Lookie what I did last night. 😉
I’m running Chicago!!!!
It’s something I have been on the fence on for a couple of weeks now. I wanted to wait to see if I received a lottery bid for NYC first, but with the way Chicago was filling up I knew waiting wasn’t an option. After my sister told me last night she was in the process of registering for the race herself, I immediately jumped online and handed over my credit card information.
If I get into NYC I will still run it, but it will just be for the experience. I am going to train hard for Chicago and hopefully earn a BQ in the process! 3:40 or bust!!
Luckily Chicago’s marathon is not until October, so I will still be able to give my body a couple of months rest before I began training again in July.
Are you running Chicago? Have you run it before? What do you think of the race?
I took advantage of my plans to hit the gym this afternoon and gave myself permission to sleep in. Sleeping in on the weekends never seems to be an option for me, but sleeping in on Mondays has become a new requirement. I slept until 7:00 this morning, which means last night I was able to sleep more hours than I had for both Friday and Saturday nights. 🙂
Breakfast was a lazy bowl of cereal.
- 1/2 cup Kashi Honey Sunshine
- 3/4 cup Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin Granola
- Plain Yogurt
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
I have a full day of work ahead of me! Time to get to it!
I registered last night too! I’m glad I encourage your sister to sign up and that she encourage you. 🙂 My goal is also to earn a BQ.
10/10/10…I’m so excited!
that is so great Meghann! i have never run chicago nor have i ever run a marathon….half is the longest for me.
have a great day 🙂
You crazy, girl! Didn’t you just run one?!? I’m impressed!
YAY! Why did I think it was 3:30 to BQ?! Either way, I know you can do it!
wow how exciting! i’ll be interested to see how you step up your training to meet your goal. I have no doubt you’ll hit it!
Whoa! You are one ambitious woman 🙂 I am glad that you will have a few months to relax and rest your body though. Like you said, you are getting a bit burnt out on the training runs. Time for a running vacation after your 50k trail run!
You can do it (qualify I mean, not finish :))!! So exciting to be running another mary with your sister.
Hi Meghann,
I ran Chicago a few years ago. I guess it is a fun experience because there are SOOO MANY people, the crowds are amazing throughout the entire course, and you get to run through all the great parts of the city. However, with about 35,000 people I don’t think it’s a great place to get a good time because you spend so much time bobbing and weaving around others. It is flat though, so that’s a plus, and I do think it is worth doing just because it is so big and the energy is amazing!
So exciting! You’ll qualify! I’m sure of it!
Geez girl! I get exhausted just reading your blog! I have heard nothing but good things about Chicago and I’m sure you and your sister are going to rock it!
How exciting! And even more exciting that you’ll be coming to Chicago so that I can cheer you on 🙂 I can’t wait – I know you can do it!
How great is that!? You should track how many miles you are running this year. Between races and training, you’re practically running across the country!
Hooray! I’ll be running, but since it’s my first I’m just hoping to finish in one piece.
I already have my post-race meal mapped out, and it involves a Portillo’s chocolate cake shake. Yummmm.
I’m running chicago too and it will also be my first marathon! A chocolate cake shake is the perfect reward…I’m going to have to keep that in mind 🙂
Ah, I accidentally signed in from my other account! What I meant to tell you from here is that I’m so happy for you — and even more exciting that you’ll be coming to Chicago so that I can cheer you on as you go! I can’t wait – I know you can do it! 🙂
Congrats about signing up for Chicago, have fun!
I haven’t run Chicago but I’ve been a spectator while watching my boyfriend run; it’s very well organized, you get to see a ton of the city and the course support is spectacular!
We should organize a blogger meet-up, especially if I can’t get my hands on Healthy Living Summit tickets!
Congrats on signing up for another marathon. I’m jealous, I wish I had the guts to sign up for one.
I’m running Chicago this year. My first marathon! However, I volunteered at the water station at mile 18 last year and spectated the year before. From what I’ve seen, the course is packed start to finish. This can be good because you’re never running alone, but it can also be bad because there can be a lot of dodging and weaving.
Regardless, as long as the weather cooperates, it should be an awesome experience.
Living in Michigan I’m so tempted to run Chicago!!
Wow, congrats!! So impressive. And I feel bad that sleeping in means 7am for you…. I wake up around 7:45 most days!
Wow go you with another marathon! And even better that you’re aiming for such a fab time 😀
I’m hoping to do my first marathon in Oct too – the Marine Corps one in DC…should be an experience seeing as I’ll be coming over from the UK to do it :p
Have a good day!
