Chicago Marathon Race Report:

Well...I didn't qualify for Boston (3:05). But I'm still quite happy with a 3:14:51, which is PR of 4:30, in my third marathon on a warm and sunny day in Chicago.

Lots of positives to take from this effort. I recovered extremely well from Grandma's Marathon in June, got healthy from my Achilles injury and put in the hardest, most rewarding summer of training ever. Going to the start line at Chicago, I knew had prepared myself for every aspect of the race and I shouldn't worry about things I can't control. Namely, the WEATHER.

The expo the day before was amazing. I took the train down to Chicago with Tracey G., Krista, & Rochelle, and was lucky enough to meet ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes (he signed my bib "Boston Bound"...sorry Dean) and marathon training expert Hal Higdon. While the average person would have no clue who these two guys were, we were freaking stoked.

I knew I would be in for a tough second half of the race with the temps creeping up into the 70s and the sun rising higher and higher. But at that start line, it didn't matter. I was so amped up, so excited to be at the race with Rochelle, Krista, Tracey G., Brett L. and Marty, surrounded by 45,000 runners and a million spectators. The first mile was easily the coolest start to a race I have ever run. People EVERYWHERE -- all around me, above me hanging off bridges, cheering at the top of their lungs. Skyscrapers in the background. Add that to the emotion of such a major race and it equals quite an incredible moment and one I was glad to be a part of no matter what happened.

As expected, I felt good the first half of the race. All my training and tapering put me in this position. I just had to keep my pace, be smart and I should post a decent time. But somewhere after the halfway point, the heat started to get to me. A 7:03 pace was proving to be too difficult with mid-70s temps and no sun cover. I had a choice to make: be stubborn, force the pace and hit a major wall at mile 20; or ease back now, conserve some energy and try to finish strong. I opted for the latter, as I know the former all too well. You'll see in my splits below exactly where I made this decision.

The strategy paid off, though it was still a struggle. I proactively hydrated like crazy, took my gels as planned and tried not to let the pace slip too badly. Sure, I still ran an uneven race, but I didn't bonk nearly as badly as my first two marathons. One day, I will get this right. I know it.

As I passed my mom, girlfriend and roommate cheering me on at mile 20 and 25, I was able to smile and they later said I looked good (probably just being nice). The last mile was rough, as I was cramping up badly, but I was able to get just enough of a push to come through the finish under 3:15.

I knew right away that I would recover well - I was walking well and didn't feel any injury issues. Just general soreness. I found a protein drink, enjoyed a beer, and said hi to my supporters who had snuck into the finish area. Congrats to my friends for getting through a tough marathon with some inspired performances, and thanks to all of our spectators who came out to cheer us on including my mom Kelly, girlfriend Katie, Luke L., Evan Z. and Anthony M Van H.

Split | Time | Min/mile
05K | 00:22:14 | 07:10
10K | 00:43:58 | 07:00
15K | 01:06:14 | 07:11
20K | 01:28:40 | 07:14
HALF | 01:33:34 | 07:12
25K | 01:51:16 | 07:18
30K | 02:15:08 | 07:41
35K | 02:39:18 | 07:47
40K | 03:04:34 | 08:08
Finish | 03:14:51 | 07:33