ZOOMA Chicago Half Marathon

Disclaimer:  As a ZOOMA Chicago Race Ambassador, I received a free entry to the race. However, all opinions are mine.

It was definitely a beautiful day for a race.  I had been stalking the Weather Channel for a few days and the forecasts mentioned not just rain but also scattered thunderstorms. Nope, none of that happened on race morning but it did rain at night.

I was up at 5am and out the door by 5:30.  I decided to drive to the start line instead of going downtown to take the shuttle.  I was there by 6 and hanged around with other ambassadors while waiting for the race to start.

Earlier in the week, Emily from Out and About and I made plans to run together.  We lined up between the 2:10 and 2:20 pacers and we were soon off.  Ha, I thought I could keep up with her since I was feeling really good.  I stayed with her for 2 miles and then stepped to the side to walk a little.  I then decided to just take it slowly and enjoy the race.  And that is exactly what I did.

I love running along the lakefront.  The view is beautiful.  I ran and walked and just soaked it all in.  The first turnaround point was near Soldier Field.  About half a mile or so later there were a gentlemen with munchkins for us.  I took one.  I don’t know why I didn’t take more.

My hips were beginning to hurt and I was experiencing some discomfort on the bottom of my right foot.  I kept on running and walking.  I was also hot and thirsty and made sure to drink water at every water stop. Luckily, there were water fountains along the way and I also stopped at most of them.

I passed the finish line for the 10k and realized I was halfway done.  I was hurting but reminded myself that I was halfway done instead of that I still had 6.1 miles to go.  About a mile later, my friend Lidia caught up to me and we started running and walking together for the next couple of miles.

The other turnaround was at mile 10.  My foot was hurting even more.  I was convinced I had a blister and was annoyed.  My pace slowed down even more.  I kept repeating “Just 3 more miles, 3 more miles”.

I was so happy to see the Mile 12 marker.  Lidia and I were walking more than running.  I reminded her that we only had one mile to go.  Just one.  She was cramping and I told her to stop to massage and stretch her legs.  I also stopped to check my foot.  No blister.  I then thought it was my shoes.  I guess my feet were used to the Newton’s and did not like the Mizuno’s.

Once I saw the yellow school buses in the parking lot, I knew we were very close to the finish line. Lidia told me to go.  I started running and finally crossed the finish line.

I got my medal, water bottle, and then waited for Lidia to finish.  She looked so happy! We then got a snack box which had a grilled vegetable sandwich and chips.  It was yummy and I was starving!

We stayed for another hour or so to enjoy the after party.  Lidia got a free massage while I rested and enjoyed my free wine.  I also chatted for a few minutes with Karen from Trading in My Heels and her friends.

My thoughts on this race:

•  It was in a new location so the path wasn’t as crowded as it was last year.  I did not run it but just heard and read about it.
• There was plenty of signage.  However, you really can’t get lost on this path or not know where you’re going.
•  I don’t think there were enough water stations but it did help there were water fountains.
•  Again, the view is amazing.
•  Nice medal and cute shirt!  Swag also included Feetures! Performance socks and hat.
•  Fun after party!
•  There is no race day packet pick up but a friend could pick it up for you.  Love it when races have this option instead of “making” you attend the expo like some other race series that I won’t mention here but you probably know which one I am talking about.

Oh, and that mysterious foot pain.  It is one ugly blister.

Not running related but love this sign!