The new year is coming up quickly and it’s time for me to start looking for new marathons to joggle. This year I only did 2 marathons which was 2 short of my January goal. Oh well, 2 marathons is nothing to sneeze at. My times were just average but PRs for my new age which is always nice.

Anyway, Runner’s World had a listing of the top 10 marathons to set a PR. Which of these should I try?

Marathons that are fast

1. Houston marathon. Not in 2012. It’s sold out and is on January 15. Not enough time to train.

2. Run for the Red Marathon. In Pennsylvania on May 20. This is a possibility. Almost all down hill. The downside is that there are very few spectators.

3. Newport Marathon. Another possibility. It’s on June 2 and is in Oregon, a state I’ve wanted to visit.

4. Chicago Marathon. Of course I’ll do this one.

5. Mohawk-Hudson river marathon. With an October 7 date, this one isn’t likely.

6. Baystate marathon. An October marathon in Massachusetts. Don’t think I’ll be doing this one since it conflicts with Chicago.

7. Road2hope marathon. A November marathon in Ontario. This could be interesting. 32 percent of runners qualify for Boston.

8. California International Marathon. December 2 is a long way off but going to Sacramento at that time could be nice. This is a possibility.

9. Tucson marathon. Who wouldn’t want to go to Tucson in December? Of course this might conflict with my cosmetic science activities in New York.

10. Jacksonville Bank Marathon. December 16. Another possibility.

So, which one should I do? I wonder if Joe Salter would be up for the Jacksonville marathon. hmmm

What marathon are you doing next year? Leave a comment below.

The Chicago marathon attracts about 40,000 runners who are paying around $135 each to run it. Doing some quick math means that this race brings in $5.4 million in registration fees. Now, it is probably a bit less due to free entries but still, it’s on the order of $5 million.

However, that’s not even the full story. According to estimates by an independent group out of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, the Chicago marathon generates about $171.5 million in total business activity.

Directly, it contributed $70.6 million, distributed in various sectors of the tourism industry. The other $100 million is indirect activity (restaurants and things I guess).

The numbers are pretty amazing and it also explains why other cities around the country are starting their own marathons. It used to be challenging to find a marathon to run or joggle. Not anymore. Every major and minor city seems to have them now. And if it can generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue, it’s no wonder.

Good news for joggling marathoners.

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?

Last weekend I completed my 30th marathon by finishing the Nashville marathon. It was the 28th marathon in which I joggled and the fastest I’ve ever done as a 41 year old.

Nashville marathon stats

Just to get this out of the way here are the relevant stats.
Official Time: 3:48:25
# of drops = 1
Marathon #30

The 7 People You Meet on Your Way to Finishing a Marathon

The Nashville marathon takes place in down town Nashville and begins at Centennial Park which is a short walk from my hotel. I got up about an hour and a half before race time, geared up, ate some of the free breakfast in the Holiday Inn lobby and began hiking to the start. While walking, I sipped tea hot enough to burn my tongue and felt invigorated by the cool breeze in my face. Marathon morning and I felt good.

The Rookie

As I got closer, other runners joined my trek. We were like ants heading back to the colony. Walking up a hill, I slowly caught up to a girl with short brown hair. She was breathing heavily. I said, “Hopefully, the whole race won’t be like this,” and she laughed. We started talking and I found out that she was from St. Louis and doing her first half marathon. New runners always make me smile and I encourage them whenever I can. She found the joggling unbelievable. We split up when we got to the start and I had to hurry to gear check because the race was starting 15 minutes early. I wonder how she did.

The Fan

The next person I met when I entered the starting corral. A skinny, shorter guy with buzz cut hair looked at me, smiled brightly and said, “Hey I know you! You were the guy who passed me in last year’s half!” He excitedly pointed me out to the other two runners he was with. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t me so I just smiled. After asking him about this year’s race, I wished him a good race and moved up to my corral. I probably should’ve told him it wasn’t me but it seemed too complicated.

