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 roomLooking 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.
I mowed the lawn the other day. It didn’t need it. I just did it to take my mind off the elephant in the room – it’s race week and the Chicago Marathon is Sunday. It’s on my mind constantly.
You would think that I would be used to pre-race jitters by now. This will be my 23rd marathon (if you count the five Ironman marathons, and I do), and tenth Chicago Marathon total. I’m not new to this, and I know that once I start moving forward everything will be okay. But damn, the nerves are kicking in hard.
To start, I didn’t get an email with the packet pick-up QR code that you need to get your bib and t-shirt at the expo. I got every other damn email they sent me to remind me about everything regarding the race, but not that one. It wasn’t in my inbox, my junk folder, or in the e-trash bin. Trust me I checked, numerous times. I posted that I didn’t get the email on r/ChicagoMarathon on Reddit and found that I wasn’t alone. Someone mentioned that they emailed the race and got a new email within a couple of days. So I went with that approach. Crickets. Then I get one of their regular emails stating “Packet Pick-up tickets cannot be resent. Please go to Participant services… at the expo.” Great. Thursday comes and I check my email – lo and behold – a nice email from Kelli thanking me for being a Legacy Finisher and the missing/replacement QR code.
I hate driving into the city, so I looked at the Metra service to get me to the expo. It looked like the Metra Electric line east of me runs by McCormick Place. Perfect. I asked a police officer coworker of mine if that train line was safe, and he strongly suggested not to take it. Interestingly, my Facebook friends mostly said that it would be fine. I rechecked the schedule from another “safer” place to catch the train and it turns out that none of the afternoon trains even stop at McCormick Place. Driving it is.
I found the Chicago Marathon’s suggested parking garage fine, the one with the half-rate cheap parking. But once in there I had no idea where to go. There was no signage, so I found someone who looked like they had just come from there and they directed me to continue going in the direction I was heading. I found some people getting on the elevator and I asked if they were heading to the expo and got a yes. Great. Up the elevator and down the hall and we were there. I was sure that I was going to have trouble finding my way back to the car.
The expo on opening day Thursday wasn’t too bad, and the check-in volunteers were great. I got my envelope with my bib and started heading to the back of the expo to pick up the t-shirt. I wandered through the Nike store with the official race gear and glanced at some of the offerings. I was unimpressed. The quality seemed poor and the prices were crazy. When I saw how long the line was to overpay for cheap stuff, I made my way out of the store and walked to the back for my t-shirt. I have been to the expo numerous times, and there’s really nothing there that I need. I made my way back to the exit but didn’t see where the event posters were located. The volunteer that I asked didn’t have any idea either. I finally found a guy who had one and he pointed me to the booth. I have to have a poster for my basement workout room shrine to myself. (I took an extra one for the shrine at work, too!)
I was right about not knowing my way back to the parking garage. I doubled back two times and finally found the way out. I got my parking ticket validated and was back on the road quickly. Glad I got in and out of the expo. It was underwhelming and just causing further stress.
At home, I began the “nesting” process where you gather all the running crap that I still own and figure out what I will wear and use on race day. Sometimes I will overthink this way too much, and the five different shirt/shorts/socks/visor options will need to shrink down. I also had the bright idea to bring enough gels to eat one every 20 minutes. I’ll look like a clown carrying that many gels. Time to pare that down as well. Eating a gel every 30 minutes has worked well in the past. Why change it now?
Oh, and let’s stress about the weather a little too while we are at it! I’ve been checking the weather app constantly for ten days now, and nothing has really changed. Low 50s (d. F) for the start rising to mid-60s and dry. So the weather looks to be pretty good, and last year’s race had perfect weather and was one of the reasons I signed up to run the race this year. That’s a win. Stop stressing.
I will carbo load on Friday night, and eat a sandwich or something easy Saturday night. I’m not trusting the restaurants downtown, not so much for the food causing issues, but more so for the lack of availability. Maybe some soup and bread with the wife.
I’m staying at the Palmer House Hilton, very close to the start/finish line. I will walk the route to the Jackson Street race day entrance, and then walk from where the exit from the finish line to the hotel in case my wife can’t find me. I can get turned around very easily downtown.
And that reminds me, I bought an Apple AirTag device, which I plan to carry so Kari can track me more precisely. It’s an extra thing that I will have to have on me, but I think it is worth it.
Just writing this stuff down has been a good stress reliever. Now I just have to kill 1 DAY : 16 HOURS : 14 MINUTES: 37 SECONDS until race day. Not that I am counting or anything. Pre-race nerves stink.
Today marks the start of training for the 2024 Chicago Marathon! Sixteen weeks of training, and I kicked it off with a… swim?
Yes, I started with a swim. I have had a fairly rough go with running this year and was forced to hit the reset button. After taking basically two months off from running during March-April-May, I slowly started easing my way back into it. But boy, has it been a slow recovery.
I was dealing with an injury that I self-diagnosed as high hamstring tendonitis, and took some time off from running to help my old tendons and muscles recover. I have recovered enough now that I can do five miles pretty well, albeit much slower than I would like. I ran eight miles the other day and felt pretty beat up afterward, so instead of starting training with a bang, I better ease into it.
In the past, I had used an advanced plan to train for the marathon and it worked pretty well for me. But I really saw success when I was also training for triathlon, specifically Ironman. My three best marathon times were all done in the same year that I had trained for an Ironman. So I thought that maybe I might use the Ironman training plan to prepare me for the fall Chicago Marathon.
The main reason why following a triathlon-based training plan would be beneficial for me is because running is tough on my body, and at 60 years old, it isn’t getting any less tough. By following the triathlon plan, I have to spread my workouts over three disciplines and not just one. This should allow me to build cardiovascular conditioning through swimming and biking, as well as running, without putting all of that on just running.
To make it even a little less taxing, I will be following the “just finish” plan, which is a beginner-type plan instead of the advanced or competitive plan that I would normally follow. I can always up the training another notch if I feel like it is going well, but I really don’t want to have to hit that reset button again. Also, I have signed up for a sprint triathlon in July and I need to prepare for that too. I must admit that I enjoyed my swim today, and I have really enjoyed the biking that I have done as well.
I’m not setting any time goals, or shooting for a Boston Marathon qualifying time – I just hope to run strong and finish well. So, hopefully, all of this will work out and I will find some success in sixteen weeks. Chicago Marathon 2024, here I come!
My wife and I head to northern Wisconsin every spring to get our lake home ready for summer, mowing the grass and picking up the hundreds of sticks that seem to gather on the ground. Memorial Day weekend is the perfect weekend for that getaway.
After getting all the chores done and taking a relaxing boat ride on Saturday, the following Sunday was the perfect time to drive to the local trail and get in a short run. As we approached the trailhead the parking lot was packed, and clearly there was a running event going on. I figured it was probably a 5K, so we made the decision to drive up the road to where a street crosses the trail, park, and start our run there. As we parked, we could still see runners heading back into town with race bibs on but it was pretty thinned out. We started running the other direction on the trail and I asked someone what race was going on and she said that it was a 5K/half-marathon/marathon. Here we were crashing another Minocqua trail race.
I’ve done this inadvertently before a few times. Heading up north for Memorial Day and Labor Day generally means I have work around the house to do, and if I run, it’s just to get a training run in – racing is never on my mind. But both holidays seem to have a big race going on. One year I was doing a 20-mile training run while the No Frills Marathon was going on. I got to run with a few of those runners too. Hopefully I will remember and have enough training under my belt to join in officially.
Kari and I were getting lots of “looking good” and “way to go” comments even though we weren’t in the race.
As we headed out most of the runners coming toward us were wearing the half-marathon bibs, and one runner was carrying a 2:00 hour pacing sign, so mostly mid-pack runners at that point. Then came a biker with another runner with a different bib. The leader of the marathon had just run by – with bleeding nipples. Even the elite runners still make the mistake of neglecting to tape the nips!
Kari decided to turn around after a little more than 2 miles, and I said that I’d run another 1/2 mile and then turn around. Just before I turned around I saw another marathoner heading back in, who was clearly struggling. I caught up to him as he was walking and I asked him if he was in the marathon. He replied that he was. I then said to him that he was the number two overall runner, that he had about a 5K to go, and that there was an aid station just ahead. He replied that he was feeling okay, just tired, and that he appreciated the pep talk. I said that I’d hate for him to get passed and lose a podium spot, and offered to pace him a little. He started running again and I picked up my own pace to make sure he got to the aid station. He took on some water and sports drink and I figured at that point he was looking good again.
