Chicago Marathon Recap

I guess it is about time to recap the Chicago Marathon. I have a lot to say and also really nothing much minus it was miserable. Shall attempt to keep this as short as possible.

The weekend started promising. And by promising I mean a few hour flight delay that was kind of annoying. So I wound up getting to Chicago a lot later than anticipated on Friday night.

#allthewaiting

Saturday was spent sleeping in, doing a short shakeout run – side note, it was so gorgeous out and I felt great! – then went to the expo and to try and meet up with some people. Expo was ginormous but well organized and the packet pick up went smoothly. The only annoying part was the shirt, I was totally disappointed (I am not one big on swag in general but NJ, NYC, Hartford, West Palm Beach, Miami have all given great shirts I just expected something similar from a major – they seemed like an afterthought).

SO BIG.

Anyways Saturday night we wound up at a great Italian place Quartino's. Sadly I stuck with plain food all weekend (bagels, turkey sandwiches, bananas, pretzels, blah) and just had margherita pizza and picked cheese off. However when we left my stomach was kind of gurgling. So I ran down the street to 7-11 and said some prayers as I ate tums.

Sunday woke up – on my own thankfully – because I set my alarms to PM instead of AM. Awesome.

Ate a Clif Bar and had some coconut water and then got ready. Going in without any major goals and just planning to run it really did not hit me until that morning that I was running a marathon. I very much had a no pressure no nerves calmness going on.

I knew when I woke that my stomach would probably make me stop a couple times because I couldn’t really “go”. But whatever I am okay with that kind of par for the course.

We got to the start area to check bags probably around 7:20 so by the time I checked my bag I HAD to hop in my corral or else get stuck all the way at the end. Being assigned F at the front of Wave 2 I really did not want to go all the way to the rear, which meant holding it in and not being able to hit the bathroom.

Oh look so pretty!

As we were counting down the minutes to the start, all of a sudden I got REALLY emotional. Like tears and a little crying emotional. I did a total WTF to myself baffled where that came from…but then the gun went off and we were walking to the start! And THEN they played “Born to Run” and some more tears came (and excitement)! A few minutes later we crossed and I was off!

One thing I must say is it was running perfection! couldn't have asked for better weather.

First thoughts = ugh I have to pee. Which meant all I could look out for was the first set of porto-potties. About a mile and a half in they came up and I sprinted to them. Took care of things and then was running back out and SO HAPPY I ran into Emily! And got to chat with her for a few minutes before I told her to go off and chase her sub 4 marathon (and she killed it!).

And after she left was when things started going south. My stomach just never settled. I stopped about for the bathroom shortly after the 5K and it was upset. I was trying to not panic yet but I wasn’t amused. A mile or so later I knew I had to stop yet again.

3 stops by 10K.

I had barely enjoyed a second of the race and pretty much knew I wouldn’t for the remainder.

I started texting my friend Maria to see if she would be at mile 10 for the first stop and thankfully gave me something to look forward to. I was miserable. I was stopping at each stop each mile. I tossed away any time thoughts I was in so much pain.

Basically felt like someone was holding on to my insides and squeezing as hard as they could. I would go to the bathroom run for a bit before knowing I had to walk.

Yes walking began at mile 8. I texted the boy then too and was already saying I was ready to quit. Was texting my sister as well…a marathon is daunting but I knew how terrible it would be feeling this way.

I missed my friends cheering at the first stop but luckily knew they would be around 16/17 which again gave me some motivation.

When I finally saw them I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was miserable. I gave her my Garmin and continued on my way crying. My legs were feeling good to run but I just couldn’t for too long and at this point was losing the will to even try.

I can barely tell you anything about the course. Minus great crowds. The people were fantastic! I tried to take it in but was pretty miserable as my race photos prove:

Does that smile look forced?

I got the text of where they would be cheering again around 23 and was happy to have something to look forward to. I also stopped an helped a man who went down with leg cramps. Helping someone else made me feel like I salvaged some good from the experience.

Also seeing our friends Dad catch up to me who was running his first marathon and rocking it made me happy someone was having a good race! Until mile 20 I wasn’t sure I could or would even finish. It took every ounce of strength to stay on the course. After seeing our cheerleaders the final time I was so ready to just be done. My stomach was doing better (relative I just was incapable of shitting anymore, you’re welcome) and I finally turned on my music and ran as much as I could of the last bit. I have never been so happy to see a hill in my life as I knew that signified finishing this self-imposed hell.

I crossed that finish and I think I may have cried a little I was so happy to be done.

In a personal worst: 5:3x (I honestly do not know my official time I refuse to look but know it is around there) an hour slower than my slowest. And really don’t care.

That race was straight up survival.

I definitely earned this one.

And now I have to do 26.2 twice more this fall. What was I thinking?

My stomach still hasn’t returned to normal. Although I did get through 12 miles over the weekend (didn’t revolt until the second I stopped). But I am hoping that it settles down. And soon. If NYCM is the same I do not think I have the mental strength to repeat that.

