Race Report: Attica Turkey Trot 5K

ORN: 5K, 23:35, 7:37/mile

On a bit of a whim, I decided a week ago to enter this enjoyable small race in the little town of Attica, Indiana, about 30 miles from home. It fit well with our Thanksgiving Day plans. Plus, coming 11 days after a marathon, I wanted to see, again, how quick I could do a 5K in that setting. Earlier this fall I surprised myself with a good 5K just after the Chicago Marathon. Was that a fluke??

The day dawned with drizzle and temps in the low 40s. Low 40s are nice...drizzle, well, we'd tolerate it if necessary. As it happened, work colleague Michelle, a talented triathlete herself, wanted to run as well, so we went down together, having a enjoyable conversation all the way.

I have had a strange attraction for the little town of Attica ever since I was an undergrad at Purdue. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1972, I rode a bike to Attica and back. For some reason, I always associate Attica with that moment of simple, sophomoric enjoyment. As I ran through most of the town today, I also realized Attica is oh-so-similar to the little town of Auburn, Nebraska where I grew up. The houses, the streets...it was all familiar. I almost expected to see my Aunt Alice walk out the front door of a couple of the homes. Nostalgic or not, it was fun to participate in an event in Attica.

About 230 folks came out to run or walk the event, many in a preemptive strike on the gravy and pie which awaited later in the day. The race started on time and off we went.

I wanted to see if I could push myself enough to get under 24:00. So, I set the training assistant function on my Garmin to help me hold the correct pace. The start was down a long, gentle slope (we don't have Real Hills in this part of Indiana, remember) and mile one clicked at 7:32. So far, so good. Mile two was mostly flat, but we retraced The Slope at the end of the mile, yet it came through at 7:34. Encouraging. From there I started to play the game "catch the second person in front of you" and managed to do that with quite a few folks. Mile 3 blew thorough in 7:23. It could be. The last tenth went in 1:05, which my Garmin said was at a 7:12 pace. I beat the goal, my watch showing 23:35.

Michelle finished shortly after and we decided we simply had to have our photo taken with the Official Race Mascot. Several folks suggested it was a dangerous day to walk around as a live turkey, yet the fowl humor didn't seem to bother anyone.



When I got home, I dug out my race records, wondering just what my PR was for 5K. Amazingly, this time beat it by a full 30 seconds. I haven't set a PR at any distance since 2006. Nice to know it is still possible.

It was also humorous to note on my Garmin that my PR race effort had burned off all of 489 calories. Hardly enough to cover one piece of my mother-in-laws Most Delicious Apple Pie. Oh well...I'll enjoy it anyway.

I've reflected a lot as well. My niece's husband underwent serious surgery on Wednesday...he'll be laid up for several months and, in his early 30s, may have some life-long changes in front of him. My heart goes out to him and his family. I interviewed a gentleman on Wednesday who had terrific talents but, in his mid-50s, had been out of work for 18 months now and was feeling down, overqualified, desperate. I ached for him and wondered just what we could do for him. We've invited a guest for Thanksgiving dinner who had no family at all to be with this year. I feel deeply for her.

And here I am. Healthy enough to pop out of bed, run a 5K race at age 57, laugh and enjoy it. Having a job that is interesting and challenging and has a promising future. With four generations of family gathering around our table in an hour or so for an enjoyable meal in the context of functional relationships.

I dare not take these blessings casually or with a mood of entitlement. These things are a trust not a possession. I pray I can use them well, for good and not just personal gratification.

Of the many things I'm thankful for, the gift of health and the gift of friends who enjoy it as well is high on the list. My very best to you for a most Happy Thanksgiving.

Persevere.


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Race Report: Veterans Marathon 2010

ORN: 26.2 miles, 4:49:53, R4/W1, 11:03/mile

Quick Summary:

Sweet...so nice to have a good marathon. Cool weather made all the difference making this oh-so-friendly, small-town run through Indiana countryside a pure joy. This race is about the way I should be running marathons...nice to know it can actually happen.

The Gory Details:

Prerace

The Veterans Marathon is in its second year. Columbia City is a small Indiana town near Fort Wayne, just a couple of hours from my home. With an 8am start time, I decided to save hotel bills and do a day trip. Up early, I backed out of the garage at 4:05am and figured I'd see virtually no one on the road. To my surprise, though, there were quite a few pickups on the road...but why?? Then my fuzzy brain reminded me this was the first weekend of deer season for firearms. Oh well...

