Ben’s Race Page

Brutal.

Let me start with the expo and then I will get to the brutal race. The expo is great, but getting there is a PITA. I understand the need to hold it at McCormick place, but it’s not very convenient to get there via public transportation, so we decided to drive. First, the directions in the runner guide on how to get to the parking were wrong and that caused some frustration. Second, the runner guide said parking was $14, but we were charged $16. I know it’s not a big difference, but that’s a lot to pay for parking when you have to go there to pick up your race packet. You’d think the Marathon could offer a discounted parking rate. Other than that, the expo was good. I always enjoy the video they take of the course.

Now on to the race…

I was already worried about the heat and it was looking like the forecasts were correct, except for the 50% cloud cover. The skies were clear. It was warm at the start, but I tried to stay hydrated before the race. We got down to the race at about 6:30am for the 8:00am start. We met up with some friends and went to the bathroom. Then Megan and I decided to head up to the start corral so we’d have a good place to start. Everyone else wasn’t concerned with being up front, so we split up. We still had about 50 minutes before the start, so we sat down and waited. Once the race started, we crossed the start line between the 6 and 7 minute mark, which was pretty good.

The beginning of the race went pretty well and I was feeling good. I was covered in sweat by the 1/2 mile mark. I missed the first mile, so the first time check was mile 2 and the pace was looking good. The race was a little crowded, but it wasn’t a big deal and Megan and I were able to stay together. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone until Broadway (between 7 and 8 miles). I was able to see Amber and Jen because they had a Cookie Monster balloon. My friend Liz saw me and said Hi. Later, I was able to see Carrie because she had a butterfly balloon that was really easy to see. Things were still going well and I felt good. There was plenty of water and gatorade and I was staying hydrated.

It was around mile 10 that things started to fall apart. I told Megan to go ahead because the heat was really getting to me. I slowed a bit and kind of shuffled through the next water station. Then I saw a 3:45 pace group and I tried to keep up with them, but quickly realized that there was no way I was going to keep that pace, so I backed off again. From that point on, it was a huge struggle. My pace dropped off every mile. I ended up walking through every water station. There were more people walking than I had ever seen in a race before. I took on gatorade and water at every water station, but it did not seem to be enough. I had to go to the bathroom, so I figured as long as I was going to blow my goal, I might as well stop and go so I was comfortable.

I saw my friends Brice and Kim and their kids somewhere at mile 16 or something and that helped. I looked for Carrie again and saw her somewhere before Pilsen, but I’m not sure where exactly. I think it was mile 17. I stopped to give her a kiss and to tell her that there was no way I was going to finish in 3:30 and it would be more like 4:30. I then continued along at my shuffle pace.

I was struggling to keep running at points and I had to walk at certain points. I was trying to enjoy the scenery, but it was tough at points. I have to say that Pilsen is maybe the best neighborhood to run through. The peopel there are really into the race and that is a huge help to the runners. So, thanks to everyone in Pilsen. You rock.

I saw Bryce and Kim again on the course. Just before that, I must have looked pretty bad because I was walking through a water station and I had used a cold sponge (which really helped), but I was still walkign and a guy looked at me and offered me his sponge. Thanks to that guy, because the sponge helped. So I started “running” again and that’s when I saw Bryce and Kim. Bryce jumped in and asked me how I felt. I said, “shitty.” He handed me a water, which was a help, and then took off.

When I hit the mile 24 water station, they were announcing that the race had been cancelled and they were askign everyone to walk to the finish. A lot of peopel were walking, but there were still some people running. I walked through the water station and looked for my coworker who was supposed to be there. I’m guessing she had already gone home since I was arriving so late. Anyway, I picked up my shuffle after the water station and kept it up to the mile 25 water station where I walked. The crows were pretty thick in this area again, so the encouragement helped. I picked up my shuffle again at the 1 mile to go marker and I was planning to walk over the bridge just before the finish. When I hit the bridge, they were again asking people to walk, but the crows were keepign me going and I continued to shuffle over the bridge and into the finish. In the last 400 meters, they were announcing that it was a fun run and we would be timed and get our medals, but they wanted us to walk. I shuffled in to my 4:42:11. Not what I wanted, but I finished and that’s all that mattered.

