Two very good reminders came out of today’s race:
1. Don’t “race”* unless your heart’s in it
2. Don’t always follow the leaders
Some years I am super pumped about doing Thanksgiving time-frame races and take advantage of the fact that Chicagoland has a ton of them. Some years, not so much. Like this year. I scratched the idea of doing a half marathon today early in the week, and kind of thought about the COOL 10K, but was super on the fence about it. I feel like running… just not so much like paying for it. Ha ha. So I decided to see how I felt when I woke up and how the weather was. Felt good, weather was good (highs in the 40s, whuuuuuuuuuuuuut?!), and bonus, Bobbi was doing the race too! And it’s for a good cause (proceeds go to a food pantry), so I prepared a 10K playlist with hopes for a speedy time, and went.
I’m familiar with the race course. It’s a shared 5K/10K course, where the 5Kers do a loop, the 10Kers go off the loop to get that extra 3.1 out and back. Simple course and it hadn’t changed this year, according to the course map.
So I was really surprised in the first .4 miles of the race when we made a right turn where we normally make a left, and ran somewhere we typically don’t. But I saw everyone else going that way behind us too, and stuck with it.
I was feeling good (just had wardrobe issues**) when I passed the 2K sign and saw we were .9 miles ahead of it. Um, yeah. We went the wrong way. Dang. I was hoping I wasn’t right.
I felt like an idiot for following the leaders (even though everyone did) and discouraged that I’d have to run a faster pace longer, so I slowed down. At 3.3 I stopped and waited a few minutes for Bobbi and ran the rest with her! It was nice to chat, but I felt so dumb/embarrassed about making that wrong turn (which was marked with a low sign) and on how easily I gave up – just no heart in it, today.
But the sun was out, it felt nice out, the 13 mph winds were not horrible and I got to run with my bestie. I’d say that’s a success! And! I hit a new monthly personal distance record (PDR) during this run!
It made me feel better that the race director acknowledged people went the wrong way (up to 7.3? I had 7.0 in 1:15:25). In fact, I think every 10Ker ran extra. The 5Kers did not, since they started later. There were some runners behind us who thought they were almost done and Bobbi let them know what was up. We felt so bad for them – running 7 instead of 6.2 on their first 10K! One lady joked that she might as well go for a half, next. Hee hee, I like that attitude!
Have you ever taken the wrong turn in a race? What did you do?
Ha ha, that happened to me when I had to walk half in 2010. We got off course but I used my friend’s smartphone to get back on track and we still hit 13.1!!! I can’t recall if that happened that time cause they had already started to take down directional signs. This time was definitely runner error! So don’t get me wrong – this is a great race, and I love that it benefits the local community. And that you get to pick your race swag (horrible pic, but you can choose from a black hat, black headband or blue hat)!
*to me, this is very distinct from running a race just for fun
**overdressed, and hipS-sister has gotten too big
that sucks about the wrong turn!! Better now than in your marathon tho. Congrats on the PDR. It looks so pretty up there. I don’t know how I’d manage with the snow. I’ve never lived anywhere that gets more than a few inches sporadically. You are truly hardcore.
I like that you got to choose ur swag. I signed up for the oak barrel half in Tn for next year and they gave us an option during registration. Looks like you’ll need the hats etc, it’s nice when it’s something different when you can use it.
Yeah, totally better now! Especially for a race that my heart was not in and I signed up for on a whim 🙂
I really like running on the snow… as long as it’s not a frozen sheet of ice! It slows me down though. Ha ha 🙂
Do you know what swag you will get for your half?! 🙂
We stepped outside earlier and it is really nice out.
I once ran a 10k in Madison that was measured incorrectly and we ended up running 7.3 miles! This was back in the day when I wasn’t running a lot of distance. I was upset about it..now I’d probably just be annoyed and laugh about it. Crazy about the wrong turn! Too bad they didn’t have a volunteer stationed at the turn. Where is this race? I’ve never heard of it!
Oh gosh! Marked incorrectly would have made me really mad!!! Today… I could only be annoyed with myself. And the RD sent out a really nice email about the mix-up. That was nice to see! They plan to have a volunteer there next year 🙂 The race is at Old School Forest Preserve in Libertyville 🙂 Have you run there?
If you wash your HipsSister in warm water it will shrink back!! I’ve never taken a wrong turn during a race…but many a training runs, indeed!
