I Can Haz Marathon?! Part II

Wait no longer, internet friends...Part II of the Chicago Marathon Madness has arrived. At least, from my perspective anyway! Please for you to enjoy...

I woke up at 5 AM to get some food in my stomach and to check the weather. I'd laid out most of my stuff the night before so I didn't have to scramble for stuff in the morning. Meanwhile, the mom was still sleeping. We'd talked to my cousins the night before, and they planned to pick her up at 8 AM and then go to the half-marathon mark to see me run. I was a little bummed that she'd miss the start, but it was more important for me that she'd be comfortable. My mom hasn't spent too much time in Chicago proper, so she doesn't know how to get around very well. She also has terrible knee problems. The last thing I wanted was for her to be in massive pain, just to watch me run a 4+ hour marathon.

The weather was warm already. Bummer. Still, I had faith that I'd be able to meet my goal of running a 4:45 marathon. I ate two bananas, drank a half liter of water, and had a cup of tea. I was planning on getting to the tent super early, so I'd eat my Cliff bar then. 5:45 AM rolled around and I woke my mom up to tell her that I was going to leave. She wished me luck and blessed me, and then I headed to the train.

I texted my mom whilst waiting for the train that there was a dude passed out drunk on yhe platform. She replied that he must be running a different marathon. Nice one, mom.

Someone had a poster on the train that said "Brian, I can haz marathon pls? Run Brian, Run!!!" I laughed, and it felt good. The temperature at this point was nearly 70 degrees. Sweet...because I love running in the heat.

I made my way from the Roosevelt train stop to the CES tent where my 10:30 girls and friends were waiting. I know everyone says this, but you really could feel the excitement in the air. So many of the runners had attempted to finish the Chicago Marathon last year, and were not able due to the heat and the race being cancelled 3.5 hours through it. I checked my bag at our gear check (it was so nice not to have to go to the main gear check) and worked on eating my Cliff bar.




NOM NOM NOM...Cliff bar








Before we headed to the start, Coach Jenny imparted some wisdom. It was not as hot or humid as last year, but it was warmer than anticipated, and we were of course starting later in the day than we've started on any of our long runs (that two hour difference is a BIG deal, yo). Thus, Jenny said that today might not be a day for time goals. It might be a day to slow the pace and simply finish the race. I harbored a little hope still that I'd be able to make my time goal, but I also started recalculating. I had been expecting the worst weather-wise all week, so this wasn't a complete shock.

Corey, Amanda, Amy, and Eric opted to start near the 11 minute pacers, and Kristen, Jen, Jane, and I decided to get as close to the 10:30's as possible. Jen was planning on running sub-10's so she would eventually dart ahead of us as soon as we crossed the start line. It was somewhere near 80 degrees at that point, if not warmer. I was so excited to see my city, my new home in a way that I rarely get to see it. I was excited to see the South Side, the oldest part of the city. I was excited to have my family there to see me do something that really has changed my life for the better.

The race started out well. The crowds were just wonderful. Things started to change as bit as we turned South to head through Boystown. I could really feel the sun on me. My body still felt fine, in fact, my right foot had loosened up a bit and my right instep didn't feel so tender as before. Kristen and I had lost Jane to a bathroom stop at this point. Normally, Kristen is every bit the cheeriest person on the run. I love running with her because she pushes me through the hard parts. She started to mention the heat and could we maybe try and angle for the shady parts of the street? I thought this would be a good idea. We also had initially planned on stopping at every other aid station, since 22 aid stations seemed to be a bit much. Well, once we hit mile 11, Kristen and I both agreed to start stopping at each aid station. She started to feel better at this point. We were also dead on pace too...straight up 10:30's! I was feeling pretty good all things considered, but the heat was going to be a factor. They had elevated the warning level from yellow to red also, and were advising runners to slow down. As we passed mile 15 and headed to the next aid station, Kristen started to complain about dizziness, and that her eyes felt droopy and she felt shakey. I told her that I wasn't going to leave her and that she should probably take some more gatorade.

