2013 Chicago Marathon; A First Time Marathoner's Perspective

Known to the world as simply the BF, I have been invited to write a guest blog.  I had to run a marathon to earn that privilege.  And they said running a marathon changes your life...clearly.

Why run a marathon? Why Chicago?

I have run several half marathons interspersed with rest periods that typically lasted four years.  The challenge of the marathon was something I thought about for a long time but never got around to doing one.  I got back off the couch in fall of 2011 and ran two half Mary’s in fall of 2012. Running Skirts n Swag wanted to run the Half Mary of our local race this fall. Since I have run it three times, it made sense to support her.  Look at how great of a BF I was: (http://runningskirtsandswag.blogspot.com/2013/09/2013-fox-cities-half-marathon.html) 
Hence, I looked for another race to run.

We both love to visit Chicago, from the different neighborhoods, to the food, to the museums, to the shopping, it’s a fun place to visit.  We visit annually as it is about a three and a half hour drive for us. Reading other bloggers who said millions of spectators come out, this seemed like the right place to run a marathon.  That way, it would be more of an event than simply running a race.

Ambivalent if I could really run that far, I made the decision to register a few days  before registration opened.  With Active.com completely failing at the task they were hired to do, it became a competition of us vs. the website.  Both of us were using a laptop and all the idevices we owned to get through.  We got through before the website closed for the day.  YES! VICTORY! I WILL NOT BE DENIED!.... Um, what did I just win?

What did I win for trying to register with multiple devices? Three payments to the Chicago Marathon? How about this three times: Active.com you suck, Active.com you suck, Active.com you suck

My fall Half Mary times got me into the back corral of the first wave.  I booked the hotel.  I was ready. Now I just had to train.

Why Hanson?

I chose the Hanson Marathon Method, which I downloaded from the Kindle Store. They had three main points that drew my attention:

1.  Run high weekly miles six days a week and your long run is only a small percent of weekly miles, which tops out at 16 miles.

2.  If you want to be a better runner, then run and not focus on cross training
3.  Although there is some cutting back at the end, this taper does not cut back as aggressively as others.  They will have a speed run 10 days before the race.

Okay, this doesn’t quite do them justice.  You can get the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Hansons-Marathon-Method-Renegade-Fastest/dp/1934030856

For me, 1) I liked the idea of running regularly and not destroying myself in long runs.  A 20 miler in August sounds miserable. 2) Frankly, I have always hated cross training.  I have a recumbent bike in my basement.  It feels like sitting in a lawn chair as I can easily pedal and read.  I just enjoy running more 3) the more I can run in the taper, the less crazy I’d be.

I don’t do well with taking things on faith so I googled reviews on this method. Surprisingly, anyone I read from reviewer to blogger who ran using Hanson all described feeling adequately trained. Even my friendly neighborhood shoe store guy endorsed this method, but none were first time marathoners.

When I told others who have trained in the 20 mile long run camp, I got a lot of smiles, nods, and “well, good luck.”

I elected not to tell my mother that I was doing Hanson vs. a 20 mile long run plan

Of course the book has all sorts of physiological explanations of why this works, which I don’t understand care to understand.  I just skipped it and read the training schedule.

Did I really follow the training schedule?

In the past, I typically have a very scripted training schedule that starts to fall apart after the third day because I want to sleep in.  Given my fear and awe of a marathon, I followed this one as close as I could.  With my fall Halfs at a 9:09 pace, Hanson told me to train for a full in 9:30 min/miles. I had the base mileage in Spring and was able to jump to the full plan with speed runs in July.

I only took three days off due to a bronchial cold which was three weeks before the marathon and I ended up cutting some of the strength interval training short due to time constraints.  Through it, I felt myself getting stronger.  The easy runs were really feeling pedestrian and I did not destroy myself in the tempo and long runs.  My last 16 miler was after the cold and I struggled through that one.  I will have to say near the end, I was reaching my saturation point of running six days a week and looking forward to getting this over.

The taper

Now I can see why people run a 20 miler.  In the midst of the taper, I realized, I STILL HAVE TO RUN ANOTHER 10 MILES MORE THAN I EVER HAVE?  I read a Runner’s World article advising me to not go crazy in the taper by picking up a new hobby, so I resorted to watching weather reports for race day several times a day.  Wondering if there would be a lightning storm on race morning didn’t seem to help.  Fortunately, the weather cleared.

I really needed a better taper hobby

Terrified I was not ready, I was scaling back my ambitions, now I decided to try running a 9:40 with a negative split would be more realistic.  A 9:30 would only happen if all the stars aligned. My biggest fear was a bonk.  I’ve bonked a couple half Marys and the idea of training for nine months to end up staggering down the street all stiff like Frankenstein for the final six miles was unappealing.

The Expo

Briefly, my experience was like most expos I attend: I pick up my bib, spend a lot of money, and sample food I would never consume in any other circumstance.  This expo was a little more special since you could take your picture next to a Nike poster with your name on it and we could legally graffiti too.

Getting ready to write 100 times, “At my next expo, I will not eat 18 free protein bars.”

Running Skirts and Swag will argue the expo is important.  She can tell you about it here http://runningskirtsandswag.blogspot.com/2013/10/2013-chicago-marathon-spectators.html.

The Race

I had the alarm set for 5:15 and it went off to Darth Vader’s “Imperial March.”  It was time to run.  In the elevator down, only two other runners joined us, we left the hotel and started the walk from Michigan Avenue to Grant Park.  We slowly joined other small crowds of people which swelled into a mass of hundreds by the time we crossed the river.  Kind of a neat feeling to be walking.

