The long road to the Chicago Marathon PB

Here how it goes. May 2011, I qualify for the Boston Marathon. My first one, a time of 3h04m33s. I'm so happy. I have sight in doing a great time in this prestigious marathon. Between, Boston 2012 and May 2011, a few things happens. 

May 2011 -- Ottawa Marathon (first qualification for Boston 3h04m33s standard 3h15m)

September 2011 I then ran the Montreal Marathon . With no real objectives in sight else than testing the 3 hours mark, i quickly faded at the 24th k. High humidity and warm weather got me...Hit the wall, had to walk, was in pain...not a fun experience. 

November 2011 I wanted to redeem myself in Philadelphia. Well, on perfect condition, with a Marathon 2 months earlier I was able to do a 3h05m marathon, securing a 2nd BQ with the new standard set at 3h10.

All my hopes were in to break the 3 hour mark in the Mystic Boston event. But a week after Philadelphia, I was assigned to China for 3 months. I had to manage training for a marathon in China. Not a small task. I found a high school track and went to many mornings. Getting up at darkness, walking the empty streets of a 6 Millions population city. Going through a locked fence with surveillance and running in the rain and the dark. Those were the conditions I was in. Different food. Tremenduous stress. And worse, running long distances on a 300m track. 26k-28k long runs, turning in circles under cold weather, 100% humidity and rain. No gatorade, no gel packs, no water...running at it simpliest form. Grueling. I was a foreigner in a chinese world. No understanding of the langages and not knowing if I was allowed on the track or not. During saturday's recess, numerous student would come out of class and look at me. Laughing, seeing a stranger, a foreigner, running in circles for hours.

Eventually, I got back, in March. I was able to do my final month of training in Montreal. Spring like conditions with this early summer arrival. I thought it was great to have this gorgeous weather so early, so little that I knew, this early warm weather would only be a bad sign for things to come. Comes March, first 2 weeks, snow on the ground from very seldom snow falls in spring. Then mid-march, warm, very warm. Training goes good. A pb for a 10k practice run. I'm heading for a great time. As April arrives, taper time starts. 2 weeks of gruelling stress prior to THE race in Boston. As anyone else, I'm closely following Boston's weather. Sometimes twice a day. Fellow friends running the race also frequently sends weather reports. Nothing to be surprised of, weather constantly changes, from very cold, to rainy, windy, almost everything is announced, almost…not a heat wave. The Saturday prior to race BAA issues a warning, a possible deferral also, never seen before. This is serious. 

All hope vanishes as mercury levels reach 30C for race day. I know I won't make PB, I know I won't break the 3 hours mark.

April 2012 Race day goes by and the gruelling sun wins the battle over me. My first Boston is very satisfactory, but so exhausting. My time 3h29. 30 minutes above my goal. Disappointed, frustrated but okay with the situation.

It took 2 months to fully recover from this event. My weekly mileage went down and so was my running moral. 

July 2012 After a PB half-marathon performance in Vancouver, starts my training plan for Chicago. Scheduled October 7th.

A very very warm summer and sunny and warm weeks all of July and August made for a difficult time to perform long runs. Interval training was also difficult it the heated conditions. My times were not great and my confidence was quickly fading away.

Came September and some cooler days and my Pace were right on. I suddenly felt very confident. I had 900k of training in the 12 weeks and was able to complete the half marathon in a very limited pace of 4min20 for a 1h32m. I knew i jogged my way and did not raced.

October 2012 Specifically the 7th came and conditions were to be very good for race day. Very cold, but dry and some sun. 

On the previous two days, Friday and Saturday, I felt rubbish and was not in A1 condition, at least that's how I felt. Nerves were getting over me. On Saturday morning, pouring rain was falling over Montreal and conditions were miserable. Felt like a cold was about to hit me. Upon arrival in Chicago and following the Expo Marathon visit I was now excited and pumped. The night before was a poor night of sleep, but this one would hopefully be good, and it was. i was awaken by my phone alarm-clock. Totally lost in my dreams. I was racing this morning.

Still unsure on what to wear for the race (it was annoying me). I went fully dressed, Ready to get peeled like an onion. Walking in Chicago streets before sun rise was very cool, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts were packed with runners and spectators, this chilli morning was one to stay at home and cuddled. But 40000 runners were on a mission and I was one of them. I had to redeemed Boston 2012.

Filled with the event positive energy, I could not wait to start. Finally, I checked my bag and left everything but my shorts, a sleeveless shirt and a warm sweater to be thrown away while running. I would challenge Chicago Marathon and Chicago's cold weather very lightly dressed. Would that turn out to be a mistake? Would I be too cold.

