I'm the sexy bastard in the red shirt and black hat.

Warning: This is a super crazy long post encompassing the night before the race, the day of before the race, the race itself, and the 4 days of recovery after the race. Please prepare yourself before reading on as it might take you a while to read it – hopefully not as long as it took me to run it.

Note: It’s my blog and I’ll ramble if I want to.

A piece of trident gum. Two Jolly Ranchers (one apple and one grape). Two packets of Gel. 18 cups of Gatorade. A running partner for just over 5 hours. These items all came together last Sunday to help me get through my first Chicago Marathon.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

7 PM: Ate my ‘last meal’ of Fettuccini with maranara sauce.

8 PM: Went to bed

8:15 PM: Awoke in a panic, didn’t know if the brown line train would get me to the starting line on time.

8:16 to 8:30 PM : Contacted CTA, discovered the brown line would NOT get me there on time, decided instead to take the red line train. This will be a pain as the nearest stop to my apartment is over 1 mile away.

8:31 to 8:40 PM: Pace around the apartment trying to think of a better way to get to the start line.

8:41 to 9:00 PM: Contacted CTA (again) and figured out the #36 bus would take me door to door tomorrow with plenty of time to spare.

9:01 PM: Went to bed, tossed and turned a bit, and fell asleep.

THE BIG DAY

5:00 AM: Alarm goes off

5:01 – 5:40 AM: Shower, eat a cliff bar with water, take 2 Imodium as safety precaution.

5:41 – 6:00 AM: Triple check I have all my stuff and head out.

6:08 AM: Board the #36 bus southbound. It is packed with marathon runners.

6:27 AM: Arrive downtown and walk to the Congress hotel for a last minute toilet stop.

7:00 AM: Dropped my bag off at gear check near the start line

7:15 AM: Met up with Jimmy and his friends running the race.

7:15 – 7:45 AM: Talked, tried to stay warm, burned off a little nervous energy.

7:45 AM: One last stop at the porta john before the race.

8:00 AM: After the Star Spangled Banner plays the race starts as the elites take the course.

8:19:25 AM: We make it to the starting line (by now 20,000+ runners are already on the course)

Mile 0 to Mile 0.75 Jimmy, Damon and I are running together north on Columbus, under the first bridge, under Randolph street and over the Columbus bridge which crosses the Chicago River. By now Jimmy has separated himself from Damon and I and is gone before we make our first turn onto Grand Ave.

Mile 0.75 to Mile 2 I discover that my watch has started and stopped a few times from bumping into other runners and will therefore not tell me my final time. At least this happens early so I wouldn’t have to freak out at mile 22 or something like that. I miss the 1 Mile sign and am relieved to see the 2 mile sign at Jackson and State. By now we are running around an 11 minute pace and feeling good.

Mile 2 to Mile 3 At this point I was just thinking this is so cool to be running downtown. It also made me want to run the Shamrock Shuffle again in 2007 since the route so far was very similar to today.

Mile 3 to Mile 4 Damon and I decide to start ‘whoring’ ourselves out by giving the fans (who were AMAZING – all 1.5 million) high fives as we went. We would do this occasionally on straight-aways (Chinatown comes to mind, more on that later) but always around corners where the fans were the thickest. I had my name written on my shirt and many fans said encouraging things like ‘keep going Drew’ and ‘looking good Drew.’ Also, one of the funnier signs was spotted at mile 4 Don’t poop your pants complete with a little drawing for added effect.

Mile 4 to Mile 5 I was to meet my sister at Mile 5 on the right side of the course so we started drifting over to that side. Just then Damon spotted friends watching and said hey as we kept running. I almost entirely missed my sister at mile 5 since she was on the LEFT rather than RIGHT side as we agreed upon. I guess she couldn’t make it across the course with all the runners. We almost killed ourselves veering from the right side of the road to the left in a few yards.

Mile 5 to Mile 6 Running North on Stockton next to the park made for some nice scenery. The crowds were lighter during this stretch while we slowed for a Gatorade.

