Chicago Marathon Recap

​Hello Everyone,


Today, I wanted to take some time to share my experience training for and running the Chicago Marathon. But first, I wanted to take some time to talk about why I chose to run the marathon.

It all started with a good amount of pressure from Elisabeth to run the marathon. She decided that she absolutely wanted to do it, and I decided that I absolutely wanted to spend more time with my wife. Anyone who has trained for a marathon knows that it takes up a lot of your time.


Second, running the marathon via a charity team allowed us a good platform to fundraise for an organization that we love to support called Nourishing Hope. This is an organization that is right in our neighborhood that helps to provide food and health services to our neighbors in need. We volunteer there often and really believe in the work that they do. In our fundraising efforts Elisabeth and I fundraised enough money to provide nearly 10,000 meals!


Third, running the marathon was a bit of a proof on concept for me. My background in athletics is mainly in power sports- primarily the Discus and Hammer throws. These events require tremendous amounts of energy output in the blink of an eye. The marathon is exactly opposite. I have never considered myself a runner- so signing up more a marathon and using another person’s a training plan put me into my clients’ shoes. Like my clients, I had a goal, but I didn’t necessarily have all of the knowledge to get to the goal, so I hired out the programming. In addition, running this marathon spurred another professional project which will be coming up soon.


So, how did I actually train for the marathon? Well, I ran a lot!


I began running in June of 2023 quite casually. In September of 2023 I ran a half marathon which I was mostly well trained for. Running was then sporadic throughout the winter. Spring got a little more mileage in and proper training commenced in June of 2024.


From June to October we worked with the Chicago Area Running Association to prepare for the marathon. They’re a great group that sets you up with a training plan, group runs, and plenty of social opportunities to better yourself as a runner. Training consisted of running 4x a week. In the beginning mileage was reasonable with as few as 15 miles per week with 6 miles begin our long run. -I know this sounds exceptional to some people, but this is the point in which I was able to jump into training. Not everyone will be at this point and that is okay- As the summer went on weekly mileage increased as well as our long run mileage until Week 15 which required 40 miles, 20 of which came as our long run. That was challenging.


I can happily say that the plan went quite well. Each progressive week felt a little more challenging than the last, but nothing ever slapped me in the face. It always felt appropriately progressive.


Eventually we made it to October and we ran our first marathon! It went very well. We crossed the finish line injury free and we can both say that we don’t hate running! The race itself was such a fun experience. It was cool to see the entire city come alive. There were people spectating the event quite nearly the entire course. People both sides of the street for 26.2 miles. It was an exceptionally unique event. I would do it again…just not immediately.


All in all I am happy with the experience. Going into it, I had expectations. I had no belief that I would actually be able to commit to run 4x week. My work schedule as a coach makes mornings as well as evening difficult to participate in many things, but I made it work. I didn’t keep track of all of my runs, but I only missed a few throughout the entire cycle. I also expected the running to be harder, but as I mentioned before- everything felt appropriately progressive. The training plan really works well. Overall, it was a very positive experience, but there are some cons. First, it does take up a lot of time especially as a slower runner. Running for hours on end on the weekend takes away a good chunk of your day. Then you have to deal with the fatigue the rest of the day. In some ways, I felt like I was missing some of the beautiful Chicago summers. Also, as we crept into September and the sun began setting earlier and earlier- motivation to run in the evening hit an all time low. I had to really call on some extra energy to make those runs happen. In addition, I spent less time strength training which I love- but that is okay.  All in all, if that is the worst of my experience- I am still very happy.


What did I actually get out of the Marathon? A shiny medal.


Well actually, quite bit more. I raised money for an organization I believe in. I followed through with what seemed a very daunting goal but because of my training plan it worked well. I felt very accomplished.


With my body, I lost a few pounds of weight due to the high running volume and decrease in strength training. Overall, I was in a better mood due to all the exercise and time outdoors.


I did track my blood pressure throughout the training. I expected to see some change, but it didn’t change much throughout. I was reminded that it was a fairly short test period so the results only carry so much weight. If I continued to track more more weeks and months with very regular readings, I do suspect I would see more of trend toward change.


Now, this is just me. What would others expect to gain from training for a marathon? Well, It really depends on your starting point. If you’ve never ran before you will definitely become a better runner- assuming you follow a slow progressive responsible plan. If you’re already a runner, you’ll probably increase your aerobic ability and running proficiency. If you’re unhappy with your body composition- you may make some change (but really this is highly diet dependent). Overall, to make blanket statements, most people could experience better moods, increased aerobic capacity, improved health markers, decreased stress, improved sleep, etc. . .


However, I am not convinced that training for a marathon is for everyone. First of all, it’s a long distance and it requires a lot of training. If your goal is to be healthier, marathon training may be superfluous. Training for a 5k or 10k could very well be sufficient. Maybe training to walk for 15 minutes is enough for you. Again, it all depends on who you are. Depending on your health, running just may not be appropriate for your own situation. You may be better served by walking, swimming, biking, or dancing.


If you’re interesting in running a marathon for sport, that is great. I support you running a marathon just the same as I would if you chose to play golf. At the end of the day, it’s a sport! It can make you heather, but it’s probably not the most efficient means to get healthy. A good mixture of aerobic training with strength training sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes heavy, sometimes light is probably the best way to get comprehensibly healthy. But again, the later is ideal- humans don’t always work on ideal. If training for a marathon, a 10k, or a 5k is the thing that gets you excited to exercise regularly more than anything else, it’s PERFECT for you! There are many ways to become healthy. Marathon running is just a bit too mono-modal for me, but if you like the accessibility, clearly realized improvements, and the activity, it may be what is right for you. I support you either way. `


At the end of the day, many of us choose to run a marathon for health purposes, but there are many ways to be healthy. I chose to train for a marathon. That doesn’t mean you should. Depending on who you are maybe its healthier for you or more interesting for you to train for a hike, a recumbent bike ride, or a walk.


So from this, I hope that everyone has seen my experience marathon training. Hopefully you saw how I picked a goal, I found a plan, I stuck to it, and accomplished what I set out to do. It’s not my intention to convince anyone else that they should train for a marathon. If you do, great! I support you, but I also encourage you to find something that is meaningful and realistic to you. Whatever it is. Set a reasonable goal, make a plan, and have fun with it!