I made my way to Corral A, close to the elites. It was 7h15AM. Start was scheduled at 7h30AM. Anouncer started talking and quickly the US National Anthem blasted through the sound speakers. Goose Bumps, Can't wait to start, can't wait to finish. 7h20. Wheelchair athletes including our own Canadian Josh Cassidy leave the start line and roll through Chicago's streets. Elite fields make their way at the start, right in front of me. Wesley Korir 2012 Boston Marathon winner is there so is Lilya Shobukhova 3 time Chicago Marathon winner. They settled in. The cattle that we are waiting in front of a cord is freed up and we reach the elites. It's crazy, people running to be in front of the line. In in the 6-7th row. Very ggod. I'll 2h58 when I reach the Finish Area…or so I'm thinking.

Race starts at 7h30, every big race starts on Time, Ottawa, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. Quickly we reach a tunnel, where we are welcomed by the warm weather.

Now here's how my race unfolded.

1k- Racing through the tunnel, the garmin watch looses it's signal, I knew that would happen, but I didn't know what to expect. My first k clocks at 3min27s. I'm very worried, I'm not supposed to start fast. But then after going through the warm tunnel, I understand the 1k is not really completed as I eventually hit the sign, I'm a bit fast around 4min10. Faster than my game plan

2k- I'm embracing the marathon, it is still crowded around me as the usual happens, runners start fast, I see many that shouldn't be there, but I have my own race to run, they have their own. My watch clocks 2k at 3min57s, with an average heart rate of 181BPM. This kilometer gets us through downtown heading North, lots of crowd, a beautiful street of Chicago

3k- 4min11, I'M back to a decent pace. my heart rate seems high and I start getting warmer. I still have my sweater on, but I've almost removed it.

4k- Shows 4m59 on the watch?? I'm worried, that would be lots of ground to catch up, but then again, my pace is still around 4min07. I'm good, but worried I'm too fast. I also drop my sweater, lots of people screaming along the pathways

5k Finally, friends, family (mom and dad) will see my checkpoint. 21m07. Perfect pace, heart rate hovering in the low 160s. I'm comfortable with this. My first goal is to reach 14k before clock reaches 60 minute. 

6k I'm back to some serious calculation. At the same time, since my watch is not in sync with the markers, I'm trying to figure what pace in mile I should aim for. As every time we hit a mile, there's a clock that shows real time. I'm estimating a 7min mile pace. This would take me to 3h02. I then want to always better the 7min pace. 3min57s

7k  I get gatorade at each station, i'm not thirsty, but I want to make sure I don't loose energy at the end. 4min04

8k I'm following my heart rate and decide to lower it down. I don't want to hover around 170. 4min05s…quick again. But I feel so strong

9k 4min07s. Scenery is still perfect and we are about to turn around and go back south. Since there was no wind, I was worried we would be facing headwinds coming back south.

10k I better my first 5k and complete in 20min40. 41min47s, pretty much where I wanna be. 165 heart rate. In the green, turning yellow zone.

11k After a checkpoint, arythmetics starts over again, my new goal is to hit 14k prior 60 minutes. One third of the race, in order to beat the 3 hour mark, I need to beat 60 minutes at each 14k marks. 4min12 165 BPM

12k My left calve starts pinching me, I'm worried I'll cramp, tightness in my calves is not new, but rarely do I get cramps. Did I start too fast? As I look at my watch, I'm under 4 min pace…not ggod, but heart rate is fine 166bpm, 3min57s

13k I really wanna slow down, I have plenty of room before closing in the 14k mark, I don't want to hit the wall, have I gone too fast? With 1 k to go, I'm around 54 minutes, lots of room to spare. But this calf?? 4min17s

14k Yes, I'm under 60 minutes, great pace heart rate in check.  4min10s 

15k First third completed, so many things go through my mind, I focus on the next 14k, I tell myself, just repeat what you just did. Check point of a 5k, 20min54s my heart rate is now 166bpm, is it climbing?

16k I start eating my gel pack, also I grab a bottle of water handed down by a spectator, nice of him. My pace is steady now 4min10s

17k Just focusing on the next 14k, I also think of my 21,1k. I need to be under 1h29 or close by. I'm doing maths. I'm about to be okay, or Am I? I predict a faster 21.1k? That's not smart racing? But my heart rate is okay? My calf is tweaking a bit and I change my way of running to relieve some tension. The best would be to stop, but then it's so cold, it could worsen things. 4min06s

18k Storyless, just focused, getting back to downtown, I look up the buildings, never been to Chicago, trying to get the most out of it. 4min05s 163 BPM (I'm in control)

19k Watching my rate more than my pace, I'm focusing on the next checkpoint, I know people are following and are anxious to see what is going on. 4min10s

20k A checkpoint, I don't want to reach it too fast, I know people will say I'm not running smart, giving this advice to so many people. My mantra ''Start Fast - Stop Fast'' 4min12s and a 20min51s 5k

21k Now, only 1.1k before midpoint, I'm at 1h24min, I know I'll hit 1h28min and something, Am I too fast? As much as I'm happy to reach the halfway mark, as much as I'm worried, and this calf, it's not hurting, but not going away either 4min16k, for the 21st k, if i recall right it has a slight incline. 

