Take what the day gives you

My Chicago Marathon results and report.

Sigh.  I've waited to do this to see how I was ultimately going to feel about it. Put a little distance between me and the marathon to gain perspective.  I won't leave you in suspense.  I finished.  That's what I can say.  I did not come close to making my goal, and it wasn't pretty, but I finished. I walked away from the finish line with two thoughts, and both of those are still intact 17 days later.  1.  I'm glad I did it, and b. I'm glad I never have to do it again.

Here are the numbers: 40,230 runners from all 50 states and 120 countries, 1 million spectators, 29 neighborhoods.  My time: 5 hours and 18 minutes.

Obviously way off my stated goal of 4:37. When I finished, I was not happy.  I was tired, sore, and generally disappointed with my performance. If you're interested, here's the story...

Once in Chicago, me and my Team in Training teammates headed to McCormick Place for packet pick up and the race expo.  Everything went smooth there and after getting my race bib and shirt and checking out the largest race expo I've ever attended, we headed back to the hotel. Rest and relaxation was on the schedule for a while until meeting up with my other teammates on "Team Jenny" and heading out to Tim and Caroline Carey's place close to Wrigley Field. I cannot say enough about these guys.  Even though this was the first time I had actually met them, I felt like I knew them from facebook, the 100 day burpee challenge group, and from their friendship with Jenny.  They were kind enough to host us with pizza, pasta and an amazing rooftop view.  It was an excellent way to spend the evening before the marathon.  Thanks so much guys!  If you'd like, feel free to follow them on their blog "Keep Calm and Carey On" here: http://www.thetimmyboytimes.com/

Race morning we all met in the lobby. First with my TNT teammates:

Team in Training Wisconsin

Then with my Team Jenny teammates:

Team Jenny

We started moving over to the start area, passing through security, and over to the corrals where over 40,000 are nervously waiting.  We passed by an area of dried red paint on the sidewalk and someone mentioned it looked like a crime scene.  The following photo op ensued:

Marathons are NOT for everyone!

Now that the humor was out of the way, it was time to get down to business.  The race starts and at first it's tough to navigate with all the people, but the spectators are amazing. First few miles go by and I'm averaging about 9:20 miles based on the watch of a teammate I'm running with.  Faster than I was thinking, but not crazy.  So far so good.  I pull off the course just after mile three to use the facilities and from then on, I'm on my own.  We head north towards Wrigleyville and in what is probably one of the coolest moments of the race for me, we pass a nursing/retirement home.  I look up in the windows and see so many older people at the windows looking down, waving, and cheering us on.   A lot of waves back, and I'm feeling good.

We make the turn back south, and the crowds are still amazing, and it's still fun.  At just past mile 8 I start to feel a pain on the outside of my left knee.  Not bad, but noticeable.  And it's a pain I have never felt before.  I stop about mile 9 to use the port-a-potty again, and when I'm done, I feel no pain.  I'm thinking "Great! A little resting it now and then and I'm golden!"  At this point, I have no clue what my pace is because I don't have a watch, but quick calculations at mile markers put me around 10 minute miles, give or take.

Make it back into downtown, and cross the river yet again, and pass the 13.1 mark.  Halfway done.  Starting to feel the knee pain again, but managing it with walking breaks. I didn't know it at the time, but this was the beginning of the end of my good day and fun. In my opinion, the second half of the course it not as scenic or fun as the first half.  The course heads west, then to Chicago's south side.  It has its moments.  The  Hispanic flavor of the Pilsen neighborhood with mariachi bands and sombreros is pretty awesome, and Chinatown is pretty cool too.  Other than that, it's not enjoyable, and it becomes more industrial and paralleling a freeway until you get to U.S. Cellular Field where the White Sox play.

At this point, I'm hurting.  Walk breaks have become more and more frequent, and the knee pain, which I have figured out is my IT band, makes it painful to run much at all.  I'm thinking that for my marathon aspirations, doing the Go Ruck Challenge two weeks before the marathon may not have been the best scheduling plan, but hey... "It could always be worse!"

So, I make the turn at the ball park and head over the freeway.  I can see downtown and have an idea how far I still have to go.   I'm prepared to start heading towards the tall buildings, but...NO! Over the freeway we turn right and continue heading away from downtown and the finish line. It's only for a couple of blocks, but mentally, it's a killer.  I'm just past mile 23, and all I want to do is finish.  I don't remember ever feeling this bad before.  I'm physically in pain, my goal is all shot to hell, and all I can do is keep moving forward. I pass the mile 25 sign, then the one mile to go sign.  I get down to 800 meters then 400 meters.  I start to realize that it's really almost over.  I'm actually going to finish and be a marathoner.  Only a right turn and left turn still to go.  After the right turn is the only significant elevation gain on the course (how cruel is that?), then a quick left turn and I can see the finish line.  I cross in 5:18.  41 minutes after my goal time. I find one of the medical personnel and make sure they know what I'm about to do is on purpose (I learned this lesson at Escape from Alcatraz) and I dropped to do my burpee. I get my medal, and actually have to hurry back to the hotel to change and get a cab, because I have tickets to see Arlo Guthrie at the Old Town School of Folk Music and because of my (self believed) sub par performance, I have to hurry.