Mile 6 to Mile 7 The course moved west to Sheridan and then to Inner Lakeshore. At Belmont a fire truck came barreling down the street and we all had to shift to the left side. Here we found two friends of Damon’s running the marathon. One had recently moved to San Francisco and we talked NFL football for a little bit. I think my only comment was ‘the Bears are going to beat the living hell out of the 49ers this weekend’ to which I received no comment. During this time we realized that we were over 25% done with the race but more importantly we were 2 miles into our second race. You see we broke the marathon into 5 races of 5 miles each (actually the last race was 6.2 miles but you get the idea). This really seemed to help as we would say after miles 5, 10, 15, and 20, ‘another race out of the way let’s start another one.’ When you look at it that way we really ran 5 races on Sunday!

Mile 7 to Mile 8 We hit the northernmost point of the course as we turned left onto Addison at mile 7.5. We were also greeted with what felt like gale force winds rushing down Addison out onto the lake. Luckily for us we soon turned again onto Broadway heading south. Somehow psychologically it was nice to know ‘we will not be going any farther north during the rest of the race’ even though we had 18+ miles to go.

Mile 8 to Mile 9 Welcome to Boystown. The theme this year was the Wild West and the local residents (gay community included) sported cowboy hats and other western gear. I have to admit the crowd was into the race and it made for a distraction from the sore legs and tired feet. All in all I was still feeling strong at this point other than a developing blister in the arch of my left foot. At around mile 8.5 I saw some friends (and former Chicago Marathoners) who were cheering the runners on. It’s great to have a big crowd in general and better to have those you know cheering you on.

Mile 9 to Mile 10 We veered onto Clark and continued our trek south / southeast. At Fullerton and Clark we ran over the 15K mat 1:43:19 after we started. It was nice to be running through a neighborhood where I have spent a lot of time (see Bars, Restaurants). I was even handing out reviews of spots like Dunlay’s on Clark which has excellent, inexpensive food and The Other Side which is a nice ND bar with cheap Jager / Car Bombs. Once we turned onto Sedgewick I started heading to the right side of the road to look for my sister again. We were to meet at the corner of Sedgewick and Eugene across from Twin Anchors (mmmmmmm, Ribs). My sister and my friends from the neighborhood were there and I hugged them all and told them I’d see ‘em later. I’m sure they enjoyed a big sweaty hug from me – hey at least it probably warmed them up.

Mile 10 to Mile 11 Still in my neighborhood – leaving Lincoln Park headed for Old Town. As we turned East onto North Ave. we actually had the wind at our back for a change. As we rounded the corner of North and Wells there is a big stage with Elvis belting out ‘Hound Dog.’ Of course we give him a high-five and keep on truckin’.

Mile 11 to Mile 12 As we continue southbound on Wells, we skirt Cabrini Green where the crowds are once again thick. There are kids jumping rope double-dutch style and the folks at the Moody Bible Institute are cheering for Jesus and or the runners. There’s even a Christian Rock station on hand for all the fun.

Mile 12 to Mile 13 We are back downtown again. Coming up is bridge number 4 (of 6) which dumps us onto Franklin heading south and the 20K point. As we run over the mats which read the chips attached to our shoes containing our running info we get a resounding beep as our times are recorded. What is SUPPOSED to happen as you run over the mats a text message and or email is to go out to those who subscribed to your runner’s number. On Sunday the system broke and my sister didn’t get any of these until after the race was over and I didn’t get them at all. Bummer.

Just before Mile 13 (and just south of Franklin and Monroe) I made my one and only restroom break – peeing in an alley behind a dumpster as any self-respecting marathoner would. Nevermind this is illegal and within 1 block of where I used to work. I hope this blog will not incriminate me. When you stop and think about it one bathroom stop in 26.2 miles and over 5 hours of running is remarkable since I drank (~18 cups Gatorade x 8 oz per cup ~ 144 oz ~ 1.125 Gal) ~ 1.125 Gallons during that time. Let’s just say there was a lot of sweat involved and leave it at that.

