SAFUN

Yesterday was the La Salle Bank Chicago Marathon, one of the most popular, eventful marathons on the running calendar. The Chicago Marathon is known for it’s flat course, event organization, beautiful run through the city and most importantly, the spectators. 45,000 runners were registered for this marathon yesterday. Chicago received unusually high temperatures this past weekend. So high that 10,000 runners opted not to run. For the others that did run, it was a brutal run and caused many cases of heat exhaustion and unfortunately, one resulted in a death.

My cousins, Marina and Carina Alderete (native San Antonians), ran this marathon yesterday. They live in Chicago so they were able to train with teams following the world-renowned runner and coach, Hal Higdon. Training for a marathon is a very intense, emotional journey. It requires a lot of discipline. It can take anywhere between 6 months for experienced runners to 12 months to beginners to train for a marathon. After months of training, they were physically and mentally prepared come the morning of the marathon.

Each runner is given a tracking device to tie onto their shoe. At every 5K mark, the runner is tracked into a system. I was able to track both Marina and Carina from the Chicago Marathon website. Marina was pushing to qualify for the Boston Marathon so she was tracking 8:13 min miles and pacing very well. Carina was pushing to just finish the marathon so she was about 3 min per mile behind Marina so she hadn’t hit as many 5K markers as Marina yet. As time went by, I noticed that Carina kept progressing while Marina was stuck at the 35K marker (about 20 miles). That was not a good sign. Either her tracker fell off or she stopped for some reason. Carina eventually passed the 35K marker and yet Marina was still stuck there. Shortly thereafter, I received a call from Marina’s mom that Marina was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. What??!! At that time, you cannot help to think the worst.

Later, I learned that Marina had passed out due to heat exhaustion. She was given 4 IV’s and held at the hospital for hours before being released. Apparently, it was a bad day for many runners.

Organizers shut down the course four hours after the start of Sunday’s Chicago Marathon because of 88-degree heat and sweltering humidity that left one runner dead and sent at least 49 to area hospitals. Another 250 were treated at the site.

Thank God Marina is alright. Running 26 miles is hard enough on your body but in that weather, especially for those that did not train in or are not accustomed to warm weather, makes it twice as difficult.

Carina was able to finish however she said people were telling her to stop running. There was a water shortage and too many people had fainted so to prevent any further cases of heat exhaustion, runners were told to stop. She said it was complete chaos with fire hoses being sprayed and helicopters flying above her. She had taken her time, had a partner with her and drank plenty of water. She said she ran far enough that she just wanted to complete and her body felt fine.

Last year’s marathon had 40 degree cooler weather. I actually ran the Chicago marathon last year and I was freezing! Unbelievable. Weather is becoming less and less consistent and so unpredictable. How can anyone be prepared?

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the man that passed away yesterday on the course.