Race Report: Cupid's Chase 5K - Chicago

Alternate title: What feels just as good as PRing?

So, after my last post, I changed my mind about today's race. I decided I was going to pace my best friend Genevieve. If you can believe it (because I can't), my mom, who is usually very competitive (you should see us play volleyball together, kind of scary), said I should pace Genevieve. Her exact words were something along the lines of "You know what your own PR is, have fun, run with your best friend, and help her do well." Perhaps my mom was biased; so has often commented that Genevieve is her other daughter.

Anyway, it was COLD this morning. I think it warmed up to around 12 degrees when we got to the race. Because I wasn't going to be pushing myself as hard, I bundled up. Five layers on top and four on bottom. (No, I'm not exaggerating - I think I set a PR for layering!) I meant to take off my track pants and windbreaker for the race, but once they were on, I didn't want to take them off. And I didn't want to pin my bib to my windbreaker, so I broke rule #1 of racing and wore the shirt during the race.

Amanda, Kelly, Gen, me

Bibs for the Virtual Run for Sherry
The race shirts said "unavailable" or "available."

We met up before the race with Kelly and Amanda, and ran into Nicole and Kate. I actually know Kate from my childhood - our parents were neighbors before we were born, and we would play together when our moms got together for coffee. (Kate and Nicole ended up placing #1 and #2 in our age group!)

Kate, their friend, Nicole

Earlier in the week, Gen told me she wanted to get sub-40 for her time. I paced us with my Garmin, but she decided when we would take walk breaks. I didn't tell her our pace, just that she was doing awesome, or I would encourage us to start running again. Our first mile was 12:09! So maybe I should have been a better pacer and started a little slower. The second mile wasn't quite as fast.

I made Gen take a pic of me + Chicago during the race (I'm facing the camera)

Nicole zooming past (part of the course was 2-way)

When we got close enough to the end and could see the time on the finishing clock, I think Gen got discouraged because it was over 40 minutes. I reminded her that it took us a bit to cross the start line, and it was a chip timed race.

Also, we were pretty close to the finish and there were two people in front of us and I asked if she wanted to pass them. Gen said no, but I didn't like that answer.

Sorry dude, you're about to be chicked x2

We crossed the finish line ... Garmin said 39:49!!!! I was so happy, it felt just as good as achieving my own PR!!! Gen needed a few minutes to compose herself (I told her that meant she did it right). Once it set in, she was happy about the time! She realized she took 3 minutes off her 5K PR in about 6 weeks. Not too shabby! (Our official time was 39:47.)

Post-race, Kelly, Amanda, Gen and I went to breakfast at Nookies, where I proceeded to remove a pair of pants and two tops right at our table. What can I say, I'm classy. If you're keeping track, that left me wearing three pairs of pants and three shirts.

Anyway, if you ever get a chance to pace a friend to a PR, do it!!!! It will feel awesome when you help them achieve their goal, I promise. Now I understand why my cousin Judie is a coach!

Don't forget, every $5 you donate to the American Cancer Society before Feb 14 = 1 entry in the raffle for a swim lesson with Judie in Lisle or Rolling Meadows!