A Chance to “Finish on the Fifty”, part two

The participant’s guide to the Soldier Field 10 said don’t check anything valuable.  The keys, wallet and cell phone would come along for the run.  But I don’t have one of those belts with compartments,such as this  and I’m NOT running with a fanny pack.  I do have a mesh photographer’s vest, so I wore that with the mesh shirt & shorts.  Overdressed?  I don’t know. The forecast called for rain.  That would cool me off.

There were clouds.  There was a breeze off Lake Michigan.  However, there was no rain.  I had on enough. 

All I had to do was wait with twelve thousand of my closest friends for the race to start.

The race started in segments.  The elite runners started first.  Then the blue corrals started in 90 second increments(?) The race officially started at 7am CST, and my corral started around 7:51.  The photo above is from green corral 15.  There's a starting line up there, trust me.

What were my goals?

            -12 minute miles

            -No back pain.  I wanted an upright stride.  Any lower back pain would’ve indicated that I was leaning too far forward.

            -Heart rate?  Meh.  I have a heart.  As long as it beat, I didn’t care about the metrics.

My 12 minute a mile goal was conservative.  I ended up running 10 ½ and 11 ½ minute miles.  If you were on the course, I was the person talking to myself, saying “Slow down, damnit”.

It was an interesting course.  After Soldier Field and the Museum Campus, we went under McCormick Place, and then onto part of Lake Shore Drive.  I’ve never biked the drive, but I can say I ran it.  Nice to be on smooth pavement.

On the way back there was enough dirt to run on to minimize the pounding.  As I write this, the day afterwards, I can say nothing feels too sore.

At the eighth mile, I remembered what I was going to do.  I was going to remember I paid FULL PRICE FOR THE ENTRY FEE, SO I’M GOING TO FINISH THIS THING!!!

At the ninth mile, well…one look at my watch, and screw the time metrics.  I started to speed up.  I began to imagine that I was growing claws on my feet.  When I rounded the final turn into Soldier Field, I started growling.

I don’t remember much after this. I can say that I didn’t bite anyone or knock them over, but I was possessed by a rather ursine manner.  Bears CAN run really fast.  I resisted the urge to run on all fours.  There is a time for experimentation, and a time to run on two feet.  I do know that I didn’t bother with waving at any camera or raising my arms.

I  made it to the fifty yard line.