IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 3 WRAP-UP – MARCH 23, 2025
As I headed out the door to wrap up the week with an 8-mile run, I had a couple things on my mind. First, don’t overdo this run. Find a nice, easy pace and settle in for the duration. And second, get this run done before it starts raining!
I found that the comfortable pace I started out with was good, right in the zone of not overdoing anything. But as hustled across the street with the green light, my pace quickened, and the next thing I knew I was running at my usual running pace. Once I was a mile into the run, and also into the hills, I realized that this was not the original plan, I reigned myself back in and got back into a more casual pace.
If you are a runner, you probably have a pace that you run, one that your body just falls into and feels natural. Most people walk at the same pace every time or talk at the same rate as well. Running is no different. Although I am saying pace, what I really mean is cadence. When my buddies and I were training for our first Ironman in 2013, we were wrapping up a long bike with a short run together, and one of them commented that I took a lot of steps. I quickly replied, “Yes, 180 steps per minute.” That I knew how many steps I took per minute was a surprise to him, but unknowingly I had settled into my usual cadence. I was a little faster of a runner than they were at the time, and I had shortened my stride to run with them, but that same cadence or leg turnover remained the same. I had settled into that cadence.
As I wrap up Week 3 of training, I have also found myself settling into the routine of training for a 70.3. That feeling of being in the right zone is where I need to be right now.
Week 3 Totals: Swims 0 – Bikes 3 rides/53.5 miles – Runs 6/26 miles
IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 2 WRAP-UP – MARCH 16, 2025
This week was a little turned around for me. The weather was cool some days, then it shot up to the mid 70s and turned windy. Plus, I had to testify in a big local case that ate up my Thursday sitting around waiting to “speak the truth,” as a former coworker used to call testifying in court. I hadn’t testified in a criminal case in probably 15 years, and that one was a huge case. I admit I had a little bit of nerves, as well as just not having the best start to my week in general. So, following the plan meant making some adjustments this week.
My tri bike hasn’t been ridden with any regularity since I raced my last Ironman race in Chattanooga in 2021. Occasionally I would get it down, pump up the tires and take a short spin on it, but it really has just been literally hanging around in the garage from the ceiling. I have been mostly riding my gravel bike, which gives me the option of riding more than just paved trails and roads. It is a comfortable ride and has been pretty dependable. Since signing up for the Rockford 70.3, I knew that the tri bike would be the better choice for the race.
Some people give their bike a name, like “Leroy,” or “Black Beauty,” but I have always referred to my tri bike as my “Pile of Money.” Not very catchy, I must admit, but it is true – tri bikes are stupidly expensive. I lifted it off the hooks where it hangs from the garage ceiling, gave it a good mechanical going over, pumped some air in the tires, and waited for an optimal day to ride it. Since Saturday is my typical long ride day in my plan, the weather looked to be better on Friday to do the ride. It was a warm day, but the winds were straight out of the south, maybe a little southwest, but I figured that once I got to the east/west trail, I wouldn’t need to worry about the wind.
I fired up all my gizmos, put my water bottle in the cage, and threw my leg over the seat to head out. Wow. I have forgotten how uncomfortable tri bikes are. I can’t believe that I have ridden this thing through 5 Ironman races and thousands of training miles. My butt had immediate memory recall. That seat is nowhere near as comfortable as the one on my gravel bike. The gravel bike isn’t as nimble but the tri bike reacts to me doing the smallest little movement. It took a little time to get used to that feeling again. I also couldn’t believe how much faster I felt like I was riding.
Then I hit the cross winds. Riding my tri bike with aero wheels is a little like carrying a piece of plywood on a windy day. But that got sorted out pretty quickly.
Then came the calf muscle cramps! Let’s not forget about how fun those are. People will ask why they get cramps when riding, and many will offer dehydration, or lack of electrolytes, and suggest drinking pickle juice for some crazy reason. Sure, I guess those could be things to look at. But for me, Charlie Horse-type calf cramps always occur at the beginning of a training cycle, when my calf muscles just aren’t ready for the workload yet. There’s a reason why we ease into training with a base phase. It reminded me of when I used to coach youth baseball. At the first practice, I would pitch batting practice and end the day with my arm dragging on the ground. I could never remember to get my arm ready for the season. But by the end of the season, I was in no need of a reliever.
