Jordan Chester of Allendale, Michigan and Colin Mickow of Naperville, Illinois claimed victory for female and male Half Marathon categories, respectively

CHICAGO, May 19—More than 8,000 runners took to Chicago streets on Sunday in the 11^thannual Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, produced by Life Time. The race celebrates the city’s emergence from winter hibernation and the unofficial start of the 2019 endurance running season. 

In addition to a sellout race, the top-three male Half Marathon finishers set new course records, including Colin Mickow with a time of 01:06:29:54, Christopher May with 01:06:58:58; and Dylan Lafond at 01:08:30:68. The top female finishers included Jordan Chester with 01:19:59:31; Maria Lindberg with 01:21:40:57; and Laura Hillard at 01:21:57:09.

Top 10K finishers included: Kati Snyder, 00:38:12:17; Vanessa Righeimer, 00:39:00:62; and Tere Zacher, 00:39:02:84 for female racers; and Dan Kremske, 00:31:44:04; Ryan Rutherford, 00:32:40:73; and Jay Welp, 00:32:56:15 for male finishers.

The race delivered an intimate urban setting along a gorgeous lakefront course to 8,000 participants from 25 countries and 45 states. The course took runners up and down Columbus Drive and through a combination of closed streets and Lakefront Path giving way to sweeping views of Chicago’s famed skyline, Lake Michigan and historic Chicago sites like Soldier Field, Navy Pier and more.

Afterwards, runners celebrated at the Spring Market Finish Festival with a gourmet catered hot-breakfast buffet, do-it-yourself flower station, Begyle Brewing beer garden, live music and local vendors.

“Despite the threat of storms, runners made the most of today’s event and brought some great energy to the streets of Chicago,” says Senior Life Time Run Brand Manager Dan Lakin. “Congratulations to all participants on a great race, and many thanks to the hundreds of volunteers, city officials, local companies and staff that made today possible.”

In addition to the Spring Market Finish Festival, participants received a finisher medal; gourmet breakfast buffet in the Spring Market Finish Festival along with Begyle Beer, Live Music and more. 

The race, which also supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), raised $250,000 for MDA Care Centers at the nation’s top medical institutions for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. Title Sponsor, Byline Bank issued a $5,000 donation to MDA’s efforts.

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon/10K is the first of two races produced by Life Time in the 2019 Chicagoland Half Marathon Series, which also includes the HOKA ONE ONE Chicago Half Marathon on September 29. Participants who compete in both half marathon distances earn a custom, 26.2 Challenge finisher medal at the final event. Currently, more than 2,000 athletes are registered for the Series.

With a record number of runners, this year’s race sold out for the second time in a row – 2020 registration will open at noon on Tuesday at ChicagoSpringHalf.com.

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by the company across the nation, which also operates 10 athletic resort and spas in Chicagoland. Life Time strives to produce exceptional event experiences for both participants and spectators as an extension of its Healthy Way of Life philosophy.

About Life Time® – Healthy Way of Life

Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 143 destinations in 39 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, Life Time delivers an unmatched athletic resort experience and provides a comprehensive healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experience that goes well beyond fitness to encompass the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. More info is available atwww.lifetime.life.

MAKE RACE DAY BETTER

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon and 10K has partnered with Athlinks to add to your race day experience and allow for your friends and family to share in your experience.

Athlinks brings you enhanced real time Athlete tracking using on-course timing data and more. Download the Athlinks App from the App Store or Google Play and share your race day.

FOLLOW THE OFFICIAL EVENT FEED

Keep up to date with all the latest info on the official event feed

1. Select the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select FEED tab in the navigation bar
3. To receive push notifications, tap the FOLLOW button

LIVE TIMING AND COURSE SPLITS

1. Select the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select TRACKING tab in the navigation bar
3. Search for athlete by name or bib number
4. Tap + button. Repeat steps 3-4 for more athletes if you wish
5. Tap DETAILS to see athlete’s time as they cross timing mats along the course.

SHARE YOUR FINISHER CERTIFICATE ON FACEBOOK

1. Select Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select RESULTS tab in the navigation bar
3. Search for result by name or bib number. Select a result.
4. Tap SHARE to share to Facebook!

