USOLE Trail Challenge Race Report
Saturday’s USOLE Trail Challenge (5 Miler) ends my 5 races in 5 states tour…
- 11/17 – Illinois – USOLE Trail Challenge
- 11/10 – Indiana – Veterans Marathon
- 11/3 – Missouri – Shoal Creek Living History Wilderness Run
- 10/27 – Iowa – Run Walk and Roll for a Drug Free Community 5K
- 10/20 – Wisconsin – ZOOMA Great Lakes Half Marathon
… and begins the 3 races in 8 days challenge (all in Illinois)! Woo hoo!
- 11/17 – USOLE Trail Challenge
- 11/22 – Long Grove Turkey Trot
- 11/24 – Cool 5K
Have you ever run consecutive weekend races in different states? What’s your streak?
My previous streak was April 2011 – I ran in Iowa one weekend, Wisconsin the next, Missouri the following, then Illinois two weekends later. So I guess that was really only a three-state streak! Anyways…
I signed up for the USOLE Trail Challenge 5 days after my trail ultramarathon when I was on a HUGE trail kick. And already missing the trails.
Then I kind of forgot about the race. Oops.
I mean, I always knew I had something going on that morning and not to schedule anything else, but I wasn’t thinking about the race AT ALL.
Until the Veterans Marathon when I was like, “I AM NOT RACING THE REST OF THE YEAR!” then remembered I had a race the next weekend and three after that (now four!).
Anyways.
So happy I did not REALLY forget because this race is a lot of fun. Really affordable and great perks – cool shirt (or a water bottle if you don’t want a shirt!), chip timed, blow up arch at the start and finish, well marked course, beer, chili (not vegetarian) and Clif Bars after… fun announcer, great volunteers (Erin!)… and that awesome trail racing vibe.
Will not be entered in the Ugly Race Shirt Contest/Giveaway!
And the race was not too far away – at Schiller Woods, very close to O’Hare. I was hoping to catch up with my blogger friend Ian right away when I got there* and I did! We chatted for a bit and even started the race together! And was good to see him again.
I started in the very back of the race. I knew there would be a few bottlenecks on the course and didn’t want to be in anyone’s way.
But actually, the only bottleneck was at the beginning! Then we easily dispersed on to about half single-track and half trail. There were a few fun obstacles:
But the ground was mostly dry, and there was only standing water in one spot. It was funny, at the beginning the race director said he had wished for snow or rain to make the course more fun!
I started off nice and slow and was able to pass quite a few people in the end. That was a surprise for me!
I hung around at the end to see Ian finish, and to wait to hear the raffles and for Erin to come back from volunteering! I met some cool people at the end, including Art, the Muddy Monk series race director, and a runner for Dick Pond named Jean (who will probably never find this blog since I have the weirdest blog name ever).
Me & Erin!
I love that I don’t have to stress about pace for trail races – I just go out there looking for a good time. Kind of cheesy, but it’s a great way to reconnect with nature. I didn’t bring any music, and was mostly by myself for the fourth mile, and it was such a beautiful peaceful day, I didn’t want the race to end!
I’m so excited about the Schiller Chiller on the 1st of December! It’s in the same woods and maybe we’ll have snow to run on!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND! Erin and I are running the 10K together! AND!! A few other bloggers are running it too… let me know if I’ll see you there!
*He was the one who told me about the race!
Themocracy
I rarely do races out of state so I can’t recall when I’ve ever done any on consecutive weekends. Until recently, I have rarely run on consecutive weekends… but the past two months I’ve done something race related on every weekend!
That looks like a fun course. I should chill out on trail races and not worry about pace but I still try to compete with myself. Maybe it’s because I used to run cross country in high school and would dominate trail/xc style courses and now I struggle on them.
That is awesome that you have been getting so many race activities in! 🙂
For not racing the rest of the year, you are certainly getting in plenty of them! Looks like a fun trail race, enjoy the next series!
It’s funny, the races feel more like runs to me since I am not really trying to go fast! Makes it more fun… usually:)
Think Charlyn was talking about doing the Schiller Chiller. You’re crazy girl! That’s a whole lotta traveling! I rarely ever go further than a 1 hour car ride to a race, but will be doing two 5ks in 5 days this week. That trail race looks like it was really fun though. And, really like the black Nike top.
She is doing the 5K! And her bf too! 🙂
We were already traveling for two of the trips so I just snuck the races in. Otherwise I usually don’t travel that far either.
Excited to hear about 5K #2!
That sounds like so much fun! Do you think most people go into runs like that with the same kind of attitude of just having a good time?