I'm pretty sure I was the only one at the Arlo Guthrie show with a Chicago Marathon Medal, and the show was amazing.  If you ever get the chance to see him, don't pass it up!  He's an outstanding musician and amazing storyteller!

Arlo Guthrie singing "Alabama Bound"

For the rest of the day and part of the following day I am upset, disappointed, and overall just not happy with the way the marathon went.  I mentor and coach endurance athletes, and they often ask for my advice on race day.  This is what I always tell them. "Train well, mentally prepare, and do everything possible to set yourself up for success.  But remember, things happen. No matter what, have fun and take what the day gives you."  Funny how it's so hard to follow your own advice, isn't it? I mean, I just finished the Chicago Marathon.  One of the six major marathons in the world.  A distance most people will never attempt or have no desire to.  I'm healthy, fit, and have a Chicago Marathon Medal and will always be a marathoner, and I'm depressed because I failed to cross the finish line before some arbitrary self imposed time?  I did the best I could on that day.  I had fun (mostly), and can cross it off my list.  I have no right to be upset.  And as if I needed confirmation, I see this story, of a man with muscular dystrophy that took 17 hours to finish the same Chicago Marathon I did. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/maickel-melamed-chicago-marathon-227642901.html And I'm unhappy with 5:18?  Kinda puts things in perspective.

Here's what it all comes down to: I had a great year filled with amazing events like Escape from Alcatraz, America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, Ragnar, GORUCK Challenge, Superior Man Triathlon and the Chicago Marathon. Finishing any one of those events would be a successful year, and I did them all.  I'm really pretty lucky.

Before the Chicago Marathon, I though this link was humorous.  After?  It's downright HILARIOUS!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/video/kevinmcshane/the-8-stages-of-running-a-marathon

Final thoughts on the Chicago Marathon. A.  I'm really glad I did it! and 2.  I'm really glad I never have to do it again!  Will I want to? That may be a different story one day.  But not today.

Is fear my friend?

It's race week again and time for the dreaded taper.  I wrote a post earlier this year before Escape from Alcatraz that I titled "Let Go or Be Dragged".  Feel free to go back and read it here:  http://motivationninja.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html  A lot of the same feelings are creeping in now.  The Chicago Marathon is Sunday and I had my last run last night. I have to be honest people, I am really sweating this race.  I am worried and I am scared.  This will be my first marathon (yeah, yeah, I know..but I'm telling you Ironman does NOT count!).

My longest run is 18 miles, and my long runs in general have been painful.  For those of you that are facebook friends or follow me on twitter (@MotivationNinja feel free to follow me) you remember after 16 miles I said "Marathons are stupid. That is all." That run hurt, and I was completely prepared to say "screw it" right then.  And I have to run 10.2 more than that. I'm not sure I'm prepared, I'm not sure I can actually run 26.2 miles all at once and I'm unable to let go.  This week I am being dragged.

I added to my own stress by imposing a time goal to meet.  I shouldn't have done it, and it's not smart, especially for my first marathon, but somehow I couldn't help it.  Now I'm sure everyone wants to know what that time goal is.  So, why not add even more pressure and put it out there for anyone who doesn't already know.  4:36:59.  Yeah, it seems like an odd number.  I read somewhere recently that the average US marathon time last year was 4 hours and 37 minutes.. That's an average pace of 10:34 per mile.  I know that on my 18 mile run, I averaged a 10:06 mile pace, so I figured, "Hey...that's doable!  I just want to be better than average!" Why?  I have no idea.  It makes no difference at the end of the day, and I'll get the same medal no matter when I finish.  I'm nowhere near fast enough to worry about placing in my age group, especially in what was the largest marathon in the world last year! But, that's what my mind does to me. So now, I get to sit here not only worried about finishing, but finishing in a certain time.

The one "redeeming" factor for this marathon is why I chose to do it.  Many of you know that we lost a friend and training partner in January when she was murdered by her soon to be ex-husband.  Some of us have dedicated out entire race season to Jenny by wearing pink compression socks at every race.  And several of us decided to run the Chicago Marathon this year for her.  She ran it last year and it was her last race. We even had shirts made.  Her nickname was "Peanut" and her favorite color was orange, so...

Anyway, wish me luck. If for any reason you want to follow this train wreck, here's a link that should help. https://register.athletetracking.net/bacm/index.html  My bib number is 49440.  You can choose to get updates to your phone, facebook, or twitter.  Go ahead, buy into the fear with me. It's gonna be great.

Gulp.