Have questions? Contact Athlinks support at Support@athlinks.com

Welcome to Race Week of the 11th Annual Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K produced by Life Time.

While you’ve been putting in the training miles, our production team has been making preparations to make this year’s race the best one ever!

Whether you’ll be running the half marathon or the 10K distance, we can’t wait for you to take part in this truly Chicago race experience race; not to mention the Spring Market Finish Festival in gorgeous Maggie Daley Park.

Check out the Athlete Guide for detailed schedules, packet pick-up dates and times, course information and more!

> View the 2019 Athlete Guide here

Please keep an eye on our website, Facebook page and emails for any additional updates before the race. We’ll see you at the Start line!

Yes, you’re at work. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find time for fitness.

BY ALISA BOWMAN | MARCH 2019

At the Office

The longer your workdays, the more crucial it becomes that you squeeze in breaks for movement. The value of little movements adds up fast: You can build fitness while keeping your energy high, your mood positive, and your focus strong.

Not sure how to make those breaks happen? Start by avoiding the elevator whenever possible. Don’t sit when you can stand or pace, and don’t call or email when you can walk to a colleague’s office.

Additionally, consider adopting an intermittent strength-training routine that you can perform over the course of the day, turning out a series of distinct body-weight exercises whenever you have a one- or two-minute break. Or, schedule two 10-minute activity breaks into your day, taking advantage of those low-energy moments when you tend to get distracted and lose steam (or feel tempted to hit the vending machines).

Try this 10-minute routine that builds strength without producing too much sweat. Some of the moves require a resistance band, which is a relatively inexpensive and portable piece of equipment for the office.

The Moves

Chair pose: Stand with your feet 6 inches apart. Bend your knees slightly and push your rear backward, as if you were sitting back into a chair. Lift your arms as high as possible. Keep your body weight over your heels. Hold for 30 seconds.

Bridge: Lying on your back, place your arms at your sides next to your torso, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Lift your hips as high as possible. Hold for 15 seconds. Release and repeat four times.

Plank: Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows under your shoulders with your forearms on the floor. Lift your body off the ground so you are balanced on the balls of your feet and forearms. Hold 30 seconds. Lower and repeat one time.

Back extension: Lie on your stomach with your arms by your sides. Squeeze your legs together as you lift your head, upper back, and arms. Keep your feet on the floor. Lower and repeat 15 times, holding the last repetition for 15 seconds.

High lunge: Stand and step forward into a lunge, sinking down until your forward thigh is parallel to the floor. Raise your arms overhead. Reach back through your rear heel and forward through your front knee. Hold 30 seconds.

Negative pushup: Starting from a high plank position with hands directly under your shoulders, slowly lower your body toward the floor. Try to take 15 seconds to reach the floor.

Squat: Stand on a resistance band, holding one end in each hand. Bend your elbows and lift your hands to shoulder height while squatting until knees are bent 90 degrees. Rise and repeat.

Chest press: Lie on your back on a resistance band and bend your knees. Get a good grip on the band with each hand. Starting with your elbows bent, press your hands upward until your arms are extended. Lower and repeat several times.

Seated row: Sit on a chair with your legs extended and heels on the floor. Place a resistance band under your feet, holding an end in each hand. Pull your elbows back as if you were rowing a boat, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Release and repeat several times.

Lateral raise: Stand with your feet on the middle of a resistance band. Grasp an end of the band in each hand, placing your arms at your sides. Raise your arms outward to shoulder height. Slowly lower and repeat several times.

Triceps extension: Hold one end of a resistance band with your right hand and raise that arm overhead. With your left hand, grab the other end of the band behind your back, near your waist. Extend your right arm, then lower. Repeat several times with each arm.

Overhead press: Stand with your feet on a resistance band and grasp a handle in each hand. With hands at shoulder height, press your arms upward, extending them overhead. Slowly lower and repeat.

Alisa Bowman is a journalist and author who covers health, relationships, psychology, and parenting.

Full Article can be found on Experience Life!

Work your body head to toe with this minimalist strength-and-conditioning blast.

BY ANDREW HEFFERNAN | MARCH 2019

In a world where the demands of deadlines, long commutes, and loved ones in need of dinner loom alongside the pervasive myth that exercising for less than an hour isn’t worth the trouble, speedy workouts that truly work are a blessing.

