Watefall Glen Xtreme 10 Race Report

So this past Saturday I once again attempted the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10. That's me up there in the red tank and white hat. You may recall that last year the race was canceled.

This year the weather almost didn't cooperate once again. The thunderstorms started at Friday night and dumped 7 inches of rain on the city by the time I woke up at 5:00 AM on Saturday. Thankfully the thunder, lightening and rain abated by the time we left for the race venue. We arrived early enough to spray ourselves down with bug spray, hit the port-a-potties, and I did a 2 mile warm-up.

Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 Warm Up by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Thankfully the heat left along with the rain. It was still humid and warm, but at least it wasn't the scorching 90+ temps we'd been having for the previous few days. Still, my goals for this race were just to run it at marathon pace, take my walk breaks, and get in the miles. I had no plans to PR or really even "race" this particular race. And originally my fellow running club member Helen wasn't feeling like a race, either. Until she saw the trophies. And then she got amped. "I want a trophy!" she exclaimed.

This race is unique for the area in that it has a cross-country style wave start and the entire race takes place on a combination of grass and gravel. The course is lovely and almost entirely shaded except for a few spots of prairie. The only downside? Sometimes it floods. And after all the rain we'd had I fully expected to slog through some wet spots.

As I was standing at the start line for my wave I overheard someone say that the bridge a few miles in was underwater. Hmm. Interesting. The grassy field at the beginning and end of the race was also full of puddles. This was definitely going to be a race filled with wet socks.

We started and, as always, I went out too fast. My plan was to run between 10:20 and 10:30 miles. Turns out it was a good thing I banked a little time at the beginning. Because as I rounded a corner at the 1.5 mile mark I saw a large group of people just standing on the path.

I so wish I'd had my camera on me. Words cannot do what I saw justice. The foot bridge that was underwater? Actually had a current flowing over it so strong that it would have been easy to get swept away down the now overflowing creek. The water was almost knee deep and people were stopping to take off their shoes before crossing the stream. I decided I'd run in wet shoes before (see: March Madness Half Marathon) so I left mine on and inched my way over the bridge.

Just 8.5 more miles to go. In sopping wet shoes. I'd lost about 2-3 minutes at the bridge crossing but didn't mind too much. It mostly just made me laugh at the whole situation. I mean, it isn't called the "Xtreme" 10 for nothing, right?

The other reason this race is extreme is the hills. We don't have a lot of hills in northern Illinois but this race definitely has some. They've even named one of them: Big Bertha. Thankfully it's near the beginning of the race but, really, the entire course is full of rolling hills with very little relief. My wet shoes, the humidity, and the hills were sapping my energy more quickly than I wanted.

My plan had been to take walk breaks every 2 or 3 miles. After the break at mile 1.5 I decided I'd do them every 2 miles or so. I took a few extra during mile 7 to dump some water over my back but otherwise stuck to my plan. Still, this race felt harder than I would have liked. I'm not sure why. I felt good during my warm-up but towards the end of the race I was wondering why I signed up for a marathon and how I ever managed to run 9:00 minute miles for an entire 13.1 miles. I'm hoping that my lack of pep was due to the hills and the humidity.

The last 600 meters or so is across the same grassy field you started on. But now you're tired and you just want to be done. Finally I could see the finish line up ahead. I ran past another club member who was taking pictures. "Go Erin!" she shouted. "The finish line is just up there. With the ambulance!" It made me laugh.

I crossed the finish line, grabbed some water, and met up with the rest of the club members. We hung around for awards and, yes, Helen did indeed get her trophy. I was just happy to have done exactly what I set out to do. Run a total of 12 miles and pace between 10:20 and 10:30 miles.

Final race time? 1:43:23. Almost 20 minutes slower than my 10 mile PR but that's not the point. The point is that I chose a pace and stuck to it. I conquered the hills and humidity. And I had a good time with the rest of my running group buds.