It wasn’t long after that the third overall marathon leader and the first place woman runner caught me and passed me. This was turning into a very tight battle for second place. She was wearing earbuds, so I’m not sure if she could hear me, but I informed her that she was in third overall and that she had a good chance of catching the guy I was pushing to finish strong and not get caught! I always root for the underdog, and love to inspire someone to go for it.
I finished my 5 miles and went home and checked the results. Sure enough, the guy had enough left in the tank to hold off the hard charging top woman. I googled his name and saw that he was a rower at UW-Madison, so maybe not a runner, but an athlete who runs well for sure.
So as a reminder to myself, if I’m running well again this fall, I’m going to try to participate and not just crash the race.
We started to hear about this Covid thing in 2019 and I figured I wouldn’t really have to worry about it. Previous viral events never became an issue for me, so why worry about this one. Well, it quickly became a pandemic and virtually shut down the world. I took it seriously from the beginning, wearing a mask, washing my hands more frequently, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and avoiding social gatherings. When the vaccine became available, I got the two doses and followed up with the two boosters. For two years we lived our lives around this thing. Eventually, the vaccine had an impact, the virus became weaker in its variants, and we all started to let our guard down and move on with our lives. My wife and I decided that we could actually travel for our 30th wedding anniversary, so off we flew to join a hiking tour of the amazing Cinque Terre area of Italy. Even Italy, which had somewhat strict Covid policies, would remove the requirement of wearing masks on public transportation while we were there. The trip was awesome, and I was starting to believe that I had some special anti-Covid avoidance ability. Three days after getting back home, I developed a tickle in my throat. “Oh, I must be getting a cold,” I thought. I was planning to pick up my packet for the Chicago Marathon on Friday, but I just wanted to rule out that I had Covid instead of just a simple cold. The rapid at-home test was very definitive – I had Covid.
DAMMIT!
I have to say I wasn’t surprised, but I was a little pissed off. I had managed to avoid it for so long, but it eventually got me. I wondered where I might have been exposed. No one in our tour group really seemed sick at all. On the flight back home, Kari said there was a guy sitting behind me coughing quite a bit. I hadn’t noticed as I wore headphones while watching a couple of movies and was also sleeping for a while. I guess maybe it could have been there, not sure but it doesn’t matter. I now had it and there was no way that I was going to go get my marathon race packet, nor was I going to run the Chicago Marathon.
Within an hour I made the decision to pack my things and go quarantine at our lake home in northern Wisconsin. If I had to be in solitary confinement, why not pick a beautiful place to do it.
Morning in Minocqua, Wisconsin
The drive up north was no big deal. Other than the slightly scratchy throat, I felt pretty good. But the next two days were the worst of it. I describe it as having a mild case of the flu, or a mild-moderate cold. I would get a mild fever, some congestion, a dry cough, and some chills, all of which were dealt with by taking some over-the-counter severe cold and flu medication. By day four, I felt okay. Did some yard work, finished winterizing the boat and wave runner, and even went for a five-mile, easy-paced jog. On day five, I decided to head home. According to the CDC, I was done with my quarantine and could head back to work as long as I followed some protocols. My job keeps me separated from my coworkers for the most part. As I left, my son Ben said that he was also Covid positive now, and was heading to the “safe house” as he put it.
A week after testing positive I must say that I felt pretty good. There was some lingering congestion, especially in the evening. I had done a couple little runs just to see how I felt, and they went fine. After missing out on training for ten days in Italy, and also during my quarantine, I was starting to get a little concerned about my conditioning for the Tunnel Hill 100, which is only three weeks away. I checked my training plan and it showed that I needed to run 24-26 miles. I kind of dreaded that proposal, but on Saturday morning I packed up my running vest with supplies and headed out the door on a cool but beautiful morning. I planned the route to the west on the trail, as eastbound was being repaved, and I needed to make sure I could refill my water. I ran my usual 4 min. run/2 min. walk pace strategy and it was going well. I turned around where the trail ended at 11.5 miles and started heading back. Somewhere along the way, I decided that since Covid stole the Chicago Marathon away from me, I might want to steal it back. Getting back home would net 23 miles, a distance that I could be happy with, but I figured that if I felt good enough, I would add an extra 3.2 miles at the end and that is just what I did.
click on a picture to expand
I ended up with a marathon in five hours and twenty-four minutes. Nice and slow ultra-pace. I joked with a friend that all five of my Ironman marathon splits were faster than that. But it did wear me out. My joints were pretty sore afterward, and even though I thought I managed the nutrition side well, I felt wiped out. My wife reminded me that I was sick, and I’m sure that is a contributing factor. But the run was not the confidence builder that the 54-mile run I had done in September was. I think I will have to adjust my pace plan and run a 2-minute run/2-minute walk for Tunnel Hill. It worked very well at the Broken Anvil event, and the goal of Tunnel Hill is to travel 100 miles, not do it in record time.
I’m going to be pretty cautious with the final three weeks of training. I’m relying heavily on Kari being healthy in order to assist me during the hundred miler, so I don’t want her to get sick. I’m glad to see that Covid was mild for me, it could have been worse. We don’t seem to be done with this pandemic yet.
A local running/triathlete friend of mine advised me the other day that he has a friend who is considering racing an iron-distance race but has already signed up for a marathon that is two weeks after the Ironman. My friend remembered that I had dealt with the same issue last year and asked if I wouldn’t mind if she contacted me to discuss it. Of course, I didn’t mind, and I am flattered, but I haven’t heard from her yet. But it got me thinking about what I would actually tell someone that is considering such a dumb idea. As you read the below keep in mind that I am not a certified expert, not a coach, and really not qualified to tell anyone how to do anything. It’s just my experience and how I dealt with it.
WHY DID I DO SUCH A DUMB THING AS TO SIGN UP FOR TWO BIG RACES SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER?
In 2017 my teammates and I were debating about doing Ironman Louisville, which was on the same day as the 2017 Chicago Marathon. I kind of wanted to do the marathon since it was the 40th anniversary of the race, but I knew if we chose to race the Ironman I would have no problem skipping the marathon, and that’s what happened. I returned to the Chicago Marathon in 2018 because I have legacy status and want to retain it.
Although I was getting a little tired of running Chicago and figured that all I needed to do to keep my legacy status was to sign-up every other year, I signed up for it again because the window to apply was pretty short and I needed to make a decision. Not long after that, my buddies decided we were going to do Ironman Chattanooga. That put the late-September 2019 Ironman race two weeks prior to the October marathon on my race calendar. Of course, I wasn’t going to skip the Ironman with my friends, so I thought that maybe I should defer the marathon to the next year for a small fee. But then I figured that I would just race the Ironman and take a victory lap at the Chicago Marathon and walk away from it for a while. So that was the plan, train hard and race the Ironman and take it easy for the marathon.
HOW DID I TRAIN FOR THE TWO DIFFERENT RACES?
That really wasn’t an issue for me, seeing that there is an actual marathon in an Ironman race. So I followed the Ironman training plan that I always follow and just figured that I would use the two weeks in between the two events to recover. Ideally, I would have preferred my marathon training long-run to be around 20 miles and three weeks prior to my marathon, but that wasn’t going to happen. I just needed to make sure I utilized the two weeks between Chattanooga and Chicago for recovery and not overdo it.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
My plan got flipped upsidedown. And it resulted in a Boston Qualifier! A BQ was never in the plan! The weather turned extremely hot at Ironman Chattanooga, with day time temperatures hitting the mid-nineties with a “real feel” around 100 degrees. Definitely the hottest day I have had to race in. I had to adjust the race plan to fit the conditions of the day, but I only really did that because it forced me to do so. The swim took me a little longer than I expected because the water was too warm to compete in a wetsuit, so I opted to swim without it. The bike for me was right about what I normally ride for an Ironman – 6:47. And Chattanooga has an extra 4 miles of biking than all the other Ironman races. The marathon, however, was very humbling. Right out of transition I stopped and told my wife that I felt pretty good, all things considered. I started out with a good jog and started to head out of town and then it was an uphill grind in the hot sun. I slowed to a walk and was able to shuffle just occasionally. And then the horrible hills hit and I walked some more. I spent the first half of the marathon trying to recover and finish the race under the cutoff. I was seriously doing the math in my head to make sure I knew what I had to do. And then the second loop began and I started feeling pretty good. I had rehydrated and refueled myself well enough to press pretty hard in the second half. I finished pretty strong and felt really good. The 5:11 finish time is my personal worst (PW ?) for a marathon, but I was pretty happy with my 13:37 overall finish time. You can read my race report here: 2019 Ironman Chattanooga Race Report
I took it pretty easy and tried my best to recover from the Ironman prior to running the Chicago Marathon. After a full week of rest I “eased” back into running with four runs of 5, 6.5, 10 and 4 miles and then rested three days before the marathon. I can remember my muscles still feeling pretty sore but they felt functional enough to run pretty comfortably. The 10-miler I ran was done at 8:34 pace and it gave me some confidence that I might be able to push myself in the race a little bit. I decided that a sub-3:35 BQ might be reachable, so I planned to run 8-minute miles and shoot for a 3:30.
