2010 Chicago Marathon Extended Video Coverage

Someone sent this video to me and to be perfectly honest with you a few things happened.

1. I cried through the entire thing as I watched it.  I remember that day so well.  How incredibly warm it was at the start of it and how excruciatingly painful the heat was a few hours in..and how badly I wanted to quit around mile 22 if I remember correctly.  I had trained so hard and in the heat/humidity and suffered all Summer long and I was mad that I wasn't going to be able to reap the benefits of that by a normal cold Fall day in Chicago.  Watching this, I am so glad I didn't quit.  Oh but if I never see another green sponge soaked in ice water from a kiddie pool or a person spraying down the crowds with water hoses, it will quite OK by me.
2. I think that I am crying now because this Summer has been worse.  The weather has been worse for one damn thing, but more than that, a lot of things are worse this year.  I haven't been training as hard as I did last year, and I seem to not be as fast as I was in training last year...I don't know that for certain because most of the time I dont go back and look, but my heart is heavier this year, therefore my legs are too.  Even though Mom wasn't herself during this time last year, she was still here and I still got to tell her how awful or how good this run went or how far I ran [insert random Saturday] you know?  On top of that just some random things that aren't the same family wise as well, but I guess thats just the way the ball bounces sometimes.
3. I realized that I am 6 Saturdays away from taper.  Recently on more than one occasion I have thought "I'm quitting."  "I'm giving up." (See #2 above as to why), but with each passing Saturday I think "I can still do this."  It might not be the marathon that PR's are made of, but it certainly won't be if I don't keep going.  So go I must.  I will bitch and moan and complain about the heat/humidity until its not an issue anymore.  I will pray to whoever it is you pray to that Chicago weather will be normal on October 9th.  And because of that video I will run that Chicago Marathon in honor of my Mom just like I said I would back in March.

The end.