Reviews of Soldier Field 10 Mile, Chicago Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon, & Continued Misadventures

Rebecca & Brittney @ Soldier Field 10 Mile

Training Days Completed:132

Miles Run: 214

Dollars Raised So Far: $1419.10
Goal: $2000
Training Days Until Chicago Marathon: 65
Best Gel: Hammer Banana
Best Gummy Clif Margarita
Best Race: Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon
Best Medal: Soldier Field 10 Mile
Best One-Liner: 'Dunkin' Donuts is NOT the next Aid Station' - Medical Personnel at Half

A Sincere Thank You to Plainfield East High School Parents, Students, and Staff

Ms. Scott's 4th Hour Chemistry Class Supports Our Fight!

The Plainfield East High School 'No One Fights Alone!' Boys Volleyball Fundraiser was a smashing success. In total, PEHS raised $491.12 to fight Melanoma in honor of Katy Sirovatka via Jack's Marathon Team. April Marlatt, also raised $500 for the Chicago Avon Walk for breast cancer through the same event. We are very proud and humbled by the support given by  parents, students, and staff. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Unity of community will best end the unnecessary suffering and sadness caused by the disease of cancer. April completed her fundraising event in June 2012. Rebecca's efforts will culminate at the Chicago Marathon to be run on October 7, 2012.

April Marlatt finishes her 39.3 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in June 2012

Training Update

Well, well, well, summer is here and it is hot as Hades, as if you haven't already noticed. I promised myself that I would never ever ever ever ever complain about running in the heat after spraining my ankle dodging a snow drift this past winter. So, I won't. But I will say that fantasies of running in crisp weather wearing a nice fashionable scarf are on my mind. I will reward myself after training with hot mulled cider & pumpkin pie. Ahhhhhh... but enough of that and back to the reality of finding out what it is like to train for my first (and quite possibly only) marathon on the surface of the sun. I have two words for you... Runner's Trots. I do not think I want to say what these are directly because I will lose readers and probably donations if I go into detail. Google it yourself. *wink wink*

Review of Soldier Field 10 Mile

My first major race of the season was the Soldier Field 10 mile. I paid an $80 entry fee. Goodies included a semi-weatherproof stadium blanket that is going to be AWESOME for my Friday Night Lights. Also included were a short sleeve tech shirt and finishers medal. Race day parking at Soldier Field was plentiful & free. The course was 5 miles out and back, most of which was on or near Lake Shore Drive or with a lake view. On course support was minimal, but they did offer a choice of water or Gatorade. Honestly, I was there to 'feel the rush' of running through the player's tunnel and finishing on the 50 yard line. The experience did not disappoint. I ran a great solid race with Brittney Smith and Neal Florine throughout. There is nothing like running with friends, and finishing together.

Rebecca and Neal finish together on the Bears 50 yard line.

Race Pros:

1) Friends are allowed to pick up your race packet for you.

2) Race day parking is plentiful and free.

3) Goodies include a tech shirt, high quality medal, & weather-proof stadium blanket.

4) Race finishes through the player's tunnel and on the 50 yard line at Soldier Field.

 

Race Cons:

1) Minimal on course support.

2) Minimal sponsor samples.

Astronomy Lesson

I planned a training run at Springbrook Prairie on June 5, 2012. As I pulled into the parking lot I saw a group of men gathered with telescopes. I thought that maybe they were spotting wildlife, but instead, as they explained, they were tracking the last time Venus would move across the surface of the sun in our lifetime. Immediately this attracted my attention because I often feel as if I am moving across the surface of the sun. One of the astronomers, Alfred R. Martin PH.,is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Benedictine University. I promised the boys a shout-out in my training blog and it is long overdue. HOLLA BOYS!!! It's been wonderful meeting so many intelligent, kind, and interesting people on my journey to complete the Chicago Marathon.

***Note: In the picture of the sun, the largest black dot is Venus, and the smaller dots are solar storms. Cool.

Venus Transit taken by Rebecca - 6/5/2012

Astronomers including Professor Alfred R. Martin, PH.D

  

Review of Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon

My next major race was the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. I paid $85 to enter and honestly it was worth every penny and then some. I actually found a blog complaining about the fee for this particular half which goes up to as much as $150 for procrastinators. My favorite remarks were, 'I liked it better when running wasn't cool,' and 'OMG is U2 Playing'. Ha! No sorry, it was Cobra Starship. My advice is to learn to plan ahead and sign up for this one as soon as registration opens. Also, there will be promotional coupon codes such as $13 off for signing up on the thirteenth of the month.

