Sunday was my 12th running (or joggling) of the Chicago Marathon. It was a little warm for most marathoners but I didn’t mind the heat much and actually didn’t notice it at all during the race.

The thing I did notice was the excellent support of the crowds all the way through the marathon. There were the people in the beginning who sent chills down your spine as they roar for the runners. There were the people in the financial district who screamed loudly as you passed by. On the north side of the city were the cheerleaders and thousands and thousands of people. As we went back into the city there were throngs of people lining the streets the entire way. And on the west and south sides when you needed it most, the people were there yelling, cheering, whistling, playing music, holding up funny signs, and just generally encouraging you to finish. The crowds at the Chicago Marathon make it a truly special event.

As far as my race went, it was decent. My official finishing time was 3:35:58 which is slower than the 3:20 I’d hoped for, slower than the 3:30 I realistically thought I could get but faster than the 3:38 that I got last year and the 3:39 from 2008. I beat my 41 and 39 year old self, and that’s nice. It’s also the fastest Chicago Marathon I’ve done since about 2006.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a dropless effort. Two drops were caused by me trying to do a couple of tricks and the third was due to a blast from a water hose.

Drop One

I was clipping along at a steady 8 min per mile pace and enjoying the cheering crowds. Along the way I had been throwing my bean bags up high in the air and giving people high fives with my right hand (containing a bean bag). This was great fun. But at mile 9, I saw a little blonde, curly haired, blued eyed kind holding out his hand in earnestness waiting for someone to give him five. So, I approached and his eyes got wide. I threw a bean bag high into the air and reached to slap his hand. But just as I was going to hit his hand he pulled it away. My right hand went flying across my body turning my hips slightly. I saw the high throw come screaming to the ground. I reached out with my empty left hand but the bag was just out of my reach, trickling off the edge of my fingertips and onto the ground. Ugh, I thought, just like Charlie Brown missing the football that Lucy pulled away from him.

Drop Two

Having recovered from my first drop and realization that a 3:20 was not going to happen, I settled into the race and just decided to enjoy it the rest of the way. When I rolled back into the city around mile 12 there was a water station. Right in an area where you make a right turn there was a blue banner (which denoted the end of the water station). There were hundreds of spectators and I heard someone yell, “Hey that guy’s juggling!” I smiled and threw a bean bag up over the banner. Unfortunately, I didn’t throw it quite high enough. It hit the banner and came crash backwards and down to the ground. I frowned, picked up my Gballz and got back on my pace. The crowd gave a sigh but then cheered as I joggled away.

Drop Three

My last drop happened around mile 15. The sun was out and runners were getting overheated. On the side of the road, some spectators thought it would be nice to spray hoses into the crowd of runners. It’s a nice gesture but I don’t love it, especially since I’m joggling and wearing sunglasses. Anyway, as I passed through a stream of water, I look down to prevent my glasses from getting drenched. Unfortunately, a bean bag hit the bill of my cap, crashed into another bean bag and caused all THREE bean bags to drop. It was the worst drop of my marathon joggling career. I’ve never dropped all three bean bags. I bent over, picked up the bean bags after avoiding a few runners who crashed into me from behind, and started up again. I didn’t have any more drops the rest of the way but I avoided all the rest of the hose sprays.

While I am focusing on the drops, they really were just a small but memorable part of the run. I had some wonderful moments (e.g. seeing my wife and in-laws at mile 14 and 22) and I thoroughly enjoyed my day. While running I even listened to Fahrenheit 415 which was an excellent book. I’ll have to re-listen to it but it certainly helped keep my mind off of any pain I might have felt.

3:35:58 is my new 42 year old PR. I’ll certainly make a plan to get faster but for now, I’m just going to enjoy my first place joggler showing at this year’s race. There’s always another race but it’s good to take a break and be proud of yourself for having survived another marathon.

32 down, 12 more to go.

Incidentally, congratulations to fellow juggler, runner, and blog commenter Greg Phillips for his excellent Boston Qualifier & PR!  Also, congrats to joggler Barry Goldmeier for another excellent Chicago Marathon finish.

After the first 5K, the idea began floating around my mind like a dandelion seed in the wind, hovering above my brain by not quite sticking. Although the 23:32 split was 5 seconds per mile faster than I needed, the seeds of doubt began to swirl.

