F^3 Lake Half Marathon 2018 Race Recap

I've run the F^3 Lake Half Marathon twice before (in 2015 and 2016). It's a chance for us Chicago area half marathon fans to break out of our winter training routine and actually run a race in the middle of January. The forecast this year called for unseasonably warm temps with highs in the upper 40s. The pleasant weather is probably the reason why this year's race had almost 2,000 runners.

Goal: My last half marathon was the The Big Easy Half in November, where I ran a 1:32:26. Before that race I had been averaging about 25 miles a week and I planned to remain at that level afterwards. However, without really paying too much attention to my volume, I suddenly found myself running 50 mpw mid-December through January. With that kind of mileage I figured I should be able to run two minutes faster than I did in November, which would mean running a sub-1:30. Since the race would have pace groups, my strategy would be to run with the 1:30 pacers the first few miles, see how I felt and either remain with them, or take off on my own if I felt good.

Getting To the Race: My neighbor Stacey and I drove to Soldier Field garage and sat in a long line of cars to pay to get in the garage. It seemed like some of the bottleneck was caused by people paying with credit cards which took longer to process than cash. My idea for next year's race: $20 cash per car or $25 when paying with credit card. That should speed things up as theoretically more drivers would pay with cash.

Pre-Race:  After getting out of the car, we walked up the stairs and found ourselves in the United Club at Soldier Field. I used the indoor facilities with indoor plumbing. Then I bumped into Sara and we chatted briefly. She told me it was going to be her first half since she had kids! Anyway, I had planned all along to run in long sleeves, but I made a last minute decision to run in shorts and a singlet instead. I stuffed the rest of the clothes I was going to wear in my backpack and checked it at bag check. I briefly said hi to Erin who was working the race. I then headed down the staircase to the starting line. Once in the corral, I spotted Annabelle and Maggie. Annabelle had toured the course that morning and filled me in on the details of where the mud, ice and traffic barriers were.

Leaning over the corral fence
with Annabelle and Maggie (src: MagMileRunner)

The national anthem was sung and we were off!

The Race:

Miles 1 through 3: Temps were right around 40 degrees with sunny skies. In other words it was perfect running for mid to late January. I let the 1:30 group get ahead of me by about 10 meters and figured I reel them in later. Then I decided to move into the middle of the pace group as there was a headwind and I wanted to do some drafting. Once we were out on the southbound leg on the Lakefront Trail, I noticed that Maryhelen from the Mikkeller Running Club was right in front of me. We chatted a bit. 6:49/mile.

Mile 3 on the Lakefront Trail with lake to the right (src)

Miles 4 through 6: Eventually, Maryhelen said that she would drop back a bit, but would keep me in her sights. I told her good luck and continued on. Running with the 1:30 group felt a little slow, so I decided to make a break for it and darted ahead of them. Fortunately, I did this right before we ran through a narrow muddy patch (which got my shoes all muddy) then up and down a "big" hill. It took me a few minutes until I could scrape all of the mud from the bottom of my shoes (by scraping the sole of my shoes on the ground). I don't think that slowed me down too much - it was more of an irritant than a time waster. Anyway, the leaders had already made the turn and were headed back by me going the other direction. With a $500 first prize for both men and women, it's no wonder this race pulled in the speedsters. 6:42/mile.

Miles 7 through 9: After the hairpin turn at mile seven, I decided I would take advantage of the tailwind and speed up. After a mile or so, I began to suspect that the tailwind was now once again a headwind and pulled back a little. 6:36/mile.

Miles 10 through 12: After three miles into the wind and running about two minutes per mile faster than I average in training, I started to feel the start of some cramps in my calf, so I slowed slightly to give my legs a break. 6:42/mile.

Mile 12 on the Lakefront Trail (src)

Miles 13 and 13.20: I was trailing a couple of guys up until the finish, and started to make my move. As I tried to pass one guy he sped up to keep ahead of me. A speedy runner who had started walking told me "you've got him" as I ran by. I made my best effort and we ran stride for stride until the finish! 6:28/mile.

