St. Louis Frostbite Series 20k

The short:

My husband needed to go to St. Louis this week, and I told him that if there was a race there on Saturday I'd go with him. I found the St. Louis Track Club Frostbite Series 20k and registered for $20 the day before. The race was a lot bigger than I expected (over 900 runners between the 20k and 5k!) and a little longer than I expected, but I also felt better than I expected to! There was snow on the ground in Forest Park, helping the race live up to its name, but it was really nice out for the morning of January 6 in Missouri, at 33* with virtually no wind.

I ended up running 1:25:32, which was 6:43 pace for 12.73 miles per my Garmin (Strava said my 20k was 1:23:36). I ran the first half of the race at 6:46 pace and the second half at 6:40 pace, finishing with 6:37, 6:31, 6:30 so I think I got about all I could have out of myself on the day. I ended up placing 4th overall female, after running in 3rd for about half the race and getting passed with less than a half mile to go, so that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth - but I was still mostly pleased because I gauged my effort well and ran way under 7:00 pace, plus Premium Strava said to subtract 4-5 seconds for grade-adjusted pace!).

Results are here, my details here.

My activity on Strava is here.

The long:

I wasn't sure how I'd feel for the race having raced the Chilly 5k five days prior, not adjusting my training to account for racing since it wasn't pre-planned, and doing no training focused on long-race prep since October (although you could possibly count the Jack is Back 30k as one). I'd debated on whether to run my hill workout on Wednesday or Thursday that week, and ended up doing it Wednesday so I was glad for that at least! I looked up results of the races in the series that had already taken place when I registered, and from those I figured it was doubtful I could win overall female, which made it easier to not care if I didn't feel good and needed to make it into a moderate long run.

We left our house at 4:15 a.m. on race morning. I brought breakfast and planned to eat around 5:00, but ended up falling asleep until 7:20, which is quite late for me! The race started at 8:20, so being only 30 minutes out from my warm up I didn't want to eat anything. I had a couple of gels so figured I'd use one during my warm up and one during the race.

Jon dropped me off at the race and I picked up my number, used the bathroom, and started my warm up. The Frostbite series is a 5-race series, with a short and long race each time. I found the 5k start on my warm up but had to ask a few people where the 20k started. I found it with about 10 minutes to spare, so continued my warm up jog, took a gel, and stashed my throw away shirt (which I got back after the race, so wasn't throw away this time). I only had time for 1.6 miles of jogging and 2 strides, but I figured I'd just ease into the race and be fine. During my warm up I saw many, many fast-looking women and it seemed like a larger percentage of people were warming up than usual, which made me feel like the race was going to be competitive.

The grassy areas of the park were snow-covered, but the roads were just wet. The temps had been warm enough that the snow didn't last on the roads, but they were a little sloppy and the bridges were slick the first time we crossed them (they seemed to melt after that, I imagine from cars and runners going over them). The temperature was 33* and I ran in a my uniform very thin long sleeve shorts, shorts, and gloves. I ended up being both cold and hot during the race, and wished I'd worn a tank top and capris instead - though if I'd worn that I might have wished I'd worn long sleeves and shorts!

The race consisted of two laps of the course, with each lap including two out-and-backs. The first out was only about a mile, then we went around a round about. It was easy to see what place I was in, which was 4th female. There were also what seemed like 50 women right behind me. The second out and back was longer and much hillier, and had a hair-pin turn. Again, I was in 4th female with what seemed like 50 women close behind. At that point I was going back and forth between "I'm going to catch the two in front of me" [it seemed #1 was a lost cause because she was so far out, which made sense once I realized who she was] and "50 women are going to pass me!". But I was also focusing on and reeling in men one by one.

I was gaining on woman 3, so that kept me going from about miles 4-6. I passed her a little before halfway, and got excited that I was in 3rd! The course was a bit of a cluster from about 5-8, because we were running through slower 5k runners, the faster 5k runners were leaving the parking lot right off the course (the roads weren't closed to traffic), volunteers were waving 5kers to turn, and then when I was coming back lots of other 20kers were going out. I was relieved to get through that part. I was going to take my gel at halfway but forgot about it and didn't, so this wasn't my best fueled race.

I started feeling really great on the second tour of the course, and kept picking off the men in front of me. I saw fewer women close to me on that turn around the round about, and started feeling confident that I could go with anyone who tried to pass me.

Mile 10 included a long uphill, a gain of 82 ft per Garmin (on the first lap it was during mile 4-5). It wasn't steep but just long. I knew it was coming since we'd run the course once, and I kept reminding myself that I'd get to go back down it. I also told myself that it was to my advantage because it would take some of others' speed, plus I've been doing hill work. I caught and passed a man on it, which helped keep me going. As I approached and went around the hair-pin turn, I learned that there was no way I could catch the women in front of me, but one woman behind me was dangerously close and also running with a man she seemed to know. Though I was tired, I also felt strong and like I'd be able to push the end. The man who I'd passed going uphill passed me back when the course flattened out, and I went with him. It was hard to stay with him but I kept telling myself it was easier with someone else and I needed to stay with him to stay ahead of the woman.

I was able to stay right behind or beside him, and as we passed the 12 mile mark I started feeling confident I wasn't going to get caught. But then I heard footsteps and a man talking behind us, and it was clear the man was coaching the woman to go by me. I mentally prepared myself to fight for position, but when she passed me she was hammering it and I couldn't hang. I felt strong and finished strong relative to my other splits, but unfortunately I didn't have what she had. As we made the final turn one of the volunteers said something like, "2nd and 3rd woman, who wants it more??" and I guess I was really hurting at that point because I thought "she does." (also he must have missed a woman because we were actually 3rd and 4th).

