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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
- Start date
worrierking
Footballguy
Chief! Welcome to the club!
FUBAR
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Chief - a Marathon Man!!!!!
ChiefD
Footballguy
Awesome job juxt. Wow!
As for me, you know what happened. Kicked ### for a good long bit, and the distance got me at the end. But, ended up about where I expected. Gave 4:15ish an honest effort for awhile.
Full report later. Just ate an awesome Italian beef sandwich, and the course was damn flat. What a day. Way cool, and really pleased with my time.
I think for me, I ran as good a race as I could for my first and only one. Thanks all for the support through the whole process!
As for me, you know what happened. Kicked ### for a good long bit, and the distance got me at the end. But, ended up about where I expected. Gave 4:15ish an honest effort for awhile.
Full report later. Just ate an awesome Italian beef sandwich, and the course was damn flat. What a day. Way cool, and really pleased with my time.
I think for me, I ran as good a race as I could for my first and only one. Thanks all for the support through the whole process!
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
Great job, Chief!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Yeah, the 5K splits were incredible ...some pick-up after the HM point, and then still holding strong to the end. Very, very cool.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Congrats Chief!!!
Hang 10
Footballguy
First and only, eh? Yeah, if there's one thing I know about runners is that when they say, "I'm never doing that again", it's always true.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Good question. I mean, I am trained for a marathon at the moment, so.......
I feel like I could run a pretty fast half right now, so not really sure. I know for sure I will run my normal spring half in April. There is a half coming up in KC in about a month. Not sure if that's enough recovery time to give it a go.
If so, thinking I might give that one a try and try to beat my 1:49. Based on how I felt yesterday, I think I can beat that.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Alex P Keaton - did you run the race? Mrs. Keaton told me early in the summer that you were starting to train for it. Did it happen?
ChiefD
Footballguy
Lol, yeah. The first thing I thought of after that race was: with another year of training I'm under 4 hours.First and only, eh? Yeah, if there's one thing I know about runners is that when they say, "I'm never doing that again", it's always true.
Nigel
Footballguy
It is amazing what a drastic change in perspective occurs regarding HMs after running a full. 13.1 is still a long way but they don't seem nearly as daunting.
Hang 10
Footballguy
I would probably wait a couple weeks and see how your recovery goes before you make any race plans. I've got injured rushing back from long races. Proceed with caution.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
[SIZE=14.6667px]2015 Chicago Marathon Race Report[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]This was my 10th marathon. My goal was to break 3:00. Although my PR was a 3:04 (set a year ago) and a natural “plan B” would be to set a PR, I really didn’t feel this way. I would be disappointed with any number starting with a 3. After running a 3:08 and a 3:05 in 2012, a sub 3:00 marathon was my main running goal going into 2013 and what I was trying for last year as well. So it’s been a long time with multiple attempts! For those following me this summer, I increased my mileage over previous training cycles and have been running better than ever including a PR 1:22 half marathon last month. Going in, I felt like I had a decent shot. However, that didn’t mean I was confident. I’ve struggled at the ends of too many marathons to ever feel like I’ll know how I’ll feel. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Pre-race[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I didn’t sleep well which is common for me before a race. I went into this odd light dreaming state waking up every half hour or so. All my dreams were anxiety ones. Either something starts going wrong while I’m performing a task or I do something to disappoint someone. Not too hard to figure out why I’m having those. My alarm was set for 4:30 but I gave up trying to go back to sleep at 4:00.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I tried to eat but couldn’t. I made it 2 bites into a Clif Bar before giving that up. I then took a bite of a slice of bread and literally started gagging. I don’t normally eat breakfast but really struggle eating before a race. I’m sure it’s mental. So, pre-race intake was basically just a cup of black coffee and some water.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]No pre-race report is complete without mentioning the digestive system. I’m pleased to report that everything was fine on that end. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I made it to the start corral area a little after 6:00 for a 7:30 start. For some reason I like being there insanely early. I met this very nice Canadian guy the time flew by chatting with him. He was also shooting for a 2:59:59 so we planned to run together some. He told me he planned to take the first 10K slow before speeding up and catching the pace group and also that he likes to walk the water stations so I wouldn’t stick by him the whole time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]After a very brief and probably useless warm up running circles in the start corral, I lined up next to the Canadian behind several 3:00 pacers. He told me their plan was to be at 1:29:30 at the half to give a little cushion even if they have to start a little slow due to congestion. That sounded fine to me and I promised myself again that I would stick with them until at least mile 20 or so.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Weather was as forecasted. In the high 50s to start but in the 60s most of the race. It was windy and although I hate running into the wind, it at least made it cool enough that I never felt too warm. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]GPS doesn’t work well in downtown Chicago and the race measured long on my watch (26.60 on Garmin, 26.7 on Strava). For accuracy, It makes more sense to give you official 5K splits. 3:00 per mile pace is 6:52.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]5K (3.1 miles) 21:31 split time, 6:56 average pace, heart rate average per mile 132, 144, 148[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It was very congested at the start even though I was in the first corral after the elites and my chip time is only 16 seconds after the clock time. I was following the pacers in a big group and had to be very careful not to trip or bump into other runners. I think it was tighter than in any other marathon I’ve ever run. I got tripped pretty badly during the first mile and almost fell. Almost everyone is running about the same pace though so it’s manageable. We’re running a little slow but I know the pacers will make up for it so I’m not concerned.