Mid Point - 1h28m08s. My first half is secure, my heart rate is around 162 bpm.

22k Now completely focus on finishing the 28k, second third of the race. Below the 120 minutes mark. With a descent, i hit 4min02 163bpm

23k Race is taken it's toll, it has been 90 minutes of fast pace, and there's less than 20k to go, I start counting down the ks. 4min13s

24k  We are now going west, in the less exciting portion of the race, it's cold and we don't see the Sears Tower anymore. The further we run, the longer we'll have to come back. It was haunting my mind. 4min12s

25k I'm a bit tired now, the last 5k felt long, and it was 20min58s. Slower than my previous 2 5k's. Am I fading? I'm still on target to hit 28k before 2 hours, but..

26k a 4min08s revitalizes me, I'm still at 165 bpm with only 16k's to go

27k again a 4min08s again at 165bpm, cruise control is on' I'm locked in

28k 4min08s, 166bpm, I easily beat the 2hour mark, I'm 3 minutes ahead of pace. I need to better a 14k by 1h03m and I've reach my goal

29k Focus on my last third of the race. I have room to slow down. 4min12s 166 bpm, I'm thinking that no matter how much it could hurt, 13k's is feasible. Lot's of runners are starting to slow down, will I be one of them?

30k 4min13s, We finally see the turn where we'll come back east. 165 bpm I'm slowing down but heart rates stays high, tweak in the leg those not go away and it seems to be more of a challenge now. 20min50, way ahead in my pace also beating the 7min mile pace

31k 4min06s, uh ohh, 168 bpm, usually, the 32k mark is where my heart rate starts to rise, I know I do have to keep a rapid pace to hit under 3hours. Now I'm calculating how slow i could go to still beat the mark

32k 4min10s with 167 bpm, I'm in the yellow zone, I'm worried, I can't enjoy the race, what if i break, and this calf, I go again running differently to shake it off

33k 4min07s 167bpm, a bit better, with 9ks to go, I think to myself, If I go at 5min pace I'm above 3hour mark, I can't slow down. I'm starting to also think of accelerating, going agove 170 bpm with 9ks to go is too long, I keep to myself

34k 4min13s, some ascent where i did not push, back to 165 bpm. Only 1k before next checkpoint, 

35k I know I need to reach in the same pace, else I would worry too much my followers, I'm putting pressure to myself, I don't want anyone saying, he blew up, started too fast, 4min10s 168 bpm 20min53s.

36k With 7k yo go' i'm flirting with the idea of bettering my pb hopes, but I stick to plan, no need to elevate my heart rate 4min8s 168bpm

37k Finally, I have reach the point where there's only 5k to go, I'm starting some push but' I still don't see the Sears Tower, we still seem far

38k I'm pushing now, my heart rate raises to 170 bpm, I know I can sustain. 4min01s

39k I'm now emotionnal, I know there's no way to I'll go above 3h00. I have plenty of room. 4min08 - 171bpm

40k I'm hitting the last 5k mark, I see it from 500 meters and I decided to make sure it is my best split of the race. I'm not hurting and I can certainly keep pushing. I almost have tears to my eyes as I know, my mom also knows that I have not broke, no wall for me, time to take it home. 4min07s - 171 BPM. Also my 5k split 20min34s

41k Green Light - Green Light, I can smell the finish line, Sears tower is in sight, crowd is cheering, many runners are slowing down as I'm accelerating 4min01s - 175bpm

42k I'm hurting, now, it's all about all the sacrifices I made, all those sweats, all those 900ks in preparation. It's me against the chicago marathon and I'm winning. Nothing will stop. I'm so focus. 3min57s 176bpm.

43k With the 800m sign ahead, I repeat to myself, only the laps of track, I did it many times, push push push, a slight elevation near the 400m signs slows me down on Roosevelt, on purposes, I don't want to over rev. I'll keep my myself for last 300m on Columbus Drive. I can see the finish line. I'm sprinting without hurting, my pace 3min42s after 42km of hard work.

I can't believe it, as I crossed the finish line, I'm not exhausted. I'm absolutely satisfied

Mission Accomplished!

It quickly gets cold, as I get my Medal, I'm happy, I'm bout to shed some tears. But I don't. I'm proud, I know my family is following. There are thinking he made it.

I walk in the finishing area, grabbing food and water and a isolating sheet.

I'm a under 3h00 finisher. I'm not sure of my time, have I broken the 2h56m mark?

I get to my gears, a short line up, I'm already freezing, Once I have my bag and once I cover myself. I call my mom, she's so happy. She tells me my official time

2h55m28s

Simply unbelivable!!!