Welcome to our six-move circuit, which can expand from just six minutes to 12 or 18 to suit your schedule and fitness level. High on intensity, low on equipment, and variable in impact, this workout is designed with the time-crunched in mind. But the benefits far exceed the convenience.

Fast workouts improve power — your ability to complete a lot of work in a short period of time — says workout designer Artemis Scantalides, founder of Iron Body Training Systems in Las Vegas. And power, she explains, is an oft-neglected skill essential to both athletics and everyday life, whether you’re chasing down a forehand shot or running to catch a bus.

Power training is also useful for burning fat, improving cardio capacity, and training fast-twitch muscle fibers, which dictate strength improvements and build muscle mass.

Scantalides created this workout around time constraints rather than a prescribed number of reps. In this way, you’ll work as hard as you can (with great form, of course) for a set amount of time, and then you’ll rest briefly before moving again.

A single round takes six minutes, but if you have the time and energy to do more, you can add rounds as your fitness and schedule allow.

If you choose to count your reps, you can try to increase them from round to round or workout to workout. Or you can choose not to count reps at all and simply do your best. Rest assured that you’re getting fitter anyway — six minutes at a time.

Directions

Select the appropriate work period, rest period, and number of rounds for your workout from the chart above. Beginner exercisers will use a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio. More experienced exercisers will spend more time working and less time resting within each minute of the workout.

Begin with a short, dynamic warm-up (such as the one at The Perfect Warm-Up) or spend five minutes on a cardio machine of your choice.

Then, when you’re ready, start a timer (or use an exercise-timing app like Rounds or a clock with a second hand) and complete as many good-form reps as possible of the first exercise for the duration of the selected work period. Rest for the remainder of the minute and then move on to the next move. Complete exercises 1 through 6 in order, then return to exercise 1 to begin again, if desired.

Repeat until you’ve completed the chosen number of rounds, resting the same amount of time between rounds as between exercises.

To progress over time, try to complete more reps of each move each time you do the workout. You can do this in one of two ways:

1) Go faster within the same work period without sacrificing great form. For instance, if you complete 10 burpees in 30 seconds your first week, try for 12 reps in that same amount of time in your second week.

2) Progress to a longer work period; the tradeoff is less time to rest between rounds.

 

The Exercises

1. Side-to-Side Squat

This squat variation builds lower-body strength while the step action emphasizes hip stability and adds dynamism that will elevate your heart rate.

• Assume a shoulder-width stance.
• Keeping your chest up, your gaze forward, and your lower back in its natural arch, drop down into a full squat.
• Reverse the move, returning to a standing position.
• Step your right foot toward your left and assume a feet-together stance.
• Step your left foot outward, assuming a shoulder-width stance and repeat.
• Continue squatting, stepping outward with alternate legs on each rep.

2. Jumping Jacks

This traditional move is a calisthenics favorite for good reason: It builds cardio and improves coordination with a variable level of impact.

• Stand with your feet and knees together, knees bent, arms close to your sides.
• Jump up in the air, landing with your feet wide and arms overhead.
• Jump again, returning to the starting position, and repeat continuously for the entire time.

3. Hinge to Row

This exercise combines a Romanian deadlift with a bent-over row, simultaneously grooving the hip hinge and building posterior-chain strength. You can also do this move without weights.

• Stand with your feet at hip width and your knees unlocked, holding two dumbbells by your sides.
• Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, hinge forward as far as possible at your hip joints, allowing your arms to travel forward so the dumbbells hang toward the floor, and stopping when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
• Keeping your torso motionless, retract your shoulder blades and bend your arms, lifting your elbows toward the ceiling as far as possible.
• Slowly straighten your arms.
• With your lower back still in its natural arch, return to standing and repeat under control for the entire work period.

4. Lateral Jump

Small, controlled, side-to-side jumps are a great way to build strength incrementally in the lower legs, ankles, and feet while challenging your cardiovascular system.

• Stand in an athletic posture with feet together, knees slightly bent, torso angled forward, and arms reaching forward for balance.
• Shift your weight to your left foot, lift your right foot from the floor, and leap as far as possible to your right. Land on your right foot and take a moment to find your balance.
• Without touching your left foot to the floor, repeat the movement, leaping to your left as far as possible, and landing on your left foot.
• Repeat, alternating sides, for the entire work period.