Finished! (src)

Analysis:

Total Time: 1:28:17 

1st Half Split: 44:33, 2nd Half Split: 43:44

Pace: 6:45/mile

Overall: 73/1,997

Age Group: 4/136

Three minutes slower than my course PR, two minutes faster than goal and four minutes faster than my November Half. The conditions were pretty much ideal, and I kept the splits pretty even, so I don't know if I could have run this race any better.

Post Race:
I went inside Soldier Field to pick up my gear.  After collecting my things, I made my way back to the finish area and cheered on the runners and I even got to see Mo finish. I went back into Soldier field and spoke with Mo, Maryhelen, Annabelle and Erin and some of us planned to meetup at Kroll’s, the post-race bar.

Stacey and I headed over to the Kroll’s and used or beer tickets for our a free beer. Maggie showed up and we all got a table where we chatted for awhile.

Conclusion:

I'm in a good spot now fitness-wise, but do I ramp up the mileage, maintain as-is or cutback and take a break? I will have a week to think about it as I'm more or less taking this week off.

Next up: Shamrock Shuffle?

F^3 Lake Half Marathon 2016 Race Recap

I first ran the F^3 Lake Half Marathon last year, and that race was #1 on my race lowlights list of 2015. At that race, my lungs had difficulty handling the unseasonably warm temps and I actually ended up walking parts of the last two miles. This year I was looking for some redemption. It was going to be a little colder which would be a good thing.

Goal: Since I had not raced since the Schaumburg Half in November, and I was running lower mileage - I did not have a definite goal for this race. So my strategy would take the first miles at 1:30:00 (6:52/mile) pace and then see how I felt. Then I would adjust my pace accordingly.

Getting To the Race: My neighbor Stacey and I drove to Soldier Field garage and sat in a long line of cars to get in the garage. As with last year, some drivers were driving around the line and then cutting in near the front. Nice.

Pre-Race:  After getting out of the car, we walked up the stairs and found ourselves in the United Club at Soldier Field. I used the indoor facilities with indoor plumbing. Then I met up with Mo and Xaarlin for a photo.  I checked my bag and headed to the starting line and got stuck a huge human traffic jam. Apparently there was only one doorway open at the bottom of the stairs which became a huge bottleneck. I looked at my watch and could see the minutes ticking down to 10am (race start). Luckily I made it to the corral with about 5 minutes remaining. The national anthem was sung and we were off!

The Race:

Miles 1 through 3: Temps were right around 30 degrees with partly sunny skies. In other words it was perfect running for mid to late January. As we looped around Soldier Field, I noticed my breathing was steady, yet I purposely held back and let the heavy-breathing-headphone-wearing set bolt out ahead. First mile of the set was 6:51, which felt good so I slowly dropped the paces for mile two (6:37) and mile three (6:32) We headed south on the Lakefront Trail with a slight tailwind.  6:40/mile.

Miles 4 through 6: The course headed down a relatively desolate portion of Lakefront Trail. I was on the heels of the second place woman and a tall guy that we were both using to draft off. After a mile or so, I started hop scotching ahead to draft off other runners ahead. 6:28/mile.

Miles 7 through 9: At the hairpin turn at mile seven, I was greeted with a 5 mph headwind as I made my way north. It was a manageable wind, as I have run in a lot worse this winter. I saw Eric and Mo, and high-fived Xaarlin. 6:26/mile.

Miles 10 through 12: After three miles into the wind and 10 miles of fast running, I started to feel pretty fatigued. I knew the end was coming up, so I completely focused on maintaining a 6:30 pace. Annabelle yelled my name and snapped some pics around mile 12. 6:32/mile.

  

Mile 12 (src)

I would end up passing the three guys in front of me here (src)

Miles 13 and 13.10: For the entire race, I had been saving a little bit of energy in reserve for a crazed "puppy" sprint at the finish. I call it a puppy sprint, because after I get home from long training runs, my dog and I go back outside and we sprint up and down the block. So, I had actually been kind of training for a fast finish long run all winter long. So around McCormick Place with about a quarter mile left, I was ready to run fast. I began to turn my legs over more quickly and was soon in a dead sprint. One by one I flew past the guys I'd been trailing. I ran under the finish line and I was done! 6:17/mile.

