Edison Park Turkey Trot (3.1 miles)
My first race since high school. This was fun. You're standing
in a mass of people and the anthem is paying and everyone is pumped.
It's a great feeling.
Chicago Distance Classic (13.1 miles)
This was my first long race. I went out fast and was hurting at the end.
I learned the meaning of "pacing." Jim warned me to slow down
but I thougth that I could handle it.
Chicago Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
In contrast to my first half marathon, I paced the whole way. Sonia
came down to see this one, but didn't see me cross the finish. I sprinted
in with Fred in a bit of last minute competition.
Chicago Marathon (26.2 miles)
This is what it was all about. It was a big accomplishment for
me. I injured my knee after graduation and had pain just jogging
3 miles. To be able to complete this was big for me.
At mile 18 I cramped up and ended up taking an extra
20+ minutes. It doesn't matter. My time is still listed incorrectly on the website.
Chicago Marathon (pace team)
This was my pacing bib (on my back). It means that I was in the group to run
at 4 hours and 30 minutes. The way this works is that some people wear paces on their back
so that others can pace off of them. Also there are pace leaders who carry big yellow signs
through the whole marathon.
New Year's Day 5k (3.1 miles)
My first run of 2005. It was pretty cold that day. Sonia dropped by
and ran that race with me. The flap from her bib is sort of visible hanging from the
lower left side of my bib.
Shamrock Shuffle 8k (5 miles)
I did pretty well in the Shamrock Shuffle (39:18). I qualified for a prefered
start for the next Shamrock. There are pretty much 4 groups. Elite (super fast), Competitive
(fast), Preferred (getting there), and Open (everyone else by time). The better group your're in, the closer
you get to the start line.
Wrigley Start Early Run - 10k (6.2 miles)
This was an odd race. Very narrow course. I felt like garbage.
I found out at the end of the race that the flag guy was in the wrong
spot. We actually ended up running 7 miles. Everyone was releived.
We all thought we had just had a poor run. I love the letter that they sent me.
