ULTRA UPDATES:
One week away from my official kickoff for Ultra training!
WHAT’S FUN:
I’m really excited about my weekend road trip to Chicago this weekend — it’s been a couple years since we’ve been, and the city holds a special place for us. That’s where I officially gave my now-husband my number on St. Patrick’s Day 8 years ago after rejecting him for 10 months. Our trip this time will be brief, but I’m pumped to “tailgate” with my fellow Buckeye fans (and BibRave Pros!) at the B1G 10K. I can be cordial to my fellow Iowa fans… but I will be poo-pooing my husband and his M*chigan cronies for most of the day’s events.
JULY MILEAGE UPDATE: 50.6 miles MILEAGE FOR THE WEEK: 25.0 miles MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 506.7 miles LAST RACE:Minnesota Nut House Challenge — Totally Nuts! (5k, 10k, Half Marathon) UP NEXT:B1G 10K this weekend in Chicago! Online registration is still open.
Since coming back from my post-marathon recovery period, I’ve been getting back to a regular workout schedule — particularly with my running consistency. Without getting too far ahead of myself, when I start my Ultra training program in a couple weeks, my plan calls for 4-5 runs per week. Once I got into the rhythm of marathon training, 4 runs a week was my normal — 5 will be challenging.
But why would I be running an Ultra in the first place if I didn’t like a good challenge?
WHAT’S FUN?
The most fun of the last few weeks has been getting out on the dirt trails. I LOVE BEING ON THE TRAILS! I’ve run at Jester Park, Sycamore, and Center Trails. I like each of them for different reasons, though I think Center is my favorite (if only because it kicks my ass). If you’re in the Des Moines area — or plan to visit — you can definitely have some fun in the woods here! Once I get into the meat of my training program, I’ll move onto trails that wreck my quads and that are a bit more technical, difficult, and with more elevation change.
Bring on the hill repeats!
SOMETHING SOMETHING
I quit my gym membership, and along with that, my yoga spot. I enjoy the Yoga with Adriene videos (particularly those geared towards runners), but I’d like to find a place for regular practice again. Des Moines has some fabulous outdoor “pop-up” yoga this summer though. Rounding out my cross-training: I’m doing strength at least once a week in my home gym with dumbbells or kettlebell, and following up my easy runs with core workouts. I love this glutes workout from SELF. I also do my hip and glute mobility and balance work several times per week — if not every night. The nightly repetition just makes the movements part of a mindless routine — just like brushing your teeth every night.
I’m also participating weekly in a women’s golf clinic, which is every bit as fun as it is frustrating. Because I am NOT GOOD, it’s also challenging. So, for the betterment of my (eventual) golf game, I continue to go out of my comfort zone and learn something new every week.
That said, I am NOT enjoying this summer humidity at all. The 5K that I ran on July 4th felt awful (despite still running a respectable pace), and this past Saturday’s 8-mile long run didn’t feel any better (despite it being 10 degrees cooler). I’m also feeling sore, which is not something that I usually experience. I’m hoping for a little cooler temps for my challenge race next weekend… but it’s not like Minnesota is a winter wonderland right now.
Did you notice that I changed the site branding? As most of you know, I aged out of my old blog name, and I honestly don’t have the energy or time to rebuild something from scratch. Given my updated goals and upcoming running adventures, this was the perfect way to carry on the ol’ URL for a bit longer (the idea came to me spontaneously in the shower, so who knows how I’ll feel about it in another month or so ?).
JULY MILEAGE UPDATE: 25.5 miles MILEAGE FOR THE WEEK: 20.4 miles MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR: 481.7 miles LAST RACE: July 4th Earlham Firecracker 5K — Finished 4th in my 40-49 Age Group! Official Time: 28:22 UP NEXT:Minnesota Nut House Challenge — Totally Nuts! (5k, 10k, Half Marathon)
Today seemed like the perfect day to reflect a bit on the first half of the year (thanks, Holiday PTO!). I’ve got my tracking spreadsheet updated from January-June, and my training plan set for my first Ultra race (more on that in another post).
I like running and chocolate milk. I estimate that I’ve probably had at least 65 chocolate milks since the beginning of the year.
Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
I participated in my first Ragnar relay.
I ran my first race as a BibRave Ambassador.
I colored in 3 more states on my U.S. Race map.
I also took 2 DNS (Did Not Start) on registered races.
I added 2 more half marathons and another full marathon — bringing the totals to 11 and 2, respectively.
And I’ve run 456.2 total miles as of the end of June.
I also took THREE GLORIOUS WEEKS off running in June.
What’s Next: July: Earlham 5k; Clive Running Festival (10k); Minnesota Nut House Challenge — Totally Nuts! (5K, 10K, half marathon); BTN Big 10k (Chicago) August: Not registered for anything; and if Iowa is anything like last summer, I probably won’t! September: Rockin’ Chocolate Half Marathon (Madison, WI); NewBo half (IA); Pleasant Creek trail run; Capital Pursuit (10-miler); Heartland Half (Omaha, NE) October: Chicago Marathon; GOATz 50k (Omaha, NE) November: Hillbilly Hike half marathon (Indianaola, IA), Route 66 Marathon (Tulsa, OK) December: Hitchcock Experience 50 Miler (Honey Creek, IA)
I’ll also color in 3 more states (all road trips!), finish 2 more marathons — and a 50k AND a 50-Miler, and add another 800+ miles to my yearly total by the end of the year. NEAT!
A mix of old and new… I retired a couple old pairs of running shoes this year.
I’ll likely add in a couple of the fall trail races that I did in 2016 to this year’s calendar (Sycamore 8, To Grandmother’s House).
What’s on your schedule for the second half of 2017? Looking to add any races to your list? Check out my Race Discounts page!
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the BTN Big 10K race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
The BTN Big 10K and 5k is back in Chicago in Grant Park on a new date in 2017 — Sunday, July 23. This is THE race to express your serious fandom (Go Bucks!) and dress in your school colors and compete for your B1G Ten team. Since my training for my Ultra basically starts the following day, this race will be one heckuva kick-off to college football season and a fun way to kind of “end” my base building. Also, it features the ultimate post-race Fan Fest & Tailgate party!
Here are 10 B1G Reasons to Run:
1. While it’s not Ohio (O-H!), this course highlights many of Chicago’s landmarks.
2. Share your Team Pr1de on the course with fellow Buckeye fans
3. Scarlet & Gray school-specific performance race shirts…
5. AND OSU-specific finishers medals!
6. Your packet can be mailed out to you (for a small fee), so you can skip the Packet Pick-up lines
7. BTN on-air talent and former Big Ten player appearances
8. Photo opportunity with the Big Ten Championship trophy
9. Post-race tailgate with free food item and beer (21+) for runners
10. BRUTUS! (and those other mascots)
Bonus: BTN is looking for the most die-hard Big Ten fans at the BTN Big 10K! Post your most spirited photos on race day using the #BTNBig10K hashtag for your chance to win tickets to the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship game or the Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The BTN Big 10K takes place in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, July 23, 2017. For a bonus RAM Racing water bottle, use promo code BibRaveBTN17 at registration.
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Vermont City Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!
Made it to Church Street!
TWENTY WEEKS of sweat and tears and complaining about the weather brought me to Burlington, Vermont to take on my second full marathon on Memorial Day weekend. After getting over the last few weeks of my training slump — alongside that confidence-building 22-miler — I was ready to do this race. I had no anxiety going into race week and wasn’t wishing for the moment to be over (not until mile 25 at least). And what I learned on race day was that I could push myself… and still have a blast. By no means is marathon training all fun. But if you’ve already seen my finish chute spoiler from Instagram, you could see the joy all over my face on a race well run.
Registration and Cost: I was comped a race entry through BibRave, though prices for the marathon range from $99 when registration first opens to $135 on race weekend. There is a relay option, too. It’s unclear if the half marathon was part of one of the relays — there are 2- to 5-person relay options, so probably the 2-person? There were 13.1 medals — but I don’t see the half as an option for registration.
Expo and Bib Pick-Up: I opted to book a hotel close to the start/finish lines, but the expo was held outside the downtown area about 2 miles away at the Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center. It’s probably walkable — but I didn’t want to do that the day before a marathon (we ended up renting a car for the weekend to explore some things outside of town anyways).