After brunch (mmmm, French toast) I went home to once again find water in my basement!

Thankfully this time was much less traumatic than last time. About 4 inches of water, nothing important ruined, and way less to throw out. We've finally gotten smart about what we keep down there. Still, I was ready for a nap after a race, brunch, and basement cleaning. I slept like a log Saturday night. I think I earned it!

Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Soldier Field 10 Mile Race Report

Last year I ran this race with my friend Holly who flew in from California for a little taste of Chicago racing. This year I didn't have anyone running with me directly but there were quite a few OPRC people doing the race.

I didn't have any big goals for this race, but, as usual, I secretly hoped I could PR. If I couldn't PR, I just wanted to be able to hold a 9 minute pace. Should be simple enough. I'd run a 1:26:40 at the CARA Lakefront 10 Mile back in April and that felt pretty good.

I should have know, though, that my heart wasn't in it when we arrived at the race and I was just generally irritated at all the people. Crowds to find gear check. Crowds for the port-a-potties. Crowds to get into the corrals. I'd already had my fill of crowds at races for the week. I also couldn't find the desire to battle the crowds and try to find a spot to do a 1 mile warm up. So, I skipped it.

My shin was still bothering me some and I hoped it would behave itself during the race. I lined up in my corral near the 9:00 minute pacer and hoped for the best.

My calves felt tight during the first mile, but I tried to enjoy a marching band's version of "Tequila" and settle into an easy pace. I finished the first mile in 8:44. Hmm. Pretty good. Maybe a little fast?

Definitely too fast. Or something. I'm not sure. The air temperature wasn't too warm but the humidity was super high. When we hit the turn around near mile 5 and should have been able to see the city skyline it was covered in clouds. I could feel the sweat rolling down my face but not really evaporating. And I could feel my pace start to drop. When I saw the Garmin flash 9:15 at the end of mile 7 I almost felt like giving up. I had been barely hanging onto the pace I ran at the Lakefront 10 and seeing my mile times creep up and up just put the nail in the coffin.

I admit. I gave up mentally. I just couldn't push myself. Until I saw Coach Holly near mile 9 and Helen just outside Soldier Field. I managed to speed it up for the final mile. Still, I was fighting off tears of exhaustion and frustration the entire time.

As I turned onto the football field I caught up with a guy who I had seen struggling out on the course. We'd leap-frogged each other a few times. "Come on!" I shouted. "Let's do this!" I crossed the finish line at the 50 yard mark of Soldier Field and remembered to look for myself on the jumbo-tron.

And then it was back to the crowds. I was so out of it I stood in the wrong gear check line for what felt like an eternity. Then I had to find my group's meeting spot. After asking several people I finally found my friends. "How'd you do??" they asked. I just shook my head. And then burst into tears. Coach Holly let me cry on her shoulder for a minute and then told me what she told me at the end of the Race That's Good for Life: "You have one hour to be upset."

Truth be told, I'm still not totally happy with my official finish time of 1:29:25 but I know how stupid that sounds. Why?

1. I PR'ed at the Chase Corporate Challenge two days earlier.
2. I still held an average sub-9:00 pace for the race. This time last year I was happy to hold a 10 minute pace for a double digit run.
3. If I couldn't PR then I said I wanted to do a 9 minute pace and essentially I did.

This wasn't the smartest race I've ever run and it wasn't the most fun race I've ever done, but I really do love meeting up with the OPRC group post-race, talking about our results, and sharing stories over impromptu brunches. This girl loves her post-race pancakes.

Soldier Field 10 Mile Race by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Hermes Cleveland 10 Mile Race Report

The Top 10 Best Things About Pacing Someone Slower Than You Through Her First 10 Mile Race

10. You have plenty of time to think of a list like this.

9. You can high five all the little kids you want.

(My favorite part? When some kids hand their hands out but as soon as I came by they put them down. "No love for me?" I asked. I got my high fives then.)

