Thursday, October 16, 2008
Chicago Race Report - FINALLY
I know – ABOUT TIME! Sorry that I did not IMMEDIATELY post a Chicago Marathon race report. At first I was just TIRED then the post marathon depression set in. After months of looking forward to Chicago, it was depressing not to have that feeling of anticipation anymore. The Rails to Trails half in Norwalk doesn’t seem to generate the same feeling of anticipation. Hmmmm… wonder why? (By the way – it appears that the Norwalk race is an out and back course with the marathoners going a little beyond the start line and looping back again).
IT WAS A FANTASTIC RACE! Is that a good enough race report? Satisfied Jill?
Okay – from the beginning…..
The Expo was good. A lot of people in the area with the race wear which was hard, but the rest of the expo was well spread out and didn’t seem too bad – better than GB. I thought there would be a lot more vendors selling stuff, but it seemed like over 50% were other marathons.
Our condo turned out great. It was a perfect space for us to all hang out together and eat all of Jenny’s Franciscan Bakery Cookies. Plus it was within easy walking distance to the race so no worries about driving, finding parking, etc. I think Mike is going to get a lot of nice Christmas presents because we found a lot of things very appropriate for him. Don’t worry, he won’t know since he doesn’t read my blog….
We had a great home cooked meal in the condo. Again, it was so nice not to have to deal with a restaurant the night before the race. Plus, we were able to prime our race pumps by watching “Spirit of the Marathon” which features the Chicago Marathon. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea since we were a little taken a back by ALL THE PEOPLE! It was hard to imagine what race day was going to be like.
We headed out at 6:30 and walked to the Endurance Pavilion. We paid extra for it, but I think we agreed it was well worth it, especially after the race. We had our own gear check and easy access to port a potties – the most important thing. We didn’t stay long, since we wanted to get to the corral and get a decent spot. It was already 60+ degrees so it was nice not to freeze waiting for the start. At the very least we can say that the spectators had a beautiful day to watch a race.
It was Carrie’s first marathon and she was aiming for qualifying for Boston. Believe me – I tried to dissuade her, but in the end it is her race to run. So, since she wanted to get up near the 3:50 pace group she and I left Sandy and Jill behind and threaded our way through the mass of people to get further up front. I only got on disgusted “Seriously!” Yep, seriously. Follow us if you like! I think this was a wise move after talking with Sandy and Jill afterwards. I didn’t have to deal with too much weaving to get around people. It seemed like we were all running pretty much the same pace – or maybe everyone was just passing me? I had a 9:17 for the first and second miles. Sandy said her first mile was 11:20 or something like that. I saw Carrie’s ass for 2 minutes and then didn’t see her again for 3 hours.
We also got to experience the benefits of having our own personal cheer crew on the course. The anticipation of seeing Sheri, Al and Al's brother Joe got me through many a mile! It was so great to have them cheering us on and taking pictures!!!
The number of runners was pretty amazing, but what was even more so was the amount of spectators. We all agreed that future races will seem like a let down in comparison. Not only were there a lot of them – never a spot without people cheering – seriously! But they were incredibly enthusiastic even after being out there for 4 hours. They made you feel like Olympic athletes.
I caught up with Carrie’s ass at mile 20 and then she ended up looking at mine. The fable of Turtle and Hare came true. Her legs had started cramping at 15, an easy thing to happen on such a hot day. I have definitely become a believer in electrolyte tablets. I could tell when I had taken one. Don’t get me wrong, I struggled at the end. Especially at that damn overpass that they put in the last .25 mile. I couldn’t do it. I let myself walk up it. I knew it was coming which didn’t help, but I probably walked up it faster than I was running at that point!
The other thing about the warm weather is that there wasn’t much pressure to PR. The fact that we were all able to finish without injury or a visit to the medical tent was a victory in itself. Oh sure, there were moments along the course when I though – “I think I can break 4 hours today!” A mile later reality set in and I was thinking “Yeah, I am just going to try and keep running and finish”.