5. Side-to-Side Pushup

This move puts a dynamic twist on the traditional pushup by adding a lateral “step” to each rep. Moving the hands challenges balance and core stability, while the pushup builds upper-body strength. You can drop to your knees to make this easier.

• Assume a pushup position: hands and feet slightly wider than shoulder width, hands and the balls of your feet on the floor, arms locked out, and body straight, heels to the top of your head.
• Keeping your body straight and your head in a neutral position, simultaneously bend your arms and retract your shoulder blades until your chest lightly touches the floor — or as far as possible without losing good form.
• Reverse the movement, pushing back up to the starting position.
• Raise your left hand and place it next to your right hand, then reposition the right hand to your right side so you resume a standard pushup position.
• Perform another pushup, and then step your hands to the left. Repeat, alternating sides for your stepping hands with each rep, and repeat for the entire work period.

6. Burpee

The burpee is an effective cardio blast that’s easy to do wrong. Move with control and prioritize form over speed. Make it easier by stepping your feet backward and forward, and by taking out the jump.

• Assume a shoulder-width athletic stance.
• Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend at the hips and knees and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Jump your feet backward into a plank position: feet at shoulder width, body straight from your head to your heels, and the balls of your feet on the floor.
• Jump your feet forward to a squat position.
• Drop your hips, flatten your back, stand upright, and jump upward.

This originally appeared as “6-Minute Sweat” in the March 2019 print issue of Experience Life.

Andrew Heffernan , CSCS, is an Experience Life contributing editor.

Photo by Chad Holder; Styling: Pam Brand; Fitness Model: BreAnne Solem

Original Article can be found on Experience Life.

Here are some tips to pick the best shoes for foot health.

BY LAUREN BEDOSKY | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

Cultures that routinely wear shoes have higher incidences of foot deformities and pain than cultures that go barefoot, says podiatrist Paul Langer. In an ideal world, we’d all be safe and comfortable walking around barefoot all the time, he says. And while there are some ways to increase time without shoes, very few of us can reasonably give them up completely. With that reality in mind, here are some of our experts’ top tips for minimizing the adverse effects of shoes.

Beware of lifted heels. Many shoes, including running shoes, are designed to prop your heel up. “It’s like you’re standing on a ramp,” explains perfor­mance physiotherapist Mike Gauvreau, and it ultimately changes the way you move.

High heels and even athletic shoes with a lift, such as supportive sneakers and weightlifting shoes, place your ankles and calves in a shortened position, ultimately creating more tension. This can cause trouble with extended use. Save dress shoes with higher heels for special occasions, and limit the use of athletic shoes with a lift by mixing in lower- and no-heeled sneakers.

Steer clear of flip-flops. “Shoes that make your foot hold on — instead of the shoe holding on to your foot — create tight, stiff feet,” says Lynn Shuck, an Eischens Yoga teacher based in Minneapolis. This can result in plantar fasciitis, tight hamstrings, and back pain, among other issues. Choose shoes that have a secure heel strap or well-fitting enclosed heel.

Avoid crowding your toes. Many shoes are too narrow — especially in the toe box — and compress your tarsal and metatarsal bones (the toes and the bones in your forefoot). If you compress your feet long enough, your mobility becomes limited, says Shuck. “If I’d worn gloves on my hands for 50-plus years, they wouldn’t move much. That’s what we’ve done with our feet.” Again, high heels and dress shoes are often the culprits, if they have a narrow toe box. Look for shoes with ample width so your toes can flex.

Don’t go soft. Shoes are often packed with cushioning, which actually weakens your feet over time, and the lack of sensory feedback alters your walking mechanics. Every time your foot hits the ground, it receives signals from the ground via nerve fibers. If you’re wearing shoes with thick padding, your feet need to land harder to pick up that feedback, and you’ll be less mindful of how you’re interacting with the ground. But if your feet are minimally cushioned, you’ll be more aware of how you’re walking. “You’ll wind up walking more naturally and efficiently,” Gauvreau says.

Avoid the quick fix. Runners are ­especially susceptible to developing pain as a result of their footwear. Interestingly, research suggests that the best way to minimize your risk of foot pain and injury is to choose running shoes based on comfort, as opposed to shoes that “fix” a biomechanical problem.

