DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Ack... a cliffhanger. Sitting on the edge of my seat even though I know the outcome. Great recap thus far!
Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle
- Thread starter roxymama
- Start date
TeeterTots
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
What a fantastic start! You were crushing it!!! Yay to a new HM PR!
roxymama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
Working on it!!! I feel like everyone is probably getting DejaVu by now after reading so many Chicago recaps.
Thanks! I was relieved that I felt ok race morning. If I had started feeling "off" in the first half...I just don't know what the outcome would have been?
NEW AVATAR!! Which reminds me that I'll have to switch up my title soon after I'm done with my recapping.
run.minnie.miles
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2016
Ohh! The suspense!!! Glad you had a great half of the race!
roxymama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
I'm past mile 20...only 6.2 miles left! I can do this. No walk breaks, no walk breaks. But maybe a sandwich break.
Nothing wrong with a sandwich break!
roxymama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
Chicago Marathon Race Recap Part 4: The Finish!
(note: i realize I didn't crop the pictures I stole but ain't nobody got time for that)
25K 2:45:55 (10:56 pace)
So somewhere around mile 11.5 or 12 I started getting the sensation that I had relieve myself. But I was adamant that I didn’t want to make any stops and that it was “in my head.” But the sensation was growing and it was starting to give me a bit of a tummy cramp feeling. I told myself I needed to hang on through the half point. And the past the halfway mark I wanted to hang on through mile 14 which is where I expected Roxyhubby to see me again. I’d taken my third gel by this point (strawberry with a little caffeine.) I was wearing a super cheap tiny waist belt that could fit exactly three gels. My plan had bee to dump it in a trashcan or hand off to hubby. Since I was so close to seeing hubby again I unclipped it from my waist and carried it in my hand for about a mile. My mile pace to mile 14 was about 10:40ish so I was still chugging. I saw roxyhubby and came running up to him with a smile and threw the belt at his feet, high fived and kept running. Free at last…I like running with the least amount of stuff attached to me. Those giant water belts were not going to ever cut it…and I did try them in training. So now I was through 14 and I knew the charity cheer zones would be near mile 15 including the Girls on the Run tent. So I said “no bathroom stops until after 15.” My way to try to prolong this. I got big cheers and multiple little kid high fives at the cheer tent but I did not stop to trick or treat from their massive bowl of Halloween candy. I wanted to keep moving. Ran past the United Center (I get to go there this weekend to see some hockey!) and was happy to tick the western most point of the course off my checklist. In my head I only had two parts left of the race. Getting from here to Chinatown and from Chinatown to the finish line. No potty stop yet.
30k 3:21:28 (11:27 pace)
After the turn back East and right after the 16 mile mark I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and I veered off to use the porta potty. It was a little farther off course than I would have liked (and later seeing how close the mile 17 potties were I was like DANG IT.) I barely had to go once I was in there and I didn’t want to stick around any longer than needed so I wrestled my shorts back on (TMI) and headed back out. I didn’t like the way my shorts were sitting so I gracefully was pulling at them all over the place as I was jogging. There’s no modesty or shame at mile 16 of a marathon. That stop ate into my time but I definitely had not hit any kind of wall yet. I tried little spurts of pushing the pace a little bit since I was still hovering between 10:40 and 10:55 quite a bit, but I’d keep settling back into that pace. Was looking for hubby at 17 but didn’t see him until I heard his voice and saw it as I’d already passed him. I was glad to try to see him again at 20. I think this was the point in the race where we turned back west again and the bottoms of my feet started feeling tired. Not like my legs or anything, just the bottom of my feet. Weird. At about the 18 mile mark I felt like a weird sensation in my right shoe almost as if my toenail was literally separating from my toe. Not a fan. I just kept saying…this is not a wall…this is a silly little toe…I don’t need to walk…who would want to walk on an ouchie toe forever…let’s get this over with. And so for the rest of the race I’d zone in and out of noticing my ouch toe. I’d go full miles and not feel it and then REALLY feel it.
