Chi Town and Then & Now!

Chicago ~ 10.10.10! 

I'm officially signed up for the Bank of Chicago Marathon for 2010. It's a good thing too because they just sent out an email saying they have 30,000 already signed up with a cap of 45,000. Woah-- looks like it's filling up quick!

Because of my recent BQ Race I was able to sign up for Corral B (<3:35:59). The average time to cross the start line from corral B is only about 2 minutes, which is great considering the 45,000 runners! One of the worst marathon situations is...

You're waiting at the start line, having just come out of a warm tent and stripping your layers down to race gear. The garmin is ready, picking up the satellite and your ipod is set to your best 'pump me up' song. The announcers pumps us up with a few words as we get some last minute stretching and then *POW* the start gun goes off!!! Adrenaline pumps you start moving you feet and ugh-- walk right into the person in front of you. Ok, so you'll wait for your turn... and wait... and wait.... When its finally time to go it's too packed to really move for the next mile or two. *Yuck*

I'm hoping corral B will allow me to run without being run over!!! Hello people-- it's me, the person you're trying to step on! There are runners under 5'3 out here too!

Then and Now... the evolution of race gear in 5 years:

Over Christmas I framed pictures of my first marathon, my moms first marathon, and one of our recent races together. The change from the 90's high neon running shorts to 2009 on MB was hilarious! So I thought I would take a closer look to the changes I've made in my racing gear in just 5 years. My first marathon was the Athens Classic Marathon in 2005! I thought it was funny to look back only 5 years and see how racing attire has evolved.

2005 Picture

Let's take some notes...

-Shirt: Tank top, sometimes known as a "beater"~ At the time breathable Tech-T's were not big like they are now

-Shorts: Mesh Union College shorts, sometimes known as "Lacrosse shorts"~ At the time I thought I was way too cool for "dorky" running shorts with the (ick) built in undies.

-Hydration: None-- no bottle or pack

-Food: I pinned packs of gummy savers to my shorts to eat through the race. 

-Sneakers: I believe these were Nike Shox! I loved those heavy suckers
-Watch: A fashion watch by Nike that only went up to 99 minutes... real helpful

Flash Forward... 2010!!!
-Shirt: Ditched the "beater" for a thermal top over a Tech-T! Yep a little more breathable, and a lot less chafing.

-Shorts: I practically live in my once *ick* built in undie-running shorts! I have a ton of them and pretty much run exclusively in them. SO much easier to pull off and on during port-a-john stops!

-Hydration: I don't have it in this picture, but I now carry a small hand-held with a little built in pouch for sport beans, GU, etc. Being able to hydrate through the whole race makes a world of difference now!

-Food: I now carry and take GU every 5 miles and often use sport beans.
-Sneakers: Nike Free 5.0! Developing my running wardrobe with some 'barefoot' running technology. Much lighter than the shox of 2005!
-Watch: My garmin is one of the best purchases I've made to date. It helps me to pace myself and not get caught up in the hectic pace at starts. Much improved from my 99 minute- Nike watch.
Addl...
Bondi Band! My newest addition to running gear-- the bondi band helps to keep my hair out to my face and--ahem--my ears pinned back. Yeah, that's no joke-- they stick out and I definitely wore the bondi band JUST over the tips so they held my ears back.

Much has changed and I hope much improved!!!

Remember to check my "upcoming races" link at the top of the page for my current marathon schedule. I add marathons all the time. If there is one not scheduled in your state and you have a race idea let me know! If you're going to the races I'm planning to run send me a note and I'll add you to the schedule.

Happy Running!