Great Urban Race Chicago

July 27, 2013

Here's the web link to the race: Great Urban Race

My brother Phil is the reason that this race was  added to my calendar this year.  He met some folks that were top notch clue solvers for this type of race.  After clue solving with them a couple of times, they offered their support if he decided to race.  And, so it was.  Phil gave me the gift of a race entry for Christmas and we were all set to race the Great Urban Race in Chicago!

The July morning in Chicago was unseasonably cold, which was great because the race started at high noon!  We arrived with plenty of time to spare and decided to hang out at the Cubby Bear and wait for the race to begin.  We were joined by our friend Jeff, who acted as ground support during the race.

Phil (on the left) and Jeff right before race start outside of the Cubby Bear.

At noon, the clue sheets were handed out and we were on our way.  We had pre-planned to jump on the train, head south and have some clue solutions fed our way as we were on the move.  We hopped on the red line at Addison and begin chattering on the phone.  As we came to the first stop we looked up and saw Sheridan - crap!  We went North instead of South.  After switching platforms and trains, we were on our way to the Near North Side.

The first stop was at a volunteer station manned by C.A.R.A. (the Chicago Area Runner's Association)  We answered some easy questions about running in Chicago, grabbed the provided flyer, and snapped a picture with the banner.  One down!

CARA Banner

Next, we were directed to the pier at North Avenue Beach behind Castaways Bar for something Polynesian.  This turned out to be my introduction to SUP - stand up paddling.  They were allowing the teams to paddle on their knees, so that wasn't so bad until I reached the turn around buoy and took an impromptu swim.  Thanks unseasonably cold Chicago weather!  A hand stamp this time, followed by a skyline picture and my wet body and sandy feet were on the run!  I think Phil just chuckled.

Skyline - Hancock Building off my right shoulder

From there it was a mad dash to a bar with a retractable roof beer garden on Well's street.  I wish we'd had longer to stick around because the place looked like it was hopping - even for noon on a Saturday!  We had a challenge involving a blindfold and instructions from the other teammate that seemed to go pretty well.  Phil was blindfolded while I provided instructions.  Our progress was monitored by the Bacardi Oakhart (new rum to compete with Captain Morgan) girls.  Like I said, might not have been a bad place to hang around...

Bacardi Challenge (was hoping this might involve liquor!)

Each GUR has a donation checkpoint.  This one was no exception.  We met Jeff, made our donation and also knocked off a few squares to solve the Tic Tac Toe Square.

Donating paper towels to Ronald McDonald House Charities

For those keeping score, we now have 4 checkpoints (out of 11) and have also completed the TicTacToe square for checkpoint #5.  Almost halfway done!  Back to the Brown Line train now to make our way North.  It should be noted that this checkpoint was as far south as we were headed for the day.  Had we caught the original train going south, we might have overshot in the subway with no phone reception and really ended up off-course.

After scooting down the brown line, we hopped off and headed to another bar.  This one required knocking an inverted bottle cap off of a beer bottle with a golf ball while landing the golf ball on the mouth of the beer bottle.  Yes, it can be done.  No, it isn't easy.  We snapped a quick picture under a neon sign (clue requirement) and headed out the door.  The picture was pretty fuzzy, so I've left it out of this post.

From there, we high tailed it to a painting challenge.  The shop was called Bottles and Botega.  I think that it is one of those shops where you bring wine and paint.  We were required to paint a square in a canvas - we knocked this out very quickly and headed down the street to the next challenge.

Canvas is in the background - you can barely see it.

#6,#7, and now #8 were falling quickly.  We headed to our next challenge that involved passing coffee beans between plastic spoons held in our mouths.  There are certain things that two grown men really shouldn't do.  We moved our 10 coffee beans from bowl to bowl, grabbed a flyer, snapped a picture and were off on a sprint to get back on the train.

Last stop to knock off three more clues.  We jumped off the Brown Line at Montrose and headed to the Chicago Swordplay Academy.  Oh, this will be fun!  We had three separate sword/ martial arts challenges to complete before getting our picture and heading to the next checkpoint.  It was good to get out a little aggression here!