Things went pretty well during the race and I held pace until I started to struggle with it in the last 5 miles or so. Although I kept at my nutrition well, I was getting pretty tired. I knew the 3:30 wasn’t going to happen, but I kept pushing to hit that 3:35. I turned and ran up Mt. Roosevelt until a calf cramp almost did me in. Fortunately, the race was almost done and I made it in just under the BQ by 13 seconds! 3:34:46 was my time, and although a BQ-13 isn’t going to get me into the Boston Marathon field, I am now up to three BQ’s, with one really memorable Boston Marathon finish in 2018. I can’t complain about that.
WHY DO I THINK I DID BETTER THAN I EXPECTED AT CHICAGO?
I think there are a couple factors at play. The Be Iron Fit training program I follow for Ironman training is really good and it prepared me well. I’ve never felt underprepared using this plan in my four Ironman finishes. So not only was I prepared for the Ironman, I was also pretty well prepared for the marathon two weeks later.
But the real reason I think I did well was that the heat of the day at Chattanooga forced me to not overdo it on the marathon portion of the race. By having to walk about half of it, it saved my legs to the point that the next day I sauntered down to the Ironman Village to buy my finisher’s jacket like a BOSS! I felt like I hadn’t even run a marathon the day before.
SO WHAT IS MY ADVICE TO OTHERS THINKING OF DOING THE SAME DUMB THING?
I think you need to pick what race is most important to you. If you have a specific time goal for a marathon or possibly a BQ, I would advise you to focus your training on that goal and not sabotage it by adding a less meaningful race that could possibly prevent you from doing your best in the race that matters more. Pick your “A” race and use the other race to supplement it if you are convinced that you want to still do both events.
If you really want to also do the Ironman in the same year, maybe pick one that is a couple of months out from the marathon. I read a post the other day stating that you should give yourself a couple of months of recovery between Ironman races; that is pretty sound advice that I would agree with. I did Ironman Lake Placid in July 2016 and then raced the Chicago Marathon in October and got my second BQ and stamped my ticket to the 2018 Boston Marathon. So for me, there definitely was some precedent in racing an Ironman and a marathon in the same year with positive results.
I did this when I was almost 56 years old. It takes me a lot longer to recover from races than it did in my 30’s and 40’s. So maybe a younger person might be in a better position to do an Ironman and a marathon a couple of weeks apart. But if you are just out to enjoy both races, I have to admit that it can be done without ruining yourself.
Lastly, if this is your first Ironman make sure you are aware of what is involved with it. Marathon training and racing are tough, but Ironman training is pretty intense too. Also, if you think marathon entry fees and hotels are expensive, plan on the Ironman being nearly triple that cost. Ironman is not cheap.
WOULD I EVER DO THIS DUMB THING AGAIN?
Nope. Never. Not a chance. No way, José!
Actually, as I was typing this post I took a break to sign up for the 2020 NYC Marathon Lottery, which is three weeks past Ironman Louisville, a race I already signed up for.
For my 19th time, I hereby do declare I WILL NEVER RUN ANOTHER MARATHON AGAIN! This time I MEAN IT!
This Chicago Marathon will definitely go down as one of my most memorable. The race was my third long distance race this year that was run in the rain. It brought back memories of Boston last April, cool temps, wind and rain. This was a light version of Boston though. The temperature was near 60 degrees instead of 40, and the rain wasn’t pouring. The wind was only noticeable when running certain directions, and only briefly. Thankfully, Boston taught me how to manage crappy running weather, but you can never be fully prepared. And it turns out I’m not sure I was fully prepared for this one.
I was looking forward to running Chicago, as my son was going to be running it as his first marathon. Notice I didn’t say that we would be running it together. He’s fast, I’m not. Well, not as fast as he is anyway. But I looked forward to sharing that experience together.
Here’s the lowdown on how the Chicago Marathon went for me.
TRAINING
After finishing the Boston Marathon I needed to give my body a break. I was beat. I showed up at Boston way overtrained and worn out. The day after Boston I ended my three year running streak of running at least a mile everyday, and told myself I had to get myself right again.
After a trip to the doctor, I learned what I was kind of assuming, that I had thyroid issues. Blood tests confirmed it, and now I’m taking a synthetic thyroid medication for the rest of my life. I had thought that it might change things for me metabolically, but my doctor buddy said not to expect miracles. He was right. I really struggled to lose the ten pounds I had gained over the winter and spring. Eventually, I did drop a few pounds, but nothing like what I had expected. One positive was that I wasn’t as tired as I had been before, so that is a plus.
In mid-June I began following the same 16-week advanced training plan that I usually use. I also had been doing some triathlon related training, hoping to throw in a couple of races before the longer mileage weeks started to kick in. I ended up doing a sprint triathlon in June and the Chicago Triathlon in August.
I was a little nervous about the training after struggling with the Boston training and the race itself, but it actually went pretty well. The highlight for me was the 20 mile training run I did three weeks out from the race. I was able to hold my 8 min/mile pace fairly easily through that run and it really gave me a confidence boost. You can read about it here: The Dreaded 20 Mile Training Run
RACE WEEKEND
I took Friday off and headed to Chicago to attend the expo with Ben and his girl friend Emily. Every year that I had gone to the expo I would see proud Boston finishers parading around in their Boston Marathon jackets and be somewhat envious. This year, even though I didn’t really need a jacket, I decided I was going to peacock the hell out my one Boston Marathon finish and sport that damn jacket at the expo. I wasn’t alone. I saw numerous Boston 2018 celebration jackets.
Me, Ben and my jacket heading to meet Emily and go to the expo.
We ended up getting there around midday, and man was it crazy! I had never seen it so crowded before.
For a minute I thought I was in the corral of the actual race. This was just the holding area to get in and pick up the race packet. I had never seen it this bad before.
Ben and I got our bibs and started the trek through the expo. We ended up spending money on mostly disappointing official Nike marathon gear and other odds and ends. We caught a glimpse of Deena Kastor and then decided to get out of there. The expo can be overwhelming after awhile.
Saturday, we all met downtown in the late afternoon and met at our hotel, the Chicago Palmer House Hilton. The hotel lobby was impressive, the rooms not so much. It’s location to the race start area was ideal, but a little bit of a hike from the finish. The Chicago Hilton is a better option for being closer to the finish, but I didn’t book it fast enough and had to settle for the Palmer House. I will say there were better dining options nearby, and I opted for the Corner Bakery and got some loaded baked potato soup and bread for an evening carb load. I had already eaten some pasta at home around 1 pm, so I think I had enough carb loading for the day.
Ben and I talked some race day strategy and I laid out my options for what to wear in the race. I had already kind of chosen the outfit, but I had brought some options in case I changed my mind.
Only thing not showing is my matching grey with red Hoka Cliftons.
Sleep went well except for a weird moment in the middle of the night where I found myself sweating like crazy. I got up, used the bathroom, and went back to sleep. The alarm finally went off, and I got myself ready for the day.
RACE MORNING
Ben met me at the room and after some last minute assurances, we decided it was time to head to the corrals.
It wasn’t raining yet, but we wanted to keep warm.
We were advised to go into the corrals by entering into a specific gate based on our corral assignments, but I wasn’t having any of that. The first and closest gate was at Jackson and we got in line. Just as we were getting near the inspection point this Chinese guy cuts in front of us. Then he couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t let him carry in his sling bag because only the clear plastic gear bag was allowed. Fortunately, they let him put it into his gear bag, which he should have done in the first place. Off to a great start, but we weren’t done with him yet. As you pass security, there are event photographers ready to take your pre-race photo, so Ben and I decided to do so. Just after the guy takes our picture, we realize the guy photobombed us.
