Tag / Zoraida Sambolin

by jim

Sprinted And Strode Again

2015sprintstrideTwo Thursdays back, Allstate held their annual Sprint and Stride event, a 5K race around campus to benefit breast cancer research.  After successfully completing the race last year, I signed up again this year, along with some co-workers, to get out in the afternoon sun and enjoy getting paid to exercise.

The race once again started over near Willow, which meant that in addition to the 5K, there was the long walk back to South post-race.  NBC news personality and breast cancer survivor Zoraida Sambolin was back to kick off the festivities, after an annoying DJ and Allstate sponsored finished up their dog and pony show.  Once the race got going, I quickly found that, once again, things would be different than my past, non-Allstate 5K experiences.

2015sandsJust like last year, my time did not register, so I must be doing something wrong.  I must have finished somewhere between 57:32.16 and 57:41.36, which was the finishing times of the people I was with.  That’s about 2 minutes slower than last year, which I blame once again on an inability to get around slow people in front of me.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be back out there next year, once again hoping to improve my time and, probably, once again disappointed that I won’t.

by jim

Sprinted And Strode

sprintstrideLast Tuesday, Allstate held their annual Sprint and Stride event, a 5K race around campus to benefit breast cancer research.  Having missed the BTN race back in July due to the trip to Minnesota, I decided to sign up, along with a few co-workers.

klongThe race started over near Willow, which meant that in addition to the 5K, we had to add the trek over and back.  There were two celebrities in attendance to kick off the festivites, Zoraida Sambolin, breast cancer survivor and local news personality, and Kyle Long, noted Chicago Bear.  Once the race got going, I quickly found that things would be different than my past 5K experiences.

For one thing, the terrain was much different.  The BTN 5K is all on paved motorways or sidewalks.  This one crossed multiple different terrains, going from paved sidewalks and streets to grass to gravel walking paths.  The other big difference, which affected everyone’s time, was that the paths were much narrower, making it hard to pass people going slow in front of you.

Considering all of that, I assume I finished in a reasonable time.  Assume because it seems there was a problem with the chip in my bib, so the results site says that my time is unavailable.  If I take the finishing time of the friend who was with me the whole time, I came in around 55:43, which was about a minute more than my time in last year’s BTN 5K.  I’ll take it, though.  I guess I’ll be back on board for next year’s event.