A on-site discussion on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of some Oakville endurance runners. Use the "comments" box below the blog to add your feedback.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Chicago Marathon Forum
33 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Mario and Chris,
Just wanted to wish you both GOOD LUCK this weekend in Chicago.
Good luck on Sunday, we'll all be thinking of you and following your progress even if we aren't able to chase you down with an air horn ( probably couldn't catch you anyway)
Chris, polish up thise cowboy boots and get ready to run- I think this is your race!
Hey Mario, Jamie and Chis - it was great doing a (quick) 10 km racepace with you tonight...you guys looked frisky! Have a great time in Chicago and watch out for strange guys bearing bananas! Don;t forget to put your race numbers on the blog so we can track you.
If Mario keeps up the pace we had tonight he's easily going to shake me by the 15km mark. It's been a challenging past couple of months, but I'm looking forward to this weekend.
Hi to all: It was a great run tonight and we all did well. Chris, Jamie and I are ready to represent HHB in Chicago! Bib # 10166 See you next week! Mario
First off thanks to everyone for there support and humour during the last clinic. I have made it through another clinic injury free thanks to the advice and knowledge of our one and only leader "Bubbles Howlett". As for my 3:15 pace group leader Joe, this guy is unreal. Thanks for everything from the extra training to the confidence you have built in me to do the best I can. I am really looking forward to the race in Chicago this weekend and am sure I will have some great stories when I return. Best of luck to all the others who are running this weekend in Niagara and San Fran!
Wanted to wish all of you the best of luck this weekend! You all look soooo strong; I know you will be awesome. Can't wait to read the stories when you return!!!!
Hey guys - just checked the weather - very light rain, only an 8kph wind and 7 degrees. The 3:15, 3:30 and 3:45 groups did our 16 km racepace on the Burlington boardwalk this morning - pretty well identical conditions (less the light rain) and we had an awesome run!
Enjoy the carbs and make sure none of you takes all the covers in the bed at the hotel so all three of you get a good night sleep. Have a great time tomorrow - we'll be rooting for ya!
Haha - I think ML is celebrating a little too early! The guys have said they will be at Queen's Head at 8pm on Thursday night if you need to hear some stories. Maybe we can get Tom and the San Francisco gang there as well.
Congratulations Jamie, Chris and Mario. It looks like PB's all around. Hope to see you Thurs and hear all about it and you can rub off some of those fast vibes. Enjoy!!!!!!
Congratulations to all three of you on your amazing races today! It was great to be able to watch your progress on the internet (even though it wasn't "real" time). Can't wait to see you and here the stories from the Chicago boys.
Celebrate your achievements and wear those medals with pride!!!
Tell me the weather was perfect? Look at your times, that is Fantastic, you guys are amazing! Way to burn up the asphalt in the Windy City.
I know Dave says the time isn't the important point but heck, your complete marathon time = my final 21 K time. You're an inspiration to the whole group boys. Way to go. See you Thursday at The Queen's. Tom
The Chicago marathon was a great experience for me. Starting from a great expo where over 150 exhibitors presented their wears and latest technology for runners. I was able to hear a pep talk by John Binham who made us realize that the goal for running the marathon was to finish un-injured and not to worry about time. Does it sound familiar?
On Sunday, Jamie, Chris and I met at 6:30 a.m. at the lobby of the hotel to take the 20 minute walk to the start of the race. The weather was a bit cold (5 degrees Celsius), with a 15 Km/hr wind. It had rained the night before and the weather forecast called for rain/wet flurries for Sunday a.m.
