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Argonne Running Club Does Chicago

The Fearless Threesome Tackle Chicago \'97

Here we are standing still in the middle of the pack, ready to start the
Chicago marathon, wondering what will lie ahead on this glorious Sunday
morning (and wondering silently if we had done enough training). But
before I go too far, let me give you some background about what has led
up to us being here this morning.

This summer Dick Page and I decided we would start thinking about
running a fall marathon (Chicago). We were going to do some initial ten
mile runs to see if another marathon was in our legs and/or minds. If
these runs did not go well we were going to kiss-it-off for this year.
After a few of these initial runs seemed to go OK we asked Laurie
Culbert, who was also planning on doing Chicago, to join us for a few
runs to see if training as a threesome would be beneficial. (While Dick
and I have been training together for years, we have never done long
runs with Laurie.) It turns out this particular group was very
compatible in both pace and temperament. Running as a group sure made
the long runs around Waterfall Glen on Friday nights, sometimes in the
rain and/or in the heat, pass quickly. In fact, if you can believe it,
we all looked forward to these runs and our speed-training runs on
Wednesday nights with the North Central Track Club. As a group we
visited the marathon expo (to get our registration materials) and
carpooled to the race.

Dick and I were going to run the race together while Laurie, who was
toying with attempting a PR, started up in the seeded section. (She
qualified to start in the seeded section by running a good marathon time
last year.) Before the race we wished each other luck and headed for our
respective starting spots. Well here we were, in a mass of greater than
14,000 runners, waiting for the start on a day that was excellent for
running. (There were 14,322 finishers; no telling how many people
started the race.) Because of the large number of people, it took Dick
and me more than two minutes to reach the actual starting point of the
race and more than 11 minutes to \"run\" the first mile.

Through Lincoln Park (or should I say Pit-stop Park) and the north side
(with the gay Mickey Mouse Club cheerleaders) the miles seem to float by
(the first few at least). This is where most of the people are, cheering
everyone on; one only hopes there will be similar sights at 23 miles.
The course then snakes southward down through Greektown, UIC, and Little
Italy. (Near UIC we passed a bare-foot runner - unbelievable!) After
this, the race heads through Pilsen, Chinatown, and parts of town I
would not enter alone.

At about 20 miles we reached Comiskey Park and my legs are starting to
complain - loudly. This part of the course is the real pits - running
near Comiskey Park and on the Ryan service drive. Finally the course
snakes over to Lake Shore Drive. (While running near McCormick Place we
came across a couple that were holding hands; upon inquiry, they told me
that they had been holding hands the entire race!) It is now 23 miles,
my feet hurt, my legs hurt, and I started to wonder why I was doing this
instead of being home in bed - but I pressed on knowing the end was
near. At this point, I am fairly certain that everyone in the race had
the same thoughts.

Finally the end is in sight, the crowds are thick, and the cheering is
deafening - no stopping now for anything. I did not think of anything
except fixating on the finishing banner and hoping I could summon that
final push so that I looked \"good\" crossing the finish line. I heard
the crowds cheering but they seem to be in a haze; it was really
surreal. Finally I crossed the finish line and stopped. Now my legs
started to complain because they were used to being in motion - I hoped
I would not pass out while my body re-adjusted.

Now it is time to celebrate. Another marathon is history and we have
survived; the feeling of exhilaration is unexplainable. Now is the time
to take stock in how our bodies feel - the very thing we have been
ignoring for the last 10 miles. The end point is where runners mingle,
tell lies about how good they felt throughout the race, and generally
have a good time. After Dick an I found Laurie (who indeed had set a new
PR), we plopped down with some post-race goodies and compared
race-experiences and \"war-wounds\".

It is nice to see the familiar faces at the end of the race. For
example, I saw Corrie Patterson and Walt McFall (from the Argonne
Running Club) working the Gatorade stand in the finish area. (All
runners should thank these volunteers, and those volunteers manning
water stations along the course, because without their help the race
could not be run.) While in this area we also came across Aziz Uras,
another ANL marathoner. (Although Pat Dombroski, Tom Buffington, and Joe
Mavec ran the race I did not see them at the finish.) Furthermore, it
does not hurt at all to see your own family come to the race to cheer
you on.

As a group we had assorted problems with our legs (sore muscles, etc.)
and feet (blisters and blackened toenails), but we will probably be on
Columbus Drive next year when the gun goes off. I know, however, one of
these days mother nature is going to pay us back big-time for all these
fine running days.

