MARATHON MAN

When the day started on Sunday, I had no desire to ever train hard enough to run a marathon. By the time the late afternoon arrived, that lack of desire to run a marathon was still secure.  However, I did walk much of the Chicago Marathon route yesterday.  I started my normal walk at 8:00AM and after nearly 40 minutes or so, I spotted the runners from the Chicago Marathon running on the road adjacent to Lincoln Park where I was.  My research about people who join races without paying the entrance fees  had educated me enough so that I knew it would have been unethical to join the roadrunners.  I did however follow the course on the sidewalk.  There were only a few spots where the sidewalk was impassable where I had to detour around an extra block.  I did not take a drink of water, Gatorade or accept a banana that I was not entitled to nor did I accept an accolade or cheer that did not belong to me. I was not a marathon bandit.  What I did was 100% within the bounds of ethics.  With about one mile to go to the finish line, I veered off the course completely and stopped my workout after MayMyWalk Application had indicated that my trip was 26.2 miles.

My path to 26.2 Miles (just slightly altered from the official course)

This screenshot shows my time, 5:39:16

Yesterday, Sunday, 11 October, I was a Marathon Man.  It was a tremendous accomplishment and I am glad that I completed the 26.2 mile walk.  The 26.2 miles were completed in 5 hours, 39 minutes, 16 seconds. The MapMyWalk application indicated that this particular workout had burned 5210 calories. When my 26.2 miles concluded, I reset the MayMyWalk application for the 5 mile walk home, in which my walking speed was dramatically reduced.  This five mile walk lasted an additional one hour, twenty-five minutes & 54 seconds.  This time, the application recorded only 740 calories burned.

In the late afternoon, I went grocery shopping with my family.  When we returned home, I noticed that the FitBit had recorded approximately 57000 steps.  Naturally, I wanted to bring that total up to 60000 steps.  A short walk to downtown Chicago was in order.  My daughter volunteered to accompany me. The thing is, my daughter thought that if 60000 steps was an accomplishment, then 65000, 70000 or 75000 steps would be a far greater accomplishment. I was very amenable to this type of thinking. Our walk did not conclude until the FitBit had stopped at 75000 steps for the day.

After walking more than 30 miles, I took a long hot shower and got dressed.  I  happily know that I have never felt better or fitter.  I am wearing the skinniest jeans that I own.  Remember, this is the same guy who needed to squeeze into 50 inch waist slacks just 9 months ago.  This particular day would not end until I had walked nearly 40 miles.  I was very active for more than twelve hours. I unquestionably burned more than 6000 calories yesterday.  By the time I went to sleep, there is no question, I was feeling pretty good about myself.

This chart shows by the hour of the day when my 75029 steps were earned yesterday. The solid green block represents just a bit more than 7 straight hours stepping (walking).   First the marathon, then the 90 minute walk home.

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 Sunday MENU

breakfast  Harvest Strawberry Crunch, Apple, Energy Chews, granola  1240 calories
lunch        fruit & nut bar, Chili Turkey w/beans                                       800 calories
dinner       Mariano's Spinach Salad                                                           750 calories
SNACKS Ginger Chews, Wasabi, Mango slices, cherry vanilla granola 1050 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 3840 CALORIES

26.2 MILE MARATHON, 340 MINUTES                                          5210 CALORIES
   5.0 MILE WALK HOME FROM MARATHON, 86 MINUTES        740 CALORIES
STEPS CALORIE ADJUSTMENT ACCORDING TO MyFitnessPal  606 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED 6556 CALORIES 

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Sunday net calories 2716 calorie defecit

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fitbit day 39

75029 steps
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It is likely that I will never attain 75000 steps walked in one day ever again.  Surely, I have never walked nearly 40 miles in one day prior to today.  It is hard to imagine a day when I would walk more than 40 miles.  

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Here are a bunch of pictures from the nearly 10 mile walk my daughter and I took to cap off the day from 7:30PM until just before Midnight.  (Today, Monday, is Columbus Day - which means no school, so I had no issues keeping my daughter out and about extra late.  We saw parts of Chicago that we had never seen at night - Riverwalk, Millennium Park, and Maggie Daley Park.

Sara in front of the Chicago River

Sara checks out her reflection at 'The Bean.'

Daddy and daughter in Millennium Park posing in front of 'The Bean' (Cloud Gate)

Maggie Daley Park (You cannot imagine how many thousands of kids enjoy this park each day) It was great fun to visit at night with just a handful of other people around.

Sara is standing under the whale's tail.

Clowning around at Maggie Daley Park

Daddy and daughter take a 'selfie'

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and finally.... a blog entry about the Chicago Marathon should have the official results of the top ten finishers among the elite men and women competitors.  

MEN 

1. Dickson Chumba, Kenya - 2:09:25
2. Sammy Kitwara, Kenya - 2:09:50
3. Sammy Ndguru, Kenya - 2:10:06
4. Girmay Burhanu Gebru, Ethiopia - 2:10:07
5. Luke Puskedra, United States - 2:10:24
6. Wesley Korir, Kenya - 2:10:29
7. Elkanah Kibet, United States -  2:11:31
8. Lucas Rotich, Kenya - 2:13:39
9. Abera Kuma, Ethiopia - 2:13:44
10. Fernando Cabada, United States - 2:15:36

WOMEN

1. Florence Kiplagat, Kenya - 2:23:33
2. Yebrgual Melese, Ethiopia - 2:23:43
3. Birhane Dibaba, Ethiopia - 2:24:24
4. Kayoko Fukushi, Japan - 2:24:25
5. Mulu Seboka, Ethiopia - 2:24:40
6. Meskerem Assefa, Ethiopia - 2:25:11
7. Deena Kastor, United States - 2:27:47
8. Diane Nukuri, Burundi - 2:29:13
9. Jessica Draskau Petersson, Denmark - 2:30:07
10. Sara Hall, United States - 2:31:14