I’m baaaccckk! After a week away from everything – workouts, running, blogging and social media – I’m happy to be back. I don’t really have a “large” blog or following, but I really cherish the friendships that I’ve made over the past few years on my little slice of the internet. I missed connecting with you all!
So I have absolutely dreaded writing this race recap. I have so much to say but not sure how I want to say it. I’ll try to make sure that I don’t ramble and make this blog too long. Let’s get started!
The Expo
We arrived on Friday morning and dropped off our bags at the hotel. We were staying at the Hyatt Regency which was one of the 4 hotels that offered free shuttle service to the Expo. We hopped on and 15 minutes later we arrived around 11am. This was obviously NOT a good time to arrive because it was VERY chaotic inside the expo and there were lines for EVERYTHING.
There was a two step process to get your bib. You had to wait in one line to get your ID checked and then they sent you to another line to get your bib. I found this to be a little odd as the lines for the first “check-in” were all over the place and it was very confusing. After I got my bib it was time to do some shopping. I found the items I wanted and then waited on line another 30 minutes to purchase the items.
Then I waited another 20 minutes on another line to buy a beer glass and coffee mug…are you seeing a theme here? By the time I made all my purchases, I was pretty annoyed at how crowded the expo was and did a quick walk through for the other vendors, picked up my official race shirt and swag bag, and then left.
I think the expo would have been perfectly fine if I didn’t go at such a busy time. I really thought that 11am on Friday wouldn’t be bad, but I was wrong! I also thought it was weird that the official finisher jacket wasn’t available at the Expo. It was available at Niketown the next day. I didn’t feel like dealing with anymore crowds so I just ordered it online and it came last week – I love it!
Saturday
On Saturday my mom ran the International Chicago 5K. I walked with her down to the start area and ran into Renee! I was so happy to finally get to meet her in person 🙂
I wasn’t running the race (I was trying to save my legs for race day), so I made my way down to the finish line for the race so I could cheer on all the runners. I don’t spectate races often so it was nice to be on that side for a change! My mom said that she enjoyed the race but that the course was a little cramped overall. She was happy with he swag (race medal and scarf).
After the race I had to hustle to get to the Bean for the WeRunSocial meet up! I got there a few minutes late but there were still plenty of runners there! It was nice to catch up with old friends, and also meet new ones. These meet-ups never disappoint! If there is a WeRunSocial meet up for any of your races – check it out!
After the meet up I went back to the hotel and the family and I went out for breakfast at Corner Bakery – it was delicious! After breakfast I headed back to the hotel and my family did some sight seeing. For dinner, we ordered food from Giordano’s and it was freaking delicious! I swear I could eat my way through Chicago if I had the chance…
Race Day
So I think this pretty much sums up race day for me…
Heartbreak. That’s the word that stood out for me. Last Sunday I definitely felt this and about 100 other emotions. The weird thing is, the morning started out promising. Sure, it was humid (88%), BUT the actual temperature was cooler than expected (I think it was in the 50s). I even had to wear a long sleeve shirt as a throwaway! I was in Wave 3, Corral J so I got to my corral around 7:45am. Luckily I had some entertainment as a T-Rex was nearby.
By the time my corral started around 8:35/8:40, the sun was out and it was starting to get warm…crap! I knew that we would have higher than usual temps for October, but I didn’t want to focus on that too much. You can’t control the weather, so there’s no need to obsess about it, especially while you’re running a race!
I would say that the wheels started coming off pretty early. Around mile 2 I knew something was “off” but I kept running. I had to stop for a potty break around mile 5 (I was hydrating like a boss), but after that I felt pretty good, but I think I started to slow down around mile 7. By the time I saw my family at mile 10.5, I felt completely defeated. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get my breathing under control. This was extremely infuriating because my body felt great! Any time I tried to pick up the speed, or run more than 5 minutes, it was hard to breathe. By mile 13.5 I knew my PR was out the window so I stopped to snap a photo to post on Instagram. I knew that some people were tracking me, and I didn’t want them to be alarmed that I was going a lot slower than expected. I also texted my coach to let her know the PR wasn’t happening today.
