Benefit Classic Half Marathon Race Report 2015
Ugh, this race. What was I thinking, doing it again?
Steven told me “I got a photo that makes it look like you are part of a crime scene!” Ha ha ha.
Ha, I know EXACTLY what I was thinking – “We’ll be near Dubuque for Labor Day with Gina and Steve and fam – we should totally do that race again! MUST ALWAYS FIND A RACE WHEN WE’RE TOGETHER!” Bad, Kim. BAD!
What’s so bad? Eh, to plan to do a race after a weekend when you’ve been in the sun all day. And when you don’t feel like eating because you got so sick a few days before. And when it’s hella humid*. Excuses, excuses. There’s nothing wrong with the race itself – just me, thinking I should EVER do a half marathon in the summer months.
So… yeah. Fun times! Ha. When we started the Benefit Classic Half Marathon on Monday, I told Gina and Steve I would shoot for 10:00s, but doubted I could hit that place, and would probably end up around 10:30s. I positive split the hell out of this, and finished in 2:20:59, with an average 10:45 pace. Every mile was slower than the one before, and I started taking a one minute walk break every half mile for the last 3-4 miles. But hey! I ran it faster than last year (when we had similar weather)! And actually, felt decent enough. Just thirsty and drenched. And SO over running in weather that makes me feel that way.
Fake smiles at the finish!
I tried to keep it slow in the beginning so I wouldn’t have a positive split, but I still started out too fast. It’s not the easiest course to negative split. The race starts at Eagle Point Park, which overlooks the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #11. You run out of the park and down toward the lock & dam… then back up! The hill at the end is nasty (and no fun to go down in the beginning IF you are trying to go slow, ha!):
I ran with Gina and Steve for almost 9 miles until I told Steve to go ahead because I didn’t want to see them a few steps in front of me anymore**. Bitchy, much? Ha. They finished about 6 minutes ahead of me, and thought the race was equally challenging… and equally not super fun (but well organized and all that, etc.).
But at least there are nice views!
And we had spectators!
And went to Red Robin after!
And we talked to some cool people during and after the race, and someone told me they liked my tattoo (first time that has happened while running!).
This is the last race I was signed up for this year! I have a few 5Ks in mind that I may sign up for day of, but that’s it! Makes me wonder what will happen in the last four months of running this year…
*But… I will take those high temps and humidity when I am visiting the Mississippi River – I want it HOT HOT HOT! If we hadn’t signed up for this race, we’d probably had have perfect racing temps, ha ha ha!
**Although, this made me realize why I don’t prefer to run with more than one person and why I really don’t like running in big groups – I tend to slow down and go to the back and hang by myself… then I don’t see the point in running with people. I’ve been doing this for YEARS.
Themocracy
Luca high fives FTW!!! I love that picture 🙂
My friend Michelle ran the 5k there with her husband. I thought it was funny that 2 of my local friends were doing the same race in IA haha!
How fun! Why were they out in Dubuque? The 5K skips the super nasty hill 🙂
Brutal temps 🙁 Definitely not so fun!
But on the plus side, you look awesome? Orange is a great colour on you!
Thanks 🙂
those last few miles look awful 🙁
Ha ha, they were! And it’s not even that really steep hill, it’s the long gradual one leading up to it!
Sorry you had such a brutal race. But I always love how you can have the worst race ever and put such a positive spin on it. You’re such a happy person! And yes, those views are awesome!
I have been there one too many times this year, wondering WTF I was thinking signing up for a long race in hot weather. I was signed up for a half this past weekend and dropped it down to a 10K and it was the best decision I ever made. But lesson learned: next year I need to just take June 21-September 20 completely off from racing. Seriously. Fall, winter, and early Spring only for this girl. Even if I’m not running for a time goal, no need to put myself through this misery again!
Aww, thanks 🙂 That means a lot to me 🙂
That is smart you went down to the HM! And that is a smart goal for next year, maybe even start it at June 1. 🙂 I always tell people that my racing season starts in Nov/Dec. I don’t do well racing in summer, early fall or late spring!
Yeah, for a while I thought we were going to start into the Fall weather but it seems like the heat is here for a bit longer. This one sounds like a tough race with the heat and that elevation change at the beginning and end. Great job beating last year’s time!
YIKES. That elevation map is what my running nightmares are made of! I’ve done halves for the past three summers, and all of them have been totally hot and miserable. You would think I’d learn! I think I need race directors to just not schedule halves between June and mid-September so I’m not tempted to run them haha.
LOL! At least we have all the winter halves, too, so we can feel decent for part of the racing year 🙂
That’s a pretty wicked hill at the end. Don’t even get me started on running in hellacious heat & humidity (HHH). I’m just about at my breaking point. Great job in the nastiness!
I really wonder why there are so many races around Labor Day. No way the weather will be nice!
Summer months are so brutal for races. Great job getting it done!!
I would probably have blow out my shins on the downhill, then have been so hot and sweaty by the time I reached the uphill, I would have laid down by the side of the road and taken a DNF! Congrats on the finish, here’s to cooler racing/running ahead!
Buah ha ha! I cannot imagine you EVER DNFing a race unless something was really wrong!!!!!! 😛
Yes! Cooler temps come our way PLEASE!!!
Haha! That crime scene pic. Looks like you had a blast. Haha.
2:20 on that crazy course and heat is still awesome! Sorry you struggled though. Redemption half with me soon???? (Or not so soon so that it will be cool weather…)
You have the best spectating crew!
Hee hee. There were quite a few photos of me making that face!
Thanks 🙂 I thought it was good too, especially since my eating was WAY off that weekend (eating too little).
Ha, sure! If you have a half in mind that is FLAT and COLD 🙂
That sucks about the weather! But yay fall is almost here with much better running weather.
That photo of you high-fiving Luca is so sweet.
Okay, so are you going to sign up again NEXT year? Or have you had it with this one and its humidity?
Thanks! It’s my new phone background 🙂
I am not 😉 I am not even sure if we’ll be there for Labor Day next year! Gina and fam can’t come since Luca will be in school. 🙁 (they will have to come in August)