So that is my recap. Don’t ask me about where I ran or what I saw. I basically spent 5 ½ hours trying not to shit my pants. A few memories but honestly I didn’t get to enjoy more than maybe 3-4 miles. I will say – AMAZING course support. I would run the race again just because of the ease of it all. Logistics trump NYC by a million in my opinion.

And if one more person tells me a story of how they run through it and I should just try that I will throttle them. You don’t think I TRIED. Sigh. 

26.2 x 3 for the Fall

Yesterday this conversation happened:

My sister and I were apparently having an identical thought process about finding a race near my parents. Low and behold one that I have always been interested in running was the weekend (Sunday not Saturday I later realized) of Thanksgiving – when I plan to be in Florida for the holiday.

I got excited, yay. Half marathon and the parents would be close by!

Then I went to the site registration to the lovely message: Half marathon: full.

I immediately text to my sister relaying that…and that I guess I was running marathon number 3 for the fall (she was already planning to run the full).

Made it official this morning. With a slight panic of…umm what have I just done?

So first I will be running the streets of Chicago inOctober!

Then I will be fundraising and running NYCM with Team forKids 3 weeks later…

And topping it off with Space Coast Marathon 4 weeks after that.

And as it was pointed out to me, if I complete each, I will meet the qualifications for Marathon Maniacs.

Never any intention of mine. I kind of just want to survive at this point. And I get race registration happy. It’s a big problem for me.

On top of the fact that I am still not loving marathon training! So why don’t I just run 3 instead of 1. Sigh.

So now I have a rough idea of what “training/taper” will look like between each but will definitely need to come up with a more formal plan. 

I really had no plans for time goals for this fall. I am just really running. Trying to enjoy the run. I am in a tough spot at the moment - I have had a couple weeks of just tired and slow legs. Some days running a 10 min mile pace seems like the effort of attempting repeats. 

Then other days I look down and see a pace in the 8's that feels comfortable and psych myself out that I should slow down because I won't be able to sustain it. 

But those are issues for a different post. 

For now, woo hoo to marathoning! 26.2 x 3 here I come (god willing). 

I'm Still Training. Kind Of.

Howdy!

Just realized that I have been kind of MIA for a couple of weeks.

Oops.

Still no full NYCM recap. No training updates. None of what I have been up to since.

So here is a little glimpse into the past couple weeks of my life.

I ran NYCM while feeling like shit. Complete and total shit.

I proceeded to take only two days off from training (since you know, I ran the marathon as a training run and all).

BIG SHOCK. I wound up sick for basically the next two weeks that followed. I am just starting to feel some semblance of normal... although I still feel just flat out EXHAUSTED at times for no reason.

Yawn.

So first up. I totally do not recommend doing that to yourself. If you wake up with a fever and shit, put yourself back to bed instead of running 26.2 miles.

But if you DO go run it. Maybe take the following day off. Me? I was in the office at 8am and had an 11 hour day the day after.

And when you do start running. Don't make the first run back a 10 miler.

Queen of Good Decisions.

I fought all urges for rest days and ran myself quite literally into the ground. 6 days after NYCM as I am running a long run with my friend...11 minute miles seemed like torture and with each passing minute felt worse and worse. I somehow made it to just under 14 miles when I wanted to die. I had nothing left in me. Major light bulb went off in my head that umm I need to not run. And maybe take a day off. You know get myself better.

So last week I took some time off. I didn't run for a full week! (lifetime for me) and to be totally honest, I did not miss it. I have drank the kool aide and am 150% in love with Flywheel and have been taking entirely too many classes and spending way too much of my money there.

That $32 a pop sure does hurt the bank account but oh how I love it.

So back to that whole training thing. Flywheel classes can totally replace actually running as training for the marathon. Right? Maybe? Just lie to me and say yes.

More confession time. I am supposed to run Palm Beaches Marathon in about 2 1/2 weeks. It is to be my sisters first marathon and I am heading back to Florida to join in the action.

I'm not entirely convinced any more that I am going to do it. I just don't know if I have another 26.2 miles in me right now. I am beat. Physically and mentally. I have checked out with running. I don't WANT to train right now and am attempting to get away with minimal in order to still be in shape enough for a marathon (although pretty sure that with only 5 weeks between them and still being highly active, no matter what I am fine).

I have nothing to prove. And I am about 99.9% sure that I am NOT going to run my sub 4 hour marathon in Palm Beach. I have proven time and again I run like shit in warm weather and am just not there at the moment physically. To beat my body up for another meh marathon, I am currently just sitting back and weighing the options of dropping down to the half.

Obviously taking into consideration if I will be disappointed etc. The good news is that I have until the day before to swap out my bib so I have some time. Until then I am going to follow through with the coaches training as if I am running it but I would be lying if I said I was actually all in and on board anymore.

Okay. I think I have babbled on enough.

I think for the first time in a while, I am not all do or die about running. And that is a reason to pause about this whole marathon coming up but as well as kind of be happy. Some times I let it consume me way too much and it is nice to not feel pressured about it right now.

I have so much going on right now and running isn't the number 1 priority. And you know, I am totally okay with that.

I am going to run on my own terms. And if I don't feel like it, I won't.