Karl Grimm

Gummy Bears and Gatorade at the Chicago Marathon

I finally found the secret to a good marathon: Gummy Bears and Gatorade.
Forget Powerbars, PowerGel and "Gu". That's right, I carried a small bag
of Gummy Bears to the 22nd mile marker and had Gatorade at every water
stop. These two things, along with the huge blisters on my feet, carried
me to a marathon PR.

This year was the 20th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon and the
weather could not have been more perfect! A record number of runners
came out for the event (I heard just over 14,000), including several
members of the Argonne Running Club. Those who decided to take on the
challenge this year included: Pat Dombrowski, Karl Grimm, Joe Mavec,
Dick Page, Azis Uras, former Club member Tom Buffington, and myself. A
huge thanks to Corrie Patterson and all the people she organized to work
at the finish line handing out Gatorade. This race would never happen
without the thousands of volunteers it takes to put this race on.

If you are thinking about trying a marathon in 1998, Chicago is a great
one to do. The course is flat, there is plenty of support along the way
including live bands, it is very scenic, it is well organized, and there
are plenty of other people to run with! If you see me on the course,
I'll be glad to share my Gummy Bears!

Laurie Culbert

Volunteers Make the Day at Chicago

The day dawned clear and cold (actually it was still dark when we
arrived downtown) into a perfect running climate. The Argonne volunteer
group arrived at the finish line area around 6 a.m. to have a
refreshment area assigned; with slightly less organization than we
anticipated we found the volunteers in a state of anarchy - every one
(or group) in charge of themselves. The lone person who had staked out
an area was a woman with bread and olive oil - her company had sent her
at 5:30 to be sure to get a visible spot. Several Argonne volunteers
(Jean & Mike Smith, Kathy Luzynski, Mark Kamiya, Katie Kryda, John &
Linda Oboikovitz, Walt McFall, Kevin Bailey, Junko Matsushima) began the
initial Gatorade setup, moving tables, stacking cups, mixing & pouring;
while Ed O\'Hare took charge of the banana tables and volunteers; Doris
& Leroy Sims, Mary Hammon, and the Gant family - Charmette, Aleisa, &
John, took charge of the bagel and pretzel area. They were supposed to
guard the bagels from the 5000+ 5k runners, then set up for the
marathoners. As it grew light out, the crowd in the start area grew, and
we were able to see the mass of runners move forward and take off!

In spite of the early hour everyone was in great spirits and worked very
hard to turn skids of food & powdered Gatorade & water into an organized
refreshment area. The 5k runners finished within about an hour and were
cleared out to replenish supplies for the marathoners. Many volunteers
got a chance to go down to the finish line and watch the winning runners
come in - the pressure was on for an American to win New Balance\'s
\$1,000,000 prize; and the men\'s winner Khalid Khannouchi had bragged
previously about winning a 1/2 marathon in 1:00:20 (naturally - that
would translate to a win in 2:00:40, right?). Marian Sutton won the
women\'s race for the 2nd year in a row, running the last several miles
with a bloody nose but far out in the lead. The wins were dramatic, then
the business of taking care of the 16,000+ other runners that would be
arriving began. Slowly at first, then the volume built to what seemed
like hundreds of runners every minute.

Helping runners at the finish of a long endurance run is inspiring as a
testament to their courage and determination. Most are quite
appreciative of the help and all have interesting stories of how they
arrived at the finish line. Special congratulations to all the Argonne
runners - Laurie Culbert, Karl Grimm, Dick Page, Joe Mavec, Aziz Uras,
Pat Dombrowski, and the other Argonne finishers that surprised us at the
table! Also, a big thank you to Dave Brink and Pat Frankovich for their
help creating our signs. I commend all the volunteers for the day - in
addition to our group, several individual volunteers attached themselves
to our areas and were great additions to the team. It was wonderful to
have so many people spend an early and loooong day helping out to
welcome the runners home to be hydrated, fueled, and congratulated.

Corrie Patterson

After reading all these accounts of the Chicago Marathon, it make me
wish that I had been down there to participate this year! I have run the
Chicago Marathon in the past, and agree that it is a great event for any
runner to be involved in. As Karl, Laurie, and others have reminded me:
there are always more races to run. Winning is not finishing first, but
rather doing your best. Happiness can be achieved without setting a PR:
by finishing strong and asking: When is the next race?

