My Game Plan for the Chicago Marathon
I’m running a marathon in five days. Yeah… that is happening. 
I signed up for the Chicago Marathon wayyyyyyy back when Henri and I were driving across the country and had every intention of running it but after a disappointing Boston showing, a bout of anemia over the summer that took me out of training for a bit, and deciding that I want to focus on shorter distances for awhile I kinda put training for a marathon on the back burner.
Before I had made my big decision Henri and I had already booked our trip to Chicago – flights, hotel, everything. And we were going a part of a group with my sister, my friend and both of their boyfriends. Because of this and since Henri’s never been to Chicago before we kept our travel plans and just figured we’d iron out the details of if/how I would approach the race when we got closer to the date.
Well, here we are 5 days out from the race and it looks like I’m going to be running…
Am I well trained? Not really.
Did I even taper? Nope
Will this be a PR effort for me? I doubt it.
Can I cross that finish line? You betcha!
About two weeks ago Henri convinced me to run the race, and I reached out to my friend to see if she wanted a pacer and she said YES!!! This is her first marathon and she is trying to qualify for Boston so I know it will be a big help to her to have someone running alongside her.
So there you have it, I’m running a marathon in 5 days…
What’s my game plan?
- Go out at 3:20 pace with Courtney and try to keep her from going out to fast.
- Hold onto that 7:38 pace for as long as possible and if at any point I can’t hang anymore I’ll drop down to whatever pace is comfortable for me.
- Encourage my friend along the way.
- Take in the crowds and the beautiful city around me.
- Cheer for my sister and her boyfriend at the finish line.
- Recover by eating lots and lots of deep dish pizza and Ann Sather Cinnamon Rolls.
I’m kinda looking forward to running a marathon with no expectations. The last two that I’ve run I stressed myself out so much leading up to them that I think that played a part in my struggles in both of those races. I’m excited to get to that starting line with no pressure on my shoulders and to simply enjoy the experience!
5 days…..
Have you ever run a marathon without really training for it?
I know a lot of you are running Chicago – what is your goal for race day!??
If you are from the Chicago area, what are some of your favorite places to eat?