Runners may be familiar with this scenario: You visit a running store to have your gait assessed. The assessor determines your degree of pronation, or how far your foot rolls inward with each step. If you’re an overpronator, you land on the inside of your foot; if you’re an underpronator, you land on the outside. Neutral pronators land in the middle. The salesperson will recommend a shoe to resolve it, thus helping you avoid injury.

Sounds reasonable, but research has shown that this approach has no effect on injury prevention. A 2015 study of running injuries found no conclusive evidence that pronation had any effect on running-related injuries. Instead, the research authors suggest two alternative models for selecting shoes to mitigate injury risk: the comfort filter and the preferred movement pattern.

Choosing a shoe based on comfort will enable you to maintain your preferred movement pattern, reducing the risk of injury, a model first proposed by biomechanics expert and lead study author Benno Nigg, PhD.

“Our movement patterns are as unique as our signature,” explains Langer, “and anything that causes us to deviate from our preferred movement pattern will cause us to work harder, be less metabolically efficient, fatigue sooner, and increase our risk of injury.”

If you are free of foot pain, he recommends choosing running shoes based on what feels right: “Since comfort and movement patterns are very complex and can’t be measured, we recommend that people try shoes on, make comparisons, and then select the most comfortable shoe.”

This originally appeared as “Choosing the Best Shoes” in “The Best Foot Forward” in the January-February 2019 print issue of Experience Life.

Lauren Bedosky is a Minnesota-based health and fitness writer.

BY PILAR GERASIMO AND DALLAS HARTWIG | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

The New Year brings a barrage of “New You!” promises. Learn how to get past those tired tropes and explore fresh options for conscious change.

For many of us, the New Year brings a fresh start — an opportunity to get a new outlook on life. But it also brings a predictable flood of warmed-over media messages and “no-fail” plans that fail to deliver.

So in this installment of The Living Experiment, we talk about the paradoxical nature of the New Year experience, and how you can make it work for you.

Whether it’s opting out of fad diets and workouts or embracing the long-standing tradition of reflecting on your right-now priorities, we encourage you to investigate your desires for change and the motivations behind them.

We share expert theories about why our goals tend to elude us and offer experiments to help you identify and embrace the New Year adjustments that matter to you.

Year-End Depletion

• Coming off the holiday season, we are often tired, depleted, and vulnerable to being sold on dramatic solutions and interventions.
• The media and marketers seize on this opportunity with aggressive campaigns that tap into our feelings of inadequacy and shame.
• Buying into the constant exhortations to have “your best year ever!” or “your best body ever!” can backfire, fueling magical thinking — or cynicism and apathy.
• The biggest challenges to making sustainable change typically require shifting time and resources away from current outflows and renegotiating current commitments, not just pushing yourself harder.

The Value of Preparation

• Seasonally speaking, the dead of winter is a great time for contemplation, reflection, review, and planning, but not necessarily the best time to spring into action.
• Consider, without jumping to solutions or resolutions: What parts of your life are calling for change, and where are you being invited to grow as a person?
• It’s also worth asking, with self-compassion: Why have you not already made or sustained this change? Hint: It’s not lack of willpower.
• Locate your current position on the Readiness to Change spectrum. Know that it’s normal to repeatedly move back and forth between the stages of contemplation, preparation, and action.

Investigative Insight

• Rather than making a long list of “shoulds,” consider focusing on one important area and working through a deeper change process (see the experiments below).
• Can you reframe your perceived problems (e.g., weight, debt, bad habits) as symptoms of underlying challenges? Often, these come down to excess stress, competing values or commitments, vague boundaries, or unaddressed psycho-emotional issues.
• Self-sabotage of our goals is often based on dissonance between our current identity and the behaviors required of the person we want to be.
• Consider trying on your chosen capability or habit, even if you don’t feel ready to fully embrace it. Taking a small step or running a small experiment can help you incrementally shift your identity to match that behavior.
• Finish the sentence “I am a person who . . . ” as though you have already made your chosen change. Notice: How does that feel in your body-mind?
• Keep in mind that change is inherently disruptive. Short-term chaos is often the first step toward long-term joy.