The bathroom facilities at the starting line were as usual crowded, so we had to use a tree. We position ourselves around the 3:30 pace bunny and waited for the start of the race. The minutes were going by and we heard the American national anthem, which meant we were getting closer to the start of the race. The horn went off and nobody was moving! It took us three minutes to cross the starting line. The three of us, along with 40,000 other friends, started the race! We started slow but were able to pass people and around 3 or 4 Km, we were on time according to our pace band. Chris had his Garman and we were keeping a good pace. Our strategy was to take our walking breaks at the water stations rather than following the 10 and 1. Around Kilometer 5 or 6 we stopped for water, and lost Chris among the other runners. Jamie and I kept running together and wondered where Chris was. Without Chris, we had no Garman and therefore no indication of pace. So Jamie and I reverted to our other means, heart rate and our trusting pace band! We kept checking the pace by checking the times as we crossed the mile markers. We kept within 30 seconds and little by little we gained up to 2 minutes. We slowed down and managed to cross the half way by being 1 or two minutes ahead. The crowds were great and we were feeling great. We were joined by a Canadian fellow, Steve, who was also planning to do his marathon in 3:30. He was living in Chicago and was telling us about the various areas we were running in. We kept our pace and kept playing the game, “pass the 3:30 pace group and then let them pass us when we stopped for water”. The crowds were great. There were many bands along the way and even a wagon with Drag Queens dressed in Cowboy outfits! (I think they were looking for Chris!) As I had my name on my shirt, people would start cheering for me, and then the next person would continue and so on. It made me feel important and kept my spirits high. I kept telling Jamie that my shoulders were getting tired as my head was getting bigger and bigger every time the crowd called my name! I had a Mexican and a Canadian flag on my back, so when people saw the flags, they would cheer for Mexico or Canada, which again, helped me stay motivated.
Jamie and I stayed together for most of the race but around 32 Km, I was feeling good, so I started to separate from Jamie and Steve. Around the 38 Km mark my legs were getting tired but I thought of all of HHB who were following me through the internet and that helped me keep the pace and my spirits high. The last four kilometers were easier to do, as the support from the crowds was amazing. I finished the race feeling good and pleased that I had managed to improve my time from the Mississauga marathon by almost 12 minutes. It was great to start the marathon with Chris and Jamie as it helped me stay relaxed. Running 32 kilometers with Jamie made me feel like we were running another Sunday long run.
Congratulations Mario on your PB and thanks for writing down your thoughts for us. Your lifestyle and performance refutes every cranky middle aged guy who complains about his knees but says he has no time to exercise. And not only are you a great running role model but you're a really nice guy!
Mario, wow it sounds like you really enjoyed running that PB! As well as smiling like France I will think of Chris's cowboy drag queens as I positively hurtle around Detroit!( I wonder if they'll be out looking for Joe( the fast one!))
I echo Dave's comments - you are a great running model and a really nice guy! Plus you missed a few runs owing to a Spanish Holiday where you admitted to eating and drinking too much and you still ran a PB!
Can't write much now...but it was a great day. Just the four of us HHB and 50,000 of our closest friends! Highly recommend the Chicago Marathon. Talk to you tonight. Heather
Think back to the first day of the clinic. Now think about all the training, sweat and laughs you had on the clinic and it all sounds like fun...well it was for me. The Chicago marathon was my second marathon and is one that will stick with me forever. I met Mario at his hotel on Saturday night after dinner to go over some last minute preparations and to try and sponge some of his strength and experience out of him. We agreed to meet at his hotel lobby at 6:30am to give plenty of time to walk to the start of our corral. I kept my old track pants and sweat shirt on until 5 minutes before the gun went off and then disposed of them over the fence. I found this really helped me stay warm as it was windy and about 5 degrees.
Jamie, Mario and I crossed the mats approximately 3 minutes after the gun went off and to my surprise it was not as crowded as I had expected it to be. We were all together until the 5K mark and I lost them at a water station. I kept looking back but they were nowhere in sight. I had to make a decision to either slow down and hope they were behind me or speed up and hope they were ahead. I decided to speed up which ended up being the bonehead choice and was now venturing into a 37K race pace solo run.
I felt great physically and mentally (I was in my ZONE) so I decided to put my training to test. I kept my paceing between the 3:15 and 3:30 pace and stuck to doing water stations only. Things were going well until the last 8K. My cardio was still in tact but legs thought otherwise. I fought to the end with extra walks and extra fluids which gave me a new PB of 3:25:51 shaving over 23 minutes from my first marathon.