35k 3:59:02 (12:06 pace)
I was shocked when we got to the Pilsen neighborhood because I could not believe we were already here. Pilsen now meant Chinatown soon and Chinatown meant only a 10k left. How had I ran this far? @DopeyBadger had told me that I’d have to see how I was feeling at this point. If I had it in me to push faster or if I just maintained long run or even super slow running. From here on out it was not “easy” like those first miles. I’d have lots of moments of “this is not that bad, but also not that easy.” From this point in the race onward dodging walkers was a real thing. I was trying to stick by the blue line still but lots of people walking on it. I was telling myself over and over…you don’t need to stop and so I’d have moments of slower running mixed with more energy and some of the aid stations my jogging may have been slower than others fast walking. But I kept the forward momentum. I knew my pace was slowing, I could see it on my phone. I was still proud that I was moving. I still was like “what the F, toe, what is happening in my sock!”
I was unaware that my husband was having his own foot race to get to mile 20 in time to see me (no divvy bikes were available) so he fast walked 1.5 miles and made it in time. He told me this was the first time I looked like I was getting tired. I had given him a look of bewilderment and a smile. I was so unsure of how the rest of this was going to go.
40k 4:39:27 (13:01 pace)
Chinatown was thrilling! Bucket list to get to this point of the race. They heavily feature it as the “almost there” point during the annual tv coverage. Cool to see a dancing dragon. I had a good push through this area, but on the other side of it the long road south and the sparser crowds and my increasingly tired feet and now sort of heavy legs made this the most challenging part of the race. I took my first walk break through an aide station and I think another over a bridge or hill. Not for long, not sustained, but I realized that it was hard to get back up to speed after doing that. I had been having my gels like clockwork and never felt dizzy or dehydrated, etc. Just heavier legs. Was happy to see the folks coming back north a block away which meant I was nearing the farthest southern point of the course.
When I saw the 37k sign I got this jolt…wait…that’s 5k left! Sure enough a man in the crowd had a big 3.1 miles to go sign. And from that point on I just was willing myself from K sign to K sign. I pulled from all my past Chicago races…I knew what this length on Michigan Ave or on the lakefront feels like. I knew I could do it. I was pressing but my speed output was still a lot slower than how I felt. But I fought through it. I already knew 4:30 was out, the 4:40 group had passed me already and I was all of sudden near the 4:40 group from the L corral which most likely started 10 minutes after me.
I can’t remember exactly when but somewhere after mile 23 is where I stopped at a porta potty again because I felt the intense need to pee. And nothing. I sat there and nothing. Annoying!!!!!!! Ugh, why’d I stop. So that ate into my time.
With two miles to go I knew I could get in under 5 hours if I pressed.
With one mile to go I knew there was 100% chance I would make my under 5 hour goal because I could crawl at this point and make that time. But I pressed still.
Missed running into my family near Mt. Roosevelt as they ended up being on the side of the street that was farthest from me. I pounded up that hill and started bawling…the whole way up. Everything just hit me emotionally at once. My mom, my family, you guys, just everything. I turned the corner and saw 4:54 on my watch and did everything I could to get to the finish prior to 4:55.
FINISH 4:54:55
I was thrilled. 4:30 would have been nice but also two 2:15 halfs seemed a bit spicy from the start. That wasn’t going to stop me from trying. A 2:19+ half followed by a 2:35+ half is what I came away with and THAT MAKES ME SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!!!
I cried again as soon as I crossed the finish. I couldn’t help it. And there were other people crying and watching people cry makes me cry.
Went from feeling fairly ok to becoming a baby giraffe with a peg leg through the finisher chute. It was like someone put marbles in my socks and tied lead weights to my ankles. But I got my medal and my mylar blanket and a jewel bag of snacks (YAAAAAS to races that give you bags for your stuff!!!) and drank about half of my commemorative Goose Island 312. They made us pour our the rest before leaving the chute. So that may be my one big failure…that I couldn’t drink the whole beer. I got a text from hubby that I was amazing and cue the tears…which at this point were made up of mostly Gatorade.
I was set to meet hubby and @DopeyBadger and any other dispeeps at the letter Q in the family regrouping area. Turns out Q is pretty fair in the alphabet and my legs were pretty tired. So when @DopeyBadger texted me that he was already up near A & B…that was a moment of elation. I didn’t have to walk all the way to Q!!!!
Had my “OMG I DID IT” moment with Da Coach and then hubby called and found us quickly and I got my SUPER HUG!
We hobbled to Michigan Ave together (well hubby was fine…not sure who was more limpy, Billy or I???) And then I wished him well and my husband said the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard “Should we take this rickshaw?”