I will try that! Or buy a smaller size 🙂
Oh man, bummer about the wrong turn!! I hate it when races aren’t well marked. A low sign doesn’t cut it…most runners aren’t operating at full brain power during a race and need OBVIOUS clues. At least I’m not at full brain power…maybe it’s just me. 😉 That would suck if it was your first 10k! Luckily you’re used to distance.
There ARE a ton of turkey trots in the Chicagoland area. We were thinking of doing one since we were in Libertyville for the day but we’d have to get up SO early to get there in time.
The low sign has worked in the past… and it’s obvious you have to either go left or right at this spot, so I am not sure why the leaders chose the wrong way? But, the RD said they will have a volunteer there next year 🙂
Don’t you have family you could stay with around Libertyville and make a trip out of it?! 🙂
Apparently the leaders were…who knows! LOL! Once Chris was in a triathlon and a volunteer told them to go the wrong way. The top 20 cyclists cut about 1/4 of the bike course off because of it. Rather than having EVERYONE go the wrong way once they realized their error, they had the rest of the racers go the right way and penalized all of the top 20. It didn’t affect Chris’s overall placement but it did some of the others. Big mess!!
As for family in Libertyville, we don’t stay over unless we HAVE to (which has only happened 2-3 times. LOL).
Oh wow! That sucks that they penalized those 20! It really was not their fault! 🙁
Ahh, I got ya 😉 Ha ha.
Wow that’s such a bummer, I’d have been so frustrated! I have taken wrong turns in trail races – the one I did in Indiana I actually got lost and it was scary since it was so rural and no one was by me! I don’t think I ever have in a road race though. At least you weren’t really intending to go for a big pr – that would be really frustrating.
It was nice out today though! I did the Schaumburg 5K and it was nice to be out when it was nice.
I have heard more stories of people getting lost in trail races than road! Luckily, all the trail races I have done have been well marked! NFEC is really good about it.
I was seeing if I could beat my PR. For the first 1.5 miles. Ha ha.
Yay! I am happy you got to race in the nice weather! Get out today too! The cold is back tomorrow! 🙂
I wish I could. I hurt my knee at last week’s trail race. I thought I was okay to run on it yesterday but today I can barely walk.
The muddy monk races are typically pretty well marked, although I’ve occasionally strayed a little, but the Tryon Trail one I got quite lost haha.
Well…at least you knew quickly? That sucks! 🙁
Wow. That sounds really serious! I hope you rest or see a doc (or both) soon to see what is going on!
The Muddy Monk races were always well marked when I did them! But WAY off on distance. Are they still?
Yeah, I am happy I figured it out right away.
Yeah, I’m worried 🙁 I am giving it another week’s full rest and not letting myself try to run until 12/8. If it still hurts I am going to go see a doctor. Blah.
They usually are. The 15K last week was perfect but it’s more common for them to be off on distance.
That stinks, but I guess at least you got more race that you paid for (7.0 vs. 6.2)? 🙂 Yes, that happened to me in a 10k about 4 years ago. A race volunteer pointed us in the wrong direction. Suddenly, the finish line was up ahead almost a mile short. I ran about 8k. The results still haunt me in athlinks saying I ran a 35 minute 10k! It stinks because it might have been a real PR. The next year the same race was measured wrong and it was only 6 miles long. I haven’t been back since….
Oh man! Did other people get directed the wrong way that year, too?! Sounds like that race needs some help!
I (and many others) took a wrong turn once during the Chicago’s Perfect 10K race and I ended up hopping over some crazy scary railing on the side of the highway to get back on track! It was really frustrating but it happens I guess 🙂
Oh my gosh! That is insane! Thankfully you didn’t have to do it alone!
That stinks about the wrong turn, i haven’t had that happen to me, but I have ran a course that was short and that is just as frustrating lol Sounds like you made the best of it though and still had a fun friend run 🙂
It’s so frustrating when that happens if you were going for a time goal! I was so happy my friend was there so I wouldn’t be AS upset. Hee hee.
Ugh, that sucks! The first year of the IL marathon, I heard the race directors telling the volunteers to pretend that runners are dumb and not to assume that they will go the right way–I guess that’s why! Not that runners are dumb, but just because they’re in the zone and may not realize not to make the turn, and then everyone follows the pack. For the record, I would have followed the leaders too!
Yeah, you are just in the zone and assuming the people in front of you know where they are going. I think the race leaders are dumb. LOL!!!! 😛