My friends Brittney, Tania, & I were reserved a hotel room at the Congress Hotel on Michigan Avenue through the race website at a very reasonable rate. We were easily able to pick up our packets and enjoy the expo at McCormick Place, which was walking distance from the hotel. The Expo gets a 10/10. Small samples were plentiful the best of which was an XSport arm band which can hold my phone. I needed that! I won a high-quality Brooks tee shirt. I also discovered the Margarita Clif bloks here AND finally purchased a cute Rock 'n' Roll running hat, which I also needed. Not that I like to brag about the fact that I like to run these high mileage races in the City of Chicago with logo gear. Ha ha ha! The tech shirt was AWESOME. The medal itself was cute and even covered in glitter glaze... a nice addition to my collection.

The race was well run, and support was exceptional. Aid stations handed out water, Gatorade, GU, sponges, wet clothes, ice, and some included people with hoses aimed to spray runners. AHHHH! The local bands were solid and played a variety of covers such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Outfield, & Rush. Life Coaches were dispersed throughout the course to give words of encouragement, and Medical Personnel gave me my best laugh. It was that awkward moment at mile 10 when no one is saying anything because we are all silently wondering if we are going to die as we longingly look at the stretcher on the side of the road. We pass a Dunkin' Donuts and the Medical Guy says, 'Dunkin Donuts is NOT the next aid station.' Wow! We even get comedy. The post race samples were incredible. The vendors literally pushed them on us. I can't remember everything but I think I took a full-size Gatorade, bottled water, a Jamba Juice Smoothie, Dole tropical fruit cocktail, full-size Marathon bars, tuna packets, popsicles, a mini-carton of chocolate milk etc. etc. etc.

As for my personal experience. Well... I went on a two week hiking trip in Yellowstone with my son immediately before and returned to town specifically for this race. So, the question in my mind was... would hiking 50 miles up and down the mountains, down and up the canyons, facing grizzly bears, and not stopping until I thought my legs would fall off be a substitute for a training plan.

*moment to ponder*

No, it wasn't. But, hey, I had some great experiences and captured fantastic photographic moments like this one, and this one, and this one.

Rebecca contemplates Yellowstone River after a 3 hour hike from the rim of the Canyon. - 7 Mile Hole Trail

Tommy slides down a glacial boulder on Slough Creek Trail - The Abrooska Range is in the background

Tommy & Rebecca FINALLY ascend the peak of Mount Washburn in time to see the Big Horned Sheep and their kids - Note that my Jack's Marathon Team Cap makes it to the summit as well

Heck you can even face your fears on your vacation and finally come face-to-face with a grizzly sow and her two cubs. In fact, possibly the bear, only fifty feet away from you, could stare you down and take a few steps in your direction. You could survive ALL THIS... but sorry, you are still hosed for your half marathon the following Sunday because all of this is not going to be enough.

Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone on the Beaver Ponds Trail... I Guess the $50 I spent on 'Bear Spray' was not a paranoid waste of $$$ after all

Ah hem... so back to my race experience. It was wonderful, fantastic, the best support ever, I enjoyed a weekend in the Congress Plaza Hotel with my girlfriends, etc. Howeva... there were also the Runner's Trots. These came into play at about mile 8 when the barely manageable cramping started. I looked desperately for the Port-A-Pottys, but I couldn't find them. I thought about what I should do if... & then they come into sight. WHEW!!! By the way, I waited in line forever before I finally settled in. At mile 10, after slapping hands with the Life Coach (He reassured me that I was going to finish this race!) the cramping began again. Happily, I find the Port-A-Pottys immediately and this wasn't as close of a call. At this point I sincerely start to wonder if I am going to be able to finish this race at all. I want to... even if I have to crawl. At mile 11, I start to cry tears of joy because I realize that I AM going to make it. I think about Katy Sirovatka and all she must have gone through in her treatment. I am running this in her name and I will finish what I started, and I will make her and her family proud. At mile 12, I start to smile and pick up the pace, because I am feeling better. I end up passing 200 or so people that decided to walk it in between mile 12 and 13. As I approach the finish, I hear the announcer say, 'And here comes Rebecca Scott!' as if I am a celebrity. I point at him, give him the thumbs up, and smile. He says, 'It feels good doesn't it?' I pump my fist at him and then cross the finish line. In that moment, I did feel like a celebrity. Considering all that happened, my time wasn't that bad. I am starting to see and feel the physical effects of my training, I had a good time with my friends, and I gained valuable  experience on my journey to completing the the Chicago Marathon. Yes, it was worth it.