I finished the race thinking to myself I could never have done this without the crowds of spectators and volunteers. It was so motivating that at one point the crowds of people had me so pumped up that I was raising my arms to get them to scream louder.. and it worked however I probably exerted more energy than I needed to. Not a wise decision!
I would like to say thanks to everyone for there support and encouragement leading up to race day with a special thanks to my wife Henny.
Hope to see you at the next clinic.
Cheers!
Chris
P.S - For the Detroit runners I have added a whistle and a cow bell to compliment the air horn!!
Congratulations Chris on your awesome achievement. A marathon is usually a pretty good reflection of the effort you put into the program and this was no exception. Your perspiration and participation are an inspiration to all of us HHBs!
33 comments:
Mario and Chris,
Just wanted to wish you both GOOD LUCK this weekend in Chicago.
Enjoy your race ... you will do awesome!
Mary Lynn
Good Luck Guys!
It may be called the Windy City but may that wind be at your back!
You may have to use velcro on your cowboy hat Chris!
France
Chris, Jamie and Mario
Good luck on Sunday, we'll all be thinking of you and following your progress even if we aren't able to chase you down with an air horn ( probably couldn't catch you anyway)
Chris, polish up thise cowboy boots and get ready to run- I think this is your race!
Jo
Chris, Jamie and Mario, have a wonderful run. Wish I was going to cheer you guys on but I will be watching your progress.
you will all do great.
B'Ann
P.S. I need some company in April.
Hey Mario, Jamie and Chis - it was great doing a (quick) 10 km racepace with you tonight...you guys looked frisky! Have a great time in Chicago and watch out for strange guys bearing bananas! Don;t forget to put your race numbers on the blog so we can track you.
If Mario keeps up the pace we had tonight he's easily going to shake me by the 15km mark.
It's been a challenging past couple of months, but I'm looking forward to this weekend.
Jamie
Bib #11942
Hi to all:
It was a great run tonight and we all did well. Chris, Jamie and I are ready to represent HHB in Chicago!
Bib # 10166
See you next week!
Mario
Thanks for providing your bib #s guys. We will be keeping updated on-line to see how awesome you do! Good luck!!!!!!
Hey Folks,
First off thanks to everyone for there support and humour during the last clinic. I have made it through another clinic injury free thanks to the advice and knowledge of our one and only leader "Bubbles Howlett". As for my 3:15 pace group leader Joe, this guy is unreal. Thanks for everything from the extra training to the confidence you have built in me to do the best I can. I am really looking forward to the race in Chicago this weekend and am sure I will have some great stories when I return. Best of luck to all the others who are running this weekend in Niagara and San Fran!
My bib # is 11370
Cheers!
Chris
Chris, Jamie and Mario,
Wanted to wish all of you the best of luck this weekend! You all look soooo strong; I know you will be awesome. Can't wait to read the stories when you return!!!!
Thinking of you,
Kathy
You guys are so inspiring! Best wishes, have an awesome race!!
Grace
Hey guys - just checked the weather - very light rain, only an 8kph wind and 7 degrees. The 3:15, 3:30 and 3:45 groups did our 16 km racepace on the Burlington boardwalk this morning - pretty well identical conditions (less the light rain) and we had an awesome run!
Enjoy the carbs and make sure none of you takes all the covers in the bed at the hotel so all three of you get a good night sleep. Have a great time tomorrow - we'll be rooting for ya!
Hi Mario, Chris and Jamie
Congratulations on your awesome marathons! Now you can eat , sleep and be merry !
You guys are just the inspiration we allneed for next weekend. Well done!
Jo
Chris, Mario and Jamie,
WOW!!!! A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on your marathons!!!!!
You all did so outstanding. What an accomplishment. You should be so proud of yourselves.
Make sure you celegrate tonight!
