Naperville Trails Half Marathon Race Review
Yesterday I ran the Naperville Trails half marathon in Wheaton, IL. It was a great day for a race...and a PR! Almost a year and a half since my last PR, I finally set a new personal best for the half marathon.
The race took place in a local forest preserve - Danada Forest Preserve, and was a relatively small race with about 700 finishers. The weather was pretty cool at the start at around 50 degrees, and warmed up in the 60's by the finish. The course was on crushed limestone with some shady sections and mostly rolling hills. There were a few segments that were looped, but nothing that felt too repetitive. The race ended at an equestrian ring that was on grass.
Race Morning
Due to it being a local race, and a late start of 8:30 am, I didn't have to be out the door until 7 am. The race advertised a shuttle service as there was limited parking due to the forest preserve location. When we arrived around 7:20 am, most of the lots were filling up quickly. After a short walk to the start, I met up with some of my Oiselle IL teammates who were also running the race for a quick picture.
Close the starting time, runners began lining up to pace flags in the parking lot. It was a bit cramped as it was smaller space for runners, but the event was chip timed so it didn't seem to matter much as the time didn't start until each person crossed the starting line.
The Race
I started the race at a conservative pace, but found the first two miles easy as they were mostly downhills or a few climbs with downhills. There was a quick down and back section which was neat to see all the runners as we all passed each other on both sides and I could see most of my Oiselle teammates. I felt pretty good the first few miles of the race and stuck to my fueling and hydration strategies that I've been using since my ultra marathon. While there were water stations, I also carried Nuun performance with me so that I could have some calories and electrolytes in addition to water. In hindsight I could have worn my hydration vest as I found myself wanting water in between the water stations. I do not think the water stations were spaced out well enough. There was also a station within the first mile which I found a little unnecessary. Then there were other stretches without a station. I know this is a drawback to trail races and in the future I would choose to carry my own hydration.
Around mile 5 I started to feel a little tired and my pace slowed down. There was a section of trail that looped in three places around miles 7-9, with one of the miles going uphill. I tried to take advantage of the downhill stretches and used the uphills to fuel and hydrate. Thankfully some of these sections were also shaded which provided a nice relief from the sun.
The course support was limited, as this is another drawback of a trail race, but I actually enjoy trail races for this reason. The volunteers that were on the course were fantastic. They made sure everyone knew where to go, especially in the sections where there were overlapping miles and criss crossing of runners. The volunteers were energetic and shouting encouraging words, so I give the race a big thumbs up for some amazing staff.
My fueling at mile 8 kicked in and by mile 11 I realized a PR was in sight. During a downhill section I picked up some speed, and that pretty much carried me to within 800m of the finish. The finish was on long grass around the equestrian arena and while I knew this in advance, it was a push to the finish. I could tell this section was slowing down a lot of runners, and I focused on picking up my feet and pushing as hard as I could. I didn't want the grass to be the reason I missed my PR. I passed a few runners right at the finish, and accepted my medal and water with gratitude! The medal was nothing to get excited over....and was pink, which was amusing to see hanging on all of the male finishers' necks! But, I'll remember this one because it signals a PR!
Post Race
I had a feeling that I PRed, but I waited anxiously for the results to be posted. While I waited I went by the post race snack area, but was disappointed to find that it was only bananas, granola bars, and packaged cookies. Thankfully I had a Picky Bar in my bag and I skipped the food that was provided. When the results were posted I saw my time - a 1:15 minute PR and almost cried! I was so happy and surprised at my effort, especially when I wasn't intending to shoot for a PR and use the race as a training run.
I don't think it is a coincidence that my top 2 fastest half marathons have been on trails. Clearly I enjoy this type of running more than a road race. I really feel that the trail speaks to me, and instead of fighting all the hills and terrain, I know how to use it to my advantage. I enjoy what's around me and rather than feeling as if I am fighting myself or the distance, I accept where I am at and keep pushing on. This is why I believe it is important to pick races that speak to you. There is nothing wrong with completing races for medals or whatever reason you may enjoy racing, but for me, I do well in races that I enjoy.
I also recognized the benefits of my marathon training more than ever. All of the fast finish long runs I've done helped me pick up speed and push to the finish instead of slowing down and doing the "death march" to the end. When I realized there were 800 meters to the finish on grass, I thought of all the dreaded Yasso 800's I've done, and smiled to myself knowing that I got this! And my ultra marathon experience prepared me for the mental side of the race. Often we struggle and think, this is it, the race is over for me! But a lot can change in the course of a distance race, and you don't give up until it's over. It would have been easy for me to just call it a day around mile 7 and just complete the race, but I recognized that it was just a mile or two in the race that were difficult, I hydrated and fueled, and things turned around me. All of this with time and experience has made me confident in the half marathon distance, and I am so happy that my race time reflects this hard work!
