The 2013 Chicago Marathon is this weekend and I am extremely excited to be running in my hometown race. To kick off this amazing weekend and my blog I thought I would create a survey to get a pulse of the runners. I am distributing this to my extended running community and hope to show everyone a small glimpse into the some everyday marathon runners like me! I couldn’t ask others to fill out a survey without filling it out myself, so here goes!
Q1: What are 3 words which best describe running to you?
Fun Fitness Freedom
Q2: How many marathons have you run?
This is my first stand-alone marathon.
Q3: If you have run a marathon before: What advice would you give to first time marathon runners?
Respondent skipped this question
Q4: What attracted or inspired you to run the Chicago Marathon this year? What are you most excited about the 2013 Chicago Marathon?
I live in the South Loop with a wonderful view overlooking Grant Park. For the past three years I have watched thousands of people finish the marathon from my balcony. This year I decided that I didn’t want to be a spectator anymore; I wanted to be a runner.
Q5: What do you hope to gain from this year’s marathon? Any personal goals?
I want to complete my first stand-alone marathon. Most importantly, I want to have a blast running through the streets of Chicago with a smile on my face. I have been recovering from Ironman for over a month now and have no time goals in mind.
Q6: Are you running for a cause? If so, what would you like to share about the experience?
No I am not currently running for a cause, I’ll get to that later as my blog evolves.
Q7: What was the hardest part of training for you? Did you have any obstacles to overcome to make it here? If so, would you be willing to share?
Training for the Chicago Marathon was an extension of my Ironman training. My hardest training day was a rainy day in July when I rode for 6 hours and 100 miles by myself in the pouring rain. I came in halfway through to re-fuel and considered quitting. In reality I knew that I might have to race an entire marathon or Ironman in the rain, and I could not quit then. I thought of all of the amazing training days I had in the past to get me through. Specifically, I thought of the days when I was riding over 90 miles every day with the Ride for World Health. I thought of the other cyclists riding there with me and that idea of solidarity got through the tough rainy day.
Q8: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while training for the marathon?
When I realized that I wear more spandex on a regular basis than most people in Chicago.
Q9: Do you listen to music while you run? If so, what are the songs on the top of your playlist? Please list as many songs as you like or your entire marathon playlist!
No, but I listen to music to pump me up before runs and races. I’m looking to compile a Spotify playlist, you can follow my profile at trifit9559 !