Random Thoughts About the Chicago Marathon

--You want to run this race?  Yeah, yeah of course you have to train -you already know that.  But ask yourself this: Do I have a tolerance for large crowds? Remember-this year's field was 45,000.

--I volunteered at the Marathon last year, so one half of my brain understood that I'd be in a big crowd.  Yesterday, the other half of my brain got it when my corral started running. THIS is what rush hour on the expressway would look like if no one drove!
--Not everyone tosses their sweatshirts, gloves, etc. before the start.On Columbus Drive after the tunnel, I almost tripped over a sweatshirt.  First two miles were an obstacle course.

--Surely, this crowd will thin out, I kept thinking at the 10 mile.  Umm, no.

--Surely, this crowd will thin out, I kept thinking at the 15 mile.  Umm, no

--Surely, this crowd will thin out, I kept thinking at the 20th mile. Maybe it did, but only because everyone was passing me.  I was walking by then.

--I didn't want to get too caught up in the atmosphere, and start running faster than my intended pace.  To make sure I didn't, I wore earplugs for the first 13 miles.  That was pointless.  The spectators in the Loop and the North Side neighborhoods were loud.

--On the other hand, I wish I kept them on.  I liked hearing the live bands, such as the Taiko drummers, Illinois-Chicago's band, etc. Electronic Dance Music, or whatever you call that thumpy-thumpy shit sucks.

--I expected to be bothered by my glutes.  I was surprised that my feet felt as if they were swelling.  That didn't happen when I ran the Madison Marathon last year.  I'm running Madison next month, and I'll wear different shoes.

--Membership has its rewards!  I'm a member of the Chicago Area Runners Association,or CARA.  We had a CARA Compound at a local hotel.  Thus we had our own gear check, and a space to go to post-race.

Plenty of food and "Runners High P.A." from Lagunitas brewery to drink.

This is the outfit I've picked out for booth the Chicago and Madison Marathons.
It'll be my first Chicago Marathon tomorrow.  Have I gotten pre-race jitters?  No.  I've been marveling at the contrast between last year's Madison run, and tomorrow's extravaganza. Madison's field is capped at 1500, which is the size of oh...two or three Chicago Marathon corrals?
This year's Chicago field is 45,000, which is equivalent of two or more suburbs of Madison, I guess.
After picking up my packet, and a few other things, I one of the shuttle busses back  from McCormick  to Roosevelt & State L station.  Before heading home, I....wait a  minute -  that's a contrast.  In Madison, I strolled over to Monona Terrace from the hostel, picked up my packet, and then maybe wandered over to Capitol Square to watch them set up the race.  Today, before heading home, I wandered East on  Roosevelt Road to Columbus Drive.  This is the end of the Chicago course.  Everything was fenced off, the P.A. system was being tested, and a bunch of other last minute activities were taking place.  I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve looking at the presents under the tree.  Couldn't touch them.  Couldn't shake them.  But I knew it was for me.