2022 Year in Running

My childhood revolved entirely around sports. My dad coached both my younger brother and me on the same soccer team from kindergarten through eighth grade. Our locally sponsored County Market team became something of a legend, losing only a single game over nine seasons.

In the early 1990s, my parents entered me in the Dogwood Parade tricycle race, where I won first place two years in a row. Competing was wired into me from the start. From traveling soccer to 3-on-3 Gus Macker tournaments to CYO flag football, my parents kept us active in sports year-round.

My first-ever foot race was a 5K in our local park that I didn’t sign up for. My younger brother had planned to run it, but on race day he backed out. So I ended up running it instead. Here is my mother’s memory of the event:

“When you were about eight years old, you, Brian and I set out to support the Thomas Oakley annual run. They did not have an age group for younger children. Brian at the last minute did not want to run because he was hungry so you were on your own. They started everyone out together. Experienced runners, college students, and one little kid wearing in a cotton shirt and knock off Adidas sneakers (the ones with four stripes).  At the start, you took off like a racehorse, trying to keep up with everyone. The crowd charged down the hill and around the horseshoe bend, and amazingly, you stayed right with the lead pack. I kept wondering if you’d even make it half a mile at that pace. Brian and I saw you were running the hills with a female college student from Quincy University. You both finished together throwing your hands up in the air.  Brian and I were ecstatic with your effort. She finished in the top 3 in the women’s division earning a medal (maybe 2nd). But there was nothing for you. After the race we all got orange juice and donuts. The college runner just kept talking about how you gave her strength to push on at your young age. She was so taken by you that she got your address and phone number and at one point she wrote you a letter. In the envelope she sent you her medal because she thought you deserved it.” – Mary Doellman

My time at Quincy Notre Dame High School was consumed by sports.  I was voted most athletic my senior year because I played on the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams.  The highlight of those four years was finishing in second place in the IHSA State Finals for baseball. An acomplishment that landed our team in the school’s Hall of Fame.  I stayed home in Quincy, IL to attend John Wood Community College, where I played baseball on scholarship. I then moved to Normal, Illinois to attend Illinois State University where I earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism.  My last true competitive sporting event was in the Spring of 2009.  I was an infielder for the ISU Club Baseball team. 

After graduation my sole focus was my career as a photographer.  In 2011, I landed a job in Chicago and moved to Lincoln Park with a former high school basketball teammate.  We were both still in pretty good shape, but now in our 20’s living in the big city.  We signed up for the Chicago Half-Marathon, but were not fully dedicated to it.  We trained on a very beginner program and just finishing was the goal.  I remember a couple long runs at night along Lake Michigan that triggered a feeling inside me.  I was relaxed and having fun.  Distance running was refreshing my brain and helping me relax.  Race morning came and we finished.  But I knew with more discipline that one day I could challenge myself more.  The following decade of physical workouts were mostly sporadic and casual..until the winter of 2021 came around.  Several pivotal events motivated me to push beyond my previous limits.  I was tired of making excuses and wanted to do hard things.  It was time to see what I was cable of. 

In the midst of the pandemic, I moved into a new building with a gym, got engaged to a fitness instructor, and was inspired by a co-worker who completed a triathlon.  These experiences ultimately led me to return to running.  I registered for the 2022 Chicago Marathon.  My first year back to fully dedicate myself to a sport.  The first order of business was a 5:45AM wake up call.  Embrace pain and win the morning.  The only way to get in training was before work.  I enrolled in cross-training classes at Crossfit Severance in the Avondale neighborhood to help build core muscles.  I wanted to get healthy.  I started to eat and hydrate properly.  I replaced sugary cereals with yogurt, granola, and a banana.  I ran the Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  My training partner Reed Nolan and I drove to Marquette Michigan to run in the “Queen City Half Marathon.”  I pushed it hard and finished in the Top 20.  My training was working and I was getting faster.  

One of my main issues with running is logging all the miles while trying not getting bored.  Reed and I mixed it one weekend.  We drove to Wisconsin and ran 12 miles on the Ice Age Trail.  It was beautiful and a much needed change of scenery from the Chicago city streets.  Everything was going smooth until Reed got lost and I spent 45 minutes by the car wondering if he was alive.  I was craving more motivation.  I picked up David Goggins book “Can’t Hurt Me.”  I couldn’t put it down.  I logged more and more miles.  The Hal Higdon marathon training program became my bible.   The 606 and the lakefront became my second home.  October came and it was finally time to run my first marathon.  The funny thing was that I was not nervous on race day.  I was excited because I knew that I had put in the work and nothing was going to keep me from finishing.  Finishing was my goal.  Finishing the marathon without stopping once.  I always listen to music while on a long run. However, I didn’t put my AirPods in until the 8th mile.  I wanted to soak in the sounds of the crowds and footsteps while twisting through the streets of downtown Chicago.  Seeing the spectators waive their country’s flag and hearing the crowds cheer us on gave me a little extra boost.  Thousands and thousands of people lined the flat course.  My hamstrings started to cramp around mile 24.  My pace slowed down.  I was not going to quit though.  I pushed through the pain and completed the 2022 Chicago Marathon in 3:32:50. I loved every second of it, But I wasn’t done for the year. A couple weeks later, I finished second place in the inaugural Chicago Lighthouse “Rise to Shine” 10K. It felt amazing to compete again, just like I used to.

“Marathon training started with some early miles along the 606.  We ran a 18 week training program which I accidentally turned into 19 weeks.  Both Kevin and I had early success setting PRs in the UP during a half marathon.  Sundays were long runs and not always easy.  I got myself completely turned around on the Ice Age Trail and turned a 12 mile run into a 17 mile slog.  Learned a lot and had plenty of fun, ready to do it all again.”  –  Reed Nolan