If you can’t find SDOH Coordinator Lauren Fifarek in the office, look for her out on the trail.
You’ll likely find her many miles into a mind-clearing, stress-relieving, energizing hike or bike ride. While Lauren likes to spend her free time exploring nature from one of our area’s beautiful bike paths or hiking trails, she even uses her commute to Erie as a way to sneak in some activity.
“When I can bike to work, I am ten times more of a productive person,” she says. There’s something about movement – even if it’s a walk before work – that does something to my mindset. It puts me in a space where I feel I can be more productive. I don’t know what it is – It’s magic.”
Growing up, Lauren would ride her bike to get from Point A to Point B, but she discovered a love for exploring when she met her now fiancé. What started as a friendly visit to Matthiessen State Park (about 100 miles west of Chicago) shortly after the couple met turned into frequent weekend trips to check out different state parks and trails. These hikes and rides became a consistent way to relax and destress in a peaceful environment while spending time together. They have now completed an annual “century ride” – a 100 mile-long bike ride – each year for the past five years. And Lauren’s fiancé even got down on one knee and proposed on mile 13 of a hike in Starved Rock State Park, one of their favorite places.
Lauren recommends the following hiking spots for their easy drives, variety of trails and natural beauty: Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL; Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, IN; and Matthiessen are all local favorites. She saw a black bear on a memorable hike in Tennessee’s Great Smokey Mountains and considers anywhere in Colorado to be special, particularly hiking through the Rocky Mountains. For her first century ride, they road to Kenosha, WI, and back. One year they took the Des Plaines River Trail with a stop to refuel at a brewery in Long Grove, IL. She calls a century ride to Milwaukee up the Oak Leaf Trail along Lake Michigan “breathtaking”. “Biking along the water brings me much needed peace and joy – and a welcome breeze when I’m sweaty,” she laughs. Lauren dreams of one day exploring Banff in Alberta, Canada; Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming; and Glacier National Park in Montana.
Her advice to anyone curious about exploring the great outdoors is to start small and take advantage of the Chicago area’s numerous local forest preserves or lakefront trails. If you’re ready to set out on a longer adventure she recommends getting a really comfortable backpack and making sure it’s filled with lots of water and snacks, bug spray, sunscreen and napkins. If you’re biking, make sure that your seat is fitted to your height properly and that you hydrate and fuel up with snacks along the way.
How will you know it’s Lauren if you pass her on the trail? “I like listening to music when I’m riding, so if you see me, I’m probably dancing on my bike.”