Show me your war face - AHHHHH!!!

The next stop was about 1/4 mile away at the Sweet Sensations Cupcake shop.  One teammate had to smear frosting on his nose, while the other had to pitch mini marshmallows from 15 feet away and try to get them to stick to the frosting.  Phil nailed me with the marshmallow on the first try!  We snapped our pic next to the giant cupcake and headed for the last clue!

Giant cupcake - look close - the frosting is still on my nose!

Last clue - we are rocking now!! The last clue is right next to the train station and is an easy one for a beer expert like Phil.  We had to make our own beer - ok, an abbreviated version.  We had to add a pinch of yeast, some barley and some hops to water, cap the bottle and take a picture with our home brew.

Last clue - our home brew!

We did it!  We've solved eleven clues.  All that's left now is to get to the finish line and see where we placed.  The Brown line does stop at Addison, but then there'd be a one mile run on tired legs to finish the day.  However, as we stepped off the train, the bus heading down Addison was right outside the door!  We sprinted to the next bus stop and enjoyed a leisurely bus ride back to Clark and Addison.  

We ran through the finish chute and headed to camera check.  We had everything we needed and finished with no penalties!  We were the third place team overall!! YES, OVERALL!!  We came back later for the awards ceremony and received our giant novelty check!!  Check it out!!

For winning the race, we receive a complimentary entry to the National Championship Race in Puerto Rico in December.  Stand by for updates!!

A HUGE thanks goes out to all who supported our team and made this possible!  The results are linked here.

My Ironman Journey Begins

On Sunday, October 9, I signed up for the Ironman Louisville on August, 26, 2012.  It has long been a goal of mine to complete an Iron distance triathlon.  I am excited and scared at the same time.  I know that the preparation will be intense and consuming.  I also can just imagine the rush that will come when I cross the finish line and know that I am an Ironman!  More posts to follow as I lay out my training plan and prepare for the big race!

New Posts on the Sony Blog

Check out a couple new posts on the Sony Blog!
Big September for me - after running 20 half marathons, I cracked the 1:40 barrier at the Alpine Races for a new PR!!

http://pulse.active.com/endurancepete/blog/?message=WW91ciBwb3N0IGhhcyBub3cgYmVlbiBzdWJtaXR0ZWQh

Making Strides for Special Kids 5K

Check out the blog from my third Team Sony Walkman race.  Fastest 5K in four years!

http://pulse.active.com/endurancepete/blog/2011/09/18/making_strides_for_special_kids_5k

Fort2Base Race Chicago

The Fort2Base race, held on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at the Great Lakes Naval Base was quite an experience for several reasons.

First, this race was the culmination of my efforts as a Best Buy ambassador.  The program has been a lot of fun and I'm very proud to say that I've helped get many people off the couch and through a 5K.  I am very interested to see where Best Buy takes the program now.

Second, the whole family ended up running the race, so that is always a good time.  The boys are growing up so fast and I'm very happy that running and racing has become a part of their lives at an early age.  Sean and I ran together for the first mile and then he told me that he wanted to run on his own, and run he did, on his was to a second place finish in the 0-9 age group!  Ryan ran with Kathy and her cousin Natalie, keeping his head up and pushing through to the third place spot for the 0-9 boys!  Wow!

Last, and far from least, my friend Brian and his 11-year old daughter ran together after having completed the Couch to 5K Training program together.  She ran a 9:51 pace and placed third in her age group, which add 10 girls!

The weather was beautiful and the party after the race was a blast!  Everyone had such a good time!

Buffalo Grove Stampede 10K

Elite Tribe - Active.com Peter Friddle Blog Buffalo Grove Stampede 10K

Check out the Labor Day race report - Race #2 for Team Sony Walkman!

City Chase Chicago

Fair warning: This is sure to be one of the longest blog posts yet. There is a lot of detail to share about the day. I hope that this post is as fun to read as the race was to run!

