The Hot Chocolate 5k is the biggest race I’ve ever done—by far. I had my doubts about running in November in Chicago. But as Halloween gets packed up and put away and Thanksgiving and Christmas begin to explode everywhere, I thought it would be a fun experience. There is something about winter--and impending winter--that bands Chicagoans together. "Why not?" I heard Ken say in my head. Though I didn’t select this race based on the charity component, I was happy to see tha

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after my first 5k Hamming it up for the 70's themed run When I started running last year, I no plans of ever wanting or feeling the need to run any race of any kind. It’s the fault of that part of me that doesn’t like to belong to a group—especially one that is fitness-related. The convenience of the Ravenswood Run 5K was irresistible, and the momentum built from there and I went with it. Three runs seemed like a nice round number for the y

I ran my first 5k recently. It was an amazing experience. For me, it was the return of…something. A break-through of some kind. One of the small victories that reminds you of the achievements you’re capable of. If you push yourself. It’s a sense of accomplishment I can’t say I’ve felt in a long time. The first race I selected was in my neighborhood. It seemed like the perfect inaugural run. No transportation or chaos in order to get there. I walked to the starting point, wea