We made an international friend!
I’m smiling in the photo, but I was laughing right after it when I realized he was in the photo too! Here’s one without Mr. E10796:
Still laughing about our friend.
Ben and I got to the split where Corrals A and B went one way and C through E went another. I told him that I loved him and that I was proud of him and that I don’t tell him that enough. We hugged and I headed straight to the toilets.
Once in the corral I found it pretty empty as I was there pretty early. So I headed to the front of it to the rope that separates the C corral from D and just hung out. I used my portable urinal (my nearly empty Gatorade bottle) under my plastic bag three times before the race started which surprised me, as I had used the port-o-lets twice before getting into my corral. Nerves I guess. After the anthem the start horn blew and I pulled the plastic garbage bag off and tossed the bag and bottle over the fence, and we started the 7 minute shuffle to the start line. Ben said he crossed the line within 10 seconds. It took me 7:18 to cross it. I gave him a head start.
RACE
Start to 5K: Overall Time: 0:25:12 / Ave. Pace 8:07 min/mile
I started off well and felt pretty strong, although my first split was about 8:15 min/mile which surprised me a little. It is hard to concentrate on pace right at the start because we are still packed tight a little, and you spend more time getting through the field than thinking about pace. It was in that first half mile that my Garmin lost track of me as we were under Randolph Street and Wacker Drive and put my split a couple of tenths off at each subsequent mile marker. Ben was going to hit his lap button every mile, but I’m done with that business. I had decided I was warm enough without my homemade tube sock arm warmers and stuck them in my shorts in case I needed them again.
Ben (in blue) coming thru the 4K area where our cheer crew was waiting.
Our Cheer Crew was amazing. Kari and Rebecca, along with our friends Jeff and Jill were there, plus Emily and a couple of Ben’s running buddies from Loras College braved the wet day to cheer us on. Although I had told Kari to stick with Ben, I saw Jeff and Jill up through the half way point, and then Jeff at a few other spots. Seeing everyone was always a big pick-me-up.
Me greeting the Cheer Crew.
5K to 10K: Overall time: 0:49:03 / 5K Split: 0:24:31 / Ave. Pace 7:54 min/mile
It was raining pretty steady now but I wasn’t cold really. I managed to get my pace under 8 minute miles and was feeling good. Nothing out of the ordinary through here, just still going north.
10K to 15K: Overall time: 1:14:29 / 5K Split: 0:24:27 / Ave. Pace 7:59 min/mile
Miles 6 through 9 really had nothing remarkable about them. Right about the 10K mark the 3:25 pace group went by me and I took note of that. I usually see an Elvis impersonator through this stretch, but I’m guessing that he wasn’t into the rain this year. I did start to sense I was getting a blister on my left pinky toe from my shoes being soaked. That was a little surprising because I had lubed up my toes very well. Kept my average pace near 8 min/miles.
15K to 20K: Overall time: 1:39:55 / 5K Split: 0:25:26 / Ave. Pace 8:11 min/mile
As I neared the halfway point, I started to tell I was slowing a little. The effort was getting harder even though I was on top of my nutrition plan. I felt okay, but that would change as I passed the halfway point.
Wet, but still content. (This photo won’t stay center justified for some reason!)
Halfway: Overall Time: 1:45:42 / Ave. Pace 8:29 min/mile
I hit the halfway and felt not so great. I was only 45 seconds over my intended split of 1:45:00 for the half, but I knew that I was losing it. My average pace dropped from 8 to 8:30 min/mile and I really didn’t see how I was going to maintain it.
Halfway to 25K: Overall Time: 2:06:32 / Split: 0:20:51 / Ave. Pace 8:36 min/mile
At the 14 mile area I saw Jeff and Jill and said I wasn’t feeling good any longer. It seemed like I was being drained of my energy. We had just passed a couple little inclines downtown, but I don’t think that was a factor. I was starting to realize that this was going to be a get to the finish line in one piece marathon for me. My time goal of 3:30 was slipping away.
25K to 30K: Overall Time: 2:34:01 / 5K Split: 0:27:30 / Ave. Pace 8:51 min/mile
I generally call this section the Dead Zone and it was no different this year. It’s mainly just runners along this portion as it is the farthest west part of the course. I will say though, that I expected the rain to drive away the crowds this year and in reality, the course was pretty populated with cheering fans. My time is creeping closer to the 9 min/mile average.
30K to 35K: Overall Time: 3:03:47 / 5K Split: 0:29:46 / Ave. Pace 9:35 min/mile
Running through Pilsen and Chinatown are highlights of the race usually, but not this time. I just wanted to get past the 20 mile mark and know I had 10K to go. It was in this section that the 3:30 pace group passed me by like I was standing still. I was resigned that my goal of finishing 3:30 was gone, and I also knew that being sub-3:35 for a Boston Marathon qualifier was pretty much out the door. I was a just finisher now.
Mile 21 – Chinatown
35K to 40K: Overall Time: 3:37:22 / 5K Split: 0:33:35 / Ave. Pace 10:49 min/mile
Hello 3:35 pace group. Goodbye 3:35 pace group. I was walking the aid stations now and willing myself to keep moving forward. In 2016 I was passing these zombies, this year I was one of the un-dead. Along this section I did get a pick-me-up though – I saw the guy that is always at Ironman Wisconsin on Old Sauk Pass wearing the orange afro-wig. He was cheering us on here as well. I stopped and said hello to him because we spent some time with him on that course cheering for Jeff and his sister Jan.
I wish I had a good side, but sadly I don’t. This definitely isn’t it. I feel bad for E8772, having my dumb ass in his photo.
40K to the Finish: Overall time: 3:52:07 / Split 0:14:46 / Ave. Pace 10:50 min/mile
I saw Kari and Rebecca waiting for me after the 25 mile mark and I stopped to say hello. Not much longer and I would be done.
Saw Kari and Rebecca and I headed to their side of Michigan Avenue.
I started to press forward and make it up Roosevelt Road and head to the finish. As I was climbing Mount Roosevelt as we marathoners call it, a volunteer said to “Fight up the hill!” I told her I was a lover not a fighter. She laughed and then I heard her yell, “then Love up that hill!”
As I headed toward the finish I heard my name get called out from the stands. I turned to look and saw Calvin Jordan, a fellow runner from New Lenox that I had met this fall. I made a beeline over to him and said hello. I think he thought I was nuts not sprinting for the finish, but I was glad to end the run with a friendly face and hello.
Wrapping it up.
Finally done with 26.2 miles.
Conclusion
The goal for me was to take advantage of a 10 minute Boston qualifying cushion that I would receive just by turning 55 years old. But in September, the BAA decided to reduce the qualifying times by 5 minutes. So I went from needing a 3:40 marathon to 3:35, which didn’t seem to be out of the possibility for me seeing that I had ran a 3:25 in 2016. But this just wasn’t my year. I wanted to join Ben and Emily in Boston in 2020, but instead of being in the field, I will happily go to be a spectator.
I think my main issue this year was volume, and essentially too much of it for a guy in his mid-fifties. When I finished Boston in April, my body was beat. Everything hurt. So I dropped the 3+ year running streak I had and worked on rebuilding myself. I was really feeling pretty good again come summer, and when I did my 20 mile training run in late September, I held that 8 min/mile pace well. Just wasn’t my year this year.
But I must say I’m very proud of my 3:52:07 finish. Being sub-4 hours is always pretty cool.
Ben made me very proud. He crushed his first marathon in 2:47:11! After the race he seemed like it was just another day of running to him! Not tired at all. The next day I went out and got my Chicago Tribune and saw that he was in the banner photo at the top!
I also found this photo of him online. Not sure where that hard left turn is, but seeing that the field is pretty spread out and the sparse crowd, I’m guessing toward the latter part of the race. It could be up near mile 8 though.
We wrapped up race day back at the Corner Bakery with some hot soup and then headed for home.
The Trump Tower was off to the left of me and I was trying to pull Ben over to get the sign in the photo, but he wasn’t having any of that! Proud dad with his running boy!
Preparing for a marathon means following a plan, a plan that takes you up in mileage over several weeks (16 for me) and gets you ready to tackle 26.2 miles. This is Week 13 of 16 for me, and it was time to do the dreaded 20 mile training run.