Kathy and I decided to run this race with our good friends Brian and Colleen. We all had the right attitude going into the day. We just wanted to have fun and enjoy whatever challenges came our way.

Little did we know, the first challenge would come before we even started the race. While doing the pre-race announcements, the announcer was asking the contestants if they were here because they were interested in a show like Survivor or the Amazing race. He then asked if anyone thought they could hack it on American Idol - here's what happened next!

Yes, that's Kathy singing the National Anthem in front of 1500 people!!

The race started with a mini scavenger hunt. Completion of the scavenger hunt would earn each team the clue sheets needed to collect the 10 City Chase Points required to complete the competition.

To get our clue sheet, we had to collect seven out of the ten items listed below.

1. A printed QR Code - We quickly found this in our Time Out Chicago Magazine

2. Name of the Cubs Pitcher that pitched at the first Cubs night game - an internet search revealed this answer, Rick Sutcliffe

3. Someone wearing a White Sox logo - we started this race at Wrigley, yeah right! We skipped this one!

4. Something printed in Spanish - we found a brief Spanish description in that trusty Time Out Chicago magazine.

5. Live animal - we skipped this one. I saw some people turning in ants in their water bottles.

6. Physical ticket stub - I got lucky and found an older stub on the ground in the parking lot!

7. Proof that we had checked in this morning - We thought our shirts and bibs would count here, but they were looking for registration on facebook. Missed it.

8.  A House For Rent Sign - Easy.

9.  A lipstick kissmark on both chaser's faces - got it, with some help from Brian and Colleen.

10.  Video with a stranger singing LMFAO's Party Rock - got it!

And with that, we were off to our first CHASEPOINT of the day.  We need 10 CHASEPOINTS to complete the race and then hustle to get back to Wrigley Field before the 4PM cutoff time.  Here are the CHASEPOINTS that we got, in the order in which we tackled them.  The clue given to us is in bold type.

...And Action     Matthew Broderick and Tom Cruise to name a few.  When you see these clips, we'll see how you do.  This place once known as Schulien's is one of Chicago's oldest drinking places.  During this challenge, you'll have to know many different faces.

We walked over to this bar on Irving avenue and began the challenge.  It was a looping video of about thirty 5-second clips of movies filmed in Chicago.  You had to identify 15 of them before earning the CHASEPOINT.  Kathy is a movie buff and made quick work of this challenge.  We were soon on our way to the next one.  

We decided to hop on the train and continue to work on solving some more clues.  While on the train, we solved this clue and someone overheard us and said we were a block from this one!

Down Your Shirt     fbhgucbeg Ynarf vf gur cynpr jurer lbh'yy frr jub trgf gb 2aq onfr.

Key: A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M

         N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

We solved this to read: Southport Lanes is the place where you'll see who gets to 2nd base.

When we arrived, we found employees from an exotic pet shop!  One chaser had to put two live snakes down their tucked-in shirt for one minute while the other had to have a giant hissing cockroach crawl around the back of their neck for the minute!  Kathy and Colleen took the snakes, while Brian and I braved the hissing cockroaches.  The feeling of that thing walking around back there made my skin crawl!

Word Play     if a River could have feelings, this place would be Mad.  head here when you're ready for a Time Out, but don't be sad.

We found and tracked down the Mad River bar and made our way there on the Brown Line of the CTA.  When we came up to the bar, the volunteers were waiting with a crossword puzzle and a copy of Time Out Chicago, where all the answers to the crossword puzzle could be found.  We made our way through the task in short order and headed on to the next checkpoint.  It was here we realized that having a beer might be a good idea...

Triathlon     egnuoL 01 neveS

The Seven-Ten Lounge would be our next stop, but surprise, surprise, this was not your normal triathlon.  We had to complete three events to pass this challenge.  The first was a game of quarters, the bar game where you bounce the quarter on the table and into a glass.  We had to get 10 quarters in the glass while alternating turns.  Next up was bowling.  We had to play until we knocked down 50 pins.  It took a few frames, but we got there quick enough.  The third and final event was to clear a rack in billiards.  The bar had Founders IPA on tap, so we couldn't pass that up!  Brian and I had a beer while we cleared the tables with our teammates.

