My marathon experience was....

except for their absolute disaster, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!! The marathon experience was so much more incredible than I ever could have imagined. The start, the first couple miles with all the spectators and the marathoners cheering and hooting was absolutely awesome! I started out with Heather, my running buddy, and I was dehydrated by the time I got to the first dry water stop so I had to slow way down, reduce my intervals a lot, and send Heather on her way ahead of of me. My pace suffered tremendously because of the dehydration. Somewhere between mile 2 and 5 another marathoner told me there was water in a diner that we had just passed. I turned around and went in and the lady behind the counter had a huge box of chilled bottled waters that she was handing out hand over fist. I told her thank you so much and that she doesn't know how much she saved us and she told me not to thank her but to thank the lady sitting in a booth by herself eating a stack of pancakes. Obviously the lady knew the trouble we were in and was generous enough to buy a box of bottled water. She saved me and many others. I didn't get any water again until mile 6 at the water stop. People were getting really mad. Heather kept calling me every couple miles to give me leads on where I could get water. It was so sweet; thank you Heather. The spectators and businesses though stepped in time after time, buying jugs of water, bottled water and letting us use their hoses. They also saved me and many others. I don't think I got Gatorade until mile 10 or 12.

It was awesome for me to run close to the edge of the road like I did and to hear my name cheered constantly. That was the best part of the whole entire experience. The crowd was just wonderful. It was so fun to see Robin, Matt, Sheila and the other MM spouse curb crew. The balls of my feet were hurting really badly and I was rubbing raw blisters on the inside and back of each foot. My feet were in agony but I was determined to continue. Kayra caught up to me and was a sight for sore eyes. I was glad to have her with me for the rest of the way. The "end of the race" pace vehicle passed me sometime after I crossed the halfway point (I think) and they were broadcasting that the race was over, but we didn't understand. I thought they meant that if I didn't hurry and catch the vehicle and get well ahead of it, then I wouldn't officially finish the race. I tried to speed up but everything just got chaotic and blurry. The police were saying the race was over and others were saying that too, but we were confused. I angrily asked one police officer why it was over and he said, "We ran out of supplies, love." We were mad. Finally the helicopters and emergency vehicles told us the race had been canceled and that we would be diverted at mile 16. That's exactly what happened. We merged with what looked like another whole marathon coming up a cross street and we all headed, walking, back to Grant Park. They told us not to run, to walk only since the race had been canceled. They told us to get on a bus we refused. They told us that we would get our medals but that is was for a fun run only, not a marathon. We walked the ~3 miles back to the park as they turned the fire hydrants on us forcing us to get drenched. We walked to the corner of Jackson and Michigan and they sent us east on Jackson to an intersection where about 25 to 30 race volunteers were passing out medals as if they were nothing. I never saw the finish line.

I am disappointed, mad, sad, angry, devastated, in shock, etc. on how the race was handled by the officials but I am thrilled with the experience of what a marathon can be. The trip to Chicago and the experience with MM really was a life changing experience and I will remember it for as long as I live. I will forever be indebted to Mark, Robin, Matt, Scotty and Wayne. And I will be back again, no doubt!!!