I walked/jogged/shuffled to the medical tent around mile 15. I just wasn’t feeling right at all and I made the decision to get checked out by the medical staff. I was at this medical tent for about 20-25 minutes. My PR was already out the window so I didn’t really care about stopping at the tent. I told them what was going on and they checked my lungs, blood pressure, etc. They told me to hang out in the tent for a little while, rest, and to drink some water – I did just that. They cleared me to continue but told me to take it easy.
Sigh…take it easy was exactly what I had to do for the next 11 miles. I mainly walked and sulked the rest of the time. I ran when I could, which was not very often. The breathing issues continued. Around mile 25 I was sick of walking and tried to run most of the mile. I was coughing like a crazy person after I crossed the finish line but I was just so happy to be finished with the worse race of my running life.
So…what happened?
I’m not 100% sure yet (still waiting on test results), but I might have exercise induced asthma. I saw my primary care doctor (who is also a triathlete so she can relate well to runners) last week. I told her what happened and that was her initial diagnosis. I went to the pulmonologist yesterday and took a breathing test and the results should be in by the end of the week. I’m hoping that I don’t have this, but if I do, I’ll work through it.
What you need to know about Chicago
My horrible race experience aside, the Chicago Marathon is a freaking awesome race! Yes, it is crowded, but that crowd support is EVERYTHING!! Literally the crowds line the entire course. It really seems like the city loves this race. My two favorite neighborhoods were Pilsen and Chinatown. The energy in both these neighborhoods was electric. I think it was the only time I cracked a smile throughout the race because everyone was so full of energy and happiness! Oh and the beer after the race…magnificent! I never had Goose Island IPA before, but now I am definitely a fan!
How I’m Feeling
Immediately after the race I felt like a failure and I was extremely disappointed in myself. It wasn’t that I had an issue with the finish time, because a finish is a finish, but I was embarrassed that I trained for 20 weeks and had a race result that was so far off from my goal. I know that many people came in over their goal time for the race because of the weather, but 15 or 20 minutes is a lot different than over an hour, almost 2 hours.
I questioned myself, “Could I have trained harder?” “What did I do wrong?”. I also thought that maybe I was way too confident going into the race. I just KNEW that I had that PR. What I finally realized is that the marathon doesn’t give a sh*t about your training. It doesn’t care about the early morning runs or the late night PT sessions. It doesn’t care that you hit your race pace, or faster, during training. It doesn’t care that you hydrated like a boss before the race. It truly doesn’t care. You get what you get on race day and that’s it.
And honestly, with everything going on in the world – hurricanes, fires, gun violence – how on Earth can I sit here and complain about a race? It is really a “first world” problem and the truth of the matter is, I finished. I am thankful for that because some people were not so lucky and had to DNF.
What’s Next
I deferred my NYCM race entry to next year. After this race I had zero desire to suffer through another marathon in a month. On Saturday I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn 5 Miler (dropped down from the half marathon). I have 3 5K’s in November (including a Turkey Trot) and I’ll probably do a holiday themed 5K in December. Other than that, I’m not running any more long distance races this year. I’ll still do “longish” runs on the weekend to keep up my fitness level (6-10 miles). I’m thrilled that I will not be officially training for anything. I’m looking forward to enjoying running again because right now, we’re not friends. I’ll also start back up at the gym this week as well.
I know the million dollar question is – Will you run another marathon? The answer is YES, but I will not do a 20 week training plan as I think it may have been a few weeks too long for me. I am planning on running another marathon next year (besides NYCM) because I still want that PR that I know I am capable of getting – but it will probably be a Spring marathon because training the entire summer is not going to happen for me next year – I just will not suffer through that again.
I also need to take this time to say two simple words – THANK YOU! I lost count of how many people reached out to me on my blog and Instagram/Twitter. The amount off love I received was overwhelming and I really mean it when I say runners makes the best friends. I love you all 🙂
I also love all the special messages and inside jokes I received from friends, lol
…and a special thank you to my running coach, Abby, for sending me this shirt this week. She knew I needed a pick-me-up.
Have you ever had an epically bad race? If so, how did you recover?
I’m linking up with Marcia from Marcia’s Healthy Slice, Erika from MCM Mama Runs and Patty from My No-Guilt Life for Tuesdays on the Run.