The guy in gray was the one I ran with for the final
 few miles, woman in green had just passed us here

After it was clear I wasn't going to get her, I didn't hammer quite as hard as I should have for the final bit, but it was also on a curvy sidewalk that made it very difficult to run fast. Jon got back just in time to see me run by on her tail then he ran to the finish. He tried to take pictures in the rush that didn't come out great, but at least they show the snow on the ground!

Finish

I stopped my watch to see it showed me as averaging 6:43 pace, which I was happy with! I wasn't sure I'd be under 7:00, and don't look at my watch during races so had no idea what I was going to end  up with. All of my miles were under 7:00, even the 82 ft hill. The course read 12.73 on my watch. I don't think I've ever had a certified half read more than 13.25, and rarely have they read more than 13.15-13.20 unless they have a ton of turns. With this one being two out and backs I'd buy 12.50 or a smidge more for a 20k but not 12.73 (most others on Strava had 12.65+ too)! Plus they have a certified half that follows almost the same course and it is barely longer than what we ran for the 20k. Strava said my 20k was 1:23:36, and of course Strava isn't perfect either but had it been certified I'd probably have run 1:24-something. With non-certified races you get what you get and everyone in the race gets it, but everyone in that race should get credit for faster paces than the results show...especially me, hahaha!

I decided that I was first place masters female; the overall female was also in masters, but since she got overall I took her out of the very unofficial masters standings. I admit I am using a double-standard here, because when I have won both overall and masters I thought I deserved both, but this is my blog so I can do what I want, right? The race did not have masters, but I have to take my victories where I can find them. I am getting better about being happy with running well for me "right now" instead of being upset about running slower than I used to, which is probably the biggest victory of my 2024 races! I also wish Springfield had a cheap multi-race winter series like this; I'd love to do all 5 races but driving to St. Louis that many times in a winter seems excessive.

Elevation gain per mile, in feet, with my splits:

1. 3 - 6:39
2. 16 - 6:47
3. 36 - 6:52
4. 69 - 6:48
5. 49 - 6:48
6. 23 - 6:43
7. 23 - 6:42
8. 16 - 6:33
9. 30 - 6:47
10. 82 - 6:57
11. 33 - 6:37
12. 30 - 6:31
13. (final 0.73) 20 - a little faster than 6:30, I stopped my watch 3 seconds after I finished

Chilly 5k

The short:

I jumped into a New Years Day 5k and it was a great way to kick off the year! I was unsure what to expect time-wise but I aimed to compete, and came away with the overall female win in 19:20. I got to run through a finishing banner, got a few great photos, was interviewed post-race, and had a fun day with friends, so 2024 can really only go downhill from here. ;-)

Results are here, my personal results are here.

A Joplin Globe photo of me from the race is here, and an article that I am quoted in and pictured in is here.

I love a breaking the tape action shot!

The long:

A friend told me about the Chilly 5k in Joplin a couple of months ago, and I wrote it in my training calendar for reference but didn't really think I'd run it. The week before the race, a very tentative girls' day in Pittsburg started becoming more definitive, and I decided if the girls' day happened it only made sense to run the race on my drive to Pitt, since I'd be driving by Joplin anyway. 

I haven't done any time-based workouts since before the Bass Pro Marathon, but I have been running consistently and doing hill workouts so figured it would be fine enough. I also figured that no one is 5k sharp on January 1! My primary goal was to place as high as I could, going for the overall female win if it was within reason, and not worry about my time.

The race is point-to-point, from downtown Joplin to the YMCA on the south side of town. I parked at the Y and ran to the start plus a little more to warm up. It was simple to do, but the downside was that I didn't have a car at the start to toss clothes into. I dressed between what I would wear for an easy run and a race in the conditions (air temp 30*, wind chill 22*) in a thin long sleeve, gloves, an ear warmer, and tights. I was a little cold on my warm up and a little hot during the race as expected.

The race was decent-sized at around 300 participants. I wasn't sure who my competition would be, but as I was warming up I saw another woman warming up and thought, "She looks fast!" As I got closer I saw it was my friend Liz, who is fast! After I got my race number I connected with my friends Natalie and John, and stashed my phone in their car. I'd warmed up with it in a pocket because I was paranoid about getting lost on my warm up and missing the start, which ended up being a very unfounded fear. 

The start that I was not ready for

I lined up near the front, not far from John, Liz, and a woman who I know from Joplin, Christy. After the National Anthem and a prayer, we were off! It seemed like many men and boys went out fast, but I zeroed in on women and noted I was in 3rd behind a teenager and Christy. I settled into 5k effort and found myself right next to John. The first two women weren't too far out, and staying steady I reeled them in and passed them both around the mile.

Around that time a young man (from the results I know he was 23) settled in just behind me. Passing for the lead and having him on my shoulder was good motivation to push, and the second mile had several hills so it wasn't easy. After a bit he came up and ran beside me. Going up a hill shortly before the 2 mile mark, he pulled away slightly, but after the hill I closed the gap. When we hit mile 2 I pushed harder and gapped him, then extended my lead to 15 seconds by the finish.

This course was interesting because it was a net uphill for the first 2 miles. I thought mile 1 was pretty gentle, but I could tell it in my pace and by the elevation chart. Mile 2 seemed harder with more hills, though still nothing extreme for a Missouri runner. Then mile 3 had almost all down, which was fun! I felt like I ran in a way that mile 3 would be my fastest mile, but the downhill made it even faster. It felt really good to push and I felt strong coming towards the finish. I definitely felt better in this race than I have been feeling doing short hill reps in training!

About a quarter mile out from the finish, the lead bike came back for me after leading the top male in. As he rode me closer to the finish he waved his arms up and down, I assume to signal the finish line that the first female was coming in. I heard the announcer say something to that effect and saw the finish line volunteers put up a finishing banner. I love getting to break a tape! I gave a huge smile and the announcer said, "Keep that smile right through the finish line!" He was also announcing where the clock was at as I came down the final stretch, and when I heard 19:10 I was pleasantly surprised; I wasn't completely sure I could run under 20:00 but I was going to be way under!

