On the Run: 2006 Chicago Marathon

October 22, 2006 was a very special day in my life. I ran my very first marathon.

It was a rainy, windy and freezing Sunday morning.

5:30 am, got to get up! Got to get up, can't be late
5:45 am, Why is J still sleeping?? Wake up!!
6:00 am, On the way to Grant Park
7:00 am, Checked gear....got in line for porta-potty, drank some more water, got in line for porta potty again and again.....
8:00 am, Oh the race started already? Where is the starting line?? Can't see it all the way from the back!
8:20 am, Finally crossed the starting line after 20 minutes of shuffling..... Let's go!

Mile 1-5
This was so much fun.... i felt good and strong.... " Go runners", people cheered.
Incredible crowd, energy was high... " Slow down, slow down", I told myself. I needed to conserve energy for later.

Mile 9
Arrived at the Lincoln Park area..... I saw several shoe shops with cute boots displayed in the windows. Made a mental note that I got to come back for shoe shopping. (Who thinks about shoe shopping while running a marathon??!!)

Mile 13.1

Half way!! J was waiting me here. High five!! Still feeling strong...No pain, no soreness.......
A miracle happened here! I picked up the pace and started to run faster! It was like I had wings. I was flying. In fact, I was probably delusional.

Mile 18
Ok... this race is getting too long.......My legs were so sore. But, I got to keep going.

Mile 20
Yeah!! Mile 20... This was the longest distance we trained. I was tired... so tired... Someone was holding a sign said "Nice Legs".
Wishful thinking. My legs and feet were screaming so loud and protesting so hard.
"Looking good for mile 20. Only one more mile to Chinatown" my coach shouted....
My cheer squad was at Chinatown..... I stopped at an aid station for water and power gel. Took a deep breath and restarted the long, arduous journey.

Mile 21
The moment i saw my family and friends, my energy came back.... Only 5 more miles to go... "Come on, I can do 5 more miles." I've mastered positive self-talking skill while training for the marathon. J jumped in and ran the next 2 miles with me!!! I was in tears because J hates running.

Mile 23
Gosh... i was really tired...." Why am I running a marathon? I must be crazy" I quickly got rid of the negative thoughts and re-focused. My goal was to finish in style.

Mile 24
A band was playing Shakira " My Hips Don't Lie". Yap, they definitely don't lie.. they were about to fell apart! My legs had already given up. I was running on an pure adrenaline rush.

Mile 25
Turning onto Roselvelt Rd, the infamous "hill". Any slight elevation on Mile 25 of a marathon is like a MOUNTAIN! Almost everyone was walking at this point. But, not me... I was so determined and stubborn that I kept running. I swing my arms back and forth faster, and my legs started to follow. I was going as fast as I could although in realty, it was more like speed walking. I know that on the other side of the bridge, the finish line was waiting for me.

800 m left
I can see the finish line!!! I used all the energy that was left in me... I look around and soak up this moment.... Then, I sprint across the finish line.......

5 hours and 22 mint after, I finished my first marathon!

Now, when I think back, my first marathon was over in a blink of an eye. But, the feeling of empowerment and the sense of accomplishment last within me long after I crossed that finish line.

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Since then, I have ran Chicago half marathon, 2007 Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, 2008 Indy Mini marathon, 2008 Mountain Goat Hill run and many more big and small races.

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