At the 10K mark, the mental breezes slowed and one of the seeds planted itself. Above John Fogerty belting out the lyrics from Centerfield, I heard a faint whisper, “You won’t be able to do it.”

I ignored it and looked into the fabulous, cheering crowd. Thousands of people lined the streets yelling, whistling, ringing cowbells and clapping so loud they sounded like they were expending more energy than the runners they encouraged. The sunny weather brought out half the city.

Pre-race

Earlier, while walking to the train to get to the race, I noticed the warm temperature but didn’t give it much thought. I was too busy pondering my finishing time. Could I set a PR? Is today the day I qualify? Is 3:15possible? Certainly I’ll break 3:30 right? I didn’t know for sure, but knew it would be close.

On the train platform, I looked at all the other runners and smiled. “I’ll finish before almost all of you,” I thought. Confidence before a marathon is good. You need it for when the miles start wearing you down.

First half

As we ran south back towards the skyscrapers, I continued to be fueled by the cheering crowd and surprised by the number of times people yelled “There’s the Joggler”. The term for this sport seems to be catching on. Seeing people I knew in the crowd also gave me a boost. Recognizing some spectators is one of my favorite things about the Chicago marathon.

The trek down Sedwick provided an opportunity for a joggling trick; high-fiving spectators. Often little kids will stand with their hands held out sideways, palms open, facing the runners. As runners go by, they slap the hands and everyone cheers. It’s a great sight. Usually, they see me joggling and pull away their hands to start clapping. But sometimes, they just stand there dumbfounded at the approaching juggler. When this happens, I throw a ball up high, reach out with the beanbag in my right hand, and hit their hand as I go by. Then I listen for the extra cheers as I catch the sky high Gballz before it hits the ground. I love that trick.

I was cruising along, enjoying the moment and trying hard to ignore the pain that started forming in my feet. The music in my ear, crowd on one side, and hundreds of runners on the other inflated my resolve and made the run feel easy. But as I passed the 8 mile mark, the realization that there were over two hours left felt deflating.

Re-entering the downtown area energized me. The crowds were five or six people deep and lined both sides of the street. I imagined this is what it was like if you did the Tour de France.

Just after crossing the bridge over the Chicago River, I saw a shiny penny on the ground. I briefly considered picking it up and adding to the $18.26 I’ve already found while joggling, but I knew that stopping at that moment in the race would make it impossible to prevent myself from walking at mile 22. When you’re doing a marathon, never start walking before the finish line (it feels too good). At least that’s my running philosophy.

Second half

When I passed the half way point at 1:41, I had all but given up on a 3:20 finish. Sure, I continued to encourage myself giving positive affirmations and rationalizing how it was possible that I could run a negative split. But I knew that in the history of me I had never done a negative split in a marathon or any other race. Rationality wasn’t buying the cheerleader’s reassurances.

At mile 14, I saw my support crew featuring my wife, her parents, and the Szurgot family complete with their kids and dog. Unfortunately, I had veered to the wrong side and didn’t get close enough to do anything but throw a Gballz high, smile and wave. This sighting gave me a boost and helped me forget the negative-split debate.

Around mile 18, a guy ran along side and asked if my name was Perry. He then went on to explain how he and I had run the Sunburst Marathon together in 2009. He was the guy in the green shirt who I discussed in mile 18 of that write-up. I smiled in remembrance. He further explained how he had qualified for Boston in the Grand Rapids marathon and how he ran it this year. After I congratulated him he steadily ran ahead of me. After half a mile, I lost him in the crowd. There would be no neck and neck battle for the finish like our last meeting.

After the 20th mile, my sub-8 minute miles had ballooned to 9 minute miles. The cheerleader had long given up and a field of dandelions littered my brain. Walking began to seem like a good option. Of course, as a veteran marathoner I know that’s a bad idea. I gulped down Gatorade and water every chance I got. While going under the train tracks on 35th street there was a group of people handing out Dixie cups full of beer. Normally, I’d pass but I was thirsty and just barely keeping myself moving ahead. I splashed the beer into my mouth and joggled on.

I saw my support crew again just after mile 23. I managed a bright smile and did a high throw trick. Shannon had a video camera and I didn’t want to look as pathetic as I felt. At this late stage of a marathon, even generating the energy to smile is a chore.

