Official Results reviewed by Uncle Mike

I have the official results from the marathon. I have contacted the Chicago transit authority and they have provided me with traffic camera video which I have reviewed and found some interesting information? First entrant that I found on video was Gabe entering a doughnut shop on 3rd street and exiting doughnut shop in golf clothes. He then hailed a cab and proceeds to oakpoint municipal golf course where he exited cab and joined up with a foursome and proceeded to play his usual four hour golf round. I was curious to make sure it was gabe so I zoomed in to the course and confirmed it was him because he was looking for his ball in the trees or water on most of the holes and on one hole when I zoomed in even closer I found he was not only searching for one of his lost balls but also petting a baby deer? He has formed so many great relationships with wildlife since he has taken up golf. I remember the time when he went into the woods to find his ball back in august at Indian wood golf course. I grew impatient and went into find him. I found him unwrapping a nature valley granola bar and hand feeding a wood chuck. That explains his 8 hour plus marathon???????????????

Entrant #2 Was spotted at the eleventh mile mark clearly suffering from fatigue, being followed for several miles by an out of state Macomb county sheriff vehicle with the driver resembling Jim Carey and even more remarkable the occupant strangely resembling Sarah Palin. For a minute I thought it was some hired look a likes that the city of Chicago hired for a promotional stunt. Until I saw the women get out and open the rear door, I then zoomed in and saw it was Shalene and put two and two together on the look a likes! After zooming a little closer I proceeded to see the Sarah Palin look a like pull out a spray bottle on the twenty fourth mile spray Shalene down to look like sweat from the grueling run. Shalene then exited the vehicle and finished the race strong. While at the end of the race the Sarah Palin look alike cheered and was forced into signing autographs for the following two hours. I also noticed that the Jim Carey look alike was put on probation for one week for unauthorized use of county vehicle.

More results will follow as video is reviewed…

conflicted...

I simply cannot believe that my fingers are sequencing my computer keys in this order producing these words but................. drum roll please..................

I think....... umm........... I may want to run another marathon......... as I walked... stumbled back to the hotel like at wounded man on the beaches of Normandy Sunday I reached the room and made Hannah promise just one thing.... Never, ever, under any circumstances ask me to do this again! I then proceeded to lay prostate on the shower floor in my own salty filth...

But then Monday morning I woke up feeling holy dissatisfied in my performance on Sunday... Call it my 5 potty stops of 20-25 minutes in total but nonetheless... I felt like a failure... Maybe it stems from a point in the marathon when I heard a lady yell "go Chicago walkers!" as I was passed by a 70 year old man wearing a Chicago Walkers t-shirt... Yeah, actually happened.... But ya know...? I can do better than this!

Whatever its worth, I'm so glad that we all did this together and I am in fact open to doing another one... God forbid...

We'll have to see...

gabe

Whatta Marathon Day!

Purely from a spectator's viewpoint!

First of all the sunrise was amazing, but warned us of the upcoming heat.  If the marathon had heated up 1 more degree, they would have cancelled it.  It was the largest "no show" for the Chicago Marathon because it was 20 degrees hotter than ideal marathon weather.   45,000 people signed up, and there was still amazingly crazy people all over the place - 1.5 million spectators, of which were:  Gary and I, Greg Fisher, Diane, Angie & Jeannette Fisher, friend Carly, and Grant Heugel!  

Amber was registered for the marathon, but because of her crazy-busy PA schedule, she had to postpone running because she can't run as a "full time job" to train.  She DID run the first 10 miles of the Chicago Marathon, though, and did an amazing job, then joined us with the spectators!

Our group braved the heat and were up early and ready to go.  Although not without incident, everyone finished the marathon!   They were AMAZING -- I am so proud of each and every one of them!  Being at the finish was NOT without tears of joy and victory!  Our amazing marathoner highlights:

Hannah and Christa -- They ran with Bethany up to mile 21, but then Bethany wanted them to go ahead so she could slow her pace since she was beginning to feel the heat.  Hannah and Christa crossed together.

Bethany -- Bethany finished right behind the girls and called me from someone's phone to find me.  I couldn't believe how amazing she sounded, but on her way to meet up with us, she started to "white out" and see white in front of her and her pulse dropped to a scary-low level.  She happened to literally stumble onto a Doctor who helped her along with several people.  They called the ambulance because of her dangerously low pulse, but after some Gatorade and a while recuperating, Bethany insisted on getting up and going back to the hotel herself.

Jesse -- Jesse ran an incredible marathon, breaking all his marathon records and in keeping with the time he was shooting for up to the 30K.  Then heat exhaustion took over, and he got extremely sick and began to dehydrate (as is common in runners over 6 feet), and the knee injury he sustained in football kicked in.  His determination brought him across the finish line, but he sports a knee as large as a grapefruit and a doctor's appointment this week!

Shalene -- Shalene persistently and determinedly pressed forward, feeling the pain but well trained enough to keep going.  Although the heat began to get to her, her Mom jumped in at about mile 21 and with shoes too small (borrowed from Jeannette), and with her jean capris on, ran in with Shalene to the finish.  

Mike Moon -- Mike pressed through incredible calf cramps, but kept going right to the finish line!  His first half of the marathon was amazing, and the second half slowed him down, but he never gave in and never gave up!

Gabe Bahlhorn -- Gabe amazingly pressed through to the finish too,  although he wrestled with feeling the effects of the heat.  He ran by us with smiles and cheers at the onset before the sun began blazing.  After that, his determination took over until the finished!

It was an incredible event to be a part of.  Pictures coming soon!

Uncle Mike's Predictions for the Chicago Marathon

2008 chicago marathon

Acronym's

DQ= disqualified
H= hospitalized
AH= assisted by HP
I P= I Pod disqualification
B= berating non competitor
$= unauthorized purchase during race


first place Bethany Budzinski (DQ)         Disqualified for carrying her fiance on her back for the last nine miles

second place Christa Budzinski (B)         Would of won but had to stop and call and yell at Brandon for not calling her all weekend

Third place Jesse Budzinski Should of won race hands down but was seen boarding bus on Michigan avenue on the 18th mile.

Fourth Place Shalene Fisher ($)         Could of ran closer to the top but was distracted by a pre-Christmas sale at a Louie Vutton store

Fifth place Hannah Budzinski (IP)  Disappointing finish but again can only be blamed on fiance's continual disapointment in pressure situations as displayed in previous events; family picnic water balloon toss and perennial Ginger Bread House debacles. Also race officials and dog sniffing unit finds iPod sewn into sports bra

Sixth Place Gabe Bahlhorn (H)          Strong competitor from a long line of distance runners, but again fell to his appetite and stopped at a Chcago Stuffed Pizza shoppe and never completed race.

Seventh Place Mike Moon (AH)         Collapses on ninth mile and is carried another seven or so miles by homeless person in shopping cart.