Yesterday I did a recap for the International Chicago 5K (click here to read). Today I’m bringing you my 2019 Chicago Marathon Race Recap.
As a little back story, I did the Chicago Marathon in 2017 and it was my worst race ever (you can read all about that disaster here). I had SO many issues and it was an absolutely horrible experience. I was hoping that this year’s race would be redemption for me. While it didn’t go exactly as planned, I am happy to report that it was a much better race experience and I finished with a 50 min course PR.
Before getting into the race recap, let’s discuss the beginning of the weekend.
Friday, October 11
We arrived in Chicago after an uneventful but somewhat weird flight. There was a guy sitting in the row in front of us coughing A LOT during the flight. It got to the point where I had my mouth and nose covered for a majority of the flight because I didn’t want to catch anything. We also had two babies in our section so you can imagine how fun that was. To top it off, my dad was sitting near a woman and her dog. The dog was actually super calm and didn’t make any noise during the flight, but it was always weird to look over and see it, lol. It was pouring rain when we arrived so we had to sit on the tarmac for a while which was a little aggravating. After an hour plus drive to the hotel, we were finally checked in and ready to hit the Expo.
Luckily there were shuttle buses going to the Expo right outside our hotel. The Expo was nothing short of insane. The bib pick up process was really well organized, but I was annoyed that I had to walk all the way to the back of the expo to get my race shirt. It took forever to get there since the Expo was so crowded. Finally I got my shirt but had to exchange it for a larger size (I swear the shirt they gave me looked like a children’s t-shirt). After the shirt exchange, I quickly found Marcia at the NOW Foods booth. I was so glad that I didn’t miss her since I got to the Expo later than expected.
I then met Renee and we chatted for a little while before we both left the Expo.
I actually didn’t visit many vendors because I really just wanted to get in and get out – it was a little overwhelming for me. The one vendor I did visit was Angelic Bakery. I have never heard of the brand before but the samples they were giving out were so good! I purchased to packs of their wraps. Luckily I found out that their brand is sold at a supermarket in my city so I won’t have to order the items online.
After an eventful day, we went to PF Changs for dinner. Oh, did I mention it was super cold and rainy all day? Definitely a shot to the system!
Saturday, October 12
Another cold morning with a real feel temperature in the 20s. At first, I thought about bailing on the International Chicago 5K run but I knew I would totally regret not doing it so that thought didn’t last long in my head. It took a while to warm up but the race race was actually a lot of fun.
I was running a little behind schedule by the time I got back to the hotel so I missed the WeRunSocial Meetup at the Bean, but I was excited for brunch with a few blogger/IG runners that were also in town to run the marathon. A few weeks ago I mad a brunch reservation at Beatrix. I thought it would be nice to try to get everyone in one spot to enjoy some food and relax before the big race day. I really enjoyed chatting with everyone!
After brunch it was back to the hotel to chill out. Later on that afternoon, Michelle and I met up with another one of our IG friends, Pam. It was nice that we were all staying in the same hotel so we just met in a sitting area and chatted for about an hour.
After we finished, I wen back to the room and ordered dinner from Giordano’s for delivery. I really didn’t feel like going back out so this was perfect. Unfortunately the food was just okay. The pizza and chicken were both a little dry, but I was starving so it would have to do. I watched TV for a little while and finally fell asleep. I didn’t sleep that well which didn’t surprise me because I was excited for race day.
Race Day!
After a few hours of sleep, I got dressed and headed down toward the race start a little after 6:30am. My hotel was about a half mile from the race start. It was cold and windy so I had a few throwaway items with me to keep me warm. Before long it was time to start the 2019 Chicago Marathon!
This is really a tale of two races for me, the first half and the second half, so that’s how I will split up my recap.
Miles 1-13.1
Going into the race, I didn’t really start to get nervous until I was sitting in my corral ready to start the race. But I tried to calm myself down before crossing the start line. I ran the first mile too fast (what’s new?) so I quickly scaled it back to make sure I settled into a good pace. The first few miles have a lot of turns and go through downtown so my GPS watch was off rather early on in the race. I fell into a good groove around mile 3. The next few miles consisted of Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Old Town. Again, the crowds were insane and I just felt so much love from all the spectators. I was hitting my paces every mile. Around mile 10 I started to feel some leg discomfort and slowed down a little but still kept pushing through.
Miles 13.1-26.2
I guess you can say this is where the wheels fell off. The second half of the race started off great as I was able to see Marcia and Wendy. I was so happy to see them and give them hugs 🙂 At this point I had to take one (of two) bathroom breaks. (Side note: The dinner from Saturday night made my sister sick. I wasn’t sick but it definitely wasn’t sitting right in my stomach, hence the two potty breaks).
