Illinois, take two!

My third half marathon also happened to take place in Chicago, Illinois only a few months later in September of 2013. I had just started working with a running coach myself, because I decided to sign up for my first full marathon (April 2014) and had no idea how to train for that many miles! It was a great experience learning more about different types of speed workout and how to safely add mileage. My co-worker Carrie and I picked a women's only race with a much different course than then Run Rock'N'Roll race in July.

Much of this race was right along the lakefront.

This half marathon started on a sidewalk in Grant Park. There were signs for paces but no one was regulating where people were standing. The first mile or so was a mess since we were on sidewalks with one side having a fence to the park and the other being the busy streets of downtown Chicago! After one loop around the park we ran on the trail next to the lake. We headed north to a breakwater and then right back south on the same trail past the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Soldier Field. Our turnaround point was in Burnham park, and we ran the same course backwards to the finish.

The course was very flat and fast and we had a perfect weather day.

All smiles on the way out.

Feeling the pain on the way back in. One turn to the finish!

This was one of the first races that Thayne, my husband, was able to spectate at multiple places. I know he saw the start, traveled to the other side of the park to see me around mile 1.5, and mile 3ish. Then he'd have a long wait until mile 10. I remember passing him as he was sitting on a bench chatting with an elderly couple. I said hi and he said something along the lines of "You aren't supposed to be here yet! I wasn't expecting you for about 5 more minutes!" Then he jumped up to head towards the finish line!

One big downfall of this race was the course being so busy! There happened to be another race that day, plus a Chicago Marathon training run with a large group of people. Since it was on public trails and not blocked there were also many bikers to dodge. I passed a woman around mile 11 who was very frustrated. She ran with me for about a quarter mile to explain she was in second place overall and then got lost. She had already ran 13 miles according to her watch, with two left in the race! She decided to turn it into a training run instead of quitting. 

I kept going while she slowed back down to her training run pace. Turning the corner to the finish was great! I was tired! Apparently having a coach for only a few weeks had already paid off! I again pr'd and ran 1:52:35 (8:36 average) and got 6th in my age group! I'd now ran three half marathons, bettering my time each race!

Carrie and I at the finish with our race day swag!

The race day swag at the Women Rock races was pretty sweet. Not only did we receive the standard finisher's medal, we also go a diamond necklace, glass of champagne in a glass we could take home, socks, and got to choose between a jacket (which I'm wearing) or pair of shorts (which Carrie is wearing).

I've also heard the race director has changed the course to help race traffic stay away from bikers, training runs, etc. Despite that snafoo, it was a great race on a beautiful day!

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Illinois

It's a good thing I enjoyed my first half marathon so much, because I had signed up for Run Rock'n'Roll Chicago BEFORE I had even raced a half marathon! Illinois was my second state completed. I decided upon Chicago because it's a quick train ride from Milwaukee (where we live), we have friends who live there, and I've never been! This trip became our first "race-cation" as well.

Chicago skyline from the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier.

Having fun at the race expo.

I remember visiting the expo and thinking it was huge! This was my first big city race. I had a lot of fun walking through the expo and seeing just how big the running community and everything it has to offer really is. After the expo we went back to our friend's condo to relax and get race ready. 13.1 here we come!

The race day sun rose HOT and HUMID in Chicago! Again, I went into this race with no real goals. I had been training and keeping my mileage up through the summer months but the humidity near Lake Michigan is rough! My co-workers and I all lined up together and started the race together. After a few miles Dan and I decided to pick up the pace a little bit and see what we could do. The first half of the race goes through the city. It was really neat to run between all the buildings, over bridges and under over passes. The second half of the race is an out and back with no cover from the sun. 

My co-workers Carrie and Dan and myself before the start of the race.

The race start line. Let's get this started!

The Rock'N'Roll races are also known for their course entertainment for the runners. This did not disappoint! There was a band about every two miles which was great. With the temperatures being so warm, the race director made sure there were cold sprinklers to run through. There were also plenty of aid stations with water, gatorade and fresh fruit. I remember around mile 10 feeling a bit dizzy, and the icy sponges were a lifesaver at mile 11. It was around this point that Dan asked what I would need to run to PR (by this point I had purchased a gps watch!). I knew we were on pace to be very close to my pr. Once mile 12 hit he told me to go for it, to get that pr! Once we could see the finish line he grabbed my hand and we took off! 

Finish line! Two states and two half marathons in the books! Plus a shiny new PR.

Dan pushing me at the finish line really helped me out. Had I been alone, who knows if I'd have had the strength to push myself. With his help, I now have a shiny new pr! My official finish time was 1:54:30, with an overall pace of 8:43. That means I knocked off 65 seconds from my previous race time! State two, and half marathon two are officially in the books... yet I still didn't know I'd have a goal of 50 states and 50 half marathons.

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Kansas

My first half marathon was a beautiful 13.1 miles through the countryside just outside of Abilene, Kansas on a crisp spring morning in April 2013. The Eisenhower Marathon is a small race, typically bringing about 500 participants from the 5k to marathon distances all together. The city of Abilene comes together for a pasta dinner Friday evening, and pancake brunch following the races Saturday morning. The expo is very small but the volunteers are extremely helpful and friendly.

My mom, sister and I at packet pick up! Mom ran the 5k, my sister ran the 10k (her first) and I ran the half marathon (my first).

The course is flat, fast, and fully paved with only one short but steep uphill section in the half marathon. The marathon course is a Boston Qualifier, double loop of the half marathon course. The start and finish are in downtown Abilene, near the Eisenhower Presidential Center, and head south out of town on a highway that follows the Old Chisholm Trail from the 1800s. Around mile 2.5 you climb the single hill on the course and enter Brown Memorial Park until mile 5. After another mile or so on paved country roads, you turn around to run the course in reverse which makes it an easy course for spectators.

I had two goals for this race: run the entire thing, and finish it! I didn't have a GPS watch, just a regular stop watch and an app on my phone to tell me my pace every mile. I was not great at pacing yet and my first mile was around 8:20. I remember telling myself to slow down, but not to a walk! The course was absolutely beautiful on this spring morning, with a fog visible over the fields as the sun rose. With the race being so small there were plenty of times I was running alone, which I was used to from training. I did have music as well as my app keeping me going.

FINISHED!

After the race we enjoyed pancakes and waited around for awards. The great thing about small races... you're more likely to place! I took second in my age group (out of three... ha!). I finished in 1:55:35, with an overall pace of 8:49 per mile, and ran every step of the way! Not too bad for my first half marathon. At this point I hadn't yet decided to run in all 50 states but I did know I wanted to run another half marathon!

Receiving my medal for 2nd in my age group.

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