Chicago (World Major Marathon #1)
True grit…
This is a perfect way to describe what it takes to complete a marathon. You have to have that willingness to lay it all out there and see how far you can push the human body.
This was a tough race day for all due to the humidity, so hydration was key. This may have been the first race where I grabbed water/Gatorade at almost every station just to keep my body temp down. I felt amazing the first half of the race and even into the second half, but my calf had other plans and decided to cramp up. I had to make a decision, slow down and stretch it out or see if the pain would go away. I decided to stop and stretch it out, numerous times. Of all things I thought my knee would have been the issue, but it felt great 🤷♂️. Not the way I wanted to finish this race, but if your body is hurting, then there’s clearly something wrong and you should adjust accordingly. This was the time to dig deep as I was closing in on the finish line. I used the spectators for the last push of the race and I tell you what, that is what helped me cross that finish line. The amazing amount of energy drawn from them was unbelievable.
I started the marathon with 3 goals in mind:
PR
Have Fun
Live in the moment
I can successfully say that I accomplished all 3. Yes, part of me is upset that I didn’t qualify for Boston, but you know what? I had an amazing time and I will always remember this race. Sometimes you have to challenge yourself physically and mentally to achieve great things. The slogan for this marathon is “Chicago is your starting line,” and I can certainly say that it most certainly is for me.
Medal Monday
This medal carries a hefty impact. It’s has been a long time in the making tho. It marks my first marathon in 7 years (and in a different age group), first competitive race in about 4 years, and first in person race in over 2 years. And how can I forget a new PR to boot 🙌. Yes, this is just another medal, but it means a lot more to me knowing the weight it really carries. I couldn’t be happier adding this to my collection.