Running in Turkey

It's been a couple of weeks since I left NYC and of course I've been running almost every day. I mean, I am training for a marathon.  This is one part of the adventure. Run everywhere I go and prepare for the Chiang Mai Marathon on December 20th. Plus that is what I do. I run. And it's such a great way to explore. I get to see so many neighborhoods I wouldn't otherwise see. Especially on those 15 and 17-milers. 

And since this is my 10th marathon, I did want to make it pretty good. Since Thailand has been on my list of places to visit for such a long time, it seemed like a good choice. People have also been recommending the city as well, so that's even better. And it's the 10th anniversary of this race. Even more fitting. 

So how has running in Turkey been you may be wondering. Well besides the obvious challenge of finding routes, tracks, and people to run with, it's the same. The one good thing about running, is you can truly do it anywhere. 

So far I've run in every city I've visited in Turkey. And since I'm in my last city before I head to Israel, now is a good time to comment on my running experience. 

Istanbul

I got a few solid runs in and a 15-miler shortly after I arrived. Fortunately since it's a city, there were some recommendations on where to run. I got to see more of the city, outside of the touristy parts. However, even with the recommendations, there weren't that many people out there running. I think I saw a total of 15 people in the 3 runs I did. And only like 3 females. I also got the sense that I was getting a lot of looks from people. I tried not to focus on that as I don't want to call additional attention to myself. I'm not sure if it was me, or the traffic, but I felt like I also got a lot of honks. Again, I pretended that it wasn't for me, as I don't want to be cursing at them for being inappropriate. Plus since I can't understand Turkish, I have no idea what they are saying. Except with the occasional, "go go".

View of the Bosphorous Strait and downtown Istanbul.

Bodrum

Running in Bodrum was a bit more pleasant. Not as much attention. But I could have done with less hills. Since I'm training, I want to get in as many tempo and speed workouts as possible. Which will continue to be a challenge. When running isn't a part of the lifestyle, it's nearly impossible to find a running track nearby. And no easy place to do tempos. I was definitely spoiled with Central Park being in my back yard and having tracks at my disposal. You have to be a bit creative, like doing laps on a basketball court, when you want to get speedwork in. I do have to say my 17 miles around the Bodrum Peninsula was quite enjoyable, even with all the hills. I still got a lot of honks and didn't see another runner during the entire time, but the views were spectacular. 

One of the many bays of Bodrum.

Pamukkale

I only got one run in Pamukkale, but it was a good one. Again, no other runners (and when I told the owner of the hotel I was staying in what I was doing, he was confused), and more honks. But I did get to see more of the Turkish landscape. 

Cotton Castle.

Goreme

Goreme is my last stop before heading to Israel. I have a couple of more runs here, but the one from this morning was quite lovely. I took an overnight bus in and my room wasn't quite ready. So I figured, let's go explore. Hilly of course. Shockingly. But man the rock formations are amazing. And I got to run on some trails, which were quite nice. I would like to get some sort of tempo run in tomorrow, but maybe I'll do some sort of hill workout instead. Take advantage of what you have, right?

Cappadocia.

I'm glad I've been able to run in each place so far, and it's definitely interesting to see the reactions. This is only the first country I've visited so far, so I imagine each place will be a bit different. And if you are reading this and have any running recommendations for Israel or beyond, please share. 

Bodrum

I made it to Pamukkale. My next stop. I've spent all last week in Bodrum, which was been pretty nice. Well except for those thunderstorms the first day.  Bodrum is a coastal town in Southwest Turkey. It seemed like a pretty popular place to visit, so I figured why not. And really I'll take any excuse to get to the coast. So after a short flight from Istanbul, and a bus into Bodrum, my Airbnb host picked me. Which was really nice of her, especially as I was late due to a flight delay. And she she took me the long way home in order to give me a quick tour of the area. She took me to her home, gave me the lowdown and then headed out. She was actually going on holiday for a few days with her kids, so I had the house to myself. Which was a nice change of pace from the smallish apartment I was staying in Istanbul.

And it was even better when I spent the first day watching the rain pour down from her living room. Of course, I go to the beach and it rains. But not just rain, thunderstorms. So I decided to relax for the day. But once the power went out, I decided to catch the Dolmus (shared minibus) to town. Which may or may not have been a good idea. Water was just gushing down the hills of Bodrum, and the house I was in, wasn't the only place that lost power. It didn't seem like this was a regular occurrence. So just tried to go with the flow. Good thing I brought my rain jacket.