This year I decided to join in with the local Frankfort/New Lenox Running Club that I have been following and run their 20 mile training run. This club really did a great job putting on this event. The route was run on my local trail, had awesome volunteers, plentiful aid stations with anything you could have needed, and even a local team of specialized volunteers called CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) aiding with traffic at several street crossings.
We started at the still sleepy hour of 6 am in downtown Frankfort, Illinois after a group photo in the dark that surprisingly turned out well.
Photo by Susan Danforth
I don’t know why I get nervous before long runs like this, especially when I am doing them alone. This was just billed as a training run, not a race. But regardless, I still was a little nervous. As soon as the photo was taken, I hit the trail.
I was in a pack of about 12 people at the start, but by the time I got 100 feet into it I was in second place. Not that I was racing it!
The trail was in great shape for the early morning run. Most of the brush clearing that the forest preserve does in the summer/fall seemed to have been all cleaned up, and the trail was not yet overrun with cyclists getting in their weekend miles.
I could see a couple of runners ahead of me and I could tell that they were pulling away from me through the first two miles. The girl was moving super fast. They caught another runner and the male dropped back and ran with her. It wasn’t long before I caught them and realized it was a guy from the group named Pat that had also run the Boston Marathon in April. He ran with me for the next two miles to the 4 mile turn around point. We had a great conversation about Boston, running and triathlon. He decided to drop out at the turn around and told me he was heading to the 14 mile aid station and would see me there.
It was now just me and the super fast girl ahead of me, when around mile 6 I was passed by another guy from the group whose name I learned was Gavin. Gavin killed it. He was moving too. There’s some good runners in this club.
I got back to the 8 mile aid station, which was our starting point and filled up my water bottle. I think they were slightly surprised to see runners already returning from the first out and back. It was awesome to have the aid stations. I probably could have left my water bottle at home, but I like to be able to drink when I wanted it.
Stopping at the 4 mile water stop running with Pat. I’m unsure who took the photo, but thanks to those that did!
Around the 10 mile mark I couldn’t take my sweat soaked shirt anymore and I took it off and wrung the sweat out of it. It could have easily been a cup or more of sweat. The day started cool enough, and there was plenty of shade when the sun finally made an appearance, but it was humid and I was sweating. I kept up with my run plan of taking a salt capsule every hour and it kept me in good shape.
Me holding my GU wrapper garbage getting ready to toss it in the garbage at one of the last aid stations. This might be near the 14 mile turn around.
Soon after turning around at the 14 mile mark, I could see that another runner Dan Doyle had made up some time on me. He was closing the gap and finally caught me at Wolf Road when I stopped one final time to top off my water bottle. We ran the remaining 3 or 4 miles together. He was planning to do an extra two miles but he said that he was starting to feel like he was going to cramp up. He ended up doing an additional mile. He’s looking to get a Boston Marathon qualifier in Chicago, and I think he has a real solid chance at that. You never know with the Boston Marathon numbers game.
Dan and I getting to the finish of 20 miles. He went on to do another mile.
I wasn’t planning on writing such a long report for a 20 mile training run, but I haven’t posted anything about my marathon training so far. I was a little concerned about how I was going to fare, seeing that Boston was a terrible run for me and that I came to the conclusion that I was way overtrained. After Boston I dropped the 3+ year running streak I had and took some time off to let my body heal. Missing out on those recovery days after hard efforts was killing me. I think I trained pretty well through the summer to get to this point. It’s kind of hard to know sometimes, as the hotter summer temps produce slower times even though I was putting in hard efforts. What was clear about this run was this: performance on race day is so different than when you are just out there working on a training run. Even though this highly supported 20 miler was not a race, it had a vibe of one, and it allowed me to see where I stood. The previous weeks’ 18 mile run was done on a much cooler day and I seemed to struggle to eventually finish with an 8:15 average pace. Today I averaged 8:05 on a much warmer day and felt strong at that 20 mile mark finish line. A great weather day in October for the Chicago Marathon will hopefully make for another 3:30 or 3:25 finish for me. This run certainly was a confidence builder. I don’t think I have much to dread anymore.
One last shout out to FNRC for hosting this run and doing such a great job. The cold drinks and popsicle at the finish line was the best ever!
I am a Boston Marathon finisher. I never thought that I would be able to say that, but after running through some of the harshest conditions for a race I have ever run in, and possibly the harshest weather in the race’s history, I finished the 122nd running of the Boston Marathon. It wasn’t easy getting there, and I should have known it wasn’t going to be easy being there. But it made for a lifetime memory.
Here’s a marathon worthy recap of what got me there, the few days beforehand, and the race itself.
The Pursuit of Boston
When I began running in 1989, marathons weren’t even really on my mind. I started to run mainly to keep my weight down, and because I was bored. I bought a pair of MacGregor brand running shoes from Kmart and put on a t-shirt and gym shorts and started an evening ritual of running around the apartment complex. A mile or two turned into five. The crappy MacGregor’s were replaced with Nike’s. It wasn’t long until I entered a couple of road races and caught the competitive running bug. I was hooked. Within a year and a half, I ran my first marathon in 1991. That lead to a few more, and I eventually came to know about the grand daddy of all marathons, Boston. I wanted to someday run it.
But they don’t just let anyone who wants to run it do so. You have to earn your way in, you have to qualify. Oh sure, nowadays the fourth and final corral holds about 7,000 charity runners who don’t have to meet the qualifying standards that the others meet. They have to raise a significant amount of money for a charity, which is a noble thing. I will gladly run along side them and congratulate them as a finisher. But for those who want to count themselves as one of the select few, meeting the standard that the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) sets for it’s marathon is the only way to go. It was the only way I wanted in, but there was a catch – I was no where near fast enough.
Getting in isn’t easy. In order to keep the race competitive, the BAA has time standards which you have to meet. In the early days, the standards were simple and very fast – only a very select few could do it. As interest in the race grew, and the race itself grew larger, the BAA set the standards we have today, standards they could change any time they want to. For me, a male runner in the 50 to 54 age group, I had to be under 3.5 hours. Over the years I had perfected finishing marathons typically around three hours and 45 – 50 minutes, which meant a younger me probably had to run 30 minutes or more faster than I was able to do. It seemed impossible to me. But as you age, the standards get a little bit slower. As I neared 50 years old, the standard started getting closer to my ability. I was now about 8 minutes away from qualifying, and I was also getting faster.
The possibility of actually qualifying for the Boston Marathon started to become realistic for me when I made some changes and additions to my running. First off, I stopped winging it and started following a marathon running plan. Concepts like periodized training, and building mileage gradually with the addition of speed work were methods I had not known of or I had ignored in the past. I usually just ran and ran as comfortably hard as I could. That only got me so far. Training with purpose improved my times significantly. Secondly, I became a triathlete and an Ironman. Ironman training was very detailed and methodical as well, and the addition of the cross training activities of swimming and cycling made me more of a complete all-around athlete and runner. Third, I started a running streak in 2015, running at least a mile every day. It added more miles to my weekly totals, taught my body how to deal with a large workload, and how to adapt to tired legs and endure. Lastly, after completing my first of three Ironman races, I started to believe in myself. I believed I could do it. I was very close.
In 2015 I finally qualified, running a 3:28:19 at a course known for being fast, the Chicago Marathon. It was bittersweet however, because not only do you have to meet the qualifying time, there are too many runners who do so than the Boston Marathon can host, so they take the fastest of the qualifiers first until the field fills up. I missed the cut by 28 seconds. Disappointing, but I knew that after getting that rejection to my application in September of 2016 that I would be running Chicago again the following month. Now I was determined. I had finished Ironman Lake Placid in July 2016, which would also prove to be a wild card in my build up to Chicago. I was a lean, mean running machine and ready to do it. At the 2016 Chicago Marathon, we were given a beautiful day for a race and I improved my time to 3:25:08 – 4:51 minutes under the qualifying time. I was in.
Race Week – April 12 – 16, 2018
Here are the pre-race week activities.
Thursday, April 12
Trying to make the emotional rollercoaster fun.
Kari and I flew in on Thursday and I was already a bundle of nerves because of the forecasted weather, and the fact Ashley and Rebecca were flying on their own for the first time. But thankfully I have the best life partner in the world, Kari, and I let her handle all of the side circuses that were occurring. We tried to settle in and wait for the whole crew to show up.
