The Numbers Game

Packet pickup for the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th took place over the weekend at Dick Pond Elmhurst. Handing out numbers, goodie bags, T-shirts and everything else associated with packet pickup, Anne Klein (left) Karen Leavitt (center) and Lori Wallace of the Elmhurst Running Club gave up their Sunday afternoon for the cause. It was worth it. We still expect close to 1,000 runners on Friday, and the more packets given out, the better off we'll all be. Next pre-race pickup is 3-7 p.m. on Thursday at Elmhurst College. I'll admit I love this stuff, but we're into the nerve-wracking stage now.

Turning the Corner

Well, a tight-knit bunch of us, 280 to be exact, ran the Palatine Race for Young Life 5K this morning in humid but manageable heat. I hadn't done this one in two years, and this time we apparently ran the course the way it was measured, with six left turns coned off down the middle of the street. There was no tight tangent running with tight corners this time out. We all got somewhat slow times, but as someone once said, time is relative. The reality is that when we ran fast times here in the past, the course probably was short. I was left in the dust in my age group, but still ran OK with a 20:46. Sure, I'd love to go faster, but it is what it is.
The men were led by Patrick Rizzo, 24, of Rochester, Mich., who ran a blistering 14:54.40. Dave Wilson, 39, of Brookfield, followed in 16:02.30 and Dennis Baliga, 18, of Rockford, was third in 16:22.30. On the women's side, Katie Hauser, 26, of Ingleside, coasted in 18:18.60. Next were Sanya Syrstad, 42, of Glen Ellyn in 18:57.80 and Stephanie Hughes, 19, of Chicago, in 19:48.30. It was fun to meet Nettie before the race. Here's a big hello to a loyal reader.

Going Forward (What's the Alternative?)

It's been a bit busy the last couple of days as we move ahead into final prep for the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th. We had our packet-stuffing party last night. I personally saw marathon runners wearing down from the constant shuffling and movement the four hours of stuffing required. Now, we get everything set up at Dick Pond Elmhurst tonight for the first two days of packet pickup on Saturday and Sunday. The second round is Thursday and Friday at Elmhurst College. It gets complicated though. I'm going to the Palatine Run for Young Life 5K race tomorrow not just to run, but to get a good picture or two of Chip distribution and also to pick up our race numbers, which will have been processed through 8 p.m. tonight for pickup tomorrow by tireless Julie Pearson at Race Time. Meanwhile, I'll be watching the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials tonight on USA and tomorrow and Sunday on Channel 5. Between that and Cubs-Sox, I'll be putting in overtime on the tube. A special good luck goes out to nephew Pete in the Alcatraz swim!

Mary Decker Slaney at 50

If you're looking for something interesting to read and view on a rainy day in Chicago, look no further. With the U.S. Olympic Trials coming up, good friend and geek Mike Prizy forwarded this excellent interview (make sure you view the video . . . it has her famous wins in the 1,500 and 3,000 at the worlds in Helsinki in 1983). Check it out.
http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=2DCC199C-0EAD-435E-9E10-F689F5D8CBDA&gsa=true

Taking Life to the Extreme

John Gervais is the kind of crazy race director I love. He puts on the Sam's Club Waterfall Glen X-treme 10-miler, and from what John says, they are close to their 800 cap for the July 26 CARA Circuit event. Meanwhile, John is coming back from an unusual injury. Yep, he took life to the extreme; he was in a motorcycle wreck. In his own words, "it will be months until I'm running." We wish John well, and if you want to run the X-treme, get in asap.

Gettin' Down in Downers Grove

Thunder, lightning and rain jumped the gun by about 12 minutes on Sunday. It stopped in a couple of minutes and the CARA Circuit 5-miler and accompanying 10-miler went off as scheduled at 7:30. Winners were Dave Wilson, 39, of Brookfield, in 26:27.15, and Michelle Plummer, 31, of Gilberts (PHOTO), in 31:41.40. A lot of key CARA players were there and the hilly course hasn't gotten any easier! I definitely felt the effects of a nine-miler the day before (stupid!), and was about 53 seconds slower than last year with a 34:03. They had a good turnout with many very strong runners seeking CARA points along with some good old glory. I was fifth in boomer-heavy M55-59, and would have been second in M45-49. Go figure. Lesson learned. Don't put in a marathon training run the day before a Circuit race. Amen.

California Creamin'

They don't run the 2-mile very often any more, but they did on Friday night (June 20) at thye 18th Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. Prep star German Fernandez of Riverbank, Calif., smashed the 29-year-old national record with an 8:34.40! ALSO! Don't miss Chris Derrick's Dispatches. Very cool! Read all about it at:
http://www.dyestat.com//?pg=us-2008-Outdoor-Track-NikeOutdoorNationals