Chicago Marathon Race Week Begins

Chicago Marathon race week is here!! Can you hear it? Excitement. Can you feel it? Fear! Yes, I am thrilled that my marathon journey for 2011 has reached raced week, but I am nervous about the distance. 26.2 miles is not easy any way one slices it. As I posted on Facebook this afternoon, last year in attempting my first ever marathon, I faced fear of the unknown. This year, I face the fear of the known and of elevated expectations. Having overcome spraining my ankle at mile 3.5 to still finish, I am confident that so long as I stay healthy this year, I will finish in a much faster time. Last year was about going the distance. This year is about pushing my physical and mental limits to overwhelmingly beat 2010's time. As the week goes on, I will post more about my excitement and anxiety, but for today, I want to reflect back on one year ago when I stepped to the start line of my first ever 26.2 in my home town race. It was a thrill to be guided by two amazing gentlemen who volunteered to be my eyes well before either had ever met me. In fact, the first man, Rich, met me three weeks prior to the marathon when he guided me for ten of the twenty miles which makes up the CARA Ready To Run 20 Miler. The second man, Peter, met me one week prior to the marathon when he guided me for the Buck Town 5K. If you have never seen this, here is video of me at last year's Chicago Marathon. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to pass it along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSvMSMntrN0