Wait!!!... Who took the “spring” out of the spring half marathon?
Let’s keep it hunny—I would never complain about running in cold weather. This was my third race this season with temps under 55°, and I loved it. It was the rest of the weekend that had this South Florida boy bundled up.
We flew into Chicago on Friday afternoon. The temperature? A pleasant 84°. It took nearly an hour to get to the hotel—O’Hare is way out there (note to self: it’s Midway only from now on). Rachel was working but broke away for a quick lunch. Afterward, we walked over to the Chicago Athletic Association to pick up my race packet. The shirt was solid again this year, and the merch? Surprisingly good-looking.
Later, we met up with Rachel at her apartment and had an excellent supper at Yellowtail Sushi Bar & Asian Kitchen. The food was on point.
Saturday kicked off with an early brunch at Avli River North before catching the train to see the Cubs take on the White Sox. It was about 62°, but we were cold. Our seats were on the third base side, under the overhang. I know people love Wrigley Field for its tradition, but honestly? It's kind of a dump. (Though not as bad as Fenway.) You couldn’t track a fly ball to save your life, but I appreciated the unique perspective from our spot. We left after the sixth inning and headed back to the hotel for a much-needed “Shabbos nap.”
Dinner was early. Rachel took us to Bar Siena in Fulton Market, right on “Restaurant Row.” We sat outside—it was actually warmer out there than inside. Behind us were two guys dressed like cowboys. I figured they were either auditioning for the Village People or headed to the Beyoncé concert. (Spoiler: it was the latter.)
Race day kicked off with a crisp 54° morning. I was in Corral G this year (E last year), joining 5,366 runners at the 7:00 a.m. start—almost identical to last year’s turnout (5,306). I waited just 17 minutes before crossing the start line. The majority of the course is hosted along Chicago’s Lakefront Trail – extremely flat, fast and incredibly scenic.
One of the best things about this race is the spacing: you're never stuck in a “bumper-to-bumper” crowd. The staggered corral starts work perfectly, and no one seems to be running more than two across.
I chatted with Lenny for the first few miles—it was an hour later in Miami—before warming up and ditching my compression sleeves around mile three. The sky stayed overcast for the whole race, which felt great. I ran strong the entire time, though (as usual) my final time didn’t quite reflect that. No major moments to report—except stopping to pee three times—and it was awesome to see Glenda and Rachel snapping photos as I approached the finish line.
The medal? Outstanding. The after-party? Big and lively, with live music. We walked back to the hotel, and Rachel grabbed bagels for breakfast. We spent the afternoon shopping and braving our traditional (and freezing!) architectural boat tour on the river, then capped off the weekend with dinner at Ēma—a go-to spot the ladies absolutely love
All in all, a successful and thoroughly enjoyable race weekend.
P.S. Monday morning? 45°.
So much for spring!
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