Experiments

Pilar suggests:
1) Make an Immunity Map by following the steps in the article “How to Overcome Immunity to Change” (available at “How to Overcome Immunity to Change“).

2) Create a Goal Flower using the “Cultivate Your Goals” section of Pilar’s Refine Your Life workbook (available at ­PilarGerasimo.com/resources).

Dallas suggests: Look at the changes you want to make for 2019, and articulate the motivation behind them. Ask yourself: Am I doing this out of fear or out of love? Replace a behavior that has typically been fear-based with one done out of love. It may be the same action, but with a different motivation in play.

Listen and Learn: Check out this and other episodes of The Living Experiment podcast at LivingExperiment.com. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Pilar Gerasimo and Dallas Hartwig adapted this column from their top-rated podcast, The Living Experiment. Dallas is cofounder of Whole30 and the New York Times best-selling coauthor of The Whole30 and It Starts With Food.

Original article can be found on ExperienceLife.com

BY MAGGIE FAZELI FARD | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019

Our fitness editor talks about finding deeper meaning — and personal connection — in workouts.

It’s hard to work out simply for the sake of it. No matter how much you enjoy your fitness regimen (and I sincerely hope you at least sometimes find pleasure in exercise), it’s easy to put off a gym sessionuntil tomorrow, until next week, until January 1.

You might go to bed telling yourself you should wake up early to go for a run. But how many times do you hit snooze and linger in bed for an extra hour? I’ve lost count of the number of times that knowing I should simply wasn’t enough.

When it comes to goal-setting in fitness, identifying your why is a common first step. And for good reason: If you can connect your actions to something meaningful — be it improving your health to live long enough to meet your grandchildren, accomplishing a lifelong goal of completing an Ironman, or having the strength to carry all the groceries into the house in one trip — you improve your chances of showing up and doing the work to achieve these goals.

Saying I should get up to run has set me up for failure and disrupted my sleep. But identifying my why — for instance, my love of watching the sunrise on a cool morning or building up the stamina to run a race two months down the line — is plenty to get me moving. This links my workouts to something beyond just working out; it takes me out of some momentary discomfort by focusing on something I truly want or believe in.

In recent years, though, I’ve found yet another powerful source of motivation: naming my who.

The first time I worked out with someone else in mind was in 2010, when my cousin Louisa asked if I’d run a half-marathon with her to celebrate her 50th birthday. I wasn’t a runner and had never imagined running a 5K, let alone a 13.1-mile course. Yet I agreed without hesitation.

The reality of training hit me only later, but by then I was committed. I often tried to convince myself it was OK not to run — because it was hard, because it was hot, because it was cold, because I was tired, because I was self-conscious. But each time, I remembered that every step leading up to the race celebrated Louisa. It was easier to show up for her than to show up for the training, or even for the race. By showing up for her, I ultimately showed up for myself.

More recently, I was invited to name a new who: Kelly Richards. You might not know Kelly, and neither did I, but as soon as I heard her story I felt connected. The manager of Life Time’s Target Center club in Minneapolis, Kelly is a triathlete who loves dancing, Bitmojis, New Kids on the Block, the Seattle Seahawks, and her friends. And back in August, Kelly was involved in a horrifying bike accident that caused serious brain injuries. In a moment, she went from a fun-loving, big-hearted athlete to a woman in a coma fighting for her life.

Her colleagues rallied around her to design a benefit workout with a party atmosphere. Rally for Richards — a triathlon of sorts, comprising an Alpha workout, a cycling workout, and a yoga session — raised money for Kelly’s treatment and hoped-for recovery.

Additionally, it gave the people in her life a chance to come together to support her and each other.

That night, dozens of us worked out side by side, breaking a sweat and pushing our physical limits. But the workouts were more than just exercise.

“Remember who you’re here for,” drilled one of the coaches leading the Alpha crew as we slogged through an interval circuit of box jumps, kettlebell swings, burpees, jumping rope, and rowing. It was an effective workout, a challenging combo of strength and conditioning moves.

We all showed up to work out, and work out hard, but none of us was there for the workout itself. We were there for Kelly. For her family. For her friends. For each other. For ourselves.

