2017 Chicago Marathon Recap
A few days have passed since the marathon and I finally am able to put words to my experience. And what an experience it was! I finally ran a marathon and wasn't instantly filled with regrets and wishes of what could have been. Did I meet all my goals? Nope. Am I upset about it? Nope. Read on for my full recap.
Race Morning
Another super early start to race morning - 4:40 a.m. Knowing that I wouldn't actually be starting for 4 more hours meant that I could save some of my breakfast until later. I was able to eat breakfast #1 and hit the road downtown while sipping on some coffee and eating breakfast #2. As a charity runner, I was able to have access to a hotel with plumbing (!!!) that was across the street from the race finish. It really helped ease my nerves to talk with friends before I had to head out to the start. As the weather was already warm, no throw away layers were needed, and I placed myself in the corral and waited the 45 minutes to start. I noticed a girl wearing a Oiselle singlet and introduced myself to her. We chatted the entire time before crossing the start line. I couldn't believe how quickly the time passed. It was her first marathon and I think we were able to keep each other company while we waited.
The Race
Once you cross the start line, runners enter into a tunnel which inevitably screws up your GPS. I knew this in advance, but somehow my GPS never recovered. I didn't know my pace for several miles. I tried to run by feel, while also slowing myself down to make sure I was not going out too fast. I tried to use the auto-lap feature and pressed it every time I went by a mile marker, but that ended up putting me several miles ahead, and finally I just went off the total time. I could tell I was running a bit fast the first few miles so I made an effort to slow down a bit.
I felt pretty good the first few miles. It was already fairly warm in the sun, but I had experienced worse and I tried to put the heat out of my mind. I was able to see my husband a few times out on the course, as well as a few friends. Each time I saw one of them my spirits were lifted quite a bit, and it helped me push on. Around the half way point was the Charity Village, and my heart soared as I ran by the Team PAWS tent.
I enjoyed the different neighborhoods - the drag queens in Boystown, the Elvis impersonator, the Chinese dragons in Chinatown. The crowd support was amazing. There were many Team PAWS cheer squads out on the course, and I anxiously awaited mile 17 to see the Oiselle cowbell corner. Having these different mile markers really gave me something to look forward to and push on.
I utilized my hydration and fueling strategies that I practiced with every long run and was pleased to find that carrying Nuun helped me avoid the chaos of some of the water stations. Running through them saved on a lot of time that I wasted last year. Towards the end of the race I was filling up my bottle more frequently with water once the Nuun was gone, but I made sure I was hydrating about every mile. I also believe I timed my fuel pretty well as I chose the gel with caffeine for mile 12 and I could feel it kick in as I got a boost of energy around miles 15-16. I saw my husband around mile 15 and he told me he had donuts (!!!), and that gave me an extra spring in my step.
The heat started to get to me around mile 21. I took a minute to walk, cool off, and remained positive. I knew that just because I was taking a minute to regroup did not mean the race was over. There was still a lot of race left to run. I was experiencing some pain in my knee and hamstrings, but I've felt worse. I was able to push on, grab some cold sponges and run through the misting stations as joyfully as I could.
At that point in the race I turned more inward and really focused on why I was running. Runners were starting to walk and it felt like I was constantly zig zagging around them. I just focused on constant forward progress and focused on each mile instead of how many miles were left. I wasn't sure if I could meet my time goal, but I wasn't going to just give up either.
In the later miles of the race I came to a realization of what the marathon actually is. To me, it's the coming together of so many people and causes, and it brings out the best in everyone. Sometimes this is hard to see as many watched their goals slip away, but I took the time to see it and it was everywhere. It was on the singlets of so many charity runners, running for people and causes other than themselves. It was in the 4 men I saw walking with their arms around each other around mile 24. They may be walking, but they were together and were going to finish together. It was the look of momentary happiness I saw on faces of other Team PAWS members as I would run by and tell them they were looking good or to keep hanging in there. I may not be the fastest runner, but I sure as hell was going to make this marathon mean something. I've heard the saying many times that people run a marathon to be together. I certainly believe this to be true for me. I feel so completely filled up with love from what I see and experience during a race that it changes me deeply. In a world where you constantly are bombarded with horrible things on the news, it feels so damn good to be surrounded by good. This is why I run.
