Running Local Races and Reinventing Date Night

In just a few weeks, the Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Department will kick off its race season with the Run Thru the Hills on April 15. The department will also host the LITH Triathlon on June 10 and the Sunset 5K on August 31.

My husband, Mark, and I will participate in the Run Thru the Hills 5K, which takes place right in our neighborhood. We have run this race before but not since we became parents four years ago. Running organized races has become our new version of a date night.

After we became parents, Mark and I went on dates that typically consisted of pricey, calorie-loaded dinners and expensive movie tickets. We enjoyed dressing up and spending a night on the town but our wallets felt lighter and our bellies heavier.

We chose to reinvent our version of a date night late last summer when we ran the Sunset 5K. We enjoyed the chance to run our hearts out and then later hang out at the festival with live music and food.

It’s true, running races costs money, but we’re exercising, outdoors, meeting people, and bringing home cool race shirts.

Running races also brings back treasured childhood memories for me. My dad, sister and I ran numerous races when I was a young teenager. My bedroom wall was covered with race bibs and the occasional medal or trophy. I have memories of running cross country for three years in high school, too.

Plus, running a few miles three times a week clears my head of the daily mommy grind. It helps, too, that Mark and I both run. We understand the need to exercise and support each other by taking turns watching the kids.

And there are still some date nights when we dine out at one of the many fine restaurants in LITH or Algonquin. But I love mixing up our routine with an organized race with neighbors through the streets of LITH.

Are you a parent with a clever date night idea? Will you participate in a LITH race event this year?