I had small goald related to running the Illinois Marathon this year. Just to test out the result of a new training plan and some new race strategy, namely starting off slower and increasing the pace as the race continued. I wanted to finish under four hours.
The Weather for the marathon was cool and very windy (25-30 mph), but the race started with overcast and cool conditions. The last half of the race was sunny and warmer. The night before I had done a evening 5k as apart of the I-challenge, a special award for running two races a 5k and a half marathon or full marathon the next day, on the same weekend. The 5k went off without a hitch. I covered the distance in 23:11.
The marathon started off without any problem and I slipped into a easy 8:30-8:45 pace. I felt good and stayed calm I ate and hydrated very well, and felt comfortable. The four hour group came up and I joined for a while with a friend who was shooting for a sub-four ten race. I stayed with that group for a while so I slowed down a bit to recover, It was on a slight incline on mile 18 that the bottom of my right foot cramped rather badly. I stopped and tried not to limp, and I was afraid to take off my shoe fearing I wouldn't be able to put it on again. So, it was a mixture of stop, walk and run, for the last 8 miles. Looking back my shoe choice was not the best. I used a shoe better for half marathons, than to run full ones. I paid in full for the lack of better judgement.
The Illinois course is deemed flat, but It is but it isn't, really, at least not to a Chicagoan. The road are uneven, they roll up and down slightly. and they do wear on you legs, or your feet, if you're an idiot wearing the wrong shoes. The Illinois Marathon weekend sponsors a 5k, 10k, Half-marathon, full marathon and a Marathon relay. All the races end inside the U of I football stadium.
I wasn't disappointed as much a frustrated, I knew I could run the distance, but my body wasn't cooperating. Crowd were small but they were very, very supportive. So back to better training, more stretches and foot massages. Today is a new day, and next week, another race awaits.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
My last shamrock shuffle
After finishing the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k, yesterday morning, my 4th, I realized that I would no longer run this race. Five years ago it had marked my return to running, and a prelude to running my first half marathon and then in 2007, my first marathon.
The Shamrock Shuffle had always been marked as a start to the running season in Chicago. Breaking of the running rust of from the winter, it was a marked beginning to better weather, and more running. Weather has always varied tremendously on the day of the race, from a rainy 30's last year to this year's tropical 70's. The race has always been a big first run for first time runners running their first big race. At the finish, you could always see new runners both relieved and elated at their accomplishments, and that always brought a smile to my face.
This years race felt different, and for me all of the fun of the first year of the race seemed greatly diminished.
Firstly, the race organizers deemed they wanted this race to be the largest 8k in the world. Great, if you an organizer, not so good if you were a race participant. I spent 10 minutes crushed into a fence waiting for my over filled race corral B to begin the run. There was no instruction from race organizers about what the issue was, they were all at the beginning of the line. They were busy combating runners who were being stopped from going to the start line. It occurred to me that there were too many of us B corral runners. And there were too many of us to fit into the start line. I felt like cattle. The heat and humidity added to the claustrophobia. I hopped the fence to get over the line to stop from being pushed into the fence any further. As I hopped over the fence. I was met by a race official who told me I could be disqualified. I exchanged a few choice words with the official who was then distracted by, yes more runners jumping the fence. The race officials were overwhelmed.
I have to admit this situation has happened to me only once before during any race:
The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Yup, same organizers.
They were telling us to take it easy, and we would all start at the same time, and it really didn't matter when we started, we would get get the same time.
What?
Then why do we have a corral system? Why do I have this stupid letter in front of my number? What is going on?
There was no organization during this race. But there was plenty of anger and confusion. I almost left the race to protest, but my legs went through the process anyway. The results were lackluster, and I left the area as soon as I could, completely irate. Not the way to finish a run.
Stuffing 40,000 runners onto a the lakefront seemed a bit of over excess, having 40,000 runners spread over 26.2 miles is not so much of an issue, but what really is the point of having 40,000 people crammed in 5 miles? Sure, it's great for Bank of America revenues, and good PR for the bank and great for beer sells, but what about the race, or the runners? When I race, its about testing myself to my limits, its not about how many free beers I can score at the finish at 9:30 in the morning on a Sunday.
Running is about the race, and daring yourself to compete, not about replacing quality with quantity. If you want to do it that way, that's fine, get rid of the start corrals, and make into a fun run. But you can't be both.
This year, the Shamrock Shuffle was held in April (no one still really knows why a race celebrating St. Patrick's day was held two weeks before Easter), but it allowed a few other races to get the jump on being the first race of the year.
I think I'm going to try some of those other races next spring. And if I want a free beer, I have a few in my refrigerator.
The Shamrock Shuffle had always been marked as a start to the running season in Chicago. Breaking of the running rust of from the winter, it was a marked beginning to better weather, and more running. Weather has always varied tremendously on the day of the race, from a rainy 30's last year to this year's tropical 70's. The race has always been a big first run for first time runners running their first big race. At the finish, you could always see new runners both relieved and elated at their accomplishments, and that always brought a smile to my face.
