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.
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!
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