Got to the start area in plenty of time, stashed bananas (more below on that), picked up my bib and still had time to relax, stretch well and work though one stubborn work-related matter in my mind. About 200 marathoners and 250 half marathoners gathered at the start line and off we went at precisely 8:00am.

The Race

The truly remarkable thing about this race was that there really was not a lot of amazement about it! It was, quite simply, a chance to execute a plan for a marathon and let it just gradually happen.

The first half of the race looped east of town. We were on county roads past harvested corn and soybean fields, small woods, hog farms and lots of the rural homes which fill the Indiana countryside. The first half of a marathon is always fun, as people are chatty and upbeat...nothing hurts too badly yet. Quite a few of the half marathoners were first timers. It was fun to chat with them, sense and remember the excitement of taking on something previously unimaginable. Some were clearly struggling as we headed back to town in miles 10-11 or so. It was fun to encourage them and let them know the thrill of accomplishment they would soon sense. I hit the halfway point at about 2:19, feeling fine, knowing the race had hardly begun yet for me.

As expected, the size of the field dropped dramatically as we headed west of town for the second half of the race. Not many conversations now but not for a lack of friendliness. We quickly got back into new rural areas, this with more roll to it than on the first half...I enjoyed the variety. Around mile 16, David fell in with me. He had never really run a disciplined run/walk pattern and asked if he could piggy-back off my 4/1 rhythm. We had a nice chat and he thanked me for pulling him through to mile 20.5, when he wanted to walk a little more. Before I knew it, we were at mile 23 and it hit me solidly that this race would be different. I still felt fine, mentally engaged and aware of form and posture. We made the last turn back towards town at mile 24. The only real problem in the race came during the first half of mile 26. My left leg protested and just plain hurt. I held onto the 4/1 though and as we entered town again, I could clearly see ahead of me the final stretch down the town's main street and the right turn to the finish line. The leg didn't hurt any more, I picked up the pace, realizing if I hustled I could get under 4:50. Oh, the allure of those round numbers. I hit the mat, hit my watch to show I had 7 seconds to spare and smiled ear to ear. Marathon #18 was done and it felt fantastic.

Analysis

Yeah, I'm analytical. It's how I learn! But rather than looking at per-mile splits, a topical analysis is more appropriate for this race. Here goes.

Weather. Since the cramping episode I had in Chicago five weeks ago, I went through all my marathon records. What was the common denominator of good vs lousy marathons?? It was clear...the temperature on race day. Under 60, it goes well. Over 60, highly likely to be tough. It's not more complex than that. The weather matters more than anything else. So, the start temp on this day of 43 and the ending temp in the low 60s was fine with me.

To stay comfortable, I dressed in layers, knowing it was forecast to warm during the morning. I started in 2 short-sleeve tech shirts, fashionable tube-sock arm warmers, cotton gloves, a cap and a sweatshirt. I peeled the sweatshirt at mile 4.5 (stashing it by a telephone pole, where I retrieved it later). At the halfway point, I stopped at my strategically-parked car, pulled off one of the T shirts and swapped the cap for a visor. The gloves came on and off depending on the relative wind direction. Around mile 15.5, I peeled the arm warmers and ran the rest of the way in just the Brooks ID T-shirt. It all worked. And I've come to simply face it, the weather is THE BIG DETERMINANT of how a race will likely go.

And there are some other helpful factors.

Pace/Effort. Since August, I've been experimenting with using heart rate as the guide to effort, rather than an arbitrary pace target. I shoot for the mysterious Zone 2 heart rage range, which for me has evolved to 113-133 bpm. This serves, wonderfully, to hold one's pace down early in the race and help to pick it up towards the end. When coupled with the run walk, I have found the amount to which my HR falls back during a run break to give a clear reading of fatigue and breathing. Thanks to Wes' advice, I didn't worry too much if my rate crept over 133 later in the race either. Overall, though, I saw my heart rate get to around 135-140 at the conclusion of each run sequence and it fell back during the walk break, never staying elevated for long periods.

Not content to ignore pace, even if it became a dependent, not independent, variable, this spreadsheet-loving engineer added a laminated pace chart to this mix. Now, I can extrapolate to an expected finish time from any mile marker (email me, if this is an interest for you). All in all, it worked. The 4:49 was what this day had. It became evident that would be the finish time by mile 6 and the projections stayed that way all day long. I was fully satisfied with it.