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]10K (6.2 miles) 20:56, 6:45, 150, 152, 154[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It’s still very congested. One the pacers gets tripped and takes a nasty tumble but is OK. My calves/Achilles are aching. It’s probably due to the shoes (I’m wearing a lighter pair than what I usually train in) or a lack of warm up miles. That’s annoying but other than that I feel OK. I take my first gel before mile 6. We make up the lost time from earlier and by the 10K point we’re a little ahead of pace.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]15K (9.3 miles) 21:00, 6:46, 153, 152, 154[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px] We settled into a comfortable rhythm that’s still a little ahead of goal pace. The pain in my calves/Achilles subsides. Heart rate is fine -- I’m comfortable with being in the mid 150s for most of the race. I moved slightly ahead of the pace group due to the congestion but I check back frequently to make sure I don’t move too far ahead. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]20K (12.4 miles) 20:59, 6:46, 152, 151, 150[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The Canadian guy catches me (recall that his plan was to take the first 10K slower) and says hello. He tells me I’m looking strong and we chat for a while which is nice. However since he walks doing water stations I lose him again a few times. I take my second gel around mile 11 but it feels heavy in my stomach so I stick with water the rest of the way. I’m drinking a lot less than other marathons, just a paper cup about every other station. Less fluids is something I’ve done all summer and I think it works for me. My heart rate is lower here which is a good sign since I know it will start its creep soon. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]25K (15.5 miles) 20:37, 6:39, 152, 154, 155. 1:28:59 at the half.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The pace group is right behind me at the half but then I speed up and ditch them. I don’t see my Canadian friend again. (Looking him up afterwards, he finished in 3:02. Not his goal but still a PR for him). I’m not sure why I sped up at this point. Actually, I didn’t really even think about it much. I just felt comfortable. That’s not to say I wasn’t tiring (I certainly was) but it just felt sustainable. I started steadily passing people and that felt nice. I also was acutely aware that I was banking time in case I needed it later.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]30K (18.6 miles) 20:26, 6:35, 156, 158, 160, 159[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]My fastest split. My heart rate is higher but I thought I could manage OK with it still around 160 at this late. I still don’t feel too bad and I kept pleading to the running gods to let me make it to mile 20 before bonking, hitting the wall, stretching the giant rubber band, etc. I thought that I could power through using my banked time by then.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]35K (21.7 miles) 21:06, 6:48, 160, 159, 160, 161[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I make it in decent shape to mile 20 but everything is getting much more difficult and I’m sick and tired of running. My pace slips and I know that I’m not going to bank much time any longer. I’m just trying to maintain at this point. My right hip starts hurting at this point and there was pain every step the rest of the way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]40K (24.8 miles) 21:45, 7:00, 163, 163, 164[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It’s pretty rough now and it’s a mix of me passing people and me being passed. My pace slips again yet my heart rate is elevated. I know that as long as I don’t go too slow, I’ll be OK. I have enough time banked. I remember doing the math around mile 24 and figuring I could run a 8:00 pace and still be under 3:00. That doesn’t stop me from looking back when I hear someone coming behind me in fear of them having a 3:00 pacer sign![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The finish (26.2 miles) 7:20 pace, 166, 168[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I’ve fully bonked by mile 25. Completely exhausted. I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and count down the tenths. There would be no sprinting to the finish.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Final time 2:58.20. 797 out of 37,182 finishers. 44 out of 2,670 in age group.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Over the years I’ve thought about this goal and that moment crossing the finish line a lot and I assumed I would get emotional but I didn't. I was just too damn tired. And, honestly, it felt more like it was a relief. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I’m not sure what’s next for me. I’m sure I’ll run another marathon again but maybe not for a while. I really don’t feel a strong desire to run one faster than this. However, I must admit to thinking about how sustaining that 6:35 pace of my fastest 5K split for a whole marathon might not be inconceivable with the right training and race day conditions...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]This was my 10th marathon. My goal was to break 3:00. Although my PR was a 3:04 (set a year ago) and a natural “plan B” would be to set a PR, I really didn’t feel this way. I would be disappointed with any number starting with a 3. After running a 3:08 and a 3:05 in 2012, a sub 3:00 marathon was my main running goal going into 2013 and what I was trying for last year as well. So it’s been a long time with multiple attempts! For those following me this summer, I increased my mileage over previous training cycles and have been running better than ever including a PR 1:22 half marathon last month. Going in, I felt like I had a decent shot. However, that didn’t mean I was confident. I’ve struggled at the ends of too many marathons to ever feel like I’ll know how I’ll feel. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Pre-race[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I didn’t sleep well which is common for me before a race. I went into this odd light dreaming state waking up every half hour or so. All my dreams were anxiety ones. Either something starts going wrong while I’m performing a task or I do something to disappoint someone. Not too hard to figure out why I’m having those. My alarm was set for 4:30 but I gave up trying to go back to sleep at 4:00.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I tried to eat but couldn’t. I made it 2 bites into a Clif Bar before giving that up. I then took a bite of a slice of bread and literally started gagging. I don’t normally eat breakfast but really struggle eating before a race. I’m sure it’s mental. So, pre-race intake was basically just a cup of black coffee and some water.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]No pre-race report is complete without mentioning the digestive system. I’m pleased to report that everything was fine on that end. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I made it to the start corral area a little after 6:00 for a 7:30 start. For some reason I like being there insanely early. I met this very nice Canadian guy the time flew by chatting with him. He was also shooting for a 2:59:59 so we planned to run together some. He told me he planned to take the first 10K slow before speeding up and catching the pace group and also that he likes to walk the water stations so I wouldn’t stick by him the whole time.