YES! I DO! I DO WANT TO TAKE THIS RICKHAW!
Best $45 bucks for a half mile trip to the car we’ve ever spent.
Drove a real long way all the way around the entire closed off course to get to my in-laws condo which is next to Mt. Roosevelt just on the opposite side of where our car was parked. Getting out of the car, hubby reminded me I could put up my car magnet!!! 26.2!!! Woo hoo!!!
I got to see my kiddo and give her the biggest hugs. She was upset I couldn’t get close enough to give her a high five. Broke my heart. So I hugged her a thousand times despite her thinking I was sweaty and gross. Perked up when she remembered she had a surprise for me. CAKE!!! It was delish and the same cake we had at our wedding from the same bakery.
I took the greatest shower of my life and discovered all kinds of horrible chafing that we won’t ever mention again.
This experience was a success. My quads were insanely sore for a few days and as of today they aren’t. I didn’t lose my big toenail but I’ve got a real nice bruise thing under the nail bed that’s driving me crazy. I have a cold now that may or may not have come from running in the rain. I would very much like to sleep a lot all weekend.
Will I run another marathon……hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm????????????????????????????
Am I stoked for my potential at shorter distances…YES! Stay tuned for my next steps and goals for next year.
11/4/18 is my Hot Chocolate 15k which who knows what I do during that one.
1/12/19 is my WDW Half Marathon which I plan to stop A LOT for characters and merriment.
Final Stats
Place Gender: 11942
Place Age Group: 2046
Place Overall: 29867
(note: i realize I didn't crop the pictures I stole but ain't nobody got time for that)
25K 2:45:55 (10:56 pace)
So somewhere around mile 11.5 or 12 I started getting the sensation that I had relieve myself. But I was adamant that I didn’t want to make any stops and that it was “in my head.” But the sensation was growing and it was starting to give me a bit of a tummy cramp feeling. I told myself I needed to hang on through the half point. And the past the halfway mark I wanted to hang on through mile 14 which is where I expected Roxyhubby to see me again. I’d taken my third gel by this point (strawberry with a little caffeine.) I was wearing a super cheap tiny waist belt that could fit exactly three gels. My plan had bee to dump it in a trashcan or hand off to hubby. Since I was so close to seeing hubby again I unclipped it from my waist and carried it in my hand for about a mile. My mile pace to mile 14 was about 10:40ish so I was still chugging. I saw roxyhubby and came running up to him with a smile and threw the belt at his feet, high fived and kept running. Free at last…I like running with the least amount of stuff attached to me. Those giant water belts were not going to ever cut it…and I did try them in training. So now I was through 14 and I knew the charity cheer zones would be near mile 15 including the Girls on the Run tent. So I said “no bathroom stops until after 15.” My way to try to prolong this. I got big cheers and multiple little kid high fives at the cheer tent but I did not stop to trick or treat from their massive bowl of Halloween candy. I wanted to keep moving. Ran past the United Center (I get to go there this weekend to see some hockey!) and was happy to tick the western most point of the course off my checklist. In my head I only had two parts left of the race. Getting from here to Chinatown and from Chinatown to the finish line. No potty stop yet.
30k 3:21:28 (11:27 pace)
After the turn back East and right after the 16 mile mark I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and I veered off to use the porta potty. It was a little farther off course than I would have liked (and later seeing how close the mile 17 potties were I was like DANG IT.) I barely had to go once I was in there and I didn’t want to stick around any longer than needed so I wrestled my shorts back on (TMI) and headed back out. I didn’t like the way my shorts were sitting so I gracefully was pulling at them all over the place as I was jogging. There’s no modesty or shame at mile 16 of a marathon. That stop ate into my time but I definitely had not hit any kind of wall yet. I tried little spurts of pushing the pace a little bit since I was still hovering between 10:40 and 10:55 quite a bit, but I’d keep settling back into that pace. Was looking for hubby at 17 but didn’t see him until I heard his voice and saw it as I’d already passed him. I was glad to try to see him again at 20. I think this was the point in the race where we turned back west again and the bottoms of my feet started feeling tired. Not like my legs or anything, just the bottom of my feet. Weird. At about the 18 mile mark I felt like a weird sensation in my right shoe almost as if my toenail was literally separating from my toe. Not a fan. I just kept saying…this is not a wall…this is a silly little toe…I don’t need to walk…who would want to walk on an ouchie toe forever…let’s get this over with. And so for the rest of the race I’d zone in and out of noticing my ouch toe. I’d go full miles and not feel it and then REALLY feel it.
