Chicago Marathon - Race Day Report

Absolutely Awesome!!!

A sign at the expo says it all

I finished 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 17 minutes and 20 seconds! time and splits

I didn't finish under 4 hours as planned but the experience more than made up for it! I don't know how else to describe the event. Think of the Chicago Marathon as a block party that stretches for 26 miles! The only difference is that you party during the first half and suffer (in a good runner type of way) all the way to the finish!

What was it like? Analogies are in order:
1. It's like a party without the hangover
2. It's like an eat-all-you-can buffet without the calories
3. It's like getting a paycheck without the doing work

How many ran? Oh just 40,000...

Uhm... I'm somewhere in the middle wearing a white shirt and blue shorts

Reporting...
6:30am - Parked my rental car more than a mile away from Grant Park at the Sterling Apartments at Kinzie and La Salle ($6 for the whole day - not bad). I could use the 1.5 mile walk to warmup since it was a bit cold (55 degrees F). At first I thought that it would be unwise to tire myself with a long walk but I soon realized that it was the perfect energizer. For every block I passed, I meet a runner or two walking to the marathon start. By the time I hit Michigan Avenue, I was walking with a group of no less than a 100 runners! All of them chatting excitedly, drinking coffee, comparing times and all sorts of runner talk. Some were surprised that I came alone.

Walking to the start

6:55am - We hit Grant Park. I've never seen so many people this early in the day. It took me 10 minutes to worm my way through to the starting area. Shed layers, tighten shoes, stretch, apply bodyglide, nibble on a cliff bar, drink a few gulps and presto! - I'm all set.

7:10am - I take a couple of pictures then deposit my stuff at gear check (much like a baggage depository).

7:30am - I line up at the porta-potties or portalets as they call it back home. I was warned that it would take 20 minutes or more to get to one. Shit, they were right!!!

7:50am - still in line...

7:52am - still in line...

7:53am - Ah yes! I get to piss. Success!!! I run to the starting pens.

The promised land of piss

7:55am - I spot my pace group (3:50) from the spectator area. Little did I know that there is a fence separating the runners. Crap!!! I climb over the fence (with the crowd helping me up and down).

7:57am - Made it!!! Adrenaline is flowing. I look around and everybody has their game face one. The US national anthem has just finished and everybody cheers! The atmosphere is fever pitch!

8:00am - The gun goes off! It takes my group 3 minutes to get to the start line. After that, I say a prayer and hold up a V-sign to the crowd. Here we go! left brain - Oh jeez... what am I doing here

Switching to miles...

1 to 3 miles - 9:00 pace. Slower than my planned pace as expected. I hold back. Speed kills. Crowd roars when we emerge from the tunnel going to Wacker. I decide to stick to the middle island along La Salle Avenue so the other runners will break the cold breeze. The sun shows itself for the first time.

4 to 6 miles - 9:00 pace still. I decide to hold this pace and see if I can do a negative split after the half. Getting nice and warm. I feel good. We pass a band playing as we pass Clark. Can't help but notice that the singer is a bit flat. Can't say I recognize the song they're playing but it helps me pick up the pace (I think). I pick out a runner and stick to her pace.

6 to 9 miles - 9:00 pace again. I never knew I was this consistent. Road narrows as we go through the Lincoln Park neighborhood. I have been consistently taking in Gatorade at every station. I switch to water after mile 8. I develop a catching technique where I grab the cup then spin around using the opposite foot as a pivot and continue running. It looks funny but I don't slow down as much. I get a few giggles from the aid station peeps doing this. I still feel good. I leave behind my pacer.

10 to 12 miles - First sign of trouble. My arches are starting to chafe against my socks. I then realize that I'm using new socks that are thinner and I didn't tighten my shoes enough. Crap! I decide to fix the problem after the half.

13 to 15 miles - I pass the half marker with a decent time. I find a place to tighten my shoes past all the crowd. Tying my shoelaces should be instinctive but my fingers wouldn't cooperate. Shit. I think my brain has shifted all of its processing power to my legs. I almost fall flat on my face trying to get back into the race. By mile 15 I feel my legs getting heavy. Uh oh... the suffering has started.

16 to 18 miles - Ouch ouch ouch! These three miles took soooo long. I need fuel. Contemplated grabbing somebody else's gel. Then I remembered that there is a powershots stop after the 17th mile marker. I grab 2 powershots. Took one and saved the other for later. It would serve as my stress ball until then. I found the person that paced me earlier. I see a runner stop and cry on the sidewalk. After 10 minutes I see more runners by the sidewalk stretching. I decide to walk during each aid station break after mile 17 so that I won't end up the same way. left brain - Just stop now and the pain will go away.

19 to 21 miles - More pain. Sun is out again. I look at my legs and it feels that they are detached from the rest of my body. I could feel my reserves running low. It feels like I'm running on fumes at mile 19. Luckily they start giving out bananas. A lot of 'em are brown and yucky from the heat but beggars can't be choosers. I start concentrating on finishing each mile rather than thinking about the distance left to the finish. Seeing the mile 20 marker was quite a relief. I distract my left brain with split computations. It works. Mile 21 appears miraculously fast. I was touched when a big runner in front of me on the verge of giving up was joined by his wife. She jogs alongside him and gives him a pep talk. It works. Big runner smiles and passes me.

22 to 24 miles - At this point I've given up on finishing under 4 hours. No big loss. This is a battle I need to win by finishing. No compromise. I smell warm beer. I almost downed a cup full of warm beer! Beer is good but it's crap when warm. We pass through China Town. It is loud. Too loud. Drums and gongs going off. I smell chinese food. left brain - Stop and grab some dimsum - right brain - SHUT UP!!!

25 miles to the finish - I close my eyes once past the 25 mile marker. I'm losing it. I need to dig down deep. I block out everything else and concentrate on the shoes of the runner ahead of me. Nothing else exists. Just me and them red and white shoes ahead of me. I break my trance at the 26th mile marker and attempt to see if I can spot the finish along Michigan. Nothing! Nada! Zip! The finish is not there. I then realize that the finish is not on Michigan but on Columbus! One right turn and a left will get me there. Crowd is very thick along Michigan. I let them in through my trance barrier. They get me going. We make a right turn to Roosevelt. What the f***? The bridge along Roosevelt is inclined! It's one final attempt to stop me. I desperately pump my arms to move along. I think I'm running but someone passes me doing a fast walk. Am I really just shuffling along? I don't care. We make a left. I see the finish. Legs hurt. Arms hurt. Tummy hurts. Heck even my hair hurts! Oh well. I raise one finger to the crowd as a thank you, pose for the camera and cross the line.
YES!!!
DONE!!!
DID IT!!!
BEEN THERE!!!
I FINISHED A MARATHON!!!

Hey camera! Over here!

A piece of metal for 26 miles of suffering

Stuff after the race
I get my medal and heat wrap, deposit my timing chip and grab a banana and water. I follow a friend's advice and pop 2 Tylenols and do a 10 minute stretch. I get my finisher photo and walk 1.5 miles back to my car. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Lunch with myself at Singha. I order padthai and soup. All gone in 10 minutes to my server's amazement.

Chaos after the marathon

Good thing the free shirt is long-sleeved