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Chi-Town Big Game 5K in the snow

This morning was a cold one: about 12 degrees at race time (9am) and with a pretty heavy snow falling. Walking from the Roosevelt Red Line towards Soldier Field I was really happy that I registered for the 5K and not the 10K for once. Usually, I can't help myself and just register for the longest distance available. But even though I'm sure the 10K runners appreciated the snowy views all the way down the Lakeshore Trail to 41st street, I was more than happy to not be among their ranks and to be able to turn left just north of 31st street and start heading back towards the United Club inside Soldier Field. You can check out more about the race itself in my Newcity review.

With the wind blowing against me in both directions (or seeming to) I felt like I was running a lot harder than I really was the entire time.  
My phone was still partially frozen...
I ended up with a 22:55, which was good enough for 16th overall and 3rd in my age group (another reason to run the shorter distance - less competition!). And the after-party inside the United Club (which I've never been in before) was a pretty good race highlight. Walking up the stairs after finishing, runners walked through a kind of gauntlet of drink offerings, with 16oz Miller Lites on the right and Hot Chocolate on the left. With only one drink ticket per runner this meant I was forced to make a decision on the fly... so I had to go with the Miller Lite. As the volunteer opened it and I started drinking all the volunteers from both sides started clapping, rewarding me for my poor life choices. But I appreciated them even more in that moment. The moral of the story is: when presented with a post-race choice: always go with the beer.



So, in closing here are some pictures from inside the United Club:


And, in relation to nothing, here's a sweet one of those horse statues (the Kelpies) in front of the Field Museum this morning:
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Comments

  1. KateFebruary 3, 2013 at 8:49 PM

    Sounds like a fun race especially with the party in the United Club (I was there for the first time in Nov. and LOVED it). But um, how did I completely miss the snowfall this morning? As I'm reading this, I'm even more thankful I decided to run inside. Congrats on placing!!

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  2. MollieFebruary 3, 2013 at 8:59 PM

    Be very thankful you didn't run the 10K. I did today and after the 5K turnaround the path was partially snowcovered until we got back to the 5K turnaround point. It was fun, but it sure made it challenging. I kept thinking to myself, is it worth to run in the slush to pass someone or just stay behind. Congrats on placing! It was my first 10K ever today and I was 3 minutes faster than my goal so I was pleased too!

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  3. Maggie WFebruary 4, 2013 at 9:24 AM

    That sounds like a great race! I don't know if I would have gone for the hot chocolate or the beer. I'm sure a hot beverage would have sounded nice after a cold race, but sometimes hot chocolate is hit or miss. Plus, High Life is practically water and you need to rehydrate. (I actually drank High Life during the game last night - it was all my brother had, which was a bit disappointing because he can be a bit of a beer snob, but he's also on a budget. I was a bad guest and didn't BYOB.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownFebruary 4, 2013 at 8:01 PM

    Always tough to pass up beer... awesome run!

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJuly 22, 2013 at 12:59 PM

    Sometimes achieving your goals requires great strength and commitment. What helps me attain my fitness goals is militarygradenutritionals.com/blog. There I've learned a lot of things about trainings and dieting. Never before I've been having as much motivation and energy!

    ReplyDelete

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