Sunday, July 29, 2018

HoLottaChicago (WW # 156)


Wendy and I host this linkup for
the sole purpose of supporting active women.
We thank you for linking your 
FITNESS  RELATED  POST  with us!


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Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon
Chicago, IL
July 22, 2018
Half Marathon # 57

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First, let me express my heartfelt thanks to Wendy for being so gracious with her time, her home, her dog, and her Uber services while I was in Chicago.  It certainly made my travels much easier!

Secondly, the bloggers mentioned in this post have already written wonderful recaps of the Chicago Rock N' Roll weekend.  I could simply say "Ditto" and move on.  However, I'll hope you'll stick through to the end.

I had full intentions of taking an off season. I was tired from my latest marathon training cycle and downhill race at unforgiving altitude.  The heat of summer would be perfect timing for some downtime.  When Wendy first mentioned this race, I believe my whiny comment was "But, it's in frickin' July!"  However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet so many fabulous blogging sisters and spend time with my co-host!  So, I clicked the registration button and proceeded to do a minimum of running.  Coupled with a recent illness, my odds of a strong race weren't looking great.

It was great getting to know Susie and Kim
while waiting on the rest of the ladies to arrive.

We were soon joined by Kim, Linda, Marcia, Deborah, Sara, Michelle and Lindsey (pictured below left)

Saturday morning, we met for brunch at Beatrix after some ladies had run the 5k.  It was pure delight to get to know these women in person!  After several hours brunching (and I think we could have stayed all day), some of us went to the expo.   We goofed around with picture props, ate yummy Vice Cream, perused the merchandise and also met the incredibly inspiring Kathyrn Switzer.  She was generous with her time both individually and as a group.


After a 4:00 wake-up call, Wendy and I met up with Marcia at the train station and arrived at the race to the scene at the top.  It was not yet raining and I thought we wouldn't get wet.  The radar actually looked pretty good.  {Bahaha}.  With barely enough time for gear check and a quick porta-potty line, we squeezed into the closest corral.  Within mere minutes, it was raining hard...and we were off.

I stopped my music to listen to the first band, a steel drum band, and I continued to do this for each band along the way.  I enjoyed the music on course!  I knew from running the Chicago Marathon that I could not rely on my watch for pace or distance.  I simply looked at the time that was passing.   I had an unsettling near miss with a heavy bundle of newspapers falling from the sky, but otherwise felt I was having a good race. 

With the crowds, and my eyes all-importantly on the road as to not repeat a Chicago fall, I missed the mile markers.  My rain soaked brain thought I crossed a 10k timing plate with 57 minutes on my watch.  I was happy; feeling strong...that is until almost mile 8.  It's there I finally see a mile marker -- MILE 7 -- and realized how off I was.  I walked. The reality was a little hard to swallow.  I picked it back up trying to get back in the mental game.  However, being completely soaked added calf cramping to my already cramping feet and I was forced to walk repeatedly.  It was not my day.




It continued to rain.  Sometimes heavily.  I remember the wind in a few places.  As we closed in on the final miles, I stopped because I wanted pictures of the beautiful skyline but my fingers were to wet and bloodless to operate my phone.  I gave up after a few attempts.  It was not my day.  I ended up running my 2nd slowest half ever clocking in at 2:24.  The reality of that is...I got what I trained for.

Race highlights included rocking along to the bands; one had a nun as a band member and one was singing  Play That Funky Music as I ran by.  I appreciated the on-course Elvis impersonators and even saw a few running with blow-up guitars.  I marveled at a runner in a tight black bodysuit and fishnet tights, was perplexed by a female runner that had written TOUCH on her back, and was freaked out running through a long fall-inducing dark tunnel.

It was nice to meet Erica and Melissa at Sunday's brunch. 
We had all been completely soaked!

The rain continued after the race.  After being caught out in several deluges, Wendy and I sought refuge in the merchandise tent.  We tried to wait it out but had brunch plans and had no choice but to walk in the downpour to the restaurant.  Even though we changed clothes, there was a puddle under my chair when we got ready to leave.  Again, we could have stayed all afternoon but it was a wonderful way to cap off the race weekend.  The race clock will never be able to define a wonderful weekend spent connecting with friends. 


And that's a wrap!

Surprisingly, this was only my second
half where it rained the whole time.


What are your thoughts on rainy races?




37 comments:

  1. Ah man, what a bummer about the rain - but it sounds like the blogger meet ups were great fun.

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  2. Wet weather, be damned, it still was quite an amazing weekend ;-) After all, I finally got to meet my HoHo! I have had a few rains in total rain, thankfully it's a real small percentage given the number of races I have done. All I can do is laugh at the situation(s), roll my eyes when the clouds open up ((again)), and I probably mutter a few "Seriously's?" at the sky. Thanks for making the trek to Chicago ;-)

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  3. Looks like a great weekend, all things considered! I know the feeling of getting the race you trained for :) I generally don't enjoy running or racing in the rain, but when it's insanely hot outside it's a nice break. My 10k PR came from those circumstances.

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  4. I haven't had torrential downpours. Yet. Apparently either extreme cold or heat are my "things" when it comes to halfs.

    I know that this one was never about time for you, but it's always hard when it's not a good "time" (even if it was a "great" time).

    And WTF was up with the newspapers?

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  5. Oh man, rainy races are SO tough! My last rainy race was Salt Lake City Marathon and it was in April so cold had to be added in to the rain. My friend and I were pretty miserable the whole time (we packed for 60s and sunny) and we definitely threw our time goals out the window the minute the pouring started. But, actually, in the end, I think we had a decent time. I tend to call it one of my favorite races. LOL. Maybe I need to go back and try again and see if I get better weather?