The good thing about the second half of the course was that it had way less turns, so it was easier to continue to follow the blue dotted line to make sure I didn’t run more than necessary. We also ran through the West Loop, Greektown and Little Italy. One great thing about this race is that you run through so many different neighborhoods and each one is unique.
My leg pain intensified and it was pretty brutal. I like to think that I have a high threshold for pain but even this was really testing my resolve. The best way I can describe it is feeling like a throbbing toothache, but in both legs. I’ve run on tired legs before but this was just ridiculous! It was frustrating because my mind kept saying “go, go, go” but my body was like “Nah, I’m good”. Also, between miles 14-20 the wind started to REALLY pick up, which of course made things a little harder. During these miles I started to experience lower back pain as well. I’ve dealt with this on and off since last year. I was hoping that it would stay away since I haven’t had the pain in a few weeks, but my body had different plans 🙁
I saw my family around mile 19.2 which was a great moral boost. Hands down my favorite part of the course was mile 19-20, also known as Pilsen. I cannot express how much energy I felt during that mile. The people and the music were AMAZING. I probably smiled that whole mile and it gave me a small boost. Going through Chinatown around mile 21 was also really fun. Unfortunately that boost didn’t last long and by mile 22 I was back in the pain cave AND my headphones died so I didn’t have any more music to carry me through the remaining 4 miles. Just fantastic..
The last 4 miles are a blur. I was seriously considering going to a medical tent to see if they had any Aleve or Tylenol I could take because between my back and my legs, I was barely hanging on. At mile 24 I decided to share my pain via a group text to my best friends..
At mile 25 I saw my family one last time before running down Michigan Ave into Grant Park. I then shuffled/walked the rest of the way. Can I also state how mean it is to have that incline at mile 26?! I cannot express how excited I was to see the finish line!
While it took me longer than I would have liked to finish, I still crossed the finish line with a smile and celebrated my 4th marathon finish.
After crossing the finish line, I grabbed a bottle of water, a banana and a bag full of snacks. Also, I’m not a huge beer drinker but this tasted really good after the race.
Final Thoughts
I mentioned on my Instagram post after the race that I thought this would be my last marathon. In 3 of my 4 marathons it seems like the 2nd half is where I always fall apart, so maybe that is my body telling me to stick to half marathons? Although I’m really happy that my race experience was better than my race two years ago, I’m still just a little disappointed that I couldn’t keep up the pace for the second half of the race. If I could, I would have had a huge PR. Also, I guess it’s a little frustrating/embarrassing to train well but then not have such a good race. Does that make any sense? I’m not a “fast” runner by any means, but I still wish that my race time reflected all of my training.
Finally, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for your support and kind words during this training cycle. It was SO appreciated!!
I’m linking up with Marc from Train With Marc and Debbie from Coach Debbie Runs for Coaches’ Corner!
Debbie @ Deb Runs says
Awww, I loved reading your recap and seeing how many blogging and IG friends you were able to meet in real life. Congrats on finishing marathon number five! I’m sorry that your back and legs didn’t cooperate during the last half of your marathon.
kookyrunner says
Thanks Debbie! Meeting IG friends and hanging out with them was really the highlight of the long weekend.
Darlene says
I feel bad that it didn’t go as you planned. But you finished. That’s a win in my book.
I felt the same way during the last 7 miles of my 20.
I’m hoping for less pain during 26.2.
I know I need to go very slow for the first 13 no matter how good I felt.
I’m sticking to halfs even if the race goes swimmingly.
kookyrunner says
Thanks Darlene. Yup, I always say that finishing is winning so I’m always thankful to cross that finish line!
Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner says
Kim you have absolutely nothing to feel bad or embarrassed about! You have achieved something that most people (myself included) have never attempted. The training you did all summer long everyday in the heat week after week is the real achievement. The race is just a victory lap. You rock in my book!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Deborah 🙂 Very true, I am always happy to cross the finish line because I know that’s never guaranteed!
Even though the race didn’t go as planned, I’m still happy with the training. Like you said, training in the summer is no small feat lol.