I’m also linking up with Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Jen from Pretty Little Grub and Nicole from FitFul Focus for Wild Workout Wednesday.
And finally, I’m linking up with Rachel from Running on Happy, Susie from Suzlyfe, Lora from Crazy Running Girl, and Debbie from Coach Debbie Runs for Coaches’ Corner!
Marcia says
In the old scoring system in figure skating (in the dark ages when I was a figure skater) they’d take your top score and bottom score and wipe them out. Gone. That’s what you need to do with this marathon. Seriously, don’t give it more thought. You could/should NOT have trained harder. Chicago is great BUT the weather here on that day has the propensity to unravel the best of us. It did me in twice. I know that feeling of being done almost as soon as you cross the start line. I know so well how tough it is to work so hard only to get a super disappointing outcome. I runfess I hate how late they make the 2nd and 3rd corrals go off when the weather is warm. The back half of the course is brutal in heat, even with the wonderful crowds. I was worried sick about you as I watched you on the tracker, then I wasn’t sure it was updating properly…and then somehow you got past me. Like I said, throw this one right out the window. Much better marathons are ahead of you.
The Berlin expo was crazy busy on Friday morning too. It ticked me off and I missed so much, including getting the race poster. I love the Chi gear! I noticed the Nike outlet out here where I live had it (regular price) before the race. Crazy.
I know the heartbreak you feel but still, mad props to you for pushing through to the finish!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Marcia! I’m really trying to keep it all in perspective and put a positive spin on everything. I’m hoping that will help me enjoy my short runs and non-training that I’ll be doing for the next few months. I know that I still have that marathon PR in me – it just didn’t happen in Chicago.
Lacey@fairytalesandfitness says
Congrats on your race! Regardless of the outcome you should still feel a sense of accomplishment! I went a little crazy at the expo too when I ran it last year. It’s a major marathon so how could you not? I do remember how long the lines were.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much. I was actually proud of myself that I didn’t buy everything single Chicago Marathon items at the expo, lol. There were other things I wanted to buy but told myself to get 5 things or less!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says
You know all about my bad Chicago Marathon. I felt as you did, defeated, ashamed, angry…the one thing I learned is to respect the distance. The marathon is a whole other animal compared to the half. It’s not 2 halfs, it’s not 4 10ks,–it’s a freaking marathon. I learned that you can train perfectly and then on race day, it can all go out the window. Be proud that you finished–you crossed that finish line and you didn’t quit. You are a marathoner! Plus you have a great attitude. It took me 3 years to run that distance again.
kookyrunner says
Reading about your bad Chicago Marathon race made me want to give you a huge hug as I could relate to everything that you mentioned 🙁 I think that respecting the distance is HUGE. All the training in the world can’t really prepare you for race day.
I’m trying to have a positive attitude about it now so that it can hopefully help me move on, especially if I wanna run another marathon next year.
Erica @ Erica Finds says
Powering through on a day like you had makes you a winner! Chicago ’07 was my terrible race and San Fran last year about did me in. It’s so hard to spend 20 weeks training for a disappointing race. I think you’re smart to defer NYC and to go short for the rest of the year! You’ll find the love again! ? Hope the doctors can get to the bottom of this quickly for you!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Erica. I am very content with my decision to defer NYCM and just focus on shorter distances and running for fun the rest of the year,
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy says
I am so sorry you struggled so much with this race. Exercise induced asthma sounds like a real possibility, in which case there was absolutely nothing you could do about it — not that that makes you feel any better, I know.
I’ve had a few epically bad races, for sure. Ones that left me in pain, or missed a PR by a lot when I trained so hard for one — mostly due to weather. It’s bad enough when it’s a half, but so much worse when it’s a full and you’ve dedicated so much of your life to it.
What keeps me going is that I still have an awful lot of states to do!
I’m with you, though, I’m enjoying running for fun and have no desire to train through another winter (that’s my toughie). I also don’t know what my spring half will be, so don’t really know when I’ll be in training mode again.
