Race Recap: Hot Chocolate 15K in Chicago

The Hot Chocolate 15K in Chicago yesterday was one of my best races ever! Not only did I PR at 1:16:17 (from 1:18:52 last year) but I also ran my best pace ever in a race, 8:11/mile! (Not counting track and cross country races in high school.) That's even a faster pace than my 4-mile race earlier this year! I really was going out there to just have fun and run a pain free race after the brutal Chicago Marathon three weeks ago, but I felt great, started fast, and kept the pace. I am surprised that I was able to run that fast because I have been training over 9:00/mile for the marathon. I think it was all of the crossfit endurance track workouts that I did over the past few months that really made a difference in me being able to do this race fast.

I went to the expo on Friday morning and it wasn't crowded at all. A big improvement from last year when there were long lines to get packets and it was outside in the cold. I registered with a fast finish time because the race was really crowded last year year for the first 2.5 miles because the 5k starts with the 15k. This year was a wave start so it was less crowded in the beginning and it was also nice to be in front! I wore my Chicago Marathon neon half-zip, which was perfect for the 40-degree weather.

The run started pretty quickly, with the same start as the Chicago Marathon along Columbus Dr. I did the first 2 miles at close to 8:00/mile pace and then I decided that I either need to slow down or try for another PR. I slowed down a little bit but kept close to 8:15 pace. Then, the miles flew by and I realized that I would easily PR! It was excited to know that because I wasn't planning on it. I guess I need to be more confident in my running, especially after marathon training for months!

The best part about the race was that my legs didn't hurt, and neither did my ankles. I truly enjoyed the race, unlike the last part of the marathon. I really only got tired in the last 2 miles but the thought of my PR kept me going. My legs were a bit sore after but I feel just fine today.

I ran into some fellow 6am crossfitters, Liz and Daryn, at the finish line. They also ran the Chicago Marathon a few weeks ago! We decided to skip getting chocolate and beat the crowd to brunch instead. It was a good idea because all the brunch/breakfast places got really crowded due to the race. Overall, it was a beautiful fall morning and a great race!

The Hot Chocolate 15/5k is continuing it's tour through the rest of 2013 and onto 2014! You can use code HealthyfitMUG to get a free travel mug with registration for any city!

Did you run the Hot Chocolate 15/5k yesterday? How'd it go?

Disclaimer: I am part of the Hot Chocolate 15/5K blogger program and got a free race entry and swag for writing about the race. All opinions and text are my own.