LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon - RunMarathon

I broke a sweat walking to the start line. I was completely soaked by the 5K mark and already off pace by 1:30 b/c it was so crowded. I skipped the very first water stop but by the second water stop I was thirsty. I realized very early that breaking 4 hours was just not going to happen partly b/c of the heat and partly b/c the water stops were a mob scene and I knew I needed to drink a lot. On the positive side my body felt good, legs felt fresh, lungs didn't burn and I felt like I was moving at a very comfortable pace. My Garmin rarely worked b/c of the tall buildings.

Around mile 8 we ran through "Boystown" in Lincoln Park and I have never seen so many beautiful men in all my life. Of course they were all gay but I had fun looking!! Got to the 13.1 mark and was three minutes off pace. I thought for a moment maybe I would try to make that up the last 10K but as the day heated up I abandoned that thought. I saw the temp. at the start (72 degrees) and around 14 miles saw it again at 88 degrees!! At every water stop I first drank a glass of Gaterade then would run up to the water stop (100 yards ahead) and then get water to drink. I stopped about mile 15 or 16 for a quick bathroom break. After that, every water stop was a little slower b/c of the crowds and I started getting two glasses of water--one to drink and one to pour on myself (front of shirt, head and back). I can't remember at what point people started having squirting hoses on runners but every time I saw a hose or a spray bottle or anything cool I would run under the water.

As the race went on the sun was so hot that the city opened the fire hydrants and water was just spraying out everywhere. That was the best feeling. The downside was that I was so soaked my shoes squeaked and felt heavy. As we ran through the Mexican neighborhood (my next favorite area), the crowd had sponges and wash clothes soaked in water and would run by you and wipe your back. At some point the supporters had bags of ice (maybe mile 17 or 18). That was another life saver. I ran over and got handfuls of ice to put some in my jog bra, down my back and sucked on the ice chips. About mile 18 or 19 I ran passed a girl I had meet earlier. She ran a 1:35 half marathon recently and when I saw her struggling I felt so bad. I hope she ended up finishing but I don't know.

Next thing I knew we were at mile 20 and the crowds made me feel like it was the last half mile. It was what I needed. Thousands of people yelling and holding up signs saying "You are going to make it" or " You are going to do this" was very motivating. So I kept moving forward but I think around mile 22 I started to slow down probably a little more then a 10-min. mile pace. I finally got out my Ipod (I was trying to save it until I really needed it). I put it on and it was on shuffle but "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" by Poison came on--my favorite song in the world. After that I couldn't get my Ipod to work right (probably b/c I was so sweaty) so just had it in one ear and listened to a few songs I really didn't want to hear.

By mile 24 I turned it off as the crowds were really thick and yelling and clapping again. Mile 24-25 might have been the hardest...I was feeling tired and backs of calves felt tight. So many people around me were starting to walk. Many of the runners had 3:20 to 4:00 race goals on their back and I kept thinking if people who want to run a 3:20 or 3:30 or 3:40 marathon ae walking, how can I keep going? But I managed to (barely) keep running. Then came mile 25 and after subtracting 10 minutes (start time) I was still over the 4 hour mark which kind of bummed me out but again, I was happy to be vertical at this point.

I kept running pretty slowly and getting as wet as I could from every water source I could find. About mile 25.5 there was a slight uphill (bridge) but I kept running then it was down hill and we turned the corner for the finish. The end was 400 yards away (signs marked every 100 yards) so I picked up the pace and passed lots of people the last 400 yards and felt really strong finishing. Crossing the finish line felt so good! I kept thinking "the marathon was hard but not THAT hard." I was seconds over the finish line and started thinking about what marathon I could run next at a cooler temp and try to break 4 hours. Then while standing in line to get my medal I started hearing people talking about getting diverted and saying the race had been called off b/c of the heat. Apparently they ran out of water and about 10,000 people didn't get to finish. A lot of those people who had been cut short six miles were finishing and many were upset, crying and said they felt cheated. I realized how lucky I was just to have been able to get to the finish line. Overall, it was an awesome birthday day and I loved the experience.





Considering the temperature and humidity I think I was wise to take it slow and not overheat. Yes, I wonder if I could have pushed myself and ran a sub-4-hour race but most likely I would have blown up.

Walked around a bit, drank water, searched for a beer (none to be found) and got a massage.


Heat, heat, more heat and did I mention HUMIDITY???


Despite the crazy heat, my first marathon was a positive experience. I had no problem getting enough water but feel really bad that people after me ran out. I have a lot of respect for all the people who finished the race even though it was turned into a "fun run" (who thinks running in 89 degree temps is "fun"?). The volunteers and crowds were wonderful. I can't wait to run this marathon next year under more typical conditions.