Coming home, a nice tailwind that pushed me up to 30 mph. That was exhilarating somewhat, and definitely put a smile on my face. That is one memory jog that made me feel good about riding the tri bike.
While I was testifying, I soon found the questions to be very familiar and could easily predict where the discussion was heading. I settled in and got through it. And with the tri bike, they say that you never forget how to ride a bike. That might be true, but there is a little more to it with getting comfortable again riding my “Pile of Money.” I’m sure getting reacquainted will be quick. I hope I get reacquainted with swimming as easily.
Week 2 Totals: Swims 0 – Bikes 2 rides/35 miles – Runs 3/14.5 miles
IRONMAN 70.3 ROCKFORD TRAINING – WEEK 1 WRAP-UP – MARCH 9, 2025
As most amateur athletes do, I beat myself up through spring, summer, and fall, then use winter to recover, maintain fitness and get ready for the ritual to start all over again. Winter maintenance for me mostly means staying out of the cold and training indoors on the treadmill and a stationary bike at my workplace gym. It’s been a pretty mild winter and I did get outside occasionally to put in some running miles, but they were all done at an easy pace.
When I ride the stationary bike indoors, I usually set the level to a slightly hard spin, and just sit and do the work. I often will finish with an hour ride with a 16 mph average, and I wonder how accurate that average is. Sure I am sweating, and I can feel like I used my legs, but experience has shown that when I ride outside, a 16 mph average will kick my butt.
The weather turned nice for early March in Chicagoland this weekend and I decided to join a group ride on Sunday. The post said to expect a 16-17 mph average pace, but seeing that my plan called for 75 minutes of riding, I wasn’t too worried about it as I would ride to join the group and then split off when I needed to. I held on to the group as we casually warmed up for a few miles. But after about 15 minutes into it, I was working pretty hard to hang on. I purposely didn’t bring any gels with me to avoid being tempted to ride farther than my plan called for, and when we reached an intersection about 5 miles into the ride, the group went west, and I turned east toward home. Proud of myself for not overdoing my first outdoor ride since last fall.
Me waving from the rear, where I would start and where I would end.
Upon getting home, the ride ended at 25 total miles, 94 minutes of riding, and an average of 15.3 mph. That was about what I was expecting. Factoring in periods of slowing for walkers on the bike path, slowing for traffic, and the leisurely start pace of the riding group, the effort was probably pretty close to 16 mph average. But I’m not fooling myself, I was worn out, much more so than when I ride the stationary bike. But winter maintenance seems to be doing an adequate job at keeping me close to being ready to reclaim mid-year form. I just have to follow the plan and not overdo the training when a group ride dangles in front of me like a GU pack.
A good start for the first week of training. 4 runs/17 miles, 3 rides/55 miles, and swimming will have to wait until I get my pool open.
Back in June 2024, my running and Ironman friend Susan messaged me to ask if I had heard any rumblings about a new Ironman 70.3 race coming to the Midwest, specifically the Chicago area. We were trying to come up with which community had the best shot at it – Chicago? Crystal Lake? Maybe the North Shore area? I had not heard anything about a new race, but it started spreading excitement and it wasn’t long before Ironman made the announcement that Rockford, Illinois would be the newest race on the 70.3 circuit. Although I wasn’t really planning to do any more long distance triathlon racing, I was definitely interested. Once it was announced and sign-up opened, I decided to be among the first racers in this inaugural race.
Rockford is located about 90 minutes from me, so having a race that I won’t have to travel far to is a nice bonus. Once the weather warms up, I plan on driving out and doing the bike loop to see what will be in store for us on race day. I have run the now defunct Rockford Marathon twice – 2009 and 2010 – the prior being my return to marathoning after a long break from running that distance. So the return to Rockford for the 70.3 is somewhat befitting, since it has been four years since my last Ironman and eleven years since my one and only 70.3 in Muncie, Indiana. Time to get that adrenaline rush going again and enjoying triathlon training.
