe even running with a group or two. But don't quote me on it.
• Group runs will be occurring throughout the morning, departing from Soldier Field's south parking lot and running along the Lakefront Path. Expect to run 8 miles--or pull off early or run twice. Runs start at 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m.
• Nike and marathon experts will be on-hand to talk nutrition, coaching and training advice.
• Nike will be showcasing its latest running apparel and footwear. That could mean the opportunity to see the LunarGlide 3 before it's released to the world in July.
• Fleet Feet Sports and Naperville Running Company will offer gear recommendations, in-depth running instruction and good form running tips. I can only guess that good form must mean a version of the Good Form Running that Fleet Feet offers weekly at its stores.
• Though not related to Nike and more something that formed because of the Preview, there's a #FFCheer tweetup set to start around 9:15 a.m. Stay tuned for more details. 
• And the event is tented, to a degree, so even if the predicted scattered thunderstorms roll in, you won't have to be entirely exposed to the elements.

Is that enough to crawl out of bed and run--or pretend to run by browsing--on a Saturday morning. I think so. But don't forget your wallet, you might find something you want to purchase to help you with that training. And who knows, maybe you'll find a training buddy. For more details about Saturday's Nike 26.2 Preview, check out 26-2preview.com. And as Nike says, "Let the road to race day begin."

Photo grabbed from Nike and 26-2preview.com.

Wednesday Workout...with Allison English

What does your typical Wednesday workout call for? Is it a swim, a bike or a run? How about some Pilates or yoga? Or do you take hump day off as a breather from whatever you put yourself through Thursday through Tuesday? Whatever the case, Chicagoans want to tune in for this suggestion. It's Yoga in the Park--Lincoln Park's Oz Park, to be exact--and it's taking place tomorrow, June 15, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Allison English, yogi extraordinaire from Equinox Fitness Clubs, is teaming up with Lululemon's Halsted Street store to lead aspiring and routine yoga enthusiasts through an hour-long session.

English leads packed classes at Equinox Lincoln Park--trust me, I've seen the masses spilling out of the studio--and teaches in a way that makes you embrace rather than shy away from yoga. I've only sampled about 30 minutes of her classes while learning about other Equinox offerings, but as a usually scared, completely inflexible attendee, she explained all the postures with easy-to-understand cues and knew how to make yoga fun. She also makes you wish you could be as flexible as she is--but that, I know, is something that would only happen in my dreams as I can barely touch my toes, and that's cheating with bent knees.

If the lure of an outdoor workout isn't enough, here are two more reasons to attend: Class is free and Lululemon is bringing the mats. Perfect for anyone who either doesn't have a mat or doesn't want to spend the rest of the evening cleaning dirt off hers (that would be me).

But one thing to keep in mind is that Yoga in the Park might turn into Yoga in the Store if today's weather doesn't carry through to tomorrow. If it's nice, meet at the Dorothy statue in Oz Park. If it's inclement weather, meet at Lululemon Halsted, 2104 N. Halsted. Not sure? Call the store at 773-883-8860. Or if you can't make it, there's always next week. Yoga in the Park is every Wednesday at Oz Park, same time but different instructor. The 22nd brings Allison Powel to the mat and the 29th brings Cory from CorePower Yoga's newest location in Roscoe Village.

Photo grabbed from yogabyallison.com.

What I Miss About Running

Another weekend, another set of races I can’t run. I’m really beginning to sound like a broken record, I realize, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being injured and stuck on the sidelines, it’s that I really miss running. I appreciate the sport far more now than I did before when I could head out for a run whenever I wanted. I know it. Heck, I complain and whine—all the time—about the fact that I’m not able to go out and do my usual summertime damage on the Lakefront Path.

But rather than wallow in self-pity, the easy route that I’m pretty good at taking in anything not running-related, I make fitness lists. Goals to shoot for next time. What went wrong at this race. Days to squeeze in training sessions. Superfoods, with their oh-so-super-meals, that might give a boost. Why I’m frustrated. So in list-making tradition, I’m taking a stab at what I miss about running. Superficial or not, here it goes:

1. The sweating. Sounds weird, I know, but the 90-degree temperatures earlier in the week brought back this memory. Granted I couldn’t tolerate a midday run in that heat, but I love it when beads of sweat start to form on my forehead. To me, it’s the sign of a good workout—and getting out all the toxins. Not so nice in the winter but perfect for this time of year.
2. Its ease. You know how we always say that it’s easy to go for a run? I almost forgot how easy it is, especially in this weather, to throw on a tank and shorts, add my shoes, sunglasses and tunes and head out the door. The hardest thing is finding a spot to store my keys. Not biking. I packed a duffel bag full of stuff I could potentially need when I went to the Udder Century last weekend.
3. The ability to eat almost anything after a good, hard run. Some people eat to run, I run to eat. I’m sure those eating habits will catch up with me later—or rather I know so judging from this lack of running—but I feel less guilty about eating a burger or getting a concrete at Scooter’s after burning calories on a run.
4. The racing. Watching races is one thing, as is volunteering, but I’ve learned through spectating that I belong on the race course. What can I say, I like racing against the clock even though I haven’t been logging PRs lately. And hearing about others’ accomplishments have been making me sad because I can’t be out there doing the same, or try.
5. The day-after feeling. Who’s sore the day after a long run or hard effort? As much as it hurts to get out of bed, I’ll take that over a hangover.
6. The runner's body. Runners come in all shapes and sizes but I'm definitely noticing a not-so-welcome change to what I'm towing around these days. Sure, it's my own fault screwing up the diet and exercise that works toward weight loss--skipping another boring ride on the bike, feeding a food craving--but I didn't think it'd be this hard to tone my lower half without the run.
7. Running in the rain. I can't believe I'm writing this one because normally my only rainy runs happen when the rain starts to fall after I'm already outside or it's a race. But I miss the soft drizzle that cools my body enough without wrecking my shoes, the rain clouds forming overhead that tell me to run faster to outrun the storm, the harder rain that soaks my clothes but not my spirit (most of the time).

If you couldn’t run, what would you miss most?

Note: A version of this post originally appeared at FFCheer.