I've tried for more than a week since race day to gather my thoughts, bask in the glow of a BQ, and attempt to write something that even the non-runner can comprehend. I'm still going to bask in this glow of a BQ for the next year+ while I wait to get to run Boston on a Monday in April of 2015. I think the smile in the photo above has become permanent and I still don't fully believe what took place 10 days ago.
In October of 2009, I ran my first marathon. It was my attempt at, as I say often, "getting into ridiculous shape" and making some significant changes in my life. That day, I ran a 4:29:36 and was absolutely tickled to death, but when I crossed the finish line, I knew that I could do it faster and I set out to prove it. It seems like decades ago that I started this process and writing it down makes me realize just how quick of a process this has been.
So, how did this all shake out? You wouldn't believe it if I told you! Heck, I don't even completely believe it! But here goes.
Friday
I flew to Chicago from Nashville on Friday afternoon. I received a text message from Bree Roy (who also qualified for Boston in this race) telling me to get to the airport early as the security line was long and, she and Eric had missed their earlier flight because of it. I got to the airport in plenty of time, the security line was normal for Nashville and proceeded through with no problems and the flight was on-time. The plan all along was to get checked in to the hotel and then make my way to the Expo on Friday afternoon rather than waiting till Saturday. Everything worked perfectly. Upon arriving to the expo, I expected to deal with long lines, but to my pleasure, I walked right up, got my bib and made my way through the expo. Again, everything worked perfectly. By doing this, I free up my Saturday almost completely.
Saturday
The goal was to sleep late, but that didn't exactly work. I was up by 8:30 or so and knew that I needed to get in a short run. The sooner the better. From my hotel, the Navy Pier appeared to be just over a mile by looking at a map and it was a straight shot (so I didn't get lost), so that's the direction I headed. Nice and easy, getting stopped at almost every traffic light, my Garmin ticked off a mile just before getting to the Navy Pier. I decided to keep going to 1.5 and as I got onto the pier, I decided to ramp up the speed for a quarter mile or so. Wow, this felt so stinking good! I felt fast, lite and strong. At 1.5 miles, I turned back toward the hotel and took it easy, getting caught at a couple less traffic lights, and returning to the hotel in just over 23 minutes.
Back to the traffic lights for a second. How do people that live in massive cities get in quality, long, consistent runs without getting stopped at traffic lights every other block?
The rest of the day was mine to do with as I pleased. The hope was to be in bed by 9:00 p.m., so whatever I wanted to do, I needed to get started. After a shower, Jennifer and I walked from the hotel to the start line. The idea was to see how long it would take me to get there should it be necessary that I walk the next morning. I think all of the marathoners that were not at the expo on Saturday were on the streets of Chicago. The city had a buzz about it and everyone seemed to be there for the same reason. The start line and most everything around it was barricaded. We could get close enough to visualize the enormity of the event that would be taking place the next morning. We walked from the start line, to the finish line, and to the only real hill on the course, just before mile 26 on Roosevelt Blvd., between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
From there I wanted to go to NikeTown to see what marathon related gear they had that wasn't at the expo. I was specifically after a marathon related Visor. This is my 'collector's item' from most races, but it seems a lot of races don't do visors, but rather the runner's hat, which, in my opinion, suck! Found my visor! Still everything going perfectly. Lunch next, then a nap....or Cardinal's Baseball! This was game two of the NLCS and needless to say, there was no nap. WACHA, WACHA!!! CARDS WIN 1-0. Still........perfectly.
Now, dinner! I'm not a firm believer in the traditional carb loading dinner of the runner. In fact, most of my reading and work with my nutritionist suggests that carb loading at dinner may be a bit late for carbs. For a late lunch, I had an enormous bowl of spaghetti and dang that stuff was good. My pre-long run meal has been the same since I started this process. Filet Mignon, baked potato, mac n' cheese. Fleming's was right around the corner and we were able to get in early and right to a table. Again, perfectly.....and in bed by 9:00. Of course, sleep is something completely different. Wide awake at 1 a.m. when I decided to take a shower that didn't help at all. I think I slept about 3 hours. Plenty to run a marathon, right?? haha! Let's find out.
Sunday
Race Day!!!! CHRISTMAS DAY!!!! Finally. I've worked all summer for this race and a chance to improve on what I did last December. I told people leading up to race day that if I had a bad day, I would come home with a new PR and if I had a good day, I would qualify for Boston.
4:45 - Awake and heading downstairs at the hotel for coffee and something to eat.