As we walked through the aid station, I finally saw my family! I didn't see them at the half way point, and was disappointed. I'd wanted my mom to be a part of this and was sad that she wouldn't even be able to see me run once on the course. Then, just past mile 15, I saw her and my three cousins. They were holding signs up for me. My mom gave me a big hug even though I'd just dumped a cup of water over myself. As we moved on, Kristen started apologizing for making me walk by my family. I told her that it really was no matter at all. They knew I was running a race, and they certainly felt the heat too. I also remarked that if they'd seen me destroyed at mile 15, they might start to question my sanity in racing. So really, Kristen was saving my life. I wasn't about to leave her anyway. It's one thing to run a marathon by yourself. It's a whole different story to do so for your very first marathon and be sick at the same time.

Coach Patty caught up to us at mile 18, along with our friend Rachel, who'd promised to jump in with us for a few miles. Patty pointed out that it was 84 degrees and that a lot of people were walking at this point. She also told Kristen that she probably needed another Gu as well. We made it about another half mile before Kristen started having stomach problems. Rachel and I agreed to wait for her whilst listening to the sirens.

Siren.. They'd better not fucking cancel my race.

This is where my "Slightly un-Official" time comes in. We stopped for a friend, and it took over 5 minutes, so while I still have that time engraved on my medal, I think I should be able to take 5 minutes off of it. After all, I was waiting for my homie.

We soldiered on. I did my best to encourage Kristen, who was more than despondent at this point, more so because she thought she was costing me a good race. I can't tell you how sad that made me...she was probably saving my life by keeping me slower, as opposed to someone who ran balls-out and then ended up not finishing. I reminded her of the t-shirt that I saw at the start of the race. It said "Dead Fucking Last is better than D.N.F." Rachel and I started playing the "think about a new thing every mile game" once we hit mile 20. I pointed out all of the people still out on the course, and how we were passing pacers with 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, and 5:00 finishing times on their back bibs. We ran under sprinklers and through water hoses on held out by city residents. The scene was eerily familiar. One of our long run pacers had jumped in with us at this point. My legs were sore and it felt better to run than to walk, so I jogged slowly along Kristen.

Up to now, I was employing a tactic of "just run to the next aid station...just run to the end of the under pass..." to help Kristen along. At some point past mile 21, I just kept running. I was a little dizzy myself, and thought she was with me. Kathryn, our pacer, was at my side, and I didn't stop again until mile 24. As I turned to remark to Kristen that we were so close and that she was about to finish her first marathon, I noticed she and Rachel were no longer there. Kathryn explained that she and Rachel decided to split us up, since Kristen needed to walk a bit more. Kathryn also told me that I was now running above pace. I was determined to run this one in as hard as I could. After all, we only had 2.2 miles left to go. I could do this. We ran along Michigan Ave. And I lost track of the street signs. I noticed the pictures of fallen Chicago cops and immediately thought of my uncle, who's plastic bracelet I was wearing, and got another push forward. Suddenly, the sign for Roosevelt was above my head. Kathryn patted me on the back, and left the course at that point. I ran those last 385 yards on fresh legs and finished the Chicago Marathon. I had finished my second marathon, faster than my first, and ready to test myself again.

So I didn't finish under 4:45, but considering the circumstances, I re-evaluated my goals appropriately, and came out on top. 5:10:59 was the "official" time. That's still about 15 minutes faster than my first marathon! I felt a good deal of pride in that...and still have room to grow.

I met my mom at the runner reunite area, and she had tears of joy in her eyes. She knew how hard I'd worked for this and I felt such joy at being able to share the moment with her. We made our way back to the CES tent, dodging the misting machines as we went. Curbs were a little difficult to manage. When I arrived back at the tent, I discovered that Korin had run the remaining miles in with Kristen, who was able to finish her very first marathon! Jen had a successful run. Actually, I think we all did because we all finished. And I still think that's remarkable.




10:30 pace girls may have not finished together, but were with each other every step of the way


Myself and Katherine, a family friend. Chicago was her first marathon and she did it with the AIDs marathon training group


Ouch...see? Sunburn!!!

So congratulations to everyone who ran a marathon this weekend, especially those who finished Chicago under yucky conditions once again. You can never take for granted finishing a marathon. Ever.

So, who's ready for the next one? I think I want to do Cleveland in May :)


Finishur..I iz one...thank you LOL Cats