Dolmus going down a flooded street.

The following day was definitely better, so I went to explore the area. I walked around the various bays that make up Bodrum, including Gumbet and Bardakci, and of course the marina. So many hills. They make for great views and pretty pictures. And strong calf muscles. Inn my wanderings, I visited some of the older parts of the town, including the windmills and castle.

windmills.

Bodrum Castle.

On Thursday, I finally thought I had a beach day. However, the weather was still not cooperating. I decided to make my way to Yahsi Beach, which is in Ortakent Bay, regardless. Once I got there, I walked along the boardwalk and then planted myself at a cafe right on the water to have some Turkish tea. With cover from the rain of course. The sun eventually came out and I went to have some meze (cold appetizers) for lunch. I had some stuffed peppers and eggplant in yogurt, which may be one of my favorite dishes. I also tried the Raki, but I wasn't really a fan. The liquor was a bit too sweet for my liking. I think I'll stick with Efes beer from now on. After my food digested a bit, I took a dip in the Aegean Sea. The water was very nice. Not cold at all. Not like the Atlantic Ocean in the Northeast. Even though liked the warmth of the water, I wasn't a fan of all the rocks. I do like my sandy beaches. You do need to be careful when going in as to not slip and hurt yourself. They actually have ramps that go down into the water to avoid injuries. 

meze and raki.

The following day was the perfect day to be on the water and good thing I waited to take the boat trip I was thinking about. We departed from Bodrum marina in the morning. The weather ended up being fantastic as we explored all these coves on the coast. Again, the coast is very rocky, but it was much prettier away from all the touristy bays. We would anchor in a cove and just swim for a while.The water was so clear and beautiful. Every chance I had, I was in the water swimming around. And I actually got somewhat of a tan. My runner's tan is still prominent, but hey, progress.

all the boats enjoying the coves.

My last full day in Bodrum was spent taking a day trip to Efes (Ephesus). It was quite a journey, but definitely easier than I expected. I took a nice coach bus to Soke. From there I took a dolmus to Kusadasi, and then another one to Selcuk. I feel like a pro at the dolmus now. Especially as the first driver, just stopped in the street, flagged down the 2nd driver to let me on. I figured out very quickly what was happening and I ran across traffic to hop into the other dolmus. And I was on my way. 

After a short walk (1 kilometer), I found myself at the lower gate entrance. The day was another beautiful beach day, however, I tried to stay cool as I wandered around the ancient Roman town. It was very cool walking around imagining what it was like back in the day. A day a very long time ago. There were some pretty cool spots, like the different stadiums (which I had to climbb to the top of course) and the Library of Celcus.  

Efes.

My last day in Bodrum was spent running 17 miles around the peninsula and eating. Oh and packing up my bag. Which I think I'm getting quicker at, but probably not. 

After spending way too long on a bus, I made it to Pamukkale last night. Even though I'm not a fan of buses (who is?), I can appreciate the Turkish making it as comfortable as possible. It's almost like you are on a plane.They come by with beverages and snacks. Which I did need when the ride turned into 5+ hours. 

Now to go check out Pamukkale. 

Istanbul

I'm on Day 5 of my adventure. I'm counting the first day as it was the day I left. But it was only a travel day. I guess I had some champagne at JFK, which could be seen as exciting. I mean for me it was. Bubbly to kick start off the trip for $14? Yes please. After a quick layover in Russia, I eventually made it to my first destination on Day 2. 

In the last 72+ hours I've been able to cover a lot of Istanbul. I can't help feeling like a tourist. Well I guess I am. But there seems to be a lot of them, so I don't stand out. Too much. And going from NYC to another city actually bodes well for me as that is where I fit in most. Hustlers can't get anything on me. It's a nice transition to a new country, and I can acclimate myself a bit before heading to more remote areas. 

So what have I done so far you may be wondering. I explored the neighborhood I'm staying in (Beyoglu) and went up the Galata Tower my first day (all after taking a much needed shower of course). The tower had some pretty good views of the city, which I caught right at sunset.

View from Galata Tower, looking at Suleymaniye Mosque.

On Day 3, I wandered around the other side of the city and visited both the Suleymaniye and Sultan Ahmed Camii (Mosque). Both were pretty cool and a little bit different. Of course it's quite warm here (still summer-like and not too different from NYC except way less humidity), and I was wearing shorts. I did have a scarf with me to cover my head and shoulders, but they provided a skirt for me to wear. A long skirt did not make the cut when I packed. Actually I guess I have to own one first before it could make any sort of cut. 

