Own 26.2: Chicago Marathon 2013

Lara K

My thinking of what my fall 2013 marathon was gonna be started off last year. Even though I have said that I wouldn’t want to run the Chicago Marathon until they push the race date back a week or two (given the bad luck the race has had with warm weather in the last few years-thank you global warming!) in the midst of commotion about a certain other big-city marathon and their emotional “baggage,” I got to thinking “you know, Chicago was really the best-organized marathon I have ever run. If the only thing that didn’t go right was the weather, well, you can’t blame that on the race director.” 

I loved the race when I ran it in 2010 and wanted to get another shot at it under (hopefully) better conditions. And so my marathon choice was made. 

It wasn’t all so easy, I had to make sure I got registered first. I had a feeling the race would sell out fast, given that things with NYCM were still in limbo and I’m sure people wanted to make sure their fall marathon plans were set. So ever-so-neurotic me just kept hitting refresh on the registration page a few minutes before it was supposed to open and jumped on it as soon as I had the chance––like that, I was in. However, not everyone had it so lucky, as they had to suspend registration with 15,000 slots remaining due to multiple server crashes, and then hold a lottery for the remaining 15K slots. Does this mean the future of the Chicago Marathon will totally go lottery? Let’s not think about that right now…

But who knew that registering would be the easy part compared to the training. Yep, was not my best training cycle between multiple Heatpocalypses, some personal conflicts and a coupla bouts with illness during the peak mileage month...well even though I got in my long runs (many thanks to the NYRR LTR’s we pacelead, the Palisades Run and last but not least-the 3 Bridges Run!) overall mileage took a hit and I had to accept I was gonna go into this one a bit undertrained and that there would be no PR or BQ on 10-13-13. So I set my goals for the day-enjoy it, finish sub-4 (keeping up my streak) and don’t wind up in the med tent. There. Done.

So my time in the Windy City leading up to race day was great, just as it was 3 years ago. Friday I got into town and hit up the expo...got my bib, got a Chicago race shirt (or 2 or 3) for me to wear for post-race celebrating––a little superstition I have (ask me if you want more details!), got a picture at the Nike booth with me holding my bib and the background claiming that I “own 26.2.” Well played Nike. Well played. And during the course of the day, I was called out for jaywalking by a few locals who shouted “Why doesn’t she have to wait for the light?” I called back “Because I’m a New Yorker, that’s why!”  You can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take New York out of…

Saturday was team bonding day!! OK, not quite. I met up with our “Flyer on the Fly” Angela G, who now resides in Chi-town. I had a lovely brunch with Angela, her husband and her little girl. Then Angela, her daughter and I hung out in Millennium Park and caught up while watching her daughter play (her little girl is gonna be quite a runner someday!) before we scoped out the start and post-party area at Grant Park––was nice for me to have a sneak preview for the next day. 

With Angela G
And Baby Makes Three

The evening brought carbo-loading with Flyers Adam M, Francesco P and James M at Rosebud Theater District––and the restaurant was very prepared for us with a special “marathon” menu (I had a feeling something was up when they asked if it was a pre-marathon dinner when confirming the reservation!). 

Anyways, food and company were good, we discussed everything from how to get to the start the next morning to how to be “in training” for the Wall Street Run...ok, guess you had to be there for the latter ;-) We then went our separate ways to prep for the next morning. I got my race “costume” and shoes ready to go, and got my appropriate 8 hours sleep (ha!)

At Least My Race "Costume" Got a Good Night's Sleep

At 5 AM I awoke to the sound of “Roar” by Katy Perry coming from the clock radio. Nice song to start the day, I took it as a good sign. I then listened to the rest of my “marathon morning mix” while doing my pre-race prep, then headed out the door at 6AM to get my pre-race Starbucks (Pikes Place w/ vanilla––it’s my “thing”) and head over to Grant Park. 

How nice it was that the starting area was a 10-15 minute walk from my hotel––no 3-leg trip to get to the start :) As this was the first World Marathon Major in the U.S. after Boston, you can bet security was upped. They added security checkpoints just to get into Grant Park––with an “express” line if you didn’t have a bag to check––but even with the bag, it wasn’t long of a wait at all. 

I made my final preparations, checked my bag and headed to Corral C. Thankfully this time, there were several checkpoints for the corrals meaning less bottlenecks. (In 2010, there was only one checkpoint for the seeded corrals and a huge bottleneck, meaning I got to my corral after it was “closed” and had to scale a fence to get into it!) 

Once in the corral, I saw Adam and we just chit-chatted while waiting for the start––though I got to the corral with at least a half hour til the start, the time seemed to pass quickly. They had a moment of silence for Boston, but then a couple of faux pas. The microphone kept cutting out during the singing of the national anthem, but the runners filled in the gaps :) After that there was supposed to be a flyover which we heard...but didn’t see, as it looked like the planes missed the target. The wheelchair racers were off and so I knew it was going to be our turn soon enough. 7:30 AM and the start of the race marked by the playing of “Born to Run.” Three minutes later, I crossed the start, with the city of Chicago awaiting me.

And We're Off and Running!

OK, I absolutely love the first half of this marathon. From the get-go, it’s a lot more lively than NYC, where you don’t intercept the cheering crowds until mile 3. Loved running through the streets near Magnificent Mile and the Loop and up LaSalle. I was smiling and just having a blast. Instead of my Flyers top, I was wearing a throwback 2008 Team USA tank...and it was just magical hearing people cheering “U-S-A! U-S-A!” Pacing––I was doing pretty good so far, consistently between 8:45-8:55...ok maybe not “go out at 9 minute pace and see what happens” but I felt good so I went with it.