I saw my husband again around mile 25 and I pushed to the finish. I saw that finish line approach and I took it all in. I had perhaps run my best marathon yet, and my smile says it all.
Post Race
It took me a long time to get through the finish chute, get my medal, and some water. There were people collapsing left and right, and I was very thankful that I had finished and was still feeling relatively good. I pulled out my phone to see what my official time was, and when I saw that I missed my time goal by 4 minutes, I didn't feel disappointed at all. I still walked away with a 10 minute PR. I was really pleased with this and after taking my finisher photo, I headed to the PAWS post-race party.
I enjoyed celebrating my accomplishments with friends and my husband at the team post-race party, and checked on the status of many of my friends. I was waiting for one to finish - it was her first marathon and I was anxiously waiting the update to see if she had crossed the line. I saw that some friends had great days while others had really rough ones, and I was just thankful that I finished my race close to the time I wanted and felt relatively good. My friend finished her first marathon and I was so proud. I can't even imagine having run my first marathon in this kind of heat (mine was really cold). I stayed at the party until it officially ended and all PAWS members finished before heading home. Another marathon over.
Reflections
In reviewing my overall goals, I think I did really well. While I know I went out too fast, I also was able to reel myself back and in looking at my splits, I paced myself pretty well. Even during the later miles where I slowed down, I was pretty consistent. I was definitely dehydrated after the race, but I did not feel bad during the race and was proud that I stuck to what has been working well for me. The heat was a concern going into the race, and while it was hot, I can honestly say it was more of an afterthought. When I was running I was aware it was hot and that I felt hot, but I always just put that thought aside and focused on something else. Obviously I was 4 minutes from my goal time, but I really think this is the closest I've been to where I have trained. I do feel that the race was representative of my training.
And boy did I have fun. Sure it was hot and congested, but I enjoyed the race. Knowing that it will likely be the last Chicago I run for quite some time, I made sure I took it all in. I appreciated the crowds, and the very cool way the city comes together for one day to cheer for us "average" people. I love the way that I get inspired by those around me. I felt so many wonderful things for many days after the race, and I am inspired to keep running and going after my goals. I promptly signed up for my next 50k the day after the race, and now after some rest, I'll be ready to rumble again!
 |
| 2017 Chicago Marathon Finisher! |
Race Morning
Another super early start to race morning - 4:40 a.m. Knowing that I wouldn't actually be starting for 4 more hours meant that I could save some of my breakfast until later. I was able to eat breakfast #1 and hit the road downtown while sipping on some coffee and eating breakfast #2. As a charity runner, I was able to have access to a hotel with plumbing (!!!) that was across the street from the race finish. It really helped ease my nerves to talk with friends before I had to head out to the start. As the weather was already warm, no throw away layers were needed, and I placed myself in the corral and waited the 45 minutes to start. I noticed a girl wearing a Oiselle singlet and introduced myself to her. We chatted the entire time before crossing the start line. I couldn't believe how quickly the time passed. It was her first marathon and I think we were able to keep each other company while we waited.
The Race
Once you cross the start line, runners enter into a tunnel which inevitably screws up your GPS. I knew this in advance, but somehow my GPS never recovered. I didn't know my pace for several miles. I tried to run by feel, while also slowing myself down to make sure I was not going out too fast. I tried to use the auto-lap feature and pressed it every time I went by a mile marker, but that ended up putting me several miles ahead, and finally I just went off the total time. I could tell I was running a bit fast the first few miles so I made an effort to slow down a bit.
I felt pretty good the first few miles. It was already fairly warm in the sun, but I had experienced worse and I tried to put the heat out of my mind. I was able to see my husband a few times out on the course, as well as a few friends. Each time I saw one of them my spirits were lifted quite a bit, and it helped me push on. Around the half way point was the Charity Village, and my heart soared as I ran by the Team PAWS tent.
I enjoyed the different neighborhoods - the drag queens in Boystown, the Elvis impersonator, the Chinese dragons in Chinatown. The crowd support was amazing. There were many Team PAWS cheer squads out on the course, and I anxiously awaited mile 17 to see the Oiselle cowbell corner. Having these different mile markers really gave me something to look forward to and push on.