Congrats on gritting it out and knowing that you’ll be back for more one day. It’s a whole lot easier to throw in the towel!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much for the kind words Judy. It was definitely a tough pill to swallow on race day, but I am glad that I was actually able to finish the race.
Training in the summer heat and humidity is just not for me. For some reason, running in the cold doesn’t really bother me as much. Sometimes the extra layers can feel heavy, but I tend to have more energy for some reason.
Cyndi says
Congratulations on finishing the marathon! It’s still a great accomplishment PR or not. You never know what race day will bring, even with a perfect training cycle. I really like the gear you bought at the expo. Very nice. (I also like that scarf your mom got!)
kookyrunner says
Thanks Cyndi. Race day is such a crap shoot but I’m glad that I was able to finish.
I really like the scarf that my mom received too!
courtney @ eat pray run dc says
I hear you, lady. I’ve been there. Most of us have. The marathon is so hard and SO MANY things have to go right to have a good day. Do not feel embarrassed. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone. We are all just proud of you, friend!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Courtney! It took me a few days but I finally got it through my head that I finished a marathon and that in itself should be celebrated.
Chaitali says
Ugh, it sounds like it was a bad race for a lot of people! But pushing through that type of difficulty is a real mark of perseverance and really impressive that you were able to finish. I hope that you’re able to enjoy being friends with running again and just running for fun instead of hard core training. And if it is exercise induced asthma, then there really wasn’t much that can be done given the heat and humidity. I was diagnosed with that and the inhaler they provided really helped. I don’t need it that often any more but it flares up for me with really dry air. I keep the inhaler with me when I run just in case and it helps with the breathing/coughing issue when the need arises.
kookyrunner says
Wow, I never heard of exercise induced asthma and you are the second person to tell me that they have it. If I do have it, don’t be surprised if I send you an email – I really want to learn more about it!
It was definitely a hard race day for many runners as it got pretty warm (80+) mid-morning. Also the second half of the course doesn’t have a lot of cloud cover so its direct sunlight – ugh!
Kimberly Hatting says
It sounds like you have a tiny bit of “closure” and “moving-on” happening here 😉 You said it well…the marathon doesn’t give a sh*t about all one does to prepare, and it doesn’t give a sh*t if you’re in the best shape of your life…. race day arrives, and all we can do is deal with what’s there– the good and the bad. Keep your chin UP and enjoy this regrouping time….you definitely have earned a little bit of YOU time 😉
kookyrunner says
I actually do, which is weird, because I thought it would take me forever to come to terms with what happened. Something just clicked a few days ago and I feel like I can move on from the race. Sure, I’ll still think about it of course, but I don’t want to keep dwelling on it.
San says
First of all, congratulations on finishing this marathon! I know, it’s little consolation but finishing a marathon in itself is a huge accomplishment, so there’s that!
I am sorry you didn’t have the race your were hoping for, but it’s like you said: on race day, you get what you get.
I just hope you don’t have any health issues going on that prevented you from reaching for that PR!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much San! One day I’ll get that PR, it just wasn’t meant to be for Chicago and that’s okay 🙂
Jennifer @ Dashing in Style says
I had a very similar experience last year for my first marathon. It was in November, and while I feel like cool October days are now a thing if the past, I’d be safe in November. But it was unseasonably warm that weekend, with very intense sun (my kryptonite). It was a huge struggle for me just to get to the halfway point, and I was breathing like I was running a 5k. I was going to quit but my friend convinced me to keep going even if I had to walk a lot. So that’s what I did, finishing an hour after my goal time! I think training prepares you to run your best in the best weather conditions. In tough conditions, it’s really all you can do just to finish. You gave what you could on that day in those conditions, and that’s really all you can ask yourself to do! A huge congratulations to you for finishing!!! You had every reason to take a DNF, but chose the hard way and kept on going. That takes a huge amount of toughness, both physically and mentally!
kookyrunner says
Thank you so so much Jennifer, and thanks for sharing your marathon story with me. You’re right, it sounds like we had very similar experiences unfortunately 🙁 We should both give ourselves a pat on the back for finishing!
Lisa @ Mile by Mile says
iIm so sorry that this race didnt go as planned for you. As I have said, I am so impressed that you finished despite feeling so awful. I hope you can get some answers about what was going on!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Lisa. Hoping to have some answers by the end of the week!