The flight in will always be memorable because of this dope I was sitting next to. He was definitely trying to prove he was the alpha dog, hogging the armrest in the manner he was doing. He also wanted to be upgraded to first class and wasn’t getting the satisfaction he was seeking. He finally got up and pretty much tossed his seatbelt into my lap. I flipped him off as he went into first class, and took his seatbelt and fastened it back together. I thought he was gone, but he got rejected in first class and made his way back to his seat. I had already placed my elbow on the arm rest and decided I wasn’t budging. He started pushing very hard. I had to apply pressure consistently back until I decided that I’m a better person. I moved and focused on my wife instead.
When we finally deplaned, I headed to the bathroom and the only urinal available was next to this jerk. I waited for another spot to open.
We got our bags and took a cab to our hotel. The slightly annoying rush hour traffic was only trumped by the fact that the trip from the airport to the hotel was mostly through tunnels. Pretty boring, but we made it.
After check-in, we headed over to the finish line, which was about 2-3 blocks away. I wanted to see Boylston Street where the race finishes, and visit the running stores there. Upon entering the store I was impressed with the history lining the walls. Lots of old pictures, old running shoes and the like. And then Boston Billy walked in.
Maybe the most famous Boston Marathoner ever, Bill Rodgers. I was too embarrassed to bother him, let alone let him see me take a fanboy picture!
I couldn’t believe that multiple Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers was in the store at the same time. He came in to drop of a framed photo to the staff, made some quick small talk with them and was gone like he was making a break from the lead pack for the win. Next time, I will assert myself and ask for a photo!
At the finish line.
After some more finish line area sightseeing, Kari and I opted for dinner. What do you want to eat in Boston? Lobster, of course. We inquired at the hotel and a local place was suggested, but when I saw the prices, this guy who grew up knowing money didn’t grow on trees opted for the lobster roll sandwich instead. It was still lobster, and it was pretty good.
I had my first freakout of the weekend walking back to the hotel. The restaurant was cold inside, and I was also cold from having walked around. By the time we made it back to the hotel I was shivering. If I was shivering now, how was I going to handle race day, with it’s cold and rainy forecast? I got back and warmed up and watched some Bruin playoff hockey to get my mind off of it.
Friday, April 13
Upon getting up, I opted for a one mile treadmill run in the hotel gym to keep my running streak alive. After showering up, we tried another suggested restaurant for breakfast that really wasn’t built for breakfast. We should have opted for a Dunkin’ Donuts, as they are practically on every street corner in Boston.
My life long buddy Dave and his wife Carla were the first of the Cheer Crew to arrive. Dave wanted to join in on the fun at the race expo and check out the excitement. John Hancock, the major sponsor of the race provided a bus from downtown to the race expo and we took it over there. As race expos go, this was pretty typical. Stand in line, prove who you are, get your bib number, get your event shirt, walk through the expo and buy junk. We did just that. Kari was a trooper and stood in line to pay for the $300 worth of Adidas junk I wanted. The must have at this race is the Celebration Jacket, which oddly enough people wear as soon as the receipt is printed. I wanted no part of that until the race was over, but I did make sure I got mine.
Me and 2 of the Crew
Didn’t stand in line, just snapped a pic
Lady wasn’t having any of my BS
The line Kari stood in to by junk for me
After the expo, Kari and I met up with Dave and Carla at a burger joint halfway between our hotels for a late lunch. My burger hit the spot and everyone was excited about the evening plans. Kari had the great idea of taking in a Red Sox game, and fortunately for us we were able to get great tickets for the Sox vs. the Orioles on the nicest day of the weekend. After a trip back to the hotel for a while, we all walked over to the oldest baseball park in the league, Fenway Park. Not sure why I expected it to be more run down than it was, but it was a really great looking ball park. The seats though were designed for the small people. My 6’4″ buddy was a little scrunched, but we endured. Red Sox won 7-3. After the game we made the easy walk back to our hotels.
Excited to be at Fenway!
Me and my besties
Our view of the game
Saturday, April 14
I needed to burn off some energy, so the first thing Kari and I did was get dressed and run three miles around the area, including down by the banks of the River Charles. Very nice riverfront they have there, with a nicely paved path. Saw some serious runners doing the same thing we were doing, only doing it much faster. The weekend also included a 5K race, and there were several runners heading there as we made our way through Boston.
Upon getting back, we opted for an overpriced breakfast at the hotel, which at least was better than what we had the day before. Then we hopped into a taxi and headed to the airport to pick up our two daughters. While waiting there I saw a girl carrying around an Ironman Louisville 2017 backpack and told her that I had done the race as well. We shared stories of that race and talked about our nervous energy about the marathon.
With the girls collected and lunch finally consumed after a lengthy delay waiting for our food, we did some more sightseeing. We walked the finish line area and went inside the Boston Public Library, which had some really cool old murals and stuff.
On Boylston Street
Finish line
Area where the bombings occurred in 2013
It had been 5 years since the 2013 finish line bombings in Boston. Lots of events and memorials occurring over the weekend.
A highlight of the trip included a Boston Duck Boat tour, which I really enjoyed. Our guide was funny and made sure we saw most of the important sights of old Boston.
Kept warm inside the boat
Mass. Statehouse
Where the Sons of Liberty planned the Revolution
Cemetery where Revere, Sam Adams, Hancock, et. al. are buried
Dinner was at California Pizza Kitchen, which was accessible by hamster trails from our hotel, meaning we didn’t have to walk outside. I wasn’t expecting much, but the loaded baked potato soup was outstanding, as well as the pizza I had.
Back to the room to relax and turn in for the night. I woke up around 2:30am with some acid indigestion, which I always feel like it is a heart attack happening. Kari woke up as well and brought me some Pepcid or something which did the trick.
Sunday, April 15
Back to the hotel gym for a mile on the treadmill first thing in the morning. We ate breakfast again at the hotel, and waited to meet up with the rest of my Cheer Crew, my in-laws Gary and Darla, and my buddy John.
Family
At Paul Revere’s house
Revere’s house
We all ate at an Italian place near Paul Revere’s home and did a little walking around the area. We also took the Trolley Tour, which also highlighted several great spots in Boston. It’s a nice tour because you can ride and get off at various spots and hop back on at any time. The only thing I wanted to do was to walk the Freedom Trail, a self-guided tour of Boston’s historical area, but I wanted to limit walking at this point, and the weather was getting cold, wet and crummy. A sign of what was to come.
Back at the hotel I planned out my strategy for what to wear the following morning and for the race. It took a while, but I finally decided on using various layers with the option to shed whatever I wouldn’t need during the race. This is what I chose: a sleeveless tri top, a very tight long sleeve cycling jersey with pockets, a long sleeve tech shirt, a polyester windbreaker for the top half; a pair of track tights/shorts, long running pants, calf compression sleeves for warmth, and a pair of socks; a pair of cheap liner type gloves and a pair of nicer Brooks gloves. For my head I opted for a visor and a beanie.
Not the most efficient marathon outfit, but I needed layers for warmth.
Before bed I had a good chat with Ben about pre-race nerves and then it was lights out. One of the nice things about the Boston Marathon is that it starts mid-morning, so I didn’t have to get up super early. That was a good thing, because I didn’t really sleep very well.
Marathon Monday, April 16
Even though it’s Patriots Day in New England, the locals and in particular anyone associated with the race refers to it as Marathon Monday. The alarm went off at 5:20am, and I was already awake. I got up and took a peek outside the window. Yep, just like they had predicted for the past two weeks, it was raining and it looked cold and miserable. If it had been any other race, I might have passed. But knowing how much it meant to me to get there, the amount of cash I dropped on being there (!), and the fact that my Cheer Crew had also came to provide support, there was no chickening out.
After the bathroom, I started in on fueling myself for the race. A banana, a bagel and a coffee was a good start. I was concerned for my feet, as my fingers and toes will prune up in the shower. I decided to coat my feet first with Skin Glide, a lotion form of Body Glide. Then I hit the entire bottom of the feet with Body Glide. Finally, I added copious amounts of Vaseline all around my toes. That combo has worked pretty well in the past for most marathons and Ironman races. I got all the aforementioned running junk on and then donned the rain gear. The marathon is a point to point race and you are bused out to Hopkinton, Massachusetts and wait until the start. That means an hour long bus ride to the high school there, and then an hour or two of sitting around waiting for your wave to start. All of which meant, I was going to be doing that in the rain and cold.
As we walked in the rain, the absurdity of it all started to make me laugh.
Standing in line to enter the area to catch the bus.
