Prairie State Half Marathon 2014 Race Report
I just realized that Emily and I have run a half together for the past 3 years* (Chicago Half Marathon in 2012 and Prairie State Half Marathon in 2013)! What a perfect way for friends who don’t get to see each other that often to catch up!
This year’s race was the same as last year’s – the Prairie State Half Marathon – but with a faster time goal!
For some reason, I’d kind of forgotten the reputation this race company (All Community Events) has**. Things like (occasional) bad race day logistics, poor communication, incorrectly measured courses… I think I’ve always gone in to their races expecting to have fun so it hasn’t been an issue.
And it still wasn’t this race, although there were some things that seemed off. Packet pickup was super easy, but they didn’t print our names as promised on the bibs. We made the deadline – maybe it’s cause we registered via snail mail? Eh, no biggie.
Everyone had to park remotely and take a bus to the start. I got there an hour before the race and it was fine. I was expecting a cluster; according to Emily, that happened later.
I found nothing online about gear check rules (must not have looked hard enough). I doubted they’d let us give them things that were not in a clear bag and I was right – but they had clear bags there. And a line to wait in to get them. No worries.
The worst thing, which again, didn’t bug me, was that the porta potties were lined along the start of the course. So… all those people like us, waiting to go and just figuring we’d cross the start line as soon as possible since it’s chip timed? Those people opened their porta pottie doors to a wall of runners. Eek! Luckily we got out in time, and it’s nice they still started the race on time. But I bet some runners did not appreciate the people exiting the bathrooms on to the narrow race course.
We started the race about 7-8 minutes late. Which worked out great with the crowds. I remember it being a bit crowded at the start last year and this seemed better, plus we got the boost of passing people most of the race.
The race is on a crushed limestone trail I run often. So why pay to race it, right? I’ve learned that course familiarity really helps me, and man, it’s awesome to share the beautiful fall foliage on this mostly shaded course with other racers.
Our goal was to finish between 2:10-2:15. To start out slower and end faster. Right away, Emily told me it was going to need to be more of a positive split race, which works well, too!
This course has ample aid stations, which Emily walked and I ran slower ahead (walking during a race bugs my knees). I stuck to my fuel every 30 minutes strategy, which worked well.
The first half flew by and I was blabbing away. It was fun to see Erica fly by (and after the turnaround, my neighbor, Jen, running her first half with her husband, Troy)! I was super surprised to see Bobbi right before the turnaround (this is an out and back course). I also saw a few club friends too, and we saw Emily’s mom! What a treat to have so many spectators and know so many people running!
The turnaround was a bit congested, but that was the worst of it! I felt really strong and determined to keep us on pace! Emily had a 2:15 pace band and according to mile markers, we had a minute banked. And… according to our watches compared to mile markers, were also a tenth short on distance. Due to that, I did NOT trust our minute bank. Ha ha.
So the last three miles I went drill sergeant and ran a few steps ahead, encouraging Emily to pump her arms, pick up her feet, find her inner push, and so on.
I was worried I was annoying to her and others, but the people around me said they liked my tips, ha ha. We kept a good pace, still passing some (getting passed by speedy marathoners). I knew Emily would have a finishing kick (after running the Chicago Half Marathon with her) so I encouraged to bring it out right before the end, and she really got pumped when we saw her husband!
Our official time? 2:13:50. My watch hit thirteen miles as we crossed the finish. So… I have to trust the course is right, I guess!
Our posted (on paper) times first showed an added minute to clock time, then later (online) went back down a minute. Ha ha, at first I thought they were adding the missing tenth!
Gear check was a bit of a mess – it took them 10 minutes to find our bags – but luckily it was warm out and we weren’t in a rush! (The weather was great – 35° start, 51° at finish, perfect for a tank. I was grateful for the shaded trail!)
Emily and Adam took the shuttle to get their car and I went and changed just in time to see my neighbor finish (she ran with her husband) and crush her goal big time! Ha ha, right after that, a little girl was convinced I belonged to her crew, calling me “Dani,” so I had to help her find her family, tee hee.
Me, Jen and Troy
I’m really happy with how this went! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel running a half marathon 6 days after a full, at a faster pace, but I felt fantastic the whole time, and never tired!
And it helps that during the whole run, I knew I had brunch to look forward to with Emily and her husband, Adam! They drove to Wildberry and I walked there – my legs appreciated it.
Is it too early to start looking for a half for us to run together next year?!?!
*And we have gotten faster each year – 2:22:52, 2:19:16 and 2:13:50.
**I typically wouldn’t list all this stuff, as none of it bothered me, but I wanted to share it in case anyone stumbled across this race report… and those sorts of things are important for them in choosing a race.