Mile 13 to Mile 14 13.1 miles means halfway there or 3 miles into race #3 if you look at it another way. The crowd was in full force at the halfway point as it was a nice meeting point for runner and fans. Psychologically it’s a mixed bag because there are fewer miles ahead then behind but there is also the brief thought that ‘I have to do that AGAIN?’ Fortunately the legs were holding up and the blister only moderately hurt at this point. Note that I didn’t say “all was well” because running this far makes me tired and sore but all things considered I was feeling okay.

Mile 14 to 15 By now we were firmly on the ‘where the hell are we’ portion of the course. I just knew that the streets were unfamiliar, the crowd was sparse, the wind was in our faces, and I wasn’t super happy. Between mile 14.5 and 15 we passed by the United Center and got as far west as we would go during the race. 2 directions down, 2 to go. I’m not sure why but leading into mile 15 was probably the hardest part of the race for me … we never walked (if you don’t count through aid stations) but this was where the thoughts of walking first started creeping into the back of my brain. Not cool.

Mile 15 to Mile 16 At Mile 15 we hit the 9^th aid station on the course and I couldn’t have been happier about that. I got 2 cups of Gatorade, we stopped for a brief stretch, and I tied my left shoe T-I-G-H-T because I was sick of the blister forming on the bottom of that foot. I figured no circulation in the left foot was better than the constant shoe rubbing. Before we hit mile 16 we crossed the 25K mark which meant we had been running for two minutes shy of 3 hours.

Mile 16 to 17 I don’t really remember this mile other than it was significant because I had never run over 16 miles on a single run before. I was entering uncharted territory. We also saw people wearing shirts from a Root Beer / Pizza Joint from Damon’s hometown outside of Cincinnati. This meant speeding up to catch them which is tough to do when you’ve been at the same pace for 3+ hours. We caught up to them and the reunited Cincinnatians chatted while I tried to get my breath again and readjust to the new pace.

Mile 17 to 18 Running through Little Italy was fun and the crowd was excited. I kept thinking ‘I gotta come back here when I’m not running a marathon.’ PowerBar was giving out Power Gels at mile 17.5 and I took one but got Strawberry Banana. Yuck. A mile or 2 later Damon gave me a Green Apple that helped some. I had taken the one and only gel I brought at mile 16.

Mile 18 to 20.5 As you can tell by grouping 2.5 miles together there wasn’t much to say about these miles other than they sucked. This is the proverbial ‘wall’ and they even had a real display complete with a wall and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” Mile 20 also marked the end of race #4 in our five mile race increments.

Mile 20.5 to 21.5 All I really remember here is making the sharp turn off Halsted onto Archer Ave. and walking through the aid station for more Gatorade. I knew this meant heading East and therefore getting closer to the finish line.

Mile 21.5 to 23 Chinatown. What can I say? I freakin’ love that place. This was one of the best – if not the best – parts of the entire course. People were lined up 4 and 5 deep to catch a glimpse of loved ones running or just out to take in the scene. All were yelling and cheering the group on and it really gave me a boost to see the crowd so into it. This was still unfamiliar territory to me (geographically and distance wise) and I just kept on moving. Leaving Chinatown and running south along the Dan Ryan highway wasn’t much fun as the crowd thinned out again and thoughts of “still 4 miles to go” crept into my head. I was very relieved to hang a left over the highway and onto 33^rd street.

Mile 23 to Mile 24 A quick turn before mile 23 and another quick turn after it was a good thing. It kept the mind off of the pain of running and made me feel like distance was being covered. We hit the 15^th aid station at mile 23.5 and turned north onto Michigan Ave. Again this was good news – we had gone as far south as we were going to go and were truly on the home stretch. Turning north also meant turning directly into the wind but that wasn’t about to slow us down at this point. We were heading north on Michigan Ave. (a familiar name at least) pointed toward Grand Park and the finish line.