There were footprint stickers leading runners from the entry to the correct bib pick-up line — you then needed to take your bib over to the t-shirt tables to have activated. A clear plastic bag and matching bib number sticker was given for checking any items on race day — but no usual race branded cinch bag.
I liked the selection of vendors at this expo, which seemed to be more focused on local Vermont brands (including Cabot cheese samples and beer tastings from a local brewery). I got a ton of free things from Kinney Drug booth — several packs of K-tape and face wipes and lotion — holy moly! I discovered the Darn Tough sock brand at the Expo, too; and I am already obsessed with these merino wool socks. I bought a pair of their short Coolmax running socks too.
Swag: To be honest, I was a little underwhelmed with the race swag, given what some other races do for runners completing a full marathon (there was also a virtual “swag bag”). Though I have to keep perspective on how small this race is. The race shirt was a performance short sleeve with gender-specific colors; the women’s shirt was maroon, which was a nice change of (color) pace. I searched the expo to buy some kind of marathoner finisher jacket, and I found a nearly empty rack. There were no women’s size small in the race branded zip jacket. Only 3 mediums left. And I was at the expo an hour and a half after opening on Saturday. That’s NUTS that there wasn’t enough. The race sweatshirt was one of the thinner and cuter fit ones (no zip front), but I really wanted a jacket. Bummer about that. I also loved the Run the 802 branding for the local race series, but maybe I was so blinded by the other issue that I somehow missed those items? I also missed buying a 26.2 sticker for my car, and I have all the sads. ?
Course: Think of this course like a clover – it starts near Battery Park and takes four loops out of downtown Burlington and back, and then loops around another side of town (and repeat. and repeat). The first few miles were inside town and included our first pass down Church Street; the next few miles were out-and-back on open highway and it was BORING. I was happy to loop back into town again and end that portion.
I looked at the course elevation earlier in training and wasn’t dreading any real hills except for one. And that was Mile 15: The Assault on Battery. Somehow, when that hill happened, I had enough energy to keep running. Majority of VCM was flat, though there were some elevation changes. My quads are certainly telling the story of continuous rolling hills, however. Even a massage didn’t help. Woof.
So, this is why my quads are wrecked!
The best parts of the course BY FAR were in the neighborhoods between Miles 18-21. More on that later. At Mile 22, the race hits the Burlington Bike Trail and continues to the finish at Waterfront Park. The trail portion was not as shaded as I had hoped and only had a glimpse of the lake view every so often. This was where the crowd support seriously dwindled and shit gets hard. I finally turned on my music.
Weather: The forecast 15 days out from the race called for rain, so I was delighted that awfulness had passed through early. However, the temps were expected to get pretty warm by the time I finished. Given that the race was “black-flagged” last year, this made me nervous (some runners I chatted with throughout the race had already finished 22-24 miles by the time the race was cancelled at 4 hours in, and no results were recorded beyond 4:30). We had a nice cool (but humid feeling) 54 degrees to start. The sun started to get very warm near the end and reached around 75 degrees. Naturally, the back part of the course is full sun. When I noticed that the red flags were up around mile 21, those thoughts kept creeping in and I was getting pissed (and nervous).
Note: This was partly why the Race Directors moved the start time to 7am this year.
Start line: I was a little overwhelmed and confused by the start area — despite the beautiful backdrop of Lake Champlain. I only found the starting corrals by stroke of luck (and walking around). I didn’t see any directional signage and thought the start was actually in the park (it was on the street next to). No corral assignments, so runners lined up by their expected pace — there was pace signage and pacers holding finish time signs. The course felt really crowded for the first few miles, and there was brick-paved roads, so it was a constant look down-look up to make sure that I wouldn’t trip over anything (like, a giant pedestrian walk sign in the middle of the road; why wouldn’t they remove that?) or run into another participant. The actual start line was around the corner from the corrals.
Aid Stations: All the aid stations were manned by WONDERFUL volunteers and it seemed all of the stations had water-Gatorade-water (perfect trifecta!). There was also a bonus candy aid station near the mid-point of the course, where I grabbed a cup of Skittles (YASSS!), and an ice pop station at the back portion of the course (I think I had 3 different ice pops throughout the back half of the race — thank you, Vermonters!). Clif shots and gels were provided at two different points, and there looked to be plenty of Kybos along the course, too.