The race started. The crowd roared. I looked to the side, grinned ear to ear and felt incredible. The start of a marathon is unmatched in its ability to energize.

The Chatter

In the first mile, a fellow marathoner ran along side and asked me about the joggling. She was short with a long pony tail flopping around through her baseball hat. She seemed genuinely curious so I was happy to chat. We talked about her goal to qualify for Boston, her mom who was watching for her in the audience and about her dad who recently died. It’s always interesting to learn why people are inspired to run these races. On one of the downhills in the second mile, I had my one and only drop.

I lost my marathon companion while going through the fourth mile water stop. This didn’t bother me too much as I was tired of talking and needed to focus on running.

The Better Runner

I joggled the next 18 miles solo, enjoying the cheering crowds in the Nashville neighborhoods, basking in the sun, and “loving” the hilly course. The sight of my wife at mile 10 filled me with energy.

After the 11 mile mark, the half marathoners split off with the marathoners and the crowd got noticeably smaller. There were still bands every couple miles and the water stops were well manned but the cheering spectators were few and far between.

By mile 22, the weather had turned and it started to drizzle. Just as my iPod ran out of power a tall, skinny runner ran alongside and said hello. I nodded and tried to smile. In the later miles, even smiling becomes difficult. He looked at me and said, “You seem to be slowing down.”
I breathed deep and said, “It’s getting tough.”
We chatted a little and he said he had just finished the Boston Marathon the Monday before. “What did you run in that?” I asked.
“I did a 3:25,” he said.
“That’s great,” I said then wished him well as he slowly pulled ahead. I kept him in my sights and vowed to catch him in the last mile.

The Pacer

In mile 23 a tall, blond girl approached on my side. She said hello just as a police car drove by and announced over a loudspeaker
“Attention…there is a sever thunderstorm about 5 minutes away. You should stop running and take cover now.”
With less than 2 miles, neither of us were inclined to stop.
“The fastest way out of this is to keep running,” I said.
She laughed and agreed.
“Besides,” I added, “What are the odds that we get hit by lightning? 1 in 13 million?”
As it started to drizzle harder we chatted. She asked about my joggling then I asked her about her race. She was from New Orleans and was running her second marathon. When it started to rain harder, we stopped talking and she pulled ahead.
She was running strong and I focused on her to help pull me to the finish. “I’m going to catch her too,” I thought.

The final stretch

In the last 2 miles, the rain fell harder and my shoes got noticeably heavier. A strong wind forced me to adjust my juggling pattern, throwing tighter to my chest. Lightning flashed and the crack of thunder startled me, nearly causing a few drops.

I saw The Pacer as I passed the 25 mile marker and caught up to her when she slowed for a water stop. She stayed with me for a quarter mile and slowly faded. I saw my wife again near the final stretch and the wet crowd cheered loudly. When I approached the 26 mile mark I saw the Better Runner. I started sprinting as fast as I could and passed him in the final stretch.

In my final push the crowd applauded as I passed runner after runner. As I came to the finish line, I heard the announcer say, “Hey, that guy is juggling and still smiling.” In my last step, I threw a bean bag up over the finisher banner. The announcer and crowd gasped. When I caught it on the other side of the finish line, the crowd went crazy. It was the best finish of any marathon I’ve ever run.  (You can see a video of the finish here.)

The Complainer

After the marathon, the rain continued to fall. I got water, food, and slowly made my way to the gear check. I found my wife under a tree trying to stay dry. We walked back to our car and a bearded man passed by. He started complaining about the fact that he wasn’t allowed to finish. He was the first person they turned away and he wasn’t happy one bit. “I’m never coming back to this stupid race again,” he said bitterly. I felt bad for him. He did make me feel uncomfortable however. The race officials were just trying to make sure everyone was safe.