Mile 24 to Mile 25.2 Signs everywhere proclaimed the next aid station to be the last so we took that advice and made sure to get some extra Gatorade at this point as well. Just before mile 25 (the conclusion of our 5^th 5 mile ‘race’) we passed the 40 kilometer mark at 4:50:04 with less than a mile and a half to go. Just after mile 25 there was actually one last aid station and one last cup of Gatorade to be had before the final mile.

The Final Mile The crowds were once again thick with people watching the runners finish. While I felt like I was running quite slowly (and that was certainly the case) I was still passing some people in that final mile. There was a big sign that said ‘one mile left’ and I told myself at that point ‘I can do anything for 15 minutes.’ I knew I was moving at faster than a 15 minute mile and therefore would be done before then. Turning the corner from Michigan Ave onto Roosevelt the cops made those who jumped in to run with friends peel off the course. I figured this was fair since I paid for my trip across the finish line over the past 25+ miles and 5 hours. Signs showed 800 meters. Then 600 meters as we climbed the Roosevelt Bridge. With such a flat course, getting up to the top of that small incline felt like climbing Everest. At the top with one final left turn we were on the final stretch only two tenths of a mile from the finish. I’ll never forget the end of the race and the feeling of crossing the finish line. I had wanted 4 hours and 30 minutes but at that point I could have cared less. I finished. I figure it gives me good motivation to set a new PR at my next marathon.

RECOVERY

Sunday Night (Day 0)

After crossing the finish line they cut your timing chip off your shoe, give you a finisher’s medal, hand you a tinfoil blanket, snap your photo, and give you a free beer. I can say I enjoyed the beer but was FREEZING as soon as I stopped running. I also had trouble walking from the moment I crossed the finish line and everything hurt. I’m talking legs (duh) and feet and arms and back. Heck even my abs hurt which was a pretty strange feeling. I made a pretty quick exit due to the cold and caught a bus, then a cab back to my apartment. Getting out of the cab and up my stairs took some time but I made it. I got inside and promptly took a handful of Aleve (okay only 2) and jumped into the shower. By ‘jumped’ I should say I had to use my arms to pull my legs one at a time over the edge of the tub and into the shower.

After the shower I at the better part of a large pizza, drank a ton of water, and passed out on my bed. I only lasted about 30 minutes before I had to relocate. My bed was not comfortable enough for me and I was cramping up so I moved to the couch. On the couch I slept for hours and got up only to use the bathroom.

Monday (Day 1)

I woke up Monday and was very stiff and very very sore. It wasn’t as bad as Sunday night but if Sunday was an 80/100 on the pain scale, Monday was 77/100. While I’d planned on taking Monday off, it turned out I had to work and flew down to Dallas. Luckily the flight was in the afternoon but I was in the middle seat. When I arrived at O’Hare the skycap took one look at me and said “how did the race go”? I was limping pretty badly at this point. I told him okay and my time and he joked “really? That is slow!” to which skycap #2 said “don’t listen to this a******, he couldn’t run 2 miles.”

That night the guys from work also gave me crap about my newly developed limp but were happy I finished and was alive. By Monday night walking was better but stairs and sitting down / standing up was still murder.

Tuesday (Day 2)

By Tuesday I was feeling more normal and was walking with relative ease. There is no chance in hell I could have run then but at least I was semi mobile.

Wednesday (Day 3)

Again, things were feeling better on Wednesday and I was walking almost pain free. Stairs were still my enemy. I got a massage on Wednesday and proceeded to spend an hour in the steam room which felt amazing. Again, if someone told me to run today I would have told them to kiss my Irish ass.

