Chicago Blog

Week 16 The Race

So the good news is no cold arrived. Had a great week in Chicago with my amazing support crew Jasmine, Jessica and Ruby. Did no miles whatsoever and just focused on hydration and staying well.

The weather the whole week was fantastic and made for some great sightseeing on Friday and Saturday. At the Expo, for my number pick up, the girls cleaned up on freebies from cow bells, to bam bam sticks....they got it all.

Anyway, before I knew it race day had arrived and I had to be up at 4:30 am to eat breakfast at 5:00 am and head down to Grant Park as my start time was 07:30am. I headed down there with a few others from the hotel who were mostly Boston elites. After talking to these guys I knew just getting under 3:25 wasn’t enough, I needed to be at least 10 mins inside that.......

The next hour passed quickly, just relaxing (well wrapped up though) and listening to the ipod.

Then down to business. Now, I have done a few marathons and been lucky with the weather - but this was perfect. Sun and clear skies but not too warm and no wind. However, for some reason for the first 8 miles I felt like crap. I felt leggy and really lethargic, all worrying signs, but I dug in and stuck to my game plan of running 7:20’s for as long as possible.

The rest is almost a bit of a blur - the crowds were brilliant all the way and I picked up the 3:15 pacer at about mile 15 so I just focused on him and felt great until mile 24 when I was hanging on - but I knew the 3:15 was in the bag. I even had time to look out for Jasmine and the kids who had made me a great banner (I missed them but we hooked up at the after race meeting point).

I can’t explain how good I felt looking at the clock and crossing the line knowing it was well and truly “job done”.

Officially 3hrs 15 mins and 52secs but I have already erased the 52 seconds from my memory. Just wish my dad could have seen me do it. Bring on Boston!

Week 15

Sluggish start this week. Convinced I am coming down with a cold and my chest feels a bit tight. What is it about tapering that means your body then gives in to these things. Anyway, precautionary visit to the Drs reveals no infection but got an inhaler anyway just in case.

Enjoyed my last hill session on Weds but really feeling like a cold is waiting to burst out.

Week 14

Looking forward to Chicago but this week’s training a bit disrupted with a business trip to the UK. Managed to squeeze in 42 miles though including a 9 miler around Ascot - thank god for Garmin GPS as I had no idea where I was or where I was going.

Felt good on my tapered long run of only 18 miles in 2hrs 35mins. So much so, I did the Pink Ribbon Charity walk in the afternoon (ran the 2.6 miles in 18 minutes) so that was my recovery run taken care of.

Week 13

Getting hard to squeeze in the miles now, things so busy at work.

Had a really tough sport massage on Friday - calves are really knotted so no long run on Saturday, I will have to defer it to Sunday.

So the high point completed. Despite a few drinks with friends on Saturday night, I got up Sunday and did the dreaded 22 miles in 3hrs 10mins. Followed by the equally dreaded ice bath.....

Week 12

See Great North Run posting

Week 11

A really difficult week with Dads funeral on Friday. It’s at times like these though I realise how important running is to me. On the morning of the funeral I was up early and did 6 miles around Liverpool city centre. Dad would have loved it: the Liver Buildings, running between the two Cathedrals, and back down to the river front from where I could see across to Birkenhead.

All a bit emotional but still on track with the training plan.

Love you dad. Rest in peace. x

Week 10

A nightmare start to the week. Our CFO has passed away at home, alone, full inquest underway and on Tuesday morning I got a call from my brother to tell me Dad had passed away in the night. It was unexpected but for him a release and at least it was peaceful. I think he’d just had enough. Good night dad.

Week 9

A monster week, 55 miles. Just had one of those weeks where I felt great. 20 mile run on Sunday was comfortable and 10 mins inside the target time. The weather is cooling down which is clearly helping. I am now having to run in to work and home from work, to fit in the mileage. So if my creaky hip would sort itself out all would be good.

Weeks 7 and 8

Tough couple of weeks for very different reasons. Week 7 started with an aborted hill session in thunder, lightening and some serious rain. Felt very out of sort for the rest of the week and then we were off to Spain.

Week 8 got in 3 good runs with Steve on some tough hills but the week obviously caught up with me as this morning I decided to have a serious lie in as opposed to my 20 mile long run. Still plenty of time though for Chicago.

Weeks 4, 5 and 6

Not sure what happened to the blog in the last few weeks - things have been really manic.

Anyway, training has been good despite the ridiculously hot temperatures here which have been tipping 35/36 degrees on some days. For the long runs I just have to get up earlier and earlier.

This week was tough. Did my first hill session up Uetliberg hill (10 x 500m) and for my long run today I was up at 6:30am. Still, I managed the last hill home without walking unlike last week when I was reduced to a stroll givent the heat.

So, 18 miles under my belt, feeling tired an hot but very satisified and looking forward to Chicago, but 10 more weeks of pounding the roads ahead.

Week 3

Managed a full week of training this week. Really hot here though, daily temperatures around 25-26 degrees and feels much hotter. Total mileage: 37 miles this week. Did my long run (13 miles) on Saturday morning as had a big night on Saturday so not a chance it was going to happen on Sunday. Still got a bit of a head cold, which with the heat is making the harder runs a bit tricky. Still, onwards and upwards......

Week 2

A bit tougher this week both in terms of the heat and the mileage. Only managed 25 miles this week against a plan of 36. All was going well until Friday when I came down with a really sore throat and cold. So, rested up this weekend and enjoyed the Lions and Murray roar to victory.

Week 1

So first week of training was pretty easy going, Only 25 miles this week and the weather has been so rubbish in Zurich I have had no heat to contend with so happy days. Ended up making a flying visit to the UK so my Sunday run was an old stomping ground through Dunham Massey with the deer - quality!