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Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Chicago, Illinois
United States
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 47m 13s
Overall Rank = 1676/1438
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 245/952
Pre-race routine:

Woke up around 4:30. Ate some breakfast and drove down to the race site. We parked in Millennium Park garage so it was only a short walk to the start. I hung out at the CARA tent with my wife and friends for a while. I ate a Cliff Bar, drank some water and then checked my gear, took care of business and headed to the start. It was nice that CARA was taking gear and I could avoid the longer lines.
Event warmup:

Didn't really warmup. I stretched a little and walked around some to loosen up
Run
  • 1h 47m 13s
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 11s  min/mile
Comments:

I was happy with the race. It was a PR for me by about 6 minutes. I felt good throughout the race, got a corral start for the marathon. I thought the course was laid out well and the wave starts helped spread out the crowds. I didn't drink much of the Cytomax as I don't like it. I stuck with mainly water and GU. I took a GU at mile 5 and another at mile 10. I didn't really hit any dark places like Ironman and felt strong the whole time. I think I could have probably pushed it harder and gone under 8 minute\miles.
What would you do differently?:

Push it harder
Post race
Warm down:

Walked back to the CARA tent to get my gear. I had to hustle as we had a birthday party for my niece at 11am out in the burbs.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not pushing myself harder

Event comments:

I thought the race itself was great. It was well run, organized, had no issues getting liquids, plenty of medical staff, etc... The only reason I gave it a 3 is the packet pickup sucks. It is at McCormick Place and you have to pick up your own packet. It cost $19 to park and there is no public transportation to McCormick Place. I actually sent the race director an email, giving him some suggestions on how to improve packet pickup.

Overall I had a good time. It was a fast course, all of my friends got PR's.




Last updated: 2009-05-05 12:00 AM
Running
01:47:13 | 13.1 miles | 08m 11s  min/mile
Age Group: 245/952
Overall: 952/1438
Performance: Good
Course: Nice flat course. Went north first over the river and then went west. We turned south, went along Lake Shore Drive, through McCormick Place before turning north and coming back to the finish on Columbus.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5]
Physical exertion [1-5]
Good race?
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 3

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2009-08-03 3:14 PM

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Master
1376
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Chicago
Subject: Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon


2009-08-03 7:04 PM
in reply to: #2324875

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Elite
2998
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Fishers, Indiana
Subject: RE: Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Excellent race! Very nice running! I hope I recover and bounce back from IM like you do! RnR San Antonio had a similar parking issue--at the Alamodome and you had to pay to park. 
2009-08-03 8:01 PM
in reply to: #2324875

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Expert
968
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Wellington, North Island
Subject: RE: Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Great job on the race! Congrats on the PR!
2009-08-05 8:35 AM
in reply to: #2324875

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Master
1563
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Chicago
Subject: RE: Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon

YAAAA!!! Good racing out there neighbor! 6 minutes is awesome, and even better that you felt strong out there!

I didn't like packet pick up or that drink stuff either...yuck!!

2009-08-05 12:31 PM
in reply to: #2324875

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Veteran
291
100100252525
Chicago
Subject: RE: Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Nice job! I wish Rock N Roll races would just use Gatorade. I've done two now and I only take water on the course.
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