EPILOGUE

It’s 2 weeks after the race and I’m feeling okay. I ran 3 miles on Thursday and everything went well. I am still a bit sore from that short run now but at least I’m able to run now. I just watched the clips of Lance Armstrong running the NYC Marathon and have decided I want to run that sucker some day. Hey, Lance only beat me by 2 hours. For now I’m happy to run 3k, 5k, 8k, 7 miles, 10 miles, or maybe a half marathon or two before I regroup for the next big thing. If you read all the way to this point congratulations – sorry for the rambling!

The odds of someone other than myself reading this blog entry are somewhere very near zero. This is a direct result of not posting in a looooooooooooong time but I figure since I am the marathon ninja I may as well post tonight – less than 7 days from the Chicago Marathon.

My state of mind is a mixture of excitement and nervousness. About two weeks ago here were my concerns and associated weight of concern…

80% Concerned about left knee IT Band Syndrome (see Iliotibial Band Syndrome)
15% Concerned about lack of recent training due to injury above
5% Concerned about shin splints on right side which helped to cause ITBS cited above.

Today the concerns have stayed the same but the weights have drastically shifted.

60% Concerned about shin splint on right side
25% Concerned about lack of recent training
15% Concerned about ITBS

Basically going back several weeks after a long run and especially the day after a long run my left knee would kill. I didn’t much like normal walking, I disliked even more walking upstairs, and walking downstairs totally sucked. Needless to say it was a serious worry. My shin splints had been holding up okay.

The last time I ran was a 5 mile tempo run (which was CAPITAL S stupid) last Monday night with the Nike running group in Lincoln Park. I had no business running with a group that set out to do 9 minute miles and ended up closer to 8 minute miles. I made it and felt okay after but there was no reason to risk injury running that fast on a bum knee.

Since then I got a massage that helped the knee drastically. While I have not run on it since the massage walking, stairs, etc. have been no problem. I cannot feel any problem in the knee. The right shin however is tender even while walking. In my unscientific personal opinion if you get 3 or 4 miles into a run and the shins haven’t started screaming you are okay. Remember though 16 miles is my record, I have never run farther than that. Unfortunately the marathon is about 39% LONGER than 16 miles. That sole frightening thought has been running through my mind over and over and over again. Somehow I’ve got to block it out and think positive or I don’t have a prayer come Sunday.

Here is the new gameplan. It is actually quite simple. Carbo load the night before, get lots of rest the night(s) before the race, drink a bunch of water the night before the race. Then on raceday I want to dress appropriately figuring I’ll wear some clothes I will later ditch as my body heat and the outside temp rise. So far I only know the shoes, socks, and shorts I’ll be wearing. One fun fact is I will probably wear a yellow dry-fit shirt with my name “DREW” in big block letters. Does this make me lame? Probably. Will it help me stay focused and motivated? Likely. That makes it a done deal.

Again with the negative thoughts … I can see it in the eyes of my family and voice of my parents that they are unsure if I can complete this race given my recent injuries. They have reason for concern and so do I but there is only one way to tell. I will not quit this race for lack of will or effort. I’m not helping the cause now by even typing the word quit in my blog.

Back to race logistics. As opposed to the half marathon when we stuck close to the 9 minute per mile pacer, this time I’m starting out with the 10 minute per mile pacer and holding on for dear life. From what I have herd the first several miles will be wall to wall people and it could take 20 minutes or more just to get to the start line. If I run no single mile faster than a 10 minute pace and run a negative split I will have achieved total victory as I see it. Who am I kidding, if I FINISH THE RACE before they force me off the course or pick me up on a stretcher I will consider the race an unmitigated success.

So those are my strange and goofy ramblings about this sucker. I have hit the gym recently to stretch and to strengthen my hip adductors and abductors to help with the knee and it seems to have helped (in addition to massage). If the knee and shin hold up I’m golden.

Finally, if you have any interest in tracking me, go here…
http://www.doitsports.com/results/MSG-signup.tcl?sub_event_id=2161

Also I have learned that I will likely have to travel to Dallas with work the Monday after the marathon (a week from tomorrow). This may be the most painful flight in my life. Hopefully a handful of Advil will help the matter some.