Rockford Marathon finish 2009
Rockford Marathon finish 2010
Two of my Gunner teammates will be joining in on the fun – Jeff, who is also planning on doing Ironman Wisconsin, and his sister Jan. This race might be the first half-iron race for them, but they are experienced Ironman finishers. There are also a few local friends doing it as well – Jennifer, who just rocks whatever race she does – Leah, who has officially dipped her toes into the triathlon waters and now is ready to do a cannonball into the deep end – and Chad, who I met last year on a local gravel ride and has since finished Ironman Chattanooga. I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone. I think Susan opted to pass, but I’m sure I will see her on many of the training rides this summer.
I will be following the competitive 16-week plan in Don and Melanie Fink’s IronFit Secrets for Half Iron-Distance Triathlon Success, the same book I used for training before.
Monday is a rest day, and today, Tuesday called for a 45-minute Zone 2 run, which I did on the treadmill. I got through it somehow. Swimming will have to wait until closer to May when I open my pool up. I tend to just swim straight and practice some simple drills for 30-45 minutes, which should be sufficient for this swim in the current aided Rock River. Biking will be done on the stationary bike at work until the weather gets better. Which reminds me, I better get that tri bike out of the garage and give it a good going over. It hasn’t been ridden in several years. I know for a fact that the rear brakes need an overall, and the chain might need to be replaced. I will get on that soon.
So there you have it, back in the saddle for some more Ironman-ish fun!
Total Miles – 800 miles / 67 miles per month / 15.4 miles per week
Total Runs – 128 runs / 10.6 per month / 2.4 per week
Total Time – 135 Hours / 11:15 per month / 2:35 per week
LIFETIME TOTALS – 32,703 total miles run / 5650 total lifetime runs / 4599 total lifetime hours run
JAN 58 miles / FEB 70 miles / MAR 34.5 miles / APR 3 miles (lol) / MAY 39 miles / JUNE 64 miles / JULY 48.7 miles / AUG 108.8 miles / SEP 132.7 miles / OCT 86 miles / NOV 88 miles / DEC 67.3 miles
In November, I had a “what the heck?!” moment. I decided to pull up the running totals for the year and staring right back at me was a total running mileage of just over 700 miles. At that moment, I realized that topping 1000 miles for the year would not happen. The last time I failed to go over 1000 miles was in 2010, so running 1000 miles in a year had become an expected milestone to reach, and to not get it was a little shocking. Then reality set in: I looked back at the monthly running totals and saw that April had a grand total of 3 miles. Yup, that isn’t going to help push me over 1000 miles. And the preceding and following months both were very low. I had forgotten that high hamstring tendonitis had taken me out of running for a spell, and I was using those three months to recover and rebuild.
Recovering and rebuilding seems to be the norm for my running anymore. At 61 years old, my brain keeps writing checks my body can’t pay for. I don’t think that will change, as I have already set myself up for some more body punishment for 2025. But I need to be smarter about staying within my ability without overdoing it.
Even though some mandatory recovery months in 2024 were necessary, I was still able to get some running and racing accomplished and did well at them. Four of my five races went really well, seeing that the first race of the year was the reason that set me back in the spring for me. Here are the links to the race reports:
The Forge Gravel Triathlon Race Report – Summary: What did I do after tearing myself up running the 25K trail race? I switched to the bike and started getting my cycling conditioning back. Feeling good again and cautiously pushed the pace through a very technical running course, a course that half the field cut and ruined the overall and age group results. I’ll probably skip this race in the future. I had fun getting back into triathlons though.
2024 Chicago Marathon Race Report – Summary: I was thinking this race would be a farewell victory lap for marathoning for me – one last hurrah. Then the speed started coming back and I attempted to shoot for a sub-3:50 Boston Marathon qualifier. Missed it by 3.5 minutes, but I was still happy with my sub-4-hour final Chicago Marathon. I’m done with marathons.
