Packet pick-up: When looking at the packet pick-up location I had that terrible, terrible sinking Fleet Feet Old Town feeling. It actually ended up not being that terrible. Drove up after work, found a magical parking spot out front. In and out within 15 minutes even after the minor maiden name/married name issue.
Race morning:
I decided that I was going to take a cab to the start line and then take one of the shuttles back to downtown after the race, so I called a cab for 6 am.
5:30 am - wake up. Try and choke down a waffle with peanut butter on it
6 am - head downstairs. Have missed called from cab company asking me if I want the cab to wait. Wait?? There's no cab here! Call back company. They confirm my address as somewhere 40 blocks from my house. I have a minor meltdown involving trying to hail a cab at 6:10 on a Saturday morning. Wander a couple of blocks. Hail a cab. Head towards Southshore Cultural Center
6:15-6:30 am - argue with cabbie about where to drop me off
6:30 am - 6:45 am - wander around looking for half fanatics meet-up. Find it! Meet a couple of nice half fanatics from around the city.
7 am - Hit the corral. I'm in corral K, just ahead of the 2:20 pacer, and decide that I'm going to stay ahead of her for the race. I didn't have any real goals for this race, and had just come off of a 5-ish minute PR the weekend prior, so I decide to take it easy.
7:25 am - And we're off! The corral system has actually done a really nice job of spacing runners out. We run out of the Southshore Cultural Center and north towards La Rabida and Jackson Park. I'm only slightly familiar with the area, so it's nice new scenery for me.
Miles 1-3: I'm still trying to stay ahead of the 2:20 pacer at this point. Problem is that she's running at a 9:30 pace. Hear lots of questioning behind me about the pace. Dig deep and keep running. Jackson Park is so pretty! Oh wait! Are we running in circles???
Miles 4-6: Hit the lakefront. I've run this a million times! I've got this! I once again curse the human who thinks that running around Promontory Point is a good idea. It's a terrible idea! It's really, really bad for morale.
Split time: 1 hour and 11 minutes
Miles 7-9: Headed back south down the lakefront. Start to get hot. I hate being hot. Start to eat a lot of Sport Beans and drink a lot of water. I really, really enjoyed the water stop manned by the French men. Just saying.
Miles 10-12. Starting to fade. This is the first half marathon I've run with a HR monitor. HR has been steadily climbing to low 170's, so I can definitely tell I'm starting to get fatigued. Pass CPD bag pipers. Get momentary second wind, then fade again. And then the 2:20 pace passes me! Oh no! Not today 2:20 pacer. It was enough to get me moving again.
Mile 13: Pretty much sprint back to Southshore Cultural Center. Realize that there's still half a mile left once entering said Cultural Center. I've been jockeying for position with this guy in American flag shorts for the last 3 miles or so. I decide to beat him. Run even harder. You've been chicked, Amercan flag shorts guy.
Mile 13.1: Manage to finish with negative splits (!!).
Final time: 2 hours, 18 minutes, 28 seconds. Second fastest half marathon this year!
Lifetime half marathon number: 10
2013 half marathon number: 7
Would I do it again? Probably not. Not a terrible half marathon, but getting there was pretty stressful.
I would post the awesome pictures captured of me running, but marathonfoto is outsmarting me a the moment. Here's the t-shirt and the medal instead:
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