Holiday Weekend

Happy Memorial Day everyone, especially to the men and women in the armed forces

It’s been a great weekend and I’ve been busy volunteering, helping my sister move, shopping, job searching, and lots of relaxing. =)

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to volunteer at Fleet Feet Sports Soldier Field 10 mile. I was a coach for American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation team and my job was to Cheer and give support to all the runners. Random Fact: I was a cheerleader for 6 years and have perfected my cheering abilities so I was perfect for the job.

ACS DetermiNation Coaches

Andy and I were stationed at mile 4. We wanted everyone to know we were with DetermiNation so we got creative with our sign and tied it to the light pole and clock.

Andy, my awesome cheering buddy

Andy and I were 4 miles south of Solider Field on Lake Shore Drive. We had a couple of hours to hang out  before the race started which gave us time to chat about our lives and our love for Chicago. I’m currently living in a suburb of Chicago and my dream is to find a job in the city and live near the lake. I have wanted to live in the city for YEARS and now that I’m back in Illinois I feel like my dream is so close…yet so far away. Job searching has been tough and a much longer process then I expected. But, I have faith everything will work out and I will be living in the city soon. Andy gave me some job searching tips and told me a few neighborhoods to check out when I start looking for an apartment. Do you guys know of anyone hiring in Chicago?! I have a B.S. degree in Event Management so I’m looking for anything in event coordinating, marketing, or social media. I eventually hope to become a race director…how amazing would that be?! =)

Anyway, back to the race….

I couldn’t believe how many runners there were. Over 15,000 participants came out for the race.

I loved how excited the DetermiNation runners were when they saw us. I’m running the Chicago marathon for the DetermiNation team and I’m really looking forward to having the same support from the coaches.

Cheering with a cow bell

Volunteering for a race is such a great experience. My favorite part was towards the end when there weren’t as many runners. We were able to look them in the eye and encourage them to keep going. I think anyone who has the courage to participate in a race is amazing. It doesn’t matter your size, age, or running ability….but to be out there in the community, doing something good for yourself is inspiring.