Kimberly Hatting says
Wish I could have been there to hug you (and Mom LOL) in person this weekend. It’s a total bummer to train well, and start strong, but have things spin out of control. I hope you appreciate the power all of that training gave you, though…like I said, it enabled you to persevere when many others would have white-flagged it. I don’t know if you remember my Route 66 experience (Nov. ’16), but I had a similar frustrating out-of-my-control experience, too. It took me a couple weeks to process everything afterwards, but I can look back on that race and smile. I didn’t get the finish time I’d trained for, either, but I knew I did the best I was able under the (painful) conditions on the course….and the event itself was a blast (achy hip/groin be damned LOL). Congrats on another 26.2 victory!
kookyrunner says
I just read your Route 66 race recap and can totally see the similarities between your race and my race on Sunday. I had a weird mixture of emotion that is borderline appreciation for finishing the race and disappointment for the finish time not reflecting my training. But I will say that I’m at peace with it because I know I trained well and did the best I could do out there on Sunday.
Debbie says
One of the best things about big races is the opportunity to meet more blogging and social media friends! Congratulations on your race. You did just great even if it didn’t go exactly as you planned.
kookyrunner says
Totally agree! Meeting up with everyone was the highlight of the weekend for me.
Elaine says
Marathons are tough so congrats on your 4th! You never know what the day will throw at you even with the training going well. Sounds like it was a much better race than the first one – 50min is a huge improvement!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Elaine!
Liz Dexter says
Amazing work and you do never know what will happen in a marathon. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the massive headwinds in my last one which made me cry, cry, CRY. Ha! But we all continue to do this stuff, right?
Amazing PR, well done, and great, honest report. You rock!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Liz! It’s so true that we never know what we’re going to get on race day. As frustrated as I was that day, I’ve come to terms with it now, thankfully!
Marcia says
Congrats again Kim! I know how hard you trained and I totally understand the disappointment. Who knows what that leg and back pain was about?? At any rate, time will pass and your perspective will change. You finished a freaking marathon after all. 😀 I agree with you the Pilsen neighborhood is off the leash. Chicago needs more Pilsens in that back half. It was so great seeing you again and meeting your cheer squad!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Marcia! The back pain I’ve had on and off a for a year so that wasn’t too much of a surprise but the leg pain was really a shock. I love Chicago so much – I’m going to find a reason to come back there next year 🙂
Madhusree says
It is so nice to read your race recap. Many congratulations…Although it did not go as planned…you really did great…You finished the race despite your pain…well that’s heroic…
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much for the congrats!
Sandra D Laflamme says
Congratulations on your finish even though it wasn’t the race that you wanted. It sounds like you had an incredible weekend nontheless seeing so many blogging friends. It is hard to run through such pain and some tummy troubles.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Sandra. It really was a very fun weekend and I have so many great memories from meeting new people, to the delicious food to the race itself.
Esther says
Girl, I am so proud of you! Despite the issues you faced, you finished, and with a course PR!!
I know it is hard to train well then not have the race go according to plan!
I am glad there was a lot of crowd support! I always loved that about Chicago races!
Bummer about your headphones! I would have sat down and cried!
Jealous you got to meet Renee!!
Cheers to a good weekend ahead!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Esther – I really appreciate the kind words.
Crowd support was just so great. It was a cool feeling to know that so many people were out cheering for all of the runner. The city really supports the race.
Lisa @ Mile by Mile says
Congratulations on your race! You really overcame a lot of challenges especially with that leg and back pain. It sounds like such a fun race and I really want to run it some day! (I think I said that after you ran in 2017 too, haha). Have you thought about just taking a while off from marathons to focus on shorter distances? The marathon will always be there if and when you decide to get back to it!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Lisa! I have thought about taking some time off from longer distances, but I have a goal of running a half marathon in 25 states so I wouldn’t be able to focus on the shorter distances for too long.
Chris Tiley says
Well done for finishing. It would have been easy, and understandable, for you to have thrown the towel in when the pain kicked in.
Looking forward to reading the recap of your 5th Marathon 😉
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Chris. As I now, I don’t foresee a 5th marathon in my future, but I do see plenty of half marathons!
Michelle @ Running with Attitude says
Huge congrats on finishing another marathon! Now that I’ve finally made it through one I have even more respect for anyone who takes on this distance multiple times 😉 I’m sorry for the pain during the back half. You rocked a great training cycle and you know finishing is a win in my book!
It goes without saying that it was great spending time with you again! Gotta plan our next meet up 🙂
kookyrunner says
Thanks Michelle! I’m definitely a believer in finishing is winning, I just wished I finished a little quicker, lol.
Lacey@fairytalesandfitness says
Congrats on your marathon! Even though your time doesn’t reflect what you wanted you still did awesome! But you still pushed through towards the finish. Sorry to hear about your dinner the night before. And doesn’t that suck about headphones? Mine did the same darn thing. Although mine didn’t die they just became unsynced and would not rsync up! Enjoy your accomplishment!!!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Lacey! I really enjoyed meeting you in person last weekend. I hope we can connect at another race in the future 🙂
Cari says
I’m feeling the same re: body & Half. I’ve seen paces the last two weeks (Half, 14M) that I haven’t since March. Some of that is fall, but some is yeah – I’m not sure I’m made for 26.2
Congrats on gutting through it – so frustrating with the bad meal
Is that a NYG shirt I spy in the expo shirt? You can stay 😀 Going to the game tomorrow
kookyrunner says
Yeah I just feel like 13.1 is a more manageable distance for me when it comes to racing, although I really do like the challenge associated with training for 26.2.
And yes, that is a NYG shirt you see, lol. Hope you have a great time at the game today!
Cari says
Oh good. way too many Eagles fans in the various linkups 😀
It was a wonderfully wet day. I’ll see a win sometime before I die.
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy says
We all have races we train hard for that just don’t go well. Sometimes we just never know why. It’s so frustrating.
But hey, a 50 MINUTE COURSE PR? That is awesome! Especially if you were having some stomach issues.
I’m so sorry it wasn’t the race that you dreamed of. Glad to hear that you’re recovering well. Only you know if you have another marathon in you, and it’s too soon to tell right now.
kookyrunner says
Totally frustrating, but I am happy with the course PR and that I was able to finish the race – always the goal!
Coco says
Congratulations, Kim! I can’t believe you were able to push through that pain for so long! I think it’s probably too soon to swear off marathons forever, but as someone who’s never tried, I certainly agree that a Half is far enough!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Coco. I’m trying to think what I need to do to get rid of the on again off again lower back pain. I’ve been dealing with it for a year!
Jessie says
50 minute course PR, that’s incredible!
But I’m sorry to hear you’re bummed about your time. That’s always tough when you put it all the work and your finish time doesn’t really reflect it. I hope you enjoy some recovery time and are able to look back on this marathon and still be proud!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Jessie! It was a little frustrating to not have the race reflect my training, but I’ve come to peace with it now.
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures says
Sorry the 2nd half didn’t go so well – did you see my fall marathon?? I’m with ya. I felt like I trained so well and then it just blew up somehow. I kept thinking, “I’m better than this, aren’t I??” Looks like a great weekend with friends, and that’s a great medal and always an kickass accomplishment to finish, so kudos to you!
kookyrunner says
Yes, exactly! I kept saying the same thing “I’m better than what I’m running right now”. That was the frustrating part, but now that I’ve had time to reflect, I’m okay with it and I’m so thankful that I finished another marathon.
Renée says
ah Kim, I totally understand your frustration and feeling like your race didn’t reflect your training! It’s very possible that “we” are just not built for marathon. But then again the fact that you did it, that you pushed through, all the pain and frustration and headwind and everything else, says to me you are one Badass Lady Runner. I’m so so proud of you and so glad we had a bit of time together. It wasn’t enough but i’ll always take what I can get.
I think I may just keep trying to slay the beast that the marathon is until I feel like my race is what I mean it to be. Call me stubborn, but I’m just not ready to call it quits yet (even though it seems the universe is trying to tell me otherwise). So, never say never…
kookyrunner says
Thanks Renee! I totally get what you’re saying about continuing to do marathons until you have a really great one. I’ve thought about that too but right now I just can’t mentally wrap my head around all the training that goes into a marathon.
San says
Congrats on this accomplishment!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much San!
Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder says
Oh hon I totally understand. Almost the exact same thing happened to me at my last marathon…my right IT band just locked up and even though everything else felt fine and I was pacing so well in the first half, my body just wouldn’t keep going. I 100% understand how it feels. I say don’t give up. They say you need to forget your last marathon to do another so it will for sure take time, but I have a few friends who started running marathons and ran over 5 and 6 hour marathons and after 7 or 8 managed to finally get to sub 4 hour times! It’s possible to do better and keep getting better the more you do it. Hell, I didn’t even like half marathons until I had run 3 or 4 of them! And I definitely understand a great training cycle but then race day something happens and it doesn’t come together like you wanted. Literally my Space Coast experience. If you ever need to chat or want to process feelings about the race please reach out. I know it can be overwhelming and disappointing when things don’t go as planned and I’m definitely here to chat if you need it. <3 Also sorry about the super long comment I wanted to tell you everything I was thinking reading this!!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Montana! I recall your Space Coast Marathon experience and I was so crushed for you 🙁 Totally understand your feelings on that.
Right now I just can’t wrap my head around training for another marathon. Maybe in a few years that will change? I’m not sure but for now I think I just want to enjoy the half marathon distance.