Outside Suleymaniye Mosque.

Inside the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Yesterday was a bit of a lazier day. I guess after a 15-miler, I deserved it. I took a nap. Longer than I anticipated. Then decided it was a bit too late to do anything else but get some beer. So that is what I did. I found myself at a nearby "urban garden" bar. One of the things I love about this city, are all the hidden side streets. You can turn down any one of them and find a restaurant or bar. So that's what I did. I'm on a mission to try all the different Efes beers that Turkey has to offer. I've tried 3 of them so far: the pilsner, the dark one, and the malt one. I like the dark one the best as of now. I then decided to do a Turkish bath. But I'm going to come back to you on that one. I'd like to do one more before leaving Turkey and will provide a review then. 

Today was more of a touristy day. After my very humid run (did I mention it's not humid here?), I made my way to Gulhane Park. This was a suprise find. I didn't realize it was there and went through the gates and was pleasantly surprised to find all this greenery. As much as I love the side streets, I wish there was more green space here. I didn't realized I missed it until I came across this park. I know I spent most of my time walking around the urban jungle known as NYC, but I did get my almost daily dose of Central Park. Which does make a difference. 

Gulhane Park.

After that I checked out the Basilica Cistern and the Hagia Sophia. Both pretty cool spots if you get a chance to get to Istanbul. 

Basilica Cistern.

Hagia Sophia.

That's it for now. I'm going to pay my bill at this lovely outdoor bar and head to bed. 

world travels

It's been hard to keep up with my blog recently. I haven't been doing anything too exciting and work has consumed me for the last several months. But not for too much longer. Hence this post.

For a very long time I've been wanting to travel around the world. After the first few years living in NYC after college, I figured I'd save up some money and take off. Except that didn't happen. Life got in the way and 10 years later, I'm still working and living in NYC. Which has been pretty great mind you. I think that's why the last decade went by so fast. 

But I'm now 33 and it's time to make this dream of mine a reality. 

I quit my job and in less than one week, I'm getting on a plane with a one-way ticket. I'm going to be running, blogging, taking photos, trying all sorts of food, experiencing local culture, trying beers, and whatever else I can think of.  

So yes, you have questions. And since my FAQ to my friends and family seemed to be a hit, I'm going to do it here as well. 

How long are you gone for? 
I'm not sure. Probably around 6 months or so. I have a tentative itinerary, but want to remain somewhat flexible. I want to meet people, learn and absorb the local cultures. I don't want to feel like I'm rushing through this experience.

Where are you going? 
First stop will be Istanbul. From there I'll explore some more of Turkey and then head to Israel and Jordan. And this is all I have figured out for the moment. Thenprobably onto India and Sri Lanka (maybe Nepal?). For the longest time I've been wanting to go to Southeast Asia, so will be exploring as much as possible. And why not run a marathon and spend Christmas in Thailand? Then spend the New Year in Australia and New Zealand. South America is going to be my last continent before I come back home. 

Tentative itinerary follows. 

September: Turkey

October: Israel/Jordan/Sri Lanka

November: India/Myanmar/Vietnam

December: Malaysia/Cambodia/Thailand

January: Australia/New Zealand

February: Ecuador/Peru

March: Argentina/Chile

I welcome any and all suggestions of where to go and things to do!

Why aren't you going to Italy (because really aren't you just doing Eat, Pray, Love)? 
I've been very fortunate to have spent a lot of time in Europe from studying abroad, going on vacations, and traveling for work. My only technical stop in Europe will be Istanbul. I really want to explore parts of the world that I haven't seen yet.

Are you going by yourself?
Yes, I am. I know. I know. I'll be safe. I'd like to think 10 years in NYC has given me some good life experience. I know safety is a concern and I plan to be smart about my travels. But this is something I don't want to distract me from the experience. And I won't always be alone. I will meet new people, and also meet up with friends and family around the world. 

What are you bringing? 

I have a long list of items that I will be squeezing into one large and one small backpack. Yes, that's it. Don't judge when you see me wearing the same clothes, over and over in photos. 

Are you running on this trip? 

