Marathon Sunday in Chicago

My goal was to a Boston Qualifier (BQ) time, finishing under 3:16. I had many months of great running, and decided to set out with the 3:10 pace group, so this was NOT a mistake in my part for the run. I would run with them, and ease off if I needed to later on.

My legs felt like bricks from the very start. I just never got comfortable, and my positive mental attitude went straight to the gutter at around Mile 3.

I talked to Coach Ruth and Steve on Saturday and they both said it would be a prudent thing to may be call it a day after mike 16 if things weren’t going well due to the weather. Instead of straining my legs and exhausting all energy, I could save myself, and just refocus for Houston in January, or Dallas
in December or maybe San Antonio in November? I thought they were crazy and thought there was no way I wasn’t going to: “Boston or Medic Tent” like in Austin.

Daryl and I got to the race start at 6:30am, and used the restrooms, dropped our post race clothes bag and then met Nedra at a pre-designated spot at 6:45am. Daryl took off for his corral, as Nedra and I were in Corral B, lucky enough to be inside of the first 4500 runners. We split off, she went to her pace group, I went to mine. I met my pacers, small talked with people, sitting on the sidewalk ledge for 45 minutes.

Gun goes off.

Mile 1 – we ran too fast, but everyone was running that pace, so it was impossible to slow down. The crowds were amazing. I was lost in the fanfare, people cheering everywhere, sensory overload. Emotions running high, wow. I didn’t even know I was running. I was just moving forward with the masses and aimlessly looking around at thousands of screaming fans. I did my best to stick to the pacers, not wanting to fall off, or lose them in the sea of runners. 30 seconds too fast.

Mile 2 – We slowed up by a minute which neutralized the fast mile 1. My legs aren’t turning over effortlessly. I’m nervous, but know that it’s just mile 2, and I’m not warmed up yet. Crowds continue to overwhelm. Fantastic!

Mile 3 – same stuff, heavy legs, I’m not finding a calm rhythm to my running, and my breathing is not there. It’s hasted, I can’t talk, I can’t spark up conversations. I’m just running doing my best to keep up with the pace group.

Mile 4 – Mentally I start to lose it, legs are bricks, it’s hot out. Real hot. My water bottle is now empty and I still have cotton mouth. Why?

Mile 5, 6, 7 – Pretty quickly I’m realizing it’s not a good day. It’s just hot. No one is calm. No one is talking. I’m pretty sure there will be no Boston. Coaches words are making sense now. Why blow up today when the sun will rise again tomorrow. It was just so hot and no wind, and humid. But no excuses I plugged along, hoping for good miles ahead.

Mile 8 – Running with the sun now, out of the shade of the buildings. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now, and finally decide to call it a day on BQ. I stopped, borrowed a phone and called Marla in Austin. I think it went something like this:
- I’m done. I’m not running anymore. I’m going to stop.
- KEEP RUNNING! YOU NEED TO KEEP RUNNING.
- No, I can’t do it. It’s just not a good day. I’m going to take it easy.
- No, you need to run.
- It’s ok, I’m ok with it, talked to Ruth and Sisson, I’m going to run Dallas or Houston instead. Please call them and Panther and tell they don’t need to worry about tracking me.

Mile 9 – I’m now walking.
Mile 10,11,12,13 – walk ran. Walked with other walkers who gave up. All were shooting for BQ’s. One was going to run Grand Rapids in 3 weeks. One was going to run something in Wisconsin.

Decided to jog up to the half way point to have one last official time split on record and then walk back to the finish.

People were dropping off or slowing way down everywhere.

At the finish, went and got some bananas, an apple and waters. They wanted to give me a medal but i refused to take it. Why would I get a medal?! I can’t look at that medal.

Another Austinite joined me at our meeting place shortly thereafter. He quit at the half too. We sat in the shade and eventually started seeing runners coming in from other directions. The race had been cancelled 4 to 4 hours and 30 minutes into it and all were called back to the start by shortest route. I eventually saw one of the 3:10 pacers walked limped by ice bag on his shoulder, i went up to him to see how they did. They finished 20 mins over goal. A great job, just to do that.

One Austin runner qualified for Boston. A bull. A beast. Javier was amazing. My hat’s off to him.


Some side facts from the TV news this morning.

45,000 registrants
+/- 35,000 started the race
+/- 25,000 finished the race

As of this morning news:
The hottest recorded temp in Chicago ever for that day of the year - 88 degrees (31 Celsius) by 10 am, 2 hours into the race. (I voluntarily quit at 1hour 59 min, just past the half way mark)
1 runner died on the course
4 runners in critical condition in hospital
300+ ambulance rescues
30 extra ambulances were called in from outside of Chicago.

As far as I’ve heard, 1 Austin runner was tended to, but unconfirmed if she was taken to the hospital or not. Most either finished or were forced to stop when they cancelled the race.
Cops were heard saying “The race has been cancelled. You must walk back to the start. It is a felony to keep running.” To which Nedra’s aunt (spectating) said: “What are you going to do, handcuff them?” “Yes, they will be arrested.”
(Nedra kept running and walking here and there and finished in a little over 5 hours! Impressive to keep it going. She had her reasons, and I commend her for sticking to it.)

For the sake of having a record of it, here are my mile splits. I ran with the 3:10 pace group. (MGP = 7:15-7:24)
M1: 6:43
M2: 7:48
M3: 7:14
M4: 7:04
M5: 7:08
M6: 7:08
M7: 7:12
M8: 11:36 (walked some and made a phone call)
M9: 7:54
M10: 9:26 run/walked some
M11: 9:34 run/walked & phone call
M12&13: 17:05 walked for some, ran for most of mile 13
0.1: 1:53


No regrets from stopping at all. And as the day unfolded, my decision I think was the right one as my goal lies ahead.

Pictures to come.