Schaumburg Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon

I had planned to run based on heart rate but decided to go with RPE instead. I knew I could do under 2:10 but was hoping I might be able to hang with the 2:05 pace group. Joining them meant going out faster and trying to hold it as long as I could which I knew would likely give me a positive split, but the alternative was going out slower and trying to pace myself for a negative split which I've never been good at doing.

The first 5 miles were easy. I pocketed my gloves shortly after the 3rd mile marker because my hands were sweating. I ate my shot bloks right after passing the 4 mile marker and took some water at 4.5 miles. The first overpass appeared just after we passed the 6 mile marker for the returning runners. I shortened my stride and powered over it then coasted down knowing I'd be doing it again in a minute. The second time over hurt but then we cruised past the 6 mile marker. I was still with the pace group and feeling okay.

Except I had to pee. My bladder is the bane of my existence and although I knew I could hold it a while longer I also knew I wouldn't last through the end of the race. The last port-a-potties that were actually on the course were right after the 7 mile marker and if I didn't go then I would have to hide behind a tree later. We hit 7 miles and I saw the potties so I picked up my pace and bolted ahead of the group hoping that my heart rate would drop while I peed and I wouldn't lose too much time.

There were two people waiting in front of the two potties but one was empty. The guy said it was open but that someone had taken a dump. On the seat. Not wanting to lose more time waiting, and figuring I wasn't going to sit anyway, I went in. The smell was overpowering and it was disgusting but I figure it made me move even faster. I was in and out in less than a minute and could still see my pace group only about 30 seconds ahead of me.

My heart rate hadn't dropped back down though, probably because I'd been holding my breath due to the stench, and I couldn't sprint back to them. I pushed on and managed to gain a little on them by the time we finished mile 9 but I could feel a blister growing on my second toe that was becoming painful and I knew I was slowing because of it.

Then it was time to pop some shot bloks again. It shouldn't have slowed me down but my left hand had managed to freeze and go numb without my noticing and I had trouble with the package. By the time I finished cussing it out I was back at the start and heading off for the final out and back.

In my head I was thinking I only had a measly 5k left and feeling strong so I was calling encouragement to the runners passing me who were just about done. Then reality started to set in. I'd lost sight of my pace group, my last few miles had been too slow and I still had a not insignificant distance to cover. I dug in and tried to pick up my pace but once I was in the 12th mile they were starting to feel like lead. Just before I got to the final turn around the 2:05 pace group passed me and I wanted to cry because they were at least a minute ahead of me.

At the turn around aid station I went to grab some Gatorade but when I slowed I got wobbly and almost crashed. I managed to right myself and keep going but I really wanted to just stop and walk the rest of it. My blistered toe was throbbing and I was pretty certain I was getting a matching one on my left foot. My heart rate was too high and I was so tired. So I turned on my iPod.

With the music pumping I found a rhythm and picked up my pace just a little. I picked out a runner ahead, painted a target on his back and spent the last mile working on picking him off. I caught him right at the start of the climb to the overpass, kicked up my cadence and powered up, over and back down to cross the finish line with the slowest, wobbliest sprint I've ever done.

Not get Achilles tendonosis and lose two weeks of training only a month from the race. Tape all my toes before the race. I never get blisters in training but always seem to get them in races.

Drank some Muscle Milk, bandaged my toe and got a free shoulder massage.


Insufficient training. My longest run was only 11 miles and I could feel it when I passed that point.

Oh, and blisters.


They really need a better distribution of bathrooms. There were plenty at the start which you could also access at the 2 mile point but then you had just two at mile 4.5/7.25 then nothing until the finish.