Can't wait to hear your stories!
Mary Lynn
OOPS ... honest I am not drunk. I meant to say "celebrate" not "celegrate". :)
ML.
Haha - I think ML is celebrating a little too early! The guys have said they will be at Queen's Head at 8pm on Thursday night if you need to hear some stories. Maybe we can get Tom and the San Francisco gang there as well.
Congratulations Jamie, Chris and Mario. It looks like PB's all around. Hope to see you Thurs and hear all about it and you can rub off some of those fast vibes.
Enjoy!!!!!!
Jamie, Chris and Mario,
Congratulations to all three of you on your amazing races today! It was great to be able to watch your progress on the internet (even though it wasn't "real" time). Can't wait to see you and here the stories from the Chicago boys.
Celebrate your achievements and wear those medals with pride!!!
Take Care,
Kathy
I mean "hear" the stories....I am such an idiot!!!!!
Congrats to all!!!!!!!!! Can't wait till Thursday.
France
Jamie, Chris & Mario
Congrats to the three of you!!! Your times are all amazing.
Looking forward to Thursday and hearing about Chicago.
Cheryl
Tell me the weather was perfect? Look at your times, that is Fantastic, you guys are amazing!
Way to burn up the asphalt in the Windy City.
I know Dave says the time isn't the important point but heck, your complete marathon time = my final 21 K time. You're an inspiration to the whole group boys. Way to go.
See you Thursday at The Queen's.
Tom
Hey guys -- Congratulations on your (obviously) wonderful runs in Chicago. Isn't it a great course, and aren't the spectators great?!
Norma
The Chicago marathon was a great experience for me. Starting from a great expo where over 150 exhibitors presented their wears and latest technology for runners. I was able to hear a pep talk by John Binham who made us realize that the goal for running the marathon was to finish un-injured and not to worry about time. Does it sound familiar?
On Sunday, Jamie, Chris and I met at 6:30 a.m. at the lobby of the hotel to take the 20 minute walk to the start of the race. The weather was a bit cold (5 degrees Celsius), with a 15 Km/hr wind. It had rained the night before and the weather forecast called for rain/wet flurries for Sunday a.m.
The bathroom facilities at the starting line were as usual crowded, so we had to use a tree. We position ourselves around the 3:30 pace bunny and waited for the start of the race. The minutes were going by and we heard the American national anthem, which meant we were getting closer to the start of the race. The horn went off and nobody was moving! It took us three minutes to cross the starting line. The three of us, along with 40,000 other friends, started the race! We started slow but were able to pass people and around 3 or 4 Km, we were on time according to our pace band. Chris had his Garman and we were keeping a good pace. Our strategy was to take our walking breaks at the water stations rather than following the 10 and 1. Around Kilometer 5 or 6 we stopped for water, and lost Chris among the other runners. Jamie and I kept running together and wondered where Chris was. Without Chris, we had no Garman and therefore no indication of pace. So Jamie and I reverted to our other means, heart rate and our trusting pace band! We kept checking the pace by checking the times as we crossed the mile markers. We kept within 30 seconds and little by little we gained up to 2 minutes. We slowed down and managed to cross the half way by being 1 or two minutes ahead. The crowds were great and we were feeling great. We were joined by a Canadian fellow, Steve, who was also planning to do his marathon in 3:30. He was living in Chicago and was telling us about the various areas we were running in. We kept our pace and kept playing the game, “pass the 3:30 pace group and then let them pass us when we stopped for water”. The crowds were great. There were many bands along the way and even a wagon with Drag Queens dressed in Cowboy outfits! (I think they were looking for Chris!) As I had my name on my shirt, people would start cheering for me, and then the next person would continue and so on. It made me feel important and kept my spirits high. I kept telling Jamie that my shoulders were getting tired as my head was getting bigger and bigger every time the crowd called my name! I had a Mexican and a Canadian flag on my back, so when people saw the flags, they would cheer for Mexico or Canada, which again, helped me stay motivated.
