2014 Chicago Marathon Recap

I can’t believe that it has taken me so long to put this together, but I guess I needed a few weeks to let it all sink in… I ran the Chicago Marathon, AND finished with a PB!

It was a few years ago when I had started running again and talking about going up from the half marathon distance that a colleague of mine suggested running Chicago. He said it was an amazing experience and the crowd, atmosphere and event were incredible and I filed that away as a goal race for the future.

I have now only run 3 marathons but each one has been better and for each one my training has improved, as has my diet, and ultimately I believe my health. I truly believe that the information I have received from my coach and from the runners I follow on Twitter has given me so much more than I ever expected.

I am encouraged by the support of the online running community from places like #RunChat and the #PoweredByBits @EnergyBits ambassador groups. These runners have encouraged and inspired me to keep going and as well to give back by encouraging others. I feel guilty now when I miss the Twitter chat sessions and try to keep up with what everyone is doing.

But enough about that… let’s get on to the weekend recap for the race!

My wife and I flew to Chicago on the Sat and checked in to the hotel, and then walked to the shuttle bus area for the Expo. It was a longer walk than I expected but the weather was nice and it helped me get my bearings for where we were. The lineup for the shuttle was long but fortunately a few more busses came quickly and we were off to the Expo which was a mass of people and motion. The layout is one that forces you to have to walk the length of the Expo to get your bib and shirt, but we were on a mission to get in and out quickly as I didn’t need to buy anything and I didn’t want to just browse.

After grabbing everything we headed back to the shuttle busses and jumped on a different one that brought us closer to our hotel. On the walk back we passed by a few places and stopped to pick up lunch to eat at the hotel and make late pasta dinner reservations. We returned to the hotel so that we could rest up and my wife could get some work done. We spent the afternoon resting, laying out the running gear, and then headed out for a late dinner. After chatting with the kids and making breakfast plans it was off to bed early to get rest.

I was up early and ready to go, so much so that I left the hotel early as my nerves were starting to make me antsy and I didn’t need to annoy my wife at 6am. I headed out for the walk to the starting line and began the process of getting into race mode. The weather was great, it wasn’t too cold and the walk kept me busy as the crowds grew larger heading towards the corrals.

Security was heavy but the lines weren’t too long and I realized that I wouldn’t have enough time to try to catch up with a few fraternity brothers who were hoping to catch up before the race. I needed to get into the corral and start the pre-race ritual of last minute fuelling and finding the right pace group. The goal was to keep ahead of the 4hr pace runner and I found many in my area.

The air was filled with excitement as the national anthem was sung and the elite racers were off… it felt like forever in the slow walk to the start line but around 13 minutes after the lead pack I crossed the start line and saw the sea of runners both ahead and behind and then the true magnitude of the event started to kick in.

The initial pace was great and to tell you the truth I felt awesome as we wound our way through the downtown area before the long stretch heading north towards Lincoln Park. I had planned to take my PocketFuel nut butters every 45minutes (which was every 5 miles) and my ENERGYbits every hour, and took water as needed but avoided the first few aid stations based on crowds. All the while keeping many 4hr pacers in sight I ran along enjoying the sights and crowds and reading the signs they carried. Even as we approached the halfway point I was feeling good, coming in a bit slower than I hoped but still under 2hrs for the first half and then it donned on me that the lead pack was almost done at the same time! But I was here to run my race and not let anything get me down… I tried to find my wife when we made the return loop to the downtown core, but the crowds were deep and I really didn’t’ know where to look, but she told me after she did see me run by.

As we moved along I was still consistent with both the splits and my fuel plan, and with the crowd support it was incredible… It seemed like every time you turned a corner there was a loud cheer and the enthusiasm was amazing and even at time almost overwhelming.

I started to feel a little tired around the 30k mark and by 32k I need to take a walk break. I had initially planned to take frequent walk breaks to allow my legs to rest and recover but I think I got caught up in the drive to hit sub-4hr and that I felt good early but that strategy eventually back fired and for the next 6k I struggled to maintain a decent pace and felt the legs begin to feel like lead. I also wonder if in moving back and forth in my head from miles to kilometers meant that I mistimed my energy intake but somewhere things fell apart but I refused to let it take over.

By the time I hit the 38k mark I was determined to get back on track and had resigned myself that the sub-4hr target was gone but that I was going to easily beat my time in Detroit from last year. This renewed focus allowed me to grab my last fuel load, and drive towards the finish line knowing that Michigan Ave and one small bend was all that stood before me.

