Chicago: 26.2 Miles Later

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Welp, against any semblance of common sense or good judgment, I did it. I ran the Chicago Marathon. Two days later, I can still feel every single muscle in my body...muscles I didn't even know were there. 

At first, it was great. About 15 miles in, I was saying to myself, "Yeah, I'd totally do this again." After 18, when everything started to hurt, I was like "Ehhh..." And after 20 or 21? "PLEASE GOD LET THIS BE OVER." Truly one of the biggest things that pulled me through was a sign that said
"CHICAGO MARATHON TODAY, NETFLIX MARATHON TOMORROW." Even though I knew I'd be flying home, I envisioned myself parked on the couch, remote in hand, and told myself that the sooner I reached the finish line, the sooner I got to Netflix and chill.

I don't have a ton of photos, largely because the day before the race, I was quite literally sick to my stomach with nerves and didn't have it in me to do too much exploring. And then Monday before my flight I had some time to kill, but I wasn't exactly walking around like a normal person, so hoofing it in order to take photos just wasn't happening, so I've thrown in a few photos from previous trips to Chitown. 

But the expo was insanely cool, and I really can't imagine a city showing more pride and excitement for a race than Chicago did. Spectators were lined up the WHOLE way to cheer, give high fives, feed you candy, and share Vaseline (which I used gratuitously on my chafed chest). At one point, I even saw someone dressed as a panda with a sign that said "FREE HUGS." I seriously considered it, as this was some time after Mile 20, and to be honest, I really could have used a hug, even if it came from a creeper in a panda costume. But I figured if I stopped, I might not get started again, and if someone gave me a hug, I might completely lose it and sob the rest of the way to the finish.

And so I kept trucking, and when I involuntarily groaned getting into my Uber the next day, I didn't mind so much when my driver told me I wasn't alone, 45,000 other people were in the same boat, but I also wasn't "too smart."

So thank you Chicago, for a weekend I'll never forget.

-Staci