Hello and good day to the Niles West Oakton athletes and other website visitors!

Our outdoor season is winding down, but it looks like we’ll get Wednesday night practice in before heading to the indoor track. However, please come prepared for being inside, as it may rain tomorrow night. What’s the workout, you say? Well, Coach Savage has come up with a fun one for us: 5 sets of 6 minutes, running 40 seconds hard and 20 seconds easy, with 2 minutes between sets. Total time: 40 minutes. This is a great fartlek workout, and will get that heart racing!

On Wednesday, November 27th, we will have a regular practice, on the indoor track. Please plan on coming to do a calorie pre-burn!

Thanks to those who came out to the Heartland Café Harvest 5K (?) on Sunday past. WE HAD A BLAST!! The course was out on the beach, a little sloppy in places from the snow, with a fast finish down Lunt to the Café. Mike James, owner and race director, put on a terrific breakfast/awards ceremony in the bar next door. Nancy Rollins was the overall winner in the womens’ division: Stuart, Pete, Stephanie and I all placed in our age groups. Awards ranged from new shoes to hand puppets and Chef Earl Hummus. It doesn’t get much better than that!!

On Sunday, November 24th, plan on participating in the Lincolnwood Turkey Trot, the last CARA registered race of the season. You could win a turkey!! There’s a big party at Rich Machalinski’s house after the race, open to all.

PUB RUN: Sunday, December 8th! Meet at NWHS between 2:30-2:55PM, and we’ll take off for the first drinking establishment. We finish off at Barnaby’s for pizza, beer and Irish Whisky. Cost is $20 for Club members or $35/couple, all drinks and pizza included. Bail is not included. Information sheets available at practice.

We have applications for the S-No-W Fun Run 5 Miler, scheduled for January 4th at 2:30PM at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. This is a nice race with a crazy party afterward: bring your Island attire! Like last year, all NWORC runners who stay will go out for dinner (if we can still walk by then…). If you plan on staying at the Grand Geneva, you need to make reservations by December 4th to get the discount rate. Be sure you mention the Lakes Area Running Club!! Coach Savage has checked out some alternative hotels if you want to stay the night: see him for details.

Other upcoming events:

CARA Awards Banquet, Saturday, January 25th
Team Party, Saturday, February 1st

Correction to last week’s birthday listing: Tami Motherway’s birthday is NOT November 26th as noted; that would be DAVE MOYER’S birthday. Sorry, Dave, no disrespect intended.

That’s it for now – see you at practice!

Melissa