Marathon Complete
Well, it's done. I'm happy with my turtle pace and proud that I only had to stop twice briefly to stretch. I'm definitely glad that the training is over.
Time: 5h27m15s.
Place: Not last!
I was on pace for a 5-hour time after running the first half, but faded quite a bit, especially after mile 21. It was really cold and windy, so I'm just happy that I didn't get hurt or sick. This is where the training pays off, I'm actually not very sore anymore. Last year, I could barely walk for days after the race.
I brought my headphones with me but never put them on. I was always with the pack and there were people cheering us on almost everywhere. The fans were the real troopers on Sunday, I don't know how they could stand out there for so long. I somehow missed my family in Chinatown, but they carried Joy Yee's take-away all the way back to the North side and we pigged out while watching the Heroes marathon that night.
My clothing setup was as good as it could be for the conditions. No chafing or blisters, which is good. I really concentrated on my drinking during running and that paid off. I only had to stop once to go to the bathroom (in Lincoln Park, ~mile 5, pissing on a tree along with the rest of the running animals). And I know that I could have avoided that if I stopped drinking at 6am instead of 6:45. But enough about my pissing habits.
The knees and ITB never got too bad. I believe all the pre-race stretching and massaging made a difference. I also popped one ibuprofen before and during the race. The mid-race stretching also helped.
A few highlights from the race:
-some dude running while wearing a huge blonde fro wig and a full body, sleeveless, denim jumpsuit
-running with the superheroes for several miles, Flash, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl, all in full costume
-running the last 800m with a first-timer from Texas; he heard about Chicago pizza and wanted to try it. I was telling him all about it and it was all I could think about during those final steps
-seeing friends running with injured/in pain runners across the finish line arm-in-arm
For future inspiration, I love searching the results by age group. For example, Male runners, ages 70-74. Yup, gramps kick ass!
So, that's all folks. I don't know if I'll run next year, but will definitely do it if someone wants to try it and needs a running buddy. Also, the next time I run, I'll be a St. Jude's Hero and will do some fundraising. I recommend Hal Higdon's book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide and novice training program. It really works if you stick to it.
Time: 5h27m15s.
Place: Not last!
I was on pace for a 5-hour time after running the first half, but faded quite a bit, especially after mile 21. It was really cold and windy, so I'm just happy that I didn't get hurt or sick. This is where the training pays off, I'm actually not very sore anymore. Last year, I could barely walk for days after the race.
I brought my headphones with me but never put them on. I was always with the pack and there were people cheering us on almost everywhere. The fans were the real troopers on Sunday, I don't know how they could stand out there for so long. I somehow missed my family in Chinatown, but they carried Joy Yee's take-away all the way back to the North side and we pigged out while watching the Heroes marathon that night.
My clothing setup was as good as it could be for the conditions. No chafing or blisters, which is good. I really concentrated on my drinking during running and that paid off. I only had to stop once to go to the bathroom (in Lincoln Park, ~mile 5, pissing on a tree along with the rest of the running animals). And I know that I could have avoided that if I stopped drinking at 6am instead of 6:45. But enough about my pissing habits.
The knees and ITB never got too bad. I believe all the pre-race stretching and massaging made a difference. I also popped one ibuprofen before and during the race. The mid-race stretching also helped.
A few highlights from the race:
-some dude running while wearing a huge blonde fro wig and a full body, sleeveless, denim jumpsuit
-running with the superheroes for several miles, Flash, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl, all in full costume
-running the last 800m with a first-timer from Texas; he heard about Chicago pizza and wanted to try it. I was telling him all about it and it was all I could think about during those final steps
-seeing friends running with injured/in pain runners across the finish line arm-in-arm
For future inspiration, I love searching the results by age group. For example, Male runners, ages 70-74. Yup, gramps kick ass!
So, that's all folks. I don't know if I'll run next year, but will definitely do it if someone wants to try it and needs a running buddy. Also, the next time I run, I'll be a St. Jude's Hero and will do some fundraising. I recommend Hal Higdon's book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide and novice training program. It really works if you stick to it.