Will I Run Another Marathon? And Other Burning Questions Answered.
I have talked (a lot) about my marathon experience before. I wrote about my training, my running coach, why I wanted to run a marathon, and all of the various things I was doing to prepare for the big day. And I was completely overwhelmed by the support and encouragement that I got from this audience during my journey. And now that the race is behind me, I have been getting lots of questions since I got back form Chicago. So I wanted to use this post to answer those “burning” questions. I want to also give you some insight into what running 26.2 miles was actually like. And ultimately, I hope that these answers might push someone a little closer to tackling a goal that’s been nagging at them.
Do I want to run another marathon?
I am beyond thrilled that I ran a marathon. I truly enjoyed every step of it, as hard as that may be for some of you to imagine. But no, I do not want to run another one, at least not right now. Running a marathon was a far off goal of mine. And I still can’t believe that I did it and it’s now a memory. I’ll hold my marathon experience in high regard always. I am proud that I took the time to train properly and care for myself. I am appreciative of how the actual race turned out. And most of all, I am grateful that my body felt strong the entire time. But I don’t feel like I need to do it again. I don’t have another marathon goal in mind. I am not trying to qualify for Boston or even run under a certain time. I’ll proudly tell you that I finished Chicago in 4 hours, 29 minutes and 2 seconds.
Looking back, everything was perfectly aligned for this race (not to mention it was the 44th Chicago Marathon and 44 is my lucky number). The weather was just about as ideal as you could want. The course was flat. The crowds were amazing. The city was beautiful. My husband was there cheering me on (and he had my kids on FaceTime when I passed him at mile 13). My running-buddy-turned-good-friend and my running coach (also turned good friend) were running up ahead. My body felt good. I fueled properly. I hydrated the whole time. I ran smart and respected the distance. I don’t feel like I need to do it again for a better course, a better training program, a better mindset, a better day, or a better running time. I could not have asked for a better race experience as the one I got in Chicago on October 9, 2022. And I’d like to leave it at that. (Plus, it took up a lot of freaking time to train. Time that I am happy to have back now, as I am sure my family is, as well).
Was I really as happy as I looked on Instagram?
Yes, I was actually as happy as I looked in the pictures and videos I took during the race. First off, who the hell takes pictures while they are running a race? Come on now, do I even have to answer that? I wanted to give you all as much of a look into Chicago as I could without injuring myself in the process. But the truth is, I was running slow enough that it wasn’t a thing to snap a selfie or video an area of the course. At one point, a woman running next to me offered to take a video of me. Thank you to my anonymous videographer. You have no clue just how happy you made this blogger :).
In the pictures from the race, I do look happy. I was, quite frankly, absolutely thrilled to be there. A lot of people have commented that I was smiling in all of the pictures, even as I crossed the finish line. And in fact, I was smiling throughout most of the race. There are a few reasons for my noticeable grin where you might have expected a grimace. First, I was having a blast. As ridiculous as it may sound, running 4+ hours for me that day was thrilling and inspiring, and in my opinion, something to smile real big for!
Lots of spectators hold homemade signs during races, and they are always super entertaining to read as you run past. Some people are really funny (and vulgar, esp in Philly). But there was a sign that I read in Chicago that stayed with me for the rest of the race. It read, “One day you won’t be able to run 26.2 miles but today is not that day.” Every step I took, every mile marker that I passed, I truly felt blessed to be there. And as the miles went by and my body still felt good, I grew even happier. So my smile got even bigger when you might have expected it to get smaller. I was real proud, real happy and real grateful that day in Chicago. And I did not take my ability to be there, running a marathon, lightly.
The other reason I smile when I run (and I do this a lot, especially when I train and the excitement of running for hours isn’t quite the same as on race day) is that it’s hard to be miserable about something if you are smiling. Fake it till you make it mentality. If there was a moment where I was experiencing doubt or pain, and they were few and far between in Chicago, I would just smile. Smile at someone in the crowd. Smile at a fellow marathoner or just smile at myself. And yeah, maybe I looked a bit crazy smiling so much. But in all honesty, you have to be a little bit crazy if you think running 26 miles is fun.
