The Chicago Distance Classic-How to ruin a perfect race
I am sooo ANGRY! 
They TOTALLY changed the course of the Chicago Distance Classic (CDC), which until today, July 23rd at 10:45 am, was my favorite race in the city. EVerything that made it different about the other half marathon, known as the Chicago Half Marathon (CHM) has been erased, barring the medal...and that might change too, since the CHM has been sold to a new company, thereby ridding this race of its shady owner known for his shenanigans and crappy race goings-on in the running world. Maybe the CHM will have a medal that looks less like it came out of a crackerjack box! One can only hope! (Anyway, that's another interesting story, be sure to read here and here--after you finish reading my post, of course!)
I'm so mad...no more downtown running, no nice mix of downtown AND lakefront running, which was part of the magic of the CDC...it's ALL lakefront, which, my friends, if the course is on the actual Drive (Lakeshore Drive for you non-Chicagoans) like the CHM, it's ALL FRIKKIN CONCRETE with is a bitch-and-a-half to run on! And on an August morning, BAKING FRIKKIN HOT and not a tree in site until you're on the actual path. It's gonna be like "Oh, bye-bye Grant Park! LaLaLaLa, oh what a nice day for a....DAAAAANG that morning sun is sizzling hot and bouncing up off the concrete somethin' fierce!"
In past blog entries I've described my love affair with the CDC and the awesomeness of the course. I mean, what could be more awesome, on a hot summer morning, to run the first mile or so on the same course of the Chicago Marathon that you will be running in two months later? How cool is it to run under the shade of the el tracks for another few miles, down the middle of a downtown street where on a regular day you'd be hit by three buses, five taxis, and maybe a bike messenger or two??? So you mean I have to wait til the Shamrock Shuffle to run under the el tracks again???? When the awesomeness factor is not as great b/c you're doding rain or snowmelt dripping down b/c it's frikkin March?
JOHN BINGHAM I've totally respected you, tried to look past the missing Gatorade at Mile 8 last year...tried not to bug out when I didn't get my icy CDC towel at the finish line b/c you all ran out...IN A RACE BILLED FOR PENGUIN RUNNERS? WTF?!?! But to finalize the course with a completely different route less than three weeks away from the race? TWO THUMBS DOWN, swaying my arms loudly while booing like a maniac! That is ROTTEN. My desire to try and run this despite not having decent mileage over the last month due to my knee issue has gone down a few pegs.
I mean, for real...if the only thing different about the CDC and the CHM is the start/finish being on opposite ends of the drive, then why wouldn't most normal people just do the one in September when you have a better chance of good weather, and as a nice "stepdown" in mileage the weekend before your 20-miler run? And further...when Runners World named the CHM as one of the best half marathons in the country, everyone I knew was like HA, CDC is way better-and for a multitude of reasons STARTING WITH THE COURSE. It was like Chicago runners' dirty little secret...but caving in to this bs notion that the a whole frikkin half marathon should be on the lakefront means that you, John Bingham, must have agreed with this notion of the other half marathon being better. The CDC had better step up their game with the course issues they had last year, or the CDC will fade into mediocrity.
BOO!!!