Final bit

I had a huge smile on my face as I came in, and saw a photographer snapping photos in the finish chute, indicating that I was surprisingly coherent. I ran through the finishing tape, which was supposed to break at a Velcro attachment but did not. I then ended up tripping over the banner that didn't break, and narrowly avoided falling down. I was hoping I'd get finishing photos of that part, but they were either too nice to take them or too nice to post them. My official time was 19:20. I thought there were a ton of men in front of me but it turns out there were only 4.

Not my best photo but a big smile

I turned around to see where my competition and friends were. The second and third women came in at 19:43 and 19:48 (Christy), then John came though, then Liz, then Jacob - all pretty quickly after I finished. As I started walking out of the chute, a reporter from the Joplin Globe asked if he could ask me some questions, so I of course obliged. I think my runners high was clear from one of my quotes here, "It's great, a great way to start the year...I highly recommend it for everybody."

Joplin Globe article

My mention

John was planning to run back to the start to get his car prior to the awards, and I'd told him I'd run back with him when I stashed my phone in his car, because I wanted about 10 miles for the day. We ran the course backwards along with Liz for about a mile, and cheered for those we knew who were running. We ran 3.5 more miles total at my request, then hopped in his car and hightailed it back to the awards. I ended up just missing my overall award, but Natalie picked it up for me and later they called me back on the podium.

The podium was a nice touch!

My run on Strava matched with a couple of people who have premium Strava, one of whom was only 14 seconds behind me, so I was able to figure out my grade-adjusted paces for the race. My actual splits were 6:19, 6:27, 5:55 (5:25 final 0.12) - grade adjusted was 6:12, 6:22, 6:06. I felt like I got out well, eased up a little during mile 2, then hammered the final mile, so this makes sense to me. It's also faster than I expected to run, so I was happy about that.

I think 2024 is going to be my year of running races like this where I can compete for the win, because this race felt really right and I want to do it again!

Cute unique award

Post-race girls' afternoon!

The other Joplin Globe mention

2023 Running Recap

Quick stats:

• Miles run: 3619.7
• Teams/Support: rabbitELITE, UCAN, Nike, Miles from Mentor
• Races run: 11
• Races won (OA female): 5
• Races won (masters female): 10
• PRs: 30k, by default, though I have run much faster 30ks during numerous marathons
• Records:
  
• Missouri state road racing record for 30k for females age 43
• Kansas state #2 female 50k of all time (behind my 2022 50k record)
• Highlights:
• My amazing running group continued to grow!
• I was accepted onto my third rabbitELITE team.
• I was "promoted" to Team UCAN Inspire.

Longer Impressions:

I nearly didn't write a running recap for the year, which is why this is being published later than Dec. 31. On one hand I feel like I didn't necessarily get much performance-wise out of the miles I put in this year, but on the other hand it's all relative and I enjoyed running just as much or more than ever! The day-to-day is my favorite part; I genuinely love getting up early every morning and running in all seasons and circumstances.

I enjoyed running many races on a whim and racing (for places vs. focusing on times). I enjoyed aiming for masters wins in nearly all of the races I ran (the only exception being Chicago). I never really understood the masters category, even when I was 39-40, but now it's one of the best things ever in running! Going for overall female wins is still nice, but not having to compete with 20-30 year olds in a division is also nice.

I ran 3 marathons and a 50k, which is quite a bit of long racing for a year. My spring marathon was a training run for my 50k, then I hoped to run sub-3 in a fall marathon and believe I was there fitness-wise, but I ended up with the beginnings of COVID for Chicago and was feeling weak post-COVID at Bass Pro, so in the end I got two 3:07s instead. Another lowlight of my year was a weird imbalance issue that resulted in pretty low mileage in April and May.

I love my training group and it has continued to grow this year. We have 5:30 a.m. runs with 10-15 people often. I coach many of my training buddies free of charge, and I love seeing my friends excited about running and running fast! I hope I can help others through running since it's given me so much. The sport continues to be a cornerstone in my life, and I am thankful for every run!

Race Recaps:

• 2/18/23 - Run with the Wind 25k
• 2/25/23 - Running from Yeti Marathon
• 3/25/23 - Prairie Spirit 50k 
• 4/8/23 - Easter Sun Run 10k and 2 mile 
• 7/4/23 - Firecracker 5000
• 7/16/23 - Summer Sizzler 15k
• 8/12/23 - Riverside 5000
• 10/8/23 - Chicago Marathon
• 11/5/23 - Bass Pro Marathon
• 12/16/23 - Jack is Back 30k

Monthly Recaps:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

Previous Yearly Recaps:

• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016 
• 2015

Jack is Back 30k

One of my friends won a free entry for the Jack is Back 15k/30k race but wasn't able to run it. I didn't think I really had the itch to race again in 2023, but a free entry to a low-key event sounded perfect, so she gave me her free entry to register for the 30k. I've never raced a 30k, so knew finishing would yield an automatic PR - and a state record for age 43, since the state records for the 30k are weak because it's a rarely run distance. I've been keeping my long runs relatively short since Bass Pro, so running 18.6 miles was a bit of a stretch, but Bass Pro was just 6 weeks before this race so I figured my legs hadn't completely forgotten how to run for over 2 hours.

The race was on a rails-to-trails trail, and I have learned these type of trails can be anywhere from immaculately maintained like Tobacco Road to rough single track like the northern part of Frisco. This one was somewhere in between, but we'd gotten a lot of rain leading up to the race so it was muddy! I didn't realize this would be a factor until I was at the race, when it was too late to turn back or wear my trail shoes that I'd left at home.