Debbie @ Deb Runs says
The expo lines sound awful. So much for staying off your feet as much as possible the last couple of days before the race. I’m sorry that you had such a rough day. I admire you for sticking it out even though you were having so much trouble breathing. I hope your doctors can figure it out so you’ll know how to deal with it in the future.
I love Giordanos deep dish pizza. I went to the Corner Bakery for a salad after I finished the Chicago Spring Half Marathon last year. It was so good!
kookyrunner says
The expo was bananas! When I went to the expo for NYCM it was super easy and didn’t feel crowded at all, so I guess I was expecting the same thing for Chicago – live and learn!
Giordano’s is soooooo good! How I wish they had a location here in CT!
Coco says
Oh, gosh! I didn’t realize you went to the med tent. Yikes. I am really impressed by your perseverance. I’m not sure I would have tried to finish after that. It is heartbreaking but you earned that medal and finisher’s jacket!
I have exercise-induced asthma and only use an inhaler when I race, or in weird conditions (running in Denver, or really cold weather). When I was first diagnosed (at age 40!) I treated it daily with inhaled steroids, but then my Dr. weaned me off those. Bottom line – if that’s what it is, it is serious but treatable and shouldn’t keep you sidelined.
xxooxx
kookyrunner says
I actually think that going to the medical tent helped give me a little piece of mind. I was feeling so crappy and I just wanted to make sure I was okay to continue!
Depending on what the results show, I may be contacting you to learn more about the exercise-induced asthma.
MCM Mama says
I sometimes have issues like that with humidity – I can’t keep my breathing and heart rate under control. If you don’t have exercise induced asthma, it may have just been the high humidity. (And I train in VA, where humidity is crazy, and it’s not an every time kind of experience.)
Congrats on finishing, despite the weather and how you were feeling!
kookyrunner says
The humidity is definitely not anyone’s friend!!
TriGirl says
I hear ya! I was at Chicago too and I don’t know what happened, but EVERYONE I’ve talked to said the wheels came off for them too! The thing is that we finished!! Woohoo!!!
I really need to write my race recap already.
kookyrunner says
It definitely seemed like most people had a bad day at Chicago 🙁 I know of 2 people that got a PR but that was definitely not the norm!
Rachel says
Oh Kim, I know you trained so hard for this. But a finish is ALWAYS a win! And you’ll come back stronger and better. And I hope you don’t have asthma but if you do, at least you’ll know how to manage it and there will be no more surprises on race day.
Hugs to you. xxoo
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Rachel! I should have the results by the end of the week. I’m hoping its negative, but if I have asthma, it will just be one more thing to conquer!
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running says
First of all, you did absolutely nothing wrong. You trained hard, put in the hard work, and were truly dedicated to marathon training. Sometimes we all have off days (I’m trying to remind myself of that as well since Chicago didn’t go as I had hoped either), but you didn’t give up and you finished, for which you should be quite proud. I hope that you find out some answers from the doctor soon and start to feel better.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Kathryn. I think I just needed a few days to decompress and actually be proud of my achievement. I know that I have that marathon PR in me – it will just take a little longer to get 🙂
Shathiso says
This statement from your blog shows your maturity as a runner in so many ways – “What I finally realized is that the marathon doesn’t give a sh*t about your training. It doesn’t care about the early morning runs or the late night PT sessions. It doesn’t care that you hit your race pace, or faster, during training. It doesn’t care that you hydrated like a boss before the race. It truly doesn’t care. You get what you get on race day and that’s it”. You do get what you get. And the fact that with all that – you came through that finish line. That to me makes you my hero. That alone.
kookyrunner says
You’re too sweet – thanks so much Shathiso! I think taking a few days off to think about the race made me come to that conclusion.
Teresa says
Reading this, I felt bad for your experience, but I also felt pride …a great deal of pride for how you pushed through all of the adversity on race day and even more how you’ve come to terms with it and shared your honest, raw emotions with us. So often, runners want to share only the great runs and races. But we all know that all races/runs are not good and more often than not, we have no control over their outcome ..regardless of training.