Very cool. I have no doubt with your hardwork and determination that you will qualify for Boston!! Very exciting.
That is so exciting!!!
Eek! How exciting! I went to school at Purdue, and had a few friends who ran Chicago– they loved it! I’m sure you’ll qualify for Boston!!
I live in the Chicago area and have had lots of friends run the marathon. One bad thing about the Chicago marathon is you just never know what the weather is going to be. One year they actually had to close the race and stop it halfway through because it was so hot they ran out of water! And then the next year it was rainy and 30 degrees. That’s Chicago weather for you though! The plus side is it is a flat course and you will get to see a lot of Chicago….and Chicago is a GREAT city!!!
Can’t wait to see the recap in October…I will probably be there as friends of mine are running it again.
Courtney
adventures in tri-ing
How awesome! I love Chicago. I also signed up for the marathon…my first one! You will do great, I am sure you will BQ!!!
Hi!
I hav run both NYC (twice) and Chicago, and am planning on running Chicago in 2011 as my BQ, if you have any questions about either of the marathon please feel free to email me. Congratsn registering and Chicago is an awesome time!
Chicago is on my list of possibles for next year when I run my first real marathon. I’m doing the Philly rock and roll half this fall.
I live in Chicago and am running the Chicago Marathon this year, too! You will LOVE this race! I live right off the race course and it is such a awesome experience to watch… and this year I will be running in it as well! I’m excited for you!
Congrats! You can definitely BQ!
I would sign up for Boston, but after having to pull out of my first marathon the day before the race on Friday (stress fracture) I’m a little nervous about traveling far for a race. I’m going to do the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, but hope to do NYC and Chicago in the future.
hehehe you are SO ADDICTED to these races…but i’d say it’s the good kind of addiction 🙂 what an awesome race…i can’t wait to read more about it!
How exciting!! I am doing the Rock ‘n Roll half in Chicago in August on my way to running my first marathon. How amazing would that be for you to qualify for Boston!? You can do it!
WOOHOO!!! You’ll LOVE the chicago marathon! It’s the coolest course 🙂 Not that I’ve ever run it, but I know the course well. I love that its 10/10/10 too! There’s a bunch of us here, we’ll have to have a get together!
How exciting! My hubby and I were going to run Chicago, but have decided to move from the Midwest this summer (thankfully!) back to Boston so it’s just not feasible. Plus, the date won’t work for us b/c we have some big things coming up!
Chicago is such a gorgeous city! I really want to run it someday…right now I’m just at the half stage though. I did one two weeks ago in Ontario, have one in 2 weeks in Michigan, and plan to do Detroit in Oct and hopefully Las Vegas in December – I think I’ve become addicted!!! 🙂
I ran Chicago in 2009. It was a lot of fun, though the weather was colder than I anticipated. That’s exciting that Kelly is doing it too!
How cool!!!! I toyed with signing up for Chicago, but then thought maybe I should do something a little more low key for a first marathon 😉 I hear it’s perfect for a BQ- nice and flat and fast!!
woo! im running chicago this year too!
I ran Chicago last year and it was a blast! Be prepared for some chilly weather though… It was 30* at the start!
Wow so impressed! And Chicago is one of my favorite cites – you’ll have so much fun!
I ran Chicago in 2006. I think I might have been spoiled from running the Marine Corps Marathon two years before that, because I really did not enjoy it as much as my other races. The course is not as flat as everyone makes it sound. The Marine Corps marathon course was much flatter than the Chicago course. And maybe it was the cold weather the day I ran, but the crowd support was very sparce for about half of the race. We were running the middle of nowhere with no people. And the portajohns were nowhere to be found. I ran for 8 miles before I found one at mile 16 and the line to get in was so long. I lost about 5 minutes of time waiting. Other than that, the rest of the race was fine. Very organized. Maybe things have changed, but if I had to choose, Marine Corps Marathon would be the best race I could recommend.
Congratulations!!! SO exciting! I hope to one day run a marathon and you are such a big inspiration!
I am in! I can’t wait. Would love to BQ, but I’m not sure if I’ll be ready yet. Definitely want to break 4:00 though. My PR is 4:20 as of December.
Glad you signed up!
How exciting! I’ve never run the Chicago Marathon, I can’t even run around the block. However, my husband and I cheer on the runners because we live right on the path of the race.
Good luck!
