September 26th was the Chicago Marathon. The Chihalf is my favorite race, and based on the number of long sleeve racing shirts in my closet, the race I have run the most times. It starts in Jackson Park just south of Hyde Park and the Museum of Science and Industry. It starts and finishes just past a giant gold statute of the Greek goddess Nike with her arms raised in victory. It meanders through Jackson Park, Hyde Park, Kenwood, and South Shore (where my grandparents used to live) onto the Outer Drive at 67th, north to 31st, and then back again.
Lats Sunday my wife drove me down to the south side at the crack of dawn and found a back way to drop me off one block from the corrals. Somehow I got corral N which made me cranky because there didn't appear to be a corral O.
But when it came to run, I ran like it was 2008. Its seems all the exercise physiology I did finally came together. My new gait matched my breathing. I ran and didn't walk except at a couple of water stops. I didn't bonk and ran a chip time of 2:11 fairly effortlessly despite having to weave my way through the scrum of he back half of the runners.
This is despite spending at least 11 minutes on 5 different pitstops and waiting in line for the port-a-pottys. Sadly my stomach forced me to make 2 early lengthier stops and a couple more shorter stops along the way. My guess is that I actually ran a sub 2 hour half if you don't count the interruptions. That would be my second ever sub 2 half.
Even with the chip time, I ran a reverse split half which is also a rarity. In comparison to the beginning of last year, I was combating stiffness and left knee pain to lumber to a 2:26 half in New Orleans with brother Sag. Last week was fun indeed.
Now I face the challenge of being Ted's "reverse rabbit" for the Chicago Marathon this Sunday. Not sure how flattering it is to be the guy to try to hold Ted back to a 9:40 ish pace, but happy to give it a try. He will pick me up at mile 6.5 on Sheridan Road by my apartment and then I can be a drag on his running pace for the next 14 miles until I peel off at Chinatown and take the el home.
So will it be #IhungwithTed or #Ican'thangwithTed or #banditmarathon or #homemadehalf?
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