ISP Update!

So it’s getting to the point in the semester where we are getting to crunch time with our Independent Study Projects. I figured I will update you on my project J I am doing a project on the Chicago Marathon and the different running clubs in the city. I plan to research the marathon and then run with different clubs in the city to learn about how running affects them and how the marathon influences why they run or why their club was formed. I also hope to learn how a running club can really influence one’s desire and goal to run a marathon, which seems to be the ultimate aspiration of many runners. I also signed up to run the Chicago marathon. Call me crazy! I am extremely nervous, but it has been a huge goal of mine, so I cannot wait to complete it.

 I have already run with two different clubs and had a blast with them! Both groups were super friendly and welcoming. I ran three miles with one group and 10 miles with the other! I thought I wasn’t going to make it through the second run, but I survived J I ran at a much faster pace than I usually do! It was also very cold and windy for the second run. I dressed in a lot of layers and ended up getting pretty overheated, which did not help. But completely that run felt GREAT. The second group had pizza and Gatorade for us after the run, so that was a great community gesture. I learned about the history about both clubs and of different member’s desire to run the marathon or other races in the city. I hope to run with at least three other clubs in the city.

Lastly, I hope to use my findings with my research and involvement with the clubs to develop a proposal to start my own running club back home, hopefully with the goal of running the Chicago marathon for the runners. I also hope to get youth more involved in running because that is also a huge angle my ISP could take. 

Here is a picture of the Warriors Running Club, the first club I ran with. You can barely see me in the very very back.J

 

Personally, I chose this ISP topic because I have recently become more involved with running and wanted to research something I was passionate about. I also hope to learn more about how running can affect mental health, as sort of a therapy technique. I think the unique thing about a large city is that is has so many running opportunities for its residents, so I wanted to take advantage of that while I was here in Chicago J

 

Author: Maria WChicago