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You are here: Home / half marathons / Lifetime Half #66, State #37, Heartland Series (IL)

Lifetime Half #66, State #37, Heartland Series (IL)

June 19, 2017 by MCM Mama 12 Comments

Today’s Tuesdays on the Run topic is “scenes from your run”. I love to see the cool places people run on a regular basis. Unfortunately, life has been INSANE lately and all of my runs have been straight out the front door and loops through my neighborhood. Yes, my “run this town” project is going great. I have my neighborhood done at least 8 times now, sigh. So, I’m taking the “link up any running related post” option and writing about race #3 that I did at the Heartland Series. Or maybe I should say race #3 and #4…

Heartland Series: Illinois
May 31, 2017
2:28:19 and 36:00

Temp: Low 50s to mid 60s
What I wore:hat, tank top, a Skirt Sports Happy Girl, compression socks, and Altra One 2.5

Once we finished the Indiana race, we headed back to the hotel to clean up and then started working our way to Clinton, Iowa. The next day’s race was in Fulton, Illinois, but the two towns sit on opposite banks of the river and we opted to stay in the same hotel in Iowa for both nights. On the way, we stopped at a brewpub (duh) and then did a short hike to a waterfall. I was pretty wiped and we both wanted to rest up for the next day because both had big plans.

Beer Geek had decided to run his first half marathon and I was planning to “Double Down” and run a 5K after I finished my half marathon. Why? Because I wanted the extra bling!

Since we were still in Central time, our wakeup came at 3:30am. Yowza. We got ready and headed over and parked in the small downtown to run on the riverwalk. I have a bad habit of not reading course descriptions and it turns out this was the hardest of the courses I ran this series. It had 3 steep hills per lap – and it was 8 laps.

It was chilly at the start, so I wore long sleeves for the first lap. I almost regretted it, but then the wind hit after the turnaround and I was glad to have it. I still ditched it after the first lap as I knew it was just going to keep getting warmer. The course offered great views and I didn’t push the pace at all after the previous day’s speed attempt. I just chatted with people and kept moving at a steady pace, picking off the hills one by one. I managed to run every single hill and my last lap was actually my fastest! But the combination of hills + 8 stops in the aid station meant this was my slowest half marathon of the trip.

Finally, I ran into the finish line. Where I changed bibs and ran out again to run the 5K. I’m not going to lie – I thought I was going to have to do a significant amount of walking. But I ended up running the whole thing. It was slow going, but I ran those hills two more times and then I was done!

The good:

  • I love Mainly Marathons races. It’s like coming home every time I see them.
  • The weather was beautiful and the views were lovely.
  • Snacks. All the snacks. I think this was the day I ate hot noodle soup in the middle of the race.
  • Double bling.

The bad:

  • The wind after the turnaround was pretty brutal by the end.
  • Running an extra 5K when I was barely trained to run a half marathon was painful.

The ugly:

  • The hills. They were not awesome.

 

Would I run this race again?

I love Mainly Marathons and this was a nice course. I wouldn’t go out of my way to run it again, but I would definitely run it if I happened to be nearby.

 

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Filed Under: half marathons Tagged With: 50 States, half marathons, Illinois, Mainly Marathons

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Comments

  1. Lisa @ Mile by Mile says

    June 20, 2017 at 4:55 am

    That sounds tough to run all those hills multiple times and then have to go do it again for the 5k! Awesome job!
    Lisa @ Mile by Mile recently posted…All About Rolfing: What It Is And What I’ve Learned So FarMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy says

    June 20, 2017 at 5:30 am

    3 steep hills 8 times + a 5k? You are definitely half crazy!

    I thought 3 loops for my trail half was too many!
    Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Utah Valley Half Marathon Race Recap 6/10/17My Profile

    Reply
  3. Meliss says

    June 20, 2017 at 5:36 am

    I love the pattern of your skirt! And nice job on the race. Even with the hills! I can’t believe after you finished you ran the 5K. Such an inspiration!
    Meliss recently posted…Scenes from my RunsMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Wendy says

    June 20, 2017 at 7:20 am

    Hills? In Illinois? LOL…

    Congrats. You are a beast!
    Wendy recently posted…5 Reasons and 6 Tips to be More Mindful on the RunMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Darlene says

    June 20, 2017 at 8:44 am

    Love your outfit. Am always amazed at how you can run so many halfs!! Good for you!

    Reply
  6. Lesley says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:39 am

    Ugh, all those hills! I’d be done after the first race, let alone a second one.

    Reply
  7. Rachel says

    June 20, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    Damn girl. Talk about beast mode!! You’re such an amazing runner.
    Rachel recently posted…Duluth Weekend Getaway: Grandma’s Marathon EditionMy Profile

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  8. vicki says

    June 20, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    I have a mental block on multiple loops… great job!

    Reply
  9. Mary Beth Jackson says

    June 20, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Great job! I don’t know how I would do with running a 5K after a half! I took 6 recovery days after my Utah half and loved every one of them! Congrats to you!
    Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…Running around Winter HavenMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says

    June 20, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    You are seriously crazy and amazing at the same time!
    Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Crispy Chick Pea & Farro Power Bowl with Tahini DressingMy Profile

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  11. Runwright says

    June 21, 2017 at 1:56 am

    Steep hills are not my favorite running routes but it’s sure cool to hear about other people doing them 🙂

    Reply
  12. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says

    June 21, 2017 at 10:26 am

    Really cool medals – congrats on your race! Running those loops sounds really tough!
    Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Rock ‘n Roll Seattle Half Marathon RecapMy Profile

    Reply
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Who is MCM Mama?
A slightly obnoxious mom and wife who loves good beer and running, who struggles a bit with depression especially in the winter and when running isn’t allowed, who’d rather go on a fun vacation than upgrade the kitchen or add a master bath, and has a minor addiction to the Marine Corps Marathon.

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