Well, another half-marathon has been successfully completed. I ran the Chicago 13.1 marathon bright and early at 7:00 am. It turned out to be perfect race weather, as the rain held out until shortly after crossing the finish line.
My finishing time was right on par with my last race, with a time of 1:37:41. YES!
My time was good enough to finish 143rd overall (out of 3002 finishers). I was actually 29th in my age division. Not too shabby!!!
After completing the race, i hung around the finish line area to wait for a friend of mine who was also running. It was so wonderful to watch the faces of the people who were coming in at a much slower pace than I did. Since I have quite a few races under my belt now, it's easy to forget that a lot of these people are running their first race ever, or running just to prove something to themselves.
It was a beautiful sight. To see these people coming across the finish line with huge smiles on their faces, after running for 2 and a half to 3 hours, is very emotional. I have to remember that most people don't run for more than 3 to 4 miles at a time, if that! Not everyone goes out for a 10 mile run just for fun. I hope I don't ever get jaded into thinking that their race is somehow less important or less special than mine, just because they aren't quite as fast.
Overall, a great day, great weather, and a great race!
My next race is in 2 weeks! Now, who's running with me? :)
congrats buddy
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