Fans and entertainment: The race had some designated spots for course entertainment, but most of the fun came from the neighborhoods getting together to cheer and party. On our Church Street pass-throughs, there were drag queens giving high fives and many of the bars and restaurants seemed to be supporting the race by having their patios open earlier to spectators. The best section of the race, as I mentioned above, was after leaving the city and that awful hill on Battery Street. Starting with the 16.fun party on North Ave.
I was regularly dumping water on myself to keep cool as the temperatures were going up — and SO MANY neighbors set up sprinklers and spray hoses for us to run through (one kid even had a super soaker). THANK YOU! This was so appreciated. I wasn’t sure if my phone would be alive afterward, but I didn’t care.
Also in this neighborhood (I think I might have seen a sign that it was Lakewood? Not certain.): watermelon slices, oranges, bananas, candy, ice pops, neighborhood kids passing out drinks from their lemonade stands (adorable!)… a Tyrannosaurs running through sprinklers (I nearly had to stop from laughing so hard). And then by far one of the best things I’ve ever seen on a race course — shots of maple syrup. SHOTS OF MAPLE SYRUP. My race mantra was “Eat the Popsicle!” and I sure as hell was having a maple syrup shot. Isn’t that just so quintessentially Vermont?
Around mile 23, I started to feel tired and stiff. At 24, I was on the brink of having an emotional breakdown, feeling tears well up in my eyes and cursing myself for signing up for another marathon in the fall. Don’t know what that was all about; it wasn’t a wall — I knew that I could run more. I felt like I was on the brink of hyperventilating from choking back a big ugly cry. I pulled myself together.
Somehow.
Like I said earlier, this is where the crowd support thinned out, and it got hard; mile 25 was my wall. That’s when I felt done and ready to finish. Though as Forrest Gump says: I just kept running.
Best sign: You could have played chess
Or maybe the Vaseline signs? ? (you had to be there)
Finish line: The chute seemed to last forever, and I kept going back to memories of my first marathon. That extra .2 feels like a lifetime!
And then came the tears and hyperventilating. The outburst of emotion actually made me a little nervous. But I walked around for a bit and calmed down by the time I found the chocolate milk (and I guess I looked messed up enough that the volunteer gave me an extra one).
Chocolate Milk!
The finish area was just as confusing as the start. The volunteers handed us a bottled water and a bag (awesome!) to carry athlete food (fruit and chocolate milk… and I think there was free pizza). I didn’t automatically get a foil blanket, maybe Because of the heat, though I did see a few runners with them. I also didn’t see the results tent or a beer tent (was there one?). There were no chips left at Moe’s. All these things kind of fueled whatever emotional exhaustion I was feeling. And I had no idea where to go.
At that moment, my finish time notification from RaceJoy popped up on my Garmin. The reminder of all that hard training showed in a new marathon PR and my expected finish time based on my training.
The Medal: I love that the face of the medal has the infamous scene (and part of the VCM race logo) of the runners on Church Street and the sparkle is fun… but mine has a defect on it. Whomp, whomp..
After party: After a shower (and carefully looking for chafing and blisters), we walked down a few blocks to Citizen Cider for our own post-race celebration. They had gluten-free poutine and corn dogs and my day was complete.
Cider flight from Citizen Cider (they also had gluten-free corn dogs and poutine!)
Splits: Something wonky happened to my recorded watch splits after Mile 10 (it’s possible that I hit the lap button on my watch when removing my arm sleeves? At least it restarted!); I have the 10th lap at a .41 mile. Seems like I ran some long tangents too, with my Garmin clocking me at a total of 26.4 miles.
These are the official race splits:
10k: 1:04:34
10m: 1:43:31
Half: 2:15:24 (average pace 10:20)
20m: 3:30:11 (average pace 10:30)
OVERALL The Great: Burlington is such an amazing place to go for a destination race. Also great if you love smaller races. The Good: Vermont City Marathon has FREE race photos, which is AWESOME. I saw several photogs out on the course. The Bad: Running in red flag conditions is scary. Find ways to stay cool! The Ugly: I got some new chafing spots (ahem, butt crack) that I never experienced before. Must be from purposely getting wet throughout the race?
