Well I guess I will post a race report for Chicago.  Let me first say, I probably should not have ran the race but yeah I can be stubborn an did it anyway.  My training barely supported a half marathon let alone a marathon but . . .  since I was running for Team Opportunity Enterprises again, I just could not let them or my donors down.  As a team we raised $138,000 for Opportunity Enterprises so it was a good donation drive for them.  They have had a team for the last 15 years up at Chicago and I have ran for them the last 6 years now.  Love the race and love to support Opportunity Enterprises 100%.

The quick details.  7th Chicago in a row, 18th marathon or ultra for me since my first Chicago Marathon back in 2007.  Crappy training because of an ankle injury led to less than a PR finish.  Finish time was a 4:44:24 with a really big positive split because of issues on the back half stemming from my lack of quality training.  I was 2:04:10 at the half so yeah it was a hell of a positive split.

The much  longer details.  Like I said, crappy training stemming from an ankle injury that I am really not sure what I did or even to the extent I messed it up since I self treated it.  95% certain it was a really nasty case of shin splints but on the inside of the right ankle.  5% thoughts it might have been a stress fracture but as I could run on it I don't think it was a stress fracture and there was nothing I could do but give it time to heal.  The onset was back in may and I bet if I would have just taken 3 - 4 weeks off it would have healed and I would be writing about a PR now but I was stubborn and kept trying to run on it.

Here is a picture of how ugly this training cycle was.

Like I said pretty dang ugly.  Late in August I honestly thought I would have to take a DNS but things turned around after that and training started going in the right direction.  I knew at that point I was in half finish condition so I just needed to get the long run up some and I could run/walk my way to the finish line at Chicago.  After my first 17 miler I knew I was back to marathon finish condition although it will involve more walking than I cared to admit to at the time.  From there I worked up the running and increasing my long run.  I think my longest was a hilly 19+ miler, close enough.

Race Day.  Weather was very good, upper 40s at the start and forecast in the low 60s at the finish but ZERO cloud cover.  Shorts and a singlet weather.  Got in my corral (D corral) and talked with some friends and just waited for the start.  2 of my running friends were the 4:00 pacers in D corral so i just talked with them.  Plan was to follow them out and see how it goes.  If I can hang then awesome, if not then no big deal to me, it will keep me moving with the traffic and not get ran over.

Gun goes off and now we are off.  The cool weather feels great going through the loop, buildings help trap some heat in to warm you up and get up to a comfort zone.  Kinda lost sight of the 4:00 signs but like I said, not a big deal, just gonna run my race and try not to play chase the pack and blow it up from out running myself.  Doing the splits in my head up through about mile 10 was not bad, wishing I would have had a pace card with me though as simple math isn't so simple past 10 miles when running.  I knew I was slowing down off the 4:00 mark but it wasn't a big deal.  Hit the half in 2:04:XX and thought, no big deal I still have a shot at a PR today, just keep going and run your race on your terms.

Chicago had 2 waves to start the race.  A 7:30 wave and a 8:00 wave.  I was in the 7:30 wave which was nice and I would not have to wait around an extra 30 minutes waiting to start.  Coming up on mile 14 and I see this guy zip around me and over to the side line to grab some spectator handouts.  DAMN he looks familiar.  HOLY CRAP ITS DEAN KARNAZES!!!  Dean came back on the course and as he went around me I said "ITS DEAN!"  He said something like hello back to me and kept on truckin.  He had to have been in the 8:00 wave as he ran a 3:25:XX.  So that was my brush with running fame.

Okay on to the back half of the race.  I knew i was slowing down but no big deal, just hear to run my race and have a good time at it.  For the most part everything felt good so far.  Knees were starting to talk to me but I half expected that out of the left as I tweaked it a bit in the September ramp up but it was starting to feel good again in October and never thought much more about it.  At this point with the knees starting to talk I decided to change strategy and run from water stop to water stop and walk to rest the knees through the water stop.  I would not lose a lot of time and the knees would get a break from the running miles.  Mile 20 comes and goes and I have now ran the farthest distance since my last marathon in April 2013.  Mile 21 coming out of China town i am still doing well and the 35KM mat is in site now.  Rut Roh!!!  Left quad starts to get sore like its getting ready to Charlie horse on me but SOB! the left hamstring beats it to it.  Yeah left quad and left hamstring are now having a struggling match with my leg.  FUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  PR attempt is over and finished at this point, it's a full on survival to the finish mode now.  Time is irrelevant.  Can't stretch either because the other wants to cramp so its just a stiff leg walk until I can run again.  I bet I looked like a complete gimp at that point.  Race is over, time to find the beer at mile 23 from the hashers.  Completely missed them dammit!!!! 

And that was the last 7 - 8 KM of the race, run until the Charlie horse battle started up and then walk it out stiff legs, give it a few strides and then get running again until the next leg battle.  Oh well, that's racing on crappy training for ya.

Now it's a matter of recovering and getting my legs back.  Muscles are sore from the race, right knee is back to normal.  Left knee still needs some more time.  Get recovery done and get ready for #19 which is next month.

For the numbers geeks

Picture is coming out of China Town, just before the leg muscle tug of war

We'll get em next year. You have a lot of determination.

I hope my training cycle is good enough to complete my first.

Damn, congrats in getting through that. It sounds like you had a rough time, but really huge props for coming through for your charity.

Congrats on another finish!

Glad the right knee and ankle held up for you, at least.  Good luck getting back into training!

Congratulations on another marathon finish, Doug!

Doug, I was thinking about you on Sunday.   That sounds like it was a physically and mentally rough race, but you did it!   Your committment to your charity is admirable, and they are damn lucky to have you on their team!   Wishing you a speedy and full recovery before you conquer your next marathon!   Congrats!

Congrats on finishing a tough race!