Running and joy

Fall colors at Waterfall Glen

A hodgepodge of the week and why running is joyful:

Running at the start and during the full lunar eclipse early Wednesday morning. Worth getting up early.

My fussy-eater five-year-old actually finding a veggie he would eat -- the "tree" part of cooked broccoli.

Discovering a amazon.com box in my living room late Friday that contained a camelbak, something trail runners and ultra marathoners use -- great for carrying food and liquids. It was a complete surprise gift from one of my running buddies. I was so touched and choked up at her thoughtfulness--she even got it in pink/purple, my colors!!

Not exactly my camelbak, but you get the idea. So cool!

Running the stunningly gorgeous Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve trail, which I had never run before, with a wonderful friend who lives in the burbs and who, with three kids, sees nothing wrong with meeting up at 5:30 in the morning to go run a trail in the dark that is unfamiliar to us. (Since neither of us have headlamps, I carried my household flashlight like a dork. We also found a nice ultrarunner guy with a headlamp who got us to the trailhead safely. I love runners.)

Thanks to a gracious running friend, finding my first-ever pair of trail shoes, Mizuno Wave Ascend  -- and for a great price.

Mizuno Wave Ascend -- in my high school colors to boot

While on a very tired an slow Sunday run, running by the six-mile mark of the Chicago marathon in time to see the elite leaders running by. A middle-of-the-pack runner like me only sees the elites on TV. It was so incredible. Then seeing a guide run alongside a blind marathon runner made me cry. Wow.

I was slogging through a tired run by the Chicago marathon course when we lucked out and caught the leaders -- some of the world's best runners. I missed getting a photo of the leaders at the Chicago marathon, but here's the second wave -- they moved like gazelles. Goosebumps, I tell ya.

Week 11 50K training

Monday 10/6 Rest day/core work and stretching
Tuesday 10/7 5.1 miles
Wednesday 10/8 6.3 miles. Supposed to be 8, but I kept stopping to look at the lunar eclipse. How could I not?
Thursday 10/9 Took a day off. Achy ankle. Ice and tiger balm helped a lot. Also self-corrected rotated hips, which happens occasionally after having my third child, my 3-year-old daughter.
Friday 10/10 Group Centergy class.
Saturday 10/11 Awesome, awesome, awesome trail run at the amazing Waterfall Glen forest preserve
Sunday 10/12 12.4 miles

Total weekly mileage: 43.2 miles
Total training mileage: 439.8