Race 6: The Big 10k

I want to start this post off with some news. I deferred my marathon entry to 2017. I know, I know. I shouldn't have given up. But with this being my first summer in the city, I had too many things I wanted to experience. Next year I will have time to focus on my training and will be more in a summer fitness routine. 

Okay, now that that news is over, let's talk about the Big 10k. I did this race right in the middle of the Warrior Week challenge for Soul Cycle (post about that coming up!) and my legs were DEAD for this race. On top of this, I somehow ended up in Corral A. A!! Why was I placed there??? I definitely had no business being in the A corral. 

Add some humidity and a new course that was full of the only hills in Chicago, and you have a recipe for disaster. I ended up finishing just under an hour, but man, it was painful. I've never walked so many times in a race. Ever. Definitely a lesson in not over-training just before a race.

It was tough, but I did get to see my parents multiple times along the route! It was so nice having them there to yell "Go Bones!" as I passed. It reminded me of Cross Country in high school, and it really helped give me a much-needed boost. Afterwards, I lost my phone (and a Boilermaker very generously helped me find it, so I will never be sh*tty about Purdue again), enjoyed some free chicken sausage, got an amazing iced sugar cookie from Sugar and Spice in the Memorial Union at IU, and met (again) Kyle Schwarber! Overall, it's such a fun atmosphere that it makes up for a really tough course and high humidity!

More photos below!

-B