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]After a very brief and probably useless warm up running circles in the start corral, I lined up next to the Canadian behind several 3:00 pacers. He told me their plan was to be at 1:29:30 at the half to give a little cushion even if they have to start a little slow due to congestion. That sounded fine to me and I promised myself again that I would stick with them until at least mile 20 or so.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Weather was as forecasted. In the high 50s to start but in the 60s most of the race. It was windy and although I hate running into the wind, it at least made it cool enough that I never felt too warm. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]GPS doesn’t work well in downtown Chicago and the race measured long on my watch (26.60 on Garmin, 26.7 on Strava). For accuracy, It makes more sense to give you official 5K splits. 3:00 per mile pace is 6:52.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]5K (3.1 miles) 21:31 split time, 6:56 average pace, heart rate average per mile 132, 144, 148[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It was very congested at the start even though I was in the first corral after the elites and my chip time is only 16 seconds after the clock time. I was following the pacers in a big group and had to be very careful not to trip or bump into other runners. I think it was tighter than in any other marathon I’ve ever run. I got tripped pretty badly during the first mile and almost fell. Almost everyone is running about the same pace though so it’s manageable. We’re running a little slow but I know the pacers will make up for it so I’m not concerned.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]10K (6.2 miles) 20:56, 6:45, 150, 152, 154[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It’s still very congested. One the pacers gets tripped and takes a nasty tumble but is OK. My calves/Achilles are aching. It’s probably due to the shoes (I’m wearing a lighter pair than what I usually train in) or a lack of warm up miles. That’s annoying but other than that I feel OK. I take my first gel before mile 6. We make up the lost time from earlier and by the 10K point we’re a little ahead of pace.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]15K (9.3 miles) 21:00, 6:46, 153, 152, 154[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px] We settled into a comfortable rhythm that’s still a little ahead of goal pace. The pain in my calves/Achilles subsides. Heart rate is fine -- I’m comfortable with being in the mid 150s for most of the race. I moved slightly ahead of the pace group due to the congestion but I check back frequently to make sure I don’t move too far ahead. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]20K (12.4 miles) 20:59, 6:46, 152, 151, 150[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The Canadian guy catches me (recall that his plan was to take the first 10K slower) and says hello. He tells me I’m looking strong and we chat for a while which is nice. However since he walks doing water stations I lose him again a few times. I take my second gel around mile 11 but it feels heavy in my stomach so I stick with water the rest of the way. I’m drinking a lot less than other marathons, just a paper cup about every other station. Less fluids is something I’ve done all summer and I think it works for me. My heart rate is lower here which is a good sign since I know it will start its creep soon. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]25K (15.5 miles) 20:37, 6:39, 152, 154, 155. 1:28:59 at the half.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The pace group is right behind me at the half but then I speed up and ditch them. I don’t see my Canadian friend again. (Looking him up afterwards, he finished in 3:02. Not his goal but still a PR for him). I’m not sure why I sped up at this point. Actually, I didn’t really even think about it much. I just felt comfortable. That’s not to say I wasn’t tiring (I certainly was) but it just felt sustainable. I started steadily passing people and that felt nice. I also was acutely aware that I was banking time in case I needed it later.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]30K (18.6 miles) 20:26, 6:35, 156, 158, 160, 159[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]My fastest split. My heart rate is higher but I thought I could manage OK with it still around 160 at this late. I still don’t feel too bad and I kept pleading to the running gods to let me make it to mile 20 before bonking, hitting the wall, stretching the giant rubber band, etc. I thought that I could power through using my banked time by then.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]35K (21.7 miles) 21:06, 6:48, 160, 159, 160, 161[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I make it in decent shape to mile 20 but everything is getting much more difficult and I’m sick and tired of running. My pace slips and I know that I’m not going to bank much time any longer. I’m just trying to maintain at this point. My right hip starts hurting at this point and there was pain every step the rest of the way. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]40K (24.8 miles) 21:45, 7:00, 163, 163, 164[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]It’s pretty rough now and it’s a mix of me passing people and me being passed. My pace slips again yet my heart rate is elevated. I know that as long as I don’t go too slow, I’ll be OK. I have enough time banked. I remember doing the math around mile 24 and figuring I could run a 8:00 pace and still be under 3:00. That doesn’t stop me from looking back when I hear someone coming behind me in fear of them having a 3:00 pacer sign![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]The finish (26.2 miles) 7:20 pace, 166, 168[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I’ve fully bonked by mile 25. Completely exhausted. I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and count down the tenths. There would be no sprinting to the finish.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Final time 2:58.20. 797 out of 37,182 finishers. 44 out of 2,670 in age group.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]Over the years I’ve thought about this goal and that moment crossing the finish line a lot and I assumed I would get emotional but I didn't. I was just too damn tired. And, honestly, it felt more like it was a relief. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14.6667px]I’m not sure what’s next for me. I’m sure I’ll run another marathon again but maybe not for a while. I really don’t feel a strong desire to run one faster than this. However, I must admit to thinking about how sustaining that 6:35 pace of my fastest 5K split for a whole marathon might not be inconceivable with the right training and race day conditions...[/SIZE]
Nigel
Footballguy
41M for me last week despite a 36 hour afib episode that cut a run short after 1.5M Wednesday and sidelined Thursday.
