oh seven goals - first marathon

so, my first marathon was another goal for the year...

i am gonna mark it off because it is more than just the event... it is the countless hours spent training as well... check as a goal, half check as a marathon finish... see below.

yesterday, the chicago marathon was stopped due to extreme heat. now, if you know me, i don't fare too well in these circumstances. my strategy for the race was a negative split, where you run the first half slower than the second. according to my split times, i was off only by a few minutes. i was feeling great at mile 13... and then...

the temps rose very quickly around mile 14 and i started feeling the effects of the heat. as i passed the medical tent at mile 15, i saw it was overun. people were passed out everywhere. the conditions on the course were just BRUTAL. the water stations at this point forward had a hard time keeping up as runners would take one drink and then four more cups to pour over their heads. a LOT of people were walking.

i was running a half mile and walking two blocks. i struggled running through taylor street because that is my old home and i needed to make my peeps proud and then mostly walked down ashland to pilsen. i counted 9 ambulances at the corner of 18th and ashland. i started running again and that is when we started to hear the police say the course is closed. people were confused. i was light headed and the stomach cramps worsened. it was 88 degrees.

i made a push down 18th street and as i turned onto halsted, the cops were physically stopping people from running. it turns out there were not enough ambulances in the city to meet the demand. that got my attention and completely deflated the will of everyone. so much of this is mental that the news hit hard. now i was running a block, walking a block. i ran into my friend michelle in chinatown and she ran with me to the 35K marker (just short of 22 miles), where i figured it just wasn't safe to run anymore. she walked with me through 24 . i walked to 25 and then ran into grant park. in all.. BRUTAL.

i found out later that one runner died during the race and over 300 went to hospital. countless others were treated on the course. also, the organizers had to reroute the race at the half way point and create a makeshit finish line at the other end of grant park. wow, i am happy i didnt have that girls job. what a project management nightmare. of 45000 registered, around 25000 people finished the race, but i dont know how many of those did the ~16 mile makeshift finish. so i figure i was one to complete and survive the 26.2 course, which is an accomplishment in itself, just not a marathon. i feel it was a psuedo finish and i am compelled to do this all over again.

thanks to everyone who sent well wishes and a special thanks to those i saw out on the course.