BibRave!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
4:39:12
Average 10:39 pace
1327 overall place (out of 1985)
536 overall Female (out of 918)
My first entry in the 40-44 age group — 62 in that division (out of 110).
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Vermont City Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!
the week:
Since I’m traveling to Burlington for the Vermont City Marathon, I wanted to focus on that for this Weekly Therapy. The Taper Crazies have grabbed hold!
weekend:
MARATHON WEEKEND!!! I have a couple days in Burlington to explore before the race. It’s been 5 years since my last visit. Besides Citizen Cider, which is already DEFINITELY on my list, what else should I see or do? Any gluten-free recommendations?
seven things at Vermont City Marathon that I’m excited about:
1. OMG, views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.
2. FREE RACE PHOTOS! Thanks, Vermont Department of Tourism.
3. The Sport & Fitness Expo because I’m a sucker for race swag and finding buying local Vermont products.
4. Pre-race PASTA FEED (yes, there’s gluten-free!).
5. I always love to hear the entertainment along the course, but I’m also excited for…
6. A candy stop AND ice pop aid station. ?
7. Crossing that finish line and celebrating another finished marathon!
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Route 66 Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
My race schedule for 2017 is officially full. Full marathon, that is. The Route 66 Marathon was one of those events that sounded like an absolute blast in recaps. The race takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 19, which also means I won’t be training for TOO long (hopefully) in the hottest part of summer.
And here’s 6 more reasons why I chose to do it:
1. I must be crazy, right?I could have come with 66 ways to answer that question. Signing up for another marathon when I haven’t even finished the one I’m currently training for? Don’t worry, I’m taking a little time off after VCM. But despite feeling exhausted and OVER everything related to marathons, I simply like to be in a structured training program that keeps me conditioned and is a challenge. Keeps me feeling like I could still be running with the 30-somethings. Or something.
2. My two favorite words: Fleece. Lined. Y’all know how much I love my cozy fabrics. This year’s finishers jackets match the color of the race branding and are fleece-lined performance. FLEEEEEEEECE. Bonus: it’s got pockets.
3. Cross another state off my map. Before registration for Route 66 Marathon, I was going to color in 6 new states; now, it’ll be 7 in 2017. I’ve been to Oklahoma once — about 15 years ago — on a cross-country road trip adventure with my sister. There was a lot of arguing in those days before Google Maps (we seriously drove cross country with a FLIPBOOK from AAA). This trip it will only be me yelling at the British lady who commands my car’s navigation system. And for more cowbell.
4. It’s ROUTE 66 — it’s iconic! Once of my favorite things about traveling for races is being able to see cities by foot. Tulsa is about a 6.5-hour drive from Des Moines, so I’ll get to map some fun roadside attractions — like driving by Pittsburg (without the “h”) in Kansas. Also, I am obsessed with seeing all this Art Deco architecture in Tulsa.
5. PARTY TIME. EXCELLENT. I tend to take myself too seriously in training — in life, too — but especially in races. I don’t know many races that actively promote the locations where you’ll find your first beer station (which means there are others???) or the #jelloshotscrew (wait… can we make that a hashtag?). Alls I’m saying is, someone running this race is gluten-free and requests a cider or a mimosa around Mile 20-ish (maybe I should have put that on my bib?). Also, orange jell-o is my favorite.
THAT LOOKS LIKE MIMOSAS!!!
6. The World’s Shortest Ultramarathon. There’s an option of adding the Center of the Universe Detour to your registration and run an extra .3 miles to complete the World’s Shortest Ultramarathon. There’s a beer reward (can I have wine yet?) and a special commemorative coin to acknowledge the achievement. Also, there’s some crazy-cool, freaky echo thing happening at the Center of the Universe, and that’s the perfect kind of quirk that I love to discover in my adventures.
This race has some good vibrations (wait… is that an acoustic pun?). I can’t wait to run with you in Tulsa and party like a marathoner (+.3).
