Run #59 Soldier Field 10-Mile Race Report

Subtitle: When the water hits it... (that's called foreshadowing)

Date/Time: May 24th at 7:30am
Place: Lakefront, actually ON Lake Shore Drive, the lakefront path, with a finish in "the bowels" of Soldier Field and out onto the field. (pretty awesome if you ask me)
Mileage: 10
Time It Took: 2:03:02 (official time)
Pace: 12:19
Miles this week: 20.09
Miles this month: 60.78
2008 Goal: 374.47/1000 miles

Thoughts/Comments: I think I might have hated every step of this run until the last half mile. I was dragging SERIOUSLY. At the beginning, I started out with Lou (running buddy from last year's training group) and her friend Angela, who I met for the first time today, but before today have known her as @. She and I have been reading each other's blogs. This was her first long distance run. At around 3.5 miles, I told them to go ahead, cuz I was tired and the pace was too much for me to keep up.

By around 5 miles at the turnaround point, I was spent. I was mad at running, wondering why the heck I thought I could be out there running. Maybe I'm trying to do too much after the marathon? Maybe I need a break? This is the most mileage I've done in a week for awhile, is THAT the problem? I peppered in a few walking breaks here and there and tried to keep as close a pace to 12:00 as possible.

By 8 miles I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to make up the time to meet even my simplest goal of 12:00 minute miles, I just had no energy level. At around 1:50 I looked at my watch...this was Lou and @'s goal time, I was sure they made it. When I got close to Soldier Field, which couldn't come soon enough, I saw a chic walking up ahead and someone telling her "Just a little bit further". Lo and behold, it was LOU! She was a sight for sore eyes. So we ran a bit, and she said she'd do one last walking stint before we reached the stadium. I wasn't the only one who had a tough run.

Once I hit the stadium, they were playing the Bears theme song. I ran in the concrete tunnels, wondering if this is where the Bears come out on the field (never been to a game). Then up ahead....I see the sunlight! I see green! As soon as I hit the grass, I ran as fast as I absolutely could, and passed a few people, which was cool. I looked back and saw Lou approaching the finish line, too. And the coolest surprise of all...we got medals! I wasn't even expecting a medal for this run, so that was cool.

I am somewhat disappointed about my time. But I didn't treat this run like I should have. I stayed up late, past 11:30...I ate crappy food for dinner last night (Chinese)...maybe I shouldn't have run 6 miles in that "semi-hilly" area of the path on Thursday (hilly in Chicago, not other places). I dunno...that sounds like a bunch of excuses, doesn't it? Maybe I just had a bad run...or at the very least, a not-so-good run.

And when I got home and hit the showers, ARGH!!!!!! CHAFING!!!!! Haven't had that in a long while. OUCH!!!!!!