Ran 8 on Frday morning, then on Saturday my son had to take a prep school practice exam in Newton Center so I planned a long run in the Newton Hills for the couple of hours I had to kill while waiting for him. Perfect day for it unlike last time I was out there marathon day. Ran up Heartbreak to Cleveland Circle, around the reservoir, back down Comm Ave to the firehouse, and back to Newton Center hitting all the hills twice. Worked a little harder than I'd planned, 12.1 @ 8;16 pace. Great run confidence-wise, faster than my HM PR pace on a flat course. 6M recovery yesterday.
Planning another 40 or so this week then a lighter one next leading up to 10/25 half.
Ran 8 on Frday morning, then on Saturday my son had to take a prep school practice exam in Newton Center so I planned a long run in the Newton Hills for the couple of hours I had to kill while waiting for him. Perfect day for it unlike last time I was out there marathon day. Ran up Heartbreak to Cleveland Circle, around the reservoir, back down Comm Ave to the firehouse, and back to Newton Center hitting all the hills twice. Worked a little harder than I'd planned, 12.1 @ 8;16 pace. Great run confidence-wise, faster than my HM PR pace on a flat course. 6M recovery yesterday.
Planning another 40 or so this week then a lighter one next leading up to 10/25 half.
Hang 10
Footballguy
Great report, Juxt! I'm really stoked for you to finally get over the sub 3 hour hump.
It's been really cool to follow you and the rest of the guys here on strava (especially my #teamgarmin homies) to get to see a complete training cycle to an awesome race. Definitely makes me feel invested in everyone's race. It's great to see to see all that hard work pay off.
It's been really cool to follow you and the rest of the guys here on strava (especially my #teamgarmin homies) to get to see a complete training cycle to an awesome race. Definitely makes me feel invested in everyone's race. It's great to see to see all that hard work pay off.
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MAC_32
Footballguy
Yep, if you're going to legitimately race again this year you probably should wait until at least Thanksgiving'ish. If it's just something to keep you going then you may be able to do one sooner, but while the recovery varies widely person to person from a marathon you're often not right for quite some time, as others in here will attest.
MAC_32
Footballguy
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Juxt - awesome. Inspiring. Congratulations!
ChiefD - Welcome to the club. You did it and enjoyed it! Congrats and enjoy the rest. Don't rush back too early.
====================================
My update:
As some of you know, I significantly sprained my ankle in a trail race in early May. I was unable to run in May, June and July. (Let's face it, I couldn't walk without a brace in May or June.)
8 weeks ago, I started to run. Just one mile in my first run. By the end of the week, I had run 2.5 miles at one clip. Yesterday, I'm pleased to report I ran the Steamtown Marathon in 3:49:23. This was 20 minutes off my PR and my slowest of six marathons. But considering I had one 40 mile week and two 32 mile weeks in my training, I'm pleased I made it this far. I ran a 1:52:08 first half and a 1:57:15 second half. Obviously, I faded badly at end, but that was lack of training catching up to me.
Regardless, I'm pleased I got it done. Sometimes it isn't about your finish time...its about the journey to get there. Looking forward to 2016!
ChiefD - Welcome to the club. You did it and enjoyed it! Congrats and enjoy the rest. Don't rush back too early.
====================================
My update:
As some of you know, I significantly sprained my ankle in a trail race in early May. I was unable to run in May, June and July. (Let's face it, I couldn't walk without a brace in May or June.)
8 weeks ago, I started to run. Just one mile in my first run. By the end of the week, I had run 2.5 miles at one clip. Yesterday, I'm pleased to report I ran the Steamtown Marathon in 3:49:23. This was 20 minutes off my PR and my slowest of six marathons. But considering I had one 40 mile week and two 32 mile weeks in my training, I'm pleased I made it this far. I ran a 1:52:08 first half and a 1:57:15 second half. Obviously, I faded badly at end, but that was lack of training catching up to me.