We all know the answer to that one. I have signed up for the Chiang Mai Marathon, which is on December 20th. I officially kick off marathon training about 2 weeks ago. I imagine I'll be in a different place each weekend for my long run, which will be pretty cool. I also want to find races leading up the big one in different countries to really see what the running culture is like around the world. 

This sounds amazing and I want to follow you along on your adventure. How do I do that? 
That's obvious. Follow my blog. You can also find me on other social media. Warning: you may get sick of all the photos I'll be posting. 

That is it for now. Keep coming back to get updates! 

i did it.

I did it. I ran the Boston Marathon. After several years, a handful of attempts, and a humid day in upstate New York back in 2013, I finally got to run the most historic and competitive race in the world. And what an experience it was. 

Come April 20th, I was ready to tackle the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston. I put the miles, hills, and freezing mornings in. I got advice from my sisters, teammates, and friends on how to "not go out too fast" and "watch out for the downhills". I was excited for the crowds of spectators, kisses from Wellesley girls, and even those raucous Red Sox fans. 

hanging out at the expo.

On a beautiful spring morning, I accompanied some friends and teammates who were also running, from NYC to Boston. I spent the weekend carbo-loading, buying stuff at the expo, shaking out my legs, and hanging around the finish line. As each hour passed, and Monday morning approached, I checked the weather to see if there were any changes in the forecast. There weren't. So there it was: chilly, windy, and rainy. Perfect running weather. Did I mention those winds were headwinds and not tailwinds? Yeah, bring it on. At least it wasn't 80. Or a Nor'easter. 

Each morning in the week leading up to the marathon, I woke up at 5 or 6am. Well Marathon Monday was no different. For once, I could sleep in the morning before a race. I was in wave 2 and was slotted to start at 10:25am. Yes, I had to get to Hopkinton, but I could have slept in to like 7. If my nerves had allowed it. So I got ready and made my way to Boston Common to catch the bus. So that rain? Well it was predicted to start at 11am. Which would be a few miles into the race. Great. Except it started while I was on the bus. That was not in the plan. I didn't bring trashbags or anything else to keep me dry. Fortunately for me, it stopped before we got to the starting area. 

On arrival, I bee-lined it to the porta potty. I ate some food, drank some water, and tried to stay off my feet. I ran into a fellow BoMF volunteer and we chatted until it was time for another porta potty run. At this point we parted ways, and I made my way to the corral. Except I wanted to go to the bathroom ONE more time. Of course at this point, I'm slightly stressing. Boston is a big race. Lots of runners milling around in a pretty decent size start village. After finding an empty line and getting everything out of my system, in a slightly rushed state, I continued on my way. I had been stripping off my throwaway clothes on my journey to the start line, while taking in all the 'good lucks' from the Hopkinton residents. It's highly unusual to see anyone other than runners and volunteers before starting a race of this caliber, so it was a pretty cool send-off. I finally made it to corral 4 and fortunately found my friends pretty quickly. A couple of minutes later, we were off!

My friend and I made a plan to run in the 7:30-7:35/mile range for the first half of the course. We did a pretty good job to sticking to our plan, especially with all those downhills. A few miles were a little faster than I would have liked, but figured it would even out in the end. Even though it's apparently tough to negative split on this particular course. I enjoyed all the spectators in Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley as we approached the half marathon point. All the while getting slightly wetter with the drizzly rain that started shortly after I started running. Spectators embraced the weather with tents in their front lawns and beverages in hand. I heard Sweet Caroline blasting from a few speakers. As we approached Wellesley, I could hear all the screaming girls as they were giving out kisses. I couldn't help myself but move a bit closer. But no kisses. Maybe if they were cute guys. After the college, we approached downtown Wellesley and shortly thereafter I heard my name being screamed by my own personal spectators--my sisters and friends. Of course I was super happy to see them. I was also happy since I hit 1:38:41, which was right on target to finish with a 3:15. 

After the half marathon point, things were still going pretty well. But then I lost my friend going down a hill, probably around mile 16. She's really good at them, so I wasn't too concerned. I figured I'd catch her on an uphill since I did such a great job of practicing them. I had her in sight for a little while, but at some point I completely lost her. 

half marathon point. 