We all agreed that it was a fantastic experience. Good course – although hillier than we anticipated given how they it is so flat. Amazing spectators. Amazing race organization from the expo to the aid stations.
It is very tempting to consider doing men and women next year. Get a condo for the guys and one for the girls…. Hmmmm …..any takers?
IT WAS A FANTASTIC RACE! Is that a good enough race report? Satisfied Jill?
Okay – from the beginning…..
The Expo was good. A lot of people in the area with the race wear which was hard, but the rest of the expo was well spread out and didn’t seem too bad – better than GB. I thought there would be a lot more vendors selling stuff, but it seemed like over 50% were other marathons.
Our condo turned out great. It was a perfect space for us to all hang out together and eat all of Jenny’s Franciscan Bakery Cookies. Plus it was within easy walking distance to the race so no worries about driving, finding parking, etc. I think Mike is going to get a lot of nice Christmas presents because we found a lot of things very appropriate for him. Don’t worry, he won’t know since he doesn’t read my blog….
We had a great home cooked meal in the condo. Again, it was so nice not to have to deal with a restaurant the night before the race. Plus, we were able to prime our race pumps by watching “Spirit of the Marathon” which features the Chicago Marathon. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea since we were a little taken a back by ALL THE PEOPLE! It was hard to imagine what race day was going to be like.
We headed out at 6:30 and walked to the Endurance Pavilion. We paid extra for it, but I think we agreed it was well worth it, especially after the race. We had our own gear check and easy access to port a potties – the most important thing. We didn’t stay long, since we wanted to get to the corral and get a decent spot. It was already 60+ degrees so it was nice not to freeze waiting for the start. At the very least we can say that the spectators had a beautiful day to watch a race.
It was Carrie’s first marathon and she was aiming for qualifying for Boston. Believe me – I tried to dissuade her, but in the end it is her race to run. So, since she wanted to get up near the 3:50 pace group she and I left Sandy and Jill behind and threaded our way through the mass of people to get further up front. I only got on disgusted “Seriously!” Yep, seriously. Follow us if you like! I think this was a wise move after talking with Sandy and Jill afterwards. I didn’t have to deal with too much weaving to get around people. It seemed like we were all running pretty much the same pace – or maybe everyone was just passing me? I had a 9:17 for the first and second miles. Sandy said her first mile was 11:20 or something like that. I saw Carrie’s ass for 2 minutes and then didn’t see her again for 3 hours.
We also got to experience the benefits of having our own personal cheer crew on the course. The anticipation of seeing Sheri, Al and Al's brother Joe got me through many a mile! It was so great to have them cheering us on and taking pictures!!!
The number of runners was pretty amazing, but what was even more so was the amount of spectators. We all agreed that future races will seem like a let down in comparison. Not only were there a lot of them – never a spot without people cheering – seriously! But they were incredibly enthusiastic even after being out there for 4 hours. They made you feel like Olympic athletes.
I caught up with Carrie’s ass at mile 20 and then she ended up looking at mine. The fable of Turtle and Hare came true. Her legs had started cramping at 15, an easy thing to happen on such a hot day. I have definitely become a believer in electrolyte tablets. I could tell when I had taken one. Don’t get me wrong, I struggled at the end. Especially at that damn overpass that they put in the last .25 mile. I couldn’t do it. I let myself walk up it. I knew it was coming which didn’t help, but I probably walked up it faster than I was running at that point!
The other thing about the warm weather is that there wasn’t much pressure to PR. The fact that we were all able to finish without injury or a visit to the medical tent was a victory in itself. Oh sure, there were moments along the course when I though – “I think I can break 4 hours today!” A mile later reality set in and I was thinking “Yeah, I am just going to try and keep running and finish”.
We all agreed that it was a fantastic experience. Good course – although hillier than we anticipated given how they it is so flat. Amazing spectators. Amazing race organization from the expo to the aid stations.
It is very tempting to consider doing men and women next year. Get a condo for the guys and one for the girls…. Hmmmm …..any takers?
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