Nutrition. I tried two new things on the food front for this race. Pre-race, I ate more food and good quality food in the time about 2 hours before the race. In all, I took in about 800 calories, including carbs (bananas, whole-wheat bread) and some good protein (lean turkey, low-fat Swiss cheese) between 4:30 and 5:30am. Filling the fuel tank, so to speak.

During the race, I ate bananas, not gels. Using Google maps, I found spots in the first and second halves of the race I would pass twice. Then, in the pre-race darkness, I stashed two bananas at each spot. Further, I put one banana in my car, which I parked on the course, two blocks past the mid-way mark. So, about every 4-5 miles, I had a nice banana. This worked wonderfully. It sat fine on my stomach, gave me a healthy 110 calories each and kept me fueled. Now, I realize I'd never be able to do this in a big-city setting but on small races, it is clearly possible.

Hydration. The third leg of the stool was drinking. Rather than taking salt tabs, I found a electrolyte powder mix which I put in my 10 oz water bottles I carried. In all, I drank 70 oz of the electrolyte mix, plus another 20 oz of water. The mix tasted better than regular water, making it more likely I'd drink it. I had no cramps at all. I'll take it.

General Race Organization. In addition to factors I could control, this small race was just well run. Rather than the usual T shirt, covered with advertising, we received a nice fleece top with a discreet race logo only on it. What a nice treat! The mile markers were clear and accurate. The aid stations were wonderful!! Most of them outside of town seemed to be simply parties folks organized in their front yards! They were very friendly and helpful. Many folks sat out on their driveways, warmly cheering all of us on. It was a treat to be part of it and I hope to run this race again.

It was a good run and a great way to conclude the major races for 2010. Thanks for listening.

Persevere.


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Race Report: WRRC Summer 5K Series- October

ORN:  5K, 24:29, 7:54/mile

What fun!  The last in our local running club's summer Wednesday evening 5K series for the season was a treat.  This event is the opposite of the Chicago Marathon from 10 days ago and both events were enjoyable.

I worked till 5:45pm...drove home, changed into running gear, was out the door at 6:05pm.  I ran the mile to the local park where this race starts and ends.  I signed on a list, paid nothing (the race is free to club members) and chatted with a few folks.  In the "its a small world" department, I chatted with John, who had run portions of a marathon in Rhode Island last weekend with fellow blogger David .  David had texted me about it Sunday...what a hoot!  John asked me about it tonight.  Just a hoot.  

At 6:30pm, all 18 of us lined up, Tony said "Go" and off we went.  The sun was nearly down, the almost-full moon was above the horizon, fall colors in full bloom.  We ran past the Farmer's Market (didn't realize our local farmers raised tie-died T shirts but I guess they do), and curled around the pond and the park.  

This is just the third time I've run since the marathon, so I had no idea how I would handle pace.  So, I just let it flow.  Amazingly, the first mile clicked through at 8:01, a pace I seldom get to. But I felt OK.  Without really trying, mile two sped up, going down at 7:56.  Hmmmm, this feels fine, so I pushed it harder; mile 3 came in at 7:42.  Pushing hard over the final tenth at a 6:54 pace, I finished in 24:29.  I was thrilled to see "24" on my watch at the end.  I looked at my race records when I got home and this was the third fastest 5K ever for me.  Go figure, ten days post marathon!!  

The small group gathered under a gazebo with some pizza and cookies.  I rewarded myself with a chocolate chip cookie and jogged home.  I walked in the door at 7:12pm and Gretchen and I sat down to dinner 5 minutes later.  

What a fun evening.   Grateful, often, for life in a small town.  

Persevere.

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Race Report: Chicago Marathon 2010

ORN: 26.2 miles, 5:40:40, R4/W1(mostly), 13:01/mile

Quick Summary:

Huge. Colossal. Massive. A ginormous street party. The Chicago Marathon was this and more. It was a marvelous experience, even for a guy who normally does not like crowds. I was thrilled to participate.

And the race went well for 23 miles. Bummer that a marathon is 26.2. Severe calf cramps and some dehydration on a day with temps in the upper 80s made for a less-than-desirable finish. Yet that does not color the entire experience.

