Chicago

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!

That’s what was running through my mind and, I think, coming out of my mouth as I crossed the finish line in Chicago on Sunday. Two years of training, since crossing the finish line in Baltimore in 2004, has finally paid off in a big way.

Heather and I arrived in Chicago on Friday afternoon, got to the hotel and went out for a run along the lake going north towards the race start. It was windy and cool, the conditions I expected for the race. On the way back we somehow happened to bump into Ryan from Philly Runners who was also there for the race. I didn’t think I would be bumping into a friend but coincidences do happen. We met him for a long relaxing dinner at busy Italian restaurant son Friday night.

Saturday was spent at the expo, which was ridiculously large. It made any expo I have been to so far seem like a warm-up to a real expo. Huge displays from just about every running shoe company I could think of, music, and throngs of people. I love the energy of the expo, thousands of people energized with anticipation for what is to come. I picked up a pair of gloves, a pair of sneakers, and handful of gels.

We wandered around town after that, getting early lunch and then late lunch and checked out the marathon starting area. I planned out my morning route to the start line from the “L” train and we headed back to the hotel. I was a little nervous about the race and the fact that I had been on my feet for a good bit of the day but I spent the rest of the evening sitting on my ass in bed. Except for a quick trip out for some Thai food I stayed off my feet.

I woke up at 5:00 on Sunday morning, ate a breakfast of a bagel/cream cheese, banana, a pint of OJ and a cup of coffee. I listened to Sublime on my iPod and tried to keep my mind busy by surfing the internet. This of course didn’t work and my mind kept going over my plan for the race. I wanted to start off a little slow and build into my pace over the first few miles. 22 minute 5K’s until mile 21 and then, if I felt good, I was going to pick it up and try to hammer it to the finish.

We stepped out of the hotel at 6:30 and it was dark cold and windy, cold enough for my ears to feel numb. This made me a little nervous but I like the cold, I run well in the cold and I knew after a few mile of warming up I’d be fine. Better cold than hot.

We went underground to catch the CTA train and there were runners everywhere. It was great. It felt like the Broad and Pattison subway stop before the Broad Street run but I knew this was going on all over the city. The subway was wall to wall runners; we squeezed in and held on for the ride.

It was still dark when we got off the train but you could see a touch of light on the horizon. The streets were alive with people all streaming towards the start and trying to keep warm. I made my way to the Preferred Start I area, a starting corral I qualified for with my Caesar Rodney race time in March.

It was about 7:20 am, 40 minutes from the start, the Corral was still fairly empty and I easily made my way towards the front about 3 people back from the front of the corral. I nervously chatted with a few runners and waited for the start. It was cold and breezy but I had on a longsleeve shirt that I planned on taking of a few miles in and being squeezed in with all of these people warmed me up.

The time quickly went by and just after the National Anthem was sung they let our corral walk up behind the competitive corral in front of us. I saw how close I was to the start and didn’t think I would have any trouble getting up to speed once the gun went off.

The start horn went off without any warning and we were on our way. It took about 45 secs to cross the starting line and I was moving pretty well.

The crowds were ridiculous. We went under a bridge just after starting and a wall of people were cheering us from above. I had chills and a huge smile on face. I was thinking “This is it John, keep it cool and don’t get swept up in the moment, or the pace, keep it slow and relaxed.” The first mile went by in 7:12, exactly the pace I was shooting for. I was in a fairly thick crowd and I was getting passed by a lot of runners but I held back and tried to get into a good rhythm. I just kept telling myself that I was running my own race and I had 25 miles to make up a couple slow ones in the beginning.

I had studied the route map but I was quickly disoriented with all of the turns and monotony of the crowd that was three people deep on the sidewalks. It made the Philly marathon feel like a little league game and I was at the World Series. I couldn’t believe it. Mile 2 went by in 6:56, a little quick but I really felt like I was falling into a good pace and didn’t sweat it.

The first 5K went by in 22:01, dead on. I wasn’t feeling as good as I would have liked but during long runs in training I felt much better at mile 12 than mile 4, that thought made me feel a little better. By mile 4 we were making our way into Lincoln Park, a large park north of downtown along the lake where the city’s zoo is located. I hit a slow mile 6 through the park in 7:17. This stunned me a bit, I needed to really concentrate on my pace. It seemed like any wandering of my mind was going to slow me down.

