2016 Shamrock Shuffle race recap

I completed my second edition of the Shamrock Shuffle this morning (read last year's recap here).

I'll cut to the chase. Despite thinking out a strategy, I did not achieve a new PR today. I didn't miss by much. My 44:24 time was only 12 seconds slower than my current PR.

I am disappointed to have come so close but not get there. Of course I am thinking now about all the little things I did, like walking through one of the aid stations, that could have made the difference. But you live and you learn, right?

On the positive side...

• The weather conditions weren't perfect, but they were reasonable. Yesterday, the weather was horrific - at times it was snowing sideways with 50 MPH+ winds. I was nervous about what might be in store for us today. But this morning, we had clear blue skies and NO PRECIPITATION. Temps were in the upper 20s/lower 30s with some gusts. 
• Race organization was outstanding. Ample signage, no waits at gear check, and minimal waits at the portapotties. Fantastic volunteers and good corral enforcement. My corral was the first in Wave 2, and we started at 9:00 AM on the dot.
• It's such a privilege to run through downtown Chicago when all the streets are closed off to traffic! Us runners only get this opportunity a few times each year. Therefore, I always relish these events.

Source

• I ran a negative split and for once I did NOT start out too quickly in the first mile. (Quite the opposite, in fact. More detail below.)
• Adam came to cheer me out on the course. I saw him once around Mile 2.5 and again around Mile 3. I was only expecting to see him once, so seeing him twice was a wonderful surprise. He got this action snapshot of me:

On the negative side...

• I rode a Divvy bike to the starting area. Divvy had announced they'd be monitoring nearby docking stations to ensure docks and bikes would both always be available. Unfortunately, the Michigan/Jackson station was completely full when I arrived and Divvy was NOT there. Whomp, whomp. I ended up having to scurry to the Millennium Park station a few blocks north. No harm done, but it added an element of stress. 
• As expected, my Garmin lost signal when we went underneath the Columbus tunnel shortly after the start. When I regained signal, it showed I was running paces between 11-14 minutes for quite some time. I knew it wasn't right, but WOW did that mess with my head!

• Since my Garmin was clearly off, I was running semi-blind on my pace for awhile. I kept telling myself to take it easy and not push too much. Unfortunately, I ended up taking that strategy too far because... 
• I hit the Mile 1 marker in 9:18. I was targeting an 8:50 average pace, and had wanted something around 9 minutes flat in Mile 1. It was mentally defeating to face a 28-second deficit so early on. Could I really come back from such a large hole in just 4 miles? 
• Something was amiss with chip timing because the Shamrock Shuffle website said I hit Mile 1 in 9:08. What the heck? I only wish that was true because it could have been a whole different ballgame. Did anyone else experience variances on their Mile 1 split? 
• The straightaway on Franklin Street around Mile 3 included an enormous wall of wind. Add another checkmark to the list of mental hurdles. I remember this stretch feeling like a monsoon last year, too. 

Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 9:18

Mile 2: 8:51

Mile 3: 8:52

I forgot to lap my Garmin at Mile 4. I completed the final 1.97 miles in 17:26, which translates to an average pace of 8:41. However, I pushed the pace as best I could during the last mile. Here are my split guesstimates:

Mile 4: 8:50ish

Mile 4.97: 8:30ish

During the final stretch on Columbus, my lungs felt like they were going to explode.

In closing, my execution was solid with the exception of the problematic first mile. Big lesson learned: I need to work on properly pacing myself at the start without relying on my Garmin.

It's a bummer that the 8K race distance is uncommon. I am itching to get back out there ASAP to get my revenge, er, uh, try again.

I'm already looking ahead to the PAWS Run For Their Lives 8K in June. When does registration open???

After the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, my work is cut out for me. Bring on the speedwork and pace practice!

My next race: Chicago's Perfect 10 on April 9

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Linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap, and with Zenaida's Shamrock Shuffle race recaps.