In the last few miles, my internal calculator began to estimate how much time was left. First, it calculated in time, 2 miles, 16 minutes. Then it displayed it in familiar running routes, a run around the Galileo cow, a run to the Artists Cafe and back, or a run to the El. This distraction kept me occupied until about a half mile before the finish when I heard someone say, “Are you Perry?”

I tilted sideways to look behind me and saw a tall man in a yellow shirt. I smiled and nodded then turned back around not recognizing him. After a few seconds he ran up along side me and introduced himself. He told me his name and explained, “We’re facebook friends.”
“That’s great,” I said vaguely recalling connecting with him a few weeks earlier. He’s a Chicago runner and discovered me through my blog. We chatted briefly. He stayed with me for about a half mile but steadily fell
behind.

Big finish

The final hill of Roosevelt Road was a welcome sight. I knew I wasn’t going to set a PR or qualify or even have a drop-free effort (having had 2 drops already) but I wanted to finish strong. More than anything, I always want to finish strong.

And I did. The massive crowd exploded when I made the turn for the last 200 meters. The announcer called my name and pointed out my juggling prowess. I tapped my final speed reserves, passed a couple dozen people and finished cleanly just after the official clock hit 3:40.

My final chip time for my 30th marathon was 3:38:08.

I was happy to be done and that I didn’t walk. After getting my metal, chugging water and eating food I made my way to the gear check. I quickly changed into dry clothes and sat around reminiscing with other runners. I was tired but happy.

Epilogue

The marathon is a difficult race and I never know how I’m going to do. I started that day thinking a 3:20 was reasonable and a 3:15 was even possible. But it wasn’t and now, a few days later, I’m left to ponder, when’s the next race and how do I get faster?

Every year the Chicago Marathon tries to find stories about people doing the marathon. Since I’ve already been featured on their website, I’m not going to submit my answers. But I thought it was an interesting enough exercise, so I’ll post my answers to their questions here.

Why I Am Doing the Chicago Marathon

What specifically was the determining factor in your decision to run a marathon in 2010?
I enjoy doing the Chicago marathon for a variety of reasons. First, I have a great time running in my home town. The Chicago marathon is one of the best organized events and the crowds are just fantastic. Second, I find a fall marathon keeps me motivated to run and train all summer long. It is the best inspiration to get you out on the pavement on the early weekend mornings. Third, I have a goal to do 44 marathons and this one helps get me to that goal. Finally, I just love joggling the Chicago marathon!

Why did you select the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in particular?
Because it’s in my home town and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the race in the past.

What is your ultimate goal for this race?
My ultimate goal would be to qualify for the Boston Marathon. That will require me to run a 3:20. We’ll see if I have it in me. Weight loss would be nice too.

Have you had to overcome any personal challenges in your training (e.g. injury, illness, loss of job, loss of loved one, etc.) that will make finishing an even more significant success?
Not really. I sometimes find it difficult to run as far or as fast as I’d like but this happens to everyone. (I think).

Are you trying to improve your health or change your lifestyle? If so, please share your short and long term goals and plans to achieve them.
I’m just trying to maintain my health. My short-term plan would be to lose a little weight so I could increase my chances of living a long time. My long term goal is to live until I’m 107. Marathon running and juggling are all part of the plan to achieve that goal.

Share any humorous or inspirational training stories.
When I run, I juggle.

If you have run in previous Chicago Marathons please share your memories of the experience(s).
I’ve run in 11 previous Chicago Marathons. I remember the first one had only 9000 runners and I came in around 4300th place. If I could come in 4300th place now, that would really be something!

My favorite memories of the Chicago marathon are running north and listening to the roar of the crowd as I run by. People love the juggling and I get amazing cheers and smiles. Sometimes when I’m training alone, I think of those cheering crowds and it motivates me to straighten up and smile.

Are you doing the Chicago marathon this year? If so, why?

Just got an email from the Chicago marathon folks and was reminded on Final Sprint that registration is starting.  Finally, they set a date.  I think they have to wait until the Bears decide on their schedule.

No matter.  I’ll be joggling again this year.  That will be my 12th Chicago marathon.  It’s one of my favorite races.

Anyone else going to be joggling Chicago (or running it)?

