Will run for chocolate.

It's hard to pass up a race that revolves around chocolate -- and lots of it.

So in June, I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15k. I had never run a 15k before, but the distance (approximately 9.3 miles) seemed very doable. (I've run three marathons, seven half-marathons and numerous other races.)

The Hot Chocolate 15k was held in Chicago's Lincoln Park yesterday. My running buddy, Naomi, timed her visit during the weekend of the race.

Together, Naomi, Ben and I ran it. They could have left me in their dust. Although I've run and trained with Naomi for four years, she is a better and faster racer. And Ben can kick my butt almost any day. But since Naomi was visiting, she wanted to hang back with me. And I think Ben just wanted to see how fast he could push me. He didn't let a mile pass without telling me to pick up the pace, letting me know the pace, encouraging me or asking me who I was feeling. A series of f-bombs filled my mouth but never escaped my lips. I ran an average 9:06/mile pace and finished in 1 hour, 24 minutes.

With the exception of the Twin Cities Marathon, the Hot Chocolate 15k is now a race favorite. It was well-organized. The goodie bag outshines every other goodie bag. (I got a Nike running coat, fleece hat and a draw-string bag. When I wear the coat, I feel like Kara Goucher -- only not as fast or as gorgeous.) There were plenty of port-a-potties with little or no wait for them. Sometimes racers get greedy and gobble up more than their fair share of post-race food. But there was ample hot chocolate, fondue snacks and backpacks full of chocolate candy afterward. And you can't beat running along Lake Michigan with thousands (4,100 people finished the 15k component) of strangers.

Random.

I am considering applying for an unpaid, very part-time internship in public radio.

I baked blueberry muffins (the kind with the strudel on top) yesterday. They were of the box variety. My husband enjoyed them and said I'm a great homemaker.

We had our first guests this weekend since moving here. We spent a rainy afternoon in downtown Chicago, saw a drag show for free at Northwestern, ate really bad food, drank too many beers in Wrigleyville, strolled the beach, enjoyed steak in a red-wine sauce with shallots at home, and saw a scary movie. We have guests visiting through mid-November. Apparently no one wants to brave the Chicago winter.

In one week, I start my writing class at the Newberry Library. I'm petrified but also very, very excited. I have a notebook next to my bed so I can write down essay ideas as they come to me. I think I may have one or two decent ideas.

I got the dry heaves after a 7.5-mile run with Ben yesterday afternoon. The heaves sucked; the run was excellent. Nothing better than running on a mild October day when the streets are lined with trees with gold leaves. Ben and I have never run more than 3 or 4 miles together because I'm usually too slow for him. That was not the case yesterday. Being unemployed = a lot of time for running. Attending MBA school = few opportunities to run.

Running queen

If you want to see me in action on the race course, click here.