5:30 - Bathroom. Coffee worked like a charm! :)
5:45 - Dressed and ready to walk to the train station 2 blocks away. On the walk, ran into Ashley Evans (1st marathon and BQ) and her mother, who were walking to the start line. Told them how far the walk was and convinced them to ride the train. I'll take credit for Ashley's 2:48 marathon as I saved her legs for the run and not that walk to the start line! LOL!!! Completely joking because she's an incredible runner. Maybe I can take credit for 15 seconds of that... ;) Train to the closest stop and I'm there by 6:20 and all part of the plan. With the changes to security as a result of the Boston Marathon incident, no one knew what to expect and I wasn't going to chance showing up later than necessary and not getting to my corral. Made it in with almost no hassle and was able to hit the porta-potty, twice. Damn coffee!
7:15 - The Wheelchair athletes roll to the start line. My corral starts cheering each of them. Cold chills follow.
7:20 - Wheelchair start.
7:27 - National Anthem - As the anthem starts, the microphone start to cut out. A few lines into it people in the corrals start singing. Now it seems we have 40,000 National Anthem singers. More cold chills and again everything going perfectly.
7:30 - Gun goes off and it's ON!!!! Cold chills until I started moving and got to a slow trot. The interesting part about this marathon is that the first 5 corrals required a previous marathon/half-marathon time to get into. Meaning, everyone around me was equally as fast, or faster. This was dangerous because when they start moving, they don't dilly-dally around and I'm just the guy that would get sucked in and go out way too fast........and I did. First mile in the 6:50s, first 5K in the 6:50s and I'm feeling very, very good. As we finish the first 5k, we are heading out of the city and into Lincoln Park and some sort of farm. I thought I had gotten lost and ended up in the corn fields of Illinois. Who knew there was a farm in the middle of the city of Chicago??? Not me!
Ok, back to racing.......next 5K at 7:01. About this time I realize that I'm approaching Wrigleyville. Yep, home of the Cubs. I start looking around for any signs of baseball life and there are none. I realize that its October and that the city of Chicago typically moves on from baseball about mid-June (obligatory Cubs fan jab!). Oh well, back to running. Next 5K at 7:02. I looked at my watch at when I heard mile 8 click. I think it was 55-56 minutes. My goal was to be at 8 miles every hour. I was ahead of pace and still felt good, but this was fast...way fast for me, or so I thought.
Next 5K, 7:04. Almost half way and back to the city. Beginning to wonder how long I can keep this up. Do I slow down and take it cautiously or do I go for whatever this has to offer. Yep, going for it! Keep it up. I'm right behind the 3:05 pace group and running very comfortably. Dreams don't come without risks!
Halfway and I post a 1:32 flat. 4 minutes faster than my previous half-marathon PR.
Mile 16 at 1:53 and way ahead.
Mile 17 in 2:00. Still feeling good and chugging back toward downtown Chicago. I know that I've got my BQ now as I'm still right on the 3:05 group. Now, how much can I get. How low can I go? Let's find out!!!
Mile 20 and the last bit of gel to push me toward the finish line. Water stop just caught me off-guard. I've got a mouthful of gel and I know that the next water stop is a mile away. I've got to stop and get water. 1st cup has just a splash in it, need more. Walked to get another one. I've lost 15-20 seconds here and maybe more importantly, a bit of momentum. I've fallen off the 3:05 group and lost sight. DANG IT!!!!
Mile 22 and I'm starting to hurt a bit. Still turning out 7:20 miles, but can feel myself slowing a bit. Feet are hurting, quads are crushed and my calves feel like they could seize up at any moment. I begin to remind myself that these miles are the reason that I did 80 mile weeks and 44 mile weekends. So that I can be a bully through these miles. So that mentally I can be tough in these spots. I think about stopping but my will says to push harder. I see people dropping off to the side and stopping because of cramps as I drive by as hard as I can. Someone yells "Way to go Hagan!!!" or something like that. I was in a daze and look over to see Eric Block. What a pleasant sight. "What's up E?" And I'm gone!
Mile 23 brings me to Michigan Ave. I know what's left and must keep pushing. A guy carrying the 3:10 sign runs up beside me. No way he's pulling away from me. Can't believe that I'm now roughly 5 minutes off the 3:05 group. Did I lose that much momentum because of crappy timing with a gel and water stop? Or, am I just hurting and beginning to slow that much. Either way, this joker is not getting away from me. I know what's left, does he?
Mile 24 and I'm tightening even more. This doesn't feel good at all. Can I hang on? Doubt begins to enter my mind. Dangerous. Not cool. I remind myself of 80 miles weeks and that I'm a freaking bully out here!