Based on my splits, things literally and figuratively started going downhill at about mile 17. My split wasn't too far off, so there was no cause for alarm. Mile 18 was a little slower, but then mile 19 was faster. Not at target pace, but at least in the 7:40 range. However after that point, every mile I would run was at least 30 seconds off my pace. I can't pinpoint where I was exactly, but there was a point where I knew I wasn't hitting my goal time. And another point later on, where I knew I wasn't going to PR. My muscles were tired and sore. It's always hard to assess what went wrong. Did I overtrain? Did I spend too much on my feet the days leading up the race? Did I not get enough sleep? Did the cold, wind, and rain catch up to me? Should I have worn more clothing? Well at mile 20, none of this mattered. I had to power through and finish the rest of the marathon. 

mile 25.2.

So as I made my way through Newton, Brookline, and eventually to the last mile in Boston, I tried to enjoy as much as I could. I took in the spectators, the views, and the experience of running a race I've been waiting years to do. Even with the pain I was going through. I had to keep reminding myself I was running THE Boston Marathon. Just try to enjoy what I could and avoid as many puddles as possible. 

The spectators got me through to the end. I saw a few of my teammates out there, and at mile 25.2 (one mile to go), I saw my sisters again, with my aunt. I steadily made my way down Commonwealth in a little bit of a haze. Suddenly, I was turning right onto Hereford. I was almost there. I heard some more friends calling out my name and finally turned onto Boylston. Yes, the finish line was in sight. But it was SO far away. I hadn't realize how far in my wanderings over the weekend. Maybe that was a good thing? With one last cheer from the spectators and my friends, I crossed the finish line. I almost cried with all the emotions that overcame me. But was so thrilled that I couldn't stop smiling. And then I experienced some mild hypothermia. The volunteers were amazing though. They all made sure the runners were ok. Shivering and with chattering teeth, I slowly made my way to the hotel to get showered and warmed up. 

after the finish.

My finish time of 3:24:52 (7:49 pace) was off my goal by about 10 minutes. Seems so drastic. However, my time was my 2nd fastest finish. So I can't complain. I finally ran Boston. And now I'm plotting my return. Of course I had to celebrate and enjoy some Sam Adams marathon brew. While kissing my medal. 

drinking some marathon brew.

So it's been 3+ weeks since I crossed the finish line. I still can't believe I did it. But I did. I chased down the unicorn. And my supporters have been so great throughout this entire journey. So thanks to them for believing in me. 

I chased down my unicorn.

boston bound

4 weeks until Boston. 4 weeks until I run the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston. 4 weeks until a 6 1/2 year goal is achieved. 6 1/2 years. Yikes. I can't think of anything else that I spent that much time trying to achieve. Good thing I like running. 

Back in 2007 (you know, last decade), I decided to attend a Team in Training informational session about upcoming endurance events. I was slightly hungover and ended up winning a free entry into any race that season. This is what I blame for the start of my marathon career–residual alcohol in my system and free stuff, which affected my judgement. So I signed up for the Anchorage half marathon. I figured a half is easier to do than a marathon. Also I pronounced repeatedly that only crazy people do marathons. Except, in the middle of the training cycle, with a mix of peer pressure and my competitive nature, that half turned into a full. I bit the bullet and decided that this was a one-and-done sort of thing. Something to check off my life list. And I did it. I saw a moose, made my way to the finish line, and said "no more" shortly thereafter. 

Fast forward a year, and again, with a little bit of peer pressure, I decided to mentor and run the Marine Corps Marathon. After taking my time down from 4:14:19 to 3:47:48, and while I was out celebrating with friends later that evening, people started asking me about the Boston Marathon. Apparently it was within reach. This wasn't even something that had crossed my mind. Remember, I said one-and-done. But now Boston was in sight. The marathon. The one everyone wants to run, but only a few get to. I could possibly make that happen. 

That was the turning point. A year after that race I ran NYC, and then again the following year, then Amsterdam, and then Chicago. Each year I tried to qualify for Boston–unsuccessfully. Here's what went down: 

• 2009 NYC (3:49:19) – Didn't eat enough food before the start and almost fainted at the finish
• 2010 NYC (3:48:49) – Learned my lesson, but was still off of my 2008 PR. Maybe there were too many bridges?
• 2011 Amsterdam (3:39:04) – Had a really crappy training season (pretty much lived in hotels, was working too hard, and barely slept), but managed to have a good race, which lead to a PR under the coveted 3:40 qualifying time. However, Boston changed their standards to 3:35 a few months prior, so it was a no-go
• 2012 Chicago (3:40:20) –  Put in the proper training and with perfect weather, I expected a PR on the pancake flat course, but didn't quite pull it off. If I were to pinpoint anything, maybe I was too tired from traveling and spent too much energy the day before when I should have been resting, but who knows

After Chicago 2012, I planned to take a year off, focus on some shorter distances, and try again the following year. I also prolonged the inevitable and joined Central Park Track Club. I was too intimidated to join before, but after a year of what I thought was me trying my best, I decided I needed the support of a team. And what other team to join then the one my sisters and friends were on? 

