CHICAGO CHICAGO.. by jo_hopkins

ah well,    isn't it horrible getting back into the work routine...

Well after Chicago, i spent a few days with my feet up and actually managed to go hockey training on the Thursday, bit stiff the next morning,  oops....  and the hockey skills were way off target so ended up doing forfeits which include laps of the pitch and sprints.....  note to self don't hockey train after a marathon!!!!

Anyhow am back into the running thing now, and am clocking up 3 / 4 runs a week of 6 miles each, and have now also slotted an hours swim training into my schedule, damn the Blenheim Triathlon.... :-)   yes thats right i figure the bike and run bit will be easy but the swim/near drown accross the lake should be interesting... anyhow i have till June till get better...

On the running front i am already entered in the Bath half, and will probably keep up the local halfs etc etc,   and yes i do have my eye on Dublin next year, the local Abingdon marathon which comes recommended looks like it might not be run again for a few years, so will be reading the blogs to find out how Dublin fares..

Robin is now getting his own back with my appalling effort at drinking whilst watching England - France, 4 pints and lost all use of my legs, that was a long way home for him to carry me....  camelbak was brilliant the next day though as it meant i didn't have to budge off the sofa for ages    genius....    Although he is in the bad books at the mo as he broke my shower, and its proving an expensive job to fix   grrrrrr

good luck to all in Dublin..

and yes wearing a long sleeved top and running in the cold????  very confusing...

Firstly, well done to us all, we finished the course and officially too...

Looking at the blog forums, alot of the official finishers were actually shipped back on buses and walked throught the finish line so although they have a finish time etc etc and a medal they may only have completed 18 miles,    how rubbish,   it would be interesting to see the stats for the ammount of runners who actually completed the full 26.2!!!   which of course we all did!!!!

Chicago is a beautiful city and the marathon was great, i especially loved all the neighbourhood areas, of course after my disaster at Paris i knew to attack chicago at a leisurely pace!!   so armed with my camelbak (best investment i ever made, and invaluable on the day) and yes pouring lots of water over my head to keep my body temp down i actually got to see and hear everything..

It was at mile 21 that i first heard the race had been stopped, and so decided to take a short walking break, but not for long!!  by mile 23 there were helicopters with loud speakers and sirens galore going off, bit like being in the middle of a disaster movie...  by mile 24 we were told very politely but forcefully to walk, i didn't argue (funnily).. I did sprint the last 400 yards though and so have a true finisher time of 5 hours 13 mins,   and without any heat induced problems...  Fantastic..

Robin didn't fare so well, he couldn't cope with the heat so well, but still managed a true finisher time of 5 hours and 2 minutes, he is a littl dissapointed but they were hardly optimum conditions..  Oh and he also didn't last very well at our after race bloggers drink party,   oh yes guys i took him home and he was asleep by 7pm!!!!  rubbish...

It was fantastic to see everyone with the ice hockey being a great highlight to the weekend, well done Nick, and special congratulations should go to a certain someone for their fantastic race time, a new pb, and in those conditions...  i will leave you guessing as to who managed that one!!

Overall i know alot of people had problems in Chicago with water statiopns etc, the only significant problem i encountered was a lack of water spray areas to cool you down instead of having to use the drinking water, which unfortunately if you need to cool down your core body temp then you will use. If you were sensible then most problems could be avoided, and fun (sort of) could be had.   it certainly makes the day one to remember....

Well done everyone...

from the blog posts it looks like we will all be arriving at the expo at different times,   so...

have found what appears to be a must see experience bar (google for info)  The Goats Tavern     its just north of the river, 430 North Michigan Avenue apparently around or on magnificent mile, how does everyone fancy meeting up there in medals (of course for identification purposes) for some beers at say 7ish??   apparently they do burgers etc there too.... 

If people are happy with this i don't mind being head honcho with phone numbers etc....  i could even pop in before the sunday and reserve some space i.e seats (if possible)!!!,       let me know what you all think r.e the plan and time blah blah blah....    

Nick i will leave meet times and place for the hockey up to you, am very excited about the hockey i do hope there is lots of fighting...

stay well everybody..

Well you can tell when its taper time.....  yes i have a dreaded cold......  so no runs and lots of tlc on the sofa are the prescription... on the bright side it should be sufficiently cleared by next week, however i won't be able to visit my niece on Tuesday....

also after a long think Robin and i have decided to run with our camelbaks, i love the drink on tap ease it gives me, and i can also fill it with lucozade.. and am thinking that now i can hang a flag off the back of  it..

hope everyone else is well, as a suggestion how about meeting at the expo on the friday lunchtime ish,   they must have a coffee shop or cafe there....