To keep me warm and dry for the morning commute to the start line I was glad I layered up with a sweatshirt and pullover, along with a zippered/hooded rain coat. For pants, I found a pair of “sauna pants” in Walmart for $8 which were perfect. I covered my shoes with crime scene booties that I stole from work. I hope my boss doesn’t read this far.
The bus ride sucked. Having all that gear on made me warm, but I wasn’t going to complain. School busses are designed for little kids, and leg room was at a minimum and was uncomfortable to say the least. I tried to make small talk with my seat mate, but he advised he knew little English and told me he was German. I told him that I had been to Munich, and he said he had qualified for Boston at Berlin. He was eating “brot und wasser”, which are literally the only German words I know. I should have said that, he might have been impressed.
We finally arrived at the high school and we were immediately met by the most friendliest of volunteers, cheerfully directing us where to go. I’m still scratching my head as to why any of the volunteers or spectators showed up on such a miserable day. I guess New Englanders are a hardy bunch, and they are definitely proud of their marathon.
By 10am, that mass of weather would be at Hopkinton and stay for the duration.
It was raining pretty hard. I made my way to one of the lines for the scores of portable toilets lining the field. The wait was easily 20 minutes, but once inside I made sure I took my time and got the job done. I hated to leave the shelter of the port-a-potty, but I figured one of the three large tents would offer some good shelter. Wrong.
Inside the tent on the baseball field. I felt like I was at Woodstock.
The guy behind me in the blue was from New Jersey. He told me that. Twice.
It was pretty crowded, and the drier grassy spots were filled with runners from Wave 1. Once they were called to the start, it cleared out pretty well, and I found a mat/blanket thing to sit on until it was my turn to head over. I ate another bagel and most of a Clif Bar and drank a little Gatorade while I waited.
At 9:45am or so, the announcer made the dreaded announcement: “Wave 2 Runners! It’s your turn to start heading to the start line!” I waited about 10 minutes and then made my way to a set of port-a-potties that were behind the tents that no one seemed to be using. There was no wait. I’m glad I made that last stop, and then I trekked through the mud to the street for the 3/4 mile walk to the starting line.
As we walked there were ample opportunities to shed the pre-race clothing that people had donned to keep warm. I figured I would hold on to mine as long as I could. I finally got near the corral entry point and decided to shed the shoe covers (NO!!!) and the vinyl rain pants I was wearing (NO!!!). I kept the rain coat hoping to stay warm and a little dryer. There was no turning back now.
Small talk was made, announcements were announced, and I felt the group moving forward. We were starting. And the wind, rain and now a wave of emotions hit me. I was crossing the start line of the Boston Marathon.
Miles 1 through 5: Hopkinton – Ashland – Framingham
“I’m finally here. I’m running Boston”
We runners tend to have a lot of deep thoughts when running. I’m certainly no exception. Most of my ideas for my blog posts come from runs. And I can tell you, I had plenty of deep thoughts on this run. Mostly negative. I’ll share what I can remember.
The first mile was exactly like I had been warned. Yes, warned. It’s a tight, two lane road that is all down hill. Most of the advice from others was to not to start fast on those first down hills. As I started, I gave some quick reflection as to my race plan for the day. I had options. I could try to run hard to justify my being there. Nah. The hard work was getting into the race, there was no requirement to justify anything. I could run hard and try to re-qualify for next year. Yeah, right. Even though I would gain an extra ten minutes of cushion for qualifying just by turning 55 in the fall, I think I will take a pass on this kind of torture next year. I could take my time and take a bunch of selfies, or even go live on Facebook. In this downpour? Not going to happen. What I wanted to do was run faster than the Kenyans, and get this misery over with quick. That is very definitely not happening, even if I wanted it to. I decided to take it easy and run comfortable, keep track of the little nagging pain in the sole of my foot that has been an issue for a few weeks now, and just try to stay dry and warm.
“Puddles are everywhere.”
I spent the first mile also trying not to keep pace with those evenly matched runners around me and not get swept along at the groups’ pace. Every once in a while someone would yell “PUDDLE”, but there were so many that after the first 5 minutes, my feet were soaked and I stopped worrying about stepping in any puddles. I did try to stay in the middle of the road where the crown of the road meant less water, but it didn’t matter.
“My legs are getting soaked”
It was nice having the blue rain coat on at the beginning because it was doing its job of keeping me dry, but since the rain was running down it that meant my running tights were getting soaked. By Mile 3, I stopped for probably a minute and struggled to get the rain soaked tights off of me while still wearing my running shoes.
“There’s running junk everywhere.”
People were tossing off all kinds of good running gear. I had already lost my tights and I was contemplating tossing the rain coat. By the fourth mile I needed an energy gel, and couldn’t get to it under the rain coat. Bye-bye rain coat.
“This sucks.”
It wasn’t long after losing the rain gear that I decided to take off a pair of cheap liner type gloves I had on under my main gloves. My hands were getting warm and I didn’t think I needed them any more. I got my good gloves off, tossed the other gloves and went to put the main gloves back on and realized I only had one. I had dropped one by accident. I turned around and saw it laying about 10 feet back. I would have to act like a salmon and swim up stream and get it. How apropos.
I retrieved my glove and immediately the wind blew my visor off. Time to back track up the river again.
Miles 6 through 10: Framingham – Natick
“This quite possibly might be the worst thing I have ever experienced.”
It was getting real. Six miles in and 20 miles to go. In the worst weather I have ever run in. I had really hoped to enjoy the crowds, the landmarks, and whatever other experiences the course would offer, but I spent most of it with my head down, shading my face from the 20 mph head winds and rain.
“Looking good!? Thanks for shouting that to me from your sheltered front porch, lady.”
Somewhere in this section my watch alerted me to a text that Kari sent informing me that they would be near the 14 mile mark, on the left hand side.
“Yay! Something to look forward to.”
Miles 6 through 10: Natick – Wellesley
“Welcome to NAY-TICK” said the guy on the side of the road as we strolled into the town of Natick.
“Now I know how to pronounce Natick.”
Miles 11 through 15: Wellesley
After getting through some of the town of Natick, we ran through a pretty heavily tree lined area. Lots of rolling hills but pretty boring. Then I heard it – a distant roar, still probably at least another mile away, but I could hear it. I was getting closer to the ladies of Wellesley College and the famous “Scream Tunnel.”
Right around the half way point you pass through the campus of Wellesley College, an all women’s school with notable grads such as Hillary Clinton, Diane Sawyer, and Madeline Albright, that comes out to the course and screams their lungs out. Can you image Madeline Albright as a college girl screaming at marathoners?! I didn’t know this as I ran through, but it’s kind of a right of passage for graduation for the girls to get kissed by a runner. Had I known that, I might have spent a little more time there. I’m just kidding. I did high-5 many of them with a big smile on my face. It was a huge pick me up.
“I’m half way there!”
Immediately after leaving the Scream Tunnel I remembered that Kari and the Cheer Crew would be somewhere around the 14 mile mark, so I started scanning the sides of the road. Usually I avoid this because it drains me mentally, but I only had to look for them on the left hand side, so I slid over to the left more and kept looking.
“Damn, the town of Wellesley goes on forever.”
It wasn’t long until I saw the gang. Another emotional moment for me. Having Kari, Ashley, Rebecca, Gary, Darla, and my two best buddies Dave and John there standing in the rain waiting for me was such a great feeling. I stopped and gave them all a big group hug. I may have mentioned to John that this was the worst thing I have ever experienced. I didn’t spend a long time there because I knew if I did I might get chilled or possibly cramp up. So, I said goodbye and headed down the road.
The rain where the Cheer Crew was.
Refuge from the storm.
I was never so happy to see my family and friends.
Miles 16 through 20: Newton
“Mile 16 – only 10 to go. Only 10.”
The next town was Newton, known for a couple of things on the course. First there is a right turn right by the big Newton Fire Station. Lots of activity going on there. The crowds had picked up again and you could feel the excitement. The second thing about Newton are the hills. They aren’t hard, but they just keep rolling at you. And you keep thinking that the biggie is coming.
Miles 21 through 25: Newton – Brookline – Boston
“This must be Heartbreak Hill. Whatever.”
Between mile 20 and 21 I finally came to the most famous part of the the Boston Marathon course, Heartbreak Hill. They say many a runner has lost the race here, but for a middle of the pack guy like me, I just shortened my stride and made it up in no time. It’s only about a half mile long, but I wasn’t attacking it like an elite runner set on winning would do. There was this one old guy who passed me going up it chanting “YES, YES, YES!” He was determined to kick Heartbreak Hill’s ass. He did.
