Chicago Women’s Half Marathon Race Report
I think it’s a pretty big honor when a friend asks you to pace them for a race. It makes me think, “Wow! They think I really know what I am doing! Ha!” Or, at least, “Someone wants my company!” Hee hee.
Have you ever paced a friend in a race? Or asked for a pacer?
It felt even more special to me that Anne asked me to pace her for her FIRST EVER half marathon. I have really good memories of my first half, and I wanted Anne to, as well.
So! First order of business: find that perfect first half. We discussed LOTS of options. We settled on the Chicago Women’s Half for many reasons, one of which being that Anne enjoyed the 5K so much last year. Of course, I was all “DANGER! DANGER! June can be a crapshoot for weather!” but, hey! What can you do? We decided to go for it!
Second order of business: train! Ha. We don’t exactly live so close to one another (50 miles apart) and our normal Monday running date was ruined when I started teaching a strength class that night. Boo. But we met up as much as we could. And I regularly sent nosy emails asking how training was going.
Third (AND MOST IMPORTANT!) order of business: cute race outfits. Derp. You never know how race day will go… but you know that you will look cute. Ha ha.
Seriously. You would not believe how many comments we got on those flowers. Random Boystown sex shop stop = success.
So. Anne’s recap is up. Go read that. Because my pacer recap will not give the full perspective! Seriously. This post is short (for me), yo.
The pacer’s job is to keep the runner moving (preferably at their goal pace if one was discussed), check their form, make sure they are eating and drinking enough, make sure they are still smiling and haven’t jumped in to Lake Michigan*, and really, just to try to make the race fun. Be encouraging. Remind them that they can do it. Celebrate new PDRs. Make inappropriate jokes about the appearance of vanilla flavored GU. Ha.
I tried to do all that. But! It was a tough race, being a bit on the warmer side. 67° with 90% humidity when we started and 77° with 60% humidity when we ended. Full on sun. Hardly any shade. I told Anne I could smell my skin cooking at one point. Ha ha… ha? So with all that, I felt like I was not the peppy pacer I should be… at times.
Let’s just say – it is awesome that Fleet Feet starts this race so dang early – at 6:30 am. And really – it should be noted – they put on an awesome race. I think the early start helped Anne stay strong for the entire race. I am super proud of how well she did… and at the same time, totally get why she is saying she wants to run a cooler half in the fall! The question is… will she want ME to pace her again? Hee hee hee. I hope so! I had a lot of fun!
*only applicable for certain races
Themocracy
Congrats to you and Anne! I can’t wait to read her recap! And I LOVE your matching outfits.
I’ve never asked for a pacer, but now I’m thinking – after this little baby, want to pace me to a sub-2:00??? 🙂 My head is now spinning with ideas! AHHHH!
Hellz yes let’s do it!!!!
You did warn about the weather. And I had a bad feeling about that too, but I didn’t want to wait until fall! Dammit, I wanted to run that half as soon as I could!
To be honest, when I asked you to run with me, I did just think of it in terms of having some company for the entire race. I didn’t realize just how helpful it would actually be to have a super experienced runner there, especially with the crap weather conditions. So if any of your readers is wondering about whether or not they should have a pacer, especially if they’re new to racing or looking to PR, yes, definitely!
And to be fair, I wanted to jump into the lake in a “Damn it’s hot, that’d be refreshing” kind of way, not a “I can’t possibly take another minute of watching you shoot vanilla GU in front of me” way. Swear.
Oh, and looking cute above all else isn’t just my motto for running. It’s good life advice too.
Aww, I am happy you just wanted my company! Hee hee. That is a lot less stressful that being dedicated to an exact pace and goal finish time! 🙂 I just wanted us to finish and not feel like death. Mission… accomplished? 😉
Ha ha ha. I was getting pretty nasty with that GU! Henry told me to.
And there may be more to this looking cute thing than I realized!
Finishing without feeling like death is basically my goal for every run and work-out 🙂
Ha ha ha. IKR?! It’s good you are taking time off running this week – with the temps what they are I am not sure if you would achieve that goal or not! 😉
Great job pacing to you! 🙂
I’ve never had someone pace me per se, but my husband ran with me for my first half. I was grateful for his company – 13.1 miles is awesome but long and I am in general a very shy person, so only recently started talking to people in races. (…just in time to get knocked out of them for a few months, lol!) That said he initially just /told/ me he’d be running with me and I told him no – and he said he was anyway because he knew I really wanted him there. I didn’t think I did, but I actually really loved having his support.
