It's been a little over a week since Marathon Sunday, and I've been thinking a lot about all things marathon ever since. Because this blog has been a repository of training experiences, thoughts, and feelings, I figured it was worthwhile to write down the recap in case I ever decide to do this again. There are definitely things I will do differently. Warning: This is going to be one looooong read.
I felt my 20-miler went rather well. I was able to run 15 of the 20 miles, but I completed the entire thing. I elected to walk the last five due to the extreme heat and humidity of the day. I am heat sensitive, and I had a flight just a couple of hours after finishing. The last thing I wanted on my vacation was to be fighting the after effects of heat exhaustion instead of lounging around on the beach with fun beverages. So even though I walked at the end, I felt strong and capable of finishing the full 26.
The week following the 20 miler didn't go as well though, as I had a lot of pain in my right knee that only let up after KT taping and resting basically the whole week. But it was taper time, so I figured it should be fine. I maintained my workout schedule but didn't push it too much on the speed or hill workouts to avoid damaging something so close to the race. And while my brain was fully in "Taper Madness", I still felt ready for the big one.
Two days before race day we headed to the expo, which was overwhelming to say the least. Thankfully we had our friend Jon there to help keep us from staying there forever. We purchased the requisite marathon goods, checked in with our charity partner, took a bunch of photos, and headed out after an hour. After a restful afternoon at the hotel, we then headed to the charity dinner (which was super emotional), then headed home for an early night.
The next morning was the Chicago International 5K, a fun run to shake out the legs and greet runners from other countries. I ran it with a few of my CES peeps for a bit, then walked the rest to make sure I didn't overexert before Sunday. The run was a hoot. The excitement of the international runners was so fun to be around; they stopped frequently to take pictures in front of iconic Chicago landmarks, and some dressed up in native costumes. It was the perfect way to shake out nervous energy, and it came with a badass medal and scarf too!
We woke up early on Sunday, and I was filled with excitement and nerves. This was it. The big day. I was ready. The weather was going to be warm (maybe even hot), but I was well hydrated and had stored up enough energy from the weekend's carb fest. All of my race gear was ready to go, and I felt strong and anxious to tackle the course. We made our way over to the race day resort, and met up with our pace group and other runners we had seen along the way. There were lots of pictures, laughter, wishes of good luck, and general good vibes from everyone there. After forcing myself to eat, it was time to go. We walked down the main stairs to cross to the corrals, and when we made it down the stairs, our training group's coaches and volunteers were waiting at the bottom of the stairs to literally cheer us on. They were clapping, cheering, and wishing us good luck. I choked up a bit feeling so thankful for such amazing people and an amazing program. We crossed Michigan Avenue, made our way through security, and headed toward the corral. I stopped reading my good luck texts and Facebook posts because they were making me emotional, and I wanted to be focused. After about an hour in the corral talking to runners, making jokes, keeping warm, and taking pictures, finally we were at the start line. It was time.
Miles 1-5:
The first five miles went so well. I felt loose and strong, and was running at a good stride and pace. The group was staying together and keeping each other motivated. We were laughing at the signs, basking in the crowds, and when we could, chatting about the past two weeks during taper. Fortunately the crowds were so loud and the music booming, so talking was hard, but it all added to the exciting atmosphere and general good time. As we moved out of the loop and up LaSalle, it really hit me that we were doing this, and again I got a bit choked up. But I changed from tears to laughter at the insanity of me actually doing a marathon. I looked down at my arm where I had written, "Enjoy the Ride", and decided there were no tears in marathoning. It was time for the party.
Miles 6-10:
This is where it first started to get hard. The course at this point was very hot with little shade. At one point we saw the temps were in the mid-70s, which is hot for our distance. The crowds really thinned after Lincoln Park too, so I didn't have the advantage of crowd energy to keep me motivated. But I stayed with my group, even though I started to feel hot and uncomfortable. Somewhere near Boystown a guy was handing out popsicles, and we crowded around him like baby ducks to mama. He opened the cooler and we happily cooled down on icy goodness. We passed a guy in a shark costume (turns out Kim was right and there was a risk of sharks on the marathon route!), the all-male drill team, the fantastic drag performers, and a group of super hot gays who yelled all of our names as we went by (me bringing up the rear as "Mother Fucking Diane, Get It!!" <swoon>) I still felt good, and even though I needed to take one additional walk interval, I was able to catch up quickly with my gals and keep going.
Miles 11-13:
Right around Elvis at North Avenue, I started to feel pretty nauseated. I was overheated, and taking in any fuel or water was beginning to get hard. The cooling station in Old Town was a godsend, and I wanted to kiss the person who gave me a cold sponge for my face and head. I immediately squeezed it over my head, only to regret it a minute later when my eyes filled with salt from my sweat. But I was able to get it soaking two more times before tossing it to the side, and cooled down my neck, arms/armpits, and face. It gave me new life. Sadly that life was short-lived because we were again in full sun, and I really started to feel the effects of the heat. I started walking at around mile 12 or so, only to see my friend Peg about a half mile later in the Loop. She ran with me just past the half marathon marker, and it was just the boost I needed.