What the heck did I do for all of that time on the course?
I was recently chatting with a friend who asked me what those 4+ hours were like for me. She appeared somewhat fascinated by my answers and what I had assumed was mundane or common knowledge. That conversation sparked this entire post. I thought I had shared enough about running a marathon but apparently, I wasn’t done yet.
Running a marathon requires physical strength, sure. But the mental component is so much more. You are alone with just the road for many, many hours. So how did I get through that part of it? That’s a good question. Looking back now, I’m not quite sure. But at the time, I was purely living in the moment. I took each mile as it came and tried to be as present for all of the marathon as possible. It’s called mindful running and I highly recommend it.
I knew I wanted to take in the sights around me, so I made sure to pay attention to it all. Each bridge, each unique neighborhood, each park, each building that I recognized. Chicago is such a beautiful city that it was very easy to be consumed by my surroundings. I had never been to Chicago before marathon weekend. I know. This was quite a way to tour the city. I had no clue where I was running at any given point, so that kept it exciting and new. I did ask some runners where we were, but since this marathon pulls people from all over the world, there were plenty of people who, like myself, also were discovering a new city on race day.
I did listen to music, but I had it turned down low enough so that I could hear the crowds. The energy on those streets is like nothing I have ever experienced. It truly gives you power. During the first half of the marathon, the music was more like background for me. I couldn’t tell you what songs played. But, during the second half of the race, I did rely on those songs to get through the harder miles. Lucky for me, my physical therapist served as my race DJ. She curated the most perfect marathon playlist. Not only was it six hours long, but the playlist was filled with all sorts of genres of music that took me up and down on an inspirational, empowering, kick-ass kind of running journey. Towards the end of the race, I listened to songs that seemed so strategically placed that it felt like Nisha (my PT) had specifically known what I would need at that moment. Around mile 23, the Halsey song “I am not a woman, I’m a god” came on. I recall powering through to the beat of the song straight down the middle of the road. I was passing all of these people and mouthing the words as fellow runners seemed to part for me. Not sure if it actually played out like that, but that is how I remember it and I’m sticking to it!
My husband made an incredible video for me. I had asked him to do this because I get inspiration from those near and dear to me. And so many important people in my life managed to put together a few minutes of words of motivation for me. My husband wanted to show me the video the night before the race. But I insisted that I watch it for the first time during the race, close to the end. I knew the emotion of seeing those faces would help me if I was struggling. And because I run so slow, I didn't doubt that I would be able to watch a video, even in the midst of a marathon. I bet you didn’t envision a movie viewing while running a marathon. I planned to watch the video at mile 20. This sweet reward helped to get me to that point in the race. My parents appeared first, and I immediately started to cry when my dad (who is my biggest fan) spoke. And I am not a crier! The video was ten minutes long so just like that, I was done a very crucial mile in the race and was entertained the whole time.
The video is unreal. It made me laugh. It made me cry (more times than once). It inspired me to keep going. And it made me push my smile even wider. I couldn’t get enough of it, so I also listened to it during the very last mile of the race. At times the crowds were so loud at mile 26 that I couldn’t hear it, but the audio of that video was the backdrop of my very last mile of the Chicago Marathon. And that is pretty special to me.
Did I eat? Drink? Have to use the bathroom?
Yes, yes and yes. One of the major reasons I was so successful— meaning I felt so good during all 26 miles— is because I drank constantly and ate the whole time. Fuel and hydration make the single biggest difference in how you feel when you run distance. For this race, I understood the value of hydration so I did something different. I stopped and drank a cup of water at every single water station. And there was a hydration station at every mile. I also wore a hydration belt and drank Nuun in between water stops. And I filled up my hip water bottles once during the race (and added another Nuun tab). Luckily, it wasn’t so hot so I didn’t need as much electrolytes as when I trained this summer.