I did run with my best friend for her first 5K – not to pace her, but to be there the whole time for moral support and be her cheerleader. It was fun!
Aww! I love that he ran your first half with you! My husband and I did our first and second half together too. I sometimes miss it. 😉 Hee hee. It’s also fun to run with friends and meet new friends on course!
I have found pacing to be rewarding and challenging and SUPER FUN! So glad you both had such a great experience 🙂
And I can’t remember if I told Anne or not, but you LOOKED AMAZING!! So cute!
Congrats on a pacer job well done. I have jumped in the lake before on long hot runs. Only problem is leaving my Garmin, shoes and money on the beach unattended when I jump in, but so far it has been worth it (no thefts).
Damn, we need the water proof Garmins!! Who cares about the shoes?! JK…
You two looked so cute! Love the tanks and flowers!!! I’ve never had a pacer for any race. Maybe i need to look into this…
Thanks! 🙂
You should! With knowing so many people in the running club, you have a lot of opportunities! 🙂
So glad you two had a great race, even if it was hot, and looked really cute doing it! And, it sounds like you’re a rockstar pacer! I would take you as my pacer any day. 🙂
Aww, thanks 😀
This is so awesome!!! I loved running my friend Ashley’s first 5k with her last year. This year, my MOH asked me to run her first half in October, so I told her I would as long as we can run my PR pace. She’s game, so I think we’re going for it as long as my spine stays in place! 😉
Ahh! That is so awesome you guys are going to run together! Can she run your PR pace? Which race are you doing?
so awesome you are asked to be a pacer, I am scared to ask such a thing, because I wouldn’t prob bring my game face, and I would end up being thrown into Lake Michigan. 😉
I love the outfits.
Ha ha ha. Not thrown! The pacee would jump in! Hee hee.
You guys look adorable!! I think being a pacer is such a rewarding job – seeing the joy on the other person’s face when they cross the finish line is awesome. Congrats to both of you!
Yes! That is exactly it! I love seeing my friends happy and joyful 🙂 And really, just accomplishing something they have worked so hard for 🙂
I’ve paced my mom in races and it is a lot of fun. She claims she wouldn’t be able to run that far or that fast without me pushing her. I was going to pace her in her first half marathon this fall but it looks like she won’t be able to train for it. 🙁 I’ve also helped to pace my friend’s daughter in a few 5k races. I really enjoy pacing!
I love your matchy match outfits! Glad you had a good time!
That is so awesome that you guys run together! I hope you have a chance in the future to do that HM!
Sounds like you’re a great pacer! (I thought I was the only one who thought that about the vanilla GU. Hahaha!!)
Love your cute outfits too. I wish more races started that early, esp in the summer!
Ha ha ha! Great minds… think alike? LOL!
Thanks! 🙂 Yeah, 6:30 was a good time, and then we still had a lot of the day left (to nap!).
Congratulations to Anne and yay to you for pacing!! I had a blast running with a friend who was doing her first half earlier this year!
Hmmm want to come to Japan with me next Feb and pace me through a marathon? I could sure use someone to talk to and keep me going!
Sure! As long as it does not fall on the last weekend of February (the weekend I always do the local 5K). How much does it cost? Hee hee hee.
February 23rd. And only a few thousand 🙂
Damn. That is the day of the other race. And I was totally going to go! 😉
You are an amazing pacer. Probably because you’re such an awesome running buddy anyway 🙂
Plus, pacing is a great way to run a race and enjoy it both for the running aspect and the helping another person aspect. More people should pace their friends!
Aww, thank you!
And I agree – pacing is fun. More people should do it! Or, more people should just run with their friends for fun and get over running their fastest pace. 😉
Those are the cutest outfits ever! I get jealous when I am at at race and I see friends running and laughing and matching. I want that too! Congratulations to you and Ann on a great race.:)
Aww, thank you! Do you have any running buddies with whom to “race”?
I think the two of us need to do a race together … like together together. Just for funsies.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Congratulations to Anne on her first race! It sounds like you were a great pacer–I think I can guess about the inappropriate GU comments. 😉
Do you think you’d ever want to pace a big race as an official pacer? Or would that be too much pressure?
I think it would be fun to be a pacer at a big race! As long as my pace group could put up with my goofiness. And if it wasn’t 100000 degrees.