The Gory Details

Pre-race

The key highlight of this race was a chance to run again with my nephew (but more like my brother, John. We ran the LA Marathon together in March and now it was my turn to host him for another Big City Marathon. He flew into O’Hare mid-day on Saturday. We met up, checked into our hotel near the airport, hopped the CTA train and then a city bus to McCormick Place to register.

register


After working through that crowd, we walked around the finish area at Grant Park, visualizing what we hoped we’d feel like at the end of the race Sunday. It is a very cool finishing path…we both wanted to feel strong at that point and enjoy it.

Race Day

We were up at 4am, out of the hotel and on the CTA platform at 5am.

5am platform

It was a fun ride downtown on the train…as you might expect the only folks on a subway train at 5am on a Sunday all had round, orange plastic loops on running shoes and seemed anxious to chat with other perfect strangers with loops. We were in Grant Park before 6am, found a place to lie down and rest for 45 minutes or so, watching the sky brighten over Lake Michigan. It was terrific. The crowd began to build and by 7am, we got into the starting grid. We wished each other well and John worked his way to the 4:15 area, while I was quite content to park myself with the 4:45 folks.

start grid

Wow, what a pack it was! Estimated 40,000 people or so. It was palpably different than the half-marathons I’ve run with similar sized packs, as fundamentally different as the half marathon is from the marathon.

The Race

The gun went off right on time at 7:30am. Twenty-four minutes later, I was across the starting line. I anticipated a very frustrating first 2-4 miles, hemmed in on every side by runners too close to one another. Wrong. By the time we cleared the tunnel at the half-mile mark, I had plenty of room to run without bobbing and weaving much at all. It was a very pleasant surprise.

We wound through the heart of Chicago’s loop for about 3 miles. What crowds! Amazing energy and enthusiasm…hard to describe. We then turned north and the run was terrific. Temps at this point were in the low 60s but we also had full shade from the tall buildings and low sun angle.

A high point in the race for me, a die-hard Chicago Cub fan, came midway in the eighth mile. I had planned this ahead of time but didn’t know if I could pull it off…but I did. The northernmost point in the course was the corner of Addison and Broadway, where we turned south back to the loop. But, like all true Cub fans, I also knew that had we gone just a few more blocks west on Addison, we would have arrived at Wrigley Field. So, this was key geography for the runner/baseball fan. Fortunately, there was also plenty of room between the runners taking the corner and spectators on the other side of the barricade. I just eased out of the pack and led the crowd, Harry Carry style, in a loud rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” It was a hoot…folks really got into it. It’s the closest I’ll ever come to singing at Wrigley.

The run back downtown was enjoyable. Cool, tree-lined residential areas and shops gave way to skyscrapers.
Joe at mile 10

We then headed west and crossed the half-way mark and the run remained most pleasant. My pace through mile 15 was marvelously consistent in the 11:30s, doing a 4/1 run/walk ratio and keeping my heart rate in the low 130s during the run segments. I felt terrific and was enjoying the whole thing.

And then.

At the 15 mile mark, we turned back east to downtown and moved, in the space of two blocks, from tree lined streets to open, unprotected strips of asphalt. I notice my heart rate head up, so I slowed down. On my later analysis, this was the key slowing point in the race. I added a full 45 sec/mile to my pace and then more. I still felt fine but had to slow to keep the HR in the 130s.

At mile 20, we turned from 18th Street south onto Halstead, and there was a bank at the corner. Its trusty time and temperature sign said “88F”. That really startled me. It wasn’t humid, so I wasn’t sweating all that much but the heat was certainly building. Right at the 20 mile mark. Great. So, I just kept moving and threw in some extra 30 sec walk breaks to keep the HR in the 130s. I was still drinking water, taking a Salt Stick capsule at the top of each hour and a Gu at the bottom of each hour. Experience told me to just keep doing the right thing and I’d get home OK, even if slowly.

We crossed the Dan Ryan Expressway, hit mile 23 and turned north again on famous Michigan Avenue. Psychologically, this was wonderful…I knew the next three miles were dead straight on Michigan and the next turn would be the penultimate one, heading to the finish line. The scenery improved a bit and I just focused on keeping moving.