I utilized my hydration and fueling strategies that I practiced with every long run and was pleased to find that carrying Nuun helped me avoid the chaos of some of the water stations. Running through them saved on a lot of time that I wasted last year. Towards the end of the race I was filling up my bottle more frequently with water once the Nuun was gone, but I made sure I was hydrating about every mile. I also believe I timed my fuel pretty well as I chose the gel with caffeine for mile 12 and I could feel it kick in as I got a boost of energy around miles 15-16. I saw my husband around mile 15 and he told me he had donuts (!!!), and that gave me an extra spring in my step.
 |
| Give me your donuts!! |
At that point in the race I turned more inward and really focused on why I was running. Runners were starting to walk and it felt like I was constantly zig zagging around them. I just focused on constant forward progress and focused on each mile instead of how many miles were left. I wasn't sure if I could meet my time goal, but I wasn't going to just give up either.
In the later miles of the race I came to a realization of what the marathon actually is. To me, it's the coming together of so many people and causes, and it brings out the best in everyone. Sometimes this is hard to see as many watched their goals slip away, but I took the time to see it and it was everywhere. It was on the singlets of so many charity runners, running for people and causes other than themselves. It was in the 4 men I saw walking with their arms around each other around mile 24. They may be walking, but they were together and were going to finish together. It was the look of momentary happiness I saw on faces of other Team PAWS members as I would run by and tell them they were looking good or to keep hanging in there. I may not be the fastest runner, but I sure as hell was going to make this marathon mean something. I've heard the saying many times that people run a marathon to be together. I certainly believe this to be true for me. I feel so completely filled up with love from what I see and experience during a race that it changes me deeply. In a world where you constantly are bombarded with horrible things on the news, it feels so damn good to be surrounded by good. This is why I run.
I saw my husband again around mile 25 and I pushed to the finish. I saw that finish line approach and I took it all in. I had perhaps run my best marathon yet, and my smile says it all.
Post Race
It took me a long time to get through the finish chute, get my medal, and some water. There were people collapsing left and right, and I was very thankful that I had finished and was still feeling relatively good. I pulled out my phone to see what my official time was, and when I saw that I missed my time goal by 4 minutes, I didn't feel disappointed at all. I still walked away with a 10 minute PR. I was really pleased with this and after taking my finisher photo, I headed to the PAWS post-race party.
I enjoyed celebrating my accomplishments with friends and my husband at the team post-race party, and checked on the status of many of my friends. I was waiting for one to finish - it was her first marathon and I was anxiously waiting the update to see if she had crossed the line. I saw that some friends had great days while others had really rough ones, and I was just thankful that I finished my race close to the time I wanted and felt relatively good. My friend finished her first marathon and I was so proud. I can't even imagine having run my first marathon in this kind of heat (mine was really cold). I stayed at the party until it officially ended and all PAWS members finished before heading home. Another marathon over.
Reflections
In reviewing my overall goals, I think I did really well. While I know I went out too fast, I also was able to reel myself back and in looking at my splits, I paced myself pretty well. Even during the later miles where I slowed down, I was pretty consistent. I was definitely dehydrated after the race, but I did not feel bad during the race and was proud that I stuck to what has been working well for me. The heat was a concern going into the race, and while it was hot, I can honestly say it was more of an afterthought. When I was running I was aware it was hot and that I felt hot, but I always just put that thought aside and focused on something else. Obviously I was 4 minutes from my goal time, but I really think this is the closest I've been to where I have trained. I do feel that the race was representative of my training.
And boy did I have fun. Sure it was hot and congested, but I enjoyed the race. Knowing that it will likely be the last Chicago I run for quite some time, I made sure I took it all in. I appreciated the crowds, and the very cool way the city comes together for one day to cheer for us "average" people. I love the way that I get inspired by those around me. I felt so many wonderful things for many days after the race, and I am inspired to keep running and going after my goals. I promptly signed up for my next 50k the day after the race, and now after some rest, I'll be ready to rumble again!
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