Okay this is a long post but I need to share it with other CoolRunners. How is this relevant to the "Med Tent" forum? Well, I've posted here a few times about my struggle with a herniated disk and my trying to train for the Chicago Marathon. I was on the fence about doing it but because I'd raised a lot of money as a charity runner for the American Cancer Society, and because I love to live on the edge, I decided to toe the line on 10/7. I knew going in that a) I was injured and b) the forecast was for hot and humid weather, so I prepared myself. I planned on doing a 5 min run/2 min walk, and I consulted the course map to see where all of the aid stations are. I train with a hydration belt but detest having anything cumbersome hanging off of me when I'm racing, so, being an experienced runner, I knew that if all went well, I would be hydrating every 2 miles or so. Or so I thought.
IMPORTANT: always plan for the worst outcome! Wear a hydration belt if the forcast is for a hot weather race!So... I hydrated for two days prior. I showed up at Grant Park at 5:30 a.m. I brought my video camera. I was already thirsty at the start, even though I'd already downed a quart of water. I ran/walked 4 miles and came upon the second aid-stationless aid station. There was a trail of soggy paper cups lining LaSalle Street for hundreds of yards but no tables!! A spectator gave me her personal water bottle. Mile 6: an aid station which had run out of Gatoraid and barely had any water. I pulled out my video camera and recorded it. I felt sorry for the voluteers because it wasn't their fault. I managed to have fun but knew I'd have to pull out halfway because of back spasms. Well, I made it to mile 12 (Sears Tower) and what made me stop was not the spasms but the shakes. Because the spectators had come out in droves with ice, bottles of water and even hoses, I got my water. What I didn't get were electrolytes. I couldn't stomach my Goo. I needed Gatoraid, but the faster runners had already gotten to it first. I was shaky but not in as bad a shape as the people I saw keeling over or staggering around, disoriented.
I posted my video of the chaos on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZTI7Cw0rM[/URL" target="_blank">
A reporter on CNN found it and interviewed me by phone, and it was featured on iReports this evening. I've also been interviewed on-air by Chicago's local NBC affiliate (NBC5 Chicago), and my video was also on WGN. Turner Broadcasting called tonight wanting to use it on all of their stations. I never thought my video would be of such interest! But what you see here is as it occurred for many of us back of the packers. I hope this is a wakeup call to my beloved Chicago Marathon race directors. This absolutely MUST NOT happen again!
Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZTI7Cw0rM[/URL" target="_blank">
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WendyCity
http://interwovendesign.com/kick/userdisplay.php3?username=WendyCity