Two days after the Chicago Marathon a strawberry fruit bar and a browning banana were the only edible post-race items left.  I ripped open the wrapper and in two bites the mushy, crumbly bar was gone.  I sipped some freshly brewed green tea and picked up the banana.  The snap of the peel signaled the end of my marathon experience.  It hadn’t gone as well as I hoped but it was fun anyway.

Marathon Start

I looked at the clock and slowly rolled out of bed.  The sight of the achiral, palindromic 5:15 time made me smile.  Marathon #25 was only a few hours away.

I put on the pieces of running gear I had laid on the floor:  Blue shirt, grey Adidas shorts, running socks, Polar watch, Nike shoes and a blue Nike cap.   “If only I could get a sponsorship out of one of these companies”, I thought.

I took out the sample tube of Body glide and applied it to the 9 spots you must treat to prevent chafing.  Of all the pains you’ll feel after the marathon, chafing is most annoying.

Outside a slight breeze kept the temperature down.  But you could tell when the sun came up, things would get much hotter.

I listened to music on my walk to the train station.  ELO – Mr. Blue Sky.  I just love the line “Hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race” and sang it out loud.   When a bus pulled alongside, I hopped in.  No sense wasting precious energy walking.

On the El platform I stood in the dark waiting for the train.  To calm my nerves, I pulled out my Gballz and juggled.  Juggling focuses your attention and it’s difficult to think of much else while you’re doing it.  This is why it’s good for calming your nerves.  When I stopped, I heard a smattering of applause.  “Are you going to do that in the marathon?” asked a woman who was steeped in her running gear.  “Yup.  It’s my thing”, I replied.

A 25 minute train ride later, I was downtown and quickly made my way to gear check.  No matter how early you are, until you’re in the starting corral you always have an uneasy feeling you’ll miss the start.

At the gear check, I stripped to my joggling outfit.   I packed my headphones, deciding to run sound free.   I hadn’t done a marathon without headphones since 2003, but this time I wanted to hear the crowd.

I gulped down some plain black tea brewed the night before.  Caffeine should improve my performance.  I just hoped it didn’t cause me to have to piss.

I met up with members from my running tribe including John Kelly, Brandon, Brian, Shannon, and Michelle.  We stood outside the corrals and waited for about 15 minutes.  We made small talk and laughed a little but you could tell, everyone was nervous.

As I walked to the start, it occurred to me, I forgot to eat.  Drinking extra Gatorade during the race would be required.  The temperature was warm but not terrible.  There was a slight breeze off the lake and the low sun painted everything orange.

Since 3:15 was my dream goal, I tried to start with that pace group.  Unfortunately, there was no 3:15 pace group.  So, I started with the 3:10 group.  This set up a classic Perry race.  Start fast and burn out.  Just once I’d like to do a negative split in the marathon.

Marathon Early Moments

The first few miles of a marathon are a breeze.  You’re flush with a feeling of euphoria.  Chilled waves run from your ears to your toes leaving goose bumps in their wake.  Your stomach gets queasy and you feel like you’ve just seen the object of your infatuation.

And the crowds are energized too.  At the start the spectators are most boisterous.  They’ve been waiting, building up their excitement.  A little energy is expended for the pros but they run by so fast, it’s like a volcano letting off a little steam.  But when the mass of seeded and open runners come out, the crowd explodes like Nevado del Huila.  They cheer louder and louder.  Screaming, yelling, arms waving.  It’s amazing.

I always joggle on the right side and look at the faces of the crowd.  To most people, I pass unnoticed.  There are a lot of runners and watching them go by is like looking at a Monet.  But many do see the joggling.  We lock eyes and people usually have one of the following reactions.

1.They smile – Often a big grin.
2.Their eyes open wide and look shocked and surprised
3.They point and yell – “Hey that guys juggling!”
4.The look confused – “Was that guy just juggling?”

Early on in the race, I lap this attention up like a cat licking an ice cream cone.  I ham it up for the crowd throwing the Gballz high in the air and slapping people’s hands or winking and smiling.  I take wide turns where the crowds are bigger practically joggling sideways to elicit louder cheers.  (And I wonder where my energy goes).  Before you know it, 6 miles have passed and you’re a mere 20-mile training run away from the finish.  Yeah right.

As I made my way south, I continued to do joggling tricks.  At mile 8 there was a big balloon banner going across the street.  I threw a bean bag high over the banner, looked into the crowd, pointed, winked and then caught the bag off my chest.  The crowd went wild.  A half mile later there was a group of spectators holding cans of Bud Light beer saying “free beer for runners.”  When they saw me, they said “No beer for you juggler”.  I threw a ball up high, faked like I was trying to take a beer and quipped “Aw come on!”

But despite my good spirits, this was going to be a tough run.  Cramps at mile 7 felt like someone stabbing me in the kneecaps.   At mile 11, there were almost no 3:10 pace groupers around.  I was now surrounded by 3:20s.   Boston was slipping away.

Marathon’s Second Half

The half-way point of the Chicago Marathon is downtown in the shadow of the tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower.  It’s conveniently located by a few train stations so the crowds are some of the biggest you’ll find in the whole marathon.  Inspiring.

I crossed the half around 1:39.   “Repeat what you just did and you’ll get your qualifier,” I thought.  Then I added, “Yeah right.”

The Chicago marathon is a good one for me because there are lots of familiar faces in the crowd.  Along the way I saw and heard lots of friends.  This is an advantage of not wearing headphones.   My favorite sighting was Shannon and her mom and dad.  I saw them in the distance and focused hard to look good despite feeling awful.  That’s the thing about doing a marathon.  If you know someone will be watching you at a certain point, you’ll get a natural energy boost trying to look good.

The second half was full of pain.  Cramps hit my knees, calves and thighs.  My shoulders were sore and I felt the formation of a blister on my toe.

Around mile 17, I saw my buddy John Kelly about 100 yards ahead.  He’s been training hard and I was prepared (and even hoping) to finish behind him for the second time in a marathon.  However, I wanted to finish second to his 3:15 time with my own 3:20 time.  Clearly, both of us were struggling.  I kept him in my sights for about half a mile then lost him in the crowd.  I searched for him the rest of the race but didn’t see him.

In mile 18, I learned what it must feel like for other runners to be next to a joggler.  Typically, when I go by the crowds yell something like “Look it’s a juggler”.  “We love you joggler”  “You’re amazing juggler man”.  etc.  But as I made a turn into the 18th mile I heard the crowd yelling “Hey Batman & Robin”  “Way to go Batman!”  “You’re awesome Batman & Robin”.  After a couple minutes, two guys dressed in Batman & Robin outfits ran passed.   I never saw them again.  There’s no shame in losing to costumed runners, as long as you run every race as best you can.

By mile 20, all the 3:20 people were gone and with them my hopes of a Boston Qualifier and a PR.  Finishing this damn race was my my focus now.    Since joggling doesn’t allow much chance to look at your watch, I couldn’t tell what my pace was.  At each mile marker I looked at my time but I didn’t know how far off my time was from the official race clocks.  It turns out, about 6 minutes.

The temperature increased significantly and I began to overheat.  My routine through the water stations was as follows.  Drink 2 Gatorades, drink 1 water, drink half of another water and pour the rest over my head.  The cold water down my back woke me up.  It was like the instant awareness you feel when jumping in a cold shower.

There is a point in the marathon path where you could easily cut out a couple miles.  Just after the half-way point, you could cut down a side street and meet up with the pack saving yourself 20 minutes easily.  The way I felt at the time, I briefly considered it.  Of course, it’s silly to even think about.  What’s the point of doing a marathon if you’re not going to run the whole thing?  It’s not like cutting 20 minutes off your time is going to win you any money.  You’ll still lose to the elites by over an hour.  I did wonder however, if anybody really does cheat.  The feeling is certainly understandable.

To make it through the final 10K, I tried my visualization techniques.  6 miles is the same as joggling down North avenue to the beach and back.  I watched myself run the sidewalk passed Walgreens.  Then passed the laundromat, then to the gas station.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep it up for very long.  It’s much easier to do on a treadmill than when you’re outside.

In the last mile, I passed all the walkers.  There are a lot of them starting about mile 21.  By mile 24, there were more walkers than runners.  It gets better in mile 25 because people want to finish strong, but there are still many walkers.