Congrats! I volunteered there last year (I live in Chicago) and will likely this year as well. The race is amazing, you will LOVE it! Just remember that the weather on that day is SO variable. I’m sure you know, but two years ago it was in the upper 80’s (90’s?) and this year it was in the 30’s. Chicago weather is CRAZY and unpredictable – it was 65 here on Friday and snowing on Saturday.
My friend BQed at the race this year, you totally will too!
Make sure you spend some time checking out Chicago! It’s a great city!
Congrats!! That is an awesome goal. I have always wanted to go to Chicago – sounds like so much fun! I will be heading up to the Boston Marathon this year – but not for me, the boyfriend qualified so I will be there as the cheering squad! 🙂
Oh good luck! I’m considering volunteering for it, so I’ll be there to cheer you on! 🙂
How exciting about Chicago! I’ve heard that it’s a great race, and I’m sure you will BQ! Can’t wait to hear how your training goes!
Yay Meghann! I live in Chicago and volunteered at the mile 18 water station last year, and it was one of the coolest experiences. I’ll be out there again this year and will cheer you on 🙂
Go Meghann!! I live in the ‘burbs of Chicago and as I’m sure you’ve heard, the weather could be anything-but it won’t matter for you! You’ll rock it. My husband ran it when he was 16, and his dad and sister have several times-they obviously think it’s fun. 🙂
Congrats on signing up for the Chicago Marathon!You’re going to love it. I ran it back in 2005 as my first marathon and thought the race was fantastic It was a wonderful experience and one that I will remember forever. Good Luck!
Congrats! I want to go watch the race this fall! Are you going to the health and fitness expo beforehand?
I ran Chicago the year of the heat wave when they cancelled the race half way through because there were no ambulances or hospital beds left for runners! It was 90+ degrees with 100% humidity! It was my first marathon and I was devestated, although, I was one of the finishers, but it was near to impossible to get a good time. I finished 1 hour slower than my goal, but then I cam back last november to kick ass in Philadelphia!
Anyways, many people run chicago to BQ because it is so flat! Good luck!
Ive been reading ur blog for quite some time and am SUPER excited to be running the same marathon as you…
isnt it crazy how via the wonderful world of blogging you have become a celebrity of sorts… all these random (me) ppl reading about you day in and day out… u are ur own soap opera LoL.
Good Luck… hopefully Ill “run” into you!
If you run in the Chicago Marathon, you really should wear a Superwoman outfit- complete with underwear outside your tights- plus it would really enhance your aerodynamics… I think I’m going to wait until I’m 80 to try for Boston- 5 hr 30 sounds better than 3.40. I’m in awe, Meghann, you are such an inspiration. I’ll be crossing my fingers, toes, arms and legs on the 10/10 for you 😉
I registered for Chicago last month! This will be my second marathon, I did Disney this past January as well.
sweet! i did the same thing last week! although i also then sent an email to NYRR to withdraw me from the lottery for NYC, which they did :o)
ive run nyc before back in 2008, so i didnt care if it now wont count as another ‘miss’, but i DID care about the $160 and even if i deferred to 2011 i still would have to pay again! yuck!!!
This is a fantastic race!
Positives: Start and Finish are in the same place, very convenient to several major hotels, constant crowd support throughout the course, and a great tour of Chicago. The course is extremely flat (and I live in Florida, so I know what flat is) and favorable for a BQ.
Negatives: Congested at the start (try to get into a seeded corral, if possible) and the weather is hit and miss (but that’s not really a negative of the race). Last year was 30 degrees at the start and ended up being a great day to run. I’ll be back this year; good luck on your BQ!
You are so brave. I have been waffling for days now on whether I think I can do a half marathon here in Baltimore. Any tips or suggestions? I have to register before April 1 to get the lower pricing but I am scared
Don’t be afraid! Just take the cahcne and register for it. That’ll be all the motivation you need to train and rock that race!
Yay!! I live in Chicago but I’ve never run in any races. Congratulations for signing up, and YES i’m glad you get to take a months off long distance running before embarking on another training plan. What an inspiration you are Meghann!!
I volunteer for Chicago Marathon. Its so much fun because we have so many spectators and the course is really good. This time we are expecting 45,000 runners. I will be at the beer tent post race may be I will come say Hi to you.
Hey Meghann, I met you at the NYRR Gridiron Classic brunch — I’m running Chicago this year too! It’ll be my first marathon…see you there 🙂
I remember!!! So happy to hear you’re running chicago too! 🙂
It’s a big race Meghann – be prepared for that! My sister has run it twice and I think 40,000+ register? That being said, it is a pretty flat course, except at the end there is a pretty big incline – nice that they save that to the end! 😀
Maybe we can do a Chicago blogger meet up?!
