Benefit Classic Half Marathon Race Report
We just got back from a fabulous vacation in Iowa with Gina, Steve, Luca and my family!
Steve, Luca, Gina, Me, Steven, Mom and Dad
My parents invited Gina, Steven and Luca to their place on the Mississippi River when we were all together in June for Christina and Will’s wedding. I was STOKED when Gina and fam said they could come!
Step 1: pick a weekend for their visit (Labor Day)
Step 2: find a race!
Ha ha. Yes, I search for races every time I travel. And lucky us – the Benefit Classic Half Marathon was on Labor Day (in Dubuque, Iowa), and only about an hour drive away from where we were staying! This was Gina and Steve’s first race in Iowa, and my first half marathon in Iowa!
The race was put on by the Mississippi Valley Running Association (MVRA), and they put on a stellar event. The cost was low, we could pick up our bibs race morning, there were plenty of water stops, the volunteers were nice, all of the intersections were controlled, and the course was clear to follow.
And what a course! When I was corresponding with the race director before the race, she warned me about the giant hill. Ha ha. Ha.
But it was SO worth it. The race started in Eagle Point Park, located on a bluff high above Lock and Dam #11 in Dubuque. Then the race course went down to river level, along the river to the Lock and Dam… and back up! I thought it was so neat we could see the turnaround point from the start, and see the start/finish from the turnaround point!
The view down to where we’d be running to – almost all the way to the Lock & Dam.
The bluff to the left is where we had to run back up to after turning around (you can see the Lock & Dam to the right)!
So, yeah. It was challenging! Going in to the race, I was hoping to average around 10:30s. Which I kind of did through mile 9! Then the sun came out and I felt like my effort was the same, but my pace slowed down big time (I finished in 2:24:44 with an average 11:02 pace)! It was a really strange sensation to feel like I was pushing it and look down and see paces much higher on my watch than I expected – my rating of perceived exertion was WAY off. It’s either: 1, the sun, 2, me being out of shape, 3, the hill, or 4, the fact that I was dehydrated with a bad headache the day before and skipped dinner. Or all four! (or maybe riding around a golf cart in a gorilla costume the previous morning? ha ha, nah, that was heat training)
Whatever it was, I was lagging behind and told Gina and Steve to go ahead. So we all ran just over the first 10 miles together, which was fun! I got to hear lots of people were commenting on Gina and Steve’s Texas flag shorts!
They got a “welcome to Iowa!” cheer during the race, and afterward, someone from MVRA came over to talk to them, thank them for coming, and to ask what they thought of the course (and told us this course has the biggest elevation drop of any half marathon in Iowa). I thought that was really nice!
The MVRA person was telling us how this is the second year they have used this course, and how much better people like it than when the course was mostly in the residential and industrial areas near the river. I thought that was interesting because when I was reading race reports people said the course was crummy, because so much of it was industrial. But this course wasn’t like that at all, so that must have been a review from 2012 or earlier.
The course we did started in the park with a loop, went down a large hill through residential area, then went through a small industrial area to get to the river. Then we ran along the river and through another park, which was fun (we saw someone doing ski tricks!), and then went the same way back. Almost the entire course had really neat views – whether it was of woods, over the bluffs, or of the water.
Out and backs aren’t typically my favorite course type, but I liked it here, and think it would be fun to do this race again! I like to imagine next year I would do better. Ha ha. The winning times in my age group were just under 2:00 hours (surprisingly, the 24-29 age group was more competitive). And there were not many people competing – 110 total in the half (there was a 5K, too). I was last in my age group and 98th overall! Ha! I have never been so close to the end in a half marathon.
Even though it was so small though, I still talked to someone from a town in Iowa who knows Alyssa. Always fun when that happens!
Now… until our next race – the Dallas Marathon (and half for Steve) in December! I can’t wait (and am looking forward to getting back in shape for it)!
Themocracy
How fun! AND YOWSA that hills looks killer!
Your foot looks so slanted in the photo of you running, is that just the angle of the camera?
And GREAT finish time, especially in this heat!
Thanks! 🙂 No, that is just how I land – I really severely supinate 🙂
I was just about to start singing the ‘Supe’ song for you again when I saw that pic. 🙂
Are you sure you’re not actually stepping on a big rock and the rock was photoshopped out of the picture? 🙂
Ha ha, yes, you guys have seen me talk about this many times before on the blog. That is just how my feet land 😉
Oh wow! LOL!!
What a beautiful view! Sounds like you found another winning race! So glad you all had fun.
I love that Gina and Phteven have Texas shorts! Great conversation starter. 🙂
Hey, can I get in shape with you? My lunch run was a little too brutal today for averaging 10:30 miles. hahaha.
Ha ha, yes, we can get in shape together. It’s mostly diet for me! Is it the same for you? 🙂 Or do you have to do speed work (barf) too? 🙂
ughhhh it’s speedwork moreso for me. And consistently running.
Nice bit of downhill running. Nice job ticking off another state!! I love planning holidays around races
I would actually like the uphill portion at the end. Definitely not a PR course, but a strategic one where smart pacing (and powerful uphill leg muscles) would pay off.
That looks like a beautiful course! You know, I’ve planned racecations before, scheduling a vacation around a race, but I’ve never done it the other way around. We’re going to New York in May… wonder if I could find a race?!
You totally could! Are you going to be in Manhattan? I would check New York City Runs and Runningintheusa.com 🙂
My quads are hurting just looking at that course profile. Glad you found a fun race to do in Iowa! I don’t think I’ve ever run a race in Iowa–should probably fix that. 🙂 Good luck training for your marathon!!
That looks like so much fun! I’ve heard of that race because a lot of people do that one and then one in Clinton, IA, that is this weekend. There is one in Galena in Oct. too.
Aww cool, what is the Clinton one?
I think I am following the Galena one on FB! I just… can’t imagine with those hills! EEK! 🙂
I just asked my husband about the hills and he said, “It’s rolling-hills the first 6 miles but at mile 6 it’s more than a hill.” LOL It does drop 300 feet start to finish somehow though.
Congrats to you, Gina, and her husband on the race! That hill does look like a doozy, especially if you were tired from being in a gorilla suit (Explain? Did I miss this???)! It looks like a nice course; I always enjoy running near/next to water (though sometimes not at the beach. That’s relentless sun.). Would you do it again?
Thanks! Ha ha, and you must be the only one who picked up on the unexplained gorilla suit reference.
Yeah, it wasn’t shady by the river, either. I would do the race again though. It was well run and fun to run 🙂
When we make travel plans, I like to look for races to run at our destination, too. It makes the trip even more fun. Congrats on your half marathon finish!
I love that picture of Gina looking into the GoPro! It’s funny and cute!
I’ll have to put this race on my radar so I can do it some year! It looks challenging but fun. I like running hills!
I need to sign up for another race!