Enjoy your time off, regroup and go after it again …because you can do hard things! xoxo
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Teresa – that means alot. I try to be authentic and I hope that comes through in my writing. As runners, we all know not every run is going to be awesome so I think we need to be real about when those things happen.
I know that I’ll get that marathon PR – not sure when, but it will happen. For now, I’m more than happy to keep my runs nice and short!
Lesley says
I’m so sorry this was your experience, but you gutted it out and finished! I have exercise induced asthma, and just use my inhaler before my runs. Humidity gives me fits because of the weight of the air, and I always have to slow down. It is disappointing, but if you do have it, you have answers that will help for next time.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Lesley. Humidity usually drains my energy pretty quickly while running. I may be reaching out to you to learn more about how you balance running with exercise induced asthma.
Sonia says
I’m really sorry it was such a sucky day for you. Kudos for sticking with it until the end because THAT is even harder!! You’re a fighter and I’m glad that you’re already planning to tackle another one! I might try for a spring marathon too. I agree that summer training in TX was awful!!
kookyrunner says
I kind of feel like the Spring marathon is the way to go! Training during the winter wont be fun, but it would be nice to not run a race in heat and humidity either!
Susie @ Suzlyfe says
My heart goes out to you. One of my athletes didn’t have teh race he wanted (in a big way–he basically walkred the last 1/3), and there is never a harder conversation for a coach to have than to deal with a disappointing race with a client and friend. You have had a go of it with this training cycle with your knee, and to then have the asthma problems… not what you were expecting, and thus even harder to deal with. Hold your head high, Kim, you finished and you did what was best for your health. Never feel like a failure for having done that.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Suz <3 I am very thankful that I was able to finish the race. I know a lot of runners didn't have the kind of race they had hoped for, but it will only make us stronger as runners, right?!
Anna @ Piper's Run says
I saw your posts on IG and felt so bad for you. What a struggle! You know, it’s hard to look at a race like that and think, I did it but you DID IT! You did the hardest thing a runner could do – fight for it! Congrats on fighting for that run!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Anna. After a few days I was actually able to accept that I did finish, and that in itself is a pretty great accomplishment!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
Oh Kim this makes me so sad that you are so heartbroken. Reading and seeing all of your training these past few months has been so inspiring. Nothing stopped you and you kept getting better and learning from your races. I told you this before but I will say it again. The training time, effort and dedication is the real accomplishment and you totally crushed that. We runners can put so much pressure on a number but that’s just a small part of it all. I hope with time you see that. PS I trained for and thought I had a PR in the bag for a tri race a few months ago. On race day, I just lost it on the run and I knew it was over. I was so upset and I never wrote about it all. I hope with time you see all that you accomplished.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much for the kind words Deborah <3
I know that you are 100% right - the hard work I put in during training is the real accomplishment and I do think that the training prepared me mentally for all the issues on race day.
vicki says
This is so heartbreaking, especially knowing how hard you trained for this. You’ve got to be proud of yourself for sticking with it and finishing it. I’m glad you went to the doctor, hopefully you will get some answers to help sort it out. Enjoyed meeting you!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Vicki. I am actually surprised that I’m feeling much better about the events on race day. I know I’ll get that PR one day 🙂
Andrea Signor says
Oh man. I’m so sorry that this happened. But that hard work is not a waste. Your body and your mind are stronger for it. Take some much deserved rest and come back faster and feistier than ever!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Andrea. I agree that the training definitely made me stronger mentally and I’m very thankful for that!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus says
I’m so sorry this race wasn’t what you hoped, but it sounds like you’re looking back at it with the right attitude. You put in the hard work to be able to run this race, but the fact of the matter is, like you said, the marathon (and Mother Nature) just don’t care. I’m glad you’re deferring NYC til next year. Enjoy some shorter races and when you’re ready, get back at it. In the meantime, I hope your test results come back ok!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Nicole. I am just trying to appreciate the fact that I finished and trying not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of the race. I’ll get that PR one day!