I would definitely recommend this race and would run it again. I am glad I didn't pass up the opportunity in the middle of my marathon training schedule, and I think this would be a great race for someone looking to get out on the trails to see what a trail race is like. For now, I'll always think fondly on this race because of the PR and the great day I had, and that's a happy feeling to carry with me into the Chicago Marathon.
The race took place in a local forest preserve - Danada Forest Preserve, and was a relatively small race with about 700 finishers. The weather was pretty cool at the start at around 50 degrees, and warmed up in the 60's by the finish. The course was on crushed limestone with some shady sections and mostly rolling hills. There were a few segments that were looped, but nothing that felt too repetitive. The race ended at an equestrian ring that was on grass.
Race Morning
Due to it being a local race, and a late start of 8:30 am, I didn't have to be out the door until 7 am. The race advertised a shuttle service as there was limited parking due to the forest preserve location. When we arrived around 7:20 am, most of the lots were filling up quickly. After a short walk to the start, I met up with some of my Oiselle IL teammates who were also running the race for a quick picture.
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| Trail birds unite! |
Close the starting time, runners began lining up to pace flags in the parking lot. It was a bit cramped as it was smaller space for runners, but the event was chip timed so it didn't seem to matter much as the time didn't start until each person crossed the starting line.
The Race
I started the race at a conservative pace, but found the first two miles easy as they were mostly downhills or a few climbs with downhills. There was a quick down and back section which was neat to see all the runners as we all passed each other on both sides and I could see most of my Oiselle teammates. I felt pretty good the first few miles of the race and stuck to my fueling and hydration strategies that I've been using since my ultra marathon. While there were water stations, I also carried Nuun performance with me so that I could have some calories and electrolytes in addition to water. In hindsight I could have worn my hydration vest as I found myself wanting water in between the water stations. I do not think the water stations were spaced out well enough. There was also a station within the first mile which I found a little unnecessary. Then there were other stretches without a station. I know this is a drawback to trail races and in the future I would choose to carry my own hydration.
 |
| Ready to run in the starting area |
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| All smiles in the first few miles |
My fueling at mile 8 kicked in and by mile 11 I realized a PR was in sight. During a downhill section I picked up some speed, and that pretty much carried me to within 800m of the finish. The finish was on long grass around the equestrian arena and while I knew this in advance, it was a push to the finish. I could tell this section was slowing down a lot of runners, and I focused on picking up my feet and pushing as hard as I could. I didn't want the grass to be the reason I missed my PR. I passed a few runners right at the finish, and accepted my medal and water with gratitude! The medal was nothing to get excited over....and was pink, which was amusing to see hanging on all of the male finishers' necks! But, I'll remember this one because it signals a PR!
 |
| a PR! |
Post Race
I had a feeling that I PRed, but I waited anxiously for the results to be posted. While I waited I went by the post race snack area, but was disappointed to find that it was only bananas, granola bars, and packaged cookies. Thankfully I had a Picky Bar in my bag and I skipped the food that was provided. When the results were posted I saw my time - a 1:15 minute PR and almost cried! I was so happy and surprised at my effort, especially when I wasn't intending to shoot for a PR and use the race as a training run.
I don't think it is a coincidence that my top 2 fastest half marathons have been on trails. Clearly I enjoy this type of running more than a road race. I really feel that the trail speaks to me, and instead of fighting all the hills and terrain, I know how to use it to my advantage. I enjoy what's around me and rather than feeling as if I am fighting myself or the distance, I accept where I am at and keep pushing on. This is why I believe it is important to pick races that speak to you. There is nothing wrong with completing races for medals or whatever reason you may enjoy racing, but for me, I do well in races that I enjoy.
I also recognized the benefits of my marathon training more than ever. All of the fast finish long runs I've done helped me pick up speed and push to the finish instead of slowing down and doing the "death march" to the end. When I realized there were 800 meters to the finish on grass, I thought of all the dreaded Yasso 800's I've done, and smiled to myself knowing that I got this! And my ultra marathon experience prepared me for the mental side of the race. Often we struggle and think, this is it, the race is over for me! But a lot can change in the course of a distance race, and you don't give up until it's over. It would have been easy for me to just call it a day around mile 7 and just complete the race, but I recognized that it was just a mile or two in the race that were difficult, I hydrated and fueled, and things turned around me. All of this with time and experience has made me confident in the half marathon distance, and I am so happy that my race time reflects this hard work!
I would definitely recommend this race and would run it again. I am glad I didn't pass up the opportunity in the middle of my marathon training schedule, and I think this would be a great race for someone looking to get out on the trails to see what a trail race is like. For now, I'll always think fondly on this race because of the PR and the great day I had, and that's a happy feeling to carry with me into the Chicago Marathon.
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| Fierce flyers! |
Congrats on the PR so excited for you!!!
ReplyDeletethank you!!
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