Chicago Marathon

Chicago Marathon

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Ragnar Relay Tennessee

I haven't posted for about two weeks.  That is because I really haven't done much running, since the corn maze run.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  I have been sore, my ankle was hurting for the first 5 days or so after the Marathon.  So, I was taking it easy, and letting it heal.  Also, my knee was giving me some pain.  So I figured, the best way to get better is to rest.  The second reason I haven't run much, is because I trained so much and ran for months and months, I just wanted a break.  It was nice, not worrying about when my next run is.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy running, but every once in a while, I just need a break. 

It is time to start running again.  On November 9th, I will be doing the Tennessee Ragnar, a relay race from Chattanooga to Nashville Tennessee!  I have done two ther Ragnars, both the Chicago ones.  From Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois. 

So what is a Ragnar?  Ragnar is a relay race where you and either 11 other people 5 others.  So you have a 12 person team or 6 person team.  You have two vans and you run 200 miles to your destination.  We do the 12 person team.  It is a relay race, so the first person will run, and hand off to the second person, and so forth.  Everyone will run three different times, so a total of 36 legs.  The team is broken up into two vans.  The first van will run the first six legs and then the second van will run the next six and keep switching.  When the van that you are in is not running, this will give you time to get food, relax, and rest.  You keep on going to you reach your final destination. 

The whole experience is great, you bond with some people who you may or may not know.  You run a little and just have a great time.  With this ending in Nashville, we will have a night out on the town and have a great time. 

They do Ragnars all accoss the country, you can find more information at www.ragnarrelays.com and you can also go on you tube and watch peoples video and see what is all about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6ffPCoR0gQ&feature=player_embedded

Since I haven't run much since the Marathon, I did a quick 2.5 mile run to keep my legs fresh.  Over the next 11 days till Ragnar I will do some more to get ready!  Below is the link to my 2.5 mile run.

Untitled by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Sunday, October 14, 2012

World's Largest Corn Maze Run, Spring Grove 10/13/12



This morning I did a 5k run through corn stalks!  This took place at the Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove, IL.   Above is a video of a previous one.  On the way to the race it was drizzling a little bit, however by the time I got to the farm the rain has stopped. 

There were a lot more people at this race than I expected.  It turned out that 507 raced, however there were many more there to watch.  I got my bib and was ready to run.  This race, a new person would start every three seconds, this allowed for more space, because when we ran there was a decent amount of room between the corn stalks, however not a large amount.  We had a timing device on our bib, since we all did not start at the same time.   

Everyone was separated into different groups, based on when we signed up our predicted average mile pace.  They started out with the faster to the slower.  When I started, I got off pretty good, however it took me a minute to get by a couple of girls, they were a little slower but took up space so it was hard to get by them.  Through the race, I would say I passed around 30 people and I was only passed once! 

The rain from earlier made it a lot more fun and harder to maneuver in the race.  The mud was sticking to my shoes and it was very easy to slip and fall.  Also, this race had over 100 turns through the corn.  You were constantly turning to go in a different direction.  It was really cool and different.  You just had to be careful making the turns because if you didn't you ccould easily fall on your face.  

With the mud and the turns, it felt more than a regular 5k.  I had a lot of fun with this run, and would defiantly do it again.  I ended up with a time of 26 minutes and 38 seconds.  I feel that I could have been a little faster, because a few times I was stuck behind some people, however I am sure I held a person or two up as well.  I ended up 32 place out of 507 people!  In my division (males 30-34 years old)  I got 4th.  One place out of the awards.

This was a great experience and I had a lot of fun.  I look forward to the next one!

You can find the results at the link below.

http://itsracetime.com/Results.aspx?ID=359

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Chicago Marathon!



I did it, I finished the Bank of America Chicago Marathon!  Race day finally came and I was able to run a marathon for the first time.  It was a great experience and it was better than I thought it was going to be. 

The night before the race, my mom got me some mostacholi.  It was delicious and just what I needed!  I went to bed early because I knew I had to get up early to get to the race.  I woke up on Sunday morning at 3:30, I took a quick shower and my mom drove me to the train station.  The train left the Libertyville train station and we arrived in downtown Chicago around 6:10am.  The train had a good amount of people on it, with most going to the race.  Once we got to downtown, we all walked to Grant Park to check our gear and do final preperation.

Once there, they only let participants into a certain part of the park.  When there, I checked my bag, and was ready to go.  I did some streching and walked around.  It was getting close, so I got in my assigned corral (H) as time was approching.  From where we were, it was probably around a quarter of a mile from the start. 

Then we are off, we started walking towards the starting line, you could feel the excitement from all the people around.  When we crossed the starting line, we were all in a big group.  I didn't have a lot of room to move around, I just ran with the crowd.  It was a nice pace, not really too fast, but it allowed us to get our legs warm.  The first thing that I noticed, was all of the spectators.  Throughout the whole race, they were everywhere and they were fantastic.  All of the spectators/fans were cheering and giving everyone words of encouragement.  It was unbelievable, I was not expecting it like that. 

