Short Version: 2nd marathon, 3:22:58, BQ-7 and 14 minute PR

Training: This was my second marathon, I ran Lakefront just about one year ago and used Higdon's Intermediate 2 and added miles here and there, and ran a 3:37 at Lakefront. Peaked at 50 mpw. I've been working with a coach since last November-ish, and the plan was to run the Wisconsin Marathon in May, but I missed a few long runs due to illness and then a weird calf injury and didn't run it. Started doing more serious training again in June.

My buildup to Chicago was a little slower than I would have liked, but I think my coach wanted to make sure my calf was good. I peaked at 56 mpw and averaged around 47ish over the past 12-13 weeks. I did more quality workouts this time around than last year, some long runs with MP miles and mid week tempo runs. I didn't miss any long runs and only missed a couple runs.

Goals: I've been wanting a sub 3:30 since Lakefront to give me a good 5 minute cushion for Boston. I figured I could come in closer to 3:25 on a good day, I know my mileage is low for marathon training so I didn't want to try anything too crazy. Towards the end of August/September I was dialing into mid 7:40s pace during my MP long run workouts, but still thought this would be too fast for 26.2 miles, but during the workouts that pace felt really good and I could just cruise along.

I ran a 1:35:31 HM tune up race the first week of September on a semi hilly course and on a warm humid day (69 degrees and 69-70 DP) which was still a minute PR, but I figured I could run a faster time on a better day. I had a good workout a couple weeks ago with a few sub 7:00 miles and my coach thought I should aim for a 7:40-7:45 for the marathon, which I basically said was crazy  (spoiler alert: maybe it wasn't). We agreed I should try to start around a 7:55 pace and drop the pace from there if I felt good. I had a hard time coming up a true A goal for this race, because I knew I wanted sub 3:30, but also knew I could come in somewhere below that, but it's hard to use my HM time to base off of when my mileage is low. I was pretty nervous for this race too because I had such a good first marathon experience (faded the last 4 miles, but not horribly, and only had like a 45 second positive split) and didn't really know what to expect.

Pre-Race: We took the train down to Chicago Friday night and stayed at a hotel that is literally across the street from Grant Park (the start of the race) which was nice. We went to the expo that day, which for being a huge expo I didn't feel like it was overcrowded. Easily got my packet, bib and my free shirt and looked around a bit at all the booths. Did buy a UA run chicago sweatshirt, but to be honest I liked the clothing options at the Lakefront expo last year better. It was definitely a cool expo though with all the stuff to look at.

The day before we bummed around the museum of science and industry, and then ate at an italian restaurant on the north side for dinner. I had linguine in a cold pasta sauce with basil and tomatoes that was pretty good.

Morning of Race: I woke up around 5am, race started at 7:30 am. I had my cup of coffee, a banana, a muffin and half an RX bar. I can never eat a ton the morning of a race because I get too nervous, plus we had a late dinner. Went down to the lobby around 6:15 which was packed with runners. I got in line in Grant Park at about 6:20 to enter the pre-race area, which I'm glad I did because it literally took until 7am to get through security  which I totally understand why, but it was still frustrating. Finally got through, and then waited another 10 minutes in the porta-potty line and then did a quick jog to my corral area, where there was another huge line to get past the other corrals into corral D (There were 3 waves to the race, 1st wave at 7:30, 2nd wave at 8:00 and 3rd at 8:30am, I was in wave 1, corral D)

The temperature was right around 58-59ish and cloudy with a 56 DP. Not too bad, would have preferred 45 degrees but considering I knew it was going to be 80 the next day (today) I was fine high 50s low 60s, especially since I knew it was going to rain. I lined myself up right behind the 3:25 pacer. I've never really used pacers because I prefer to just run my own race, but I figured for a big race like Chicago the pacers should be good, and I really wanted to try to run right around a 3:25 so I would have a 5 minute cushion since they just changed the Boston standards. I had also heard that the garmin GPS can be super unreliable because of the skyscrapers so I didn't want to have to think too much about pace (go figure the GPS was fine except for one mile) My plan was to just try to hang onto the 3:25 pacer as long as I could, I figured either I would come in right around 3:25, or even if I came in around 3:26 or 3:27 I would still be happy.

Race: 

For as big a race as it is (45,000 runners) it wasn't as congested as I thought it would be at the start. My only worry was that the roads were slick because it had been raining. I stayed right behind the 3:25 pacers, we had came through the first mile a little slow, but I expected that. We came through mile 3 in 7:32, and I thought "crap, I'm going to pay for that later" (spoiler alert: I didn't.) so I slowed a little and let the pacers go.  I just wasn't feeling it at the beginning, and based on most of my HMs I knew I have the ability to come from behind so I just decided to trust myself and see what would happen. It started raining around mile 3-4, which was fine, it felt cool and didn't bother me. We ran through downtown and then headed out to the north side neighborhoods which were pretty with all the brownstones. At some point I couldn't even see the 3:25 pacers anymore

8:11, 7:46, 7:32, 7:48, 7:46

I took my first GU and some water at mile 5. I know my splits don't reflect it, but I still wasn't feeling awesome. I didn't feel like "wow this is so easy, I'm really holding it back right now" like I hear about in marathons. But then I thought about it and decided I felt the same at this point at Lakefront, so whatever, I kept cruising along. I concentrated on not stepping on anyone since it was more crowded than I'm used to for races. We ran through a pretty city park with some flowers and I remember doing the math in my head (I knew my garmin splits were slightly off) and knew if I could hold this I would come through the halfway right on track for a 3:25.

7:42, 7:38, 7:36, 7:41, 7:45

I took a second GU and water at mile 10. I caught back up the 3:25 pacers somewhere around here and started to feel less sluggish than I had felt earlier. We went through the halfway in 1:42:16. And I remember thinking "Well if I only positive split a little bit, I'll still be okay". because while I felt okay, I didn't feel like I could hold it for another 13.1. I was already starting to feel fatigue in my quads, which was my downfall at mile 22 at Lakefront last year. We came through downtown again around here, and it was one of these miles (the 7:59 I think) where my watch was little wonky with the sky scrapers. The crowd support at this race is definitely awesome, especially through downtown. I just concentrated on making it to my next GU stop (mile 15) and not tripping on anyone, because it was a HUGE pack of us right behind the 3:25 pacers.

7:44, 7:29, 7:58, 7:26, 7:34 (I wasnt too worried about the fast splits because I knew my watch was off somewhat by this point.)

Took a GU at mile 15, stomach still felt fine. I was fatigued and tired, but I wasn't struggling to stay with the 3:25 group, it just sucked, if that makes sense. While I was fatigued, I wasn't feeling quite as horrible as I felt at Lakefront at this point, and just told myself if I could just make it to mile 20 (last GU) maybe I could pass the 3:25 pacers. I was getting to the point where I felt like I had to change the pace up a little bit or my quads were just going to seize up. My left quad was really starting to cramp, and I felt like if I slowed down at all it would just get worse. Around mile 19 one of the pacers made a quick water stop, but instead of slowing down I just kept running ahead. I figured it was now or never, if I faded now it hopefully wouldn't be horrible. I told myself if I still had something left around mile 22 (because this is where I bonked last year) I would make a move. I was glad to get out of the pace group too because it was so freakin crowded and packed in. It was nice having more room. I was really starting to hurt, but I also realized I was running negative splits and if I could just hold on a little longer I could really come in under 3:25

7:38, 7:39, 7:46, 7:50, 7:43

Took my last GU at mile 20. Kept waiting for the fade that wasn't coming. I was definitely hurting a lot and was miserable and my legs were miserable, but I also knew I was having a really good freakin race and I would be pissed at myself if I slowed down at this point if I could just hold on a little longer. I kept telling myself if I could just make it to mile 23 it was only a 5K, and if I could just make it 2 more miles past that it was only one more mile. I kept looking at my watch way too much these last 6.2 miles to see if I was fading, because when I faded last year I felt like I was still giving the same amount of effort (which i mean, I was). I'm a huge white sox fan and seeing the stadium around mile 22 was cool and perked me up a big (I never saw Wrigley Field during the race, just saying )

By mile 23 I knew I wouldn't fade unless I slowed down because I was just so miserable, because I always tell myself I can hold on for a couple more miles. I knew I was having an awesome race though and could come in around 3:23 something if I just held on a little longer. I basically kept telling myself "just make it one more mile". Once we got back into downtown it was nice having the huge crowds again, and I was passing a lot of people which helped. There's only one true hill on the course that's about 600m from the finish (whose sick idea was that) which I basically did almost a damn sprint up it just to get it over with. Once I got about 300m from the finish I realized that maybe I could get under 3:23, so I gave it one last kick and came in right at 3:22:58...and then almost fell over and the volunteer asked if I was okay.

7:38, 7:25, 7:36, 7:27, 7:38, 7:28

3:22:58

1st half: 1:42:16

2nd half: 1:40:42

14 minute PR and BQ-7.

OA: idk. something out of a crap ton of people.

Post Race:

OMG, I understand why because of the size of the race, but I could not believe how far I had to walk to get out of the finisher area and to where I could sit down. It literally had to have been at least 400m. That was almost more torture than the race itself. I got my medal, my free beer that I had two sips of, and then kept walking to find my DH at the runner reunite area.In hindsight it's probably a good thing I had to walk so much to keep my legs from tightening up.

I'm really happy with how I raced, I really thought that at best I could come in just under 3:25, and I was even wary of that because it was still what I consider warm for a race (but I did train in heat all summer, so maybe that helped). I really didn't imagine coming in under 3:23, and I'm still not sure why I didn't fade at all. I don't feel like I saved a ton, because I still felt like garbage at the end...and I wouldn't have wanted to go out any faster because I thought I would've blown up for sure.

Overall Chicago is an awesome race, the crowds are amazing, the course is awesome, but in all honesty I think it's a bit big for me. The crowds to get to the corrals was really stressful, and I hated having to make sure I didn't trip or get tripped so much during the race (although maybe it took my mind off the running ha. And I suppose if I hadn't been by a pace group it would have been better). If I run a fall marathon next year I'll probably do Lakefront again, I liked the size, and everyone is so friendly there. Not that Chicago wasn't friendly, but it didn't feel as friendly and personable as Lakefront, but still an amazing race nonetheless! Also, after Lakefront I didn't have to walk so far to everything right after finishing. That was torture.

Now I'll rest for maybe a week and then back at it. I'll probably do a thanksgiving race, and a yet to be decided spring HM and spring FM, but want to build up some mileage this winter.

Amazing race! And only your second marathon!! You are so going to be passing me up soon!  Big congrats!!

Awesome!  Congrats! And damn it, we never met even though we had the same hotel!!

BOSTON 2020, BABY!!

Amazing race! And only your second marathon!! You are so going to be passing me up soon!  Big congrats!!

Ha, passed me up already. And took me 9 marathons to get a negative split.

Shortii - what an incredible day, I am so happy for you. Thinking all along that fade is coming, then that point where you know it's not, is an amazing feeling. Really looking forward to seeing what you can do, at the marathon and other distances, with continued strong training cycles. At your age, sky's the limit.

For me, the only downer to this whole report is to hear you're a White Sox fan. Lifelong Cub fan here, so we have a little problem. 

So fun reading your RR. I am in awe (and inspired) that you didn't feel that great, and your legs weren't feeling the best, yet you fucking ran the race of your life. Nice job, shortii. You've got to be flying on cloud 9. And to think you did all of your training while you were engaged and (I presume) planning a wedding--b/c i don't think you two eloped?

Beautifully executed!

You ran a great race! Congrats on the BQ and huge PR. I agree, it is just cruel to put hills near the finish of any race.

Congrats Shortii!  You ran a fantastic race!!

It is cruel to put a hill at the end of any race.  I run that hill almost every day and it's not that big.  But at the end of 26 miles, it's a freakin' mountain!

Congratulations on the PR and the BQ.  It's great when all the hard work pays off.