Regardless, I'm pleased I got it done. Sometimes it isn't about your finish time...its about the journey to get there. Looking forward to 2016!
worrierking
Footballguy
Fantastic Juxt. I am amazed that you can have a steady heart rate like that even in the middle of a race. Mine is always a continuous upward slope.
Congrats on your training and your success. Awesome.
Congrats on your training and your success. Awesome.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
You make me laugh. Your emotions/attitude swing through such highs and lows.Juxtatarot said:
Great report, and again, fantastic race!!!
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Don't call it a comeback! Congrats, great race coming off that injury and training.
Brony
Footballguy
Great job Juxt! You worked your ### off to get ready for this race and it paid off. I'm really impressed to see you get sub-3 but not surprised. Not enough likes to give your race report.
I was following along in the morning and saw that you finished sub 3 while I was eating pop-tarts lounging at a waterpark in the Dells at 10AM. I felt a world apart.
I was following along in the morning and saw that you finished sub 3 while I was eating pop-tarts lounging at a waterpark in the Dells at 10AM. I felt a world apart.
Brony
Footballguy
Great job Chief and bananafish! Chief - hope you and your wife got to enjoy some of Chicago - you got a great weekend to take it in. I would ask if running a marathon makes the Italian beef tastes better, but I know that that's impossible since they are close to perfection. Did you hit Al's Italian Beef, Portillos or other?
Gator Shawn
Footballguy
Awesome job this weekend all of you!
holds true for 140.6 to 70.3 too. Until you're in the middle of the rave and realize this #### is still damn tough.
ChiefD
Footballguy
2015 Chicago Marathon Race Report
Oh man, where to start. In my mind (and my wife's mind), this would be my one and only marathon. If I had never run one, I would always wonder if I could. And at this point in my life, trying new things is really important: mainly because with three kids things for "me" are few and far between anymore.
We drove up Friday, and went to the expo on Saturday morning. My wife decided to take her sweet time getting ready, even though I had explained to her I was scheduled to meet the one and only Juxt. She obviously didn't care as much as me. Between her taking her sweet time and the road construction going into downtown, we missed each other by maybe 10 minutes. He waited around for probably 40 minutes, and I appreciate that. I had gotten up early, ran a 2 mile shake out run, and was more than ready to leave to catch him in time.
Anyway, the original plan was to have my brother drop us off and pick us up. While at the expo, we were talking to someone at the info desk and asked them how hard it is to park in the morning. They said to download an app called ParkWhiz. where you could actually pre-book a parking space in advance, pay for it, and have it there in the morning. We looked at each other and said: "Great. Now we can just get down there whenever and have a car to head home." So we did that, and actually found a garage about .5 mile from Grant Park. Only $20. Perfect!
------------------------------------------
So I've been having issues in training with my stomach as you all know. So this is a big issue for me going in. Luckily, my brother made some homemade pasta sauce, which did wonders the night before and cleaned me out pretty good. This always worries me a bit, because I wonder if there is anything lingering in there, and will it get out on race day morning. On Sunday morning, I have a nice breakfast of 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and a banana. It's difficult to choke down.
The down side is I can't take a dump. As we are walking out the door, I feel a little rumbling and make a feeble attempt at a discharge. About 5 minutes later, as we are walking out the door again, another rumbling. Not much comes from it. Now I'm worried, because we have to get moving. Luckily we have that awesome parking space close to the start. We leave about 5:30 AM. This should get us there about 6:15 or so. Race starts at 7:30
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Traffic is light, so we breeze down there. Pull off the highway, follow the GPS, and are heading to the garage. Right when the cops are closing the street that leads directly to the garage. Uh oh. No way they let us through, so I drive around, get back on the highway and come from the north to hit it from a different direction. Hey, guess what? Road closed. Basically the garage we booked through the Chicago Marathon link in the app was in the one place we couldn't get too. I'm freaking out, because my stomach is rumbling again, and the clock is ticking. We are pushing 6:30, and we still have to get to Grant Park and for me, clear security before I get to the corral. On top of that, I really have to piss. We drive around the block, and at this point my wife is telling me to just go and she would figure it out. I tell her no: she's in a strange city and I'm not leaving here to figure it out. As luck would have it, we pull behind a gas station, and the parking gods were shining on us. There was a lot there, and they still had spaces. $20. Bam, we are in.
-----------------------------------------------------
We rush to Grant Park, and we part ways so I can get in. It takes a few minutes to get my bearings and figure out where the hell my corral is. By the time I get to the entrance to my corral, it's about 7:10. The lines to the bathrooms were long - I start to stand in line and I have to piss - bad. I then hear on the loudspeaker that the corral closes at 7:20. I look at the line, and say: "No ####### way". I head to the corral.
At this point, the trash bag and Gatorade bottle I left with my wife would have come in handy.
But in the rush, I forgot. As fate would have it, I'm wearing my Royals shirt, and the guy next to me takes off his long sleeve shirt to discard and he's wearing a Chiefs shirt. Turns out he lives about 10 minutes from me.