A few months later, April 15, 2013 rolled around. I was at work regularly checking the progress of the marathoners. During a meeting a co-worker mentioned that there was a bombing. The rest of that day was unreal. I could barely concentrate on anything. I still get a bit angry and upset about the events of that day. But I was determined to run Boston and not let these bombers ruin something that is so special and important. 

I decided to run Wineglass later in the year to attempt Boston again. I worked out with CPTC and had a pretty good training cycle. In the week leading up the race, the weather forecast wasn't promising. It was expected to pretty humid, which is abnormal for upstate New York in October. Then I got sick 72 hours before. I won't get into the details, but it wasn't pretty. Race day didn't looking promising. I hydrated and managed to consume some food in order to carbo-load. Since I trained in the hot and humid summer of NYC, I was hoping I hadn't acclimated to the fall weather yet. With my family present screaming my name, being my own personal race photographer, and keeping me company in the last few miles, I managed to get a big PR and finally qualified with a 3:31:44. I was ecstatic. Of course, I just missed the registration period for 2014's race. Now I had to wait until 2015. Which seemed like ages away. 

Soon enough, April 2014 arrived. I went up to Boston to support my sisters, friends, and the city of Boston. It was a day highlighted with pride, resilience, and excitement. A lot of special things happened that day and I got to see it unfold at mile 25. I was anticipating how it would feel to run the following year. 

Before the year was done, I still had to squeeze in one more marathon for good measure before Boston 2015. Which turned out to be the best one (so far). I crushed my PR with a time of 3:19:55 in Chicago last October, which actually moved me up an entire wave for Boston. Very helpful since the race is a late-starter.

We are finally in 2015. I've spent the last 12 weeks preparing myself for this historic race. All the miles, sub-freezing mornings, extra laundry, and hills have been paying off. On Saturday, I raced the Sleepy Hollow half marathon to assess my fitness level and came out of it with a big PR for a finish of 1:33:15. I was 5th overall female and first in my age group, which was pretty cool. Given the hilly course (and the unexpected cold and snowy weather), I was really pleased and excited for what this means. 

Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon Finish

I, of course, have some goals and I feel like I can now formalize them a bit:  

1. Enjoy Boston from start to finish
2. Get a PR 
3. Get as close to (or surpass) 3:15

I'm also excited to: 

1. Running with my friends (all 30,000 of them)
2. Having my family on the sidelines cheering
3. Getting the coveted Boston medal
4. Conquering Heartbreak Hill
5. Chasing down Shalane, Meb, Desi, and Ritz (in my mind at least)

Can't wait! 

chicago marathon

It's been almost 3 weeks, but I'm still running on my marathon high and with the NYC marathon tomorrow, I wanted to write about my own race experience at lat month's Chicago Marathon. 

Last year I finally qualified for Boston–after several attempts. Registration for the 2015 race wasn't until September and to be honest, I didn't need to run a marathon this fall. And I said I wouldn't. However, given some of the hiccups from last year's race, I thought I was capable of more and set out to find a race in October. 

I deliberated between Chicago and Steamtown. One is a big-city, excitement-filled race that I've already run. The other was new, closer, small-town(ish) and easier to travel to. Both are flat. Since I had friends running, and I had a time qualifier and given the changing qualifications standards for big races, I figured this was a good opportunity to run Chicago again. Steamtown wasn't going anywhere and I'll probably run it someday. 

chicago.

Decision made. And it was now time to train. 

Earlier this year, after getting a PR at the RnR DC half (1:38:42) and then another one for the Brooklyn half (1:36:08), I was off to a good start. I spent the summer building up my mileage, and doing speed workouts and tempo runs. Fortunately, this summer was better than most others from a humidity standpoint. Although I still had a few tough runs thrown in there for fun. 

In September, I ran the Queens half, which was 4 weeks before Chicago. This was meant to be a test of my fitness and see what I could realistically aim for. I woke up to a cool morning and made my way to Flushing Meadows park to run with 950 other runners. And my training was paying off. I got another PR (1:35:51), placed 7th female overall, and 2nd in my age group. I was on track for Chicago. 

