Chicago Marathon

 

Chicago Marathon 2023-The End of My "Eras Tour"

October 8, 2023.  4:53:47

Today I ran the Chicago Marathon, my 57th marathon overall but my first since 2016.  It felt a little anti-climactic after my 50 mile race last month, but it was still a special day.  The 1998 Chicago Marathon marked the beginning of a 25 year journey.  I've run at least one marathon in every state and the District of Columbia.  I've run two international marathons, in Stockholm and Berlin.  It's been quite a tour.

Although I try not to spend too much time looking back, I was nostalgic this weekend. A lot has changed over 25 years.  In 1998, iPhones and social media didn't exist.   Headphones and ear pods were illegal at most races in 1998.  Nobody would have imagined ride sharing services 25 years ago.  Even the biggest races had little to no security.  

I took a cab from the airport to the expo yesterday and listened to the cab driver complain how Uber has nearly put taxis out of business.  Entry to the expo was electronic.  The most popular areas at the expo were backgrounds where you could take and post selfies.  This morning I rode a Lyft scooter from my hotel to the start line, where a long security line, now normal and necessary after the Boston Marathon bombing, awaited. 

One thing that hasn't changed is the excitement of joining tens of thousands of people from all over the world at the start of a major marathon.  The energy is palpable.  As one of the slower runners, I started in the 3rd and final wave of the race, in corral K.  I began the race at 8:35 AM.  My playlist, a far cry from the mix tapes that I used to make, got me going and featured the number one song from each year from 1998 to present.  Many of them I was hearing for the first time.  I've never been much of a pop guy.

I thought I might be able to match my pace from my first marathon from 25 years ago, and for the first 10k I did.  However, it didn't take long for my 50 year old body to remind me that I am not 25 years old anymore.  Nevertheless, I settled into a comfortable pace, holding pretty steady at a 10:45 pace. I walked through most of the aid stations, being sure to thank the volunteers who make a race like this possible. The crowds at Chicago were great.  I don't think I've seen better, including the New York City Marathon, which I've run twice.  

Another thing that hasn't changed in the 25 years I've been running marathons are the signs spectators hold.  Some are classic, like "Worst Parade Ever," "Touch Here for Power," and "I Like Your Stamina, Call Me."  Many are related to current pop culture.  I saw a lot of Ted Lasso "Believe" signs.  Nobody is more popular now than Taylor Swift, who was 9 years old when I ran my first marathon as a single medical student. Not surprisingly,  I saw a lot of Taylor Swift inspired signs today.  One of them said "This is Your Running Era." As the father of a 10 year old daughter and an honorary Swiftie, I recognized this as a reference to Swift's blockbuster Eras Tour.  

As the miles went by and I neared the finish, I was overcome by a flood of emotions.  I have been very lucky to remain healthy enough to do this for 25 years.  I am lucky enough to have a beautiful, supportive, and understanding wife and 3 amazing kids, who I hope I've inspired to make and reach big goals.

Although I hope my running era will never end, today did mark the end of my Marathon Era.  It's been quite a ride, but my message to marathons is this, with apologies to Taylor Swift: We are never, ever, getting back together.

CHICAGO MARATHON

Tomorrow I leave for the 2023 Chicago Marathon.  The weather looks perfect.  I am excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my first marathon, the 1998 Chicago Marathon.  This year I am raising money for the American Diabetes Association.

Read about it here.  Thank you to all those who have donated!  

https://donations.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=16895424&pg=personal&fr_id=13655

REPOST: CHICAGO MARATHON 1998

The Chicago Marathon is this weekend!  As I've detailed before, the 1998 Chicago Marathon was my first marathon, and still one of the best.  I dusted off this post to re-live the memory.  I never would have imaged I would still be running marathons 25 years later!

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October 11, 1998.  4:23:59

My first marathon (& last without body glide!)  I had only been running for a year and a half.  I had done a few local 5Ks and the Bolder Boulder 10K up to this point, but I knew next to nothing about distance running.  I was amazed that people actually could run 26.2 miles.  It seemed almost super human to me at the time.  I researched marathons some more and discovered that if you were in reasonably good shape and had a "base mileage" of 15-20 miles/week, the marathon was within your grasp.  With enough time and training (4 months on average) you can go from running 3-5 miles per day to completing the marathon.

I've always enjoyed testing myself and this seemed like the ultimate test.  I was a second year medical student at the time.  I would often have to run at 5 in the morning or 11 at night, but I don't think I missed a single training run.  The marathon consumed me.  In my limited free time, I read everything I could about running.  I've mentioned Hal Higdon's programs before.  His weekly novice program became my bible.  

Chicago was a great choice for a first marathon.  It's truly one of the great cities of the world, and was cheap and easy for a med student with limited time and money to get to.  I stayed with a friend from college who couldn't understand why the guy who used to go to Leavenworth Cafe every night after the bars closed was now running marathons.

Marathon day was perfect.  Mid 50's, sunny.  Chicago is a flat, fast, well organized and supported race.  My running had always been hampered by IT Band Syndrome, and this race was no different.  I held back for the first half of the race, running very cautiously.  If you've suffered from IT band syndrome, you know that the pain can come on very suddenly, and can bring your run to a screeching halt.  By mile 11, however, the endorphins started to kick in, my pace quickened, and my knee pain melted with the miles.

My time was slow, 4:23:59, but I finished.  That was my only goal.  I was sure I would never run another marathon.