What’s in store for 2025? First up is a return to long-distance triathlon specifically the 70.3 Ironman Rockford in Rockford, Illinois. This is the inaugural race there, so I have my fingers crossed that this new race will have wrinkles ironed out. After that June race, I will switch from multisport and concentrate back on building distance to hopefully go far at Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra in Iowa. In the back of my mind is a return to Tunnel Hill, but mainly thinking about racing the 50-mile race, with a goal of being around 10 hours. A man can dream.
Typically before a run workout a wise runner might warm up with some walking or light jogging before hitting the start button on their watch. After the workout, a cool-down might also be utilized to bring the heartrate down and get the body temperature to be less hot.
I was never much for either a warm-up or cool-down. In my younger running days, I would walk about a third of a mile before and after a run thinking I was a smart runner. In races, I almost always did a jog/run with some up-tempo strides prior to the race just to get the juices flowing. And then followed it up with a short easy cool-down back out on the course, which was probably a total jerk move, and looking back I can’t believe I used to do that. I never warmed up or cooled down before/after a marathon. The warm-up was done in the first 3-5 miles, and the cool-down was done as a shuffle heading back to the car or hotel.
Today I ran outside and nearly froze myself. Early December is here, and it wasn’t quite freezing, but the wind chill was brutal. I had planned to run eight miles, but the sun had taken a pass on the rest of the day, and the “warm-up” walk around the block with the dog made me question any run outside. I swapped a windbreaker for a running jacket, and out I went thinking maybe five miles was more in line with my current comfort level. I got to the two-mile mark and decided to turn around.
Upon getting home I had the realization that I was in need of both a warm-up and a cool-down, as I was still freezing but I was also sweaty and tired from the quicker pace due to the stupid temperature that I ran in. That was a new one for me. By mid-February, I will probably be out there on a similar day wearing much less running gear. Until then, I’m picking my outdoor running battles and hoping to avoid the warm-up/cool-down.
I have been fortunate to have lived near several great bike/walk/run paths as an adult. In my early running days, I loved running on the Green Bay Trail in Highland Park, Illinois. I would typically run this trail from Highland Park five miles out to Winnetka and then return home. A relocation to the Western suburbs of Chicago presented me with the option of running on the Great Western Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path. And I have spent more than half of my 35 years running at the local Hickory Creek Nature/Forest preserve paths and the Old Plank Road Trail (aka Old Plank Trail or OPT), where I see lots of locals also out enjoying the paths.
Over those many miles and years, I have seen quite a few faces over and over again. I call these people “regulars,” and even though I may not know them by name, we are pretty familiar with each other. Sometimes I will have a brief conversation with them, learn their name, and find out their reason for being out on the trail, but most times we just pass by with a nod or a wave. I thought that I might highlight a few, some I haven’t seen in a long time, and some fairly new. So, in no particular order, here are some of The Regulars.
Shirtless Tall Guy – One of the more recent regulars is a tall, fit guy in his 30s who runs shirtless, loping along at a relaxed pace, but I have seen him running fast on occasion as well. We usually give a brief wave when we pass each other, acknowledging the fact that we are always out on the trail pounding the pavement. I’m not sure if he runs to compete, or just runs for the pleasure of it. I envy his effortless-looking gait and often think that he would be a great distance runner if he wasn’t already.
Buford Pusser – In the 70s there was a movie called Walking Tall, telling the tale of a Southern sheriff who meted out justice by carrying a rather sturdy baseball bat-sized stick. There’s a local guy who walks the trail who reminded me of that character. I hadn’t seen ol’ Buford on the trail in quite a while, but recently there he was, walking along and carrying the four-foot-long thick dowel rod that he carries like he’s going to have to fend off a wolf pack attack. I usually run by this guy with caution, but I don’t fear him.
Wrong Side Wheelchair Lady – I encounter this lady all the time in the hilly nature preserve trail and she’s always on the wrong side of the trail. She used to have a friend who would walk along with her but I haven’t seen her friend in a long time. Lately, she has been singing classic rock songs at the top of her lungs while pushing herself up the hills. I’d probably be more friendly to her if she wasn’t always on the wrong side of the trail.