DISCOUNT: I hear this race sells out every year — and with all the new race features for 2017 (jackets for relay runners, a really freaking awesome VIP package), now is the time to plan your Fall marathon. If you’re ready to register, use discount code 2017R66BR for $10 off entry.
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Vermont City Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!
All bundled up for the Illinois half marathon, SO CLOSE to race day, and Chocolate Milk forever and ever. Amen.
It’s crazy to think that I’m on this “other side” of marathon training. With less than 5 weeks until race day, I’ve experienced about every type of weather forecast and every type of emotion. And to be truthful, I really wish training was over. I know that it’s good to have this insight having DONE all this training thus far to maybe not do a 20-week training program next time and that I’m capable of getting through the next few weeks. Though my focus and resolve to deal with every day bullshit (and the weather) has waned, and I’m really ready for it all to be over. Only a few more weeks until taper time, but I already feel like giving up.
And yes, I’ve got another marathon yet that I am training for this year. I KNOW.
This week I was proud to get all my runs done (despite having messed up my watch somehow TWICE), and I did all my strength and core workouts. *fist bump*
MONDAY Rest day. OH GLORIOUS REST DAY.
TUESDAY An easy run on the schedule, ending with 6×20 Strides and my at-home kettlebell strength workout. My warm-up routine for this day starts with foam rolling, and besides my calves, everything feels OK. Somehow, I messed up my watch when I got an incoming text — and somehow forwarded to my splits, and had to restart the workout. I finished 1.15 miles on the first cycle (12:01 average pace) and 5.44 total miles on the 2nd cycle.
Felt really MEH about this easy run, but got it done. And then I felt like I tweaked something in my right knee coming out of a side plank. I guess it’s time in marathon training where THAT starts happening, too.
WEDNESDAY Another easy run, ending with 4×20 Strides and a core workout. Despite the weather not being too bad during the week, I opted for both easy runs on the treadmill. I messed up my first Stride by almost forgetting about having to do them, and stopped the treadmill.
4.27 miles / 11:50 average pace
Lots of foam rolling before bed, and spent some additional time with my Moji foot roller on my arches.
I was supposed to take it easy and have fun. Though I’m pretty sure that a PR is not exactly easy – but it felt easy! And I had fun! I mean, I was definitely sweating by the end of it and had that “high” of being able to push myself to the finish. Bonus: I ran by feel and didn’t look at my watch until I crossed the finish line. THAT FELT AWESOME.
A cold day for the race, but my cranky mood about weather turned quickly when I realized how much fun EVERYONE was having (I wanted to have fun!). My official finishing time made this my 2nd fastest half marathon. I felt strong; it felt easy. Go read my recap!
SUNDAY Rest (and travel) Day — back home to Iowa and time to eat ALL THE THINGS.
WEEKLY RUNS: 4 runs WEEKLY MILES: 27.16 miles TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 301.72 miles
Only a month away until Race Day! Still time to register and join me in Burlington, Vermont for the Vermont City Marathon: Use code BibRave10 to save $10 on your registration!
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The Illinois Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
The college was celebrating its 150th birthday, and race day was a PARTY. When the Race Directors said that the city gets behind this race, they really meant it. And with the spectators having so much fun, I was feeding off that energy.
Location: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois!
Registration and Cost: As my disclosure states above, I received a free entry to the Half I-Challenge series. If you register for the race early, you can run the half marathon for as cheap as $60. There are several incremental increases as the race approaches; expo registration (pending availability) went as high as $90. The Half I-Challenge for the half marathon and 5K starts at $85 and goes up to $140.
Pre-Race: The communication from Illinois Marathon RDs was EXCELLENT leading up to race weekend. They utilized Facebook and Twitter and interacted with participants, and sent out several emails regarding race info, packet pickup, and after parties.
Swag: Each race had its own drawstring race bag and t-shirt. The half marathon shirt is great — a bright neon yellow short-sleeved tee with a more breathable tech material. I also love that it’s v-neck. The drawstring bag for the half has a mesh back and extra zippered pocket in the front. I have SOOOOOO many drawstring race bags now; I wish that there was only one for the Challenge runners.
