Chicago Marathon 2005 - Mission Accomplished!

Well, today was one of those days that you don't soon forget. Along with my good friend Matt, I completed my first marathon, the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Although it was challenging, and I am still having a little trouble walking, I enjoyed every minute of it. The marathon route took us all over the city, through many neighborhoods, and past landmarks like Lake Michigan, Millenium Park, U.S. Cellular Field (home of the White Sox), and the United Center (home of the Bulls). I got to see Greek Town, Little Italy, Chinatown, and an area I call Little Mexico (I don't think this is the official name). By far my favorite part of the course was running through Lincoln Park. The spectators lined the streets three and four people deep for two to three miles, giving high fives, cheering you on, and handing out everything from Gatorade and water to free doughnuts. We had our names on the front of our shirts, so many of the fans would yell "Go Josh!" as I ran by. This always made me run a little faster. From the very beginning all the way through the finish line it was an awesome experience, and I hope to be able to run it again sometime soon.

I have to brag on my friend Matt for just a minute. The man ran a 3:46 marathon. That is very impressive. I only stayed with him for about the first five miles. I ended up running a 4:18. I was pleased with my time, as I wanted to break 4:20, but I will try to break four hours the next time I run. I learned a lot, and enjoyed myself immensely. There is not much quite like the feeling of setting a goal, putting a lot of hard work into preparing to meet that goal, and then accoplishing what you set out to do. I thank God that He allowed me to take part in this marathon, and gave me the strenght and endurance to finish strong.

I will attempt to post a picture or two later this week. Stay tuned. If you want to look up my splits, go to www.chicagomarathon.com and click on 2005 race results. You can search for a runner and enter my name. If you don't know my last name, that is intentional. Shoot me an email, and I will send you what you need to know. Thank you to my parents, who drove to Chicago with me and were a great source of encouragement during the race.