RocknRoll Chicago Remix weekend is comprised of a 5k on Saturday and either a 10k or half marathon on Sunday. I opted for the half.
If rising at 4:45am on Saturday wasn’t bad enough, the 3:45am alarm on Sunday was just cruel. I definitely questioned wth I was doing as I made my way downtown for the third time in as many days.
While my SpotHero parking could not have been smoother on Saturday, today it was a cluster of the highest order, despite arriving in the loop promptly before 5:30. The road from which I was to enter the lot was closed for construction, which threw my GPS into a tizzy. I had to find another entrance for the lot, wasting precious time while traffic exploded. After spending 45 minutes in snarled traffic and doubting I’d ever see the starting line, I finally made it into the garage only to find my SpotHero code would not scan. Not even the attendant could get it to work so he let me in with a pay ticket (even though I’d already paid) and instructed me to go to the office post-race to get that ticket refunded. I think you already know how that worked out. Um yeah, not well.
By the time I parked and got to Grant Park to check gear and hit the potties, the race had already started and several corrals had gone off. I reminded myself that I was here to have fun so I talked myself down. I’d go off when I was ready. Tiffany and I had planned to meet up, alas she was caught in parking garage hell as well so it never happened. By some miracle I ran into Kayla and Emily. Yay!
Emily, Kayla and me. Pre-race.
Although conditions weren’t as perfect as they were for Saturday’s 5k, by July standards they were the best I’d ever experienced in all four of my RnRCHI exploits: 70’s, overcast with humidity rolling in but not fierce.
Goals: Run happy
Truth be told, I’ve been more of a 5 or 6 mile runner lately. This would be my first half of the year and I’m embarrassed to say I was poorly…ok not…trained for the distance. Since it was also week 2 of training for the Indy Monumental Marathon, a 13 miler was on tap, so I opted to use the race as a LSD training run.
We were off headed under the iconic tunnel that royally screws up the Garmin right from the start. The course had changed since I’d last run this race. I appreciated the effort the organizers made to keep us in the shade, whether in a tunnel or under train tracks, as much as possible, although this year we didn’t really need it, since it was so overcast. Not complaining. When we headed West along Madison I noticed the ominous skies and wondered how long we’d be able to run before the rain started.
I loved the tour of Chicago and continued on in my easy, breezy pace, walking through water stops. RnRVegas last fall was the first time I ever ran a half marathon not carrying my own hydration and here I was doing it again. As we headed South down Michigan Ave. I noticed the Roosevelt Rd bridge, which is mile 26 of the Chicago Marathon. Then an Elvis caught my eye. He was walking though. I wondered why, but then saw why. He’d crapped his white pants. Talk about unfortunate.
I worried how much the later miles would hurt and when that walk monkey might get on my back. Mile 10 then 11 came and I still felt good. Before I knew it we were under the McCormick Place tunnel. Skies were ominously dark to the North and I suspected it was raining at the finish line. When I exited the tunnel, I felt a couple of rain drops.
Erica texted me and told me there was lightning at the finish so I kept on. Nothing like lightning to spur you on. People struggled in that final mile. There was a woman having her knee packed in ice at the aid station then a poor girl went down right in front of me. An ambulance was bringing a stretcher for her as I passed. Just a half mile or so shy of the finish. Sigh.
The homestretch on Columbus feels a million miles long because you can see the finish line but it’s sooooo far away. So I kept on, feeling surprisingly good and finished.
Finish time: 2:14. I’d hoped to be in the 10:00-10:30 range so a 10:17 pace was fine with me.
I got through the finish area and was standing on a corner behind the main stage when Erica found me. We’d planned to wait for Emily to finish but as soon as we got to gear check the heavens unleashed a vicious thunderstorm with torrential rain. I ended up cowering in a merchandise tent for 20 minutes or so until it eased up. The storm pretty much washed out the finish festival and I headed back to my car.
Final words. This race does not disappoint. Yes it’s held in the heat of the summer but we got pretty lucky this year. The organizers do a great job with the conditions. There was plenty to drink, wet sponges, and a misting station to keep us cool. Finish line food is always good although I didn’t see any popsicles this year. They may have been at the festival that I didn’t attend.
Again, they hit it out of the park with the shirt and medal, although I think the half marathon medal should’ve been a tad larger than the 5k one, which was magnificent. I’m splitting hairs. Overall it was an extremely fun weekend. Next up: The Glo-Run this weekend then RocknRoll Dublin!
Which is your favorite RocknRoll race? Have you remixed?
Congratulations on the race. Sounds like some runners had a hard time w the heat. Rock n Roll races have the best medals. I have never been to Chicago, I would love to visit one of these years.
