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Chicago Marathon 2012
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Good tip, I'll need to take a read of that booklet.
I know from my experience that the more 20+ mile runs I do the better I feel in those final few miles. They still hurt like anything, but more of a managable pain. Those long runs should set you up well for Chicago.
I'm still in corral G. I'm sure that's the corral all the cool people start in!
If they've been shuffling the corrals I'd guess it's to even out the numbers in each one. I wouldn't worry about it. My experience is that the majority of runners seems to over estimate their predicted time, based on the pace you see folk running at during the start of time corralled races. If you are worried about holding folk up or getting caught in a surge just head to the back of the corral.
I've been looking at that tour. It seems to get some good reviews. I'll be making my way down to the expo on the Friday, so planning an easy day on the Saturday. I'm staying near Navy Pier, so will do a gentle two mile jog along side the lake that morning then relaxing as much as I can pre-race day.
Hi all,
Excitement is building and thankfully the training has gone well and I am feeling really good.
Going to go to the expo on Friday morning and will also be getting the shuttle bus from the Nike store. Just got to resist going in the Nike store until after I have been to the expo. I have however got a new Nike running top, white with Great Britain on the front and plan to iron on my name.
Any recommendations for pasta on Saturday evening?
I must admit I've been browsing the menus on web to check out the resturants. I'm thinking of heading out to La Scarola for an early dinner that evening. I think if you plan to eat Italian on the Saturday night around the Mag Mile area it might be worth making a reservation somewhere as it'll no doubt be very busy with runners in that part of town.
Yep also been studying the menus, too many nice restaurants to sample! Good tip though about making a reservation, hadn't thought about that. Will perhaps see what we come across on Friday and then make a booking.
There's no shortage of opinions for eating out. I've already ear marked a post run treat for myself. I have to try an Italian beef sandwich while in Chicago.
I did Giordano's on my first and last visit to Chicago back in 1997. The pizza pies they serve are beyond huge. Even after a marathon I couldn't finish one of those. Tastes great right enough, but don't even think of a starter if you go for one of those.
Hi all,
The next two weeks cannot go quick enough, cannot wait!
I will be heading to expo on the Friday as arrive on the Thursday. Training has been going great had a half marathon last weekend and knocked 13 minutes of my PB, not sure quite what that means for Chicago but hey. My corral has not changed either still in C.
Uno is fantastic I went there last year on the first night. Pizza's are huge but have to be done whilst in Chicago! (Just definitely not before the race day).
Looking forward to bumping into any GB/union jacks around the race course David!!
Just a heads up to everyone.
I recieved an e-mail this morning that included my confirmation ticket that is required to collect your bib at the expo. It did say that these have also been posted out, but who knows if those would arrive before many of up depart for Chicago next week. I know at least one person has booked this race through a sports tour, so just wanted to let everyone know that they should ensure they've got a hard copy or electronic copy of that ticket to take to th expo.
I'm flying out a week today. It's nearly Chicago time.
Yes I've had the email too and have saved a copy of the confirmation ticket on my phone and also printed a copy.
Also on one of the emails I noticed that there is a marathon launch at the Nike store on Friday evening at 6pm. Official merchandise will be on sale, but I assume it will all be on sale at the Expo too.
I am also flying out a week today, can't wait!
Yes, I've been trying to see if the merchandise would be up online to have a look at, but nothing at all yet. There do seem to be some less than complementary comments on some of the previous years designs right enough!
The kit will be on sale in the Nike Store and at the Expo. I think it'll be the usual case of expecting anything with "Chicago Marathon" written on it to be twice the price of items without. I'm a sucker for a race t-shirts though!
My hotel is about a mile and a half from the start and was planning to use it as a walking warm up since I'm not up to speed on any transport options. Is everyone else doing the same? It's not a daft idea is it?
I'm about a mile from the start from my apartment. I'll be walking over for it. Not daft at all.I'll head down early to try and avoid the rush, and start queuing at the portaloos!
The only thing I want to check out before hand is access to the corrals. At Berlin last year I certainly entered through the slow gate.
Have to have a Chicago Marathon T shirt at the very least, whether from the Nike store or Expo......no matter how horrible the design! My VLM shirt is my favourite....being my first ( and only) marathon, but who knows, if by some miracle, I get a PB in Chicago, that will probably take precedence!!
I'm in an apartment so I'll be up early to sort my own breakfast. I've been to Chicago before but it was in 1997, so it's fair to say my memory is a bit hazy of the place.
I'm staying in the Streeterville area and the start is in Grant Park at the Monroe Street junction. Going buy Google maps it's probably under a mile to the start, but going on the fact there's 35,000 runners I'm willing to bet that I may have to shuffle on down the road a bit for my start corral.
I must admit I can be a magpie at some of the expos for gear. I bought a mug at the first marathon I ever did (Disney Florida) back in 2007 and it's still my everyday coffee mug. I think the first marathon is always special as it's the one when you over came all your doubts to prove that you could run a marathon.
Some official marathon wear has to be purchased, even if it is over-priced.
Felixa - I'm planning to walk down to the start but I am in the Best Western River North so may look to see if there is a shuttle bus going down.
Eggyh73, I was in Berlin last year and also experienced the slow gate!
My breakfast plan is taking my own porridge pot which you just add water to so can have in my room and energy bar.
David, that would be the gate with seemed like a thousand or so folk coming down from the U-Bahn station to what was a small gate manned by two people! Not helped by the families of the runners also trying to get up to the entrance to see them off.
I'll be sticking to my long run breakfast of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Pretty sure I'll be able to source those ingredients in Chicago.
Less than a week to go.
Just a couple of short gentle runs for me this week. I looked at the weather forecast for Chicago and it looks like it'll be a cool one for us this weekend. I hope that it's accurate as those conditions will be good for me.
Itching to get on the plane and get out there, roll on Thursday. It does look like it turns cooler in Chicago for the weekend.
Looking forward to wearing my Nike Great Britain t-shirt, have ironed on my name and was tempted to iron on the Ryder Cup score on the back!
I fly out on Thursday too, can't wait. I've only got one short run to do here and then the next time I run it'll be an easy jog in Chicago to loosen up the legs before race day.
I can't believe it's almost here, seems like an age since I started planning for this one last December.
Good luck everyone. I hope everyone has a good trip out and an even better day come Sunday. If you see some tall Scottish bloke stuffing his face with food it's probably me!!
Yep, hope everyone has a great trip and all goes well in the race. Will be looking out for fellow Brits out on course.
I hope everyone was as happy as Kebede looked. He was really bouncing around after his finish and new course record (worth an extra $10,000 US)