Girl Power! Kara Goucher rocks the Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon

Kara Goucher did what she planned Sunday: use the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half-Marathon as a significantly hard workout and push hard over the final three miles -- to victory. She followed coach Alberto Salazar's plan to a T and was the outright winner, leading all men and women in a field of 14,400, in 1 hour, 8 minutes, 5 seconds. It was her third half-marathon win in three tries, and the first in the U.S.

Goucher, 31, had run a U.S. record 1:06:57 in England in 2007 and 1:08:30 in March in Lisbon, Portugal. She's preparing for the World Championships women's marathon on Aug. 23 in Berlin.

"I believe I wouldn't be running the marathon [in Berlin] if I didn't have a shot," she said Sunday. "If I run fully committed, I do have a shot."

Goucher stayed conservative early, running behind designated pacer Mike Donnelly, and then made a push over the closing miles. She ran 5:09 for the 10th mile and 5:05 for the 11th. Chad Ware, 24, of Chicago was second overall, and the first man, in 1:08:24, while Connie Abbott was the second woman in 1:21:50.

Goucher took the overall lead with more than two miles remaining in the

13.1-mile race.

"I felt I could run in the 67- 68-minute range," Goucher said post race. "The race was great, better than my preparations for [the Boston Marathon in April]. It was awesome to be the first finisher and I wanted to enjoy the crowd. I really liked how the course changed up, there was never a stretch where it was dull, and you are going through the city, going over bridges and along the water. I really liked the course."