Baby Jogger Mom – This redhead with a wolf tattoo on her back shoulder used to push her newborn in a stroller in the preserve and I would see her nearly every run. Then she disappeared for a while, later to return with a double-wide stroller and two kids! But she seems to be fading quickly from the ranks of the regulars, as I haven’t seen her in quite a while.
Mario! – A long-time runner, this guy reminds me of Mario from the arcade game. He’s been out there as long as I have, and we just keep putting in the miles.
Will County Forest Preserve Lady – An older lady who wears a pullover-type top emblazoned with the logo of the forest preserve is one of the older regulars on the trail. A taller, thinner lady who I see often on the Old Plank Trail in Frankfort. There used to be a trail sentinel program run by the forest preserve district, so maybe she wears the pullover from that. Not sure.
Bill – Mostly a midday runner like myself, I encountered this local guy quite often, usually crossing the railroad tracks where the make-shift path gets me into the nature preserve. He was always friendly, and at one of the crossings, I took a moment to chat him up. He said his name was Bill and that he runs about four miles nearly every day. He doesn’t race and thinks the distances I run are crazy. But anyway, he’s a nice guy.
Curly-headed Guy – I used to see this curly-headed guy all the time running on the OPT and one day we stopped at a road crossing together and I introduced myself. He was wearing an Ironman visor and I had to at least say hello to a fellow Ironman. Turns out his name is Charlie and we are now good friends and follow each other on Facebook. He tends to ride more than run nowadays, but we are always joking about wanting to be each other when we grow up.
Bike Pusher Guy – I have passed people on bikes while running in the past, and although the speed needed to do that has long left me, but occasionally I come upon Bike Pusher Guy. This guy is older than me and doesn’t ride his bike very fast, and he always hops off and pushes it up the hills. Friendly guy, and we see each other often.
Me – I guess I’m a trail regular as well. I often wonder what others think of me as I jog by huffing and puffing in my sweaty clothes. Well, if you become a regular make sure to say hello to me because I’m always up for a chat.
I have done the spring version of this 25K before, and since I opted to not burden myself at Tunnel Hill 100 with another 100-mile attempt this year, I decided to give the fall version a go. And I am happy that I did! We had a cool and overcast morning for the race, with perfect trail conditions, and seeing that the fall version is run at a different course, I found this one to be a lot less technically challenging. That’s not to say this was easy – it had nearly 1500 feet of elevation! Lots of rolling hills, and a few steep enough to force me to walk, but the day turned out great for me.
My faithful sidekick/super sherpa/wife Kari and I got there way earlier than necessary, but were glad to do so to get a prime parking spot as the location had very few and we didn’t want to have to find the second and third parking option and have to walk. We had lots of fun people-watching and chatting about the other racer’s prerace routines.
I had made a race morning decision to wear my more comfortable road shoes instead of my trail shoes, based on the race director’s email stating that the course was in great condition. I also wore my gaiters to keep the little rocks, sticks, leaves, and other trail junk out of my shoes. I was looking around and it seemed that I was the only one that opted for them. I was so glad that I did.
At the start of the race, a short grassy section that led to the path.
The 50K started at 8:30 and my race started at 9:30. This course is much more crowded with other patrons, but they weren’t too bad and gave us plenty of room. My plan was to not go out too fast and have to suffer in the later miles, but of course, I bolted out of the gate. It wasn’t long before I found myself in no-man’s-land once again, not quite with the lead pack and way ahead of the back-of-the-packers. Doesn’t matter what length of race I do, I find myself in this spot every time.
There was a giant hill that I walked just before mile 2 and I got passed by a couple of other runners, but walking calmed me down and I settled into a more appropriate pace. The hills kept coming and I just kept pushing on.
That’s a lot of hills.
The 50K leader was shirtless and I saw him around my 5-mile mark and knew that I would definitely see him again. It wasn’t long after that when I saw the first 25K leader coming back at me from the turnaround, and she was flying! She did eventually win the race, a first for the race director, which he was super excited for.
