Year four for the Des Plaines River Trail races and I was back again for my fourth.
Year one I ran the marathon and the T shirts were white
Year two I ran the half marathon and the T shirts were a silver gray
Year three I ran the half marathon and the T shirts were black
Year four I ran the half marathon and the T shirts were purple
All four years the shirts were the same with the AWESOME logo posted above but with a different colour and the years date right below. Why change a perfectly good T shirt design
(Someone needs to tell the Chicago Marathon - this year's shirt likely sent people to the merchandise booth, oh I get it!!)
Like years two and three I again volunteered at packet pick up helping timing company (the great Runrace.net headed by Bill Thom and his wife Michelle) handing out the timing chips then ran the half marathon. Unlike those previous years this time I worked until 11.40pm, got home at midnight, slept 3 hours then got up to get ready to drive north. I am also in the middle of a 15 day stint with no days off between full time job, races and event work. Guess I knew how my race would be.
Helping in the morning is inspiring. Handing out the chips first to the 50 milers (7am start), then the marathon runner (8am start), then my fellow half runners (9am start) was like a big reunion when I knew so many of them.
Not going to say too much about my race but it was not that great. My last training run had been 10 days before, a good 20 miler then all that work set in and being on my feet the day/night before meant legs that didn't really want to move. DPRT starts with a 1.3 mile head south then head back passing the start/finish. I seriously thought about stopping after 2.6 miles but I didn't and start to move along some what OK even if I was slow. Maybe it was seeing some other runners out there or the scenic course (crushed limestone trail through forest, meadows and along the river) that helped but I was now determined to see my friends from New Leaf Ultra Runs "running" the aid station near the half marathon turn. They are inspiring themselves, so many ultra stories in that group. I made the turn and headed for home. Sadly a mile later my calf muscle started to tighten up. I figure it was from being on a hard floor at work night before. I tried to run but changed to walking with some running sections. I was on course for my goal up to that point then changed that goal to just finishing to claim my fourth DPRT finishers medal. It was a joy to make that final turn and pass under the finish banner. I actually did run most of the last half mile. RD Terry was there to greet me.
Race Directors Ed and Terry are awesome. They had dreamed up this race on their home training trail and pulled it together. Over the years the race, no the event, has got better and better. There have been some minor changes but only to improve it.
Of course the T shirt design has remained the same, except the colour. And I like that.
