Spectating at Chicago Marathon

I started this day after the marathon but just now got around to getting the photos uploaded. Whoops. Sorry for the delay of 2 weeks! :-)

I realised while I was standing at mile 16.5, that this time last year, I had run 0 marathons. I was a newbie, training for my very first marathon. Not knowing how those folks on the street was feeling. Now, just a year later, I had run 3. CRAZY when I think of it like that!!!

I signed up for text alerts for 4 people; Jesse, @jswo, @12Monkeys and president of my running club, John K. On the train, I received 3 of the 4 (not 12Monkeys) for the 10k mark. And that was about the only ones I received on time. I got 2 more after that but LONG after the runners crossed their mark and I only received a finish time of Jesse's. Supposedly Active.com fixed the error, but I had the same problem last year with those I signed up for too. Maybe next year.

The train station was just a few blocks north of mile 13 and halfway. Stood there for a few minutes but I knew that I already missed Jesse since they started a half hour earlier this year. I had to run across the course yet again. That was fun but I was actually able to find an open space so I didn't have to run with them, I just ran straight across.

Then on down to mile 16.5 but first stopping at a Dunkin Donuts to get some hot chocolate and a donut. I asked if the Boston Creme had the white frosting in it. The guy said yes but it ended up having the Bavarian yellow custard instead. I hate that flavour.

Stood at 16.5 for quite a while, just looking and taking pics. And then I saw someone I knew! John K.! I yelled and yelled and I think he saw me. Then I saw another guy from my area but he doesn't know me so I didn't yell out his name.

One of these days I really want to run a few miles with someone in the race. I'd even do like 6 miles with them, I don't care. It'll just be cool to run it for a little bit.

Jesse gave me his girlfriend's number a few days earlier so I was texting her throughout the day so we could meet up. She & a random person who she friended (whose wife was running the marathon) took the El down to the mile 20. I didn't bring my CTA card with me so I couldn't take it plus, I didn't look that closely at the CTA and the course itself. Later on I found the Orange line went down that a way.

Eventually met up with Katie at mile 26. And we stood and cheered. I personally was getting worried when I started seeing people go by and it was getting close to what we predicted was going to be his finishing time. But eventually we did see him coming up the horrible "hill." And we cheered and cheered and cheered! But he didn't hear us. Totally in the zone. I would be too if I had .2 left and was about to blow my previous record out of the water.

We ourselves turned the corner and it was a mad house, the finish line. Plus, you couldn't get through anywhere. We eventually had to walk back over the railroad tracks and go up on the other side and then on the north side of the finish line. They hurdle the runners through this LONG corridor so they can pick up any drop bag that they had. We eventually found Jesse and congratulated him. He slowly got dressed with any warm clothes that he had packed.

He ended up finishing his 2nd marathon with a time of 4:11. His previous time? 4:54 (my last marathon time too) in 2008. Like I said; he killed his PR!! I am still so proud of him and still think about it, 2 weeks later. Even on his training runs he got faster than the previous training season. He was nice enough to send me a text later on that day and say that he was thinking of me during the race and how hard I had to fight through my marathon the previous week. Said I was an inspiration to him. I must admit it's a little hard to believe that _I_ could be an inspiration to anyone but it was still very moving to read that. Made me smile and brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Jesse. You're a great friend!! And seriously, Congrats Again!

Hugs!

That's a really big pace sign! I would totally hate to run with that.

More hugs!

Wonder Woman

Camera Crew

Elvis in da hiz-house!

Yet more hugs!

He had one leg; no prosthetic. He got many a cheer & screams when he went by.

Still running with the big pace sign.

I wonder if this is who I saw last year with the balloons.

Stretching at mile 17.

This was a runner, they quit. :-(

Love this; Brett Farve's number & jersey for both Packers & Vikings.

There's Jesse! My one & only one of him running! I was screaming too much at him after this to take anymore.

Madness at the exit!

Getting dressed!

Bling bling, what what?!

Categories: Chicago Marathon