*CHICAGO*

Mural on the wall outside Niketown on Miracle Mile in Chicago
Every single Chicago Marathon runner's name is listed
too cool

From the minute I arrived in Chicago, I was taken in by all that I could see...tall buildings, the busy-ness of passers-by, and taxi-packed streets. It was, by far, the biggest, prettiest city I've ever been to. I think I walked around with my mouth wide open. Chicago is what New York must be like on a smaller, much smaller scale.
Arriving midday Saturday afforded me and Emily just enough time to go to the Expo to pick up our race numbers and timing chips for our shoes. The Expo is like a fair for runners...seriously... free samples of granola bars, Oikos yogurt, Muscle Milk, Clif Shot Blocks, and Luna Moons. There was also a designated area for every major running shoe and apparel company, hydration product, nutrition supplements, etc...again, a fair!

Here's the stash along with the race shirt!

After the expo, the main priority was eating dinner to ensure an early bedtime, so we made our way to a (too fancy-for-our-style!--they sat us downstairs and in the back by the kitchen-ha!) seafood restaurant called Devon--best Salmon I've ever had. And honey biscuit. And rissotto. And asparagus. Period.
By 8:00pm that night, we were fueled-up with a nutrient-packed dinner and ready to wind down and save all our energy. Sleep came easier to me than I thought it would, because I anticipated being too excited to get any shut-eye. The night before a marathon (or any race, really) is like Christmas Eve for a kid!
The morning alarm sounded at 6:00am. The first thing I did was check the weather: I think the forecast said it was 30 degrees at that point...the decision on shorts or not was an easy one at that point! Em and I sat up and looked at each other with what had to be sparkles in our eyes because of the anticipation of what was to come!

Race-ready for a 32 degrees-RIGHT before we walked down to the Marathon start!

This marathon provided a lesson in having confidence in yourself! My official time was 3:44:42, and was the best race I've ever run! Crowd support was absolutely unreal...not one stretch of the 26.2 mile route wasn't covered with cheering moms, dads, friends, husbands, wives, daughters, sons, sisters, and brothers. But even more encouraging than cowbells and whoops, was a man racing on crutches and only one leg. My eyes started to swell with tears because I was so moved. How courageous, tenacious, dauntless. What determination, commitment, and guts. A winner. A champion. One word: "in-freaking-spiring!"

We finished!

A goal that was in the back of my mind was crossing the finish line in 3:40 or faster, which would have earned me a ticket to the prestigious Boston Marathon. I was bummed that I didn't accomplish this, but was more than happy with how I had ultimately performed.
Em and I were able to start the race together and hugged-it-out in Grant Park when we saw each other after the finish. We will have this memory forever and I will treasure it.

Next up is the Space Coast Marathon in Cocoa Beach on November 29th!