Some days you hit the halfway point in a race and wonder how you're going to manage to keep going for the second half. Other days, you look up and realize you are past the halfway mark and didn't even notice it because the miles are flying by so easily. Chances are, if you've been running for any length of time, you have probably experienced both feelings.
Most every year of the X-sport Rock-n-Roll Chicago half marathon (and it's earlier incarnation as the Chicago Distance Classic), I have felt the former sentiment. It is traditionally just about the hottest day of the summer, and I'm usually dragging myself to the finish line. Last Sunday, however, was different. And it was great!
The skies were overcast, and the temperatures were in the 60's when we started at 6:30 in the morning. As the miles clicked off, a light drizzle started falling. Race organizers were well prepared for heat with water sponges, hoses, and plenty of fluids along the course, but there was really little need for those on this day.
Because of past experiences with the heat at this race, and the fact that I've done minimal training for the last month or so, I had lowered expectations for the race. In fact, I planned to run it for fun with a couple of friends, and catch up a little.
And from the start, that's the way it went. Dave Zimmer, of Fleet Feet Sports (far right), and Doug Kaplan (middle), of Competitor group (which puts on the race) and I agreed to go out at a little slower than eight minute pace. I was feeling so good, I probably pushed them a little more than they preferred for the first few miles, and they reined me in a few times. They are both strong runners, and on another day, I would be pushing to keep up with them. But I was having a good day, and really enjoying the conversation, as well as our evaluations of the bands at every mile.
Nevertheless, when we hit about the six mile mark, after a water stop, I found myself a little ahead of them, and figured they were trying to get rid of me! So I resigned myself to running alone for a while. I immediately found I missed the conversation, but the miles were going by so easily, I figured I'd just run from one band to the next and continue to enjoy it.
And that's what happened. The miles kept clicking away, and I really never felt them. You gotta love a day like that. Doug's colleague, Tom ran up to me during the last mile, and we pushed to the finish to make sure we were under 1:45, and we made it easily. It was like a training run, which is kind of what I had in mind anyway. It's about 7 minutes slower than a half marathon time I ran this spring, but every race of the season doesn't have to be about running a fast time. This was not only much easier, but much more fun!
After it was over, the fun really began. I wrangled a pass to the VIP tent, and there were some genuine celebrities there to rub elbows with. And they all ran the race as well. The fastest was someone I've admired for years, and was thrilled to get a chance to meet. Roger Craig should be in the NFL hall of fame soon for his great career as the San Francisco 49er's running back. Along with Montana, Young, and Rice, he led the 49ers to amazing success over the years. As a lifelong Bears fan, I refuse to even look up the number of Super Bowls, but I know there were a lot. And I know he did a lot of damage to the Bears over the years. After getting the chance to meet him, I would nominate him to be in the hall of fame for nice guys as well. He runs a lot of races these days, and has become a pretty accomplished distance runner. Sunday he told me he had a little trouble with the humidity, but managed a 1:48.
John Ondrasik, the lead singer of the group Five for Fighting also ran the race, after serving as the headlining act last year. He followed through on a promise he made on stage last year to run the race, and he finished strong. As did NBC Today show weather man Al Roker, who ran the race for the second year in a row and improved his time by more than a minute a mile.
It was a great day for a lot of the runners who've been suffering in the summer heat wave for the last several weeks. It was nice to enjoy the cool weather again. And I'm hoping it continues for the next race on my calendar. It's the Guaranteed Rate Disco Dash, on the Lakefront path, starting by Diversey Harbor, and I'm honored by be serving as the emcee. It also for the benefit of a great cause, the Peapod Project. You can find more information at the race website.
http://www.guaranteedrate.com/chicago-disco-dash-race.php
See you on the roads.......
Comments