Chicago Marathon : Official Thread

Yay for an official thread!
This is my 2nd time at Chicago Marathon, 4th stand alone (5th if you count a 50K, 8th if you count IMs). Training was short this year as the summer was focused on Vineman Full. Took a week off then started back at it. Both of my knees have not been very happy with me this time around, but I'm managing through it.

I'm raising funds with official charity Oasis for Orphans, an organization that helps children orphaned by the AIDS crisis in Kenya. We'll be the ones in the orange shirts! Link in my signature line if anyone would like to donate - I'm only halfway to my commitment. 

Sounds like a great charity. Hope your knees settle down. Good idea about listing your charity page. I tried to get that in my signature line, but for some reason it wouldn't stay in. So, here's my link just in case anyone wanted to donate some. Plus, there's a cool picture of a monkey and a guy in a banana suit.  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11IL?px=31080303&pg=personal&fr_id=54854

I'm out, and I'm gutted. Well, maybe not gutted but I do LOVE the Chicago marathon.

This would have been my 4th year in a row, but instead I'm going to New Orleans for a bachelor party (famine to feast?!?!). I'll miss the electric atmostphere in the city, taking the el to the start line at 5am with the hardened bar-hoppers, the excitement of the amazing crowd support in the first 14 miles, and the euphoric pain in my legs when I cross the finish line.

Hopefully I'll get to join the hobbling masses for a Sunday Funday upon my return from NOLA.

I'll keep lurking around this thread, though. It's what I do. Good luck!!!

Friday or Saturday?
I'm trying to get some BTers organized for a Friday night dinner (YerWife, Whizzzzz, Lazy, MEH, Cheri, whoever) so we can have a drink or two without worrying about it affecting the race Sunday.

I doubt I'll be able to join in. I have family there I'll be spending most of my time with when I'm not running or sleeping. 

Hope the knee is better. Probably that pre-race shake out where stuff starts to bother.

yay!  checking in!  i haven't run 20 and won't before the race, so we'll see how that goes.  i was sick last week and barely ran.  other than that, my build has been super strong.

chicago is my first and only marathon and i'm SUPER excited to come run it.  WHEE!

You're not "supposed" to say it's your only marathon until afterwards at the finish line. ;-)

don't you worry, i'm never doing this again.

What corral is everyone starting in? I'm in G, so I might be right there with you at 4:30. I was thinking of running with a pace group -- maybe 4:15, but I'm not sure. I'm coming off a lay-off from marathons, been two years since my last one, so I'm not sure what to expect with times. Everyone says this course is flat and fast, but flat sometimes taxes the hip flexors more. 

Are there some inclines/declines on the bridges? 

Lynn

The only hill I remember is the one in the last mile - up a bridge. Fun

I'm a slowbie in corral J or K? Something like that.

There's a decline in the first mile, after your cross the river on Columbus, toward Grand. There's an incline, I wouldn't call it a hill, between mile 1-2, as you head south on State St. But that's about it, for the whole course.

The only hill of any note, and maybe it's only of note because of where it is on the course, is on Roosevelt when you turn off Michigan Ave, literally at mile 26.
I run this route to get to the lakefront regularly, and it's really not bad, but every time I've run the marathon it feels like climbing a wall.

A couple of tips from my times running this race:

1. Go easy at first. It's SUPER easy to get caught up in the energy of the other runners, and the amazing crowd. Before you know it, you're running a PR for your 10k, and killing yourself by mile 16.

2. Wear your name clearly visible on your top. You'll be getting yelled at the whole way, and it...is...AWESOME.

3. Wear a hat. If it's sunny, by the time you get to mile 20, you'll be very hot, and there is almost zero shade in the last six miles (straight south then north). I did this for the 1st time last year, and it was a massive help.

4. Be prepared to be mentally tough in the 2nd half. The first half is incredible. You feel fresh, crowd support is immense, the weather is call, there's a ton of shade. But the 2nd half is more sparsely supported (relatively), so you'll need to dig deep.

I absolutely LOVE this race, and I'm kind of bummed out that I'm not going to be running this year (out of town).
Next year - absolutely.

Thanks for the tips. It's so easy to come out faster than you want, great reminder. 

Also, corral A?  -- you're a fastie. 

Congrats on your IM finish! It's understandable that your legs don't "feel right" yet. Take it easy.

Hey, it says on the info packet we're supposed to pin our number to our outermost shirt. Are they okay with wearing a race belt? I have a feeling I'll be peeling layers a few miles in.

Also, anyone else have a case of the taper tantrums? 

http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/taper-traps?page=single

Worth a quick read a week and 2 days out....OMG!!! So excited!