First of all, I want to thank any and all of you who prayed for me.  I needed it and I know your prayers helped me.

You probably heard about the race cancellation, the one runner who died on the course, and the hundreds that were taken from the race in ambulances, and maybe even about water shortages.  So how did I do? 

Short summary: I didn't finish.  I was one of the thousands who were not allowed to finish the race, though I think I would have.

Pre-Race:
Unfortunately, I didn't get to sleep until about 1:20am the night/morning before the race, and got up at 4:15am so I could catch a Metra train downtown for the race.  Not a great start, I suppose.

The Race:
It was pleasantly warm before the race.  Pleasant while standing around nervously, probably too warm for running.  I crossed the starting line 18 minutes after the gun went off.  The first few miles were slow, since it was so crowded.  I was trying to take it easy, since I knew it would be a long, hot race.  Other than one bathroom pit stop, I ran comfortably through the first 6 miles.  After I finally got water at mile 6 (more on that later),  I took it a little easier, walking occasionally.  Somewhere around mile 10, I think the marathon winner crossed the finish line.  During mile 11, my hamstrings started getting really tight, so I needed to stop and stretch a few times.  Right at mile 15, I heard the rumor that they were canceling the race, though at the time it seemed impossible to me that they would do that.  During mile 16 it was confirmed, and they did not allow us to continue down Halstead (in effect, cutting off the last 8 miles of the race).  We were told to stop running and walk the rest of the way (2 miles) back to Grant Park. 

Water:
The aid stations were every 1.5 miles, and that's where they provided Gatorade and water.  The first aid station I reached was open, but it was a mess.  People crowding tables, volunteers pouring water into cups as fast as they could, but not fast enough for the number of runners.  I figured I was probably doing okay, and I didn't want to fight the crowds, so I just skipped it.  Bad idea because the second aid station, as far as I could tell, had nothing left - no Gatorade, no water.  So the first water I got was right before the end of mile 6, at which time I really needed it.  For the rest of the race, all the aid stations I saw were in various states of chaos.  There was maybe only one other one where they seemed to be in control, with people waiting with cups of water.  Usually, we had to squeeze in to get a cup, and then squeeze and fight to get it filled by a volunteer.  Most of the stations were also out of Gatorade.  Throughout, I rarely felt that I had as much water as I would have wanted.  The water/Gatorade situation has been a subject of much anger in online forums, especially since the race director insisted that they had plenty, and suggested that runners' overuse of water was to blame for shortages.   From what I've read, those who ran a faster pace (under 9 minutes/mile) had no problems, and those who came later experienced increasing problems and shortages.

Post-race Details:
I felt okay immediately after the race (surprisingly).  Of course my legs of were stiff and my feet were sore, but other than that, I felt fine.  I contrast this with my training experiences.  After my 8-mile run, I got home and threw up.  After my 12-mile run, I didn't vomit - I just laid on the floor for 2 hours feeling nauseous.  This time I had only mild nausea after eating half a char-siu bun from Chinatown on the drive home.  Today, body soreness is pervasive, but not as bad as expected.  Hopefully second-day soreness will not be too much worse.

Reflections:
The news that the race was being cut short was bittersweet for me.  I was a initially upset that they weren't giving us a choice.  I figured that this was my first (and likely only) marathon attempt - how can they take away the opportunity to reach my goal? 

At the same time, I was, in effect, being forced to take the easy way out, something I would not usually complain about.  And considering that I was probably the most underprepared first-time runner out there, I'm disappointed, but not particularly angry or crestfallen.  I think it was the right decision to stop the race, since it probably prevented many more heat-related illnesses.  However, I do feel bad for those who really trained and sacrificed a lot (or even traveled) for this marathon, only to have it canceled on them.

I have only mild gripes/regrets, since I probably had less invested in this race than others, but here they are in no particular order:
- Water and Gatorade were not readily and plentifully available for me on the course
- I was not allowed to actually finish the 26.2 miles, and therefore accomplish my goal of finishing a marathon
- Naisula did not get to see me on the course, since she was waiting in Chinatown, but I was redirected before reaching Chinatown
- I never actually crossed the finish line (though I could have, and many others who were diverted did), because it was such a disorganized zoo at the end.

More importantly, I am very thankful that, given the combination of weather conditions and my underpreparation, I had a pretty good day.  I never felt overwhelmed by the heat or humidity.  My body held up pretty well for the 18 or 19  miles that I was out there, and I was spared injury, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.  I feel confident that had the race not been canceled, I would have finished.  Not in record time, probably not even within 6 hours, but I would have finished.  I am satisfied with that.

Again, thanks to everyone who prayed for me.

I'm sure there's more to tell, but this is already probably my longest post ever, and I need to get to bed, since my long weekend is over.

I was about to work on my marathon update, and I turned on Monday Night Football.  Tony Romo just fumbled the ball for his 5th turnover of the game.  One announcer made a comment like "This is what we call a Rex Grossman day."  Wow, talk about kicking a guy when he's down.  Doesn't anyone feel sorry for Rex?