Bastille Day 2008 5K

I was very psyched to run this race. Last year a had my first PR on this course 36:55 and the after party was great. This year, not so much!

All day it was gloomy in Chicago and looked like rain. Well what do you know, I step out of my office at 4:30 pm…RAIN! Joy.

We left for the race at 6:30 pm (7:30 start time) and got in a cab. I cannot find my bike lock key so riding my bikes was not an option (this turns out to be a good thing in the long run, but more on that later). The cab we got in was making this awful noise. What do you know, the cabbie has a flat. I think the guy thought we were going to pay him for 4 blocks he drove us..UM NO. We got in another cab pretty quickly and got to the race.

Charlie’s friend Robin (aka Space Cadet) was also running. He was as unprepared as unprepared could be. No pins for his number….etc.. We got him all ready and headed to the gate.

The race started promptly at 7:30. We were off, Robin and Charlie left me in the dust. I found my spot on the outer edge of the course. I was trying a new approach to this race, take the fist mile slow and not try to keep up with the speed demons. Mile marker 1, 12:02.

I felt pretty good…water was at mile 1.5 and I planned on waking the water station.
Well water was NOT at mile 1.5 it was closer to mile 2. I HATE THAT. I plan on water being at certain place. If not I pop gum at mile 1 to keep my mouth wet. BOOOOOO to the race on putting the water farther than it should have been. Right as I passed the water station, it starting to rain gently and it felt good. It actually helped me pick up my stride and cooled me off.

Mile 2, 24:36. I was on track to make my pace time form last year..

UNTIL I made the turn on Adams. Check out the video!

Um yeah, BIG Lightening and a DOWN POUR. I run with a visor so it kept the water out of my face. But it was raining so hard you could not see the pavement. I stepped in a big pot hole and I had water up to my ankle. My shoes were squishy, which is really annoying. I ended up having to walk at one point for a few mins because I could not see and my shoe was full of water. I kept moving my foot and toes to try to get some of the water out of it. It really was as futile at that point. And my ipod kept dying. It kept pausing. That annyoed me more than anything.

I ended up finishing with a 39:35 time. The last mile and the rain killed me.

My iPod also record me running 2.66 miles…BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I ran 3.1 miles I want my milegage Damnit!

Normally I love to partake in a post race beverage of the adult nature after sucking down some water or g2. And I was also looking forward to my Bastille Day crepe for dinner. I guess standing out in the rain Ala Gorillas in the Mist, Jane Goodall style, and sipping a brewski was not what the Chicago PD were thinking. The post race party was pretty much cancelled. But the Police were encouraging us to take as much of the food and drinks home with us as possible. WE love free stuff…we ended up taking home 6 bottles of g2, 4 bags of oranges, 3 bunches of bananas and a 1/2 a case of Lipton ice tea.

It was at this point when I realized that I was glad I did not have my bike

1. we were carrying enough fruit to feed Uganda for a week
2. it was still pouring

All in all it was not that bad of a race. My time was less than stellar but expected 39:55 and a 12:46 pace with the walking.