+1 to the Apple River Canyon.  It’s beautiful and low key.  A bit small but there are 4 one-mile hiking trails that are all gorgeous. Another good one in WI is Governor Dodge state park: great long hiking trails and two lakes with canoe rentals.  Wildcat mountain  has a wonderful lookout where you can see fireworks from the surrounding communities.  I camped there last year and it also has a few nice trails and canoe/inner tube rentals at the nearby Kickapoo river.   ... View more

That’s awesome. My dad is also my inspiration.  He doesn’t run much anymore but he introduced me in the 80s and we would run in any conditions!  So many great memories. ... View more

Looks fantastic.  Would love to live close to a place like this.  Thanks for the post.  ... View more

I’ve only done ultras up to 50 miles and luckily have an iron stomach...but, late in the race is when I’m really craving real food: PB&J, soup, etc.   I have tried Ensure too and it definitely hits the spot.    This is embarrassing but the best thing I’ve ever eaten late in a race was Doritos and Mountain Dew.  Just tasted so good!   ... View more

I love solo trail running but I guess I'm a minimalist.  Just water and snacks for me....Although I'm usually running the Chicago area and on my trail, I'm never more than a few hundred feet from civilization.  As I write this I realize that I need to get out of town more!   ... View more

The great thing about running is you really don't need much.  Depending on the difficulty of the trails, road shoes and road gear are perfectly fine...that said, I do love my Buff.   ... View more

I've been running since my early teens so I can't say I know exactly what you are going through, but I do find myself lacking motivation a lot!  One thing I recently did was set a mileage goal for the month and then I created a spreadsheet to track myself.  It worked well and I met my goal but this can be very dangerous for a newer runner and can lead to injuries.  I have a friend who started running after 40 and his problem is overuse injuries and is still getting over a stress fracture.   But now on to my advice.  Slow down!!  Finding your pace is on of the hardest things to do, imo, but I often see new runners trying to go way too fast.  Your endurance will improve when you're not running to the point of being out of breath.     ... View more