Mile 25 feels like it's 95 degrees on a mid-August day. Where'd that sun come from? Where's that cool breeze that I felt when I was near U.S. Cellular Field? Oh wait, that was the sucking wind from the White Sox! LOL!!! About a quarter mile in I see the massive big screen monitor at the end of Michigan Ave. That's where I turn to hit the hill. I've got this. I'm on a 3:10:00. Holy CRAP!!!! Am I really doing this? I try to pick up the pace but picking up my legs is a huge chore. Big screen getting closer. Guy in front of me looks like a very legit runner. I've had him in sight now for a mile or so. We approach the turn and he pulls off to the side and grabs his calf. Oh crap!!! If he goes down, what's going to happen to me??? I refocus. Hill ahead. Hope he makes it but I don't have time for him. The hill........I own this. I train in Nashville and don't avoid the hills. I pass 6-10 people as I climb. I make the turn and there it is! My Christmas present......the Finish Line.
FINISH
I think the look on my face in the photo above says enough. Either finish this or die trying. The 'die trying' might be likely. I've just passed the 26 mile marker. 385 yards to go. Spectators line the finish chute. Bleachers full of people and they roar. At this point, that's all I hear and drive toward the finish line. I make it and stop my Garmin. Garmin says 3:10:18 and I finally get my legs to stop moving. I hurt so freaking good that I let out one the most primal yells ever. I DID IT!!!! And the tears begin to flow. People look at me like I need medical help, asking if I'm OK. I respond with "I"m amazing, I'm heading to Boston!!!" The smiles that I get back reinforce the feelings that race through me.
The finish line chute seems to carry on forever and mostly empty. I realize that there are only about 2,000 runners that have made it there. I'm ahead of the masses that will soon experience similar feelings as they cross the finish line. WOW, this is a different feeling. Where is everyone? Oh well, keep moving, medal, keep walking, picture 1, picture 2, picture 3, banana, Gatorade, keep walking, picture 4, more tears, keep walking.
3:10:17 is what appears to be my finishing time. Wow, 4:43 faster than I needed to qualify for Boston. Never once did I believe that I could go this fast. The day before the race I said that if I could run an average 7:15 per mile pace, that would give me a 3:10:00, and then I shrugged it off as not even possible. Well, I nailed it!!! BAM!!!!! I was a bully those last few miles and I punched this marathon right in the freaking mouth! haha!!! Although, considering how sore I was for the next few days, I think it may have won the fight. I just got in a few good punches!!!
When I got to my phone, I had 30+ text messages and more than 35 Facebook notifications. I hope that I was able to respond to all of them in an appropriate way. I thank all of those who sent messages of encouragement and congratulations. This is something that 4 years ago I never even thought of and was tickled to death just to finish a marathon.
After a walk back to the hotel and a shower, it was time to eat. Mom, being a mom, is worried because I'm too 'skinny' and I 'look sick'. I told her in the days leading up to the race that regardless of how I ran that day, I was going to crush some Chicago-style deep dish pizza after it was over. Seems everyone else in the city had the same plan. 30+ minute wait, while standing. Get me a straight Coca-Cola, on the rocks! Medium, Sausage, Pepperoni pizza for me. What's everyone else having??? Mama said EAT!!! And I was taught to do what mama says! (well most of the time anyway!)
After pizza, back to the hotel to relax. More emails, text messages and Facebook messages. Wow, this is overwhelming. I had no idea that so many people were pulling for me. During this time I was trading text messages with my oldest niece, Kinsley. She's such an awesome kid and was keeping track of me throughout the morning. I tried to explain to her what this meant to a runner. Told her that Boston is like the Super Bowl of running. She told me that I was "the best runner!!!" and that she loves me. More tears even though I know that I'm simply the "best runner she knows"! I love you too Kins!
2 hours later a message from Eric and Bree. Let's meet up and celebrate just a bit. More food! Yes, still starving after crushing that pizza, and hey, mama said to eat!! ;)
Everything that I needed to go right for a great race did. Flights on time, expo early, easy Saturday, start-line early and coffee did it's job. 50 degrees at start time with a slight breeze. Perfect day for racing! An even more perfect day from start to finish. I saw a quote from someone the week before my race that stated "The harder you work, the luckier you get." I got really lucky on this day but hopefully it's because I worked so hard to get here.
This has been an incredible ride!!! I've learned that dreams do come true and that I'm solely responsible for making sure that MY dreams come true! CHECK! This dream just came true!
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