I always say that I am more of a “blogging runner” than a running blogger. I do like to write about running, races and tips/tricks for running but that is not enough to call this a running blog. That said here is my running recap of the third quarter of 2019. I was so busy training for the Chicago Marathon and the NYC Marathon that I plum forgot to post!
# of Races Run this Quarter– 5. I ran a 2 half marathons, a 10K, a 5K and a “beep” sprint elimination race. I’ll provide brief recaps and photos below!
Rave Run Location: Berkeley Hills with Meredith. One hill was so steep we had to walk up it. The view from the top of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge was stunning. The photos I have do not do it justice.
Miles Run This Quarter: 692 which is avg. of 7.5 per day. 40 (or so) miles were in races. This is higher than usual due to marathon training.
Falls: None that I can think of! Woot!
Personal Records (PRs): 0. No surprise here!
Toughest Conditions: CARA Ready to Run 20 miler – 75 degrees with high humidity and 18 mph headwind. Better on the training run than on race day!
Celeb Sightings and Cool Meet Ups: Stephanie Bruce, Amy Cragg and Jordan Hasay at the Chicago Marathon hosted breakfast on July 24.
New Running Goodies that I tried:
- GoLite Performance Active Wear – get 15% off online with code ERICAFINDS
- Jade Lead Matcha Fruit Bites
- Ellie Workout Gear
- Split Nutrition Nut Butter/Fruit Spread Packs
- CHAGIT Chaga Mushroom Shots
- Athleta SuperSonic 7/8 Tights
- Cherrish Sweet and Tart Cherry Juice
- Extreme Mist Personal Cooling System – use code ERICA10 for 10% off online
Popular Running Posts:
Races Planned for Q4: Chicago Marathon, NYC Marathon and CIM. Perhaps the Schaumberg Half Marathon on 11/30 but I may just join Team Superfan for that one!
Brief Race Reports – I included a few “how I did” postscripts on posts that I wrote on race days. Here is a brief recap of the races I ran this quarter:
1. Rock N Roll Half Marathon, Chicago, IL – July 21
The two days before RnR 1/2 this year were some of the hottest this summer. 75 and super humid was way better than we expected. I ran this one with SJ and Scott. We chatted about their first marathon and kept company with Carla as she battled with her sister for position. We enjoyed the run and were happy that it wasn’t a total heat wave or wash out. Small victories!
Results: Net time – 1:50:34 (8:26/mile) Place – Overall – 1019 of 7560. Female 269 of 4156. Female 45-49 – 10 of 371.
2. Randy Walker Memorial 5K, Evanston, IL – July 28
They changed this from a 4.1 mile race to a 5K. It wasn’t crazy hot, but I didn’t have much in the way of speed. Brooke and I had fun and it was good to get in some quicker miles.
Results: Net time – 23:20 (7:30/mile) Place – Overall – 95 of 568. Female 18 of 219. Female 45-49 – 4 of 89.
3. Big 10K, Chicago, IL – August 11
I ran 20 miles the day before the Big 10K, so I didn’t know what to expect. The course was very narrow, so I had a lot of weaving and dodging in the first mile. I was very pleased to finish in 7:39 pace and feeling good.
Results: Net time – 47:32 (7:39/mile) Place – Overall – 423 of 4380. Female 71 of 2221. Female 45-49 – 4 of 90.
4. Nike 003 Unsanctioned Sprint Race, Chicago, IL – September 4
Race 004 was a “sprint elimination” race. Basically, we ran back and forth on a small field and had to get across before the beep and start running when we heard it. The paces got progressively faster. It ran until there was one person left. It was a lot of fun and I did better than I expected to. That said, I got to enjoy watching the end of the race from the sidelines. I loved trying it and hanging out with my friends. It was in a setting that was a secret gem, too!
5. Chicago Half Marathon, Chicago, IL – September 29
Jen decided to come down for the Chicago Half. I signed up with her to run it as my last long run for the Chicago Marathon. It was forecast to be pouring rain the entire time. We got lucky. It only rained before the race and during the last 5K. We enjoyed the run and it was a good confidence boost for Chicago.
Results: Net time – 1:47.07 (8:11/mile) Place – Overall – 801 of 7594. Female 158 of 4094. Female 45-49 – 6 of 394.
How was your third quarter in running? Please tell me about it in the comments!