The race was a pretty small event, and my goal was to win overall female without running too hard. I eased into it for the first 3 miles, then got into a groove and ran really even. I never looked at my watch during the race, and afterward before I looked at my Garmin I told Jon I thought I averaged around 7:15 pace; my watch then confirmed 7:18, so I have a good gauge on my effort! My splits are here.

I was with a few men for the first couple of miles, then pulled ahead of them. I was in first female and there were 5 men ahead of me, but I didn't know who was in which race distance. The 15k ran out and back once, and the 30k ran out and back twice. The first 4.65 miles out were pretty uneventful, then once we turned back I enjoyed the race more because I got to see everyone else. I was also gaining on the man ahead of me, so that gave me something to focus on for the first back. I passed him around mile 8.

I started the race in arm warmers and gloves, because the wind chill was 37* and since I didn't plan to run all-out I thought I'd be chilly. The first out was into the wind and I was comfortable, but when we turned around I got hot and took my arm warmers off. They got annoying flapping around while tucked under a sports bra strap, but it gave me a reason to look forward to the turn around where I planned to drop them. I tucked my first gel wrapper inside of them so I could get rid of it along with the arm warmers. As I neared the turn around I decided I'd toss my gloves off as well.

As I neared the halfway point, the men who had been in 3rd and 4th when both races were together came back starting their second out, so I learned that the two fastest men had been in the 15k and I was 3rd overall in the 30k. I also saw the large lead I had on the next woman, who turned out to be in the 15k anyway. The race had an option to compete in both the 15k and 30k distances, with your halfway split being your 15k race time, and so at that point I wished I'd have signed up for that with my free entry - my rationale for not doing that was because I didn't want to race a 15k and then death march another 15k if there was someone faster in the 15k. After the race I saw that the girl who won the 15k was 14 years old, so I am sure the win meant more to her than it would have to me, so in the end I was glad I just did the 30k!

I dropped my arm sleeves and gloves at halfway, then turned back out for my second tour of the course. The spectators around the finish line cheered and someone joked, "Show off" when I turned around instead of finishing. Heading back out on the course I got to see everyone coming back in. I was also able to see that I was gaining on the man in second, so I decided I'd try to slowly reel him in. We were going back into the wind and I wished I'd have kept my gloves on.

When I was about a mile into my second out, a teenage boy who was running in the opposite way desperately asked, "Am I almost there??" I told him he was close, "about a mile left", then realized that probably didn't feel too close to him. 9.3 miles is a long way when you're 14! 

All of the course marshals told me I was first female each time I passed, which was fun. Many of the runners going the opposite direction did too! It was fun seeing the enthusiastic aid station volunteers multiple times, and that helped break up the distance.

I ended up catching the second place man just before the final hair-pin turn, which was about 14 miles in. After passing him I was just ready to be done. I have only been running 12-14 mile long runs since Bass Pro, so 18.6 miles felt a little farther than it usually does - plus I can't even tell you the last time I ran that far alone. I had a great runners high going, but it was pretty lonely out there! Like Frisco, the trail also felt uphill (incline) both ways, and the wet ground wasn't doing me any favors.

When I finished, many people told me how impressed they were with my huge lead and how fast I ran for 18.6 miles. I have decided I really like low-key races that I can win without going all-out! Although I didn't race race, 18.6 miles moderate is still a hard day, and I do 100% of my training on roads, so I ended up feeling quite beat up from this race! Running on gravel and through mud uses some different muscles.

Before the race they'd announced that the overall awards hadn't come in and would be shipped when they did. They said it's a personalized brick so I am interested to see what it looks like! I didn't stay for the awards ceremony because it was outside after all 30k finishers were in and I was freezing standing around, but I believe I will also get awards for setting a new state record for age 43 and for being the top age-graded female time in the 30k. I told the race director I'd get my awards from him the next time I saw him so he didn't have to mail them - a brick cannot be cheap to mail, lol.

My state record is here.

Race results are here.

This picture is from Bass Pro last month, but I
found it on Jon's phone on the drive home from
Jack is Back & love it

Bass Pro

The short:

I got 5th overall female in my 5th Bass Pro Marathon! I'm also getting old so I was the female masters champion. I registered for this race back in February, before I knew that October was going to try to kill me. The race doesn't do transfers or deferrals and is 20 minutes from my house, so I decided to start it with a training buddy and drop out if I needed to. Though I sure felt my post-COVID lack of reserves in the final miles, I got it done in 3:07:45. It was my slowest Bass Pro, though not by much - I won the race with a 3:06:57 in 2015 - and while I think it went about as well as it could have all-considering, I was sad not to nab an overall podium spot this year. I imagine I'll be back next year, ideally without the post-COVID/post-car accident training plan.

Results are here.

My Strava activity is here.

Miles from Mentor pre-race photo, missing a few

The long:

I love my hometown race. I don't like huge marathons, I love sleeping in my own bed and eating at home before the race, I love seeing the Springfield running community, and I love running an event with almost everyone I train with. My running buddies laughed at me (and said I'm the only one in the world who would say this) when I said I like Bass Pro far better than Chicago, but it's true! I'm not sure if anyone who doesn't live here would like this race, and if you like big marathons it is definitely not for you, but I get a bigger high out of this one than I get elsewhere.

Four weeks before this race I ran Chicago. That was in the plan. Also 3-4 weeks before this race I had COVID, and 2 weeks before this race I got into a pretty bad car accident. Those were not planned. As you can imagine, my body was a bit wrecked from those events and my mind was pretty wrecked from dealing with the other driver's insurance and searching for a new car, so I wasn't sure if I was up for running Bass Pro after all. But I'd entered back in February, so I decided I'd run with my training buddy Sally for as long as I could and then drop out; I'd be running that day anyway, after all. Two weeks before the race I thought I would for sure drop out, a week before I thought probably, but as the race got closer and I continued to regain strength I started thinking that maybe I could run the whole thing. Sally was ready to run 7:00-7:10, and I started reasoning that since I ran that pace in Chicago with the beginnings of COVID, I could probably manage it with some after-effects of COVID. There are calculators on how to adjust paces for temperature, humidity, and elevation, but not for post-COVID - but I now have some thoughts, hah.

