Shamrock Shuffle 2016

April 3, 2016

Shamrock Shuffle - 4th 8K

Chicago, IL

Time: 53:02; Pace 10:41

Place: 660/1590 Female 40-44; 6459/13519 Females; 13720/23447 Overall

I could just spit! My time was 10 seconds slower than last year! I felt like I was passing up way too many people and with that comes a bunch of weaving in and out and wasting all kinds of time. I love the Shamrock Shuffle. Although I race all year, this one kicks off the racing season in Chicago. The weather is always a crap shoot but it's fun. It's big and the course runs through the streets downtown. This is very important after running along the path in near-boredom the entire winter. 

So that was the positive side, the negative part is that there are so many new people that I think underestimate their time and get put in faster corals than they should be making more runners for me to go around. And with new people always comes ignorance of race etiquette. They walk in the middle of the course; sometimes arm in arm creating a human wall. It's not as bad as a 5k which anyone can do, run or walk but 4.97 miles is seemingly doable by inexperienced racers. 

I always have such a  "duh" look on my face in race photos.

My time is actually pretty good considering the previous day. We had our usual half marathon training long run although I cut the 8 miles short to 6. I had a beer walk to do! My Walking Across Chicago walking group did a 5 local brewery tour walk. It started at noon and I got home around 10. Ugh. Oh, and I had a cold. 

By the time I got home the only thing that kept me motivated to race the next day was the fact that I had Beth's race packet and we were meeting before the race so I could give it to her. And then she texted me. Her knee was still wonky from the Chiditarod and she wasn't racing Shamrock. Uh-oh. 

The alarm went off at 6:15am the next morning. I looked at my phone and saw that the temperature was 34 degrees. The reasons to stay in bed were growing. I knew if I blew off one race I'd blow off more and also...I'M NOT A QUITTER! I made a commitment, if only to myself, and I was going damnit!

So I got my ass up and out the door and on the bus, made a visit to the port-o-potty and in the coral with 20 minutes to spare. 

I think they need to do a better job of releasing the corals and deciding who goes in which one. I know I'm a slow runner but I felt like I was passing up  a ton of people. Of course, passing people up is a nice ego boost but all the weaving is wasting seconds going off the straight tangent to the finish line. 

This year was much better than last year. I feel like more people were out cheering. That always helps! I was definitely less windy than last year too. One short windy patch took over near the end but it didn't last. 

I passed the time trying to turn my mood around and identifying different types of runners; no hips, bobble head, bouncy girl, etc. 

I crossed the finish, grabbed my medal and free foodstuffs and found Emily near gear check. We waited for Brian and headed over to Wishbone to meet Beth and Chris. 

Another Shuffle done. This was my favorite race but the novelty and fun of it is slowly wearing off.