The Magnificent Mile in Chicago is a stretch of Michigan Avenue famous for its fabulous shopping. Mr. Dish and I didn’t spend much time on the mile, but that was fine with me… I got in a few magnificent miles of my own!
Runners! My people!
I’m at the point in my training for Steamtown when I pretty much need to do a long run every week. So on Friday (before the rained out Cubs game and rehearsal dinner) I actually listened to my alarm and went for a run! For a few minutes as I was getting dressed I felt a little crazy. (“You are on VACATION! IT IS 6:30 A.M. WHAT are you DOING?” I thought to myself.) But as usual, once I got myself out the door, it was totally worth it.
Our downtown hotel was very close to part of Lakefront Trail, a paved, 18-mile trail along Lake Michigan. Once I joined up with the trail, I knew I had come to the right place.
Monroe Harbor
There were lots of runners and bikers on the trail on this beautiful morning, and I got some great views of the city!
Parts of the trail were shaded, and it took me past museums, more harbors, gardens and memorials.
I ran five miles out and five miles back. I’m pretty sure as I made my way back to the hotel I was running down the street with a big, goofy grin on my face. It was just such a beautiful morning, and running in a brand new place energized me in an unexpected way. I also feel like running while on vacation counts double. It definitely requires more planning and more determination to actually do it. But the benefits of staying on track and continuing my marathon training were well worth the effort!
And so, I forgave myself for later eating my whole piece of wedding cake, along with finishing half of Mr. Dish’s. It’s the splurges that make the miles seem so… magnificent.