Then Ruth passed me. I had seen this peach-shirted lady with the imprinted name quite a bit over the past four miles or so. She was a calm race walker who kept a steady pace. Except she usually passed me while I was walking. This time Ruth passed me while I was “running”. Hmmmm, I say to myself. She’s walking faster than I’m supposedly running. Maybe I should just “walk” with Ruth? I tried this for a while but at the mile 24 marker I found my left shin and then my left calf would cramp up at her "blistering" pace. I smiled and realized I was done and visualized a giant fork poking me. All I could do was just walk it in.

So I did. The hoped-for triumphant run up Roosevelt, followed by the left into Grant Park to the finish line was, instead a calm walk, focused on keeping the leg relaxed and not cramping. I at least had some fun with it…smiling at a cop who recognized I was struggling and getting a sympathetic high five from him…reflecting on how fortunate I was to have health to even attempt such a thing. And, out of all the many runners streaming across the line at the same time, I actually heard them announce my name and home town. Again, perhaps an act of empathy for the guy walking across the finish line. It was nice.

And marathon #17 was over.

Post Race

I struggled for the next 45 minutes or so. No way to sugar coat it. If I stopped moving, one or both calves locked up. I was not the only one, though, as John showed with the photo he took just after he finished an hour ahead of me.

injury at end

John and I found each other and it was great to see him. He was a huge help as I slowly got my wits about me. [In fact, the only fly in the ointment of the whole day happened about this time. I had set down my gear bag while walking around and someone grabbed it and took it. Glad I had nothing in it I didn’t mind losing.]{Ed note: this changed...see below}

By the time we got to the subway station, I could stop and sit without cramping. The 40 minute ride to the hotel in the air-conditioned train, sipping a bottle of water was what I needed. By the time we got off, I was conversant again. A shower and a rest and some light food put everything back into perspective. By 6pm, we hopped in my car, zipped down to Wheaton College, picked up my son Matt and the three of us sat for 2 hours talking into the evening.

Post Race Reflection

Why the cramping? Why has this come up in yet another marathon? I gotta think it is my approach to electrolytes. Clearly, water plus Gu plus Salt Sticks was not adequate, certainly not on a hot day like this, despite the fact I have trained in heat all summer. I’ll figure this out. Because, even in the moments just after crossing the finish line, I was looking forward to “getting back on the horse” for the next marathon I’ve signed up for in five weeks.

This is long, I know. But, as my long-time blogging pal Sarah and I agree, this blog is mostly for my own record. And I hope it is helpful as well for anyone who cares to read.

Persevere. Cramps or not.


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Postscript: Five days after the race, I got a phone call at work from the Chicago Marathon office. They found my gear bag...what did I want to do with it?? Amazing and totally impressive. I gave them info to pay for the shipping and it arrived back at my house three days later. While there was nothing huge in it, a couple of items I was glad to get back since I could. More importantly, it spoke volumes about this massive event paying attention to the smallest of details. I was and still am impressed. With this level of detail, it's no wonder why this is such a marvelous event.


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Race Report: Tippy Connect/Tri N Run 10K

ORN:  10K, 55:19, 8:56/mile

It seems a little odd, in a way, to run a race as a planned part of the taper into the Chicago Marathon, but it worked out today.  This race was set up as a fund raiser for a local senior center, had a good bit of advertising, was run on the same route I use for all my long runs, was 8 minutes from my house and, hey, I needed to pick up some special drafting instruments at a store next door to the start.  Enough of a reason, right?? 

I suspect the sponsors were disappointed.  Despite their publicity efforts, only 25 of us ran the 10K; the associated 5K had barely 50.  The grey, chill and drizzle probably held down the walk-up registration, as did another 5K race in town at the same time.  In a small community, that pretty much divides up the few runners available.

With a marathon in 8 days, I had planned to run this easily, probably at a 9:30/mile pace.  I set the Garmin up to monitor such behavior and off we went.  Mile one flowed at 9:21, but then it got flat.  I tried to hold back, but mile 2 hit 9:07 and mile 3 flowed at 8:46.  We then went out to do the 5 K course again and the hill held mile 4 to a 9:15.   A long conversation with a guy I know from church held mile 5 to 8:57.  However, he then challenged me to catch his father-in-law (who was still in sight) over the last mile or so.  Off I went...mile 6 clocked at 8:10 and the final 0.2 was at a 6:48 pace.  And I didn't even catch him!