I figure, at this point I'm hitting a bathroom spot early on, and so be it. Nothing I can do about it here.
--------------------------------------------------------
So I'm going to report as best I can on HR and splits, and I'm going to use the "official" time from my bib. My Tom-Tom actually had me running 27.1.
I looked back at what it says I actually ran 26.1, and it came in at 4:22. 
But, I also know the buildings were messing with the GPS for some of the day, so I will take the official chip time. But when I saw the splits later, I was really surprised I came in slower. By my watch all day I thought I was cooking along a lot faster all day. And I felt like I was running faster than what the final splits were.
5K: (3.1 Miles) 30:20 split time. Avg HR was 148.
By my watch it said I ran this segment at an average pace of 8:52, which actually felt about right for my effort. When I saw when I crossed the actual 5K line I was shocked to see the 30 ish time frame. I take a leak, which costs me about a minute or so, but I'm good. No dump, but stomach is fine.
10K: (6.2 Miles) 31:21 split time. Avg HR was 154.
15K: (9.3 Miles) 28:45 split time. Avg HR was 159.
Watch and chip time were close here. Avg pace was 9:16. Right where I wanted to be, and when I was running the race I actually slowed down here relative to what my effort was earlier. This is again why I was shocked at the time later. It was here I started to dial back some to save for later because I KNEW I was running a little quicker than I wanted to be at the start.
20K: (12.4 Miles) 29:52. Avg HR was 160.
Was trying to keep the same strategy. Keep the pace around 9:15 to 9:30. Felt great here, and I felt like I was cooking, but cognizant of what was coming. But I felt good, and the HR was still pretty manageable.
25K: (15.4 Miles) 23:40. Avg HR was 163.
Knew my HR was creeping up, so started to think about really dialing it back to make sure I had something at the end.
30K: (18.6 Miles) 31:41. Avg HR was 166.
Starting to feel it here. I'm starting to get those thoughts in my head about: "Damn this hurts and there is still a long way to go". Then I start thinking about how I'm in shape, and I can do this, and just push through it.
35K: (21.7 Miles) 34:17. Avg HR was 165.
I'm still actually feeling pretty good here, but I also know that I have to start slowing down or else I might be in trouble. It's getting a little warm here, but not bad.
40K: (24.8 Miles) 41:40. Avg HR was 162.
It started getting rough at about mile 21 and really got rough at about mile 22. I started to feel the warning signs of my calves and my stomach cramping up. I ended up listening to my body and started to walk here, because the last thing I wanted was to not finish because my legs were locking up. I had actually drank fluids pretty well all day, which probably saved my ### here. I alternated gatorade and water every other station, and took something at every station. Still, I was running across that damn finish line, and didn't want to ruin it here for a few extra minutes. I ended up alternating about a quarter mile of walking with a quarter mile of running.
The Finish
With about 1.25 miles left, I decided at that point I was running it in, no matter the pace. The energy at the end is pretty great, but I was hurting. But still running.
I'm just looking around, actually dumbfounded I made it to the end. When I came around the corner with about .25 to go, there is about a .10 that is an incline up a bridge. I'm thinking to myself: "Oh, ####### great. I just ran 26 miles of a flat race and they put a damn hill at the end."
Official Chip Time Finish: 4:33:35.
After the race, I'm in a daze. I'm hurting pretty good, and somehow stumble along the line, getting my water, and the medal, and some food, and a cold wash cloth. I have my phone on me, and call my wife:
My wife:
God Bless Her. She was a trooper all day. She was able to meet me 6 times on the course: mile 2 and 4ish, mile 13, mile 20, 22, and 25. Somewhere around those spots. She hustled her ### off to cheer me on, and the thought of her being there allowed me to forget a lot of pain. We had plotted out approximate points beforehand, so I had an idea where she would be. Unbelievable effort by her to support me.
Final Thoughts
It was awesome.The spirit of the city was really amazing, with each neighborhood having something different all the way through. Wearing the Royals shirt turned out to be a good idea: I bet I heard "Go Royals" one hundred times all day, and I'm not exaggerating. I also heard a "Go Home Royals" and a "Royals Suck" from two very obvious unintelligent White Sox fans, but it was fine.
As for what's next, my immediate thought was: never again will I run a marathon. The experience was so great that I can live with myself if I never do another.
BUT, the experience was so great I want to run that race again. It was fun. Chicago was fun. The people, the city, the support, was off the charts for me. My plan right now, a day later, is to run this again next year, if they'll have me. I know now I have a sub 4:00 in me with another year of training. This race didn't break me - it actually revitalized me.
And that's a great place to be. Thank you all again for the support for the last few years. There were many times I heard words in my head of advice of how to get through tough times during a race. Just know that every comment here, every "Like", every critique, is acknowledged and appreciated.
Oh man, where to start. In my mind (and my wife's mind), this would be my one and only marathon. If I had never run one, I would always wonder if I could. And at this point in my life, trying new things is really important: mainly because with three kids things for "me" are few and far between anymore.