In Chicago, I wasn't excited about the race; I was just tired. Before this race, I got very excited! It was so nice to feel like my pre-race self again! I loved going to the expo and the thrill of race morning with friends. Pre-race is always fun, relaxed, and stress-free here. I'm with friends I train with every day and I'm parked 100 m from the starting line.

Memorize these turns...

Expo (notice I look short in this group)

The front of the Bass Pro field is variable year-to-year. I've won the women's race with a 3:03 and 3:06, I've placed 2nd with a 2:54, and I've taken 3rd with a 2:59. On this year's starting line I spotted a fast-looking Kenyan woman wearing a full marathon bib, showing it was likely I wouldn't be competing for the win even if I was 100%. Sally also knew a woman from Columbia who would likely run 3:0x, and then you never know who else will show up! Plus, Sally was very fit so I knew there was a good chance she'd outlast me. I aimed to focus on going out conservatively and helping Sally as much as I could. My friend Michelle was running the half and also wanted to do about the pace we were doing, so we planned to run with her as well.

Starting line selfie

From the start, we settled into pace and I kept thinking about how much better I felt than in Chicago! In Chicago, I knew that something was off from mile 1, but this mile 1 felt effortless and exciting, as the first mile of a marathon should. Sally felt fantastic as well. The weather was warmer than we'd have liked, at over 50* at the start and mid-60s by the finish, but we took confidence that we'd trained in much worse all summer.

The first 10 miles flew by, and Sally, Michelle, and I ran stride for stride. The course has a lot of turns and I told them what was coming so we could stick to the tangents as closely as possible. We saw many friends and loved ones along the course, and it's always fun to be cheered for by name frequently! We stayed steady and passed people who'd gone out too quick, including the 1:45 half pacer (!!!). We stayed pretty much right at 7:00 pace, with some variations for elevation. This course has about 900 ft of elevation gain, so it's not going to be metronome clockwork - though I bet my GAP was for most of the race. When the half and full courses split at about mile 10.5, I cheered Michelle off with enthusiasm while Sally and I pressed on in the other direction. My husband told us we were in 5th female position at that point, which surprised me. I knew there were 2 in front of us in the full but hadn't known there were 4, and we were on about 3:04 pace, which I thought would be worth a podium spot.

Mile 9ish (notice I look tall in this group!)

Miles 12-17 of the course are the hilliest, but Sally and I both felt great and I reasoned that it would be a good break for the legs to work a little differently. I told her not to worry if our pace slowed a bit through that section. In hindsight, I think we should have slowed a little, but we didn't. This was partially my fault because I saw what I thought was a sports bra not far ahead of us and started working to reel her in. Once we were closer, I could tell it was actually a man in a hydration vest and no shirt. We came through the half in 1:32-mid-ish (no marker), both feeling positive and ready to do it again. I was really excited for her to get a big PR!

Mile 15 has a long incline, I hadn't realized the man in the hydration vest wasn't a woman quite yet, and I think my 6:58 up it was too quick based on the elevation. Sally started to fall a step back and stopped talking, so I started encouraging her ("It will be way easier after we finish this incline, we are going to catch that woman," etc.). She pulled back up and mile 16 was a little quick in 6:45, but also had decline. I was looking back a little bit and making sure she could latch on. I didn't want to separate and I wanted us both to move up in the women's field. By then I had realized hydration vest guy was a man, but soon after spotted an actual woman ahead of him. I got a side stitch from about 15-17, but it didn't slow me down, was just uncomfortable and made me take about 3 miles to get down my mile 15 gel.

During mile 17 Sally told me I could go ahead. I slipped into coaching mode and told her to just sit on me, to let me pull and do the work. That worked for awhile, but then between some combination of me working towards the woman in front of us and her feeling a little more fatigued, we separated. At that point, I was in mile 18 and feeling confident about chasing down the woman in front of me. Before the race, I had a lot of reservations about my body not being in a good place, but for a good 23 miles of the actual race I didn't think about that one bit.

I continued to focus on gradually pulling in the woman ahead of me, and I was gaining. At mile 20 I saw my family and I felt really confident I was going to move up before I saw them again. Jon told me that 3rd place was about 2 minutes up and she was really hurting, so then I thought perhaps I could even move up into a podium position after all. I was pumped with how great I felt for that point in the race!

I felt really strong until I didn't, which happened somewhere during mile 21. Initially I figured it was just a rough patch, but by 22.5 I could tell I was fading. I could tell by the body language of the woman in front of me that she was also fading, so it was probably going to be a matter of who struggled less. She had a good 15-20 seconds on me, but I was the hunter, which I kept telling myself gave me the advantage. 

Passing 23 I really tried to pump myself up. I'd done a fast finish 13 miler on the course the week before, and told myself to speed up like I did then. I wasn't gaining any more but she wasn't extending her lead either. As we neared 24 though, I felt myself fading more and more. For the first time during the race, I thought about being post-COVID and how my usual strong finish might not be in the cards, but I also kept trying with absolutely everything I had.

I saw the photographer at mile 23
 & *thought* I was smiling!

