Chicago Marathon a stepping stone in runner's quest for '40 in 40'

If Nicole Wojnarowski finishes Sunday's Chicago Marathon in 4:40, it would simply be karma.

Wojnarowski, who will be participating in her third straight Chicago Marathon, has been fueled by the No. 40 this year.

The 1993 graduate of then St. Charles High School turned 40 five months ago. To make note of that achievement, she set a goal to run in 40 races while she is 40 years old.

Her parents, Brian and Mary Henry of St. Charles, gave her a trip to South Dakota as a birthday present so she could run in a July 4 event there. Yes, South Dakota is our nation's 40th state.

She ran the half-marathon portion of the Fox Valley Marathon a few weeks ago to prepare for the Chicago event, which will be race No. 21 on the climb to 40.

It's all quite satisfying for Wojnarowski, who endured some health issues in undergoing four surgeries to relieve a cyst on her brain that was causing chronic headaches while a student at Northern Illinois University in the late 1990s.

Also not bad for a woman who admits she dreaded gym class in high school, especially the mile run around the track.

“I used to complain and try to come up with excuses to miss those gym classes, and swore I would never run unless it was mandatory,” said Wojnarowski, now a resident of Oswego.

Seventeen years later, she decided she didn't want to waste the opportunity to use her legs, especially in light of her reduced quality of life from the headaches.

In 2010, she ran three 5K races and has increased her running goals each year since. To the point that “40 in 40” has a nice ring to it.

“If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would enjoy running and actually participating in races, including the marathon, I would have told you that you were crazy,” Wojnarowski said.

But now?

“Each new race is an adventure and I am definitely enjoying the journey.”

Things sad to hear

There's no avoiding hearing things you hate to hear.

It was a bummer to hear of the recent passing of Jack Young of Geneva. I'd be hard pressed to say I've met a more likable guy than Jack Young over my many years in the Tri-Cities area.

When Jack was born, I'm guessing he came out of the womb with a smile that would stay permanently locked onto his face. The guy never frowned, at least not that I ever saw.

Most of my encounters with Jack centered on his work for TriCity Family Services and Delnor Hospital, but I know he had to be a great investment and financial consultant, and his family would tell you he was certainly a great father.

The other disappointing thing last week was Fox Valley Repertory closing its curtain at Pheasant Run Resort. We attended many shows at this theater and enjoyed every single one.

It's just an excellent, intimate setting for live theater and we're hoping to see it rise again through a new troupe or familiar faces at the resort somehow.

Describing a saga

So now Cliff McIlvaine's attorney is trying to get a Kane County judge to dismiss thousands of dollars in fines St. Charles has leveled against his client over the decades-long improvement project at his home along Prairie Street.

Whether McIlvaine avoids paying these fines or not, it's just another episode that keeps this saga alive.

And it leaves us with this. You can fill in the blank in this sentence on your own from one or more of the words below in italics, and it's likely to be accurate: The City of Charles is basically _______ at what has gone on at the McIlvaine property since the 1970s.

Aggravated. Bothered. Exasperated. Galled. Irked. Irritated. Peeved. Vexed.

A calming effect?

When you walk by what looks like any other warm and comforting house, but you realize it is actually a dentist office, it poses this question: As a young kid with cavities, would I maybe have not been scared out of my wits going into a place that simply looked like my neighbor's home, rather than a sterile medical office common in the late 1950s?

There are plenty of examples of comforting medical office sites in the Tri-Cities area, but take a glance at the office of dentist Gary Krueger at 112 N. Fourth St. in Geneva and you be the judge.

A good time

If you haven't had a chance to look at the scarecrows and enjoy other activities at the annual Scarecrow Fest in St. Charles, Sunday morning isn't a bad time to take it all in.

Plus, it's your last chance for this year. So gather the family and get down to Lincoln Park today.