Analysis:

Total Finishing Time: 1:25:13 

Pace: 6:31/mile

Overall: 29/1,856

Age Group: 1/132

I had been worried that the lower mileage I'd been doing would cause me to lose hold of my pace near the end, but I had just enough in the tank to finish 13.1. I actually ran pretty much the same pace I did in Schaumburg back in November. If there had been less wind on the return trip, who knows how fast I could have run? First age group is pretty nice and I bested the second place guy in my age group by over a minute.

Post Race:
I went inside Soldier Field to pick up my gear at the United Club and Daniel who reads my blog, introduced himself. After collecting my things, I made my way back to the finish area where I met Eric, Xaarlin and Mo.

Eric and Xaarlin

We hiked back up to the United Club where they collected their stuff. Mo and Eric headed to Reggie's for the after party and Xaarlin left at the same time. I waited for the awards ceremony, where I mistakenly accepted the 2nd place ribbon instead of the 1st place ribbon.

On the podium with the F^3 polar bear

I also won a Road Runner Sports gift card. Since the race was allegedly out of race shirts at the venue, I will visit Road Runner this week to get my shirt and spend the gift card while I'm there. Stacey decided she wanted to grab a beer at Reggie's so we drove over there and got a spot in front of the bar. We met up with Eric and Mo and enjoyed some Goose Island before parting ways.

Conclusion:
I'm in a good spot now fitness-wise, but feel I could use some rest. So this week will be a low mileage week once again. Still need to decide on my next race....

Next Up: Not sure. TBD.

F^3 Dreaming

This Saturday, I will be running the F^3 Half Marathon for the second time. I don't really have a goal and/or a strategy yet. Basically, I'll see what the conditions are by the lakefront and plan accordingly. I may also be wearing extra layers, so I'll have to account for that as well.

Running with my F^3 hat along Belmont Harbor today

I haven't been running too many miles so far this month, I am consciously trying to slow down a little and enjoy the "off-season" before I ramp up the miles for a potential spring marathon. I'm not too worried that I'm averaging 20 to 30 miles per week instead of my typical 40 to 50.  I'm still running outside everyday, just more slowly and less miles than during the "regular" season.  I actually had to take a few days off at the beginning of the month after I got back from Florida. While playing golf down there, I must have torqued my ankle a little too much during my back-swing. It caused some Achilles pain in my left ankle, which is typically my good ankle. Anyway, after taking a few days off it felt better.

Lake Michigan Winter Waves

My legs have also been unusually stiff lately. It's probably because I have been sprinting like a madman down the block, at least twice a day every day. My puppy loves to run fast and who am I to deny her? She would be happier if we could do crazy puppy sprints every hour. Ah, to be 11 months old again!

Most of the time, stiff legs aren't a problem come race day as the adrenaline from racing makes them feel a lot better. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

Anyone else running the F^3 on Saturday?

F^3 Lake Half Marathon 2015 Race Recap

This was the second time I've signed up to run the F^3 Lake Half Marathon yet only the first time I've actually run it.  Two years ago, I had paid my money and then made a last minute decision to not run. This year I was injury free, well for the most part.

Goal: Since three out of the four half marathons I ran last year were sub 1:30s, and since I have put in some major miles the last five weeks - I thought that a sub 1:29 was well within reach. However, on Monday night I pinched a nerve between my ribs and then the next morning, I went to the track (for the first time in over a year) for some fast intervals. By Tuesday night, I was finding inhaling deeply to be difficult, but I thought it was due to pinched "rib nerve". Then on Wednesday, I went swimming to loosen the legs, but in the process that exacerbated things with my lungs. Little did I know that I probably was dealing with a little exercise induced asthma. According to the Mayo Clinic exercise induced asthma triggers include:

• Cold air
• Dry air
• Air pollution
• Chlorine in swimming pools
• Activities with extended periods of deep breathing, such as long-distance running, swimming 

My lungs were exposed to all of those things in the last few days leading up to the race. But I still thought that my issue was the nerve and that it would feel better by Saturday. So, my lungs were about a 4 out of 10 heading into the race on Saturday. If I had realized this, a couple of puffs off my inhaler would have made them a 6 or better. The inhaler, however, stayed unused. My gut told me that the race would either end up being a disaster or it would be awesome. I did not even consider that there was perhaps a "happy medium" result as well.

