Made It....But I Lost a Wheel Early

It's been a week since Chicago. I finished the marathon, but it was a challenge, as I pulled a calf muscle early on. Following that, I shuffled and limped around the course....but I did it!

My time wasn't great, but as I said earlier, my objective was to finish.

It was a hot day, with the temperature breaking 80, with clear, sunny skies. Not ideal for a marathon....for runners...but good for the spectators.

There were 45,000 runners, with 36,000 finishing. I had never heard of a drop off like that before...maybe the hot weather took its toll. It was a great course, traversing through Chicago's various neighbourhoods. It passed by most of the Windy City's landmarks, including Millenium Park, Lincoln Park, the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower), the United Centre, US Bank Park (formerly Comiskey), McCormick Centre and it finished in Grant Park, right near the iconic Buckingham Fountain (remember Married with Children?).

The Chicago Marathon is a well organized race. Lots of support, with water and Gatorade stations every mile. Towards the end, they handed out bananas and energy gel. No question that without this support, it would have been that much more difficult.

After the race, I hobbled back to the hotel and rested. Good thing we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, because my muscles were seizing up....and walking was a bit of a challenge. But, by Monday, things were getting better. The hobbling turned to a gentle walk.

We had a great weekend, with my sons watching the race from various vantage points. My friends, Rob, Jim and Graydon, all finished too and ran well.

This was a full year journey. Will I do another? Possibly. It isn't out of the question. I think Chicago was my 12th or 13th marathon....though the first one since 1995. It was nice to be back in the millieu.

My hope is that Chicago was not the end, but a beginning...of a healthier lifestyle with running back in my life.

Thanks for reading about my journey.