This was my 4th HM and I did better than I thought. The race started at 6:30am and I was worried with the race being in August that the weather would be unbearable. Luckily the weather turned out to be perfect for running - cool, in the 60's, light breeze, and overcast. Again, good running weather, not summer weather.
I was deathly ill two weeks before the race and did not run that whole week (the most time off I've had since I started running seriously again last year) and only ran a few days the week of the race. I ran 5 miles on Friday because the weather was beautiful (sunny, low 80's). I felt so good and wanted to run more but thought better of it.
Come race day, I get up at 4am, get ready and leave for Chicago around 4:45am. I get to Millenium Park around 5:15. I never know exactly where I'm going when I get to these races, I pretty much just follow people. I had no idea how to get out of the parking garage but luckily a couple was ahead of me and I followed them out. They were wearing running gear so I assumed they were participating (and they were).
I hung around the porta potties right up until 5 minutes before the race started because I always drink too much in the mornings. I couldn't find the gear check for the life of me until I followed people to it. Then I couldn't find where the starting corrals were and again followed people and ended up figuring it out.
I am usually in one of the last corrals so I figured I wouldn't cross the start line for at least 30 minutes. I think it took maybe 15! I started out nice and easy and actually felt fantastic for the first 5 miles. I wasn't tired or sore. I got around mile 6 or 7 when I happened upon the pace runners for 2:30 finish. Exactly where I wanted to be. I've never ran with pacers and made sure I literally stayed right behind them for about 5 miles running at a 11:05 pace. Pretty quick for me at that point in the race. I started really hurting around the 10 mile mark but kept with the pacers until a little after the 12 mile marker. I had not stopped at any of the water stations up to that point and was fading quickly. I stopped to drink a few cups of Cytomax and that helped give me the energy to slowly jog to the finish.
At this point in the race I always think "why do I do this to myself?" My muscles are screaming and I just want to walk but am determined to keep up with the 60 year old lady who is chugging past me. How do they do it? I am simply amazed by older people who run these races. I am not made to go fast and I can accept that. My favorite part about doing these races is crossing the finish line. And that is what I did with a final finish time of 2:34:01. Again, much better than I thought. If there's one thing I am it's consistent. I think that was my time for my first HM and pretty much every one after that except for the one in June where it was like 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Even then I was under 3 hrs.
I was a little disappointed with the finisher's medal. It had a cheap looking laynard and didn't even have the date on the medal. It looked cheap. Since I don't run these races for personal records, I do it for the cool medals. For as much as I paid for the race and parking ($19 for race packet and $26 on race day) I expect a nice looking medal. The medal I got for the Monster Dash which is only around 6000 people was cooler than this one which had about 25000 participants! Oh well, it's still another HM under my belt.
I have one more HM in October in Indy. That was the first one I did last year and it was a perfect first time experience. I really hope the weather is just as perfect. Then I'm done for the year. I have to admit that I'm getting a little tired of running. I think I need a break but I know that I will not cut my eating so my fear is gaining weight. I've managed to maintain my weight almost to the pound the last year or so and I'm eating whatever I want. Honestly I don't want to watch what I eat. It exhausts me to think about.
I do want to enjoy the summer as much as possible. The weather the last couple of weeks have been simply perfect. Sunny, low 80's, low humidity, light breeze. I mean really? It can't get any better and it depresses me to know that it will be gone all too soon. Just like anything else, you have to enjoy everyday like it's your last. Unfortunately today I feel like sleeping :)
