A *Sparkalish* Roar!: The Shamrock Shuffle 8k

The Shamrock Shuffle 8k (4.97 miles) in downtown Chicago was this weekend. The Shuffle has been a race held in Chicago for 33 years. Apparently is the "Rite of Spring", and it's also the largest 8k in held in the WORLD! The "Rite of Spring" it was, the pollen flying through the air was so dense I sneezed nonstop.

For me it meant something a little different. I've been looking forward to this event because 2 of my best friends from high school were coming up the city (and out of Southern Illinois) to run/cheer with me. I've never run this race before, in fact I've only every run 5k races and half marathons-no in between races. Because I was running with my 12 year old, Megan (this was her longest race) and my besties were coming up to run with, it made this day uber special.

Meg and me

Me, Meg, Jadae

Jadae and me on the train.

Shelley and me

Here we are at Navy Pier at a photobooth, after getting our packets.

I give so much credit to Jadae and Shelley for coming up. They rode the Amtrak from St. Louis to get here, it took them 5 hours. Then we took a 1.5 hr train ride to the city to pick up our packets and walked about 3 miles to get to the expo from the train station. When we took a cab back to the station I thought Shelley would throw the cab driver out of the car and drive herself to the station cause she's just not used to the way cabbies drive downtown (she asked him if he had a valium or whisky...LOL). Rode the train back to my house, talked a few hours, went to bed at midnight and woke up at 5 am to catch another train back to the city.

The Race was super fun and so neat to see all the onlookers and cheerleaders in the crowd! The run club I belong to was amazing! We had a few finishers at 37 mins!

Brian and Kevin they both finished in 37:02!

By Corral. F'NRC representing!

Corral B

Maggie, Kelly, Amanda

Corral D

Back Row: Dawn, Melissa, Kristin

2nd: Don, April, Kathy, Amanda, Meg, Cathie, Michelle

3rd: Julie, Jeni, Lisa

And, of course the after party!

Lisa, Cathie, April, Dawn, Kerry, and Melissa

We had such a great time, and watching Meg finish her first 5 mile run and first 8K was just the best. Seeing my girls was awesome, even if we were riding the train more often than not.

Here are some other snapshots from the race: