1999 Chase Corporate Challenge

Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5mi
Chicago, IL
August 5, 1999

I ran the Chase Corporate Challenge 3.5mi last Thursday. I had set a modest goal of sub-35:00, thinking that, with the weather nice and "cool" by this summer's standards, I would have no problem with that. I had not run for more than a mile or two in the 1 ½ weeks prior to the race, so I also assumed that my legs would be sluggish. Unfortunately, I had also come to this race with negativity-partly due to how my running has been going, and a lot because this race is critically disorganized, mainly because of the vast amount of inexperienced participants.

Luckily I was able to spot ChiADead Rebecca before the race looming near where I was meeting my coworkers. We chatted for a while and she took a picture of my corporate team (thanks, Rebecca!), then left to go back to her team meeting place. At 6:45 the first wave of runners started, and the walkers in my team decided to jump in to the race after all of first start people had passed, so they would be able to finish at a reasonable time. I lined up for the 7:10 start with two of my team members and chatted with them until the race started.

The start horn went off, and it took me about 21 seconds to get to the start line, which wasn't too bad. But, because there were many walkers who had lined up before me, I was dodging and weaving, getting pissed off that most of these people were walking four and five abreast and it was difficult to find a gap to run through. After the first mile, which was a labored 10:11, it got a little bit better. I swear I must have added .1 mile to the first mile just weaving. 8-0 After the aggravation of having to maneuver subsided, I felt that I was doing pretty well considering the circumstances under which I had put myself; my legs did not feel dead.

The second mile passed in a disappointing 10:01. I thought I was going faster than that. Oh well, need to pick it up a little bit if I want to break 35:00. The third mile was not very fun, because for some reason I started to feel nauseous. I don't usually feel that way during a race, and I'm not quite sure what caused it. I try to ignore the feeling and try to maintain the pace. Mile 3 passes by in 9:48. At this point I am very glad that I only have .5mi to go.

Before the straightaway the course goes uphill, and it's not that long, but I really felt like walking the dang thing. I decided against that because I really wanted to salvage this race. Then, on to Columbus for the final stretch. I can't do what I'd like and go all out because I still felt the nausea, but I try to speed up as much as I can. I finished the last .5mi in 4:24, for a watch time of 34:24 (clock time 34:45). I had accomplished the goal I set for myself, but I was still disappointed. It wasn't a PW, it was just slower than last year by about 3 ½ minutes.

After the race I picked up my finisher's t-shirt and chatted with the few coworkers who had stuck around, looked at my watch and decided I needed to hurry to get back to my office to pick up my stuff and make the 8:30 train back home. I ended up running back to work, adding another 1+ mile to my log for the day, picked up my stuff and got to the train with over 5 minutes to spare. On the train, sweaty, red-faced (I think I would've won the red-face contest!), and freezing because the AC was cranked up, I wondered why I do this race. I don't think I'll ever come up with a good reason. Maybe because I like to torture myself every once in a while. 8-)

Happy running,

Kelly

1999 Chicago Distance Classic 20k

Chicago Distance Classic 20k
Chicago, IL
July 11, 1999

As some have already reported with the Chicago Distance Classic today, the weather was unseasonably pleasant for Chicago--mid-70s and low humidity. I've run this race the past couple years and it is notorious for a hot, humid, performance-wrecking race. Also, the course changed this year, with the start at University of Illinois at Chicago instead of Grant Park, and a nice stretch along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan on the path. I was a bit weary that it might get a bit crowded on the path, but it was very manageable (which might have something to do with the fact that I'm in the back where it gets sparse). My plan for this race, more of a training run for me, was to do a conservative first half, speed up a little bit in the second, and finish strong.

Before the race, just south of the Registration booth I found some ChiADeads--Chris and wife Kim, Melita (who I'm sure has a great story to tell...), Prescott, Theresa, and Penny, and sat for a while in the grass. In the meantime I also said hi to a few of the many Penguins there--nice to see all of those pink hats. :-) I headed for the start about 10-15min before the race, and was able to wish luck to some fellow Penguins. The race started and off we went, as I kept just below 11min/mi, I felt comfortable and happy to be there.

The race starts going west, and then after a short while we go north, then back east into the Loop, turning onto Wacker Dr. and down to middle and lower Wacker, and then along the Chicago River on a path, part of the new (and improved!) course. This was about mile 3, and I started to see the elites coming back. After the stretch along the river, we ran along the lakefront on the west path along Lake Shore Drive with a great view of the lakefront and the museum campus, and you could see the people on their way back on the path that's right next to the lakefront. We passed the Shedd Aquarium and ran towards McCormick place, and turn around to continue on the lower path. Now you were able to take a good look at Chicago's amazing skyline--this race was definitely more scenic than in past years!