    I'm so glad you were able to go and spend time with Wendy and everyone else, though! That totally makes the whole weekend. :)

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  6. Glad you had a fun weekend despite the weather - hope your calf is feeling better. I love the Expo pic and all the recaps of this from various bloggers' POV.

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  7. Still smiling from all the fun we had! Can't wait for the next meet up

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  8. I"m so glad I was able to convince you to come and run this half. See, it wasn't even hot. It was such a fun weekend! Looking forward to seeing you again this weekend!

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  9. It sounds like such a fun weekend even though the weather wasn't good! I ran the Houston marathon in rain the entire time...it made it feel so much colder (it was January) and I had tons of chafing. Maybe rainy races in the summer wouldn't be quite as bad, but still not my preference!

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  10. It sounds like a lovely weekend overall! I hope you come back next year!

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  11. Sounds like such a fun weekend. I got scared running Tink two years ago since it was raining when I left my room. I had to walk to bag check and the corrals in the rain and somehow my feet stayed dry.

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  13. What a wonderful blogger meet-up! I wish I could have been there (not ready for a half marathon yet though...maybe next year!)

    Rain isn't the most fun and those cramps sound pretty painful :( I'm impressed you powered through though and still finish, that's something to be very proud of!

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  14. Everyone is posting about this blogger meetup and I'm SO JEALOUS. I want to meet everyone!! Anyway, I have a love/hate relationship with rain when I run. I'm ok if it starts to rain after I start running but I can't stand starting a race or run in the rain. And I especially don't enjoy heavy rain because normally it impacts my vision. I think you did well for having not trained to your full potential and it being a rough race!

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  15. Rainy races can be tough - especially 13+ miles worth. As you said, last weekend was about the friends, and no amount of rain can drown out that fun!

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  16. Rainy races are tough. I've had good ones and bad ones...I definitely agree with "you get what you trained for." Been there, done that. Way to power through and make the best of it.

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  17. Falling newspapers from the sky... maybe that was an omen! Sounds like you had a fantastic time nonetheless!

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  18. So glad to have met you during this weekend. Seriously, I just couldn't stop thinking what a special group this is! Thanks for all that you do to keep things running ;)
    It was such a tough day on the course! Congrats for sticking through it!

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  19. Aww sorry about the rain. I don't mind running in the rain as long as it's not the whole race - who wants to be soaked?!- and it's not too cold. I'm so jealous of the meet up - everyone has been posting about it!

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  20. It was so SO good to see you and I wish I could have hung around for more of the post-race festivities. I can't believe how wet the race was. At least it wasn't cold rain I guess. That newspaper thing is just nuts!

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  21. Despite the weather and your finish time, sounds like you still had a fun time seeing other people dressed up and the bands along the course and a great time meeting fellow bloggers.

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  22. Even though your half wasn't wonderful time-wise, it sounds like your weekend was great. That is not a bad trade-off at all! :)

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  23. Well I think you know my thoughts on rainy races ...after running 21 out of 26 miles in the rain, I feel as if I've done 'my time'! Hope I never have to do that again. Sounds like you all had a fabulous time despite the rain and I really wish I could've made this one work ...but London calls you know!

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  24. So lovely to see all the pics. I don't think I've done a completely rainy race even though a lot of my training is in the rain. I guess it affects the crowds, too. I hadn't seen your newspaper issue (I am WAY behind with my blog reading), how weird is that. Have a lovely recovery week.

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  25. I love a good rain run, but rain races can be pretty miserable. The worst I've ever experience was Flying Pirate Half-Marathon 2012. By the end everyone was soaked and miserable. The folks in our running group are firm believers in staying at the finish line until everyone in our group finishes, but not that day!

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  26. Well as you know, I've never run in the rain at all, so this was quite the experience for me! I actually didn't mind it too much - thank goodness it was warm. It was so nice meeting you and everyone else! Regardless of finish times, it was still a fantastic race weekend!

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  27. Is it crazy that I'm still smiling when I think about that weekend? It was really wonderful and I feel like it totally lifted my spirits. It was good for my soul!

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  28. I've had my share of torrential rains. Like my last half and it was freezing!!

    Time spent with friends definitely outranks time on the clock. But it's still tough to accept when we know we have and can do better.

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  29. way to power through! Sounds like you at least had fun :-)

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  30. Oh gosh. I just despise rain. It makes me so miserable, and quite frankly, it becomes unsafe because nine times out of ten, it messes up my contact lenses and ... well... that's not good for anyone.

    Of course, you were with the most amazing crew of friends, so that makes it a lot more pleasant in my eyes. I really, really want to do this race one year, and I hope it's soon.

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  31. There's nothing worse than thinking you have run further than you actually have. Such a sinking feeling! But I am going to echo what you said - for once the finish times really didn't matter much - meeting all those fantastic bloggers must just have felt out of this world. Incredible! (And 57 Half Marathons... WOW!)

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  32. Mother Nature just refused to play nice, but it was a great weekend nonetheless! Hopefully for our next meet-up the weather will be kinder :) Can't wait to start planning!

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  33. I ran my marathon PR in constant very heavy rain from the start to the finish. I didn't like it, but my body must have because it performed really well that day. I've loved reading everyone's recaps. It sounds like you had so much fun!

    Thanks for the linkup!

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  34. I like rainy races, but all I've heard about this one makes it sounds too intense even for me! At least you had all the friend time to make up for the race.

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  35. Midwest summer rains can be intense! It sounds like you had such a fun weekend meeting up with so many great people!

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  36. Sounds like a tough race but a great weekend overall!

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  37. Congrats on another race in Chicago! That's too bad it rained and just wasn't your day, but looks like you had a great time seeing everyone!

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