8. You can read all the signs held by spectators.

(Such as: "You're kicking asana")

7. Your knee doesn't hurt at all thanks to semi-frequent walk breaks.

6. You don't care that you have to stop and wait for the mile 6 aid station to fill a cup with Gatorade for you.

5. You have lots of energy to make stupid faces at your husband, the photographer, even at mile 9.

(And at the official race photographers. I bet those photos turn out pretty good.)

4. You get good practice moving for almost two hours.

3. You get to pass on your hard earned race knowledge about things such as attaching race bibs.

2. You have plenty of breath to scream encouragement as you approach the finish line.

(Side note: holy shit I have arm muscles)

And the number 1 best thing about pacing someone slower than you through her first 10 mile race....

1. Sharing in her joy and excitement at finishing her longest distance run ever.

In case you hadn't gathered, Rae and I successfully finished the Hermes Cleveland 10 Mile Race on Saturday. What with my knee issues and Rae having several monkey wrenches thrown into her training we weren't sure how we'd do. Thankfully my knee gave me zero issues and Rae managed to run more than she thought she could.

We ran the first 3.5 miles with no breaks and then started a run-walk pattern of run half or three quarters of a mile, walk .1 to .25 of a mile. We finished with an average 11:30 pace for an official time of 1:54:21. Rae's original goal was either 1:50 or under 2 hours. We were pretty close to Goal A and we definitely hit Goal B. And Rae was even running during mile 9 which she originally didn't think she'd be doing! All in all, I have to say it was a success.

Cleveland 10 Miler by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

CARA Lakefront 10 Mile Race Report

Early Saturday morning, in the dark and the rain, Jason and I picked up some fellow OPRC runners and drove to the lakefront for the CARA Lakefront 10 Mile race. In the car we debated clothing options. Tank top and arm warmers? Short sleeves? Jacket? Pants? Capris? Shorts? When it's 50 and rainy and there's a possibility of wind one never quite knows what to wear. I ended up pinning my bib number to my capris so that I could wait until the last minute to decide what to wear on top.

I settled on my new OPRC tank top, and arm warmers. I did one last portapotty stop before realizing I'd forgotten my Clif Shot Bloks at home. Thankfully Helen was kind enough to share hers. After looking at the course map I'd decided that there would be enough water stations that I wouldn't need my fuel belt. But I wasn't sure I was ready to give up the Shot Bloks.

We gathered around Jason, looking like the Gorton's fisherman, our beacon in his yellow rain gear and our own personal gear check. Finally, about 20 minutes before the start, I went off for a one mile warm-up.

Lakefront 10 Warm Up by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

My stomach felt a little off during the warm up and I wondered if I was going to be able to meet my goal of running 9:00 minute miles and hitting 1:30 as my finish time. Both my friends Helen and (Coach) Holly told me I'd definitely finish under 1:30. I hoped I could.

I bumped into a former coworker in the starting corral and we chatted about the icky weather. I really hoped the wind that was predicted wouldn't be blowing us all over the lakefront path and that the light rain wouldn't devolve into the pouring mess I encountered at the March Madness Half Marathon.

We started with an anticlimactic "GO!" and soon we'd hit the one mile mark. I noticed I'd gone out a little faster than I'd wanted but it felt okay so I decided to see how long I could hold that 8:55 pace.

We wound round and round the lakefront path sometimes running closer to the city and sometimes running right next to the beaches. What I didn't see, though, was a water station! At one point I heard a woman in front of me yell to a volunteer "Where's the freaking water station??" Amazingly, I was doing okay. I think the cooler weather and the rain really helped. And the wind no where near the conditions I encountered on my Thursday lunch time run so, to me, it was imperceptible.

"You're pretty brave to be out here in just those arm covers," I heard a fellow runner say to me. Actually, I felt great. Even a little warm. My left hip flexor had started out tight but had loosened up. My left shin felt good, too, once I was a few miles in.

