If you do a lot of races in Chicago, then you might be like me and get a bit tired of the LFP. It was so nice to get some new scenery - the miles flew by, even though I was in a bit of pain. This was actually a 10 Nautical Mile race, which meant 11.5 miles.

This was my first year running Fort2Base, and honestly, it was my first time hearing about it. I'm so glad I had the chance to race it! So much fun, and I was honored to see/meet so many great service men and women who were out there volunteering and cheering us all on (especially those helping us get up Hero Hill!).

I believe it was the fifth year, and it was held on Sunday, August 23 with a 7AM start time for the 10NM. The weather was just about perfect, minus the high humidity. It rained a bit while I was out there, but that didn't bother me at all. As long as there's no lightning to make the race end early, I'm good to go.

Things I liked:
+ Multiple days and locations for packet pickup.
+ When I had questions and I emailed, I got a timely response.
+ If you stayed at the host hotel (Marriott Courtyard), you could get your packet at check-in.
+ Also, if staying at the hotel, you could sign up for a shuttle to get you to the other shuttles, which then took you to the race start. By the time i got there, the good times were already taken, so we decided to just drive to the location ourselves so we could get a few more minutes of sleep. I think their shuttles ran every 15 minutes or so.
+ If at hotel, they had a runner's breakfast - muffins, bagels, coffee.
+ The hotel had a bunch of signs up supporting the runners - awesome touch.
+ The hotel also had late checkout for us runners.
+ Basically, staying at the hotel was the best thing and major bonus points for all of the perks.
+ The race started and ended in different locations. Though it might take some working out of logistics, it was a nice change of pace (ha).
+ They had different shuttles depending on which race you were doing (they had different race start locations).
+ Shuttles ran from 5–6:15am.
+ The course was really interesting. It was quite special getting to run at Fort Sheridan, then on the North Shore Path, and then at the Great Lakes Naval Station.
+ Volunteers and everyone involved with the race were SO supportive and amazing.
+ Something you don't see much - pacers for times 13:00+ (I tried my best to stay with the 14:00, or at least keep her in my sights, which helped me keep on trucking even when my knee was hurting. I gave her a hug at the finish line. She rocked.)
+ Plenty of post-race treats: bottled water, towels, SoBe water, bananas, popcorn, clif bars, powerbars... and I'm sure I'm missing others.
+ Neat medal given to you by military personnel - what an honor.
+ Shuttles then took you back to Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science (where parking was available).
+ 16:10 pace cut off.
+ Neat shirt designs - gender specific tech material - pink for women and blue for men. LOVED the back: "Train. Race. Conquer."

Things I didn't like:
- I wasn't sure weather the mile markers were for Nautical Miles or regular miles. My watch is always a bit off (as they tend to be if you don't run the tangents exactly, which I most certainly don't/can't haha), so I was confused the whole race until I got to 10 and it wasn't the finish line haha. Not a big deal for me, as the miles ticked off pretty quickly, but I'm sure it could have been disheartening for some. Perhaps there was clarification or word about it somewhere, but I didn't see it, and one of the pacers wasn't sure either (or if I had looked at the map more closely, but I have a hard time remember where the mile markers are anyway unless I write it down haha).
- The shirt was a bit large, and I wasn't sure if I could exchange it at the race or not. I didn't want to have to do gear check just to exchange it at the end of the race, so I kept it. I don't think I'll be able to wear it for running unless I can shrink it a bit, but it'll be nice to wear around town.

I really don't have anything to complain about. That last one is just a bit of a note for future runners to be aware of. I had such a fun time, especially since I was there with friends. I ran alone, but found the support from other runners and all the workers/volunteers to be amazing. Having friends to hang out with on the shuttle and before the start is a nice bonus.

(Please note that I gave the expo 5 stars even though I didn't go to packet pickup, but received my packet (along with other roommates) at check-in at the hotel. It gets 5 stars for that awesome service.)