F^3 Lakefront Half marathon 2016

January 23, 2016

F^3 Lakefront Half Marathon - 6th half marathon

Chicago, IL

Time: 2:30:06; Pace: 11:28

Place: 1511/1859 overall; 743/973 female; 114/149 F40-44

I missed a PR by 1 minute and 7 friggin' seconds! Not bad considering I didn't even feel like getting up to come to this race. I got home really late the night before and my stomach was giving me some backlash from all the sugar I was eating lately but mostly the previous night's indulgent dinner.

I went to a tapping of the Steve Harvey show the previous afternoon. We were held captive from 3 until just before 7 pm. If you leave the studio to go pee they'll never let you back in so I didn't have a lot of water all day. Uhh, yeah one of the top ten rules to preparing for a long distance race is hydrate the day before!

The audience for the show was all single ladies. It wasn't a requirement - I apparently missed the memo- but 95% of these ladies dressed like desperate skanks. They were hooting and hollering like mad women at a strip club. I am not this type of woman. I do not hoot, not hollar, not am I desperate. I'm comfortable with my relationship (or lack of) status. I am not sitting around pining over the knight in shining armor  whom I am sure is going to come busting through the door to whisk me off into the sunset. Steve even said to the audience that we (they) were embarrassing themselves.

Anyway, he said something that bugged me. It went something like: "If you ladies would stop trying so hard a man will come to you. Why don't you just sit back and be your feminine pleasant self?" uUh whaaaaaaaat the fudge? This seriously irritated me. So if I am not naturally pleasant am I doomed to be single forever? Oh, wait doomed isn't the right word because that implies that being single is some kind of bad thing? Do I need to get all dolled up and kill myself in heels and wear 10 pounds of makeup and be all fake and feminine to lure a man into my web. How about I be myself? What the heck is wrong with that?  This pissed me off so badly that I had troubles sleeping. Has anyone realized that being someone you're not in a relationship never really works out in the end? You can only keep up an act for so long.

So what in the world does this have to do with the race? Not much but it's my blog and I can write whatever I wish.

On the smokey bus to the after party

After Steve Harvey we took advantage of restaurant week at Mity Nice Grill in Water Tower Place. I usually don't get an appetizer or a full dessert to myself. This time I had both plus a glass of wine. It was way too much food!

Good thing the race started at 10 am because I didnt get to bed  until close to midnight. I slept OK but my stomach was a little jacked up. I was so not feeling like running a race when I woke up that morning. I needed extra time to lie there in bed and hold a debate with myself which meant I was never going to be on time if I took public transportation. I found a spot close-ish using Spot Hero near 14th and state street. Luckily I knew, from an event back in December, that the bridge that connects Soldier Field to the neighborhood over the highway was called the 18th street bridge.

enjoying free beer at Reggies!

I got to Soldier Field at 9:30 am. They let us use the United Club which is super awesome in cold weather. We only had to stand outside for a few short minutes before starting the race. I got in the shortest line for the women's bathroom at a race in the history of racing. Uh oh. My system wasn't liking me. I was about to see my friends and I was really trying to not take my bad mood with me.

I checked my bag and found Nikki and Emily. I sat on the floor to the side and didn't say much. We found Zuzana and headed over to the start. I decided on a 4/1 run walk even thought I wasn't really doing run walk any more for races save for the marathon. I just wasn't feeling it this day.

The official group photo

I didn't have any issues with running like I did last year at this race. Last year I had such a hard time I walked  the last 4 miles more than I should have. This year I totally stuck with the plan even up the hills. If there was a walk on the down hill I kept running to pick up speed. I was so sure I was going to PR I skipped the last 2 or 3 walks. In fact, I saw Emily and Zuzana who stopped to take a photo and when they waved to me and yelled for me to get in the photo I declined yelling back, "no way, I'm going to PR!" It was a little defeating when they passed me after that! We were cat and mousing up to that point and making little jokes here and there but as the mile went on I was having a harder time and was not in a joking mood. I was planning how I was going to tell them I wasn't going to the after party. I was so over this race already!

celebrate!

On the bright side it was a sunny day and I was really warm. I had to take off my gloves and hold them awhile at one point. So I had that going for me. But my back was hurting  and I had some mental battles to fight to get me to the finish line. I had to talk my self into moving forward. So I did and I crossed the finish line. And I didn't PR. No more F^3 races for me.

Some times I feel the need to point out mistakes and I sort of feel like a giant bitch for doing so. The f^3 folks sent out an email saying the packet pick up at the Lincoln Park location was "Downtown." I have a giant pet peeve when people call anywhere in Chicago downtown. I had to say something. What were these people, from the suburbs or something? I got an email back. A nasty little email.  Apparently they have people from all over coming to the race that don't know the difference between Chicago and downtown and they'll have me know that the staff at f^3 are all from Chicago. So if they can't tell the difference, what's the difference? Call it the correct name!!!! And PS anyone who calls Lincoln Park Downtown and says their from Chicago is not a real Chicagoan. I'm done with these people.

After the race I slowly changed into dry clothes in the washroom then we walked outside and boarded the smoke filled shuttle to Reggies where beer awaited. There was a band playing with kids from the School of Rock. They were pretty good! Oddly, they played tunes from 90s, clearly before they were born. I wish I had parents that encouraged that kind of bad assery when I was a kid. Don't get me wrong, they really did encourage me to try lots of different things but they were mostly girly things like dance, cooking, and gymnastics. I probably expressed and interest and they indulged but I feel there is something awesome about the 10 year old girl in a rock band that is going to give her a sense of individuality that is unmatched to the chick doing princess type crap. I did have my own workbench and tool box. I wish I had more of that stuff.

I found Rich upstairs at Reggies who had extra beer coupons. Yay, more drinks! No one had eaten yet. Reggie was offering a buffet for $12. It didn't look too appealing so me, Emily and Nikki walked over to China Town for dim sum. We walked back to my car at 14th and State, got Starbucks and Stan's donuts and then I drove them home.

I took a quick shower, propped open my eye lids with toothpicks and completed my school assignment due by midnight half assed. It's rough being me :-).