As I got closer to the turnaround myself, I was marveling at how good a gel would make me feel. Every 30 minutes is when I choke down the 100-calorie syrupy stuff, and I was finding myself looking at my watch 15 minutes after each one wondering how much longer to the next. I finally caught a guy that I had been slowly reeling in, but he would jog the hills and I would walk them and have to work at pulling him back in again. We arrived at the turnaround aid station at the same time. I had already had the lid off of my 21-ounce water bottle and had it refilled with another 21 ounces. I’m glad that I opted for the bigger bottle this time instead of the 12-ounce handheld bottles I used in the spring race. I was staying on top of hydration.
After the turn, I found my legs and started running at a pretty good clip. This portion would be downhill for a while, and I tried to take advantage of that. I could see the competition coming at me for the first time and I was glad I had a good lead.
I have to give a shout-out to the large group of spectators who greeted us when we went out and came back on the course around the middle section. It was a big pick-me-up.
The next runner ahead of me was another one that I had tried to reel in from the start. She had passed me within the first 1/2-mile of the race and looked strong, but by mile 11 she clearly had run into a wall. I passed her and put some distance on her. I didn’t think that I was in the top ten at this point, but gaining a spot gave me some motivation to keep chasing others. The problem was, there weren’t any ahead of me that I could see!
With about 2.5 miles to go, we hit the last big hill and I was passed by another guy. Great, I had just gained a spot and now I was losing one. I tried to match pace with the guy, but he was younger and stronger. And to add insult to injury, the race director informed us at the awards that he had raced the RDs fall Lakefront 50K the week before. Tip of the running visor to him.
Once up the big hill it was flat and I summoned the energy I had left to push a little bit. I could hear the quick footsteps rapidly approaching me from behind and of course, it was the 50K finisher passing me in the final mile. It has happened twice now to me and I hate it! Oh well, another tip of the running visor to the shirtless 50K winner, whose overall 50K time was nearly a half-hour faster than my Chicago Marathon time. Actually, the second-place 50K finisher was also faster than my CM time. Crazy kids. Tip of the running visor to both of them.
As I was dealing with that defeat, the sounds of more footsteps were approaching, and I was passed by a woman who clearly was kicking to the finish. I tried to keep pace with her but she was slowly pulling away (tip of the visor to her-lol). We emerged relatively close from the trail and onto the grass to do a parade lap of the park to the finish and she hit the afterburners, beating me by 15 seconds. I knew that I couldn’t catch her, but I also knew that the clock was ticking rapidly to the 2:20 mark and I gave it my best to be sub-2:20, but my official time put me two seconds over it. My watch time shows 2:19:38, but it paused while I was refilling my water bottle. Seeing that I had predicted a 2:40 finish when I signed up for the race, and then thinking I had a good chance to go sub-2:30, to get 2:20:02 was a huge surprise that I will proudly take as a new PR.
Earned another A/G glass – 1st place!
Finishing the race and getting my medal and age group award
All in all, it was a great day and a great performance for me. I might have to keep this one on the calendar for next year!
With one race left on the calendar this year, I decided to do a little course reconnaissance seeing that I had not run this particular race before. I have been on the trails in this area, but it was a long time ago, and I felt it might be a good idea to see what I had gotten myself into.
The race is the Paleozoic Trail Runs – Silurian Fall II 25K held in Palos Park, Illinois in the Cook County Forest Preserve District commonly called Swallow Cliff. If you have followed my blog you will note that I have done the spring version of this race before, three times actually, but that course is in a different location.
Last week I went out to find the start/finish area and ran from the start to about 4 miles out before turning around. The trip paid off because I took a couple of wrong turns and had to double back to get back on course. But the trail was nowhere near as technical as the spring course is. There was about 540 feet of climbing for the portion I ran and the two hills were definitely steep enough to warrant walking them. The trail was in pretty good shape, with good footing. I ended up running eight miles in about 1:15, so I was pleased with my speed and effort.
Last Saturday, Kari and I went back to the trail to walk the second part of the trail, which I hadn’t gotten a chance to run last time. It was also in good condition with very few technical aspects to it. There were 530 feet of climbing in this section, so overall, that will be the challenge that awaits me. Tackle the hills with the appropriate effort, and push pace on the flats and downhills.