I did get a nice workout though, which I had wanted just to break up the taper madness a bit.  So this was not too long of a run, no walking at all, yet a modest level of intensity.  Average HR for the race was 141 bpm, which is evidence of some effort but not too much.  And have I mentioned how much I enjoy Race Day??  Even a little race like this is fun.  

So, it is now one week until John and I join 40,000 of our closest friends in Grant Park in downtown Chicago for a shuffle through the Windy City.  The early look at Chicago weather on October 10 is fine, if not perfect; low 50s at the start, heading to the upper 60s by the finish.  I'd like it 10 degrees cooler but it's way better than the heat wave they had just a few years ago there.  I'll update my status there via Twitter/FB while up there; a blog report will follow.  

And did I tell you I signed up for another marathon on November 13?  More on that to come.    

Persevere.

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Tapering into Football

ORN #1: 11.7 miles, 2:01:40, R6/W1, 10:24/mile
ORN #2: 0.25 miles, no time, all run, lots of chatter

The beautiful fall weather continues. My first long run of the taper was useful and thought provoking on Saturday (but that's not unusual). During the taper, I'm trying to follow the concept of shortening the mileage but keeping the intensity. With temps in the upper 50s, that was not hard to do. I used a 6/1 and kept the HR up...I was pleased with a sub 10:30pace. The legs were stiff-ish throughout, probably from 23 last Saturday. Interestingly, around mile 8, the legs were neither more nor less stiff than in the early miles, so I pushed the pace with no ill effect. After one day off last week, I go back to the usual schedule this week. I may well run a local 10K race next Saturday as a final "tune up" before Chicago on Oct 10.

My second run of the day was a treat and perhaps the first of many. We had our grandkids over all day. When I returned from my outing, I asked the three of them "Who wants to go for a run?" Young Nathan jumped up and so out we went. I said "Let's see if we can run all the way around the block without walking!" He was game. And off we went...a steady jog and we made it. What a treat! Hope we get to do that more.

On the beautiful fall afternoon, I then took both boys on an outing I often took my own sons on when they were little. With Purdue playing at home, we went down to see the fourth quarter. It's a great value with little kids...no traffic, park for free, walk in for free, find an empty seat (plenty of those available, sadly, for Purdue football this season) and enjoy the sun, the crowd and a box of popcorn, if not the game (yeah, Toledo beat the Boilers; a win for the MAC, Darrell!).

Drew, Joe, Nathan

A good day, all the way around. I'm blessed and thankful.

Persevere.


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Three is wiser than two

ORN:  23.0 miles, 4:19:50, R/W 4/1, 11:18/mile

Today was the day Indiana runners dream about all year...a fall day with sunshine, clear skies and comfortable temperatures.   Shoot we get 4, maybe 5 days like this each year...and if it falls on a weekend, it's even better...and if it falls on a day when you have a long run scheduled, well, that's just amazing.  

A bonus was a home football game for Purdue with a noon kickoff.  My loop through campus allowed me to share a bit in the fun, pregame atmosphere.  There is something fun about the drum cadence from a big marching band.  It's a hoot to jump into a touch football game with some college kids as you run by.  It's fascinating to watch the people trooping to a game.  

Three weeks until the Chicago Marathon, so today is the last long run.  I had 22 on the calendar and it went well.  I ran today the way I plan to run in Chicago, a 4/1 run/walk ratio, using heart rate to indicate effort.  During the first 16 miles of the run, the pace was steady and it all worked fine.  Over the last 7 miles, the temperature had risen to the upper 70s and my HR was up, more and more.  I found it worked well to simply slow down to get to a proper zone.  That got me home fine.  Due to a slight route change, I had 22.7 miles as I neared home...I went a bit farther to round it off to an "even" 23.  

One perplexing thing during the run...the legs seemed "tired", more so than I anticipated they should be.  Why??  Later in the day, I realized the likely reason.  All my reading on training and all the training I've done in the last four years counsel to separate long runs by three weeks.  And I have not.  I did 22 on August 21, then did the 30K race two weeks later and now 23 in two more weeks.  Yep, the legs were tired and the two-week separations explain why.  Particularly at age 56 (nearly 57!), that timing is key.  

So, I'm glad to have three weeks before John and I line up with 40,000 of our closest friends in Grant Park and begin a tour of the Windy City.  An intelligent taper should leave the legs fresh and ready to run early and run often that day.

Persevere.  

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