It was really packed in the finish shoot and I really just wanted some water or gatorade, but they always make you get your medal and return your chip before they have anything available. I really wish they would provide fluids first and then take care of the other business. On top of that, it was really hot and everyone was packed in. I wasn’t feelign great, but others were passing out. We were stopped for a runner to be pushed through the crowd in a wheel chair and it was not uncommon to hear volunteers yelling “Runner Down!” to get medical help. The sound of sirens could also be heard everywhere.

I finally made it through the shoot and drank a warm water and gatorade. What I wouldn’t given for a cold drink. Anyway, I found Carrie at the runner reunion area and she was relieved to see me. We made some phone calls and met up with everyone else and called others to make sure everyone was okay. It turns out I was the only one who finished the marathon. The others were routed off the course at certain points. Doug actually had to sit down and get medical attention at mile 16 and then took a bus back to the start. He was interviewed by the channel 2 (WBBM) news and made the 10pm broadcast! Others had to walk back down Jackson.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to watch as well as all of the volunteers working the aid stations. Spectators really help us runners get through the race and we definitely couldn’t do it without the volunteers. I also want to say thanks to everyone who gave me the I-L-L cheer or cheered for my Illini shirt. That helped me keep going.

Here’s the data from my GPS: Chicago Marathon Data. You can see it was off, but if you look at the laps, you can see them just go up and up. It was that bad.

Here’s the official results.

Anyway, it was a struggle and it wasn’t fun, but I’m glad I finished and I learned a lot of lessons about running in the heat. Namely, don’t go out so fast. I think I could have maintained a 9 minute mile pace or even an 8:45 pace, but going out for the 3:30 pace hurt me early.

With less than a week to the marathon, I thought it would be a good time to post some details about my plans for the marathon. I’m hoping to run it in 3:30 to 3:40. That is roughly 8:00 to 8:30 pace. I really hope I can keep that pace for 26.2 miles. The course map is here. You can sign up for runner tracking here, but it hasn’t worked that well in the past. Hopefully they have worked the bugs out. If you want to sign up, but bib number is 9805.

We’ll probably be a little bit slow at the start of the race, so I will give you times that are for 8 and 9 minute pace. Hopefully I will be somehere in between those times. If I’m any faster, that will be trouble. The race starts at 8am, but it will probably take about 10 to 15 minutes to cross the starting line due to the number of people running the race. So, I should hit Old Town (mile 5)sometime between 8:50 and 9:00 am. Boys Town (mile 8 ) by 9:15 to 9:25 am. The 1/2 marathon point (13.1 miles) by 9:55 to 10:10 am. Pilsen (mile 19) by 10:40 to 11:00 am. Chinatown/Comiskey area (22 miles) between 11:05 and 11:30 am. Anyway, it’s probably easiest to let me know where you will be so I can look for you. Basically plan on a 8:00 minute per mile pace and add 10 minutes for how long it will take to cross the starting line and that should be the earliest I will be at any given point. A quick tool for figuring this out is the Cool Running Pace Calculator. You can put in the distance and pace, and it will show you how long it will take to run that distance. Also, depending on temperature and everything, I am planning to wear my orange Illinois running shirt and blue shorts. I will try to take a picture and send it out later. It looks like the termerature should be nice for the race.

So I think I’m ready to go. I just need to take it easy this week and get some rest and eat well.

So this is it. The final week before the Marathon. I ran my last long run on Saturday and it felt really short. We went 8 miles in 1:07:34, which is roughly an 8:30 pace. The weather was perfect, so I hope it holds up for the Marathon. The whole run felt great, but again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep that pace for the Marathon.

I ran the Bucktown 5K on Sunday and it was supposed to be an easy taper run, but my competative spirit got the best of me and I ran it in 22:14, which is a 7:10 pace. The good news is that it was only 5K and I’m not feeling any ill effects. It is always a fun race to run and the course was much better this year than it has been in the past. There were really no bottlenecks and I was able to keep a consistent pace. I didn’t stick around for the post race party, but there was a good amount and selection of food. I will post the results in my results page.

So, all that’s left is a couple of 5K runs this week. I’m planning to walk and stretch on the days that I don’t run, so hopefully, the pain I’m having in my left leg will keep to a minimum.