We drove up Friday, and went to the expo on Saturday morning. My wife decided to take her sweet time getting ready, even though I had explained to her I was scheduled to meet the one and only Juxt. She obviously didn't care as much as me. Between her taking her sweet time and the road construction going into downtown, we missed each other by maybe 10 minutes. He waited around for probably 40 minutes, and I appreciate that.
I had gotten up early, ran a 2 mile shake out run, and was more than ready to leave to catch him in time.Anyway, the original plan was to have my brother drop us off and pick us up. While at the expo, we were talking to someone at the info desk and asked them how hard it is to park in the morning. They said to download an app called ParkWhiz. where you could actually pre-book a parking space in advance, pay for it, and have it there in the morning. We looked at each other and said: "Great. Now we can just get down there whenever and have a car to head home." So we did that, and actually found a garage about .5 mile from Grant Park. Only $20. Perfect!
------------------------------------------
So I've been having issues in training with my stomach as you all know. So this is a big issue for me going in. Luckily, my brother made some homemade pasta sauce, which did wonders the night before and cleaned me out pretty good. This always worries me a bit, because I wonder if there is anything lingering in there, and will it get out on race day morning. On Sunday morning, I have a nice breakfast of 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and a banana. It's difficult to choke down.
The down side is I can't take a dump. As we are walking out the door, I feel a little rumbling and make a feeble attempt at a discharge. About 5 minutes later, as we are walking out the door again, another rumbling. Not much comes from it. Now I'm worried, because we have to get moving. Luckily we have that awesome parking space close to the start. We leave about 5:30 AM. This should get us there about 6:15 or so. Race starts at 7:30
---------------------------------------------------
Traffic is light, so we breeze down there. Pull off the highway, follow the GPS, and are heading to the garage. Right when the cops are closing the street that leads directly to the garage. Uh oh. No way they let us through, so I drive around, get back on the highway and come from the north to hit it from a different direction. Hey, guess what? Road closed. Basically the garage we booked through the Chicago Marathon link in the app was in the one place we couldn't get too. I'm freaking out, because my stomach is rumbling again, and the clock is ticking. We are pushing 6:30, and we still have to get to Grant Park and for me, clear security before I get to the corral. On top of that, I really have to piss. We drive around the block, and at this point my wife is telling me to just go and she would figure it out. I tell her no: she's in a strange city and I'm not leaving here to figure it out. As luck would have it, we pull behind a gas station, and the parking gods were shining on us. There was a lot there, and they still had spaces. $20. Bam, we are in.
-----------------------------------------------------
We rush to Grant Park, and we part ways so I can get in. It takes a few minutes to get my bearings and figure out where the hell my corral is. By the time I get to the entrance to my corral, it's about 7:10. The lines to the bathrooms were long - I start to stand in line and I have to piss - bad. I then hear on the loudspeaker that the corral closes at 7:20. I look at the line, and say: "No ####### way". I head to the corral.
At this point, the trash bag and Gatorade bottle I left with my wife would have come in handy.
But in the rush, I forgot. As fate would have it, I'm wearing my Royals shirt, and the guy next to me takes off his long sleeve shirt to discard and he's wearing a Chiefs shirt. Turns out he lives about 10 minutes from me.I figure, at this point I'm hitting a bathroom spot early on, and so be it. Nothing I can do about it here.
--------------------------------------------------------
So I'm going to report as best I can on HR and splits, and I'm going to use the "official" time from my bib. My Tom-Tom actually had me running 27.1.
I looked back at what it says I actually ran 26.1, and it came in at 4:22. But, I also know the buildings were messing with the GPS for some of the day, so I will take the official chip time. But when I saw the splits later, I was really surprised I came in slower. By my watch all day I thought I was cooking along a lot faster all day. And I felt like I was running faster than what the final splits were.5K: (3.1 Miles) 30:20 split time. Avg HR was 148.
By my watch it said I ran this segment at an average pace of 8:52, which actually felt about right for my effort. When I saw when I crossed the actual 5K line I was shocked to see the 30 ish time frame. I take a leak, which costs me about a minute or so, but I'm good. No dump, but stomach is fine.
10K: (6.2 Miles) 31:21 split time. Avg HR was 154.
15K: (9.3 Miles) 28:45 split time. Avg HR was 159.
Watch and chip time were close here. Avg pace was 9:16. Right where I wanted to be, and when I was running the race I actually slowed down here relative to what my effort was earlier. This is again why I was shocked at the time later. It was here I started to dial back some to save for later because I KNEW I was running a little quicker than I wanted to be at the start.
20K: (12.4 Miles) 29:52. Avg HR was 160.
Was trying to keep the same strategy. Keep the pace around 9:15 to 9:30. Felt great here, and I felt like I was cooking, but cognizant of what was coming. But I felt good, and the HR was still pretty manageable.
25K: (15.4 Miles) 23:40. Avg HR was 163.
Knew my HR was creeping up, so started to think about really dialing it back to make sure I had something at the end.