The Nashville Joggler

The final person I met at the Nashville marathon was fellow joggler Jason Tan. We were supposed to meet after the race but it was raining so hard we weren’t able to meet. He came out later and met us at one of the local Nashville sports bars. It was great to meet him and hear about his half marathon experience. He actually passed my friends who had run the half marathon and they said hi to him. He set a PR for the race and was encouraged by his latest joggling performance. I encouraged him to try the marathon next year. We’ll see if he does.

Nashville Marathon Wrap-up

Overall, the Nashville marathon is a great race. It’s well organized, has a great crowd and a challenging course. It was fascinating to meet the variety of people I met along the way and while it wasn’t one of my fastest races, I was happy with my performance. If you haven’t tried this race, it’s a great marathon to run. Just don’t expect a PR if you haven’t trained for hills.

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?

On Saturday, I did the Frozen Otter Ultra Marathon. It was a fun 32+ mile path run in the cold and snow. I joggled about 40% of it and ran about that much too.

The first 7 miles took just under 2 hours. The next 9 miles took 2.5 hours. On the way back, I got lost which added about 20 minutes to my time. The final 7 miles took me 2 hours 25 minutes. My total time was 10 hours 10 minutes. I think I came in 4th or 5th place. Not bad.

Here’s a video chronicling the experience. I look pretty tired at the end.

While I’m a bit slower with the write-up, fellow joggler Joe Salter put together notes from his experience joggling this year’s Philadelphia Marathon.  I’ll have my version done in a couple days. Great work Joe!

Joggler: Joe Salter, 29 years old, 3rd Marathon Completed
Distance: 26.2 miles
Finish Time: 3:31 (PR)
Drops: 5
Shoes: Vibram Five Fingers KSO’s
Patterns Joggled: 15

Philadelphia Marathon Crowds
This marathon was fantastic for crowd support. The positive reactions from the crowd and the energy joggling brings to the crowds is one of the best aspects of joggling in a marathon.

Marthoning in VFF’s (barefoot shoes)
The Vibram Five Finger KSO’s minimalist/barefoot “shoes” worked very well this race. My legs felt great, and I had no pain during or after the race other than what would be expected from running 26.2 miles. I really got into a nice groove with my joggling, and felt like I was “in the zone” a few times. I plan to continue training and joggling in my VFF KSO’s since I’ve had so much success with them as far as running technique improvement, injury prevention, and leg/foot strengthening.

Joggling Patterns
15 total patterns done during the race. I did a lot of half-showers, 423 siteswaps, high balls, 3b flashes, overheads, takeouts, and windmill’s.

I dropped mainly when trying different patterns or looking at someone in the crowd too long.

Race Strategy/Goal
3:30-3:45 goal time. Go for an even split. Experiment with different patterns during the race. Cut back a little on energy gel consumption, consumed like 3 during race. Have fun.

Marathon Housing
I stayed at a Hostel for a fraction of the price of a hotel room while in Philadelphia. I met many other marathoners from around the world at the hostel; of all ages, motivation, and experience in running. This camaraderie was a lot of fun, and it was so much fun sharing a dorm room filled with other people running the marathon. I definitely recommend hostels in big cities for marathons in you want to: save money, have a kitchen, have more cross cultural social interaction, and have plenty of fun things to do offered by the hostel.

Marathon Lessons

Things I Learned and Enjoyed before and during the race
Meeting other Jogglers at the race, sharing the joy of joggling with Perry and Barry.

• Crowds love Jogglers! Go juggle/joggle before the race and hardly anyone will notice or comment, but joggle in a marathon and the crowds will go wild!
• Supporting and cheering on other marathoners after you finish is rewarding.
• I find joy in seeing the excitement on people’s faces when joggling- I relish the feeling it brings others and the amazement it brings more than any attention or pride I feel.
• Joggling long distances has a good potential to get you into the “zone” or “flow.”
• Humorous dialogue about juggling or joggling with other runners is a lot of fun during a marathon- be sharp and use timing, and let the spontaneity of the moment bring levity to the other runners.
• Error on the side of under eating the morning of the marathon; error on the side of under training before your marathon so you’re well-rested and injury-free on race day.
• I am deeply touched by the moments of excitement joggling brings to people. The expressions on people’s faces and the moments of joy are priceless. Joggling is great by itself; but it’s even better when done graciously and humbly in the presence of race crowds.