I’m doing races in consecutive months for the first time ever right now (including an unprecedented 2 in the same month!), so yeah, that’s my big racing streak 🙂
I think a lot more people go in with that mindset at trail races than at road races. But there are still fasties out there! But they have a great attitude too. At this race, they announced every runner, and the last guy was an older man who had done the race every year and everyone cheered.
That is an awesome streak!!!
That trail race looks like a lot of fun! I love your WE RUN CHICAGO shirt and I’m completely impressed with your 5 races in 5 states record! FANNNNCY!
Do you think you want to try a trail race sometime?! 🙂
Oh my gosh! I so totally forgot about this race! I am so sorry!! Where has the time gone? (Kim made me go up to visit her this weekend – it’s all her fault!)
Looks like another great trail race and good weather too! Good luck on all of your races this weekend!
Ha ha – that is ok! I could’ve bugged you about it but didn’t want to be annoying. BUT! I just found out about a lot of good trail races in Rockford in the winter months so expect me to bug you about those 🙂
Your race photos and report make me want to hit the trails so bad. It’s been a year since I’ve done a trail race, and I love them!
Good luck on your race spree! It sounds like my kind of fun.
I forgot to mention that the race I ended up doing on Saturday night had chili at the finish line. They offered vegetarian or meat, which was nice.
That looks like a fun trail race! Sort of wish I was doing the chiller in schiller but I think its sold out? :(. I have recently started trail running and I love it! I just need to find a pair of trail running shoes because my saucony’s arent cutting it for me when I run.
It is sold out but there is race day registration! So you won’t get the mug or shot glass but can still do the race. You should! Quite a few bloggers will be there! And get some trail shoes! 🙂
I can’t wait till Schiller! I can’t wait till Schiller!
Wish I would have gone out there his weekend. Looked like a ton of fun!
What a packed schedule – it makes me feel tired just looking at it!
Glad that you are so enjoying the running “experience” and all that it offers you.
I’m glad you took some pictures of the course! For someone who hasn’t run trails and was standing in one spot the entire time I really had no clue what the trail looked like. Now I’m really looking forward to having fun at the Chiller!
We are going to have a lot of fun! Especially if it gets muddy. Muah ha ha 🙂
Ian is great, such a down to earth guy, haven’t seen him in a while. Bummed we missed this race, but we are so overscheduled as it is.
Thanks Kovas !!!
I thought of you and how you would’ve loved it! We’ll find another to do 🙂
Great to meet you too Kim! Loved the USole Trail Challenge. It’s nice to get a chance to participate in a trail race every once in a while!
Looking forward to having you (and everyone else!) out at the Chiller!
My streak is 2 states in 2 weekends, set in early June. (Sunburst Half in South Bend 6/2, 13.1 in Chicago 6/9)
Between that and two back-to-back 5K weekends in February of this year, I’ve decided to stop doing back-to-back weekends.
Ooh, I had no idea about your multi-state race streak, how awesome! I have no streaks, womp womp. The pictures make me want to do another trail race. I like the laid-back vibe a lot, and yeah, enjoying the time in the woods is really a good change of pace from the stress of big road races.
Nice report Kimbot. It was great seeing you there and a BIG thanks for running a few miles with me. So glad you are trail hooked, bring on some Muddy Monk and other events
I’ve only done back to back (streak) races in different states once when I ran Trailbreaker Marathon in WI one weekend then the next weekend ran Cherry Blosson 10 miler in DC/VA.
Wow! You’ve been having some great adventures! Way to go, girl!
wow! and it looks like you had gorgeous weather for it, too!
Sounds like an AMAZING race!!! CONGRATULATIONS on your incredible race streak both inside and outside of Illinois!!! That is so awesome that Erin was there, too. WOO HOO!!!
I did find you! ( Thanks to the shout out from Muddy Monk) Congrats to you on an a awesome series of racing. I did sign up for the Chiller just in time so maybe I will see you there. Great blog btw 🙂
Yay! Thank you for searching for me! I am going to start running with my blog business cards to hand out! 🙂
I’m excited you got in for Chiller! Are you doing the 5K or 10K? I am definitely looking for you there!
I am registered for the 10k. I will look for you also. Have a great Thanksgiving and maybe I will see you soon!
Wowee!! I am so amazed at your amazing racing schedule. I am definitely living vicariously through you right now.
I will be running the 10k Schiller Chiller! Probably just going to take it easy because running on trails is hard!
And that is why I like running on trails… because I can take it easy!!! 🙂 Excited to meet you there!