It's been about 18 hours since I crossed the finish line here in Chicago. Despite my post-race massage yesterday, I still feel like I need a walker to get around. We're here for a couple of extra days, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to stretch out as we do some sightseeing.
One thing that 18 weeks of training gives you is confidence. That's a good thing, but after running 3 marathons I've come to the conclusion that there is a good reason that they call it a marathon - it's a brutal event, both physically and mentally. I've run many races and while they all are challenging, the marathon is unique in that it pushes the limits of normal human capabilities. And that's at mile 20!
It was HOT here yesterday. It was 60 degrees at the start, I ran past a bank sign around mile 14 that read 84, and a high school sign at about mile 20 said 96. That's probably not accurate, but trust me - it felt like 106! I've never seen so many people hurting - dozens of people being tended to by medics on course, many with IV's and being carted off to the hospital.
I finished in 4:45 - well past my goal but yesterday was not a day to try to set a record. It was dangerously hot (they kept announcing that we were running in "Extreme" conditions and that we should slow down and consider stopping... NOT!!!). I started out strong and felt good for the first 15 miles. At that point we lost the shade that the downtown area provided and we were running in full sun. As the temperatures climbed the whole field slowed down. Nine minute miles turned into 10, and rest stops became just that - rest stops - for a lot of people. By mile 20 medics were watching the runners looking for people who didn't look so great. I plowed through the last 6 miles and was excited as ever to cross that finish line. It was a long walk to the runner reunite area, but I was able to find Lawrie (who had walked for miles to watch the race) and we enjoyed a post-race beer.
All marathons are hard, but this one was the hardest I've done. There are a lot of variables that will dictate what kind of day you will have - injuries, heat, cold, rain/snow, etc. - and for me, heat and humidity are the toughest to overcome (and we had both yesterday). I thought that I'd have an advantage running at sea level, and that may have helped me endure the conditions, but I've raced faster at altitude.
As far as the race goes, the Chicago Marathon is a world-class event. It's hard to compare this to many things, but I'd put this in the same category as a city hosting a BCS bowl game or Superbowl. The whole city gets into the race - thousands of volunteers, signs everywhere, parties and cheering sections all along the route and outstanding media coverage. Marathon signage was at the airport and we just saw more and more as we got closer to downtown. Firefighters were out on the route spraying people with their hoses, as were residents that live along the route. Everyone was so supportive of the runners and believe me, that makes a HUGE difference. I loved running through the different neighborhoods and seeing all of the culture the city has to offer. My hat goes off to the people of Chicago, the volunteers, the medics (who worked harder than they expected I'm sure) and the race organizers for hosting such a phenomenal event. Chicago is a long commute for me, but I'd love to come back again and race.
I've had so many emails and calls wishing me well. Thank you for all of your support! I ran literally hundreds of lonely miles to get ready for this race, and your support and encouragement made it all so much easier and helped pull me through. This has been an awesome experience, and I appreciate all of the support, well-wishes, texts, emails, phone calls, cards, signs etc. that I've received. THANK YOU!!!
The race is over, but our trip is not. We're going to relax for a couple of days before coming home. I'm going to take a couple of weeks off from running and then get ready for a Thanksgiving race. It's not too soon to start preparing for next year, and I'm looking for another marathon for the spring and/or fall. I'll keep you posted.
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