Around mile three another OPRC member who wasn't running cheered for me. And near mile 4 we passed under a pedestrian bridge where Jason was standing taking photos (that's the photo at the top of the post). I was still holding to my sub-9:00 pace and feeling good. When we finally got to an aid station I grabbed a cup of Gatorade and swallowed a mouthful.

Most of the miles were a blur. I glanced at my Garmin every now and then to see how I was doing and was pleasantly surprised to see I was doing better than expected. Near the halfway point, though, I had a moment of doubt. "I have to hold this pace for another 5 miles??" But I quickly changed my train of thought. "I HAVE to hold this pace for another 5 miles. I WILL hold this pace for another 5 miles."

At the aid station between miles 6 and 7 I took my Shot Bloks and drank some water. I then powered up some short hills and started playing mind games with myself. "When I get to mile 7 then it's just one more to mile 8. And then I only have one more mile before I have to pick it up for the finish."

Yeah, oxygen deprivation makes your brain do some weird things.

Still, I was keeping my pace sub-9:00 and although it was starting to feel tough I just reminded myself that it's supposed to be that way when you're pushing yourself. That if it was easy everyone would do it. I grabbed a sip of water at the last aid station and settled in for the push to the finish.

When I got to mile 9 I tried to push it harder. I'd run part of this course before during the PAWS 8K when another OPRC member, Robert, paced me. During those final rolling hills to the finish I distinctly remember him telling me to take it easy on the uphill and pick it up on the downhill. Good advice.

As I closed in on the finish line I saw Holly standing off to the side. "Come on, Erin!" she screamed. "Fast feet! Fast feet!"

"I'm trying!" I grunted as she started running next to me. She pulled ahead to give me something to chase.

"Just one more turn to the finish line! Catch that girl in purple in front of you!"

That's all I needed. I put my all into it and not only passed the girl in purple but I think two or three other people. I was flying for those last 10 yards.

I passed the finish line and promptly doubled over trying to catch my breath. I'd done it. I'd run sub-9:00 minute miles for 10 miles. I'd actually run slightly faster than my 10K PR pace for 10 miles. And I'd finished with an official time of 1:26:40.

That means that if I can repeat this performance on April 30th I can break 2 hours in a half marathon!

Club members thanked Jason for all his support during the race on Saturday. Holding bags, taking pictures, being a meeting spot. I'm thankful for him, too. But I wouldn't be the runner I am today without all of them, either. And I'm proud of all my friends in the club. PRs, age group places, and great times were plentiful on Saturday. There's nothing like sharing the joy of a great race with other people.

Except maybe the hot shower and the nap I took on Saturday afternoon.

CARA Lakefront 10 Mile Race by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Official time: 1:26:40.2
Average pace: 8:41
Overall place: 147/688
Age group place: 36/160

Soldier Field 10 Mile Race Report

I told you there would be some exciting posts from this weekend! Two, count 'em, TWO race reports!

As my lunch time running group says, I mean serious business.

After running the Chase Corporate Challenge on Thursday night and then touring the city on Friday, Holly and I dragged ourselves out of bed around 5AM to meet some members of the Oak Park Runner's Club at the train station for our trek to Soldier Field.


Also know as "The Spaceship"

We arrived with plenty of time to check our stuff, use a (real!) bathroom, and then navigate our way to somewhere in the craziness that was the start area.



There were two parallel "corrals". One for people who had qualified for an "early" start at a previous race and then the rest of us. Once Holly, a running group bud, and I had secured a spot Holly and I posed for our pre-race photo.


No, I don't know why it looks like I'm praying

The horn sounded for the "early" start group at 7:30 and about 15 minutes later a horn sounded signaling the start for the rest of us. Holly and I settled into a nice, easy pace on our way to Lake Shore Drive. Plenty of people passed us in those first few miles but we really were running our own race. The goal? Finish without Holly re-aggravating an ankle/calf/leg injury that had cropped up a few weeks ago no matter how slow that meant we had to go.

