Chips and Bibs

D, Kris and I met at the Chicago Hilton to take the free bus over to McCormack place to pick up our race day packets. I have to say, it was so exciting! I worked from home today and all over the tv were Chicago Marathon stories and Commercials and short promos on the news. It's thrilling to know that we are a part of this. Kris and D were willing participants in my goal to capture our Marathon weekend moments so I'm happy to share some pictures with all of you. The picture on the left is one of the many great banners promoting the event. Here is our journey to the expo in picking up our official race day necessities!

Here are D and Kris waiting for the free shuttle over to the Hilton. They are holding up our confirmation ticket which is on the back of a booklet we were sent a couple of weeks ago with a ton of information just for race day. There were definitely a unique mix of people waiting for the bus....runners are an eclectic bunch!

This is Kris and I on the free shuttle "displaying" our nervous excitement. Or perhaps Kris is expressing his deep down desire to punch me for bringing him into this mess. Hah!

And then we enter the Exposition Hall. We have to first pick up our packets to get our Bib numbers. Also in the packet are our timing chips which we tie to our shoes. The chips allow us to receive an official time in the Chicago Marathon. There are certain censors along the way that track our chip as we pass on by. Cool, hunh?

When we went to activate our chips, our names appeared on this screen to verify that it was complete and ready to go....So cool that all of our names were up there together, officialy

This picture actually shows a couple of things. First, we were so excited that the shirts are so fantastic. Our 20 miler shirts were so horrible, ill fitting and shiny. These are shirts we'll have forever. The other thing this picture displays is the ridiculous height difference between me and the guys. Seriously, who let that little person enter the Chicago Marathon!!!!

Ok, now this shot needs a little explaining. You can barely see the little man sitting at the table but that is THE Hal Higdon! Chicago Marathon Guru and developer of the training program we are following. I'm over his left shoulder, in the distance, giving a thumbs up. D and Kris insisted that I get a picture with him but I didn't want to buy a book.

I was excited to see there is an official program included in the participation bag. I love these types of things; like playbills at the theater. I save all of the programs even from the tournaments I coach for my basketball games.

The Expo was great. The buzz of new and old marathoners was wonderful and we tried a lot of tasty and not so tasty treats. I'm glad we decided to go on Friday night as it seems to extend this entire weekend into a great event. It was also nice to chat with and overhear other runners going through the same thoughts we were; what to wear, what to eat, hoping to finish with some dignity! Here's to 45,000 people uniting under one goal.

Horrible timing

Yeah, I'm pissed. Two days before the marathon, Amazon decides to have the worst timing for a deal of the day ever:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/ref=cs_top_nav_gb27

I would buy it, but there is no way I am going to train for another marathon again.

Beats, rhymes and life

Real quick:

First-time marathoners concern themselves with many training issues, ranging from stretching, the right foods to eat, salt intake, pacing and resting, dehydration, and injury, among others. I’m a first-time marathoner . . . and I concern myself with none of these things. Other than the potential chance of dying, my only problem with running/training is sheer boredom. I’d rather sit through a Catholic wedding or watch a Merchant-Ivory film than run four miles. No wonder most hardcore runners are pretty much insane. Anyway, there are two main reasons why the, it feels likes, 28-month training season was somewhat enjoyable for me: (1) I ran with two very good friends (one talks; the other is silent support; but when he says something, it is bound to be important, and we listen) and (2) I trained with a brand new iPod Nano (I splurged on one instead of joining CARA). With the Nano came the Nike+ training package, and even though it isn’t highly accurate, it has a sturdy amount of features that allows me to monitor the timing of the run and gauge, sort of, the mileage (about a 1/2 mile off on medium runs and 3/4 off on long runs). I didn’t really do a good job of calibrating the device, so I’m not giving it a thumbs down (or up), but for $40, it might be something to think about before buying a $600 GPS watch. I bought it because I didn’t think I would ever be three-days away from running a marathon, probably nursing a hangover from the KU vs. ISU game on Saturday, spending that saved “watch” money on Hitachinos and making fun of all the marathoners for wasting their summer (wait, I do that now). But for some reason, and with the help of Kris and Starrin KP-Bentley-Hussein-Obama, I am ready to, well, cross the finish line and get it over with so I can get some sleep for god’s sake. I kid. It will be fun!