The final 2 miles of this race go like this, repeatedly: incline, turn, incline, turn, incline, turn. Some years I've still been able to close fast, other years I've lost time. I hadn't been looking at my splits since about halfway (early on I did because I didn't want to mess up Sally's race), but those final 2 miles ended up being my slowest at 7:42 and 7:39. The woman in front of me was pulling away, partially because she was chasing down the third place woman (Jon said it was a pretty dramatic finish between the two; 4th moved into 3rd with about 15 meters to go!). Anything can happen in the final mile of a marathon, so I kept pushing with all I had. I didn't have what I'd hoped to, but I tried my hardest. The first 21 miles of this race were far easier than Chicago, but the final 5 miles and especially the last 2 were much harder (I'd kept a little in the tank at Chicago, hoping to use it at Bass Pro...the irony). My legs felt like they were going to give out and the finish could not come soon enough.

Coming down the final stretch and hearing numerous familiar voices cheering for me is always a joy! I was really glad to make it in after just a week before the race being pretty sure I'd be too weak to run the whole marathon, and after how hard those final 2 miles were! I was pretty sure I'd won masters, but it wasn't until I went inside to change and had Jon pull up the results on his phone that I knew for sure. I was sad not to make it onto the overall podium, but I was thankful for the masters win and feel that I did the best I could with what I had. 

My time was 3:07:45 - in Chicago I ran 3:07:38. Bass Pro was warmer and has significantly more elevation, so this performance was my best marathon of my season of COVID-screwed up marathons. I executed Chicago better, with my half splits being just seconds apart, but the gauge of how to pace is different with post-COVID weakness and I don't have it figured out. I ran an 18 miler two weeks before this where I felt great for 14 miles then faded for 4, making me think there was no way I was going to be able to run 26.2 when I was bonking at 14. I gained strength between that run and the race, but not enough to stay strong through 26. The rising temperature probably also played a role. 

When you slow at the end of a marathon, the vast majority of the time it is because you ran too fast for your fitness at some point before then, but I kind of wonder if I'd have slowed no matter what due to COVID depletion - probably to a lesser extent had I gone out more conservatively, though. I am usually a strong finisher (unless going for an aggressive goal, see OTQ failures), and I also generally "know" the correct effort level; in Chicago I wasn't feeling like myself but I gauged what I could give really well and ran quite evenly. In workouts when I don't hit paces I am pretty much always off pace from the start. If I could run the race again, I would have either stuck to 7:10 for the first 10 miles or reduced the effort on the hilly section to see if that made a difference and because it would have made me a better pacer for Sally - but, alas, if we got do-overs in races I'd probably keep doing each one forever striving for perfection!

Post-race I enjoyed the awards ceremony, lots of socializing, and brunch with my teammates. I rode the marathon high all day! I hope I have some more faster marathons in me, but I've also realized that it doesn't matter too much if I run personal bests or worsts (I won't say it doesn't matter at all, though!). I love the process, the running community, the miles, the atmosphere - I love it all. I am thankful God gave me this sport, which has shaped me as a person for nearly my entire life.

Awards shot before Karen had to leave

Awards shot post-brunch

I was really proud of my training buddies! Sally came away with an 8 minute PR with a 3:12. Karen ran her debut marathon in 3:13. Casey was 2nd OAF in the half in 1:23 with a new state record for age 39 (I didn't have this one so it was more exciting; last year she broke my age 38 record), Rebecca was 3rd OAF in the half with 1:24, Jessica ran a beautiful negative split in her 1:33 half that exceeded what she'd been doing in training, Elise ran a 1:36 off of very little post-partum training with David’s help, Colin ran his longest post-injury run, Spencer ran a 1:25 half still feeling COVID-crappy (he had it right after me but did not get it from me!), and several paced others to their goals [note: the 1:45 pacer that went out at 7:00 pace was not from my group, lol!]. Abby and Sarah biked everywhere on the course to cheer, and Trae and Andy drove everywhere to encourage us. My heart was so full.

Awards by the fire when it's in the 70s

You can read about my past Bass Pro Marathons: 2021, 2016, 2015, and I don't have a recap for 2010 but I won overall female in 3:03 and befriended Julie that year. I also ran the half in 2017 and 2014, and the 5k in 2022. Fun fact: I have run 4 different courses in my 5 times running this marathon, with this race being my first time to run a course a second time (only 2021 and 2023 were the same route).

Chicago Details

I had big plans to write multiple detailed Chicago Marathon posts, but when I returned home with COVID it didn't happen. Instead, here are some bulleted points about things I want to remember!

