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.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment