As Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist once said, "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."
It has been five years since I ran, well ran/walked, the 2007 Chicago Marathon. It is hard to forget a race such as this.
A recap of the event in headlines the day after the race:
Death, Havoc and Heat Mar Chicago Race
CHICAGO, Oct. 7 — As temperatures soared into the upper 80s, hundreds of runners in the Chicago marathon fell ill and at least one died on Sunday, prompting officials here to halt the annual race for the first time in its 30-year history.
Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/us/08chicago.html?pagewanted=all
CHICAGO, Oct. 7 — As temperatures soared into the upper 80s, hundreds of runners in the Chicago marathon fell ill and at least one died on Sunday, prompting officials here to halt the annual race for the first time in its 30-year history.
Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/us/08chicago.html?pagewanted=all
Heat Shuts Down Chicago Marathon, Leaves One Runner Dead, Scores Hospitalized
In scorching heat and high humidity, the Chicago Marathon took a deadly turn Sunday.
One runner died, at least 49 were hospitalized and thousands were denied the chance to cross the finish line in the race long known for its brisk fall temperatures and flat terrain.
Read more at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299956,00.html#ixzz1tGDHR12s
In scorching heat and high humidity, the Chicago Marathon took a deadly turn Sunday.
One runner died, at least 49 were hospitalized and thousands were denied the chance to cross the finish line in the race long known for its brisk fall temperatures and flat terrain.
Read more at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,299956,00.html#ixzz1tGDHR12s
Monday, Oct. 08, 2007
When a Marathon Goes Wrong
When a Marathon Goes Wrong
By S. James Snyder/Chicago
The numbers alone told much of the story: At the 30th annual Chicago Marathon Sunday morning, one man died, more than 300 needed medical attention from the city's overloaded emergency services — which were forced to reach out to the suburbs for additional ambulances — and fewer than 25,000 of some 45,000 registered runners actually finished the 26.2-mile course on an early October day where the midday temperature reached a record 87 degree.
Find this article at: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1669408,00.html
The numbers alone told much of the story: At the 30th annual Chicago Marathon Sunday morning, one man died, more than 300 needed medical attention from the city's overloaded emergency services — which were forced to reach out to the suburbs for additional ambulances — and fewer than 25,000 of some 45,000 registered runners actually finished the 26.2-mile course on an early October day where the midday temperature reached a record 87 degree.
Find this article at: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1669408,00.html
Video of the 2007 Chicago Marathon
http://youtu.be/OCRyQBCz5eg
Recap of the 2007 Chicago Marathon from Chicago Marathon History"The elite athletes as well as the mass of 36,000-plus runners were challenged by historic heat on the streets of Chicago. Temperatures soaring into the high 80s combined with high humidity forced organizers to halt the race for the first time in history.
Approximately three and a half hours after the official start, runners were rerouted to Grant Park and instructed to stop running as the heat was too intense to ensure runner safety. As a result, while the race welcomed its largest field to the start line (36,867), only 25,534 were able to officially finish the race."
And I was one of the 25,534 finishers. After 18 weeks of training hard with Hal Higdon’s marathon training program through CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association), I was forced to jog/walk from mile 13 to mile 26.2! I felt a sense of accomplishment for finishing and also a sense of defeat. Three weeks prior I had run a 20-mile race and finished under three hours. My marathon goal was to finish under four hours and I should have. Instead I finished the race in 5:28:13.
On a whim I threw my name into the lottery drawing for the 2012 Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco on October 14, 2012. Yesterday morning I received this email from them:
Dear Rebecca Rochester,
Whether it’s your first or fiftieth race, there really is no other feeling quite like standing at the starting line.
We’re so glad that in 2012, you’ll be sharing that moment with us.
That’s right, you read that correctly. You’ve officially been selected to run in the 2012 Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Congratulations!
Yeah!? I am excited for another opportunity to prove to myself that I can do this. Training starts today. I have Hal Higdon by my side and together we will get me back into running shape.
"It's not 26.2 miles...it's 10 water stops." –Unknown
That’s right, you read that correctly. You’ve officially been selected to run in the 2012 Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Congratulations!
Yeah!? I am excited for another opportunity to prove to myself that I can do this. Training starts today. I have Hal Higdon by my side and together we will get me back into running shape.
"It's not 26.2 miles...it's 10 water stops." –Unknown
