I qualify for a corral!

I tell ya, sometimes I get excited by the smallest things...

I just got an email that I've qualified for a start corral at this year's Shamrock Shuffle race. Yay me!


A corralled start allows race organizers to stage runners by expected finish times, and to control the number of people who cross the start at any one time.

There's an elite runners' corral, and then "A", "B", "C", "D", and finally "Open." I qualify for "D". Not based on my finish time or anything, just by virtue of having run the Shamrock Shuffle and the Chicago Marathon in previous years. Still...last year I ran it in 49:40, a 9:59/mile pace. If somehow this year I could get it down to a 9:30 pace (finishing around 47:00), I'd qualify for the "C" corral next year. I don't think that'll happen, though. The Shuffle is the weekend before the St. Louis Marathon, so I don't want to push too hard and either injure myself or get tired out. I'd hate to blow all the training for the Marathon just to get a good finish for the Shuffle.

We'll see how it goes...but I'm really looking forward to the Shuffle. It's usually a bright, beautiful day, slightly cool, but overall good running conditions. And let me tell you, if you've never run a race in Chicago, it's a great experience--people turn out in droves to support the runners. It's usually very well organized (last year's marathon notwithstanding...), well attended, great course, and lots of fun.Hope y'all are having a good week...

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