26.2 in Chicago!!!!

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
{I am} gonna win today... 

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
{I am} gonna win today...


{Cubs song}

5 months and three weeks after the Boston Marathon, I ran the Chicago marathon. 

It took sheer grit and determination to get here after a rough training cycle after my surgery but it was an amazing 26.2 miles over 29 neighborhoods!!

I can't say enough about my team. Having so many of us crushing this race was amazing. Brittany and I met up at the start and it was great to have a friendly face before loading into the corral. 

The rain began as I waited for my start. Yep! It rained. For about half the race. 

I just ran. A solid 11 miles of only short walks through water stops. I was cruising. 

The course was an amazing tour of a city I've always loved. I tried to take in all the sites and neighborhoods. There were so many people watching and so many people playing music and cheering with amazing signs (my favorite: pain is temporary, the IG post is forever). It was also so strange to not know the course the way I knew Boston, made it a mind game at times. 

I saw a fellow teammate cheering three times and her hugs were the best power-ups! Mom was at the halfway mark and I knew I could do it. 

By 20 I was beginning to hurt, a lot. But knew I was on pace to get a PR. I had to push HARD for it in the end, but the fire in me was fueling me to the end.  

4:55:26. 

I crossed the finish. Turned around and sobbed. 

Only a few close friends know that I seriously considered deferring after losing so much training time in July. I stood at the end and felt the weight of not only crushing another 26.2, not only PRing, but overcoming some major roadblocks. I freaking did it!!

After all my fears of not getting a warming blanket in Boston, I managed to walk right by the ones in the finish shoot but a nice volunteer got me one! I slowly waddled over to meet my mom and cousin and we made our way to the Bean and to Nike to get my medal engraved. 

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