While I was running, I was clapping peoples hands, a little interaction, and just enjoying myself.  There were people dressed up, with signs, cheering, and so much more.  The fans made this marathon for me.  I was feeling good.  After a few miles you are able to move a little more and seperate and go at your own pace.  I was actually moving pretty good. 

At about every one and a half miles there were aid stations.  They would have gatorade/water and sometimes banannas and some other snacks.  This was crutial, it helped me stay hydrated, and moving.  I was going at a good pace and actually feeling good.  Again, the fans where at every corner and every stretch of the race.  I kept running and running and running.  I got to the half way point 13.1 and had a good time of 1 hour and 54 minutes.  This was a little faster then I expected and was pleased.  At this time, I started to feel the running catching up to me.  I was still filling good, however I felt more tired and some pain than before.  I kept pushing and pushing.

At around mile 18, I hit the "wall"  that you hear from runners.  The bottom of my feet were hurting as well as my ankle a little bit.  I kept moving, but I saw my stride getting smaller and the pace slower.  Eventually around mile 19, I decided to walk for the first time.  I was hoping not to walk during the race, however I knew I had to.  So I would switch from running to walking.  Back and fourth.  I would run some and then walk, I usually had a goal on how much to run, and did a little bit more than walk for a little bit.  I did this till the last mile and a half, that part I ran the rest of the way home.

The last mile and half, I was excited.  The whole time I was thinking, I am so close to the finish and am going to reach my goal!  You could tell that most of the people running were all thinking the same thing.  So we were getting close and we made the final turn.  When I saw the finish line I had the biggest grin on my face and was so happy.  I could feel tears in my eyes because I work so hard to get to this point.  I crossed the finish line at 4 hours, 52 minutes 52 seconds. 

This was not my goal time, but I am happy that I have finished.  This was a great learning experience for me, I will do another marathon.  I plan on doing the Chicago again next year!  I know better what I have to do to prepare.  I will do a lot more longer runs next year and push myself more on certain runs.   I am really happy with the experience and am thrilled that I did it.  I just know I can do a lot better and that will help me continue my quest.  My goal is to eventually run it under 4 hours, whether it is my next one or another one after that. 

My two sisters and my 3 nieces came to the marathon.  Unforntaley they did not see my finish, but they were there for support!  I meet them after at the charity village and we went to the car and went home.  It was truly an expierence that I will always remember and grateful that I did it.  I can't wait to do the next one.

I will continue to do other 10ks and other distance runs in the future.  I will be doing the Tenesse Ragnar in November.  This is a relay race and I will be running a total of around 17 miles. 

Going into the marathon I didn't know how I would feel after.  If this would be a one time marathon or if I will continue to do them.  I will at least do one more, however I have a feeling I may be hooked.  I am still sore, mainly my quads and my ankle.  However, I am not as sore as I thought I would be.  I am looking forward to my next run outside, which I think I can do in a few days.  I would just like to end this by saying thank you to everyone who made this race possible, all the fans and spectators that came out and cheered us all on, and my sisters and nieces for coming out and supporting me.  We wouldn't be able to do this without all of their support.   

Chicago Marathon by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Friday, October 5, 2012

2 1/2 mile, last run before the Marathon by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details

Less than 36 hours till the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.  Today and tomorrow is the packet/bib pick-up.  Driving in downtown Chicago, you can see that the city is prepared.  I saw signs all over the place, I drove past Grant Park.  Which is the start and finish line of the race, and you can just feel it.  The city is a buzz about the marathon.  There are over 45,000 people running the race from all over the world. 

I made it down to the McCormick place and made it to the expo.  The first thing I did was pick-up my bib and then my t-shirt.  There were just tons of runners there, excited about the race.  The best thing about running, is that runners come in all shape and sizes.  If you push yourself and keep running, you will be able to accomplish more than you ever thought. 

There were booths selling powerbars, gatorade, shoes, running, equipment, and so much more. It was great to see so many people thrilled about running. Below is a picture of my t-shirt and bib that I picked up today!



Lastly, when I got home today, I ran my last run before the marathon.    It was just to keep my legs fresh and be ready for Sunday.  You can check it out below by clicking on the link.

Till Sunday,

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/230303663

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

5 Days Till the Marathon

Only five more days till the Chicago Marathon!  It is going to be great.  Going into the week of the marathon I do not want to do too much running.  I need to keep my legs nice and fresh.  So today, I ran a nice 2 miles, I am going to run 6 tomorrow, then the last run will be Friday, but that will only be around 2.  This is to keep my legs fresh and make sure I am ready for the run on Sunday.  Click the link below to relive my run with me.  Stay posted as it is only 5 days away and I will be running with my new 45,000 friends!

2 miles, to keep legs fresh by marclindblom at Garmin Connect - Details