Congratulations, Louy! I’m not sure I could run a half marathon right now. Oh wait, I paced the 2:15 group on Aspen last weekend….but I lost my TWO followers about mile 9 so I rode solo and decided to walk up this big hill. Not good marathon training. Ha.
Well done girl.
Spoke to Tara a bit the other day. She’s out for the marathon but may do the half in Indy. We should all have a conference call….
xo
Nothing quite freaks me out like running in lightning!! I do think you deserve a bigger medal for the half marathon than the 5k.
Sounds like fun, after the parking nightmare! I have done a few Rock N Roll races, and I think it would be fun to do Chicago one day. I’m not usually one to sign up for July half marathons though! Great job!
I love race weekends like this! Nice finish.
Sounds like you ran/raced it just like you planned! I hate race driving/parking logistics which is probably one reason why I do the same races year after year — I know the drill!
One day, one day, we will be able to race the same race! It kind of sucks to have everyone coming in for RnR (the year I ran it was before I started blogging) and to never be here, and I won’t be here for the Chicago Marathon!
OMG, OMG, Elvis! I’m crying over here. White pants and running is always a recipe for disaster.
I swear, maybe I’m getting old or something, but the parking thing is really a deterrent for city races. You had to be so stressed by the time you got there! Great job and glad you stuck to your plan of making this a training run.
Wendy the parking was SO stressful. Getting the car out of the garage was equally harrowing.
Yeah, poor Elvis.
RnR Dublin — how exciting! I could use excitement like that in my life. Sigh.
I’ve had a few training runs with thunderstorms about halfway through and yeah, nothing like a little adrenaline to get you going.
I’d say you did a great job meeting your goals!
I really do love reading recaps. Because I want to know where my halfs should be. 🙂
Congrats on the race! Parking garages in Chicago are never fun. Never ever. And when you add in it being before 6am I’m not sure how you didn’t lose your cool.
Awesome job!! I ran the Rock N Roll 5k last year and it was HOT and I did terrible! My dad and stepmom are doing the GloRun tomorrow!
I thought real Elvis died because he couldn’t go! No problem for running Elvis apparently! Sorry to hear about your parking woes, it took about 20 swipesfor my SpotHero thing to work on the way out of the garage. You think they’d have better scanners to get people in and out as fast as possible. Anyway congrats on nailing your target pace. Too bad about the after-party, but at least we both weren’t on the course when it really started to pour.
Yikes on parking and lightning. My cousin had a bad experience with Dallas parking for RnR, and parking always makes me nervous when I’m driving to a race. Glad you were able to park despite the drama.
Great job on your run but yikes about Elvis! Sorry to hear about the parking fiasco and all of the rain at the finish for the after party. Love the medal!
Woot woot!! Another finish line!!!! When Penny & I ran this in 2014, we had a nightmare of a time finding parking on Sunday as well. So many roads had been closed,but we didn’t get any notices of that until we were caught in the middle of it (we’d followed the directions from the email on where to go, etc.). That said, we still had a great time. We had real hot and humid weather, there was a lot of frustrated runners claiming the course was longer than a 13.1, and I don’t think we had a water stand (or music) until mile 5 or so….but it was a couple hours of fun amidst all the beautiful Chicago architecture. I thought it was great 😉 (and we also saw an unfortunate runner with mysterious brown stains LOL)
I would love to participate in back to back races like that one weekend. I hope RnR comes to France one day… for the moment Ireland, Portugal & Spain I believe do them.
Karen you should’ve come to Ireland to run with me! That would be a blast!
That parking disaster sounds like a stressful way to start the day! That part makes me more nervous than the run! I am glad you made it in before the storm washed you away! Sounds like a fantastic event- I had fun at Nashville, I need to add another one to my schedule 🙂
Glad the parking nightmare didn’t throw you off your game! I’m loving the race shirt and medal – RnR never disappoints there. I keep saying I want to run Chicago, but the thought of a July half freaks me out. Great job on your Remix – you’ll have to give me pointers before Vegas 🙂
Great job hitting your time goals. So sorry about all the drama getting there, stuff like that stresses me out pre-race.
Poor Elvis! I cannot imagine.
I hear ya about the weather. I am glad you guys had decent running weather this year.
I meant to get up to spectate but work up at 8am. Boo.
I have been so insanely busy with work and still adjusting to the move that blogging and reading them have gone to the wayside and i didn’t even realize until i was actually IN chicago 3 days before the race that it was happening that weekend. So NOT smart on my plan to not research! I hate i missed the chance to extend my stay and do it. I heard about the weather, though! Yay for the first half of your year! and omg the unfortunate elvis.
You look so good in your finish picture!! Completely fresh 🙂
Great job!
That is good you kept your cool when the race started. I had that happen last year in Richmond and I got very anxious, tears the first mile lol then I chilled, chip timing saves us!
3:45 is a really early wake up call!