Race Report: Hot Chocolate 5k
Monday, November 8, 2010 at 7:00AM I realized that I've been doing a realllllllly bad job writing up my race reports. Sometimes I write them up; sometimes I don't. I'm going to try to do a better job in that department from here on out. I have a small point and shoot camera that I'm going to make sure I use at my races. Chicago has so many fun races - and running is a HUGE sport here. Really, being a runner here is easy - there are so many opportunities and resources here.
OK, so on with it. You may have seen this on The List, but one of my goals is to run a 5k in under half an hour. Ha, this did NOT happen at the Hot Chocolate, but I AM getting faster!
TOTAL TIME: 35:30
RANK: 759/1731 in my age group
AVERAGE PACE: 11:26
Not too long ago, I was fighting to run 12 minute miles, so this is an improvement.
The Hot Chocolate race is in its third year, and there's a 5k or 15k option. Of my friends, we all decided to run the 5k except for K-Spice, who ran the 15k (and did great btw!) Here we are, bright and early in Grant Park before the race:
The morning was FREEZING! I had on a long-sleeved tech shirt and two hoodies.
Wrigley-T and I had decided we were going to go as fast as we could and try to get the best time possible. We were under strict orders to leave each other if either of us were holding the other one back! The race was crowded at 30,000 participants, so Wrigley and I were doing a lot of bobbing and weaving. We started out really strong, and I felt great! The morning warmed up just a bit, and actually became a beautiful, perfect day for a run in downtown Chicago. At about the 1.5 miles mark, Wrigley went on ahead because I was starting to slow down. By that point, things had kinda thinned out a bit, so the course wasn't so congested.
Every race in downtown Chicago ends by going up a hill and then you get over the hill and see that you still have about 1,000 feet to go. It's like the world's cruelest practical joke. However, I had a great race, and though I didn't break my sub-30 minute goal, I was excited to see that I really am improving.
Wrigley had to take off after the race, but here are the rest of us at the chocolate party while we were waiting for K-Spice to finish his 15k! Everyone had a fun time, and felt great!
Did you know that saying "Heeeeeey!" while taking a picture can make for a better photo? It's true. :)
Now for a couple tips:
- In any race, you'll see walkers. Hey, sometimes I'm a walker myself!! However, it is CRUCIAL that if you're walking.... you gotta pull over to the side of the course. You CANNOT walk down the center. It's not an ego issue; it's a safety issue. The runners will trip all over you. For me, I came across a line of walkers, four ladies wide, sauntering right down the middle. After rounding a curve and almost falling over them, I called out "Walkers gotta stay to the side!" One lady made an annoyed comment that communicated she thought I was being one of those runners that think walkers suck. I turned around and told her - "It's not an ego thing - it's race safety." I am fairly positive they were new runners and didn't know bettter. I am sure I annoyed the bejeezus out of them, but... it's true. You can't walk in the middle - everyone who's running will hate you.
- Another thing, Wrigley and I were BOOKING it at the beginning of the race, as most of the runners were. For some reason, two spectators thought it was acceptable to run from the east sidewalk, ACROSS the course to the west sidewalk, practically causing a pileup of runners because everyone was running into them. I full-on slammed into one of them. Do not EVER EVER cross a course of runners. Again, major safety issue.
SO, my friends and I had so much fun. Everybody finished and had a great race. Next up? The Santa Hustle!!! A hat, Santa beard, Santa tech shirt, costume contest, and candy along the course - how could I refuse?
Running, race report
Reader Comments (11)
Good job! I ran it too and had so much fun.
I hear ya with the walkers. The course was so crowded when I was running it, I had to hop up on the grass a few times. Oh well, the fondue at the end made it all worthwhile :)
Great job! I'm impressed :)
santa hustle you say? i may have to join you if I'm around!
Great job on the 5K! Glad to see they moved the race downtown this year. It was a bit of a cluster up north, even though significantly easier to get to.
congrats on your improved time!
I did the 15K and managed a pace of 11:58/mile on average... so I am right with you at trying to get beyond the 12 min/mi pace. I thought the race was a lot of fun, despite the cold and crowds. The hot chocolate and fondue at the end were perfect for the cold morning!
the Santa Hustle sounds fun, may have to look into that!
30,000 participants?! Holy cow. Now you HAVE to do one in Texas - we can easily find one with, like, 100! No weaving for us, and walkers start in the back. Congrats on your improved time! My trick is to chase Mr. Tweets and then get so wound up that it hurts worse to slow down. That's how I got my first sub-30 min time, haha!
@Jill and Eileen - That fondue was pretty yum!
@Jamie - Do it!!! And - um - there may or may not be a group dressing up as Santa and his reindeer... if you'd like to partake . :)
@Tweets - Yeah, so many of the races here are super crowded. I'm proud to live somewhere where so many people run.... but it can get really obnoxious, and this particular race organization is not the best. Hmmm maybe I should just tell Bossyboots to make me mad and I can chase him down, too!
I am with Tweets...30,000 runners???? I will never, ever complain about our Texas runs! You never escape the participants that just don't know the "rules of the road" and block the runners coming from behind. I just did the 100k "Wurst Bike RIde in Texas"...it was just like the start of a NASCAR race...riders four abreast, lots of flat tires, people passing on the right...but man, the bratwurst party at the end of the ride sure was good!
Great job on your run, Penny! Always more fun sharing these events with friends and family!
Hi Penny, I have been following your blog for a while thru my Google reader but this is my first comment. With the holidays approaching I am concerned about winter weight gain (and I am not out there running marathons like you!) and was wondering if maybe you could do a post of your favorite WW recipes. Thanks!
Do you think your time could have been faster if there were fewer people? I just started running 5Ks and have only done them with my husband, not in an actually race yet. My best time was 34:48. And I've never ran before this. So I'm just surprised I was faster than you because you've ran marathons before, right? Do you think I'll be slower once I run in a race with other people around me?
I think my time would have been a titch faster minus the crowds, yes. However, crowded races are routine in Chicago, so I kind of just have to learn to deal with it! As to my pace - some people are naturally faster/slower. I am not a natural runner - mine is all from working at it. Also, endurance running is completely different from sprints. Marathon Pace is a good 1-2 minutes slower than how fast a person run in a short race. And for me - since I've mostly always run in long races... I am basically starting at ground zero when it comes to short races! It's a completely different kind of running, with different strategies for getting a good time, all of which I am learning since I've only been running short races for the past couple months. I'm never going to break any speed records since running isn't a natural talent for me - you may be starting from a better "ground zero" than me!
Penny -- I couldn't agree more about race safety and walkers. I ran the Disney Food and Wine Half marathon and could not BELIEVE that there were walkers trotting down the center of the course. AND it was a night race -- so UNSAFE!