Mile 6 in Lincoln Park, Flyer David G passed me trying to catch another pace group. He tried to encourage me to go with him but I said no––gotta stick to plan. He thought I’d catch up later, I said “I better not!” Boystown, Old Town, River North––just kept clicking off the miles and soaking up the energy from the crowds (I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first four 5K splits were really consistent!). Over the river, back to the Loop and the halfway point, which I hit in 1:55 and change, so as far as I was concerned, I was more than on track for my goal as long as I didn’t collapse in the second half. 

Mile 14 was the fun “Charity Block Party,” with the streets lined with cheering crews from all the different charities. My favorite were the ones dressed up in dog and cat suits for PAWS Chicago––I tried the give the doggie a high-five but missed. Mile 16 was my first mile over 9 minutes...was hoping this wasn’t a fade, I tried to tell myself to get it together, I just have a 10 mile race left.  Mile 17 slipped a little more...I had to tell myself I was in “single digit miles to go.”  Mile 18 had the PowerGel station so of course I thought of the Flyers and where I’ll be on November 3rd! 

But I was indeed fading. Partially being undertrained was catching up with me. Additionally, even though the weather conditions were relatively cool, there was not a cloud in the sky and the second half of the course is mostly unshaded––and I feel that the sun is like Kryptonite to me in a race. (For what it’s worth, I had the same fade in 2010 when I was much better trained). My pace kept slipping through the neighborhood of Pilsen––even the sounds of “Danza Kuduro” couldn’t perk me up.

I hit Mile 20 just under 2:59-so I knew I HAD to run the last 10K in an hour to break 4. I told myself to just stick to my long-run pace of 9:30’s until we made the turn onto Michigan Ave with about 2.5 miles to go, and just like in 2010, under no circumstances will I walk. That worked for Miles 21 and 22 through the festive Chinatown. Mile 23, I was forced to slow to an almost stop at one of the water stations in order to avoid a collision, and I found it tough to re-accelerate after that. It was around there that I caught back up to David G. “Stick with me!” I called out to him as I passed. I didn’t look back, but I was hoping he would. 

So just like in 2010, Miles 23 and 24 were my slowest miles of the race...felt like survival mode, especially 24. Just tried as hard as possible to not let my pace get into the 10’s, and again not to walk. I thought of the end of the Palisades run, the hill up to the bridge after we exit the park. I didn’t care how slow I was moving then––just stayed in motion and didn’t walk, and tried to do the same now.

Making the turn onto Michigan Avenue felt like a huge relief, I was really in the home stretch. I had a feeling it was going to be really close at this point, whether I was going to get under 4 or not.  At Mile 25 I started to pick it up (and had to fight against a slight headwind!). I wasn’t injured, so no excuses. 

There were some special people I was running the last 10K for––some that I know have endured far more pain than my legs were feeling at that moment, so what's another 2.2 miles. It was time for me to give whatever’s left––whatever "it" may be. Hitting the Mile 25 marker I knew the end was near but I couldn’t coast yet––was still gonna be close (and I just had to think that in 2010, I had been done running by this time...). I saw my time at the “1 mile to go” sign and felt a bit of relief––I think I had it. The 800 meters to go sign was an even more beautiful sight. 

Seeing the right turn up ahead onto Roosevelt Road, and even making that turn, I felt very emotional and maybe almost teared up. Up the only hill of the course––alright, compared to NYC standards not so bad, but at mile 26 on an otherwise flat course!––and made the final left turn to the finish. About 400 meters later, I had finished my 6th marathon and got my sub-4 hour goal with a 3:58:52!

And I was all too happy to stop running, so I know I left it all out there. Not only that, I was walking vveeeerrrryyyy slowly through the post-finish area. But finally I got my medal, food, drink and MOST importantly––BEER!! Yep, Chicago gives everyone a nice-sized cup of Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale just after the finish. They know how it should be done, we need to rehydrate and replenish our carbs :) Thank god I had that, it made my wait for my bag a bit more tolerable. Probably the only thing that I feel the race could improve on in future years, it seemed that almost everyone with a 9xxx bib number finished in 4 hours and they weren’t staffed enough for the flow of runners. 

After what seemed like forever, I retrieved my bag and headed over to the “27th Mile Post-Party”, where I hit up the Goose Island tent for another 312 (all runners have a free coupon on their bibs that they can redeem at the beer tent!). Was a beautiful afternoon to sit down and stretch out on the grass of Grant Park, sip my beer and enjoy the day. Later that day was more celebratory beers and burgers, the following morning was some celebratory Chicago deep-dish pizza, and before I knew it, I was at O’Hare on my way back to NYC. 

Even though this was not a PR, I was still very happy with the outcome. I accomplished what I set out to do.

• Enjoy myself. As I mentioned before, I was loving the first half, and even when I was fading in the second half, I was actually thinking “I want to run this one again!”
• Finish in under 4 hours. I kept my streak intact––all my marathons have been sub-4 (well...except Boston 2012, but that doesn’t count due to the 85 degree heat, right?).  And the crowds were so supportive––”you’re killing 4 hours!” in the middle miles, “you’re going to break 4!” in the last mile.  Something about it felt so special, maybe that’s why I always wanted to pace the 4-hr group back when the Flyers paced the More Marathon (or the 2-hour group in the half!).
• OWN the race. Didn’t start too aggressively, dug majorly deep in the final miles, finished in great spirits. At the risk of sounding traitorous to NYC, something about Chicago just feels like it’s “my” race.

NYCM’ers––you’re up next! Your turn to own 26.2. Good luck on 11/3/13––see you at mile 18!

-Lara K.