The amount of fuel needed to run a race like this was kinda shocking. I had run several half marathons before and I do a 10 miler every year but I had never fueled during those. Not like how I did for this race. I ate every four miles during the marathon. I alternated between the Honey Stinger waffle cookies (that I love) and Cliff Shot Blocks with caffeine. My next feeding mile gave me something to look forward to while I was running. It truly is the little things when you are looking forward to those disgusting gummy blocks.
There were a ton of porta potties along the race course. They may have been located every mile. I peed once before I started the race and once during the race, in the first half. As much as I hate porta potties, it was not a big deal to use one during the race. The goal of running a marathon is to feel as comfortable as you can in an uncomfortable situation. So to be able to relieve yourself on the course, brings a little comfort your way. Again, the little things.
What was the most surprising thing about running a marathon?
I was surprised by a lot with the marathon. Most importantly, was my ability to finish and feel so good! But I was also really surprised that I gained weight while training for a marathon. You would think that I would have lost weight because I was running so much. In the past, I would run 3-5 miles a few times a week and the pounds would fly off. But because I was consuming so many calories during the long training runs and because I was eating so much more before and after the shorter runs, I did in fact gain weight during the last two months of my training. Now I am not talking about a huge amount of weight. And I don’t actually get on the scale and weigh myself ever, but I could tell just by how my clothes fit. Also because I wasn’t doing much for my upper body, I lost my muscle definition in my arms and my abs. I tell you all of this in full disclosure. And while it surprised me, there was never a point that I was upset about it or wished I had done anything differently. In fact, it’s the opposite. I am grateful for all of that fuel because that food is what made me so successful with the marathon. Now, two weeks later, I am back to my normal eating habits and activities. I can already see that my weight is leveling out again. I tell you all of this because if your goal is to lose weight, don’t run a marathon. If you run a marathon, your goal needs be to do it the right way. And doing it the right way means giving your body the calories and nutrients it needs!
I was also surprised by this cool detail of the Chicago Marathon. My parents and kids back in Philly were able to track me as I moved along the race and not just at each mile. Races (especially majors, which have the best technology available) have come so far that my family was able to see a little figure moving along the course throughout the entire marathon. So when I crossed the finish line, they FaceTimed me and I got to experience that feeling immediately with my children. Again, the day just came together so perfectly for me.
How did I feel after the race?
Much better than I expected. Immediately following the race, I felt pretty darn good. Sure, I was running on an insane amount of adrenaline. And don’t forget that I had consumed quite a bit of caffeine during the race. Shockingly, my legs felt good right after. Later that night was another story. My hips hurt so much that I had a tough time sleeping. I remember getting up in the middle of the night and had a hard time walking to the bathroom, not to mention, trying to sit on the toilet. The following day it improved a bit but my quads and hips were still very sore. But by day two, that soreness had subsided a lot. And by the time I got home, I felt almost fully healed (except when my son asked me to hold him to walk up or down the stairs).
I eased back into activity but kept moving that week I got home. And by the next week, I was back to my usual level of exercise, minus the running. I haven’t been running yet.
What did I learn from the race?
So much. Too much to put down on paper. But the overarching lessons are:
Listen to your body and give it what it needs. I mean, it’s the least we can do for this one and only body!
Goals are in fact attainable if you trust and respect the process. I didn’t know how I was going to run 26.2 miles, but somehow my training program worked!
And if you want to restore your faith in humanity (and who couldn’t use that right now), run a marathon. You will witness all walks of life coming together with one common goal. You will observe loved ones carrying their person through with their cheers and hugs and signs. You will see complete strangers support one another. During the very last leg of Chicago, there is a little hill. It’s the only hill on the entire course and it comes at the end. I was traveling up that hill and there was a woman crying behind me. It wasn’t a happy cry. She was tired and defeated and seemed to be struggling to breathe. She was steps away from the finish line but needed help. The runners around her, me included, started to cheer for her and send her words of support. “You got this”. “You are almost there”. “Come on, girl”. She crossed the finish line. She was so close that she would have done it with or without our words. But hopefully she looks back on those last steps and remembers how complete strangers stopped to help her get there. And that’s what I love most about running.