Music is very important to me, and I’ve always trained with my Nano. I leave one ear piece in, while the other is wrapped around my hand like I am using it to conduct an interview. I think I always have the volume pretty high because Starr sometimes asks what I am listening to (more like, “WTF are you listening to?”) and I can’t hear out of my left ear anymore. Surprisingly, I have used the same set list for every training run. I might’ve added or deleted a song every once and awhile, but I have listened to the same 70 songs, in the same order, for 6 months. Now, I ran a couple of weeks back with two very good “core” friends (Sara and Dave), and Sara brought her iPod along, allowing us to have a conversation about what songs are essential to a marathon set list. We share similar tastes, and even though I’m starting to believe she is going to leave this country and move to France (for the music), we had some of the same song ideas. A set list is very important; however, after running the 20-miler, the “arrangement” of the songs is key. I somehow, unintentionally, arranged 5 or 6 songs that came on around the 13-mile mark, which gave me a sudden burst of energy, causing me to insert my other ear piece, focus on passing the pack in front of us (see Starr’s previous post), and turn on the P-burners (i.e., go a lot faster) until crossing the finish line. And I felt great. Right now, I am concentrating on where to arrange certain songs, moving the harder songs from front to back (I used the loud stuff to wake me up at 4:30 in the morning) and the softer, uplifting songs from back to front (some I haven’t even gotten to since we haven’t ran over four hours). I rather start out all happy and enjoy the scenery and cheering crowds (going slow) with certain songs and use the hardcore beat songs for the big finish.

70 songs: exactly 4 hours and 54 minutes. I’m a nerd, so I have a rule where a set list shouldn’t repeat the same songs or artists, unless the musicians are NIN (two concerts this summer, so I am hooked) or the Wu-Tang Clan. And no Eye of the Tiger or Jock Jams. If I run out of songs before the end, I won’t be disappointed, as long as I finish. In the end, I’m just worried about being bored.

My not-in-order set list (wear a helmet because it might blow your mind):

Intro – The xx
Melt! – Flying Lotus
Silent Shout – The Knife
Where’s Your Head At – Basement Jaxx
Hey Boy Hey Girl – The Chemical Brothers
Indo Silver Club – Daft Punk
The Crystal Cat – Dan Deacon
March of the Pigs – NIN
Positive Contact – Deltron
Public Service Announcement – DJ Danger Mouse
Deep Space 9mm – El-P
Daytona 500 – Ghostface Killah
Silver Screen Shower Scene – Felix Da Housecat
99 Problems – Jay Z
Wolf Like Me – TV On the Radio
Hellz Wind Staff – Wu-Tang Clan
Run (I’m a Natural Disaster) – Gnarls Barkley
Dead Souls – NIN
Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
Comin’ Back – The Crystal Method
Deathtrap – Gravediggaz
What New York Used to Be – The Kills
Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka – Heltah Skeltah
Who Can Say – The Horrors
Triumph – Wu-Tang Clan
Get Innocuous! (Soulwax Remix) – LCD Soundsystem
Obstacle 1 – Interpol
Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme – Edan
StarF@ckers Inc. – NIN
Chin High (Manuvadelics Version) – Roots Manuva
Tourist – Japanther
What You Know About – Two Fingers and Sway
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Hung Up – Madonna
Hold the Line – Major Lazer
Remix!! – Plastic Little
Atlas – Battles
Funky Sh@t – Prodigy
Go With the Flow – QOTSA
Idioteque – Radiohead
Discipline – NIN
All Caps – Madvillian
Nowhere Again – The Secret Machines
The Way I Are – Timbaland
1979 – Smashing Pumpkins
Council Estate – Tricky
This Must Be It – Royksopp (Fever Ray)
My Friend Dario – Vitalic
Q.U. – Hectic – Mobb Deep
The Rat – The Walkmen
Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Uzi (Pinky Ring) – Wu-Tang Clan
Time to Pretend – MGMT
The Hand That Feeds – NIN
Vibrationz – Javelin
Make Her Say – Kid Cudi
Cars – Gary Numan
Ambivalence Avenue – Bibio
Spread – Andre 3000
All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem
Swing Tree – Discovery
Deadweight – Beck
Praise You – Fatboy Slim
Paranoid – Kanye West
All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers
Crystalised – The xx
Halcyon & On & On – Orbital
List of Demands (Reparations) – Saul Williams
Arbeit Nervt – Deichkind
Go Round Payola - Jahdan Blakkamoore

We're causing Traffic Delays!