In the final hill you want to finish strong.  The crowds roar and you completely focus on the finish line.  You can forget about the shooting pains in your muscles and just go for it.  As I sprint joggled to the end I heard my name on the speaker.   That was cool.  In the end my time was 3:39:36.  Three seconds off a palindromic time.  Darn.  Still a respectable marathon time.  I was happy.

After the marathon

The end of the race was so warm that there was no need for the silver.  I took it anyway so I’d have something to hold my post-race food with.  After a marathon you don’t usually feel like eating much.  I put an ice pack on my head and walked through the finish area.  I grabbed a beer and slowly drank it down.  It was really too bitter for my tastes.  I prefer a watered down version of my regular American beer.

A few people around me asked if I juggled the whole way and I told them I did.  I also asked them how they did.  I love to hear marathon stories from other runners.  Most people complained about the heat.

I walked over to gear check and got my stuff.  Immediately, I changed my clothes.  This is a trick I learned over my marathon career.  Always bring a change of clothes!  You can still wear your medal around your neck so people know you ran but a change of clothes will prevent chaffing and getting the shivers.  Also, take some aspirin (or headache medicine).  You’ll soon develop a headache so you’ll want to be prepared.

I found John Kelly and we talked about our times.  He had a tougher go in the second half then me and finished a few minutes after.  Guess we won’t be doing Boston next April.

After the marathon Shannon, her parents and I went out for pizza at Piece.  I had another bitter beer, ate a couple pieces of cheese and sausage pizza, and watched the Bears blow another close one.  When I got home, I laid down stretched out on the couch and took a nap.

Now that final remnants of the marathon are gone, I’m left to wonder…What next?

With the Chicago Marathon coming up soon, the local media seeks stories about unique marathon runners. This week Time Out Chicago was kind enough to include a picture of this average joggler in an article. You can see it here. See if you can match the times to the different runners. Here’s one answer. I joggled Chicago in 3:59:00 last year.

While perusing the running blog RSS feeds, this race report by Audry about the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon reminded me that I still hadn’t finished mine. Here it is.

One word…WET.

To the Starting Line

A rain came to Chicago that literally stayed for 2 days. It hadn’t rained that much in over 100 years. But that wasn’t going to stop the Chicago Half Marathon. People paid their money & expected the race to go on.

I got to the event a bit late. Staying up until 12:30 am playing Wii with friends is not a great idea the night before a half marathon.

Parking for this race is not great so all you jogglers out there considering doing this event should get there early. I found a spot about 1.5 miles away and rapidly walked to the gear check. The lines were long, I had no safety pins to attach my number, and the rain pounded down hard. Fortunately, another runner gave me some of her pins. Runners are nice. I ran through a muddy field and made it to the start just as the Star Spangled Banner blared. I was soaked & filthy.

And they’re off

The horn went off and I started up the music.  Dr. Worm.  It’s an energizing song. But the music didn’t last long. The headphones kept sliding out of my ear. Eventually, I just tucked them into my shirt and joggled unplugged. Sometimes it’s better to run without headphones because in a race, I usually don’t listen to it anyway.

For the first mile I ran with the 1:35 pace group. It didn’t feel too bad except for the splosh, splish, splash of every step. After a couple miles, staying with that group got too hard so I decided not to have any goal. (Really, I revised it to 1:40.) It’s easier to avoid disappointment when you aren’t shooting for anything.  Secretly, I wanted to stay with the 1:35′s but couldn’t push myself. My dream goal was 1:30 but there was never a serious attempt made.

My one and only drop came when I attempted to grab a Gatorade from the first water stop.  I threw the ball high, wiped the water out of my face and dropped when I tried to catch and gather the three in one hand.  It was early so I don’t think it caused me to lose much time.  But drops are always disruptive.

Visualize to Reduce Pain

For the first few miles I was cruising.  I imagined my usual running path.  For me, 13 miles is a run from my condo, straight east down North Avenue, along the Lakefront path, up to Recreation drive and back.  To make running easier and less painful, I’ll often try to visualize myself running my usual path.  You can lose yourself in your mind and pain evaporates. It’s easier to do on a treadmill than outside because there are less distractions, but it is possible.

Race highlights

The toughest miles were going north on Lake Shore Drive.  There were very few spectators and it was a straight line.  To my right was the path I joggled for the 50 miler.  I thought about that and smiled.  I still sometimes can’t believe I ran 50 miles non-stop.

