Chicago, part III
Today was my first full day here in the Chicago area.
I got up and went for a short run this morning - about 2 miles. Mostly to see where I need to stretch some more and where my pains, if any, are. It was a good run in the sense that I’m not hurting anywhere and that I determined that I was overdressed for the conditions (it was 35 degrees this morning).
After that, I had an opportunity to attend one of my cousin’s classes. That was a neat experience. It helped me feel much younger being surrounded by early 20-somethings.
After class, I was off to the marathon expo. For anyone who has ever been to a marathon expo, you know what this is like. Actually, I’ll correct myself - anyone who has been to the expo for a major marathon like Chicago, NYC, or the Marine Corp marathons. They are huge - absolutely huge. It took me two hours to get through it all, and that’s a continuous walk through the expo. When I cam back to the room and emptied my bag, I couldn’t believe how much stuff I collected.
I did end up buying some items that will help me out on race day - sunglasses that will stay close to my face, a headband that will keep the sweat out of my eyes, a sports pack to hold GU that I bought (GU is energy goo, for lack of a better term).
Then it was off to dinner with my cousin and her friends. That was fun also - again, made me feel much younger.
Tomorrow is sightseeing day and a visit to the marathon finish line. I want to make sure I can visualize the finish line while I’m running. It will help me get through some of the tougher times.