Does your favorite running spot boast a 14-mile paved path; endless miles of wooded, dirt trails; a herd of elk; water pumps and bathrooms every 2 miles; and yet is located steps from the world's largest enclosed mall, several eating establishments, a hospital, and the intersection of the Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways?

It not, you must try running at Busse Woods, also known as the Ned Brown Forest Preserve, and a part of the Cook County Forest Preserve System. It's bordered by the villages of Elk Grove, Schaumburg, and Rolling Meadows. It extends to Golf Road to the north, Biesterfield to the south, Route 53 to the west, and Arlington Heights Road to the east. Higgins Road (Route 73) bisects the entire forest preserve, and a few years ago a bridge was constructed across the east intersection at Higgins, making for much safer passage.

Busse Woods is not only popular with runners, but with bikers, roller bladers, walkers, cross country skiers, snowmobilers, and legions of other outdoor enthusiasts. Real runners would not be caught dead running at Busse at 2 p.m. on a sunny weekend day. They avoid the crowds by arriving early. The Arlington Trotters Running Club hosts a weekly Saturday run at 7 a.m. from "the elk," which for the uninitiated is at the entrance on the northwest corner of Higgins and Arlington Heights Road, so named for the grove of elk living in the woods, which is, by the way, how Elk Grove Village earned its name. The Trotters' standard run is the 8 mile loop on the paved path, which can easily be lengthened to 12 to 14 miles by running to the extension off Golf Road to the north and the extension to Alexian Brothers Hospital on Biestertield to the south. Marathoners can get in a 20 miler by running 12 miles on the first loop and 8 miles on the second loop. After running, Trotters gather for breakfast at the Rose Garden restaurant, on the southeast corner of Higgins and Arlington Heights Road about 8:30 a.m. every Saturday morning. (Ask for Lois as your waitress. She knows us all by name.)

Another popular Busse event is the "beer run," which draws Trotters and friends every other Thursday night from May through August. Runners meet at the Golf Road entrance between 5 and 6 p.m. to run and dine on beer, hot dogs, and other delicacies at 7 p.m. Scone Trotters have been known to bring exotic international beers to the run. We generally stay until the forest rangers kick us out at dusk.

People can "run Busse" almost year round. Depending on the snowfall, the trail might be impassable during parts of January and February, but some inventive runners have developed a plowed parking lot run even then. Snow is welcomed by the cross country skiers and snowmobilers, who frequent the trails after snowfalls, which have been infrequent the past few years.

Those who prefer to run on trails can take their cues from the Illinois High School Association cross country runners. Dual, conference, regional, and sectional high school girls and boys meets are held on Busse trails off the south entrance near 53 and Higgins. Parking can be a problem if you plan to watch the bigger meets. Spectators are advised to park on the north side of Higgins and walk across the street to see the state's best high school runners.

Event organizers have recognized the appeal of Busse's trails, although Cook County Forest Preserve officials have recently put a stop to large trail races to preserve the ecosystem. Busse was the site of Vertel's Cross Country Challenge every December for many years. The race featured "the hill," a huge, muddy hill just north of Biesterfield, as well as several frigid stream crossings, for adventurous runners. During the final running of the race at Busse, which since has been moved to a farm in Gilberts, Illinois, west of Elgin, several women, including myself, ran in bridesmaids dresses. We were trying to prove our bride friends right when they told us, "You'll wear this bridesmaid dress again." We ran together, and passed several runners by saying, "wedding party on the left." A few men, getting in the spirit, joined us by wearing tuxedos on their upper torsos. We ensured we would never have to wear the bridesmaid dresses again by throwing the water and mud stained dresses away immediately after the race, along with old running shoes saved especially for the occasion.

Runner's High, a popular running and triathlon store owned by mark and Teresa Rouse and located in downtown Arlington Heights, sponsors a Ride N Tie held at Busse in November. The 10-mile course is traversed by two person teams, and both participants bike and run in leapfrog fashion. The first person biking rides a distance usually shorter than a mile, drops the bike, and begms running. Meanwhile the runner comes upon the bike, gets on it, bikes past the runner, drops the bike, and continues running, hoping that the person running finds the bike among countless others. Several teams "lose" their bike in the course of the race, resulting in some humorous post-race stories. A great interval workout is had by all who complete the course. One Trotter entrant was heard to say he would "run the loop" after the race to get a "real workout" in, but he was spotted during the race running exhausted, his temples pulsating from sprinting on both the bike and the run. He never made it to "running the loop" after the race.

So, next time you are looking for an excursion, take the Ike or the Kennedy to Higgins Road, run 8 to 20 miles at Busse, shop at Woodfield, and finish your day with a carbo lead at Maggiano's, conveniently located off Higgins just west of Busse Woods.