Q2 2024 Running Round Up

I always say that I’m 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 – not even close! That said, here is my running recap of the second quarter of 2024. I ran in London and Brooklyn and I’ve had some fun running opportunities this quarter. I ran a ton of miles including (too) many races this quarter.

Races run this Q– 10. I ran five 5Ks (a few for “fun”), one 10K, two half marathons (Brooklyn and Chicago 13.1) and one marathon (London).

Miles run: 631.6 – which averages to ~6.9 miles per day.

Miles run in races: 84.1

Run Streak Days: 1,599 – still trying to decide on ending or keeping the streak! I’ve been feeling burnt out lately. I’m going away from July 3 – 15 so I’m going to try to keep the streak but to only run 1 – 3 miles per day for a “break.” I’ll keep you posted,

Falls: 0

Personal Records (PRs): 0 – no surprise there!

London!

Rave Run Spots: London, Brooklyn and Queens

Star Sightings: None.

Pairs of Sneakers: 4 – Saucony Endorphin Speed 2, Saucony Endorphin Pro 4, Saucony Ride 16 and New Balance Fuel Cell

Running Stuff I Tried/Currently Loving:

Popular Running Posts:

Races Planned for Q3: Chi Town Mile (7/27), Madison Half Marathon (8/12), Hidden Gem Half Marathon (9/7) and Berlin Marathon (9/28). I’m not big on summer races b/c of the heat.

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. CARA Lakefront 10 Miler, Chicago, IL – April 7, 2024

We beat the rain – just barely – but had a pretty windy first five this year. I didn’t have a great run but comparatively did ok. I was 3rd AG this year instead of second but 25 seconds per mile slower.

The Results: Net Time – 1:24:14 (8:25/mile). Overall place 228 of 774. Gender place 60 of 347. Division place 3 of 38.

2. London Marathon, London UK – April 21, 2024

I had an amazing visit to London and loved this epic race and the rowdy, fun crowds. I felt pretty good through half way but the crowds/crowd control within the race caused me to use some extra energy. When I realized I wasn’t going to break four hours (my goal), I just went sightseeing and enjoyed the crowds. 10/10 recommend this race!

The Results: Net Time – 4:12.04 (9:37/mile). Overall place 24,636 of 53,877. Gender place 7,245 of 22,833. Division place 716 of 2,470.

3. Good Life Race 5k, Oak Park, IL – April 28, 2024

I still miss the gender split but had fun with my running team at the Good Life 5K. Did pretty well considering it was one week post London and travel.

The Results: Net Time – 23:40 (7:37/mile). Overall place 194 of 752. Gender place 49 of 358. Division place 4 of 34.

4. RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, Brooklyn, NY – May 18, 2024

I missed the NYC Half this year so I signed up for Brooklyn. It was more humid and sunny than expected and the last few miles were tough. I had a lot of fun catching up with Sue, Andrea and Carly and hanging out in Coney Island. This was the largest half marathon in the country this year and it was SUPER crowded from start to end.

The Results: Net Time – 1:52:01 (8:33/mile). Overall place 8,657 of 28,443. Gender place 2,170 of 13,137. Division place 89 of 747.

5 and 6. Under Armour Women’s 15K Challenge, Chicago, IL – June 1, 2024

This new all women’s race was a 5K at 8:00 AM and a 10K at 9:00 AM. You could do one or both but Fernanda, Olivia and I signed up for the 15K challenge (both). It was actually super fun and I ran the same time as Good Life 5K (23:39) for the 5K and 52:17 for the 10K for a 15K combined time of 1:15 (8:09 pace). We also beat the rain so it was fun and a win-win!

The Results: Net Time – 1:15.56 (8:09/mile). Overall place 30 of 598. Gender place 27 of 582. Division place 2 of 40.

7. Run for the Roses 5K, Roselle, IL – June 2, 2024

You may notice that #7 is the day after #5 and #6. I’m doing the CARA running circuit and I was hoping to get points in this race in the suburbs. I did but it wasn’t pretty. It was fun and a competitive race.

The Results: Net Time – 24:00 (7:43/mile). Overall place 134 of 451. Gender place 29 of 218. Division place 3 of 23.

8. B of A Chicago 13.1, Chicago, IL – June 8, 2024

I love this race and it’s the second of three in my Chicago Distance Classic ambassador program. I had a tough race this year because of the humidity and my overall running funk. It was still super fun running on the West Side and having so much support from all of the run crews and clubs. Also, you could cheer for your friends in many spots because of the course design which always is awesome. I’ll be back next year!

The Results: Net Time – 1:54.44 (8:46/mile). Overall place 1,947 of 7,926. Gender place 443 of 3,887. Division place 11 of 205.

9. Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate 5K, Evanston, IL – June 16, 2024

I was going to skip this race this year because I was all raced out, but I did it again. Why? It’s a great cause, it was in the CARA circuit and I do a run streak. It was my slowest 5K that I was “racing” in a long time, but I enjoyed hanging with friends and got some points in the circuit.

The Results: Net Time: 24:36 (755/mile). Overall place 185 of 1,477. Gender place 41 of 679. Division place 5 of 70.

10. White Sox 5K, Chicago, IL – June 22, 2024

I did this run for the ‘gram! The White Sox PR team approached me and a few of my other running friends and we did some promotion and got free entries. It was VERY hot, so I did my CARA training first and just “ran” instead of racing this one. It was really fun and a well organized event. I’d recommend it for any families or baseball fans!

The Results: Net Time: 24:36 (755/mile). Overall place 102 of 1,077. Gender place 18 of 468. Division place 1 of 58.

How was your second Q in running? Please share in the comments.