Jamie and I stayed together for most of the race but around 32 Km, I was feeling good, so I started to separate from Jamie and Steve. Around the 38 Km mark my legs were getting tired but I thought of all of HHB who were following me through the internet and that helped me keep the pace and my spirits high. The last four kilometers were easier to do, as the support from the crowds was amazing. I finished the race feeling good and pleased that I had managed to improve my time from the Mississauga marathon by almost 12 minutes. It was great to start the marathon with Chris and Jamie as it helped me stay relaxed. Running 32 kilometers with Jamie made me feel like we were running another Sunday long run.
PS. I forgot to write my name. I guess I am still tired and sleepy
Mario
An amazing story Mario, thanks for sharing it. It sounds like your race went as planned, well done!!!
Mary Lynn
Congratulations Mario on your PB and thanks for writing down your thoughts for us. Your lifestyle and performance refutes every cranky middle aged guy who complains about his knees but says he has no time to exercise. And not only are you a great running role model but you're a really nice guy!
Way to go Mario.
You are an inspiration to us all.
Well Done!!!!!
B'Ann
Mario, wow it sounds like you really enjoyed running that PB! As well as smiling like France I will think of Chris's cowboy drag queens as I positively hurtle around Detroit!( I wonder if they'll be out looking for Joe( the fast one!))
I echo Dave's comments - you are a great running model and a really nice guy! Plus you missed a few runs owing to a Spanish Holiday where you admitted to eating and drinking too much and you still ran a PB!
Well Done!
Jo
Can't write much now...but it was a great day. Just the four of us HHB and 50,000 of our closest friends! Highly recommend the Chicago Marathon. Talk to you tonight.
Heather
Think back to the first day of the clinic. Now think about all the training, sweat and laughs you had on the clinic and it all sounds like fun...well it was for me. The Chicago marathon was my second marathon and is one that will stick with me forever. I met Mario at his hotel on Saturday night after dinner to go over some last minute preparations and to try and sponge some of his strength and experience out of him. We agreed to meet at his hotel lobby at 6:30am to give plenty of time to walk to the start of our corral. I kept my old track pants and sweat shirt on until 5 minutes before the gun went off and then disposed of them over the fence. I found this really helped me stay warm as it was windy and about 5 degrees.
Jamie, Mario and I crossed the mats approximately 3 minutes after the gun went off and to my surprise it was not as crowded as I had expected it to be. We were all together until the 5K mark and I lost them at a water station. I kept looking back but they were nowhere in sight. I had to make a decision to either slow down and hope they were behind me or speed up and hope they were ahead. I decided to speed up which ended up being the bonehead choice and was now venturing into a 37K race pace solo run.
I felt great physically and mentally (I was in my ZONE) so I decided to put my training to test. I kept my paceing between the 3:15 and 3:30 pace and stuck to doing water stations only. Things were going well until the last 8K. My cardio was still in tact but legs thought otherwise. I fought to the end with extra walks and extra fluids which gave me a new PB of 3:25:51 shaving over 23 minutes from my first marathon.
I finished the race thinking to myself I could never have done this without the crowds of spectators and volunteers. It was so motivating that at one point the crowds of people had me so pumped up that I was raising my arms to get them to scream louder.. and it worked however I probably exerted more energy than I needed to. Not a wise decision!
I would like to say thanks to everyone for there support and encouragement leading up to race day with a special thanks to my wife Henny.
Hope to see you at the next clinic.
Cheers!
Chris
P.S - For the Detroit runners I have added a whistle and a cow bell to compliment the air horn!!
What a motivating story, thanks Chris.
You did OUTSTANDING, and it looks like you enjoyed every second of it.
Looking forward to hearing the whistle, cowbell and airhorn on the streets of Detroit this Sunday!
Mary Lynn
Congratulations Chris on your awesome achievement. A marathon is usually a pretty good reflection of the effort you put into the program and this was no exception. Your perspiration and participation are an inspiration to all of us HHBs!
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