35k 3:59:02 (12:06 pace)
I was shocked when we got to the Pilsen neighborhood because I could not believe we were already here. Pilsen now meant Chinatown soon and Chinatown meant only a 10k left. How had I ran this far? @DopeyBadger had told me that I’d have to see how I was feeling at this point. If I had it in me to push faster or if I just maintained long run or even super slow running. From here on out it was not “easy” like those first miles. I’d have lots of moments of “this is not that bad, but also not that easy.” From this point in the race onward dodging walkers was a real thing. I was trying to stick by the blue line still but lots of people walking on it. I was telling myself over and over…you don’t need to stop and so I’d have moments of slower running mixed with more energy and some of the aid stations my jogging may have been slower than others fast walking. But I kept the forward momentum. I knew my pace was slowing, I could see it on my phone. I was still proud that I was moving. I still was like “what the F, toe, what is happening in my sock!”
I was unaware that my husband was having his own foot race to get to mile 20 in time to see me (no divvy bikes were available) so he fast walked 1.5 miles and made it in time. He told me this was the first time I looked like I was getting tired. I had given him a look of bewilderment and a smile. I was so unsure of how the rest of this was going to go.
40k 4:39:27 (13:01 pace)
Chinatown was thrilling! Bucket list to get to this point of the race. They heavily feature it as the “almost there” point during the annual tv coverage. Cool to see a dancing dragon. I had a good push through this area, but on the other side of it the long road south and the sparser crowds and my increasingly tired feet and now sort of heavy legs made this the most challenging part of the race. I took my first walk break through an aide station and I think another over a bridge or hill. Not for long, not sustained, but I realized that it was hard to get back up to speed after doing that. I had been having my gels like clockwork and never felt dizzy or dehydrated, etc. Just heavier legs. Was happy to see the folks coming back north a block away which meant I was nearing the farthest southern point of the course.
When I saw the 37k sign I got this jolt…wait…that’s 5k left! Sure enough a man in the crowd had a big 3.1 miles to go sign. And from that point on I just was willing myself from K sign to K sign. I pulled from all my past Chicago races…I knew what this length on Michigan Ave or on the lakefront feels like. I knew I could do it. I was pressing but my speed output was still a lot slower than how I felt. But I fought through it. I already knew 4:30 was out, the 4:40 group had passed me already and I was all of sudden near the 4:40 group from the L corral which most likely started 10 minutes after me.
I can’t remember exactly when but somewhere after mile 23 is where I stopped at a porta potty again because I felt the intense need to pee. And nothing. I sat there and nothing. Annoying!!!!!!! Ugh, why’d I stop. So that ate into my time.
With two miles to go I knew I could get in under 5 hours if I pressed.
With one mile to go I knew there was 100% chance I would make my under 5 hour goal because I could crawl at this point and make that time. But I pressed still.
Missed running into my family near Mt. Roosevelt as they ended up being on the side of the street that was farthest from me. I pounded up that hill and started bawling…the whole way up. Everything just hit me emotionally at once. My mom, my family, you guys, just everything. I turned the corner and saw 4:54 on my watch and did everything I could to get to the finish prior to 4:55.
FINISH 4:54:55
I was thrilled. 4:30 would have been nice but also two 2:15 halfs seemed a bit spicy from the start. That wasn’t going to stop me from trying. A 2:19+ half followed by a 2:35+ half is what I came away with and THAT MAKES ME SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!!!
I cried again as soon as I crossed the finish. I couldn’t help it. And there were other people crying and watching people cry makes me cry.
Went from feeling fairly ok to becoming a baby giraffe with a peg leg through the finisher chute. It was like someone put marbles in my socks and tied lead weights to my ankles. But I got my medal and my mylar blanket and a jewel bag of snacks (YAAAAAS to races that give you bags for your stuff!!!) and drank about half of my commemorative Goose Island 312. They made us pour our the rest before leaving the chute. So that may be my one big failure…that I couldn’t drink the whole beer. I got a text from hubby that I was amazing and cue the tears…which at this point were made up of mostly Gatorade.