I was driving to work this morning and the big electronic sign on LakeShore Dr. was all lit up. It's the one they use when a big event is taking place downtown to warn drivers of serious traffic delays and road closures. This sign was shouting, "Chicago Marathon, Sunday, October 11th. I had to laugh because D, Kris and I are part of an event causing a traffic warning. So fun! "Caution Motorists! D, Kris and Starrin will be taking over the streets of Chicago on Sunday."

I have had so many friends and family members call/email the past couple of days to share in the anticipating excitement. Some are past marathoners and some are avid Chicago marathon supporters just as I was. Today I received quite a few emails about the pending weather. Sunday should be a low of 35 and high of 50...the real cold won't come until Sunday night. Sounds perfect to me. I would like to share some of the thoughts and suggestions that came my way. And yes, I have funny friends!

Jill K (finisher of multiple Chicago Marathons) provided some tips and here are two I'd like to share:
1) YOU HAVE TO PEE IN Lincoln Park! I know, it sounds so gross but EVERYONE will be doing it. I'm not kidding. It's about mile 7 or 8, just when everyone needs to take a major pee. And no one wants to wait in line at the port-a-potties so ALL RUNNERS, EVEN THE WOMEN find a nice big tree in LP and pop a squat. I've done it every marathon, then I'm good to go till the end of the race. This is not the time to be modest, just pretend you're camping.
2)I know I've said this before. But seriously.... Walking only prolongs your misery. It's inevitable to walk, just don't start liking it and walk for miles at a time. You'll regret it a few hours after the race thinking, "I could have finished xx minutes faster!"

Stacy C (completed 2 Chicago Marathons) said, "Many people just pee in their pants."

Jess M (avid Chicago Marathon watcher) sent some great quotes:
1) “We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.” - Emil Zatopek
2)"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Steve Prefontaine
3) "Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting." Veikko Karvonen (this one is pretty hilarious! it's brutally honest)

And then there's my dad who said, "just jump the fence and try to run with the elites!" Hahahaha! I guess he wants a dead daughter. By the way, he was dead serious.

Happy Pre-Marathon Thursday. For you runners out there, the marathon expo at McCormack Place is free and runs all day Friday and Saturday. They have some great stuff and lots of free samples.

Extraordinarily Ordinary

Today was the last Sorta Long Run. This is the last Wednesday that entails looking at the running calendar trying to fit in big time chunks for running in the middle of the week. It’s kind of strange to think that this time next week I won’t be thinking about running for survival. I mean, I know what I’ll be doing this time next week: absolutely nothing! But, it’s really difficult to wrap my head around the fact that this long 18 week training process is coming to an end. In life “they” always say it’s the Journey that counts and not the Destination. Well, it’s been some journey, that’s for sure.

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned about myself is, I can strive for a goal purely out of self fulfillment and not because of some competitive objective. I have set many goals just to prove I can “win it” or beat someone else. I was worried that I would start my marathon training and feel like I was sucking so bad that I would talk myself right out of it. Historically, if I feel like I am just awful at a certain task, I will talk myself right out of doing it. I began my training by setting lofty time goals and it was quite probable that if I didn’t feel up to achieving this, I wouldn’t finish my training. Well, I have come to find out, that I’m ok with sucking.

My goal for this marathon is purely to finish and if I can do it under 5 hours, it will be a bonus. This training process has reminded me how hard you truly have to work at something just to be ordinary at it. I have seen this statement made a couple of times, “A marathon is something extraordinary that an ordinary person can accomplish.” Trust me, I am an ordinary marathon runner. I am not looking for an award on October 11th or to fulfill any life long dreams or to make a statement to those around me. I’m running for me. I am running to achieve an extraordinary goal while just enjoying the sheer accomplishment of it. Perhaps some day I will get back into competitive running, but this is not the day. It’s a weird thing this marathon does to you, and I haven’t even stepped foot to the starting line. To think, Starrin would ever be ok with “just a participation trophy.” But yes, it’s true! I’m extraordinarily JV and proud of it.