I heard someone yell out my name.  “Perry!”.  I looked over and smiled.  It was my friend Beth.  We trained for the Chicago Marathon together many years ago.  I threw a ball up high, waved at her and caught the dropping orb in stride.  It’s an impressive trick if you don’t drop.

For many miles I ran with this girl (later found out her name was Debra).  We talked a bit and she said it was fun running with a juggler because you get lots of extra cheers.  We stayed together from mile 6 through about 9 when she pulled ahead.  She was a bit faster through the water stops, so I lost energy catching up to her. By mile 10, she was about a minute ahead. Then I started to speed up.  Around mile 12 I passed her and didn’t see her the rest of the way.  I don’t think she passed me, but I can’t be sure.  I saw her at the end of the race and thanked her for keeping me motivated.  She thanked me too.  “You helped me out a lot”.

Big finish

In the last 1/2 mile, I thought of the sprints I did on the oval track the previous Friday. Ten 400 meters in 1:20 each. That meant the race would be over in less than 3 minutes. I kicked it in.

When I made the last turn, I saw the finish line and started sprinting. When I hit the mat the clock read 1:39 and some change.  Unfortunately, I didn’t hit my watch at the start so I didn’t know what my chip time was.  The next day I saw my official time was 1:39:15.  That was a first place finish in the joggling division and about 500th place out of about 10,000 finishers. Who could complain about that?

I really would’ve like to have broken 1:39 though. While this was not the fastest 13.1 miles I’ve ever done, it is a PR for a half marathon race. In the marathon I’ve run as fast as a 1:34 split.

Race epilogue

After the race, the rain continued to fall hard.  I talked to a few other runners and drank about 3 bottles of water.  Even in the rain, running can dehydrate you.  I saw my friend Michelle who had a great first half of the race but inexplicably slowed.  “The rain made it tough”, I assured her.

I picked up my bag (not a very organized gear check) and did the long walk back to my car.  Sore, but overall, happy with my time.  The last time I ran this race was with my friend Carla the weekend after the Toronto marathon in 2006.  We finished in 2:04 or so.  That was fun.  And this one was fun too.  I’m happy to know that at least theoretically, a Boston Qualifier could happen at the Chicago Marathon next month.

And that will make all the training I’m doing worth it.

While reading the excellent Half-Fast running blog, I noticed that Vanilla was going to try the FIRST marathon training program.  This is a program in which you get to “run less often and still get faster”.  It’s the 3-day a week marathon training program.  Great concept.

I decided to give it a go this year to improve my marathon time for the Chicago marathon.  Here’s my assessment thus far.

Observations about the FIRST marathon training program

Positives

Legs don’t hurt as much. In every other marathon training program I followed, I would wake up sore all the time. For 20 minutes, I walked around like an old man. It felt like I should’ve walked with a cane. Following the FIRST training program, there is much less pain.

More time. It’s pretty obvious that when you only train three days a week, you’ll have more time for other things. I went from averaging 55 minutes of running per day to less than 42 minutes. And really that 42 minutes is deceiving because I had 4 days of no running per week.

Obvious improvements. When you first start the FIRST program you may recognize just how slow you are. But after a few sprint sessions, you actually see yourself getting faster. Whether a speed increase in a 400 or 800 sprint directly translates into a faster marathon is yet to be seen. However, I certainly feel happy that I can get around a track in about the same time I could when I was in high school.

Negatives

Hard to stay focused. When you run every day (or almost) getting motivated is not too hard. It becomes part of your routine. When you only work out 3 times a week however, it’s much harder to motivate yourself to do each workout. I experienced this a bit with traditional marathon training the 1st training day back after a 20 miler. But imagine having to re-motivate yourself every run. It’s tough.

Hard to make-up days. When you only run 3 days a week, missing one feels awful. Of the 48 workouts I was supposed to do, I probably missed about 8. No big deal for a regular training plan (you can always make up miles) but for this one, I fear my performance may suffer.

Every workout hurts!. I love joggling. I love to get out there, joggle the sidewalks of Chicago, listen to my podcasts, and smile at people. Forget all that if you’re following the FIRST program. Every run kicks you butt!! On sprint days you’ll feel like you want to puke. On tempo days your legs and lungs burn. You actually start to look forward to your 18 and 20 mile days. Be prepared for this.

