This week on Tuesdays on the Run we wanna see your “scene”. Are you a city runner? Do you hit the trails? The lakefront? Get your run on at the crack of dawn? Or later on? Show us where you’re running this summer!
I live in the Northern suburbs of Chicago, maybe closer to Wisconsin than to downtown. Except in cases of extreme heat when I’ll drive to shaded trails if I need to run longer than 12 miles or so, I run right out my front door. I run mostly in residential areas, on prairie paths and in wooded areas. My town is known for its nature preserves so I see plenty of wildlife.
In summer I like to get out by 5:30am for heat and traffic avoidance purposes. The sunrises in summer are pretty spectacular. So peaceful.
Summer usually means marathon training, so you’ll most likely find me on a 10-mile loop that can be expanded to 22 miles if need be. That loop comprises a grand tour of four different towns.
On super hot long run days I drive to the Des Plaines River Trail, which is well shaded and I can easily bang out 20 miles there. Many of my long runs for the Marine Corps Marathon were done there back in 2012, since it was such a hot summer. Oh the memories. Click here for tips on running in heat.
New this summer is having a middle school track very convenient to me. It’s been awesome doing speedwork there as the sun comes up. Rising early can be hard but getting my run done first thing is the best way to start the day.
Tell me/show me where you run!
Here are upcoming Tuedays on the Run topics for August:
8/2: Olympics. What running events will you watch? Who are you rooting for?
8/9: Running/Race Day Mishaps. Ever have a race go wrong? Forget something? Tell us!
8/16: Race photobombs. Share yours!
8/23: Race memorabilia (bibs, medals, heat sheets, etc) what do you display? Toss? Donate?
8/29: Your fall race calendar
This Friday and the last Friday of every month is time to spill your run- gym- tri-, heck any confessions will do and link them up right here at the Runfession Friday linkup! Heaven knows I’ve got some doozies to share. I hope you do too!
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My normal running route is either the rail trail or on the island. I haven’t done any town runs lately cus it’s been way too hot!
Your route sounds lovely!
Your pictures are stunning! You are very lucky to have such easy access to the DPRT and so many forest preserves. It’s great that you have that 10-mile loop that you can expand to 22 miles! You’ve got so many fabulous options and I especially envy all the shaded options!
I’ve been driving to the trails a lot this summer to avoid the heat. I should probably start running on paved roads to mimic the marathon conditions, but it’s just too hot!
Your photos are stunning. So beautiful!
You take great pictures on your runs–I’m always jealous. I think that I sweat over my camera lens and then they come out wonky, lol
I want to run where you live, how beautiful! Mainly I run in my neighborhood and I’m very close to a popular running trail. It’s been so hot though that I haven’t been taking pictures of the scenery since I just want to get the run over with, lol!
It’s so pretty where you live. Amazing that you live so close to me–it’s not like this at all by my house! I do my best to seek out pretty places to run and my goal has always been to access them from my front door. Which means running by car dealerships, under viaducts, across highways to get there.
We have some trails, but only a small part of them are shaded. It’s tough to get out in the summer here, and whenever I see people running, at all times of the day, kudos to them.
I live just a little over a mile from a HS track. And we’ll be running there starting next week. Or I will. Since we had a change in coaches, and they live in a different area, maybe they’ll choose a different track this year. And maybe or maybe not I’ll stick to mine, since it’s so convenient! I guess I’ll find out next week.
I enjoy getting in my runs in the morning too, but right now it’s kind of difficult and then I still have to go out and walk Bandit, like I did today, but at least he can take the heat (Lola can’t).
I do run in my neighborhood a lot, but it doesn’t look anything like yours (no creeks or lakes) and then I’m walking it all the time with the dogs and I get so bored with it! Plus it’s hard to get much more than about 6 miles out of it, and that involves looping if I want to avoid the killer hills.
Those sunrise pics are just beautiful! I would love those peaceful lake runs right outside my door. Sounds like your summer running has been great!
Simply wow! Love your photos and jealous of those cool places to run.
What gorgeous views you have in your runs!!
You have so many great options depending on the weather and how far you want to run! I have been running around my hood 99.9% of the time. Sometimes I expand it a bit for longer runs so sometimes I am about 3 miles from home at the most. I started doing this because Paul was having a lot of health issues and I wasn’t comfortable leaving him. But now he has been doing great and I feel fine driving somewhere far away for a run… it’s just I am in the habit of staying close to home now!
I’m envious of your shaded trail so close to home! Shade is sparse on my usual routes, unfortunately.
Your photos are wonderful! I’m never up early enough for sunrise photography ha
Gorgeous pictures! It would be so peaceful to run there!
Out by 5:30. I need you to start calling and waking me up. My alarm was set for 5 today and I slept until 8.
Which just screwed myself over with a 90+ degree bridge run.
You always seem to get such amazing pictures when you are out! You have some great options!! We have a few trails around here but not a ton. It is nice to have a couple options though!
Love this Marcia! You have beautiful places to run.
Your pics are GORGEOUS! Lovely runrises!
I love this theme! It’s fun to see what other people see on the run. In the summer I do more trails than usual to beat the heat, and a few track workouts mixed in. Winter is almost all roads.
i swear you have the most gorgeous views on your runs! since moving, i run with a group a few miles from my house, or travel to find hills, or just run from my house. it’s a treat to have the views of the beach when i can, but it’s so dang hot i don’t want to run there this time of year!
Beautiful! I run in my neighborhood during the week and on the weekend my BRF get out on the main road and just go for it! Let those contractors honk on! 🙂
Your scenery is spectacular. I generally stick close to home, I have lots of wooded trails close by.