Calm and Coooooool.

The weather is trending to be pretty cool on Sunday and I love the thought of that. I prefer to run any distance under 50 degrees and it looks like the morning low will be about 35 right now topping off at 50. Blame it on my years of running in the Chicago area. I spent many of my teen years running in hail, sleet, snow and crazy wind. I had some wicked electric pink spandex that went under my Jr. high uniform that were a necessity for track season. The snow man like bright orange warm up suits supplied by Crystal Lake Central were a God send in the fall and the spring.

D and I ran our final long run this Saturday. Kris sat this one out because he's experiencing some minor shin splints in his right leg. He's working on it and should be good to go race day. D and I ended our run for chocolate milk at Sark's. I feel like we are their mascots. We saddled up to the bar, placed our order (straight up, please) and they asked where our third runner was. So cute, we are now and identifiable group. The bartender even offered to give us a refill "on the house." I'm thinking maybe we need to go back for a regular old breakfast after the race.

I'm starting my checklist for the week. I need something to focus on and checklists are a great distraction. I have to keep things in mind for Kris as well or we'll be running to the store at 9:00 on Saturday night. Here we go to get things started:
1) Decide on what we want to put on our shirts (any suggestions)and buy some letters to apply.
2) Get extra gels...I prefer strawberry banana as they taste more like yogurt and Kris likes these raspberry ones. D would prefer anything that tasted like Coca-cola but can't seem to find any of those anymore; not sure what he'll get
3) Decide on what clothes I can wear to keep warm at the start and would be willing to part with for eternity. Supposedly all clothing that is discarded gets rounded up and donated to charity. We'll have to be in the start coral for at least 45 minutes and we'll need some layers.
4) Get a new pair of socks at Nike Town
5) Study the Course for aid stations
6) Determine what time we will leave from the house (5:00 is seeming like the way to go, yick!)
7) Buy more bananas to eat this week!
8) Get some gloves (D suggested skeleton gloves which would be awesome!) in anticipation of the frosty morning
9) Make the decision on what to have for dinner Friday and Saturday night...do we go with normal pasta or the chicken and pasta dish I made for the 20 miler. Can't decide. Ugh!

Ok, that will keep me preoccupied for now. Would love any shirt phrase suggestions.

Ready or Not.....Countdown is Official

I thought October would never come! When Marathon training started about 17 weeks ago, October seemed like a distant future. Even when we were doing our peak mileage at the end of August and September, I thought this month would never arrive. Training felt like a never ending cycle of; sleeping, running, eating, stretching, repeat. And now, it's here. And now, I'm freaking out!

Seriously, I am an erratic mess. I had a bout with a cold earlier this week and I was kind of down in the dumps. I was so tired and just put all marathon thoughts out of my mind and focused on feeling better and getting well. Now, I’m in a panic. I sit here, on October 2nd, worrying that I wasted this entire 2 weeks before the marathon doing nothing as far as preparation has gone. I’ve done my running for the week with my dos amigos, but that’s it. No icing, no hot tubs, no foam rolling, NO ICY HOT! I have not studied the course and focused on where the aid stations are (as suggested by my marathon newsletter update). I haven’t planned out my meals for next week. I’m not set on what bag I’m going to bring or what I’m going to put in the bag. I usually have all my long runs planned out; what time I’m going to get up, my gear I’ll need for the run, when I’ll stop for water, when I’ll have my gu packs and I also plan on multiple back ups if my first inclinations don’t pan out. I am a planner, I plan! Now, it’s October 2nd and I have 9 days left. Nine days that I’m sure will go way too fast.

I am going to take a deep breath, stretch out the ‘Ol hammies and refocus. We have an 8 mile run on Saturday and I can’t believe it’s our last long run on the lakefront and chocolate milk at Sark’s in the Park. Oh, one last thing. A couple of years ago someone made a great documentary about the Chicago Marathon entitled, “Spirit of the Marathon.” If you are a Netflix subscriber, you can watch it for free on your computer and I believe Hulu.com shows it for free as well. I think you could probably rent it at your local video store or even library. It’s a great documentary and a fun watch. Happy October! Yikes