Brrrrr-ing it on!!

Yo world!! This past weekend (Nov 6th) I completed the Hot Chocolate 5k in Chicago, IL. It was an absolutely fabulous trip. This was by far the biggest race I've done to date. There were 15,000 people registered for the 5k and another 15,000 for the 15k. My whole reason for signing up for this race was to focus on my running intervals.

My last visit to Chicago was when I was 17 years old. I had visited DePaul University and fell in love with the city. This time around I stayed in the heart of the Loop area at the Club Quarters Central Loop Hotel--great little boutique hotel with great rates, they will even bring fitness equipment to your room. I was able to walk to both the expo and the race.

The morning of the race the temps were near freezing!! I've never run in temps that cold. Thankfully I dressed perfectly: dri-wick tank, two dri-wick long sleeve shirts, fleece vest, tights, running pants, and two bands for sweat and to protect my ears. I didn't get too hot and didn't feel too cold. Some people had on big puffy coats; I don't see how they did it b/c I would get too hot dressed like that once I started moving. I actually hate sleeves.

While the atmosphere was awesome, I was a little annoyed at how congested the course was. There were several times when I was at a good stride but had to cut in and out of the crowd. I couldn't get my full intervals in because of the crowd. The slow spots did give me a chance to take pics of the course--which was absolutely beautiful. My goal was to run for two minutes and walk for three. I was stoked when I hit the 2 mile mark at 29:55. The next think I knew I could see the finish line in the distance. I ran the last 1/4 mile to the finish line; my final time was 45min 47 seconds with a pace of 14:45. Not exactly what I was hoping for but I'm happy with it.

I actually felt really good afterwards. It just confirmed for me that I prefer distance racing. Next year I'll do the 15k--with or without my friends. Two of my friends were supposed to walk with me but were unable to (one missed registration and the other was sick). I love Chicago so much that instead of doing the Derby Festival MiniMarathon in April I'm going to do the 13.1 Chicago on June 4th. The course is up Lake Shore drive, with views of Lake Michigan. I can't wait.

Bring it on! I've relaxed for the past few days but now I'm ready for the next challenge. Onward, Soldier!!!