Off it came

It fell off.

The first of my five toenails blackened by October's infamous Chicago Fun Run, that 100 degree (dew point rating), 4:34:06, 26.2-mile cancelled-race nightmare, came off. It was a stark reminder of how little I enjoyed that accursed run. (Left: At the Expo. The anticipation!)

Chicago occupies dead-last on my "favorites" list of the 15 marathons I've run. It is listed below the one in Dublin, Ohio in January 2004 (4:28:13) that started at zero degrees and warmed all the way up to eight degrees by the time I finished. It is listed below the one in Frederick, MD in March 2003 (4:19:42) run during a 6-inch snowfall. It is listed below the one in Sparks, MD in November 2003 (4:44:13) that I caught pneumonia from.

(Right: Triage in the battle zone. A MASH tent at MP 16.) Last fall I had a draft post going that recounted it, running north and being so affected by my antibiotic treatment for a terrible sloppy cold that I stopped after 8 miles and considered DNFing (I was running for a charity so how could I DNF?), looking for Comiskey Park while running south and never seeing it (I think we ran right by it but I dunno), hearing a wild rumor in the fourth hour that the race was cancelled (and thinking, Yeah, Right), being rescued by A in the last two miles (who ran me in to the finish line just ahead of the No Running Police), but the memory was such a downer that I forgot about it. But Chicago wasn't all bad. Enjoy these glimpses of the good times.

( Left: A enjoys the view from the Sears Tower.)

(Right: Finally meeting Audrey of One More Mile Running Apparel at the Expo. I had dealt with her on a large order I placed with OMM for Program t-shirts for the 10-Mile Training Group I directed for my club. Those runners were to suffer equally brutal conditions at Army on the same day as Chicago.)

(Left: There was a RBF meet-up after the fun run. With Running Jayhawk, who organized it.)

(Right: Boy was it good to get home from this marathon.)