Miles 14-20:
The wheels really came off the cart here. I was very overheated by this time, and in addition to feeling nauseated and unable to eat, I was starting to have digestive issues too. I had never had this happen on any long run, so I was unsure how to fix what was going on. I didn't feel like I could eat, so I passed on the food that Lynn brought for me around mile 14. I was feeling sloshy, so I didn't want to drink anything, including Gatorade. And I started to really wonder if I could continue. The heat was overwhelming on the route, and the crowds had really thinned. My sister and brother in law showed up around mile 16, and she walked with me until sometime in Little Italy (mile 18?), where I met up with another runner from CES. She (also Diane) and I decided to become Team Diane Squared, both focused on getting each other to the finish line. She was struggling too, but somehow focusing on keeping her going made it easier for me to stay moving. We had both gotten swept by that point, but we were finishing, no matter what. Shortly before mile 20, Lynn and my friend Nanette met me to "bring me home". I was so happy to see them both I was fighting tears. They could see I was struggling, and they kept up a solid walk pace to keep me from stopping. I wanted to make sure we didn't lose Diane and Gloria (another woman who joined Team Diane Squared), so I kept turning around to ensure they were still going. It was only a 10k to go, and I could definitely do this.
Miles 21-26:
I'll be honest, I remember very little about this part of the course. I was so exhausted by this point, overheated and nauseated, and just feeling like I was done. The crowds had mostly left Chinatown, so while there were people still cheering us on, the big spectacles I had hoped to see were done (no dragon dancers for me!) Someone gave me a cold water bottle, and it became my lifeline. Nanette and I gossiped and chatted our way down to Comisky (or whatever it's called now), and over to 35th and Michigan where the CES tent was waiting. Two of our coaches (and many others) cheered me on by name and reminded me with their energy that I was supposed to be enjoying the ride and having fun. I shifted my mood from one of misery to that of elation--I only had a little over 2 miles to go! As I watched the buildings grow closer, it really started to hit me that I did it. I was going to finish this thing, no matter what. As we passed the last water station and counted down the last three stoplights, I felt the overwhelming emotions hit full force. Nanette peeled off to find Lynn at the finish line, and I started up Mt. Roosevelt.
The Finish Line:
As I climbed up that bullshit hill at the end of the route, I started to pick up my walk pace and really marvel at what I had done. As I turned the corner at Columbus, a course marshal called to me "You're home, baby. Go get it!" I looked up and saw the finish line and immediately started bawling. Like, really bawling. I thought to myself, there was NO WAY I was walking across that finish line, and I started running. As I crossed the finish line, I heard the announcer call my name "And Diane Buck from Romeoville has completed the Chicago Marathon" (words that will forever be burned into my memory), and I really started crying then. I walked over to get my medal, and a wonderful man put the medal over my head, which triggered another round of bawling. He gave me a hug and said he was so proud of me and that "it was over and I could go get a banana." I staggered out of the chute and eventually found my husband. I threw myself at him and started wailing "never let me do this again!" The tears finally stopped, the medal was engraved, some beverages were consumed, and it was time to go home.
So what did I learn on race day?
1. Mental preparation is key. I won't assume that if the training runs go well the race will go well. I thought I'd be good to go because I sailed through training, but when things started to fall apart, I was unprepared. Next time I'll look at the route more critically and figure out where things broke down this time and figure out plans to overcome whatever issues arise.
2. Be prepared for it to hurt. This ties in with the mental piece. When I really started to hurt, I let my mind shut down, and I forgot my mantra "Enjoy the Ride." Next time when I start hurting, I'll crank up my music (which I didn't use at all) and use the songs to encourage me to keep going. Pain is temporary. It's cliche, but it's true.
3. Eat before the race, even if you're too nervous. I know I didn't eat enough before heading to the corral. My nervous stomach wasn't having any part of it. That caused me to burn what I did have in the tank earlier than expected, which caused a domino effect down the miles.
4. Vary the fuel I carry. I couldn't stomach pretzels and dried fruit (which had worked for me throughout my training), but I was able to do candy or fresh fruit. If I can't carry what I want, I need to strategically place friends and supporters in places where they can hook me up with what I need.
5. Don't forget sunscreen, and wear a visor. I didn't do either of these, and I'm still peeling off the skin to prove it.
6. Run my own race. I think I may have come out faster than I should have given conditions. While I was on pace, I should have dialed it back to avoid burning out during the harder miles. I knew better, but I wanted to hang with my group. It was the wrong call.
So now the big question: Will I do this again? When I started this entire endeavor almost a year ago, I swore I'd be a one-and-done. I didn't have any aspirations to become a "marathoner"; I just wanted to celebrate my 40th in a big way. But now that I've done it and I know I can, I have to admit it's tempting to do it again. But I do think I may have jumped ahead too much. I want to focus on shorter distances (5k, 10k, 10 mile, half), and then maybe down the road tackle the big one again.
I'm so glad I did this. I learned a lot about myself: my body, my mental strength, and even discovered a real love for running as part of this process. I met amazing people. I accomplished something huge. And I became part of an elite group of athletes. It's changed my life.
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