Heading up Heartbreak Hill.
“This sucks.”
“I don’t think I can feel my quads any more.”
Somewhere around the 22 mile area I realized that I really couldn’t feel my legs any longer. They were cold, sore and numb. I had been seeing a lot of runners stopped along the course at this point walking or stopped and stretching their quads. I tried to take a status check of my legs, but all I could determine was that they were still moving and I didn’t think they were going to cramp up.
“I think I’ll skip this last gel. It’s only 5K to go.”
I thought about the fact that there was only 3 miles to go and that I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to skip fishing a gel out of my back pocket, which had been a hassle all race long. Kind of a mistake.
“I wish I had eaten that gel.”
After getting by Heartbreak Hill, we had been going downhill pretty steadily with some pretty good drops. My quads were killing me.
Around the 25 mile mark I was starting to wonder where I was, I knew I was now in Boston but wasn’t sure. I had been watching my step quite a bit, as there were plenty of trolley rail type tracks in the pavement and lots of small lakes of water on the road. I took a second to look up and there it was – the giant CITGO sign. I almost missed it! I had made it to Boston. I looked over and saw Fenway standing there empty, not because the game on Patriot’s Day would have been over by now, but because the game had been rained out. I knew it was just a mile or so more to go.
Heading down Commonwealth Blvd. The final stretch.
Mile 25 to the Finish: Commonwealth Boulevard to Boylston Street
Running down Commonwealth Boulevard reality was starting to hit. We were almost there. Along this stretch there were a few little jogs to the right and then back straight. Not sure why, as they were slightly annoying, but the scenery was getting better. It won’t be long.
“Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston.”
As I said that to myself in my head, I repeated it out loud. “Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston. The last and most notable of directions that this fairly straight shot course had, and I said them over again. Once on Boylston, the crowds came alive. The uninitiated may not have known, but it’s about a third of a mile down Boylston. On one hand I wanted this race to be over, but on the other I wanted it to last a long, long time.
“I am a Boston Marathon Finisher!”
The Finish Area and the Marathon Back to the Hotel
Emotionally, I was ecstatic. I was smiling and very happy to have finished my first Boston Marathon. But I was also ready to be done with being outside. I felt really good for some reason. Normally I would kind of pass the Medical Tent slowly until I was sure I was good, but I just blew past it. I found the medals and had a lady put one around my neck. My next stop was to get a mylar wrap to keep warm. I was surprised however to be given a really nice and thick rain poncho with the marathon logo all over it. A firefighter standing by the fence helped me get it on, and I then I saw the mylar wraps and wrapped one around my waist under the poncho.
My plan was to retrieve the sweatpants and sweatshirt that I had dropped off in the morning at the Gear Tent, but I said forget it. I felt pretty good and I wasn’t shivering, so I decided to head to the family meet-up area.
“WHERE THE HELL IS MY FAMILY?!?!”
I made it to the family meet-up area, but apparently my family didn’t. They weren’t there. I figured that maybe they were having trouble getting through the crowds, and my path to the area was pretty short. Fortunately, there was some shelter there and one of the volunteers helped me get my phone out. Kari called and informed me that they weren’t back into Boston yet. Uh-oh. There was no one there to help me get back. I was on my own.
I asked the volunteer to show me how to get back to the Marriott Copley Hotel, and she told me which way to go. So I went. I got about 2-3 blocks and then the phone rang again. It was Kari.
“You’re going the wrong way.”
“What the FUCK!!!”
Kari was following me via the Find My iPhone feature. I was lost, no one was there to help me, and I was starting to shiver. Fortunately, I pulled my shit together and let Kari turn me around and get me going the correct way. It wasn’t long until I saw a landmark I was familiar with, and I headed indoors to begin the walk through the mall that lead back to the hotel. I got back to the hotel lobby at the same time everyone else did. Hooray! All was good again.
Back at the hotel room, it was a frantic scramble. I was trying to get undressed to take a hot shower, but was too sore to be very efficient at it. And Kari and the girls were gathering their bags to hop in a cab to get to the airport to catch their plane home. We all figured our issues out, said goodbye and parted ways.
“The last thing I want to do is to warm myself up with more water.”
After being wet for the last four plus hours, I didn’t want anything to do with water. But my best bet for a quick warm up was to take a hot shower. It did the trick. I toweled off, got dressed, including putting on my new Boston Marathon Celebration jacket, and cranked the room heat to 85 degrees.
Managing a smile in my nice warm jacket and hotel room.
Kari got back from the airport and we headed back over to the California Pizza Kitchen. I had some really good tortilla soup and split a pepperoni pizza with Kari. Plenty of finishers in the restaurant reliving the race. It was a good finish to the day.
THANKS
Many, many thanks to pass out to everyone who cheered me on. My co-workers Carl (always my Number 1 fan!), Julie, Mary, Tracy, Micah, Lou, and all of the gang that took even a polite interest in my path to this day.
I can’t forget all of those friends on Facebook that offered such great words of encouragement and congratulations. I have read each post and they are greatly appreciated.
Thanks to my daughters Ashley and Rebecca, for being brave enough to get on a plane by themselves for the first time, and miss some school just to stand in the rain to watch me run by for 10 seconds. I’m glad we got to see some real American history in Boston.
A huge, huge, HUGE thank you to Ben for getting Ashley from school and making sure the girls got to and from the airport. I felt bad that my number one favorite runner couldn’t be there, but I certainly carried his running spirit with me. Let’s qualify at Chicago in October and run Boston together in 2020!
Gary and Darla – thank you for coming up from sunny and warm and dry Florida to watch me in that crazy weather. I think you probably would have preferred a tropical storm to that mess. Thanks for flying instead of driving as well. Smart move.
Oh my God! My life long friends – Dave and John – and Dave’s wife Carla, thank you so much for sharing this with me. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. Your presence made for a fun weekend, as well as got my mind off of the impending doom that was coming. I got through the race bolstered by your presence.
And finally, thanks to my awesome partner in life Kari. She is by far the most important part of my journey in the marathon that is my life. Thanks for carrying me through not only for 26.2 miles, but also for almost 26.2 years. I love you.
As I look back on my training for my first Boston Marathon, I was pretty surprised to see that half of it is over. I haven’t done any writing about my journey to Boston, because it’s been very typical for the most part, taking it day by day and running the workout that the plan calls for. I’m eight weeks into my sixteen week plan already, and I’m not sure how it went by so fast. It had been going pretty well for the first six weeks, but a bothersome knee issue has made me very aware of how much time I have left, because not only now do I have to get in the remaining weeks of big miles, but I also have to do it without aggravating the injury and having it prevent me from running those important training miles. Or worse yet, not being able to run the race itself.
I have been able to run okay, even with the knee pain. It hurts more afterwards, especially noticeable going up and down stairs. Also, if I sit in a chair with my leg bent at a 90 degree angle, it will start to hurt. The pain is right at the top of the tibia, and I don’t believe the knee cap is affecting it. My son has suggested stretching my leg muscles more, which has given some relief, but I have also dialed back the miles the past two weeks as well, so at this point I’m not sure if the fewer miles or the stretching has been most advantageous. I’ll keep doing the stretching, but I’m afraid to lose too many long, slow weekend runs. I also retired my running shoes that were probably not really that worn out yet, and upgraded to a more cushioned shoe. Today’s 8 mile run in them went okay, but I found them to be very stiff. Not sure if I made a good choice there.
The first eight weeks saw a build to 12 miles in Week 6, but that’s when I started experiencing the knee issue. I dialed it back to a mile or two throughout the last couple of weeks, mostly run on the treadmill. Today was supposed to be a test of speed, with a half-marathon race built into the plan. There was no way I’m ready to race anything right now, and trying to find a 13.1 mile race in the latter part of February in the midwest is nearly impossible. I will now have to adjust my plan and reduce some of the big mile weekend runs that the plan has built into it. I will drop each long run by two miles and skip the speed work in the plan until I feel confident that I can do it without pain or further injuring myself.
The one thing I haven’t resorted to yet is stopping the 3+ year running streak that I have going. I may need to say goodbye to it if it means that I am doing myself more harm than good. I’m not going to jeopardize getting to the start line of my first Boston Marathon. I worked too hard to get there.
an amazing run 