Excellence is a Habit: Chicago Marathon 2012

The start!

The finish!

I successfully completed my third Chicago Marathon! More than just the physical aspect of successfully running 26.2 consecutive miles, each race teaches me a new lesson. This race I learned three:

My race depends on more than just my legs: Training, weather, nutrition, and shoes all play a role on race day…but many more factors play a vital role. Luckily for me, I had finished my training runs (although many were sub-par), the weather was a perfect 38 degrees, I gorged on Jason’s Deli the day before and had my margarita shot blocks ready to go, and I was sporting my favorite Sauconys.

But the magic ingredient this race, which I felt more than any other, was a joy and content I have not felt in a while. Being home with my family and friends was exactly what I needed to unwind and recharge. Being back home is a comfort that nothing else can match.. Seeing my brother race in his cross country race inspired me. Having my boyfriend surprise me and fly in to watch the race encouraged me. Seeing the work ethic of my best friend motivated me. Having my sister and mom and brother in law and rest of the crew on the sidelines cheering me on pushed me to go that much harder.

I honestly would not have been able to finish if it wasn’t for my friends and family and my weekend with them. Yes, I did the hard work of training, but really a lot of my success is due to the support and encouragement of loved ones.

Humility

This race I had the opportunity to start in Corral A, which is right behind the elite athletes. Never before in a race have I been passed by so many fast people. Usually, I am the one picking people off, but I can honestly say I don’t think I passed one single person for the first 3 or 4 miles! At first it was discouraging, but then I realized that I have nothing to prove to anyone next to me, but what I needed to do was rely on lessons previously learned: SLOW DOWN! Proper pacing is essential to a good race, and going out to strong at first is a rookie mistake. It would have been easy to have gotten swept up in the rush of the start, but I know better… it was an honor to start with those runners, and I would have my time to go that fast soon enough.

Also, I was humbled because I ran almost 17 minutes slower than my last race. I definitely cannot complain about a 3:34, but the perfectionist in me was obviously a little disappointed. But honestly, times don’t accurately tell a racers story or level of accomplishment. My feat was nothing compared to my sister and my dad’s. I am a young 24 year old whereas my dad completed this with a few more years on him. And my sister completed this with horrible IT Band pain. Their accomplishment is a greater victory than mine and I was really humbled to see the exhaustion and the pain they endured to cross the finish line.

Running is a means to an end

Sometimes it is about the actual run statistics –pace, time, distance. HR- but sometimes it is about something greater. I have been really struggling with my running these past few months and this race was a way to prove to myself that I can still do it; it was the initiation of my sub 3 hour quest.

Running makes me truly happy. And it was good to feel that happiness and be reminded of that happiness when I am surrounded by the running community. That feeling sparked a passion inside of me again, which I want to focus on in order to figure out what I “want to do when I grow up.” One person in particular that I met this weekend, Lopez Lemong, is a testimony that running can lead us to do great and unimaginable things. Captured at six years old by Sudanese rebels, he miraculously escapes and finds himself running in the 2008 Olympics. But that story is for my next post!

So besides a post on Lopez Lemong’s story…what is next? Austin Marathon. 2-17-12. Boom.