• COVID
• I mentioned in my race recap that my lungs burned during the race and I blamed pollution, but I now wonder if I had already picked up COVID. I blamed the big city and huge race for feeling super fatigued and flat, but I may have been in the beginning stages of getting sick. That doesn't change my mind about huge marathons though! ;-)
• The Travel
• Casey, Abby, Nathan (Abby's boyfriend), and I drove to St Louis on Thursday evening, stayed the night with former running group member Sean who now lives there, and took a 4:30 a.m. Amtrak train to Chicago on Friday. It was my first time doing that and many laughs were had en route. 
• Casey and I took the 7:30 a.m. train back on Monday morning, while Abby and Nathan flew back in order to work on Monday. The Monday drive from St Louis back to Springfield was not easy to stay awake for!
• I taught online class for MSU on Thursday evening and Monday at noon while traveling, which wasn't ideal, but the only class I've ever cancelled was the one that took place while I was actually running the Boston Marathon. You're welcome, students!
• Pre-Race
• We were miraculously able to check into our hotel early, around 10:00 a.m. on Friday when we arrived. I had a room at the Palmer House Hotel through a Nike program I'm in, and it was close to the start and finish.
• Casey and I did a shake out run along the lakefront upon arriving.
• Nike had several fun opportunities set up in the hotel, so throughout the weekend I also did a Saturday shake out run, 3 meals, nail-painting, sport bra-fitting, Normatec boots, foam rolling, product trials, lots of socializing, and probably some other things I'm forgetting in their hospitality suites.
• Vacation Stuff
• We saw many things on our shake out runs and while walking around: Michigan Avenue, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Museum, the Aquarium, Millennium Park, Crown Fountain, countless shops and restaurants, and of course the Lakefront.
• We ate at Demera Ethiopian Cuisine at Time Out Market (a food hall), Victory Tap, Naf Naf, and The Hampton Social, and went out to Timothy O'Toole's Pub.
• We did an architectural boat tour on the river.
• We also saw a lot of the train system and my skills at using it improved, slightly.
• The Expo
• It was huge as expected, and also took commitment to get to and from.
• Packet pick up ran very smoothly, I'll give them that!
• We met Joan Benoit Samuelson and got her autograph. Casey spotted her before she set up to start signing so we only had to wait a few minutes! There were lots of lines of 30+ minutes to take photos by race props and we didn't do any of those.
• We got some free samples (drink mixes, bars) but neither Casey nor I bought anything and I was relieved when she wanted to leave before going through everything (Abby and Amy were at different hotels so we were splitting up post-expo anyway).
• I don't particularly enjoy any race expos but this one left me extra exhausted.
• ADP
• I was in the American Development Program, which meant a tent near the start where we could leave our bags, a park area to warm up in, separate porta potties, and a start just behind the professionals.
• We had to go in the same gate as Corral A, and getting through security took forever. I walked over with a Nike group and had trusted others knew that we were leaving with ample time, but I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked pre-race. It was also difficult to find my way back to the area post-race! Amy did the VIP area and also had difficulty finding it post-race.
• The Start
• My regret about the race is not paying more attention to the pro athletes in front of us at the start. I stayed at the back of the ADP corral, and we were not in the corral very long before the start, but I wish I'd have looked harder!
• I did hear them announcing pro accomplishments when we were entering our corral, specifically Des Linden's 50k world record.
• ADP athletes were eligible for prize money so we got only gun time, no chip time. I wasn't worried about this for myself, but Casey was aiming for a PR and I was going to be upset if she missed an official one by a few seconds - not to mention people trying to OTQ. It probably took less than 5 seconds to get across the line, but every second counts when you're trying for your best!
• The Race
• I noted most of the highlights in my race recap.
• I tried to pay attention to my surroundings but still didn't take in too much during the race. I think because there were so many people, I kept my eyes ahead.
• The mile markers were surprisingly difficult to spot. I don't think I ever missed so many mile markers in a marathon - ironically, since this was the first marathon I've taken manual splits in since about 2006 (i.e., pre-Garmin).
• My nutrition (4 gels) went smoothly and water stations were numerous, huge, and easy to see. The aid stations were crowded early on so if this race is hot it would be worth carrying a bottle early, but I didn't need any water for the first 6 or so miles anyway.
• I kept a little (maybe 1-3 minutes) in the tank but 26.2 miles is still a very long run.
• I didn't have as much fun as I usually do in a marathon, but I think that was related to being fatigued. I always remembered to be thankful!
• Each time I crossed a timing mat I thought about people tracking me getting updates.
• I also thought about my friends a lot, hoping they were hitting their goal times. I kept hoping that Abby would pass me, meaning she was going to go sub-3. When I had 3 miles left I was hoping Casey was near finishing (they ran 2:53 and 3:11, and poor Amy got sick before the race so had a hard day but finished it!).
• Post-Race
• Before the race, I'd gone back and forth a lot on just running Chicago "for fun" and "saving it" for my next marathon 4 weeks after. I ended up deciding that if the weather was good and I felt good, I'd try for a sub-3 since I wasn't guaranteed either in my next marathon. Based on how I actually felt knew sub-3 wasn't going to happen and held back a bit (but not much).
• We were super active post-race, with brunch, walking back to the marathon area to watch and take photos, switching hotels, going to dinner, and going out until midnight. I wish I'd have kept tracking of my total walking for the day because surely I covered at least 36 miles on foot!
• As per usual, I slept very little the night of the marathon.
• What's next?
• As mentioned, I was planning to run a local marathon 4 weeks after Chicago. I'd still like to, but will see how my COVID recovery goes. Last time I had it I didn't run well quality-wise for about 4 weeks post-illness, but I was able to pick my mileage back up quickly. 
• Fun fact
• This was marathon #46 for me if you count the marathon marks I crossed in my 4 ultras, #42 if you don't. It was #20/46 time-wise, or #18/42 if you're not counting my ultras (yeah, I split faster in 2 of my 50ks). When people asked about my performance I often said, "It was far from my best but also far from my worst", and I guess officially it was closer to my best (21 minutes) than my worst (58 minutes).
• Photo drop:

Legend!

We likely had the most snacks on this train

Architectural Boat Tour

Abby's crew was on the course in 3 spots

But they were out of beer

Nike shake out (I'm in orange in the middle)

Casey & me!

I didn't buy the photos but I smiled for them

Carb-loading, Mediterranean-style

Post-marathon buffet

Chicago Marathon

Huge marathons are not for me, and I'm in the minority with disliking major marathons (I know, I'm the weird one!). Just like with Boston 2022, it took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get me to the starting line of Chicago. I don't want my preferences to make it sound like I am not grateful, though - I am beyond thankful for the experience! I knew going in that I didn't like the city of Chicago, that I wouldn't like the crowds or hassle of a 50,000 person race, and that I likely wouldn't run my best - so none of these things came as a surprise to me. I suspected it would be a fantastic racecation with friends and that amazing things would happen at the front of the race, and those hypotheses were also correct!