I guess the only problem was that mile 7 was short and 8 was long, which I had heard after the race, confirmed by my mile 7 10:02 and mile 8 11:31! The last miles were very manageable; before the race I was worried that with the two "long" (8mi and 10mi) runs that I've done in the past 1.5 months, I would start to fade. Luckily that was not to be; my last 3 miles were 10:35, 10:35, and 10:34. I was pretty happy with that!

Then the final stretch, the last .4, I waited a little bit longer to start really speeding up, but when I saw the finish I was sprinting like a mad woman (who seemed to have too much energy at the end!), passing people, waved to the huge flock of penguins, who then recognized me and started cheering wildly, which gave me the final push to the end. Actually, I sprinted so hard that I wretched (just once, though :-)) after I got into the chute, but luckily got myself under control to prevent any highly unwanted tossing of cookies. :-) The last .4 took me 4:01, and I finished clock time 2:14:57, watch time 2:13:55. Right on target! Also, my second half was 1:29 faster (actually using the clock time I was 2:31 faster) than the first half. I had executed the race exactly how I had planned. I am pretty happy about that!

After getting out of the finish chute, I grabbed a couple cups of water, then a cup of gatorage, passed on the greenest (Irish, as Dave says) bananas I've ever seen. I took a bagel stick and a little bag of nibbler pretzels and went straight to where I met the ChiADeads before the race. After about a 1/2 hour, which I used well for stretching and winding down, I was spotted by Chris and Kim. They led me back to where they were sitting with Penny and Theresa. I also was able to have a small chat with fellow Dead-Penguin Jeff Johnson. Unfortunately we never did meet up with Dave (who we didn't see before the race either) or Melita after the race. Penny and Theresa had to head home, so just Chris, his wife Kim, and I went to a small Gyro restaurant in Greek Town where I had a pretty darned tasty turkey pita sandwich.

I drove home, feeling really satisfied about the race. This was just what I needed to get out the funk I've been in; I'm now looking forward to building up again for Chicagothon in October! Yay!

1999 Madison Marathon

Madison Marathon
Madison, WI
May 30, 1999

I completed my 3rd marathon yesterday. It certainly wasn't pretty, as others have noted, it was HOT! But, before I get to the race, I wanted to say a couple things about the pre-race activities:

At the last minute, plans changes and my sister and her two kids were coming with me instead of my boyfriend. Brandon, my 5yo nephew was so excited because he would be able to run a race, too--the kids run on Saturday. We left early enough on Saturday late morning to get to the host hotel before the kids' races. He did really well in the 1k race--he received his medal at the end and gave it to his 10 month old brother, Austin. How cute! Austin had a fun time slobbering on it. :-)

We went to check in our hotel, and then went back to the host hotel to meet Deads. We saw Debbie and Tom right away, and then came Alejandro, Pam, and Alejandro's friend Sergio. We waited for others, but by 5:15pm we left to go eat at Olive Garden, leaving a note to Theresa and Penny at the expo in case they went there (it turns out they did but didn't see the note). Dinner was fun, and afterwards we met at my hotel and were able to meet up with Theresa and Penny. I had a great time! You all are fun people to be with!

I got to bed at around 10:30-11:00pm and woke up surprisingly refreshed at 5:00am. Took a shower, got dressed, and went into the lobby to get a couple bagels to eat for breakfast. I was dropped off at the start by my sister at about 6:30 and sat around before the start. A little bit before 7:00 I spotted fellow Dead/Penguin Charles Cohn and talked with him up until the race started. Very nice man--sorry that he missed our pre-race festivities.

The race. Well, you've heard by now that it was HOT, even at the start I was starting the sweat a little bit. It was in the lower 70's at the start, and it got hotter and hotter, in the upper 80's maybe? The sun was blazing in the cloudless sky. Beautiful day, just not for running. My goal was to finish, preferably sub-5:15.

I'll repeat what the others said about the mile markers/aid stations. I was really glad that they had water stations every mile--I was able to fill my water bottle which was not only used to drink but to douse myself to reduce how hot I felt. I messed up my mile splits because it's hard to hit the button when you're trying to grab cups of water, too. The other times when I actually hit the button at the split, the markers were waaaay off. I had some really strange splits. I had absolutely no clue of my pace. All I know is that I passed the half way point at about 2:27 and change.

