Pace: 05'23" / 05'01" / 05'15" / 05'00" / 05'18" / 05'04" / 05'23" / 05'04" / 05'22" / 06'14" / 05'33" / 05'18" / 05'21" / 05'39" / 05'35" / 05'48" / 05'44" / 05'55" / 06'41" / 06'23" / 05'47" / 08'56" / 00'05" / 00'05" / 00'06" / 06'14" / 06'58" / 07'48" / 07'07" / 06'45" / 10'08" / 00'00" /
Dear Runner friends,
The Chicago Marathon is a first-class marathon event that I have ever joined. It has even more participants and much much more spectators at the street than the Kyoto Marathon. There were spectators along every distance and everywhere of the streets and corners of the city and all flat routes. It's a wonderful experience there.
However, I could only finish 35km and then dropped the race due to my body condition on the day.
As my body condition was worse around that period and I also could not accommodate the jet lag and I only slept very little before and after arrived Chicago, I kept to rely on sleeping pills to make me sleep. The sleeping pills can only let me have sleep not more than 4 hours and I hadn't used it at the right time too. During the night before the race, I took half pill but woke up at 3:00am (2 hrs sleeping) due the non stopped ambulance and fire fighting vehicles sound around the hotel area. I got off from bed at 5:00 and I felt not so well of my body. I felt pressure on my chest. I started to wonder if I could still suitable for joining the race. But eventually, I decided to go and just want to have a very slow run and enjoy the event only. However, the pressure feeling was continued on my chest during the whole race. I understood I was playing my life on a high risk. But due to the environment and the cheering spectators all along the street, I could not stop and even find a place to stop.
After 20km, I went to the first aid station and asked for help. The first aid helped me to measure the heart rate, blood pressure and even the blood sugar, etc. but all appeared in normal. The doctor there told me if I wanted to continue, my body could still fit for continue. After a while, I felt better and I restated my race. But when I run another 10km, my heart felt even harder. I partly run and partly walk until 35km. I went to the first aid again. Then I was recommended to stop and the doctor told me I might have the chance to die if I continued the remaining race. They advised me there was an ambulance could take me back to Finish Point and the first aid station there had the equipment ACG 心電圖 for testing. Then I accepted their advice and got into the ambulance together with another more serious dehydrated runner.
Unfortunately, we were sent to a real hospital (may be due to the another runner's condition). I was required to test everything there, ACG twice, X-Ray, blood test twice, etc. The doctor said she wanted me to stay in the hospital one night for observation, but I rejected and told her I am not US citizen and I could have more serious checking in HK in cheaper cost if there is no imminent danger. She agreed but kept me there for another 4-5 hrs for a 2nd checking. I got into the hospital at 1:00 and left at 8:00 night. The doctors and nurses are all very nice and helpful. Excellent! The doctor gave me the list of medicine and told me to buy it at Walugreens ( with pharmacist). After taking a shower after return to my hotel, I went to buy the medicine and dinner outside but the time was late and I could only find the medicine at a far store but could not find a restaurant for dinner then.
Thank you for your concern about me and your patience to read this boring story. I promise myself I will go back to Chicago once again (may be 2 year later) and will get back my lost Chicago Marathon Medal.
Joe