After a little wandering around McCormick Place, we were able to find the expo. Once inside, we were able to get our bib numbers, bibs, check timing chips, and shirts. We also took the "here we are at the fake finish line" pictures with our bibs and with each other before heading into the expo.

A few of the ladies from lunch also came to the expo around the same time, so we wandered around for a while together. A couple of my favorite things were taking fun pictures with props and meeting Kathrine Switzer!

One of my favorite booths/tents was the VICE CREAM - hello, ice cream with some pretty amazing flavors, please! I also enjoyed the port-a-potty changing rooms, and of course the Toyota vehicles all over the place.

the start
Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early - I made the decision to run to the start of the race to warm-up and take up a few miles for my quota for the day. When I booked the AirBNB, I somehow thought the start was a mile or so away...the "or so" won out since it was closer to 3 miles... Whatevs, I just made sure to leave in enough time!

I was able to find Linda but the other bloggers were having a fun time getting to the starting area. I then went over to The Bean to try and meet up with other BibRave Pros but missed that meet up as well. I settled in at the starting area as the rain started to fall...

the course
Overall, the course for Rock 'n' Roll Chicago was nice! There were some awesome downtown "stuck between the buildings" views - but I could have done without the metal-grate bridge crossings... The course was fairly flat with a hill towards the end, maybe mile 11-12ish.

aid stations
My saving grace for this race was the aid stations. While I carried a handheld (mostly for my phone), I used the aid stations as "walk breaks" and tried to run through the rest of the course. There was SIS gel (a little different) stations alternating with Gatorade Endurance stops and water at each aid station.

port-a-potties
I honestly didn't pay much attention to the quantity or frequency of the port-a-potty situation...but there were a bunch at the starting area and throughout the course at the aid stations.

swag
For the RnR races, they always have fun shirts and medals for the participants/finishers. I ended up ordering a men's shirt (after enough women's sizing issues through the years) and while it is a touich big, it is comfortable! There were a few other goodies in the "swag bag" that I have yet to use... 

post-race
After the race, I would have loved to enjoy the post race concert and attempt to find people I knew...but it started pouring rain again and I needed to walk back to my AirBNB before hitting up the airport. As I was leaving the area where the finishing chute was located, I was able to see fellow BRP Aubrene finish and take a quick picture before walking as quickly as my soaked/sore body could take me back to my AirBNB.

my race
All weather and training considering, I was pretty happy with this race! I kept my cadence high, ran well throughout, walked through the aid stations, and laughed constantly about how crazy the weather was being! This is not the first time I have run in the rain...and likely won't be the last. But I had a good time, enjoyed the music throughout the day, and I can't wait to go back to Chicago and see it bright and sunny!