The preferable strategy of negative splits was unrealistic as I wanted, my goal was to ignore the heat and keep my legs moving. I took a lot more walking breaks after the half--unshaded breaks, where if there was no shade, I'd walk, and then when the course was shady I would run again. And the last hills, which weren't a big deal, I just wanted to give myself some more excuses to walk. ;-)

I saw my sister at around mile 8, and then when I was running in the arboretum. Also, I should mention that my yellow tank top, adorned with the words "Dead Runner" generated a lot of comments--mostly "You don't look dead!" type comments. I'm glad I did that!

I think I did pretty dealing with the heat even though it did slow me down a bit. I blame a little bit of my decreased performance from lack of LSD's over 15 miles--I only ran a 16 miler and an 18.6 miler--all the rest were half-marathon or shorter. I felt the fatigue in my quads and the soreness in my feet at about mile 14. I carried a water bottle with me which I filled at almost every water station. I took advantage of sprinklers and ice offered.

At about mile 24 I started feeling pretty good (I think the sun was hiding behind some clouds) because I knew I was pretty darned close. I ran from this point on. Before mile 25 I was blessed with the presence of Theresa and Penny, whom I was actually not expecting see, since I'd be coming in so much later than everyone else. They ran with me until mile 25, getting me water and encouragement and taking some pictures. You guys really got me psyched!

Shortly after that I hooked up with Tom Mish on his bike and talked with him for a while--thanks, Tom! I started running a bit faster and passed a few people. Then the home stretch--saw my sister and nephews, and Alejandro and Pam. Heard my name over the loud speaker and crossed the finish line in 5:20:1x. Not bad, considering the hot conditions and my slight lack of preparation.

I felt pretty good at the end. I knew that I had hydrated well. So, I'll call it a draw between me and the heat. I reunited with Alejandro and Pam, who were so helpful and congratulatory. My sister and nephews came along shortly after that. Pam got me more water and a sponge, Alejandro took pictures. I was so happy to be done! My sister and I parted with Alejandro and Pam because I needed to get back to the hotel and take a much needed shower--luckily the hotel allowed me a 2:00pm check out time so I could do this!

The heat and messed up mile markers/aid station configuration aside, I enjoyed this marathon. The course was really pretty. I'd consider doing it again--hopefully it won't be so hot next time.

My next plan is to recover, start some formal marathon speed training, and look towards having a good summer so that I can kick some butt on October 24th at Chicago. Last year's time was 4:38:48, I'd like to go sub-4:30 this time.

1999 Great Western 30k

Great Western 30k
St. Charles, IL
May 2, 1999

I ran the Great Western 30k in St. Charles, IL, last Sunday. My goal for this race was to enjoy it, start out conservatively, and not kill myself, as this is the longest distance I've run since October--I was treating it as training for the upcoming Madison Marathon on May 30.

The race started at 8:00am, with about 215 runners there. The weather was mild, sunny, and cloudless, but at least there was a nice breeze. The course is on the Great Western Trail, which is mostly made up of crushed limestone, with portions of the trail made up of asphalt, and is out and back (the GW trail actually lasts 17 miles going west to Sycamore from St. Charles). It is slightly hilly--the hills are actually the bridges that go over busy roads, but there enough of them to make your legs more tired and cranky. I started out slowly, slightly disappointed that the rest of the runners were pulling away, with me as the tail end. 8-( I was going at about an 11:15-25 pace, a nice comfortable training pace for me, and I was convinced that I'd be passing people during the second half.

Nonetheless, it sure is discouraging to know that the lag bike person is right behind you. 8-) I was good, though, and held back, and this technique would pay off. After the 4th mile, I passed one woman, who was actually running/walking--she would shuffle for about 30 seconds, then start walking, repeating as such probably for the duration of the race. The sun was hot, but it was at our backs for the first half, and I was worried that it would be bad on the way back. But I ran on, comfortably, noticing the beauty of this trail, which provides quite a bit of shade. The trail is sort of elevated, with sunken meadows/wooded areas on each side. It's neat that you get to see the trees at their prettiest perspective--looking at their spring foliage instead of their tree trunks. The trail also goes along the backyards (but still separated by trees) of a sprinkling of beautiful homes. There are also the horse trails that not only are along the side of the limestone/asphalt trail, but also through the meadows. I actually passed some horse riders on the way back.

I pass a couple more people before I get to the turnaround point, feeling great, having fun encouraging those who were already starting their journey to the finish, and having a good run in general. I get to the turnaround, and pass a couple more runners. Luckily, even though I'm facing the sun, there is a headwind--just breezy enough to be pleasant. The miles go by, I noticed that the mile 11 marker is way off--there was no way I ran a 14:42 mile! And of course, I ran the next mile in 7:29, which was obviously off. :-) I pass more people--some are walking now, probably affected by the warmth.

