I’ve lived in a handful of places. Not quite as many places as I have been, man, but enough to provide a goal of running a marathon in each location. My first knocked out Kansas City, MO. Second put a check next to High Point, NC. And this past Sunday I drew the line through Chicago after finishing the 35th Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The road to the finish line started off rocky after a bit of miscalculation. For whatever reason I had it in my head that my 20-week training schedule started in July. In late June I got to thinking about the marathon, backed up 20 weeks, and realized I was off by about 6 weeks.
Sure, I was logging about 20-25 miles a week, but I needed to be running 35-40 miles a week. So, I created a new training plan that spanned 92 days and 471 miles, and started July 7.
Training: Long Runs, Speed, and Races
Long Runs. On average I was running 13 miles on my long runs. Only 3 of my 13 long runs breached 20 miles. And my longest run was only 22 miles. I felt confident in my runs, and given this year’s heat I figured I could fare well in the Windy City’s cold.
Speed Work. I’ve never been a fan of speed work or track workouts until I started seeing the results of speed work and track workouts. Most of my speed days consisted of running 4 x 800 meters with a 400 meter nightcap. On occasion I mixed it up and ran an 800, then a 1600, and another 800. Or, 3 x 1600 to see if I could hold a consistent race pace.
Since starting speed work I’ve seen my 5K times drop from 20:52 in April to 18:54 in September. And, I’ve seen noticeable differences in my longer runs in both stamina and speed.
Races. Over the course of training I ran multiple 5K races including: Troop Tribute #Anywhere5K (20:43), Double Nickel #Anywhere5K (19:49), and 9-11 Memorial #Anywhere5K (18:54) as well the Blue Ridge Relay on a team of 12 in August.
Totals. 92 days (60 runs, 32 off); 432 miles; average pace per mile, 8:11
Pre-Race Prep
With my training complete it was time to get ready for the big day. The weather forecast called for a low of 38°F (3.3°C) and a high of 51°F (10.5°C). Given the forecast, I figured I would feel about 20°F (11°C) warmer or between 58°F (14.4°C) and a high of 71°F (21.6°C). No need for anything to keep me toasty warm.
I packed shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, and my #Anywhere5K dri-fit. Rounding out the equipment list was a pair of Vibram Bikila LS, a pair of green Zensah compression leg sleeves, a yellow Go Sport ID bracelet, and my Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS watch. No tights or thermal gear required.
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My buddy, Paul, and I arrived on separate flights, and my aunt and cousin picked us up at separate times. The lot of us yucked it up on Friday, and Paul and I took the Metra into the city to get our race packets (Paul couldn’t run for medical reasons, but he paid for his registration so of course he was going to get his shirt and stuff).
At the expo I snagged a cow bell (a marathon tradition) and then found my name on the big Nike wall in the middle of the convention center.
On the way out we stopped at the info booth and talked to a guy who said there was no way I was going to make it to Corral C by 7:20 if I took the Metra line that ran by my aunt’s house. Fahrvergnügen! Instead, he suggested I convince my aunt to wake up at 4 in the morning and drive me to a neighboring city 20 minutes away to catch a train on a different line that was running on a modified, marathon schedule. Oh, is that all? Cake walk!
Making our way back to Michigan Avenue, we walked the final stretch of the marathon. It appeared to be flat with a hint of slow elevation gain (of about 10′ +/-). After a quick walk around Grant Park, grabbed a slice at O’Neils on Wells, caught the train at Union Station, and met up for some Chinese food with my aunt and cousin.
At dinner I floated the alternate route idea, and both my aunt and my cousin stepped up to the plate to offer Paul and I a ride to the Metra station in Elmhurst. Huge life-saving thanks! Bed called and I was out by 9PM.
Race Day
The alarm sounded at 3:45AM. I hit the showers, got ready, and proceeded with the pre-race ritual of emptying my bowels and bladder about 800 times. An hour later we were at the train station with my cousin. 45 minutes after that Paul and I were on a train with a gazillion other marathoners. Upon arrival I B-lined to a long line of dudes waiting to hit a single, double, or for the cycle. Finally, at 6:50AM, we left Union Station for the start line at Grant Park.
When we arrived, Paul and I agreed on a post-race meeting place, fist bumped, and parted ways. Paul hit up Dunkin Donuts, and I scarfed down some Chomps. Then, old squirrel bladder hit up the Porta-Johns for another round. Unfortunately, after standing in line for 10 minutes I still had 20 before I was going to get a shot at peeing, and only 8 until access to Corral C closed. So, I bolted and headed to my corral.
Thankfully there was another long line of folks with squirrel bladders. I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, with 3 minutes to go, I unlocked the potty closet, did my business, and pushed my way into the corral far enough to join the 3:30 pace group—my target time for the race.
I never heard the starting horn, but I did see the sea of people moving ahead of me. Slowly, walking turned to jogging, and eventually running. I crossed the start line, started my timer, and headed out of Grant Park.
By mile two I shed my long sleeve shirt and tied it around my waist and began to gradually increase my pace over the next five miles. When I hit 7:17 pace for mile 7 I throttled back, forcing myself to a pace closer to 8:00. At the half I was sitting pretty and on track for a 3:30 marathon.
Well, sitting pretty except for ye ole squirrel bladder. Yep, had to take a leak. I thought about letting it go, but remembered I wasn’t in a pool or body of water. Instead, I pulled the car over at a toilet stop in the West Loop and TCOB in true NASCAR pit stop fashion.
A few miles later I saw myself running on the big screen. A couple steps later I heard my name called out, turned, and saw Paul with his hands cupped screaming my name. Thanks Paul!
Shortly after, around mile 17, I saw loads of signs telling runners there was no “Wall” ahead. And strangely, I agreed. My legs felt good and only a hint of “please stop” came from my left calf. I downed a Gu and kept on trucking.
I danced Gangnam Style with some folks at 20. Sang a little at 21. And grabbed a banana at 22. By mile 23 I was asking Gorbachov to tear down The Wall. I fought the urge to stop. I pushed myself through to mile 24. My calves were begging and offering bribes at this point. I obliged and walked for 15 seconds. I told myself I had but 16 minutes to go and continued shufflin’.
Just before mile 25, I slowed to a walk again. And again, within 15 seconds I convinced myself to pull my pants up and get across the finish line.
In the distance I could see the crowd at Michigan and Roosevelt where Mile 26 was waiting around the corner. I picked it up a notch. When I hit the turn my body was flooded with emotion and adrenaline. I started screaming “Woo!” like an idiot, flapping my arms like an even bigger idiot, and running. I sprinted up the hill, around the corner, and coasted to the finish with a big fat smile on my face.
I had bested my personal record by almost 25 minutes with a time of 3:31:25.
Race Thoughts
Hands down this was my favorite marathon. Sure setting a personal record in the most ideal weather conditions possible was great, but the people were awesome. And it wasn’t just the 37,455 finishers who inspired me. The 1.7 million spectators kept me moving when I wanted to stop. Folks who came out on a freezing cold Sunday morning simply to cheer on a bunch of people they didn’t know. Thank you Chicago!
Up next, two barefoot races (Army Ten Miler in DC and the NYC Marathon) and the Charlotte Marathon with my sister. Stay tuned…