You know what works on me? Arbitrary challenges. I mean, in video games Achievements and collectables (break all the crates!) can occupy me for hours past the normal game play. And in real life if you add some extra requirement onto an existing race, I’m in. So yesterday I went down to run the Ridge Run in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago and of course since they offer the chance to run a 10K and then start over and run a 5K, I’m in for that. Zach was, too. And our friend Anna was running her first 10K ever, so it was quite a momentous morning.

It’s cool that the Ridge Run makes this an option at all. Most races that run multiple distances do so with start times staggered a half-hour apart or something. But the Ridge Run starts the 10K at 8 am and then the 5K at 9:30, giving even a slow poke like me plenty of time to get back, gulp a water, and line up for the start. There was a little bit of a jam up as the tail end of the 10K finishers were coming back in through the same chute as the 5K runners were lining up in to get started, but it all seemed to work out.

Beverly, at least the part we were running through, is gorgeous, with a bunch of huuuuuge mansions. It’s a very neighborhoody race, with many of the runners around me being greeted by name by spectators, and lots of what seemed to be unofficial water stations just setup by friendly folks. Those were quite welcome, because 75° seemed really hot—I suppose after such a cool spring, our bodies haven’t had time to adjust to anything warm yet.

Official results:

5K
Time: 28:45
Pace: 9:16
Place: 330 / 1302
Place in Division (M40-44): 18 / 46
Place in Sex: 234 / 584

10K
Time: 57:47
Pace: 9:18
Place: 311 / 666
Place in Division (M40-44): 32 / 52
Place in Sex: 211 / 374