Despite the slow mile my 10K split was 44:07, right on track. After mile 7 we turned south back towards downtown. I was really cruising now and feeling good. The miles were ticking off perfectly. Miles 7-11 were, 7:02, 7:00, 7:01, 7:02, & 7:02. The crowds were great, and the wind was at our back. I still had a smile on my face and I just tried to enjoy the race. 15K split was 1:05:58; Holy Shit, perfectly on track.

Around mile 9 I started chatting with a guy who was also shooting for a 3:05. We fell into a pace a began running together without really saying anything about it. I found out he was from Manhattan and his name was Josh.

Except for a little hiccup, 7:10, at mile12 the miles were metronomic. Josh was asking me if I had run at this pace a lot in training and I said that I had done some training at this pace but at that point I just felt dialed in. 20K split was 1:28:00, I was astonished, I was running 22 minute 5K’s to the second. In fact, I guess Josh and I were moving along so well that we developed a bit of a group behind us, two guys that had tucked in and were along for the ride. We asked them to take the lead for a bit but after one mile we passed them and kept going. Miles 13,14 and15 were 7:01, 703 and 7:03. 25 K split in 1:49:50, I was getting a little ahead of my 22 minute 5K’s.

I had taken a gel at mile 10 and popped another between miles 16-17. In past marathons this was the point at which things started going downhill, my mind would start to wander, I’d start feeling less alert and my mile splits would steadily get longer and longer. In this race though I felt fantastic, I was getting the crowd into the race by raising my arms and cheering, I was smiling and, to my astonishment, I was passing people.

Josh and I were flying along, it was almost surreal. Was this really happening? Could I be feeling this good? Was this just a little fun before I hit the wall? It didn’t seem like it. Miles 16-20, 7:01, 7:05, 7:06, 7:06, and 7:03. The way I was feeling, mile 18 might as well have been mile 10.

After a water stop during this stretch Josh caught back up to me and said, “You are like a metronome”. I couldn’t help but smile and think of Seebo, Mr. Metronome himself. I wanted to try and explain what his comment had started me thinking but I thought the explanation would be a little lost on him and kept in my head.

As I had planned I started picking up the pace a little after mile 20. Not crushing the miles but just a little acceleration. Miles 21 and 22 both went by in 6:54. I honestly felt like I was running harder than this but fatigue was starting to catch up with me. However, I couldn’t have been happier.

3 miles to go!!! It is really going happen!!! I am going to run a good marathon!!! I am going to negative split!!! There are only 3 miles to go!!!!!!!

Based on past marathons I really didn’t think it was possible to feel confident and in control this late in race but I was. Things were definitely getting much harder by this point but I was handling it.

I knew the wind was going to be in my face during the last few miles and I just tried to prep for it before making the turn towards the north. Josh and I were still hitting the same pace and we were passing people non-stop. Scores of people, people running, people walking, and people stretching. I though back to last year when I was one of those people and I knew how they felt and damn if it didn’t feel great to be the guy passing this time.

Mile 23 was 6:55, and then we turned north. The wind smacked right into us. It would abate on occasion but it was fairly steady the last 3 miles. Mile 24 in 7:01. 2.2 to go and I just tried to push as hard as I thought I could sustain for the last couple miles.

Mile 25 was 6:56 and this was it, 1.2 to go. 1.2 miles and I would qualify for Boston. 1.2 miles and I would have a result to show for all those miles over the summer. 1.2 miles and I would be able to erase that feeling that had been at the back of mind since crossing the finish line in the Philly marathon a year before.

I tried to speed up as much as I could, which wasn’t to much at this point. I saw the 800 meters to go sign and we made a right up over a bridge. Ian had warned me that although this bridge was a bump in the road it would feel like a bit more this late in the race and he was right. It made it that much harder to push.

A left after the bridge and I could see the finish line. 400 Meters to go! I ran as hard as possible and crossed with my arms in the air. I was totally spent and totally wired at the same time. I yelled “Fucking Right!” and didn’t realize it until I got a few looks from the volunteers but I didn’t care and I didn’t think they did either after they saw the smile on my face.

I slowly made my way through the food chute and I bumped into Travis, a new guy to Philly runners. What are the chances?

I met up with Heather and we headed back to the hotel where I looked up the other Philly Runners who had run the race. Ryan also had a great race and Jeremy and Laura seemed like they finished well too. Congrats to everybody that ran.

That evening we joined Ryan at the Post Race party held in a huge tent not far from the race finish. We drank beers, talked about our races and watched a replay of the marathon on a giant screen, a good ending to a spectacular day.

I ran the race a little conservatively but that was the plan and it worked. Looking back I don’t think I would have changed anything about the race. Boston, here I come.