Arbor Day 10K Run

About a week before The Morton Arboretum Arbor Day 10K Run I did the Rockdale Ramblin’ Run, which is supposedly the toughest 10K in the Midwest. I’m not fully convinced the title has been appropriately appointed.
It could be that I was still sore from the first big run, but I found the Arbor Day 10K to be a bit tougher since it was a lot of low-​grade inclines and rolling hills instead of a few big ones here and there. My Achilles tendons were not amused and I ended up having to walk for about 2 songs in my Spotify 11 Minute Mile Playlist. Still, I finished this race in 1:14:06 instead of 1:16:01. I attribute this acceleration to the fact that gravity works in your favor coming down a few of the steeper slopes. Weeeeeee!
The course is what makes this worth it. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I highly recommend running its sister race, the Fall Color 5K. Your entrance into the race gets you and your car buddies free admission to The Morton Arboretum afterward. I haven’t taken them up on this offer yet, but maybe I will after the next race. I think it’s a wonderful option.
The Post-​Race Party is OK. You get a tech shirt from your goody bag but there aren’t any medals. They gave out large cartons of water but the food portion consisted of only half a banana and big ass bagels… I burned almost 1,000 calories, can a girl get some cream cheese and a whole banana? … Nonetheless, all was forgiven when The Hot Sauce Committee took stage and provided the live entertainment for the event.
Parking is pretty easy. They’ve streamlined the process, so you get in and out quickly. I arrived about an hour before the race started and didn’t feel rushed.

I love this race.
I love it cuz it’s HELL.
6.2 miles is a respectable distance, and when you consider that the course is rolling (which is putting it mildly), you have a serious sense of accomplishment when you cross the finish. And to have this experience amid the stunningly beautiful scenery of Morton Arboretum? Why, yes please! It is by far my favorite race venue ever. I did the inaugural Morton 10K last year and swore I’d do it every year thereafter. I think a $ 33 registration fee is more than reasonable. I want to add too, that the course support was awesome. The volunteers there are fun, upbeat, and encouraging. The only change I noticed from last year’s run was that the recovery food was scaled down quite a bit. Cups of water, bananas, and dried out throw away wheat bagels from Whole Foods. It’s a fault of Whole Foods however, not the Arboretum. But no biggie for me. I got to saunter around the entire place afterwards for as long as I liked. A whole day of fun and springtime beauty. Worth every penny!

This is Illinois. The flat Midwest. I don’t do hills.
Apparently, Morton Arboretum didn’t get the memo. Hills, inclines, twists and turns. This course definitely challenged my strength and endurance. It was definitely a slow (uphill) and crowded start but typical for any race. Just when I wanted to quit and walk, a cheery volunteer would stick out a hand for a high five and BAM I got my second wind. Water stations were located at the start, mile 1.5, mie 3, and finish. Strollers are not allowed, but I did see 2 pass me by. Damn those fast Lululemon moms!
The $ 33 registration includes free parking and a tech shirt (fits very large! My husband ended up wearing my size small).
Finish line. Plenty of water to rehydrate. Whole Foods had a tent set up with bananas and bagels. Athletico had massage tables set up for after race stretching… I did not want to get off the table! Dick Pond also had a tent set up with merchandise for purchase.