Fast forward 4 weeks and I had arrived in Chicago. Two years ago–the last time I ran Chicago–my race didn't quite go to plan. I'm still not entirely sure what went wrong, but one of the factors could have been traveling the day before the race and running around the city (airport, hotel, expo, etc). I may have just tired myself out and I felt it in the last 8 miles of the race. This year, I arrived on Friday instead and made my way to the expo to get it out of the way (and also where I spent too much money on race gear). I had a quiet pasta dinner at the hotel and tried to get some sleep (not quite successful). 

it is.

The next morning, I headed down to the finish line area in Grant Park for my standard shakeout run (approximately 3 miles). I met up with my friend and we took a few selfies at the Bean (The Cloud). After a shower, I spent the rest of the day eating, taking touristy photos, and walking around. I sorted out all my race day essentials and mentally prepared. 

But there was one thing I was still debating–what pace do I aim for? Literally up to the pasta dinner the night before, I was trying to decide whether I should aim for 3:25 or 3:20 or somewhere in between. 

the bean.

In the weeks leading up to the race, I spent some time inputting my half marathon PR into various calculators to help me determine what I should do. One told me I could do 3:19, another 3:22. My PR was 3:31. Any of these seemed a bit ambitious. I finally decided to start out at the 3:25 pace and see what happened. This is what I trained for and figured I could speed up if I was feeling good. 

Race morning arrived. 

lake michigan sunrise.

I ate my peanut butter sandwich, banana, and clif bar (I learned my lesson on ensuring I ate enough food after running the 2009 NYCM). I got dressed in my CPTC best. And walked to the race start in clear, mid-40 degree weather. Getting inside the race area took longer than expected due to the security measures. I was meeting some friends at baggage and was on time. Unfortunately I didn't see them and 5 minutes after our meeting time, I made my way to the porta potty for one last bathroom stop. I was cutting that a bit close, but I just made it into my corral (way busier and crowded from 2 years ago for sure). There was no way I was going to spot my friends, but I exchanged good luck with a fellow NYC runner that I ran into! I planted myself between the 3:20 and 3:30 pace groups and got rid of my throwaway clothes. 

The horn went off. 

A couple of minutes later, I crossed the starting line. At the recommendation of my friend, I turned on the manual lap lap on my garmin so my GPS wasn't screwing with me. Given the race is in a city (and we went through a tunnel), it was expected to be a bit off. I wanted to know the time for each mile and not have my watch beep too early. It took a couple of miles to determine what pace I was going and get into a groove. As my results later showed, I did go out a bit faster than I intended. I kept at it for the first 10 miles. The halfway point arrived and I hit 1:40:39. This was great. Assuming I could keep it up of course. I was on track for a 3:20 marathon.

The cheerers along the course were amazing (2nd to NYC). With an earlier race start, it's nice to see people come out and support the marathoners and the city of Chicago. I didn't know too many people out there, but got to see my friend's husband (and teammate) several times and a friend that lives in Chicago. There were some other NYC supporters and got a bunch of CPTC cheers. I also got a few "go Canada" cheers. This happens a lot since our uniform has a maple leaf on it. I was ok with it and just smiled. 

I approached mile 21 and felt pretty good. I was going to hold off on speeding up for another mile or so, but decided, what the hell, go for it. I picked up my pace and picked people off for the next 5.2 miles. A couple of miles from the finish, I was confident that I would get 3:20 if I didn't slow down. But of course mile 26 was in the middle of a hill. Now, on any other day, this incline is nothing. But after running 26 miles, it's killer. I feel like Harlem Hill would be better at this point. At least that's a real hill. But I had my sights on the finish line and after turning that last corner, I made a beeline to the finish. I knew I hit 3:20, but it wasn't until after checking my watch that I saw that my time was 3:19:55! I was so happy with a 3:20 finish. So I was beyond thrilled when I saw that I broke that. I got my medal and Goose Island beer, and reunited with my friends. 

I spent the rest of the day basking in my finish, celebrating with a few drinks and friends, and eventually made my way to the airport to head back to NYC. 

Later this year, I'll kick off training for Boston, which I'm really excited about. Not excited about the winter training, but I'm sure I can motivate. 

I'm sending fast thoughts to my sister, friends, teammates, co-workers, and everyone else running tomorrow!