This years race felt different, and for me all of the fun of the first year of the race seemed greatly diminished.
Firstly, the race organizers deemed they wanted this race to be the largest 8k in the world. Great, if you an organizer, not so good if you were a race participant. I spent 10 minutes crushed into a fence waiting for my over filled race corral B to begin the run. There was no instruction from race organizers about what the issue was, they were all at the beginning of the line. They were busy combating runners who were being stopped from going to the start line. It occurred to me that there were too many of us B corral runners. And there were too many of us to fit into the start line. I felt like cattle. The heat and humidity added to the claustrophobia. I hopped the fence to get over the line to stop from being pushed into the fence any further. As I hopped over the fence. I was met by a race official who told me I could be disqualified. I exchanged a few choice words with the official who was then distracted by, yes more runners jumping the fence. The race officials were overwhelmed.
I have to admit this situation has happened to me only once before during any race:
The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Yup, same organizers.
They were telling us to take it easy, and we would all start at the same time, and it really didn't matter when we started, we would get get the same time.
What?
Then why do we have a corral system? Why do I have this stupid letter in front of my number? What is going on?
There was no organization during this race. But there was plenty of anger and confusion. I almost left the race to protest, but my legs went through the process anyway. The results were lackluster, and I left the area as soon as I could, completely irate. Not the way to finish a run.
Stuffing 40,000 runners onto a the lakefront seemed a bit of over excess, having 40,000 runners spread over 26.2 miles is not so much of an issue, but what really is the point of having 40,000 people crammed in 5 miles? Sure, it's great for Bank of America revenues, and good PR for the bank and great for beer sells, but what about the race, or the runners? When I race, its about testing myself to my limits, its not about how many free beers I can score at the finish at 9:30 in the morning on a Sunday.
Running is about the race, and daring yourself to compete, not about replacing quality with quantity. If you want to do it that way, that's fine, get rid of the start corrals, and make into a fun run. But you can't be both.
This year, the Shamrock Shuffle was held in April (no one still really knows why a race celebrating St. Patrick's day was held two weeks before Easter), but it allowed a few other races to get the jump on being the first race of the year.
I think I'm going to try some of those other races next spring. And if I want a free beer, I have a few in my refrigerator.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Running The Chi-town Half.
So, getting ready to run the Illinois Half Marathon on April 30. This winter has been cruel, and training has not been the best. I've gotten rather tired of putting on more layers than an astronaut on a spacewalk just to go out for a 6 mile recovery run. And treadmills are just evil, necessary, but evil. So I saw there was going to be a new half marathon in Chicago in March, just 6 weeks before the Illinois Marathon, I thought it would be a good boost for racing and see where my running fitness was.
This was the first year of Chi-Town Half marathon and 5k. It was small. There were only 600 of us running the half. No blaring music, No glamour to it really, which I liked. just a few stands, and tents. I wasn't really expecting too much, and these days runners are so picky about the perks they want to receive at the races. Loud music, some DJ with pumping music. How many bags of mini-power bars or cards about future races, or free drinks can you grab? Most of which just sits in the bag when you get home, and goes bad hanging in your closet.
The Chi-town half reminded me of a well organized cross country race at the State Level. . But there were other issues at hand, such as, the weather. For a March 27th, it was a bone chilling day. 29 degrees with a wind chill of 19 degrees. It was just pure misery.
The course was the lakefront, between Montrose harbor and North ave. A place I run several times a week. At least I knew where I was, and the course was very accurate according to my Garmin watch. Pacing was a bit fast first mile was 7:27 a mile, but I should of started in the 8:00s. The cold wind really kept me from warming up and getting into a groove, but all in all I felt satisfied about the race. I've never run a Half so early in the year, so I was happy to get this one under my belt.
This was the first year of Chi-Town Half marathon and 5k. It was small. There were only 600 of us running the half. No blaring music, No glamour to it really, which I liked. just a few stands, and tents. I wasn't really expecting too much, and these days runners are so picky about the perks they want to receive at the races. Loud music, some DJ with pumping music. How many bags of mini-power bars or cards about future races, or free drinks can you grab? Most of which just sits in the bag when you get home, and goes bad hanging in your closet.
The Chi-town half reminded me of a well organized cross country race at the State Level. . But there were other issues at hand, such as, the weather. For a March 27th, it was a bone chilling day. 29 degrees with a wind chill of 19 degrees. It was just pure misery.
The course was the lakefront, between Montrose harbor and North ave. A place I run several times a week. At least I knew where I was, and the course was very accurate according to my Garmin watch. Pacing was a bit fast first mile was 7:27 a mile, but I should of started in the 8:00s. The cold wind really kept me from warming up and getting into a groove, but all in all I felt satisfied about the race. I've never run a Half so early in the year, so I was happy to get this one under my belt.
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