Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Tuesday 10 - marathon jitters

10. "The marathon is this Sunday" is a constant undercurrent in my thoughts. I mean CONSTANT.

9. I go through Grant Park every weekday. It's been transforming for the last week, but now the final start/finish line preparations are in full swing. As such, my early morning routine is instantly charged with a daily dose of anxiety.

8. Stepping outside means thinking about the marathon. The closest intersection is Jackson/Green, just a block away from Halsted. This is midway between Miles 16 and 17, and there's an aid station run by Black Girls Run. It's a bit of a bottleneck area too, because the course turns right here. As I was thinking about this yesterday while running a quick errand, I realized my fists were clenched tight.

7. But that's not all. From work each day, I run kid #1 to school, and then pick her up everyday at 3. Where? Also right off of the course. Loomis/Taylor. The spot where, well quite frankly, shit gets real. Mike 18.

6. 

5. I'm parking in my lot at work (I think.) 

4. The 7-11 across the street just might supply my post race Hostess Ding Dongs

3. You can tell me til you're blue in the face about the chemicals in a Ding Dong. (Shrug) 

2. Part of the course I most anticipate?: Turning off of Sheridan and onto Addison, the crowd getting increasingly louder as you approach Broadway, then turning onto Broadway seeing walls of people, sometimes 8-10 rows deep. That. Is. Awesome.

1. Least favorite spot on the course?: the first mile (slow down slow down calm down, ugh that dang bridge you run under. There or between Pilsen and Chinatown.

I'm sure I'll have more to tell you about as the week progresses.

3 comments:

Lou @ Mommy Sanest said...

Reading this is making me anxious for you :P.

You're going to do awesome, but I know the feeling you describe. I remember it well.

Lindy said...

Thanks Lou! Is MM running this year?

Lindy said...

Is it weird that I refer to XXXX as MM even though there is no need for anonymity any more?