That is great! I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2007 when it was over 90* during the race. It was BY FAR the hardest marathon I’ve ever run (and I’ve run 3 Bostons), but all because of the heat and humity and sun which were intense. Actually, they’ve had weird weather there (really hot, hot and colder than normal) the past 3 years so maybe this year will be perfect! Chicago is such a wonderful city anyway, and the marathon support is impressive. You’ll love it!
Congratulations on the news! I have never ran the marathon, any marathon actually. Nor have I been to Chicago =) BUT it looks like an amazing race!
thats awesome I am so jealous!
congrats meghann! i live in chicago and it is an amazing city! i won’t be running the marathon…but i hope to be there volunteering! good luck!!
Hi Meghann! I ran Chicago in 2008 and had a really BAD experience, but hopefully yours will be much better! I ran the year that it was 90 degrees and torturous sun – literally the worst and hardest run of my life! But of course, with good weather I am sure it would be a great marathon. The course is AWESOME – so much crowd support and interesting neighborhoods!
As far as qualifying goes – I saw other people warned you of the same thing. It is CROWDED, so be prepared for that first mile to feel veeeery sloooowww. The course is totally flat though, so I am sure you can make up the difference in time over the next few. I would also recommend booking your hotel room VERY early – we had to stay way outside the city and the trains and schedules were a little stressful. Chicago is totally one of those once in a lifetime experiences – I can’t wait to see what you think! 🙂
I ran Chicago last year – my first marathon – and cannot say enough good things about it!! The crowd support is so amazing it almost made me cry during the race. It is sooo much fun. I want to run it every year!
The Chicago Marathon was my all time favorite race thus far. I enjoyed it more than NYC. NYC is an amazing experience that brought tears to my eyes, but Chicago is fun, flat, and fast. It was the only time I finished a marathon and thought “let’s do it again, that wasn’t so bad.”
So exciting! We used to live in Chicago and I loved the excitement in the city every year at that time. I am considering running it in two years because my hubby and I already have a trip booked to your neck of the woods to go to Disney for our Anniversary. A friend of mine ran it last year and did qualify for Boston and is running that one in April, so good luck, it can be done!
OH WOW!!! I so want to do Chicago!!! I might have to join you 😉 I really want to to SDRR, but man I am just not fealing it for some reason..hmmm I love Chi Town!
I’ve been debating on what fall marathon to do… I did NYC last year and kinda would like to do another big city marathon other than Boston. Guess I need to decide soon if Chicago is almost full!!
that is so exciting! go you! You are sooo motivated it is great :o)
I ran Chicago this past October. The race is very well organized, and the atmosphere is amazing! You will have a great time! The only issue I had with the race, was that I was not used to running with so many people. For the entire race, I pretty much had to watch my step and make sure that I wasn’t going to run into anybody. I am used to smaller races (numbers wise), so it was an adjustment for me.
my parents ran that race years ago! they said it was a great course. good luck on a BQ!!! you can do it!
I’m running Chicago, too. It will be my first Marathon!!!!!
🙂
That’s so exciting about the Chicago marathon!! You’ll BQ no problem! 🙂
I registered yesterday and it sold out today!!! It will be my first. I have volunteered at a water station near my apt (around mile 10/11 in Old Town) for the past two years. I can’t wait to experience it from the other side.
Let me know if you have any questions about the city!
Congrats! I’m running Chicago this year too! I signed up the last 2 years and was unable to run due to injury and then a wedding so hopefully I will finally get to run it this year! I’m hoping to BQ this race too! Good Luck!
That is awesome that you signed up for the Chicago marathon. I live out in the suburbs, it would be great to meet up with you when you’re here if you have any extra time. I haven’t run any marathon or race for that matter but hubby and I did sign up for the Reggae Marathon in Jamaica in Dec. I’ll run/walk the 1/2 marathon there. 1st time runner and I’m struggling but I am going to do it. You and all these other gals who run totally inspire me to keep going.
I ran the chicago marathon last year and I’m hooked! I’m doing it again this year, and super excited!!!
The crowd is great, the weather wa spectacular last year and I’m hoping for a repeat and the supporters, I seriously give them my biggest thank yous and props for getting up so early in the morning and helping us and cheering us on. Hopefully I see you there, and if you need anything or have questions about chicago… let me know 🙂
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