Chicago Marathon 08 Race Report

I headed up to Chicago on Saturday morning.  The family and I got to the expo at about 1:00.  Adam White (thanks for the donkey shirt!) had a booth for Running Central at the expo and that was pretty cool.  He really needs to get that web site point of sale set up for his store.  When you go out of your home town folks will want to order via the net.  I'd love to order on-line from him as well.  Anyways... The guys planned to all meet up before the marathon just to say “hey” and the expo at McCormick Place worked out well for everyone getting together.  I ended up hooking up with Schroff, Krause, Danimal, Matt, Jared, Robby and Lorne.   I probably spent more time than I should have walking around and talking but I was having a good time.  The BWS and his wife beat us all to the expo (a preminition of things to come) so they headed out to get to their room before I got there.  Too bad, I could have used some of his fastness essence!  After the expo, Shev drove me to the hotel and dropped me off.  She and the girls were staying with my niece at her place.  That was fine, I am not much fun the night before a marathon.  I really just want to get off my feet and chill.  Matt and Jared were planning on crashing in my room.  We all had dinner at Pizzano’s on State Street (2 blocks away). Dinner was excellent.   I chose the Pasta A “La” Dino which is a Bowtie shaped pasta sautéed in garlic and olive oil with sun dried tomatoes, shrimp and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese (a value at 15 bucks)!  It came in a HUGE bowl.  I only finished half (I could have horked it down but thought it unwise) and had a Newcastle on draft with water.  The wait was about 40 minutes but expected and we didn’t sweat it because we were off our feet.   Eat early or be prepared for long waits downtown.  Especially if you want pasta on marathon weekend!  After dinner they left me at the hotel and went out for a few adult beverages and to enjoy the Chicago scene.

The morning went really smooth.  Robby, who stayed with his uncle, met us in the room at about 6:30.  We were pretty much ready to go.  I ate a bowl of lucky charms because they are magically delicious (figured I could use a bit of that).   It was warm enough that I didn’t need any cold weather gear.  I was a bit concerned about the heat playing into the marathon.  I planned on going out really slowly knowing it would not be easy.  When the gun went off, I went out and looked down at my Garmin.  It was reading 7:45 actual pace but then it almost immediately read 6:40.  My first mile was 7:05.  Perfect.  By the middle of the 3^rd mile I could see the 3 hour pace guy and I just kept him in sight.  The pace felt very easy, almost boring.  Judging by how bad it got last year, I knew the feeling wouldn’t last long so I decided to enjoy the feeling until it left me.  By mile 6 I felt a bit weak but then it passed.  I was careful to hydrate at every stop and I took gels every 5 miles.  I hindsight I am very glad I did that. As I passed the 7 mile mark, I started looking for my family.  I asked my niece to make her sign stand out more this year (I comepletely missed her last year) so she wrote “Run Fatboy Run….Go Rob!”.   I saw it right away but tried to act like it wasn’t for me.  I need to thank Shev, my niece Candace and all my buds especially Matt Stevenson.  They kept me entertained during the morning.  Conditions were much warmer than I would have liked but WAY better than Chicago 07.     By the 11 mile mark it was becoming more work to stay with the group but not terrible.  I got a bit confused at the half when I came across and the clock was showing 1:34.  I was hoping to be no slower than 1:31 and was really worried about how hard I was working then I figured it out.  It kinda freaked me out until I heard one of the guys around me say he was right on time for his 3 hour goal.  In the end it didn’t matter, I didn’t have it in me.  However, I am encourage that the pace did seem much easier than it ever did before. I fell off my 3 hour pacing goal at the 30k (the lucky charms magic must have worn off) and I spent the better part of the next 2 miles chasing  a dude dressed up like Mini Mouse.  Wouldn’t that have been a great finishing photo!?!   I would definitely have to buy that one!  Matt worked with me for the last 4 miles (thanks so much) and so I finished the Chicago marathon on Sunday with a new PR 3:05:01.  I was pleased.  I really had to work to get in in that time and don’t think I had any more left to put out there.

Two of my friends really stood out, Scott Willi and Eric Bush.  They were on top of their game Sunday.  Eric ran a 2:33 winning the mens masters division (whoa)!  Scott accomplished his goal of running a sub 3 marathon (his first of many).  Great job guys.  Some of us had really tough days.  The weather definitely played a role.

 

Oh yeah and we had plenty-o-water this year!  Thanks Mr. Pinkowski!  Now I see I still need to improve upon my stamina in order to reach my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon.  After all the world record is very much sub 3!   My next 26.2 will be at Boston in April.  Shev is running the Marine Corps Marathon in DC in two weeks.  After she quals (and she will) we will run it together (well at least on the same course together).  I am going to pursue my goal of achieving a personal best on a very challenging course.  In order to do that I am going to have to make some more improvements to my running. 