I was set to meet hubby and @DopeyBadger and any other dispeeps at the letter Q in the family regrouping area. Turns out Q is pretty fair in the alphabet and my legs were pretty tired. So when @DopeyBadger texted me that he was already up near A & B…that was a moment of elation. I didn’t have to walk all the way to Q!!!!
Had my “OMG I DID IT” moment with Da Coach and then hubby called and found us quickly and I got my SUPER HUG!
We hobbled to Michigan Ave together (well hubby was fine…not sure who was more limpy, Billy or I???) And then I wished him well and my husband said the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard “Should we take this rickshaw?”
YES! I DO! I DO WANT TO TAKE THIS RICKHAW!
Best $45 bucks for a half mile trip to the car we’ve ever spent.
Drove a real long way all the way around the entire closed off course to get to my in-laws condo which is next to Mt. Roosevelt just on the opposite side of where our car was parked. Getting out of the car, hubby reminded me I could put up my car magnet!!! 26.2!!! Woo hoo!!!
I got to see my kiddo and give her the biggest hugs. She was upset I couldn’t get close enough to give her a high five. Broke my heart. So I hugged her a thousand times despite her thinking I was sweaty and gross. Perked up when she remembered she had a surprise for me. CAKE!!! It was delish and the same cake we had at our wedding from the same bakery.
I took the greatest shower of my life and discovered all kinds of horrible chafing that we won’t ever mention again.
This experience was a success. My quads were insanely sore for a few days and as of today they aren’t. I didn’t lose my big toenail but I’ve got a real nice bruise thing under the nail bed that’s driving me crazy. I have a cold now that may or may not have come from running in the rain. I would very much like to sleep a lot all weekend.
Will I run another marathon……hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm????????????????????????????
Am I stoked for my potential at shorter distances…YES! Stay tuned for my next steps and goals for next year.
11/4/18 is my Hot Chocolate 15k which who knows what I do during that one.
1/12/19 is my WDW Half Marathon which I plan to stop A LOT for characters and merriment.
Final Stats
Place Gender: 11942
Place Age Group: 2046
Place Overall: 29867
Last edited:
ZellyB
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2010
ZellyB
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2010
YAY for you! Loved the recap and I'm so excited for you. You are a freaking rockstar!!
And that bruised toenail? Likely means it'll be going buh-bye soon. But I did see a sign while running Chicago that said, "All Toenails go to Heaven". So, there's always that.
Congratulations again, Marathoner!!
And that bruised toenail? Likely means it'll be going buh-bye soon. But I did see a sign while running Chicago that said, "All Toenails go to Heaven". So, there's always that.
Congratulations again, Marathoner!!
run.minnie.miles
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2016
I loved every second (mile... step...) of your recap. I am so incredibly happy for and proud of you!! You are not only physically strong, but so mentally tough too! Congratulations again!!
TeeterTots
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
Ah-May-Zing!!!!! You should be so proud! I was crying and laughing at the same time. It brought back a ton of emotions from January! Congrats, Marathoner! You did it!!!!
garneska
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2003
The walk to Q was INSANE. I thought I would never make it. Congrats on finishing your first marathon. It won't be your last.
And seriously a dancing dragon in Chinatown. Makes sense and i missed it. My brain was little foggy and all i could do was follow the blue line.
And seriously a dancing dragon in Chinatown. Makes sense and i missed it. My brain was little foggy and all i could do was follow the blue line.
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Fantastic recap. Job well done on the marathon too!
You did so well. As soon as I saw you finished I started making my way to the reunion area and I was like, no way she wants to walk all the way to Q. I don't even want to walk to Q.
I'd say we were equally wrecked by that point in the day. Congrats marathoner!
Sleepless Knight
Jedi Knight Seeking His Jedi Princess
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
I'm just glad neither one of you had to pull that rickshaw like the Seinfeld episode.
Great job on your race. With my first marathon coming up, I really appreciated reading your thoughts as you got further and further in the race. Very inspiring and helpful at the same time.
SarahDisney
So ... Yeah
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
You did amazing! Reading the recap made me feel like I was right there with you running this thing. Including the tears at the end. I'm so proud of you - you killed it!
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