Since then, as Kelly has made slow progress, I think of her — still a woman I don’t know personally — every time I feel my commitment to my workouts falter. I remember that if she could, she would. And I know that every step, every lift, every rep is a shot of positive energy. For her. For the people who love her. And ultimately, for me, too.

When it comes to working out, who are you here for?

Get ready for the 2018 Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K taking place Sunday, May 20! We’ve been making preparations to make this year’s race the best one ever!

Whether you’ll be running the half marathon or the 10K distance, we can’t wait for you to celebrate the 10th running of this special race and experience race weekend; not to mention the Spring Market Finish Festival venue out of gorgeous Maggie Daley Park.

Check out the Athlete Guide for detailed schedules, packet pick-up dates and times, course information and more!

> View the 2018 Athlete Guide here

Please keep an eye on our website, Facebook page and emails for any additional updates before the race. We’ll see you at the Start line!

LIFE TIME PARTNERS WITH USATF – ILLINOIS TO BRING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CHICAGO

10K and Half Marathon State Championships Coming to Chicago

Chicago, IL  (March 22) — The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, and Chicago Half Marathon & 5K produced by Life Time^® Healthy Way of Life, are partnering with the USA Track & Field (USATF) – Illinois Association to host state champioinships. Together with Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment brand, USATF – Illinois will be a driving force in providing a premier race experience for local developing athletes.

Set for Sunday, May 20, the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K will host this years’ USATF – Illinois 10K Championship. While on Sunday, September 23, the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K will host the USATF – Illinois Half Marathon Championship.

“Life Time has grown the interest and demand for a quality race experience using an athlete first approach and including participants of all abilities” said Gregory Evans, Long Distance Running Chair for USATF – Illinois Association. “USATF Illinois is proud to bring the national governing body to the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K and Chicago Half Marathon, adding another level of benefits to the participants and other race partners.”

“Partnering with USATF – Illinois is the next step as we continue to build on providing quality, premier race experiences for our athletes.” said Life Time Run Brand Manager, Dan Lakin, says of the USATF – Illinois partnership,  “Life Time is dedicated to improving our local communities, and providing events that are best-in-class. Whether an elite athlete or a beginner,  Life Time and USATF provide a vehicle to foster athletes at every level along their healthy way of life journey. We’re excited to to welcome the State Championships to Chicago at this years’ event and for years to come.”

An estimated 8,000 runners are expected to participate in this year’s Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K and another 13,000 are expected to take on the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K this September.  In addition to age group and masters awards; each race will offer a prize purse to the top 3 men and women:

	10K Championship	Half Marathon Championship
1st Place	$500	$1,000
2nd Place	$250	$500
3rd Place	$250	$500

To place in a championship race, registered participants must be a current member of USATF at the time of the race. Information on USATF membership and it’s benefits may be found at USATF.org

About the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, in its 10th year, benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Participants will run either 13.1 miles or 10K (6.1 miles) starting along famed Grant Park traversing South along Columbus Drive, and run through Museum Campus and along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront before finishing in Maggie Daley Park. In its inaugural year, 1900 people signed up for the race, today it is one of the most in-demand racecs in Chicago selling out at just over 8,000 participants.
More information is available at ChicagoSpringHalf.com.

About the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K
The Chicago Half Marathon & 5K, in it’s 22^nd year, highlights Chicago’s south shore. Stepping off from historic Jackson Park, participants traverse through Hyde Park before navigating along a traffic-free Lake Shore Drive. The Chicago Half Marathon is a flat and fast course offering up stunning views of Chicago’s famed skyline and a triumphant finish at the foot of the “Golden Lady” (Statue of the Republic).
More information at chicagohalfmarathon.com

Both races are part of the Chicagoland Half Marathon Series which includes the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K (May 20) and the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K (September 23) and awards participants for completing 2 half marathons within the same year. 

About Life Time^®, Healthy Way of Life

Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 131 destinations in 37 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s only Healthy Way of Life brand, Life Time delivers an unmatched athletic resort experience and provides a comprehensive healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experience that goes well beyond fitness to encompasses the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. For more information visit  lifetime.life. 

About USATF – Illinois

USATF – Illinois seeks to promote the sport and its local athletes across the state, and is one of 57 USATF Associations across the country. Visit illinois.usatf.org for more information.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. Information on USATF membership and it’s benefits may be found at USATF.org