Weather: While I knew it was going to be chilly, race day was downright COLD — at the start it was feels like temp of 35. I was a little cranky about it, but also glad that I had an extra long sleeve. It was also pretty windy, so that added to my pre-race chill.
Course: The course for the half marathon was basically flat — and it was fast. A lot of it was run through neighborhoods and some through paved trails in a park, but none of it was boring.
Start Line: Definitely not as crowded as the day before (thankfully). Not the same start location as the 5K, but still on campus near the Stadium and only a .5 mile walk from my hotel. There were wave starts and a countdown for each start.
Aid Stations: There is an oranges station sponsored by Meijer around mile 6, which was a nice surprise (I love oranges during races!). There were a few hydration stations with water and some with Gatorade (I missed the first Gatorade stop because I didn’t realize until I was already at the water tables). I got a strawberry-banana GU (my favorite!) at mile 6.5-ish, too. I was able to store my GU for later on when I had some awful stomach grumbling from hunger (I carried some Figgies & Jammies with me, but didn’t feel like “eating” during the race).
Finish Line: Muscle Milk (chocolate and vanilla) and bottled water on the field. I walked all the way up the stadium seats until I realized that I forgot to pick up my Challenge medals back in center field. After walking back UP the stairs, I saw the signs…
ERMAGAHD GLUTEN-FREE PASTA AVAILABLE IN THE CONCESSION STANDS!!!
I was more than a little excited (thanks, Biaggi’s!).
Fans and Experience: Crowd support was probably the most engaging and fun of any race in which I participated. There were signs everywhere (my favorite: “We’re blocked in our driveway, run faster!”) and spectators lined the streets and neighborhoods — high-fiving and cheering and handing out samples of beer and makeshift water stops and tissues to runners. I find some of the larger races to be overwhelming with people, but this was the perfect amount of energy; I was really feeding off it. It reminded me a bit of the neighborhood support when I did the Akron relay.
I particularly loved the genuine “Welcome to Champaign” (was that the mayor?) greeting as we ran through the downtown area and the “Finnish Line” (hilarious!). There were Cheer Zones and live music (I loved the multi-instrument band with the accordion and brass — I wish I caught the name of their group) and even Elvis! The entertainment was awesome throughout the course. Around 8-9 miles in, some friendly neighbors were passing out cups and cans of beer — not for me, obviously but if there was something gluten-free, I may have taken something; I was sincerely loving the energy.
Even better, the RUNNERS seemed to all be having equal fun.
After Party: The 27th Mile celebration was just outside Memorial Stadium, similar to the party the night before — free beer for participants and free cake and live music. After walking back to my hotel room, it was breakfast, a hot shower and a long nap; and then a friend drove in to hang out over night. I needed to fuel, so it was (gluten-free!) burgers and buffalo chicken dip at Scotty’s Brewhouse first, and then we drank wine and ate stinky cheese and caught up in the hotel room afterward. The weekend overall was a total blast.
Water, chocolate milk, coffee… I like options (and the hotel was EXCELLENT at keeping the breakfast going a little late for runners)
OVERALL The Great: THIS RACE WAS AWESOME. SO FUN. ALL CAPS. The Good: I negative split the 2nd half of my race — WHOOP! The Bad: Blah, weather. Tolerable, but I thought winter was over! The Ugly: As runners are approaching the stadium for the finish line, the course kinda narrows; well, I came up to a band of walkers spanned across the distance. It was irritating, and I got a little run rage-y — I may have yelled at them to move left (sorry).
TL;DR: My weekend in Illinois was incredible. A 5K PR and my 2nd fastest half marathon time — and probably the best overall race energy and experience. They put on a great event there in Champaign-Urbana, and if you’re looking for some fun (or a PR), I would definitely add this race to your calendar.
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The Illinois Marathon 5K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
I’m breaking down my trip to the Illinois race weekend into two posts. This first post will include the 5K portion of the I-Challenge and the Expo. The second will focus on the half marathon and overall race weekend experience.
Location: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois! A nice little 5-hour road trip from Des Moines.
Road trip rest stop #1: At least I know that I hydrated properly!
