I don’t think I would’ve fallen in love with running had it not been for my high school’s proximity to Annadel State Park. My friends and I must have logged thousands of miles through those mountains from 2011-2016, and I try to make it up there every time I’m home. It’s an especially nice park because there are really three levels of elevation you can explore – roughly sea-level around Howarth Park and Spring Lake, then up to the Lake Ilsanjo level, then finally up to Marsh. Just great stuff all around.
I didn’t plan on running at the varsity level in college, but was happy to be able to walk on to UChicago’s team and revel in the UCXC culture. I was nowhere near fast enough to race in the post-season, but my most cherished achievement was my unofficial designation of Fun Captain in 2020.
official and (unofficial), ordered by distance.