Little Merry Sunshine Celebrates National Running Day!

Quit laughing. We really are celebrating National Running Day here at Little Merry Sunshine.

Let me give you the backstory...

It all started a few weeks ago when, after a great swim with my favorite swimming friend, I casually mentioned that I wanted to lose weight faster. He suggested that I start running. He's run two marathons. He's a runner. I have an (almost) 40 year history of never running because (a) I walk faster than I run, (b) my dad has a history of knee problems and I assume they are genetic, and (c) well, (c) is a very personal reason having to do with um, the girls. That said, prior to my friend making this comment, I had actually been contemplating possibly starting to think about running. Yep, I was committed.

After his comment, I started to think about running for real. But then I sort of forgot about it until Friday.

You may recall that Friday was the annual Lake Forest College Alumni Cubs Rooftop Event. I took the train down with my friend Derek and sizable group of Foresters and Forester Friends. Derek commented about how much weight I'd lost (40 pounds as of that morning!) and asked if I wanted to run the Shamrock Shuffle 8K with him next year. He had done it this year for the first time and had already committed to doing it again in 2012.

Before even giving me time to say no, he suggested a "better" idea: we run a 5K together in the fall in preparation for the 8K next Spring and actually got me excited for the Blackhawks Training Camp Festival and 5K in September. It's a 5K around the neighborhood ending inside the United Center with lots of beer while watching the Blackhawks workout. I have to be honest here: my favorite kind of workout includes me drinking beer while watching someone else sweat and if I have to sweat a little myself beforehand, I could do that.

On Saturday, I did a little research into the Blackhawks 5K and learned that it's being held on the same date as my LFC Fall Alumni Board Meeting and I can't, in good conscience, miss that meeting so I can go run and drink beer, even if it involves watching Patrick Kane skate around afterwards. No, really, I can't. Really.

So I started researching other 5K races we could do in the Fall.

In honor of National Running Day, I'm pleased to announce for the first time ever...

Little Merry Sunshine, joined by Derek and anyone else who wants to run, is going to run one and maybe two 5K races before the end of the year! And I'll get to cross an item off my Bucket List!

The Bucktown 5K will be held on Sunday, October 2nd in Bucktown with an after-party at the Taste of Bucktown. The only challenge with this race is the fact that it's the day after Homecoming and Reunion Weekend at Lake Forest College. If you've been, you know why running a race the next morning could be a problem.

The Northshore Turkey Trot will be held on Thursday, November 24th. As they say on the website, before you loosen your belt, tighten your laces. While it doesn't appear that this race includes a post-party, I probably have to get home to cook anyway.

Once we make a decision on which race (or both) to run, I'll let you know. My goal with both races is simply to finish.

Starting immediately, I'm going to start training to run a 5K. Yes, I know that most people train for marathons. To me, this is a marathon.

Want to run with me? Send me a note or leave a comment below.

I run because I want to lose weight faster and I want to challenge my body!