Tried to capture the type of trail and the rolling hills of the course.
The course.
Today I ran one final 8-mile run near home at a comfortably hard pace and held an 8:32 average pace, finishing in 1:08. I was pretty gassed after that, so I may have to dial back my expectations just a little on race day. Plus the hills will slow me down somewhat. The race website asks you to submit a predicted finish time, and based on my three previous attempts at the spring version of this 25K, I estimated 2:40, but I think I have a good chance to be under 2:30 and maybe closer to 2:20. At least now I know what to expect from the course and the pace I have been running lately. I’m looking forward to race day.
Let me be honest with everyone, I fully expected this marathon to be a final hurrah, a victory lap, a farewell tour to marathoning. I had nothing left to prove with running marathons. I am past setting personal bests, I have qualified for Boston three times and run it once, I just really lack the motivation to keep doing them. The 2023 marathon and it’s perfect weather and record-setting performance was definitely fun to watch and gave me a little push. And when the email came to encourage me with my legacy status to sign-up for the 2024 I did it.
Of course, the training season didn’t go so well. I was doing pretty good gaining some speed and endurance again without injury, I set myself back after racing a sprint triathlon and had to take some time off to get back on track. I flip-flopped from following an Ironman training plan to a basic marathon training plan, finally settling in on just the running plan. I opted to do a backyard ultra as my final long run (2024 Broken Anvil Backyard Ultra Race Report). Although I didn’t practice marathon pace there, I certainly was confident in my ability to be on my feet for a long time and cover the distance easily.
Then I found that the speed was coming back. I bought some super-shoes (HOKA Cielo X1) and I felt like a gazelle. Now I was running an 8:45 pace easily and a 3:50 BQ time was in sight of being a possibility. Instead of taking the intended victory lap/farewell tour at Chicago, I showed up to race as hard as I could.
Saturday my wife Kari and I met up with my Gunner team buddies – Alex (who was gunning for a sub-3:00), his dad Dave, and Jeff in the city and went to Maggiano’s to carbo-load. After a great meal, we went back to Jeff’s place and had great conversations until it was time to get some uneasy sleep for tomorrow’s race.
Looking fresh in the hotel room
Looking fresh just before entering the runner gate at Jackson St.
I was up at 4:30 and took a shower. I had some bathroom issues and I was hoping that it wouldn’t dehydrate me too much, if you catch my drift. But I was glad to void all of that out of my system. Kari found me a coffee and a breakfast sandwich from the shop located at the hotel (I stayed at the Palmer House Hilton, which I highly recommend. Very close to both the start/finish.) and I was all set. I had been concerned about the temperature and about being comfortable with what I would wear, but the walk to the entrance gate was very comfortable and I ended up giving Kari the sweatpants I was wearing before going into the runner’s area. Once inside, I made my way to the porta-potty lines and waited my turn. After that, I headed to Corral F and took a seat on the ground. 8 am came soon enough and we started moving to the start line. One guy took it upon himself to lay a doodie right there in the corral, which was quite a sight to see. He had no shame. Others were up against the fencing peeing. I shoved my empty Gatorade bottle in my pants and peed into it as well. At least I had a little modesty. My mother would be proud.
I crossed the timing mat at 8:01:15 am and decided to ease into the first mile or two. I was expecting some GPS issues going under Randolph St. and Wacker Dr. but the first mile marker came at 0.86 miles and I hit my lap button and all was fine for the rest of the race. The mile marker signs usually came a little early, and sometimes a little late, but I just trusted my watch.
It was fun going through the various neighborhoods and I was starting to realize that I was taking it all in for the final time. The crowds were amazing and the city was super crowded this year.
I was holding my pace around 8:40 min/mile pace and was feeling pretty good. I was sweating and was concerned about that becoming an issue knowing I had started a little on the dehydrated side. I made sure to take water and Gatorade at each aid station. I kept on my one gel per 30-minute routine and felt fine energy-wise. I tossed the white arm sleeves off and kept my thin arm cooling sleeves. I was comfortable but a little concerned about getting cold.
