Beautiful Weekend in Chicago for Training

NAN: Just came back from a half marathon race in Chicago with Doug. He finished! Only his second race ever, and he enters a half marathon! I did not (finish). Bad news: IT band injury not healed enough to do a half and after 5-6 miles had to hobble back and search for "ii" (ice & ibuprofin). Good news: Injury does not seem to affect my biking! Totally running related. Yesterday did a series of hill repeats with Ben and Adam. Ben and Julianne are doing hill repeats today. Training is coming along. But I am wondering, how many switchbacks to the top of a mountain? Or (she asks with even more trepidation) what happens when there are no switchbacks and it's a steady climb? Hard to mimic that in the Midwest. We'll just have to wait and see. All I can say is I trust there'll be penty of good wine at the end of each day!