H2O NO     Like and look at /citychaseusa as we'll be posting this clue in a social networking way.

We checked the facebook page and found that this checkpoint was at the Lincoln Ave John Barleycorn location.  We had to build a pyramid of 20 plastic champagne glasses and fill all of them by only pouring water into the glasses on the top level.  It was actually easier than it sounds and we got it done with no problem.  On to the next challenge!

Poker Face     At this Lincoln Park place many beers have been pounded.  Their street address is the year that AA was founded.  Their name and street are one of the same and many head there after a volley ball game.

We figured out that this challenge was located at Sedgewick's at 1935 Sedgewick Ave.  We proceeded down into the basement of the bar, to find two poker tables going.  The game was strip poker!  You either had to win six chips in a game of between-the-sheets or end up completely naked before getting credit for this CHASEPOINT.  I lost my shirt, but that was it.  On to the next challenge!

While we were doing the last several checkpoints, we started to work on 

CHASEPOINT #2: CITY CHASE CHICAGO VIDEO/ PHOTO HUNT.  

We had to find seven out of ten photos/ videos to get credit for this one.  The seven that we got are shown below.

1.  One chaser sharing a slice of Deep Dish Pizza with a stranger - VIDEO

2.  Both chasers outside a Theatre or Concert Venue with a Marquee - PHOTO

3.  One chaser walking someone else's dog - VIDEO

4.  An 'Honarary Street' sign - PHOTO

5.  One chaser wearing a Chicago sports team jersey (must not be in a store) - PHOTO
6.  One chaser singing Chicago Bears fight song with strangers - VIDEO (got it! - to be posted!)

8.  Both chasers kissing a stranger on the cheeks at the same time - PHOTO

and, the three we skipped:
7.  One chaser in line at a food truck - PHOTO
9.  One chaser getting into the back of a police car - VIDEO
10.  Picture of both chasers in "The Bean" - PHOTO

Locked Up     City Chase calls it home throughout the year.  The spot you'll be going isn't open when we're here.  On the south side of the building you won't need a key, but hopefully you'll find one to set you free.


We arrived at this underground club on Halsted to find long cables laid out on the floor.  We were instructed to pick them up and wind ourselves together in the cable.  The volunteer locked us up with a four digit combination lock and told us that the numbers of the combination were taped on cones hidden throughout the bar.  Once we found the four numbers, we were to report back to her.  We made our way around the bar, locked up together to find our four numbers, 1-9-8-1.  We reported back and were told that our numbers were correct and that 1 was the first digit of the combination.  It was up to us to figure out the rest and get ourselves out of this predicament.  We cycled through the combinations twice just because we weren't properly testing each combination and found that we had actually found the numbers in the right order!  CHASEPOINT complete!

From here, we made a big, wrong train ride and ended up at the wrong location to a clue we were trying to find.  We lost a bunch of time, but we still wanted to finish, so we headed on to...

HandyMan     If home improvement was once your favorite show then the Craftsman Experience is where you must go.


We took the Red Line down to the Chicago station and hightailed it over to the Craftsman Experience on Franklin and Huron.  We had to build a bug house, change a tire, work an autohammer and give an interview about our experience.  There were lots of teams there, but it was a fun CHASEPOINT.

While here, we also handed in the completed requirements for

Special Olympics (ChasePoint #1)     We sent you an e-mail and asked you to raise money through your network online.  We hope you got it done in very little time.  We believe in this cause and what the money goes to.  For credit you must turn it in at either HandyMan or BBQ.


That's the end of the fun!  We made our way back to Wrigley Field, where it all began over 6 hours ago at about 4:30PM.  We didn't make the 4P cutoff, but we sure had a fantastically good time.  The day was a blast and as the shirt says, "Do more in 6 hours than your friends do all summer!"