At about mile 14 is when my legs started to feel a little heavy--I knew my distance training hasn't been ideal--but I did not let myself waver. I knew that if I took a walking break, that it would've lasted longer than anticipated, and running again would be much more difficult. There were encouraging/funny signs in the last miles of the course: one said "Getting tired yet????", another one said "Almost there :-("--which probably should have read "Almost there :-) :-)"! I was determined to finish without fading. I passed more runners, suffered through the couple uphills (not really that bad, but after 18 miles...) and was able to see the finish line when I was about 20 seconds away from it. I sped up as much as I could and crossed the finish line amid the cheers of runners who had stayed around to see the back-of-the-packers. My time was 3:28:29, and my pace was actually faster at this race than last weekend's Lake County Half Marathon. Unfortunately I couldn't make it a "negative" experience, with my second half 1min40sec slower than the first half. Good enough, though. :-)

I received my medal, got my results card, and went over to get my finisher's shirt. The long-sleeved shirt is a dusty blue with Great Western 30k glitter-lettering on it with a fox below it (the fox is for the club that organizes the race, Fox River Trail Runners). Neat looking shirt!

I highly recommend this race, it's beautiful and well-organized (albeit the messed up mile markers). I'm sure I'll be doing this one again.

Happy running,

Kelly

1999 Lake County Half Marathon

Lake County Half Marathon
Lake County, IL
Sunday, April 25, 1999


Totally Negative.....


SPLITS, that is. ;-)

Well, I ran the Lake County Half yesterday as a training run. It was a PW by 7 minutes. Yikes! But it actually wasn't as bad as I just made it sound. The reason that I treated it as a training run was because I wasn't in shape anyway, so I didn't want to tear up my body. Besides, I have another race I'm running next week (Great Western 30k in St. Charles), so I wanted to make sure that I will feel okay for that race.

I woke up at 4:00am (ugh!) and left my apartment at 4:45 to get to Lake Bluff, the half marathon finish for this point-to-point race. A train takes you to the start of the race, in Zion. Parking was limited at Lake Bluff, so I wanted to make sure that I got there early enough to get a parking spot. The 42 miles took me about 45 minutes, so I was the first one in the middle school lot, about a 1/2 mile away from the train station. For some reason, all the train station lots that I saw were barricaded. So I sat in my car from 5:30am until about 6:30, when I decided to walk over to the train station where it would pick us runners up at 6:50am.

Got picked up by the train, then got to the start at about 7:20 or so, and waited inside until 7:50 to walk over to the start area. I didn't get to meet with any of the Deads who were there, but I had a hunch it would be kind of difficult due to the number of runners there. The race started at 8:15, and it took me about a minute to get to the start, but after that I was moving along comfortably.

The weather was much better this year--sunny, in the 50's, just an all-around beautiful day for running. I started out really easy, and then planned to speed up a little bit for the second half.

Usually I pretty much "zone out" during races, not remembering much of the scenery or what other runners are doing, But for some reason it was different at this race. I noticed that there are a lot of runners who were doing the walk-run method, because I would pass them at during their walking breaks, and they would catch up to me afterwards. I think I passed a lot of them in the second half of the race, though, when I started to increase my pace.

The miles flew by, all the way down Sheridan Road for miles and miles, and then the course goes through the Great Lakes Naval Base. We go down the big hill to run along the lakefront for a while. After mile 9 there were a couple of steep hills to run up, and I actually ran up those hills; last year I had to walk up them. I was feeling totally fresh and pumped up and the last miles were about 30 to 45 seconds faster than what I was running the first half of the race.

After the Naval Base tour, we ran the last 1.5 miles or so on a paved bike path. This is where I really faded last year, and a lot of other people fade, but I ran faster. I was passing people, and I felt really good to know that I ran smart and conservatively at the beginning so I could enjoy those last miles.

For the last .1 or so the halfers veered off into the parking lot of the train station (on gravel for a little bit, which wasn't that nice!) and I "sprinted" to the finish. Finish time? 2:27:14 my time, a minute slower clock time. Super slow (last year I ran 2:20!), but I had a really fun race. AND, my second half was a little over 3 MINUTES faster than the first. Pretty negative, huh?

Although this was a fun race for me, it has made me realize how much slower I have gotten. I ran the Chicago marathon last year at 30 seconds/mile faster pace than this 1/2 marathon. I have some work to do if I want to PR at Chicago this fall, lots of work.

Next week, I will be running the Great Western 30k, and am treating it as another training run in prep for the Madison Marathon on May 30. I'm looking forward to another negative experience... ;-)

Happy running, all!

Kelly