Rebecca Finishes the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon

As I staggered through the finishers area I collected my samples in a daze and looked for my friends. Shortly after that, I looked for the Port-A-Pottys. I knew this was going to take some time, so I set my samples down by a tree & went in. I almost started crying when I realized that ALL of pottys were completely out of toilet paper. ALL OF THEM. I freaked and almost started crying when a stranger bestowed an act of kindness upon me. She handed me a baggie filled with Kleenex. Who knows how many minutes later, I found my tree just as the Chicago Park District Employee is getting ready to toss my samples. 'Are these yours?', he said. 'Oh yes... I really want them.' He said, 'Well, they have been sitting here a very long time.' I replied, 'You don't want to know what I've been doing.'

Lessons Learned

1) Either stick to your training plan, or mentally prepare to pay a price.

2) Drop down from Nike Intermediate to Hal Higdon Novice 1.

3) DO NOT EAT a full meal the night before or the morning of a race.

4) Take Immodium before a race.

5) Always bring a baggie of TP.

Honerable Mention

Props to the people in charge of maintaining the portable pottys after this race. I saw some things that just weren't right. I tried not to look, but the pottys were such a mess I would have had to gone in with my eyes completely closed to avoid seeing something gross. I thought about it, but in the end there was no way I was going to risk actually touching something, anything, in the portable restroom. I do not think the potty's were salvageable at all. I am an environmentalist but sometimes it is best just to throw disgusting things like these potty's away. Perhaps we could put them at the other side of the universe through a wormhole with Loki like in The Avengers. Or maybe we could send them into space with the nuclear waste.

Race Pros

1) Excellent tech shirt and finisher's medal.

2) The best on course support bar none.

3) More free samples than I could carry.

Race Cons

1) The portable pottys at the race finish were out of TP early.

2) I know that Brett Michaels was touring with Poison the week before and therefore could not make our post-race concert, but Cobra Starship? Really?

Coupon Code for $5 Off Chicago Half Marathon on 9/9/2012 - Good Through 8/8... CHMFR5K

 

Race Results

Stadium Blanket Given As Part of the Goodie Bag for the Soldier Field 10 Mile

 

Soldier Field 10 Mile Finish

Soldier Field 10 Mile - May 26, 2012

Chip Time: 1:44:56

Pace: 10:30

Division Place: 683/1282

Overall Place: 8303/12833

Rainbows Summer Sunset 10K - June 24, 2012

Brittney & Tania @ Rainbows Finish

Chip Time: 1:13:28

Pace: 11:51

Division Place: 11/13

Overall Place: 47/64

There is Nothing Like Racing Through the City of Chicago with 15000 of Your Closest Friends

Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon - July 22, 2012

Chip Time: 2:46:08

Pace: 12:41

5K: 33:06

10K: 1:08:47

10 Mile: 2:04:22

Division Place: 967/1353

Overall Place: 11875/14986

It's All About the Medals...

...And the Tech Shirt/Gear

Fundraising Update

Thank You to the Following Donors Since my Last Blog Entry:

1) Patricia Tatman - $25

2) Mina Setor - $250

So far I raised $1419.10 of my $2000 goal for Jack's Fund in Katy's name. Jack's Fund participates in corporate matching and is a 501c3 charity. Please consider joining my journey in a personal way. Following is the link to my donation website. Or, you can contact me for more information at rebecca.a.scott23@gmail.com. Happy running!!!

http://www.active.com/donate/12JTCHI/rebecca23