With each step I felt stronger and more determined to finish strong and making that last uphitt climb and turn on to the finishing stretch was empowering – hearing the crowd screaming, the announcer calling out names and knowing that I had just completed the Chicago Marathon in a Personal Best time of 4:07.17!

 I was flooded with emotion – the tears and exhaustion mixed and I stumbled around looking for water, food and that moment of rest that was soon to come. The corral at the end funneled the runners to food and water, and even that post race beer, which was actually not even appealing.

I had my picture taken, and then began to field the text messages and notices on my phone… My kids had been watching online back home and actually saw me cross the finish line, and my coach texted me as well… that set me over the edge and I needed to sit down and rest/recover while I downed my drinks, ate fruit and anything else I could find. Shortly I texted my wife who was back at the hotel and I began the slow painful recovery walk back to a welcome shower, breakfast and a pillow.

The post-race recovery was quick, the shower helped and the food was awesome including a few gluten-free donuts, some chai pudding, and every liquid I could find. After resting for a few minutes we decided that a quick cab ride to the airport might mean an earlier flight home and more time to spend with the family (as it was the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend). The refueling at the airport consisted of my last chance to have Pizza UNO deep dish before leaving Chicago, and Stacey ran to another Terminal to grab some Garrett’s Popcorn for the kids.

We managed to get a flight home 4 hrs earlier and were actually home with the kids BEFORE our original flight would have left. We then spent the evening together and prepared for a Thanksgiving feast for lunch on Monday before taking my daughter to the train station so she could return to university.

It was amazing to think about how much we did that weekend, from a CFL game on Fri pm, trip to Chicago, run a marathon, trip home and then a celebration and drive to the train station and back…

It was truly a time to be thankful!

Toronto Oasis ZooRun 10k recap

This event was the second race for my 13yr old son, but with the high-school year starting and the late summer, his training was less than desired. Regardless, he was excited to run the 10k and especially in the Toronto Zoo which would have enough distractions on the course to keep his mind busy.

We made this a family trip, as a friend who works at the Zoo offered us a behind the scenes tour after the race, and with my wife a teacher, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The post-race event was kept a secret from the kids so they all thought they were going to watch the race and visit the animals while we were running. We all got up early, ate breakfast and piled in the van for the 90min drive. The roads were packed and the parking lot was full so we jumped out and headed to the bag check and start line with a lot of time to spare as the organizers moved the start time back half an hour to accommodate runners stuck in traffic.

Kris and I were in the red (first) corral as we expected to finish in around 50min, but I could sense his tension being up front and within minutes of starting he started to get cramps. This has been common for him, as he always struggles with his breathing early in races but after walking to let the rest of the runners in the red corral pass we started back up and kept a good pace.

By the time we re-entered the Zoo grounds he was running as his usual pace and looked comfortable so we kept going determined to keep going and finish with the second wave of runners. As we ran through various exhibits it was cool seeing the animals and all of the runners but the highlight was running past the camels who decided to run with us as we went by… I even heard later than one overly excited dromedary tried to jump a small fence to keep going… I wonder what his finish time would have been.

The course wound along the grounds with a very hilly climbs but nothing that would be larger than what we trained on, so it was merely a matter of distance and stamina that would be a factor. Kris kept going and we talked often about the run, how he was feeling, and what he wanted to do, and he wanted to keep going and knew that there was going to only be a little bit more to go.

The volunteers were very helpful reminding us of oncoming runners when there were shared paths as well as giving heads ups for upcoming hills and valleys and always with words of encouragement.

Before we knew it, we had the finish line in sight, and I asked him if he was good to go, and before I heard his answer, he took off for the finish line with a burst finishing strong but exhausted in 57.36 with me trailing behind by a second.

I am so proud of him for running through his anxiety over the race, and toughing out w tough course and I love pacing and coaching him along the way.

This is a great event and I encourage anyone to give it a try at either the 5k or the 10k distance.

The post-race food was a welcome sight and then we met up with family and my friend and his wife who also ran, and we began the facility tour. We managed to get a behind the scenes look at the medical centre, and saw a poor bird with a broken beak about to go into surgery. We saw the plans for the future expansion and then made the trek to the highlight of the day… a 1 on 1 visit in the penguin exhibit. We managed to spend about 20 minutes with Scooby Doo and 2 handlers/trainers who answered our questions and had us up close to this amazing bird. We learned so much and got to unwind after the run with an incredibly interactive event we will never forget.