Notes
Chicago Marathon. Splits by 5k with 1/2
21:20,42:02;1:02:49;1:23:59;(1:28:38);1:45:14;2:06:47;2:29:06;2:53:24;3:04:52
Good til 22; not much fun. Quite hot. 65 at start, 85 at finish (11 AM)
RECAP:
It started out feeling like it would be hot
The first 10 miles felt pretty good
Starting about mile 14 I could tell trouble was around the corner
Ugh, heading back west was hot
Chinatown was not much fun, not that I remember much of it
Kept trying to put 1 foot in front of the other with no walking
Every step was painful from 24 on. Could not hardly walk at the finish
Dang, that was not much fun.
Reality is that without Jen giving me water I would have been in big trouble. I hit pretty consistent 5k times until 35k although I do not have mile splits since my watch went bonkers at mile 5. I actually thought mile 5 was mile 6 so I took my gu thinking Jen would soon meet me and had the sweet taste of gu in my mouth for over 1 mile. I went a bit too fast heading back south after mile 7. Those male cheerleaders must have really pumped me up. I was feeling real good and the shade of the skyscrapers helped me stay cool. Hit half mark in around 1:28:15. Right where I wanted to be and still felt good. By 14 I could tell it was heating up fast (as witnessed by a halucination that there was a middle-aged asian dude in a minnie mouse costume that I passed – oh wait that was real) and by 16 I could tell I needed to start slowing a little. At that point I just wanted to stay running until after 19 since that was as far as I got at PHX. After mile 18 things get a little hazy, but from what I remember miles 18-20 were very tough, then a 2nd wind came from 20-22. However, the big bear jumped on at 22 and would not let go. I tried to shake him off for 2 miles but then gave in and wogged the last 2.2 miles. I forced myself to keep running the whole way but was nearly getting passed by walkers. A huge mountain appeared at mile 26 from out of nowhere and it nearly broke me. Think of the wall from Run Fatboy Run and it was pretty much like that. I passed someone somewhere in the last 1 to 4 miles (not sure who or when as things were pretty hazy, but they urged me to keep going which did help. It think it was Scott Patterson?) Somehow made it to the finish and had some trouble staying upright. I felt good mentally, just really dizzy and my legs would not cooperate. They put me in a wheelchair and it felt SO good to sit. Tried to stand again, made it another 50 feet, another wheelchair, repeat the process. The medical guy was real nice and helped me get some ice and I sat in the medical tent until things cleared up a little bit more. Then walked what seemed like another mile to the meeting place…seriously could it have been any further away? It felt like they were making me walk up the stairs of the sears tower. Overall a good experience with the huge crowds. It was amazing actually seeing people I knew in the crowd with that many people around. Something to try once. If I do any more I will make sure to be in better shape…or wear a minnie mouse costume.