The weather was cool, barely even breezy, moist air, early dusk from big clouds. I walked, jogged, and ran, met cupcake givers and pilgrims and cops, never fell down off anything, sprinted down a hill only to be caught, wandered back across cutting edge train tracks, jogged past a group of five, a good bet for at least two catches. Maybe they didn't notice me notice them and run off ahead of them, east on Kinzie to hide behind construction netting, they were already on edge from another nearby chaser, but when I came out to tag them the two I got were too close to me to escape. I chased the others for three blocks and then let the newly caught chasers catch up with me to get their ribbons.

I foundered after leaving the new chasers, I couldn't decide whether to head back to wicker park to get my cell and contact the teammates I'd lost, or to try to catch more people, but something Dax had said had stuck in my thoughts, and came to my consciousness in the moment of indecision. I knew I could try to be 1 of the first 12 chasers in to checkpoint 6, and I would get a Medal of Valor. The race appealed to me and only a fair bit of self-doubt would have held me back. But I ran a 50 K a few weeks ago, I could do this. I pictured myself running from the CTA stop at Roosevelt east over the train yard, under Lake Shore Drive to the lake, the waterfountains I love, the Field where I smoke...

So I set off towards the Merchandise Mart, admiring the Kinzie Bridge that graces the CG0 flag, the industrial sulfuric light of this area is fantastic and the moist foggy air held it beautifully. The RedLine was running above ground, I grabbed it at Randolph, a stop I may actually never have used before, at least not to board southbound along Wabash- I took it Roosevelt, ran to Museum Campus, and chatted with some skyline-photographers who were sprawled along the running path beneath the Aquarium.

Presently a biker walking approached and pointed at my redarmband, asking if I'd seen Heather. I hadn't, I estimate I'd been chilling in the Field Museum yard since about 9:00, and hadn't seen anyone I would have suspected of affiliation with my sort, aside from the photographers. Dan led me to Heather, who announced (much to my glee, disbelieve, and triumph) that I was the first chaser to arrive with proof of conquest. Other folks showed up, the first Runner arrived, followed by a troop of chasers who'd raced him, and his videographer (great!). We talked, delightfully, about organs and cats and the chase, the run, the city....

Great night!