Registration and Cost: As my disclosure states above, I received a free entry to the I-Challenge series (5K and half marathon). If you register for the race early, you can run the 5K for as cheap as $25. There are several incremental increases as the race approaches; expo registration (pending availability) went as high as $50. The Half I-Challenge for the half marathon and 5K starts at $85 and goes up to $140.
There are four different distances as part of the Illinois Marathon weekend: the full marathon, half marathon, a 10k and 5k. There is also a youth run, a marathon relay, and the challenge races that all include the 5k on Friday night and one of the distances on Saturday.
Me and Alma… and Alma… and Alma.
Expo and Packet Pick-up: The Health & Fitness Expo opened on Thursday (4-8pm) and continued Friday from (10am-7pm); I drove in on Friday and made it to the expo around 3pm (after checking into my hotel). The expo takes place at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and, after parking, was easy for this out-of-towner to find her way. Arrows directed you to the bib pick-up area first — I didn’t experience any lines in the afternoon.
After picking up my bibs (separate bibs for the half and 5K), registrations are then directed to the large gym area for the vendor area and swag pick-up. There were a large number of vendors, a series of speakers — including marathoner Dick Beardsley — and several photo opportunities. I really enjoyed the experience and layout, and spent a good amount of time looking around (and, of course, shopping). Biaggi’s restaurant was also hosting a Pasta Feed at the Expo — and they had gluten-free pasta (YAY!).
Parking was a little annoying from a time management perspective, but there was plenty of it and it’s free. Signage was very helpful around campus to direct where to park — and look for all the volunteers with orange foam fingers. You just might have to do some walking, and the Expo gets busier as people get out of work.
Swag: Each race had its own drawstring race bag and t-shirt. The 5K shirt is short sleeved and the typical boxy fit that comes with unisex sizing. If you’re local to the area, there were a BUNCH of race and product flyers — many with discounts.
Weather: The weather was much chillier than I expected at 48 degrees (and super windy). And I’m REALLY glad that I packed that extra pair of pants and a long-sleeve layer.
Course: All of the races for the weekend started near the State Farm Center and ended at Memorial Stadium. I don’t know much about the area, but it was fun to run through campus and Champaign at nighttime. There was a great energy along the course, with a lot of students cheering from the sidewalks and porches around campus. I did my fair share of “woo’ing” with spectators.
Start Line: The 5K started at 7:30 pm — and at a half hour before start time, it was SO CROWDED. All of the runners couldn’t even fit into their corrals, and there was quite a long wait in between waves in order to fit all the people in as each corral moved forward. It kind of made me nervous for the half marathon start. Maybe that bottleneck could be alleviated with entry open to both sides of the corrals?
Bib Rave Pros!
Aid Stations: There was a water stop on the course about 2 miles in, though I didn’t need to stop.
Finish Line: The big appeal of the Illinois Marathon is the 50-yard finish inside Memorial Stadium. Imagine my surprise to learn we would be doing the same for the 5K! It was a really cool experience, though you couldn’t linger long on the field. Inside the concession area was free food for finishers: Jimmy John’s sandwiches (sadly no lettuce-wrapped), bananas, and Nature Valley granola bars.
After Party: The 4th Mile party outside Memorial Stadium was the celebratory kick-off to the 5K and race weekend. All participants got a free drink (lines were fairly long by the time we finished our races) from Riggs Beer Company. There was also live music, food trucks, and FREE CAKE to celebrate the 150th birthday. All of this, sadly, not meant for the gluten-free runner. I was positively shivering from the cold (I had to purchase an oversized men’s sweatshirt from one of the vendor booths to get warm) and unfortunately, couldn’t stick around the party too long.
Speaking of birthdays, the 5K medal is a balloons bouquet celebrating the sesquicentennial. And for me, it also celebrated a new PR! HOLY CRAP. I ran the race by feel and… it felt easy. I’m just so ecstatic to have that feeling and see those splits — while also having so much fun.
OVERALL The Great: I wasn’t planning for a 5K PR, so that was a GREAT surprise! The Good: Despite being cold, I was having fun. The Bad: Not the races fault, but my hotel room was right outside the elevators. Whomp, whomp. The Ugly: Entry to the corrals was pretty backed up, and people were getting irritated and pushy. I hate pushy people.
