One Day, One Low Price: Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Offers Discount Today Only

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What's a common complaint among runners? That race registration fees can get expensive. Multiple 5Ks, 10-milers and half marathons that are creeping toward $100 (or more), marathons that are at least $100 (or more than $200 if you're running NYC).  When you run a lot of races, you start to feel like you're getting bled dry on the fees alone. So if you could save some dough and not pay top dollar for a race you think you'll run next year, wouldn't you take it? Of course! Here's your chance.

Today the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series launched #MyRnRTour, a new interactive race calendar planning tool for its 2015 races. To celebrate, the series is giving runners a hefty one-day discount on its race registrations where runners can register for Rock 'n' Roll series races for as low as $59 in select cities. Instead of costing upwards of $100 (if you drag your feet on registering, that is), the 2015 HumanaVitality Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon costs $70 while its accompanying 5K costs $35--an offer good only on November 20. The 2015 race will be held the weekend of July 18-19 in downtown Chicago featuring local bands blasting tunes along the course and concluding with a headliner concert at the finish line.

Fit-Pic: After the Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon

The VIP tent at today's Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon never disappoints. Last year, I got to chat with Dr. Andy Baldwin after he left me in the dust at mile 2. And look who we ran into this year: Danni, Francelina and Jeff from season 14 of The Biggest Loser. Danni finished the race in 1:53 and Francelina finished in 2:42, but they don't even look tired. Neither does my friend (in green) who ran her first half marathon. I guess Danni can't be tired...she still has 13.1 more miles to prepare for when she runs the Chicago Marathon in October.

A Rock 'n' Roll Running Giveaway

The best things in life are free, right? So how's this for a Friday freebie: a race giveaway!

Yes, you read that correctly, we're giving away an entry to Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon that includes a pretty awesome VIP package that turns a race morning into a race weekend.

Our friends at Team Refuel have offered up these sweet VIP perks that include:

• A half marathon entry, which would currently cost $150 at the expo. If you want less mileage, there's a 5K mini marathon ($50 at expo, if available).
• A REFUEL visor
• Entry to a pre-race cocktail party that's tonight at theWit hotel's ROOF bar. 
• Access to the VIP area at Sunday's race. Grant Park will be buzzing with runners, but with this pass, you can avoid most of the craziness. The tent has chairs, snacks, drinks, a place to stash your gear (I swear it had one last year), and it's a great place to watch the post-race concert. 

OK, OK, so this is an extension of yesterday's giveaway, but no one entered (where is everyone? too last minute? too hot from these temperatures to think about racing a run?) and we wanted to extend the giveaway for a few more hours.

To enter: leave us a comment saying you want to be entered in this giveaway. If you're the solo commenter, congrats, you win, otherwise we'll choose a winner at random later today. And if you have trouble commenting, just email us at contact@fit-ink.com. But we'll have to cut this off pretty soon to make sure you can get registered to run (as in, the first person who comments WINS).

Who's ready for an awesome weekend of running after this heat wave supposedly vanishes?

Win a Run Rock 'n' Roll Chicago VIP Package

You could run under this rocker at Sunday's race.

Who's racing this weekend? There's the Ironman 70.3 in Racine, the half Ironman distance and sprint distance triathlons in Door County, Wis., the Muddy Buddy, the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon. If you're signed up for one of these, you couldn't have asked for better summer racing weather with a forecast showing cooler temperatures and sunny days. But you also probably registered, suspecting you might have a hot day to contend with. Lucky you for taking that risk.

Remember how hot and humid it was last year? Yeah, me and my heat-induced puffy fingers do. And I suffered through two too many runs in 90 degree temperatures (Really? At 6:30 p.m.?) earlier this week and don't dare go for a third today. So registering for races that occur during weeks that are historically hot, isn't exactly my MO. Unless I have a specific reason, like doing Racine last year to get a half Ironman under my belt before Ironman Wisconsin or running Rock 'n' Roll to meet Dr. Andy Baldwin (which turned into more of a chase), I'm going to wait on registering until the weather turns. If it doesn't, which is usually the case, I'm out. But if it does, I'm paying a pretty expensive registration fee. Darn you, weather.

My friends at Team Refuel were already kind enough to give me an entry to this Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon, so I can run on what's sounding like a perfect summer morning. And the good news for one lucky Fit-Ink reader is that you can run, too. We're giving away a VIP entry to this race on July 21 plus some other cool perks thanks to Team Refuel! Yes, it's last minute, but if you've been training for the Chicago Marathon or another long-distance race, you're already logging that mileage.