Unknowing what security would be like, I entered the security check point more than an hour early. Without a gear bag, it was easy to get through.

Perfect race conditions, start in the upper 40s. I drank my one cup of coffee and one water, as I always do.  Unfortunately, I had to pee a couple minutes after getting in the corral. Maybe I was cold.  Maybe I was nervous, but my bladder was sore when I started.

The walk to Grant Park. I’m feeling relaxed, feeling confident.  Thanks for ruining it, bladder.

Once the horn sounded, it was a 10 minute walk to the start line in my corral.  It was neat to see the many volunteers along side right before the start line.  Nice to be sent off  like that and be able to wave them a “thank you” before running.

We were off.  No spectators at the beginning.  We went under an overpass, where I saw a line of people men relieving themselves against a wall.  Not to incriminate myself on violating city ordinances, but being under the overpass with a slight delay, the GPS on my Garmin crapped out on me.  I hoped it would recover once out, but unless I was really running 7:00 min/miles, it was struggling to figure out where I was.  Great, I’m gonna have to run this on how I feel and I have 41 km to go.  I’m gonna bonk.  I’m screwed.

Once outside of the overpass, the crowds started and never really ended.  I’d say the second half doesn’t have as many spectators, particularly between miles 23 and 25, but for the most part the streets were lined with people.  In downtown, four rows deep.  The crowd was loud, they gave high fives, they played music.  There is no way to explain it.  This city really supports this race.

To have so many people involved, I was surprised how smooth this event was.  The course was full, but it never felt crowded. I anticipated bottlenecks at the water stations, but this did not happen until closer to mile 22 when there was more walking through the water stops. The initial water stops were several blocks long.  All were very well run and it was nice they followed a consistent pattern: toilets, medical, vaseline, gatorade, water.  Most of the volunteers would offer me encouraging words as they handed me a cup.  Most of the time, the fluids were filled at the right level so I didn’t have to run, drink, and spill a full cup of warm lime gatorade all over me like in most races.

As a runner it is so stimulating.  There is no way one can read all the signs along the course.  The miles flew by fast.  I hate trying to calculating splits in my head, but I did at six miles and estimated I was running 9:40.  If I slowed down a little and stayed consistent, I could reach my goal.

Back through downtown, I crossed the first half in 2:04:44.  This was much faster than planned: 9:31.  I was worried of the bonk now and slowed to try to postpone it. I couldn’t do the math in my head anymore and the miles still felt easy.

Crossing 16, I was now in new territory, but I was feeling good and in a groove.  Running Skirts n Swag was able to see me at five points along the race including at 16.5 where I saw her taking a picture of me on her phone.  I stopped to ask how my pace was.  Unaware I wasn’t using my Garmin, she said all in one word, “You’re-doing-awesome,- you’re-running-a-negative-split-and-you’re-beating-Samwise-Gamgee!” in reference to the actor Sean Astin running the race.  So not only could I bonk, but now I could have a hobbit pass me as well.  Hopefully that happens when Marathon Foto takes my picture so I can have a picture of me next to a celebrity.

The look of panic at 16.5 knowing I could bonk and be passed by nasty hobbitses

She gave me a kiss and I was back to the race. I was still feeling good and the time seemed to be going by fast.

After about 21 miles, I could start to feel some fatigue and started counting down the miles now.  Onto the long straight way on 23, I took it up a gear, and eventually caught up to the 4:10 pace group.  I was really going to run a 9:30 pace marathon.  I think that excitement pushed me through the last mile.

Look at how strong I look at the finish. Thumb up and all. Oh Marathon Foto, don’t worry, I’ll purchase this photo from one of your weekly emails you’ll send me in the next five years.

My second half was 2:03:11 including a smooch break with a pretty lady.  A negative split!  I finished  with a 9:28 pace in 4:07:55, but next time I talk about this, I will just round my time down and tell others in a real casual tone “I think I ran it in 4:07 something.”

The finisher’s chute was also well organized.  Walking now showed me just how trashed my quads were.  I liked how they gave a box of recovery food.  Nice not to have to pick through a buffet.  It took 30 to 45 minutes to get food, medal, photos taken, and out. I shuffled into the post race party to find Running Skirts and Swag, but we did not stay.

Of course, visiting Chicago would not be complete without pictures in front of the cloud gate.

I took this selfy.  I didn’t realize an iphone could feel so heavy

Drinking the Hanson kool aid Gatorade

Everyone has a plan that works for them.  Clearly this plan worked for me.  They promised not only to get me to the finish line but to get me to the finish line feeling strong.  I really felt strong throughout the race and at the end.  Taking into account this course is known to be fast and flat and I ran under ideal weather, I exceeded their prediction of a 9:30 pace. During training, I generally felt good.  As a first time marathoner, I confess I started to lose my mind during the taper wondering if I could make the last 10 miles.

Would I ever run another the Chicago Marathon again?

Absolutely.  I was impressed with how organized it was and this city really supports it.  There were many volunteers to help run it smoothly and the ongoing crowd support was incredible.  It’s hard to plan another race now after a race like this.  Guessing that registration will be tougher in 2014, I am very grateful I had a chance to experience the Chicago Marathon as my first marathon.

The next day at the Art Institute.  You think your quads are sore? Quit mocking me and find me an elevator that goes down.