Post-race with Casey & the sky line

The challenges and logistics of big city travel, the massive expo, and getting to the race start were very overwhelming. I felt like I nailed my taper when I felt peppy on my final runs in Missouri and had an effortless final workout, but my Friday shake out in Chicago felt terrible, almost like I'd already run a marathon. Saturday was a little better, but I didn't feel enthusiastic or excited to race like I usually do; I just felt tired. I loved being with three of my local running buddies who were also running the race (Casey, Abby, and Amy), and connecting with numerous running buddies from around the country, so I enjoyed everything we did despite feeling super drained.

Even though I was in the American Development Program (sub-elite), getting to the starting line was a huge ordeal including a long wait for security. I did ADP twice in Houston and expected this to be simple like that was, but it was not. We didn't have much time after arriving in the ADP pre-start area so I hastily changed my shoes, jogged for about 5 minutes, and pocketed my gels. 

I planned to start out conservatively and run by effort, but I also thought that on a good day I could slip in under 3 hours. I knew GPS wouldn't work in the city, so I turned my watch's auto-lap off and figured I'd take manual splits if I felt so inclined. I've seen a lot of people's Garmins read 27+ miles from this marathon and I didn't want my watch beeping at all incorrect times messing with me.

I lined up at the back of the ADP corral, and our corral walked up just behind the pros. I couldn't really see anyone but it was exciting to be in the same race with so many big names. I was mentally prepared for corral A runners to fly by me, but it was still uncomfortable when it happened because there were so many and a lot of elbows. I manually lapped my first mile at 7:25. It didn't feel nearly as easy as I'd have liked 7:25 to feel but I reminded myself I'd barely had a warm up and told myself I'd be fine once I settled in. A slow first mile in a marathon is always a good thing! 

I'm in the back here!

Mile 2 came in 7:12 and felt just about right effort-wise. I'd hoped that 6:50s would be what I settled into, but I wanted to get the appropriate effort and at that time it sure wasn't 6:50. I felt a burning sensation in my lungs, which continued throughout the race and has never happened to me before. I thought it could be from pollution, and I wheezed for several hours after the race, but then was fine on Monday (though I did get sick on Tuesday then tested positive for COVID after returning home). I also had to pee really badly early in the race, and ended up going behind a tree just off the course when there was about a 100 m a gap in spectators between 8k and 10k. In most marathons I see tons of porta-potties on the course but I didn't see any until later in this race. I know they were there, just a little too tucked away I guess.

I felt like I was being passed the entire first half; after Corral A evened out, the Corral B runners were going by me. By 10k I'd realized that my max on the day was probably 7:00-7:05, and decided to keep it at about 90% to hopefully maximize performance at another marathon in 4 weeks. If I'd have thought I could break 3 hours running at 100% I'd have gone for it, but I'm confident I could not have on this day. 

This photo surprised me because it's early (I only
had my sunglasses on top of my head & both
 gloves on for 4-5 miles), but not crowded

I took manual splits when I saw mile makers, but much of the time I ended up with 2 miles on one split, especially during the first half. The markers weren't as easy to spot as in other marathons I've done such as Boston, CIM, Indy, Houston, and Grandmas. Two mile splits worked fine though, and I seemed to be running 7:05-7:15 consistently. I mostly wanted reassurance I was staying even, and per the race tracker I was (my slowest pace was when I stopped to pee). In recent workouts when I've run poorly, I've been off pace from the start, and this race was like that. I guess I am good at not going beyond what I can do on a specific day, which is definitely beneficial in a marathon. If I'd have forced 6:45-6:50 to start I'd have ended up blowing up in this one!

I felt good for a brief period right around the half (which I went through in 1:33:41), and my fastest mile of the race was 14 at 6:54 per my manual split. I thought, "Maybe I just needed half the race to warm up!", but then I felt flat again and most of my splits after that were back around 7:10. From the half to mile 20, I felt mostly steady with people around me, and then from mile 20 to the end I was passing a lot of people. I didn't speed up, but a lot of people slow down, and that's probably happening to a greater extent in the 3:05-3:10 range than the 2:45-2:55 range.

I don't remember much of what was along the course, unfortunately. It just felt like a road with a million other people running! I tried to stay as close to the blue line (tangent) as I could. I remember downtown and Chinatown, and my favorite part of the race was the person with the bullhorn between miles 18-19 announcing that Kelvin Kiptum had broken the world record. For the rest of the race, when I felt tired I told myself "Sara, if Kiptum can run 2:00:35, you can finish this thing at 7:00 pace". I didn't have as much fun during this race as I usually do during a marathon, but it was never hard to keep going.

I felt pretty strong through the end and passed a lot of people going up the little hill before the finish. I made sure to smile at my actual finish, even though it felt anticlimactic. My official time was 3:07:38 (being in ADP we only got gun time, not chip), which is far from my best but even farther from my worst. A few days before the race, Facebook memories had reminded me that in 2009 I was over the moon about my then-PR of 3:08:33, so I tried to keep that in perspective. I think if I'd have gone to the well I could have run 3:03-3:05, but I didn't think there was a reason to. I ran hard but I wasn't sore or beat up from this one (carbon plated shoes help there too).

After finishing I asked many race officials and volunteers in the chute how to get to the ADP tent, but no one knew. One person directed me to the VIP area, but then I got sent back out. Eventually I saw a man who also had an ADP number on and we made our way to ADP together, both of us lost at different times.

I am in awe of people who run really fast at huge marathons - many people do. Casey, who ran 2:53, said she gets energy from big cities and crowds. Abby and Amy also loved the event and want to go back next year. I don't see myself doing any more big ones, but never say never... It was awfully special to be in the race where so many records were broken: men's world record, men's and women's course records (second fastest ever women's marathon), and US women's masters record. Hopefully this race report doesn't sound too negative; I really struggled with being truthful yet not a downer and don't know that I was successful.

Exhaustion

More details are here.

My Strava activity is here. Like I mentioned, GPS is crazy in the city so my splits aren't correct, but my overall distance and pace are closer than I expected they'd be.