Hey guys and happy Thursday! Only two more days until the weekend (and vacation for me!), we’re almost there!
Today I’m going to post about a great local 5k that is happening in Chicago on July 10, the 3rd annual Strike Out ALS 5k.
The race starts at 6:30 p.m. on the home plate of Comiskey Park and runners will have the rare opportunity to run the grounds around U.S. Cellular Park including the warm-up track that was used by Chicago great, Bo Jackson. The race finishes on the warning track of U.S. Cellular Field and post-race, runners and can celebrate with their friends and family at the field as they watch the 2012 MLB All-Star Game on the Jumbotron. (The concession stands will also be open.) Sounds like a lot of fun right?
Admission to the post-race party is free for adult and family, friends, and fans can make a donation at the door.
The best part? All of the donations and proceeds from the Strike Out ALS 5k will benefit the Les Turner ALS Foundation* to help support research, services, and educational programs for individuals with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)**.
In addition, runners may also fundraise for the race (they are not required) and there will be prizes for the top five fundraisers as well as anyone who raises over $500. Pretty cool right?
The entrance fee is $40 in advance and $50 on July 10. All runners will receive a commemorative t-shirt.
So I urge all of you Chicago runners, if you’re looking for a 5k in the next month or two to consider running the Strike Out ALS 5k. It’ll be fun and it’s for a great cause! The foundation is hoping to reach 750 runners this year and it would be great if you could help out. I’m going to be running*** and I hope to see you out there!
*The Les Turner ALS Foundation is one of the nations most preeminent organizations dedicated to the treatment and elimination of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The foundation is associated with Northwestern Medicine and includes two research labs and a multi-disciplinary clinical program.
**ALS is a terminal neuromuscular disease that attacks a persons muscles eventually taking away their ability to walk, speak, eat, and breathe while keeping their mind intact. At any moment there are approximately 35,000 people in the U.S. living with ALS and there is currently no cure.
***In full disclosure, I was given a free race entry; however, it was my decision to do some fundraising as well.
Note: All pictures above were provided to me by the Les Turner ALS Foundation
Aaand speaking of baseball. Yesterday when I got home from work, these were sitting on the table:
As many of you know, Ian and I are from Michigan and even though neither of us are huge baseball fans, we love to go to games. Ian figured seeing the Detroit Tigers play the Cubs would make a great surprise date night and well, I was extremely surprised!
I immediately got to making dinner as I was pretty sure I’d be able to eat nothing at the game.
I cooked carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini on the stove in a little olive oil and spices and then tossed in some cooked millet. The millet ended up charring a bit like fried rice, it was awesome! I mixed everything in a light olive oil & vinegar dressing and then topped it with hummus and a drizzle of tahini.
I also had a piece of brown rice bread with almond butter and applesauce. I was hungry and needed to make it through the game.
The game was really fun. Both teams batted well so it was really exciting. It was also one of the most fired up games I’ve ever been to, there are sooo many Michiganders in the Chicago area!
I drank water and Ian had a beer AND this meatball madness sub.
There were three different kinds of meatballs (chicken with green chili, italian style, and an asian pork) and Ian loved it. Not too bad for ballpark fare.
We got home late and I snacked on a banana while we watched Mad Men (turns out I did get hungry) and then we crashed.
Do you like baseball? Which team do you follow?
That sounds like a really fun race! Hopefully Atlanta will pick up on doing a race like this that begins inside the ball park.
You know, I used to really enjoy baseball in the 80′s and most of the 90′s but then it seemed like things changed and half the team would disappear over the winter. It became more about who could buy the best team each year. I was a huge Braves fan but I just got to the point where I didn’t like to watch the games anymore.
We still go to the occasional game for something different and interesting to do but I really don’t follow it anymore. The only sport that I still feel passionate about is football with college being my #1 and pro being my #2.
I feel the same way about professional basketball. I used to follow back when the Pistons played good ball and kept a core group of players but I really lost interest when players began to shuffle around so much. Now I watch college basketball pretty exclusively.
I’ve never been much of a baseball fan but I do love going to the games. I love sitting outside and watching the game (and people- ball games are the best for people watching
)
The Detroit Tigers actually did Spring Training right across from where I went to school! I don’t actually follow baseball, but my boyfriend is a big Rays fan, so I have to cheer for them.
Thats pretty cool! I don’t really follow baseball either but I do like going to the games!
I’ve recently gotten into baseball in the past few years and love going to games now. Being in DC, the Nats are def my team! (but I’m also from MD, so the O’s are sort of my team too!)
Baseball games are so much fun. I love how you can just sit outside, drink a beer, and watch the game/people!
WOW, that sounds like a blast! Wish I lived near the Chi (well for other reasons as well). As a former Bostonian, I am a Red Sox fan. Miss drinking beer in the cheap seats
It seems like a fun race doesn’t it? I want to go to a Sox game, we walked around the stadium when I was there last April but hopefully next year we’ll make a game!
It sounds like a great race! I’ll see if I can fit it into my training schedule for the July 22nd half! Running around Chicago is always fun
I agree. I love running the smaller races that really let you see parts of the city. The Chicago Marathon is great but you don’t really run through anywhere new.
There we go! So nice to see pictures of Wrigley on here
I’m a casual Cubs and Tigers fan, so this past series has been interesting for me haha. I’ve been cheering for the Cubs because no team says “underdog” quite like the Cubs this season (not that the Tigers have been that much better…). I know more about the Tigers by virtue of living with a bunch of Tigers fans, but seeing a game at Wrigley is very high on my To Do list once I live in the city.
Definitely go! Its a fun stadium. I’ve probably been to more Cubs games than Tigers and its such a great time. Wrigleyville is awesome.