Uncertainty. I’ve trained in traditional ways for many years but now, it’s all mixed up. I have no idea how I’m going to do in this marathon. One day I’ll have a great run. The next it’s a struggle. Which joggling marathoner will show up to the Chicago Marathon? I have no idea. Hopefully, it’s the one that runs a Boston Marathon qualifier.

Overall Impression of FIRST Program thus far

I’m glad I tried this. I’ve only got 8 more workouts to do and then it’s marathon time. We’ll see if I’m still glad at the end of the marathon.

Want to try the FIRST marathon program yourself? Click here to get the book that started it all.

After reading Randy’s glowing report about the Chickamauga Battlefield marathon, it made me think about my favorite marathon and why.

Having done 23, my favorite marathon is the Chicago Marathon. In this joggler’s opinion, it is the best marathon you can do particularly if you are a first-timer. Here are my top 7 reasons Chicago is my favorite marathon.

1. Best cheering section

Having a big crowd to cheer you on makes finishing the marathon ten times easier. You spend so much time looking in the crowd for familiar faces, you forget how much pain you’re in. And for juggling runners, when are you ever going to get to perform in front of an audience of over 100,000?

2. Easiest starting area

The New York marathon is a fine race and crossing over the bridge is inspiring. However, it takes an over 2 hour ride on a smelly bus just to get to the starting line. For Chicago, you hop on the el, walk a block or so to Buckingham Fountain and you’re there. No rush,no fuss.

3. Fast and easy course

Not that any marathon is “easy” but the Chicago marathon course is not as hard as some. New York has hills and bridges. Boston has a hill nicknamed “Heartbreak Hill”. The only hill in Chicago is a slight incline on the way into the final stretch. You would be hard-pressed to find a flatter, faster marathon than Chicago.

4. Great race expo

For a first timer, you’ll want to experience a big race expo. In Chicago, you won’t be disappointed. They’ll have representatives from hundreds of companies, races, and charities. The expo lasts a couple of days and you just might need it to see everything.

5. Easy to get in

Boston makes you qualify. New York makes you win the lottery. To get into the Chicago marathon, you merely have to sign your name and send in your money. They want you to run this race.

6. Best organization

In the Chicago marathon, it’s clear exactly where you are supposed to line up. If you are fortunate enough to get a seeded position, you simply line up in the appropriate corral. Even the non-seeded runners can find signs indicating their approximate pace. Sure the crowds are huge at the start and it may even take you 20 minutes to start, but that only adds to the excitement. At the end of the marathon, it’s simple to find your medal, get the aluminum warming sheet, and load up on food and drinks. They even have beer!

7. They are friendly to jogglers

Perhaps the best reason I love the Chicago marathon. In the 10 years that I’ve done the race, I’ve never once had an issue with someone getting annoyed that I was joggling. Granted, I follow all the tips to be a considerate joggler, but race officials have been perfectly willing to leave me alone and let me joggle.

So, that’s why the Chicago marathon is my favorite race. If you want small and intimate, forget it. If you want fast and roomy, you won’t find it here. But if you want to EXPERIENCE the marathon, then there is no better place to do it than the Chicago Marathon.

What do you think? Is Chicago the best marathon or do you have one that you think is better? Leave a comment and let us know.

Well, perhaps “takes over” is a bit of a stretch but there have been a few media outlets that were interested enough in the recent 50-mile joggling world record that they did some interviews.

Joggling on TV

I have my sister to thank for setting this one up. She happened to know someone at the TV station and sent them a press release. The reporter Vince Gerasole and his camera person Lana were great to work with. I must’ve joggled up and down my street about 15 times. I wonder if I should count it towards my joggling total for the year? hmmm.

Anyway, to see the 2 minute TV story CLICK HERE!

Joggling on the radio

Last year I did a two-part radio interview on the Nick Digilio show. It was amusing and they told me to keep in touch. So, when I broke the record they were the first ones that I called.

To hear the 10-minute radio interview CLICK HERE!

What’s next

For the most part the joggling season is over this year. After you’ve spent a lot of time pursuing a goal and then achieving it, you might experience a little let-down. To get over these feelings you’ve just got to take a little break, then set new goals. Fortunately, I’ve still got the joggling streak and the goal to complete 44 marathons to keep me motivated.