Marathon Part Two

Marathons have the potential to be the most awesome athletic events in history: World class athletes and ordinary hopeful active people of all ages participating in the race.

Disappointments of Chicago:

Shutting down the race penalized us velocity challenged participants AGAIN.
The Chicago officials turned their marathon into a 5 ½ hour ordeal... in mid-stream.

Come-on, guys, the record hot forecast for Sunday was there all week. Order up cups of ice for every 5 miles and the option of COLD water every 2.

Shutting down the marathon at 3 ½ hours was the ultimate ageist, sexist, elitist slam.

Everything was expensive in many ways, Chicago.

The weather:
1. The heat sucked.
2. Global warming is real.
3. 87 degrees in Chicago wasn’t a surprise; it was the forecast for days.
4. My heart goes out to those who could have or did finish in spite of the heat and got turned into fun runners, after huge investments of training, time, energy and money.

I was angry.....
When, in the Bjorklund Half in Duluth, they cut off our chips at mile 7.
When, in the 2006 Twin Cities, all the water stops were shut down after mile 5.
When I discovered that all certified marathons in IA, SD, NE, KS, MN are 6 hours or less.
When I realized, having started running at the late age of 62, that I could never ever qualify for Boston
Whenever I sense sexism... because, unlike football, marathons have the potential to be egalitarian.

I imagine a marathon with water and Gatorade and gummy bears and organic jelly beans and Cliff shots, chunks of banana and sections of fresh orange ... and cups of ice & lots of water hoses when it is hot.

Spectators... as we experienced in New York City and Chicago!!

I dream of marathons where every last old woman and old man and person with handicap gets their time and age group place as long as they cross the finish line on the same day that the race started.

A marathon finish line open at least 8 hours like New York City and Portland Oregon
Perhaps an early start as in Little Rock... (and no penalties of course)
A race course with shady streets.. like New York and Fargo and Chicago and Twin Cities... and pre-Katrina New Orleans.
Plenty of snacks, medals, roses... for even slowest finishers.. As in Portland Oregon
Finisher’s shirts in the packet so everybody gets one. (A technical shirt for running)
A greeting of “We never leave anybody out there” like we got at the Avenue of the Giants when we said thanks for waiting for us.

Sweet Pea and I work hard, we train, we are slow serious runners.
I get frustrated, disappointed, angry, and sometimes I grieve. But having fun can be a decision, and I don’t want the weather, yucky logistics, or behavior of others control my feelings.
I will remember my delights.

I choose to cherish the best of our Chicago weekend.
Call me Sunshine.
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For another look at our Chicago Marathon weekend, click on Chicaga Saga on Make It a Masterpiece.