I Ran with The Bachelor!

Correction: I tried to run with the (former) Bachelor, Dr. Andy Baldwin. He's fast!

If you told me five days ago that I’d be running with a former star of ABC’s The Bachelor, I probably would have laughed and said, “That’d never happen.” But yesterday, it did.

Dr. Andy Baldwin—remember him from The Bachelor's 10th season as the triathlete, naval officer, physician extraordinaire?—was in town to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon. And I, by some stroke of sheer luck, got to run with him (thank you Got Chocolate Milk and Team Refuel though I think you thought I was a faster half marathon runner than I actually am). Or rather, chase after him.

My half marathon with Dr. Andy lasted all of two miles, right about the point where my legs realized how fast they were running and figured out that they couldn't sustain that pace. My measly pace—not counting the half Ironman the weekend before, the week of physical therapy and the long bike ride the day before—couldn’t keep up for 13.1 miles. And when I glanced at my Garmin and saw our 6:14 average pace at the first mile, I knew I'd be in trouble. I barely keep a pace like that for a 5K—and that’s on my good days and for the first mile, maybe two.

Running and REFUEL-ing with a Bachelor

Dr. Andy Baldwin: endurance athlete

Usually I'm playing the "woe is me" role, lamenting over how everyone else seems to workout with celebrities while I miss out for one reason or another. Liz has run with Kara Goucher--and if memory serves me correct, Ryan Hall. Jenn from the Fit-Bottomed Girls trained with Bob Harper (can we say awesome?). Some Chicago media peeps got to run with Abdi Abdirahman when he was in town to run the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. Close to 150 Chicago runners got to run with Scott Jurek and Born to Run author Chris McDougall when they were in town to talk running, nutrition, his book and everything in between. And a handful of triathletes and triathlon fans got to dine and/or run with Craig Alexander and Dave Scott when they were in town last week (Where was I? Stuck at my desk and then sleeping).

That's not to say that I'm not without opportunities of my own--I've worked out with Shawn Johnson, field kicked a football with Robbie Gould, snacked with Shea McClellin, and had to keep my jaw from dropping open while Michael Johnson stood directly in front of me. But I can barely contain my excitement for Sunday's XSport Fitness Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon. Instead of slogging through my two-hour run by myself, sans iPod (it died--good thing RnR races are all about music) and along the routine route along the Lakefront, I'll be running with Team REFUEL and trying to keep up with Dr. Andy Baldwin.

Race Deals That Expire March 31

Running Soldier Field 10 in 2011

Who doesn’t love to save a little dough (even if it’s only a couple of dollars) on race registrations? I know I fall into that category time and again. I’m still kicking myself for missing the early registration deadline for Ironman 70.3 Racine—and as a result, have yet to actually sign up and cough up an extra $50 I could have saved myself if I had just remembered to visit the website before January 14. Maybe it’s just me, but once you miss out on one deadline for savings, you’re likely to do whatever you can to avoid missing the next one whether that means scouting out races that are less expensive to begin with, purchasing those awesome new Active Schwaggle deals or marking price increases on your calendar.

If you’re contemplating a race-filled summer, you might want to spend Saturday registering for those events. Come Sunday, the joke’s on us when the fees jump for some of our favorite races.

But which races am I referring to? Three come to mind:

Ready to rock—and run—a Chicago Half Marathon?

Faces from RnR Chicago, Credit: NVitkus

Forget the earbuds, the iPods and the prearranged playlists. If you’re big on running half marathons, especially entertaining ones, and you’re looking to possibly PR on a course that’s flatter than most, then you won’t want to miss this summer’s XSport Fitness Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon or the registration deal that ends March 31 (keep reading to see what I'm talking about).

It’s on July 22, which for once doesn’t conflict with a Chicago area triathlon or the Air and Water Show or anything else that spells summer in the Windy City. It’s 13.1 miles that covers portions of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s course (albeit in the opposite direction at some points) and cruises along the Lakefront Path—provided the 2011 map holds semi-true for 2012. It’s filled with runners—and walkers—of all ages who range from your average joe to the people you watch, or watched, on TV regularly (like Al Roker, Giuliana Rancic, Dan Evans from The Biggest Loser and Kelly Bensimon from the Real Housewives of New York City to name a few). It’s filled with bands who’ll be performing at every mile, giving runners on-course entertainment and music to power through those miles. It culminates with a post-race concert that promises not to disappoint—Bret Michaels was the headliner last year.