It was a disaster in Chicago yesterday, where summer rolled in and near 90 degree temperatures interferred with the annual Chicago Marathon. At least one person died (as it turns out, it was not heat-related)and dozens more were rushed to the hospital. And, I can't help but recall the summer a few years ago, when hundreds of Chicagoans died from heat-related illness.
Of course, I felt more in touch with yesteday's race, as it came a day after my own heat-related, near disastrous 1/2 marathon in Hollis, New Hampshire. I finished in a pathetic time, but as I read the news about Chicago, I couldn't help just to be thankful to finish at all. No, I wasn't about to die (it was, after all, only half the distance of the real thing), but at mile 9, my body just gave up. I couldn't figure out what happened to me. Sure, it was 85 degrees and humid, but, in the moment, you blame anything but Mother Nature.
But dang it, still I want to complete a marathon before I'm 40.
(This picture is from last year's run. I haven't seen the images from this year's race, but don't know that i'd care to show how I looked)
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