Chicago Marathon: Ready or not, here I come!

Well, it's officially Chicago Marathon race weekend! I'm a bit nervous, but excited at the same time. Hopefully, all the months of training will be good enough to get me to the finish line. 

My family and I flew into the Chicagoland area earlier this week for a family reunion. It's been great hanging out with everyone, seeing all the old sights, and eating all my Chicago favorite foods! I've probably exceeded the carbo loading recommendations in unhealthy and ungodly ways, but what they hey. I'm on vacation!  

The weather here has been fantastic which is a surprise. Usually I encounter the foulest of weather whenever I come back here. Snow showers in late April. Thunderstorms in October. Blizzards in January. You get the picture. I almost get the feeling it's payback for leaving Chicago. But so far, this week has been picture perfect. It also looks like the threat of rain forecasted for Sunday will prove to be nothing.

I've also managed to get in my last couple of training runs this week. It's been great running around my hometown via some newer trails that connect the entire village. All that's left to do is hit the marathon expo on Saturday and then to the starting line on Sunday.

Can't wait!

Surprising lack of motivation

Two weeks and counting to the Chicago Marathon! I'm done with all my other races and have nothing to focus on but the marathon, so I should be zoned in, right?

Nope.

Don't get me wrong. I've gotten some training in. The past week and a half has seen me complete a 20 mile run (barely), an 8 mile tempo run, a shortened speed work session (cut short as a precaution because of some knee pain), and a bike ride instead of a run. The problem I'm having is the amount of effort it's taking to get me out of the door. Prior to this, I was worried I would try to cram in too much mileage and over train, but it seems I'm having the opposite issue.

I was supposed to log a 13 mile run over the weekend, but I haven't done it as of yet. Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully I'll be able to get in that long run along with the rest of my prescribed training runs in the little time I have left.

Maybe what I need is some added motivation. Sounds like it's the right time to watch Spirit of the Marathon- Chicago. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll ban myself from eating Chicago goodies like Portillo's or Lou Malnati's if I don't get the training in.

Witness the power of food.