The Accidental Marathoner says
OMG I was right by the T-rex for much of the race! I hope writing this post has been cathartic for you. AS everyone has said, good for you for sticking with it and getting that finish in. We got to the expo at around 2:00 on Saturday and there were absolutely no lines.
kookyrunner says
The T-rex was hilarious! I still don’t know how he was able to run the whole race in that outfit!
Toni says
I am sorry you had such a bad race. I hope you figure out why. Sometimes t just happens despite all the great training we do, that does not make it less disappointing.
kookyrunner says
Thanks Toni. I hope to get the results from my test soon.
Karen Bayne says
I am so sorry things didn’t go as planned. I had an experience last year of not feeling well marathon day and I was just so sad when it was done. You don’t get a do over and I had felt so good in training, why that crap happens race day I’ll never know…but it is hard on the heart.
In the end you are right, it is just running and looking back once time has passed helps and it is great you are looking at the good things the day offered you and you finished!!
Summer training…no! I said never again too lol
kookyrunner says
You’re so right – it was definitely hard on the heart and spirit. I’ve been trying to not dwell too much on the day and move forward, but sometimes I do find myself re-playing the day in my head.
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says
I know that this had to be difficult to write but I hope that somehow it has helped you with moving forward after a tough race. But first – congratulations!! Despite your finish time, you earned your medal with every step!
I hope that your diagnosis is good – I’m glad you stopped at the medical tent when you realized something was off. And I hope that you no longer feel embarrassed about your outcome.
The weather has been cruel to us this season…I am with you, training in the winter is where it’s at! I think it’s much kinder weather for PR goals. I hope you’re taking it easy and enjoying some freedom from training!
kookyrunner says
Thanks Janelle. It was definitely hard to write about, but I always feel like I need to show the good and the bad when it comes to running.
Training in the winter is totally the way to go! I’m one of those weird people that would rather be too cold than too hot!
I am enjoying my off season and I hope you are too!
Renee @pinkypie says
Ah Kim … I am so sorry that you had this experience. I was holding off on asking because you hadn’t said much and I wanted to then catch the recap. Now I wish I had reached out sooner.
So … you finished and that’s what matters…. but I understand the heartbreak. I didn’t even bother to recap The Worst Marathon of My Life because I still find it embarrassing. Anyway, my point is, I totally get it. (on a side note, a friend of mine was pushed aside around mile 10 and fell so hard he dislocated his shoulder! he also spent about 30 min in medical but also was determined to FINISH).
I hope you get some answers regarding what happened! I’ve had breathing issues before and have an inhaler when it’s really humid and that seems to help. Whatever it is, it’s good to listen to your body and make decisions like you have with upcoming races. Personally I do 16 weeks for halfs and fulls so maybe that’s something to consider in the future.
I think the expo was insane basically all the time. we went on Friday afternoon and we could not believe the lines! so we ended up not buying anything! no regrets though.
Finally I just have to say how WONDERFUL it was to meet you, even if we only had a few minutes with each other! Hopefully, one day, we can spend more time.
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Renee. I definitely wasn’t ready to talk about it right after the race, but taking that week off from blogging made it possible for me to collect my thoughts and be able to write the recap.
I’m sorry to hear about your friend – that’s awful! And shame on the person that pushed him at mile 10. Some runners can be so rude in races.
If you do any races in the US next year, please let me know! I’d love to spend more time with you and chat over a meal!
Laurie says
I can see why you are especially proud of this post. It must have been difficult to write, but the honesty and storytelling are so compelling. I felt like I was right there with you while you were running the race. I ran Chicago a few years ago. It was 39 degrees and raining the whole race! The winner slipped on the logo they had painted on the street just as he crossed the finish line and hit his head on the pavement. He had to be taken away by ambulance!
kookyrunner says
Thanks so much Laurie. I really dreaded writing that recap but it was very therapeutic once I started writing everything down.
Wow – I can’t believe what happened to the winner the year you ran the race. That sounds so so scary!
floatinggold says
I’m not a runner, but I enjoyed reading your recap.
I have to tell you that I LOVE your Chicago socks. Were they something you owned before, or did you pick them up at the Expo, too? All your bought gear looks neat, too.
kookyrunner says
The socks are actually from Pro Compression. They were a special edition sock for the Chicago Marathon and I ordered them off their website before the race!