Today, I fly out to sunny Florida to joggle in the Tampa Bay Marathon. I’m already registered. My flight and hotel has been booked.

While packing I thought it would be useful for aspiring marathon runners / jugglers to know what kinds of things you should pack. So here it is

25 Things Jugglers Need for a Marathon

1. Two pairs of Running Shoes. I’m currently running in a pair of Sauconys. But I’ve had success in Brooks and Reebok. You’ll want the second pair for after the race.

2. Shorts. I like a good set of Spandex to reduce chafing.

3. Two pairs of socks. One for the marathon, one for after the marathon.

4. Running shirt. A nice technical shirt made with advanced fibers is best. Cotton shirts get heavy when you sweat.

5. After race shirt. You’ll want to have a shirt to change into after the race. I’m going to be wearing my Gballz shirt in honor of my sponsor.

6. Warm-up clothes. An old pair of sweat pants & sweatshirt that you don’t mind getting rid of. It’s tradition to strip down just before the gun and throw the clothes off to the side.

7. Sunscreen. Important especially for a run in Florida.

8. Sunglasses. Even if you choose not to run in them, you’ll want them for after the marathon.

9. Watch. Mostly useless for a joggler because you can’t look at your watch too easily. But you can check it at the water stops so I like to have one. I use a Timex Ironman watch.

10. Camera. You want pictures after your big event right? So bring a camera. I’m bringing a Cannon Powershot SD450.

11. Identification. I have a Road ID that has all my information on it. Helpful if they ever find a joggler sprawled out on the road and don’t know what to do.

12. Money. You’ll at least want $5 in case you want to buy a drink or candy bar after the race.

13. Gloves. Probably not needed for a Florida marathon but you never know. It can get chilly in the morning. But bring a pair you don’t mind losing because you’ll want to throw them off before the race starts.

14. Hat. Sometimes I run in a baseball cap and sometimes not. It’s good to have on a sunny day.

15. Petroleum Jelly. Good for lubing up before the race. Although you might want to try something like Body Glide. This stuff works wonders.

16. Race Bib. Can’t juggle the marathon without this.

17. Safety Pins. You’ll need these to hold the race bib on.

18. Joggling Bags. I use custom suede bags from Gballz. These things are great!

19. Energy Bar. You’ll want something to eat after the race. Usually, there is a nice spread of food but after you’ve left the finishing area, you’ll get a second round of hunger. That’s when you’ll want the energy bar.

20. iPod Nano. When I joggle a marathon, I put a headphone in one ear only. That way I can hear the cheers of the crowd but still hear music (or a book) when the crowds are sparse.

21. Directions to the start. Figure this out the day before the marathon. You don’t want to have to worry about it marathon morning.

22. Shoe timing chip. Tie this thing to your shoe the night before the marathon. And make sure it’s secure. Without the timing chip, it’s like you didn’t even run.

23. Water. You’ll want a bottle of water to drink while you wait in line for the start of the race.

24. Gear Check Bag. You’ll need somewhere to put all the clothes you’ll wear after the marathon. Check them at gear check.

25. Reservations for dinner marathon eve. If the marathon is anything like Chicago, good luck finding a pasta place to eat the night before. Pick a place and make a reservation. You’ll be happy you did.

Well, that’s it. I’m off to the airport and away to Florida. Joggling marathon #22 hear I come.

Current running streak…33 days.

Fellow joggler Joe Salter and I are joggling the Philadelphia Marathon this fall and it promises to be great fun.

Check out this hilarious / inspiring video he did to chronicle his training. He actually shows off some pretty good joggling tricks.

Maybe I’ll have to create my own joggling video to show how my training is going.