Ten miles in I felt fresh. At the halfway mark my split was 1:55 and that seemed perfect for the moment, all I needed to do was keep running my pace and empty the tank around Mile 21 or so to grab that sub-3:50.
Earlier in the race I had an issue with my right shoe feeling tied a little too tight, so I stopped and tried to untie the double knot but failed at that. I pulled the tongue of the shoe up a little and soldiered on, but then got concerned about it again and took some time to stop again and loosen it. From then on it felt fine. I also stopped right around 13 miles and used the porta-potty to ease my mind with that issue. So all told, I probably wasted 3 minutes doing those things, which I hoped wouldn’t rob me of that 3:50 BQ.
Kari was joined by my son Ben and daughter-in-law Emily, as well as a couple of their friends, and I had no trouble seeing them on the course. I think I saw them 5-6 times on the course and each time it was a pick-me-up. Around the 14-mile mark, I motioned that I wanted my gloves back, as I was now heading into the wind and was hoping not to get too cold. She shook her head and said she didn’t have them. Oh well, it turned out to not be an issue.
Somewhere mid-marathon
I kept pushing on and didn’t even worry about hitting a wall. I was feeling pretty strong and my pace was hanging tight. It was at Mile 22 when the wind came out of my sails. There was a commotion and they were directing us runners to the right. Then I saw the runner on the ground getting chest compressions. It was one of the most unsettling things that I have seen in a while and it broke me down mentally. Nothing cared to me at that point. I got rather emotional and I just pressed on knowing she was in good hands and hoping the best for her. After the race, I had seen some posts from others also seeing about a total of 3-4 runners from the race in a similar predicament. I haven’t seen any reports of deaths so far, so fingers crossed that they all made it okay. Man, it was unsettling.
I had written down my 5-mile splits on the back of my hand for a 3:45 marathon finish and could tell that I was behind on time to nab not only the 3:45 but also the 3:50 BQ time I was hoping for. My intended kick at six miles to go got pushed to the last five miles, then got pushed again to kicking with a 5K to go. But I realized that no matter if I ran the fastest 5K I have ever run it wouldn’t be enough. I started to cramp a little at Mile 24, I slowed and walked it off, and did the same again at Mile 25. That last mile was still pretty good, all things considered, shuffling in 9:08 min/mile. I took my time up Mt. Roosevelt and coasted it into the finish. Three hours, 53 minutes, and 27 seconds was a satisfying finish time, and I was pleased.
In the last mile(s) on Michigan Ave.
I had been in my head for quite a while in the race thinking that I was definitely going to have a spectacular crash at the end. I slowly shuffled through the chute, grabbed a mylar blanket, a medal, a banana, and water, and tried to keep moving forward. To my surprise, I was starting to feel pretty good. By the time I passed the medical tent (I’m a frequent med tent flyer!), it wasn’t even a thought. It took forever to get through the sea of people, but finally made my way to Monroe Street, made a left turn, and walked the two or three blocks back to the hotel in good shape.
A ride up the elevator left me a little nervous when the door wouldn’t open on my floor, and started beeping at me like I had done something wrong, but it reset itself somehow and opened. I had expected Kari to be there, but she wasn’t so I got in the shower and got cleaned up. Some time in the shower my body was done with this nonsense and started to punish me for once again putting it through the mill. I got dressed, got under the covers, and started working on reversing the meltdown. Kari was giving me food and Gatorade to help me recover, but once I started in on the soup she brought for me, my stomach was not having it. I puked magnificently and immediately felt better. I cleaned up, exited the bathroom, and said “Let’s go.”
Kari wanted to go get the car, which was parked about a half-mile or so away at her work, but I told her I was fine. We got to the car and headed home. Another crash was coming, but some sipping on Gatorade led to some potato chips, some soup, and a sandwich. I was feeling better.
So all in all, it was a pretty good way to end my marathon running career. 10 Chicago Marathons, 23 marathons total, and some great memories along the way. And if you ever hear of me thinking about running another one, please remind me to reread this race report.
an amazing run 