Getting To the Race: On Saturday morning, my neighbor Stacey (who later PR'd) and I drove to Soldier Field garage and sat in a long line of cars to get in the garage. Some drivers were driving around the line and then cutting in near the front. Nice. I guess they were more important than us.

Pre-Race:  After getting out of the car, we walked up the stairs and found ourselves in the United Club at Soldier Field. I used the indoor facilities with indoor plumbing. Then I stood around for awhile and spotted Emily and said "hi". As we were being called down to the start line, I had to decide what to wear (the temps were in the mid 30s and creeping upwards) and decided to leave my running pants and jacket in my backpack, but take my big warm mittens and not my running gloves (this turned out to be a mistake).

Pre Race in the United Club at Soldier Field

Then I checked my bag and headed to the starting line. On my way down the stairs I bumped into Lynton (who else?) . I have seen him at every race I've run in Chicago since at least April!

Miles 1 through 3: Temps were much warmer than expected for this time of year, I was wearing shorts, but I had three layers of shirts on plus a hat and warm mittens. I soon realized that I had over-dressed. After a one mile loop around Soldier Field, we headed by McCormick Place. I passed Xaarlin who took some pics of me getting ready to high-five. 

About to hi-five Xaarlin at mile 2 (notice big mittens)

My breathing was okay, but I was pushing the pace too much as I usually try to cover the first 3 miles of most half marathons in 7:00/mile pace. I was, unfortunately running much faster.  6:46/mile.

Miles 4 through 6: The course heads straight down along the relatively desolate portion of Lakefront Trail. I was starting to overheat, so I removed my mittens and from that point forward, I had to carry them with my bare hands the rest of the race. There seemed to be a slight headwind, which made me hopeful that at the turnaround at mile seven we would have a slight tailwind. My breathing was getting a bit harder at this point and I probably should have backed off my pace, but I rolled the dice in order to see if I couldn't hold a sub 6:50 for the rest of the race. 6:46/mile.

Miles 7 through 9:  At the hairpin turn at mile seven I was greeted with a stronger headwind as we headed north and I knew right then it was going to be a positive split for me.  I chatted with a guy from Switzerland and told him I wasn't feeling it. He soon dropped behind me, which made me think that I wasn't the only one having issues. However, he must have just had to take a slight break because a few minutes later he zoomed past me. By mile nine, my lungs were prematurely starting to beg for mercy and I got passed by about a dozen runners. I can't tell you how much I'd rather be the one doing the passing at this stage. I realized that it wasn't my day lung-wise and I would try and slow even further until my breathing would get more comfortable. I saw Kelly, Emily, Erica, Lauren and Lynton coming the other direction. 7:00/mile.

Miles 10 through 12: The course was quiet and I only got passed by a handful of runners as I slowed down to help my lungs "reset". I even stopped to walk at an aid station while I got some Gatorade. I was still clutching my mittens which I wanted to ditch somewhere in the lake. Anyway, the walk did me some good and helped me breathe a little easier. 7:28/mile.

Miles 13 and 13.22: I was actually staging a mini-comeback! I passed a couple of the runners that had passed me over the last few miles. It wasn't much, but I was able to at least salvage what could have been a disaster into something somewhat respectable. 6:57/mile.

I crossed the finish line and got my medal about 2 feet later!

Analysis:

Total Finishing Time: 1:32:08 

Pace: 7:02/mile

Overall: 76/1,866

Age Group: 7/132

Well, I can either dwell on what could have been if I had had decent lungs for the race, but I'd rather dwell on the fact that I was able to retake control of the race over the final two miles. Some races all the pieces don't fall into place, so you have to look at the few positive things that happened. Pacing was an issue, and I probably could have broken 1:30, but it would have only happened with perfect pacing. The final outcome was neither a complete disaster nor completely awesome. I'm calling it a "happy medium"!

Post Race:
I picked up my gear, had the free Goose Island can and chatted briefly with Lynton, Kelly, Erica and Emily.

Conclusion:
Hopefully I can take care of lung-related issues prior to my next race. Since this is an isolated race in the middle of the winter, I can use it as a learning experience for my next race, whichever one that is!

Next Up: Not sure. TBD.