The first part of the race was uneventful. The sun was out but the air temperature was cool. At the start of the race the event organizers indicated that the event alert status was "Low" meaning that conditions were ideal. By the time we started they had upgraded conditions to "Moderate". I guess they were worried about the fact that there was not a cloud in the sky. But with our pace and the fact that we walked through the water stops we didn't even notice the weather.

Our slow pace felt good and the music playing over loudspeakers between miles 3 and 5 gave me a mood boost. And once we hit the turn around and starting running next to the lake the race became even more enjoyable. Shade from the trees, a breeze off the water, and a great view of the skyline made for a lovely day to run.






Too bad that woman got in our way of a great photo!

Amazingly, Holly made it to mile 7 before she felt the need to take extra walk breaks. Pretty good for not running more than a few miles in over 6 weeks! So, we took some walk breaks and some stretching breaks. Admittedly, my left knee was not so happy with the walk breaks. Not sure what that means when it feels better to run than to walk. Regardless, we soldiered on to Soldier Field.

And then, at mile 9, we saw these flags:



Apparently two hours into the race the event organizers determined that the temperature and the sun had combined to create dangerous race conditions. Event volunteers at the mile 9 water station were announcing that the race was "canceled" and that we were all supposed to walk. Holly looked at me and said, "Do we really have to walk?" I shook my head. We're just a bit of a paranoid running community after the deaths at the incredibly hot 2007 Chicago Marathon. If we had been struggling we would have walked. But, even though we were going slow and occasionally walking it certainly wasn't due to the heat! So, we kept on running. The event was certainly not canceled and as we entered the tunnel that would lead us onto the field we had to laugh at the volunteers and their encouragement.

"That's it! Take it nice and slow! Doing great!"

I do believe that's the first time I've ever heard a runner encouraged with "take it slow."

As we turned the final corner we could see the sun shining on the field and Holly decided to throw caution to the wind and began sprinting to the finish. I could barely keep up!









We crossed the finish line in just under 2 hours and were immediately herded into another tunnel and then out onto the shaded stadium concourse. We got our bottles of water and our food bags (a much better idea than tables of food) filled with fruit, pretzels, and a Clif bar. Then it was onto gear check, stretching, and then the medical tent to get some preemptive ice for Holly's leg.

We briefly met up with the running group crowd who had patiently waited for us to finish. I felt bad that they waited when we weren't even planning on riding the train back with them! But, it was still so nice of them to wait and make sure we finished okay. In fact, we even felt good enough to walk the 1.5 miles to Millennium Park for a little more tourist action, including one last "Bean" photo.



Overall, while it wasn't our fastest race ever, we finished it and we had a good time. And, in the end, isn't that the point of running? Well, that and the medal :-)



Official Time: 1:59:42

*********************************

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 588 ft Location: -- Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 05/29/10 Up/Downhill: [+173/-173] Time: 07:44 AM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 10.11 miles Time: 1:59:48 Speed: 5.1 mph Pace: 11' 51 /mi Calories: 1145 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 10' 50 -1' 01 5.5 +0.5 0 ft 2 11' 04 -0' 47 5.4 +0.4 0 ft 3 10' 54 -0' 57 5.5 +0.4 0 ft 4 11' 43 -0' 08 5.1 +0.1 -3 ft 5 11' 12 -0' 39 5.3 +0.3 -6 ft 6 11' 36 -0' 15 5.2 +0.1 +10 ft 7 12' 37 +0' 46 4.8 -0.3 -16 ft 8 13' 25 +1' 34 4.5 -0.6 +20 ft 9 12' 30 +0' 39 4.8 -0.3 -13 ft 10 13' 12 +1' 21 4.5 -0.5 +13 ft end 10' 20 -1' 31 5.8 +0.7 -3 ft Versus average of 11' 51 min/mile

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