 

Lawyer And Contributing Editor Dedicates Big Part of Each Working Day to His Law Firm

Byline: Rob Fennell 

Oct. 10 --In a drawer of J. Covey’s desk is a list of 5 things he knows he can do anytime of the day.   “Sometimes, I just take it out to remind myself I don't have to be working right now.  Nobody is watching me.”

Covey… attorney, editor, dad, friend, and athlete wears many hats.  The people who come to his office have real legal problems, such as how not to pay taxes or how best to threaten a competitor with litigation so they can get some cash. 

Down the hall, nine lawyers and three paralegals are doing what they do too.  Last year, his firm helped 29 clients. Additionally, private lawyers, employed by clients working with Covey, also were responsible with helping another 337 people. Even so, that adds up to fulfilling only about half of the requests. 

Some get only literature about their legal issue, others a brief face-to-face session with a lawyer or paralegal. Most just get a brief email saying “Thank you.  But at the moment I am out of the office”.  Tens of people will walk away with no help because Covey just doesn't have the staff or other resources to handle their legal problem in any fashion. 

"This is no joke," Covey says. "legal contract problems are the No. 1 issue. It’s what pays the bills.  These people have no way to take care of some of this stuff."    So Covey, has committed himself to setting aside his interests in running, parenting, and shopping for 4-6 hours each day to focus solely on his job.   “I wish I had the time.  There’s so many ways to kill a day.  I often dream of many other things besides my job that I could be doing right now.  At times it can be downright depressing.” 

But Covey puts on a brave face, builds on the mystique of his profession, pads where he can, and juggles each day with grace and humility.  We could all use more of what he has.  Sadly he’s only one.

Robs Final-Week Taper

- By J. Covey

Monday: 3 mile jog, 1 minute slower than base pace.

Tuesday: 2 mile walk, 25-minute pace

Wednesday:  1 mile being pushed in wheelchair or adult stroller; slowly, don’t overdo it

Thursday: On La-Z-Boy recliner, pushing buttons on remote control

Friday:  Combination sleep-loading/carbo-loading:  Entire day in bed; alternating large pizzas and beer with double doses of Ambien

Saturday:  To hospital in morning to be placed in an induced coma; limousine to hotel in downtown Chicago; continue on respirator til morning

Sunday:  Servants dress you and carry you to starting line, propping you upright til the gun goes off

Vanilla reviews the Pearl Izumi Shoe

I'll be honest.  I owned this shoe and it really didn't do anything for me.  I am more of a minimalist when it comes to footwear but when Vanilla speaks, I laugh.  Enjoy: -Rob

"There aren’t many things in this world better than the smell of new running shoes fresh out of the box. You unfold the tissue paper that covers the shoes, remove the wadded up balls of it from the toes of the shoes and you catch your first whiff of new running shoe. It’s fantastic, but do you know what’s even better than the smell of new running shoes? Actually buying new running shoes. Trust me they look at you kind of strange when you ask if you can smell several pairs and then just leave the store without buying any. Do you know what’s even better than buying new running shoes? You probably don’t because you’re not awesome like me. I’ll tell you what’s better than buying new running shoes: Being given a free pair of new running shoes to review on your blog. Pretty awesome huh? Do you know what’s even better than being given free shoes? Being given a new pair of the latest Pearl Izumi SyncroInfinity running shoes. (Syncro Infinity? syncroINFINITY? I can’t figure out which one is right, Pearl Izumi must be loving this right now.)Do you know why I keep phrasing everything as a question in this post? Me neither.

Receiving a free pair of Pearl Izumi running shoes is better than receiving any other brand because it’s as if Pearl Izumi is endorsing me as a runner. It’s as if they’re saying “Hey Vanilla, you’re not a jogger, you’re a runner, you run like an animal, you are our kind of people, we want you in our shoes, and not all those lame joggers who read your blog,” – personally I would be offended by that last statement if I was you guys.

Now you may think that me agreeing to review their shoes in exchange for a free pair is a conflict of interest. You may call my actions “selling out” or “whorish behavior” but I call it“shut up you’re just jealous!” I assure you that my review of the shoes will not be tainted by the fact that the super-duper, totally awesome, stupefyingly great company Pearl Izumi just gave me free running shoes. I will not allow it to impair my judgment."

Read the entire review at: http://www.half-fast.org/2008/03/new-shoes.html

Red Eyed Tree Monkey -- Extinct?!?

Peoria, IL -- The red eyed tree monkey hasn't been spotted for almost a year in Glen Oak park leading nature observers to speculate the fate of the elusive critter.  Is it extinct or is it simply a matter of having better things to do than hang out in the park at god awful hours?  Will we ever know for sure?  

Starving Marathoner Eats Friends, Still Hungry!

Before I started running I REALLY enjoyed eating.  I still do.  But my friends are beginning to give me a complex!  I can't enjoy a hot dog anymore without thinking about how much bigger I'm gonna get!   If I get hungry I'm eating the whole plate cause the two weenies in the middle wouldn't fill me up :-)