30K: (18.6 Miles) 31:41. Avg HR was 166.
Starting to feel it here. I'm starting to get those thoughts in my head about: "Damn this hurts and there is still a long way to go". Then I start thinking about how I'm in shape, and I can do this, and just push through it.
35K: (21.7 Miles) 34:17. Avg HR was 165.
I'm still actually feeling pretty good here, but I also know that I have to start slowing down or else I might be in trouble. It's getting a little warm here, but not bad.
40K: (24.8 Miles) 41:40. Avg HR was 162.
It started getting rough at about mile 21 and really got rough at about mile 22. I started to feel the warning signs of my calves and my stomach cramping up. I ended up listening to my body and started to walk here, because the last thing I wanted was to not finish because my legs were locking up. I had actually drank fluids pretty well all day, which probably saved my ### here. I alternated gatorade and water every other station, and took something at every station. Still, I was running across that damn finish line, and didn't want to ruin it here for a few extra minutes. I ended up alternating about a quarter mile of walking with a quarter mile of running.
The Finish
With about 1.25 miles left, I decided at that point I was running it in, no matter the pace. The energy at the end is pretty great, but I was hurting. But still running.
I'm just looking around, actually dumbfounded I made it to the end. When I came around the corner with about .25 to go, there is about a .10 that is an incline up a bridge. I'm thinking to myself: "Oh, ####### great. I just ran 26 miles of a flat race and they put a damn hill at the end." Official Chip Time Finish: 4:33:35.
After the race, I'm in a daze. I'm hurting pretty good, and somehow stumble along the line, getting my water, and the medal, and some food, and a cold wash cloth. I have my phone on me, and call my wife:
My wife:
God Bless Her. She was a trooper all day. She was able to meet me 6 times on the course: mile 2 and 4ish, mile 13, mile 20, 22, and 25. Somewhere around those spots. She hustled her ### off to cheer me on, and the thought of her being there allowed me to forget a lot of pain. We had plotted out approximate points beforehand, so I had an idea where she would be. Unbelievable effort by her to support me.
Final Thoughts
It was awesome.The spirit of the city was really amazing, with each neighborhood having something different all the way through. Wearing the Royals shirt turned out to be a good idea: I bet I heard "Go Royals" one hundred times all day, and I'm not exaggerating. I also heard a "Go Home Royals" and a "Royals Suck" from two very obvious unintelligent White Sox fans, but it was fine.
As for what's next, my immediate thought was: never again will I run a marathon. The experience was so great that I can live with myself if I never do another.
BUT, the experience was so great I want to run that race again. It was fun. Chicago was fun. The people, the city, the support, was off the charts for me. My plan right now, a day later, is to run this again next year, if they'll have me. I know now I have a sub 4:00 in me with another year of training. This race didn't break me - it actually revitalized me.
And that's a great place to be. Thank you all again for the support for the last few years. There were many times I heard words in my head of advice of how to get through tough times during a race. Just know that every comment here, every "Like", every critique, is acknowledged and appreciated.
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tri-man 47
Footballguy
Awesome, Chief!
worrierking
Footballguy
Great Report Chief!!! Congrats!
Who had next year's Chicago Marathon in the betting pool on Chief's next Marathon?
Who had next year's Chicago Marathon in the betting pool on Chief's next Marathon?
Hang 10
Footballguy
I think it's even worse than that. His marathon retirement lasted less than 48 hours. That might be a record around here.
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ChiefD
Footballguy
This race changed me.
It's been a rough couple of years with work and just life in general - trying to figure out what is next. This was one of those things that 3 years ago I would NEVER do. Never in a million years. It just wasn't me. Didn't fit my personality and I was slipping into an area that was getting scary both physically and mentally. Never did I think stepping out the door for my first run three years ago would lead me to here.
I felt more alive Sunday and yesterday than I have in many, many years. Almost like something inside of me just finally let go. It's hard to explain really. But can't wait to see what happens now.
Wow, this is great.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Great report! I'm glad you had such a positive experience! It's funny about the crowd support. It's nice but sometimes it's too much for me. Around mile 17 or so I remember a stretch that had no cheering spectators and no cowbell. All you could hear were the runners footsteps. The quiet was wonderful!ChiefD said:
By the way, next time spend the money and stay at a hotel downtown!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Northern Voice
Footballguy
Is it a dri-fit Royals shirt? Now I want to wear something Jays related on the weekend but I only have cotton t-shirts. Forecast for next weekend in Toronto is about 2 degrees (36 Fahrenheit?), but its on the waterfront so will be windy and feel colder than that. T-shirt overtop of long sleeve running shirt?
tri-man 47
Footballguy
That should work since you'll have a layer below the cotton. A pair of cheap garden gloves might be desirable as well!
ChiefD
Footballguy
Yeah, it was a dri-fit. Found it online, but also found it in a local store. Just google Blue jays dri fit shirt and you may find one.Something like this. http://tshop.mlb.com/products/34572366
I also bought a Nike long sleeved dri fit to wear underneath in case it got cold, but didn't need it. The blues matched pretty good.
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