Themocracy
Wow look at you what a return to running after a full! I shall aspire to your greatness 🙂 a good time too!! I hate disorganized races but I guess you have to let the little things slide, it’s meant to be fun, some people get so mad. Glad you had fun.
Aww, thank you! 🙂
Yeah, I am almost always a “meh, it’s a little thing” person (except when I ran a half in Feb that was my friends’ first and the course was only 12.5m!!!) and am surprised when people get SO worked up! 🙂
Oh yeah, their courses are ALWAYS short. ALWAYS. It’s like they think a half marathon is only 13 miles or something.
Ha ha. So someone just needs to give them a heads up, right?
I wonder if that Busse Woods Saturday after Thanksgiving half by them is accurate. I hate running there, but was thinking about doing that as a time trial for my December marathon 🙂
I hope you had a fun race today! 🙂
Now I see what you mean about their courses being measured wrong. I will have to check my mileage from the Schaumburg Turkey Trot I ran a few years ago! Still, it looks like you guys had a blast. Hopefully, the TT will have similar weather! 🙂
I would be curious to hear if it was measured correctly! Another commenter told me that they should be! I was just super surprised to have my watch be off there, when it normally isn’t.
I was SO HAPPY to catch you! I thought for sure that I’d missed you, and then I was worried that you weren’t on pace (only because I didn’t know you’d started late).
How do they mess up a course on the DPRT? There are mile markers – shouldn’t be tough!
Yeah, ACE races are not my favorite. Glad the issues were only minor though.
Congrats on running so strong after a really strong marathon! You are really hitting your stride lately 🙂 PROUD of you both!
After we passed you the first time I thought about that and that you may have thought you missed us! Silly bathroom line. Hee hee. We would have been a bit off clock time, either way, but I hadn’t thought of that before.
Ha ha ha. Who knows. I guess at least it wasn’t super long?!
Thank you!!!! And thanks again for being there, that was awesome! And for letting me use your pics!
I am SO IMPRESSED that you were able to race a half after running such a strong marathon last week! I did that once a couple of years ago when me and Michele did the Santa Hustle half a week after I ran the St. Jude full. We just did it for fun and took our sweet-ass time out on the course, but I couldn’t have raced it if I’d wanted to. My legs were still so dead and heavy!
Thank you! 🙂 Oh my gosh! I remember the cute pics from that race!!! You two need to do a race together again!
Great job on finishing within your goal time range 🙂 I’m sure your friend appreciated the drill sergeant mode to help make it through!
Congrats on a great race!! I love that you 35-51 degrees is “perfect for a tank”—I agree and people think I’m crazy! (But I’m hot natured when I am exercising) Love to see the people around you in full tights/long sleeves–haha—it makes me hot just looking at them!
Ha ha ha. Yeah, I have always been like that, and people think I am the crazy one, but that is what feels good! LOL. It was funny to hear people saying they wished it was warmer. Maybe if it had been windy or overcast, but it sure wasn’t! 🙂
Great race re-cap and I totally agree with all of your points about the race. I was irritated that the mileage was off, but in the end, it probably doesn’t matter much.
Thank you so much for waiting at the finish for me (and Troy) and for just being there at all! It made it so much easier…and more fun!.
I LOVED the trail. It could not have been a more gorgeous day!
awesome job!
Congrats to both you and Emily! Sounds like you had a fantastic race. It’s really weird that your watch said the course was short–if anything, your watch should be over 13.1. Hmm.
Thanks!
I don’t think it’s weird… I think the course was actually wrong, or the tree coverage messed up satellites. But I kind of doubt that – I run this trail often and my watch is accurate to the mile markers!
Great job! And all that after a full 🙂 It was my first half in Chicago and I loved those trails.
My favorite part of this is that you’re wearing a tank and shorts and Emily has on pants and long-sleeves 🙂
Actually, my favorite part is how strong you are to be able to run two great LONG races so close to each other.
I also find it amusing that the first year of the Illinois Marathon they did the same thing with the portapotties at the start line and it was CRAZY crowded. They’ve never done it like that since. ACE needs to, I don’t know, talk to some other race directors and get some tips!
Ha ha ha. Yeah, a lot of people thought it was too cold. It was just right for me! A bit too sunny, but we were in the shade.
Awww, thanks! 🙂
I am happy Illinois learned! I hope ACE does, too!
Ahh, you ran a full and then a half six days later?? You are a machine! Congratulations to you and Emily! I’m sure she appreciated all your coaching and drill sergeant-ing. It sounds like you both had a fun day, even if the race organization wasn’t ideal (Ugh portapotties emptying onto the course. Dumb!).