Cool But Nice for NBL Run

We want to thank John Sickels, Karl Grimm and all the other volunteers
who helped out on October 22 at the Running Club's annual NBL run. It
was a windy, and cool day, but still quite pleasant for running. It was
good to see several of our Chicago Marathon runners turn out for the
event. Pat Dombrowski and Dick Page ran the 3 mile course only three
days after completing the marathon! Laurie Culbert was nursing a her
blistered feet, while Karl Grimm enjoyed a day of rest after his
performance in Chicago. Pat Dombrowski was the first runner across the
finish line and the first to the food table which featured apples,
bananas, cookies, gatoraid, bagels, etc.

ARC Turkey Trot

The next Argonne Running Club event will be held at noon on Tuesday,
November 18. The annual Turkey Trot and Sniffle Run will begin at the
Argonne pool. There will be a three mile course for runners and a two
mile route for walkers. Three gift certificates and will be raffled off
after the race - all running club members present will be eligible to
win. Fall treats such as pumpkin pie and cider will be provided as
refreshments. Hope to see you for this autumn's last ARC event.

Paul Eident

Dannon Duathlon

For anyone who is looking for a different kind of race to do, give a
duathlon (formally know as biathlon) a try. The duathlon format usually
consists of a run then a bike section then another run. The changes for
the different parts of the race take place in a transition area where
you keep your bike and related gear and your running gear. I did the
Dannon Duathlon in Naperville a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. I
think it was fun because it was a different format then just a running
race or a century ride or a bike race. What makes this kind of race
exciting is the transition from being a runner to being a cyclist then
back to a runner. This is not easy! This particular race had distances
of a 5K run, 30K bike, 5K run. The race starts in age group waves, thus
not everyone starts at the same time -- obviously very different from a
running race. In the transition area after the first 5K run you locate
your bike and change into a cyclist then it is out onto the course for
the bike leg -- and this seems to be a good place to try and make up
time if you didn\'t blaze through the 5K. Also, unlike bike racing,
drafting is not allowed in a duathlon or in a triathlon so you are out
there on your own and can\'t save energy by sitting behind another
cyclist (darn, I really wanted to!). Now, the second 5K after you rack
your bike and change back into a runner is quite a different experience.
It took me a mile to change my cycling legs back into runner\'s legs, so
that transition from bike to run is an important one to practice! This
race is a nice way to get a running and a cycling workout in a
relatively short amount of time. Dannon did a great job in organizing
this race and there was good food and music at the finish line party.
Like a running race, you receive a T-shirt but the entry fee is a lot
higher then a running race. Hope this doesn\'t scare you off, it was a
fun event to do! Give it a try, you\'ll feel great when you cross the
finish line!

Laurie Culbert

A Runner's Thanksgiving Feast

Want to feel entitled to that Thanksgiving feast you know you\'re going
to indulge in?! Get yourself out of bed on Thanksgiving Day and give the
Pilcher Park Poultry Predictor a \"run\" for the money!

This is a wonderful little four-mile predictor run that takes place
completely within Pilcher Park, a beautiful old park located in Joliet.
It begins and ends at the Nature Center, which does two (at least)
things: it keeps those nervous prerace stomach rumbles to a minimum as
you distract yourself wandering around the Center, and it gives any
people who\'ve accompanied you a warm and interesting place to wait
while you\'re out working up your dinner appetite.

The race itself is a little hilly and very scenic. The number of people
who run varies from year to year - mostly because, at this price (\$6 on
race day!), you can wait until the day of the race to decide if you feel
like running. There\'s a good-natured show of wrists at the beginning of
the race to keep us all honest, and the person who comes the closest to
their prediction wins - what else! - a turkey. In the past, they have
also raffled off turkeys, so if you miss your prediction, never fear.
You may still take home a turkey.

The first time I ran this race I was amazed at how close the winning
predictors were - within just a few seconds of predicting their correct
time! (Some people really know how to pace themselves!) While I\'ve
never come close to my predictor time, I\'ve always enjoyed this race
for starting me off to a great Thanksgiving weekend.

[Race facts:]{.underline}

Name: Pilcher Park Poultry Predictor

Location: Joliet, IL

Date: Thursday Nov. 27

Time: 8:30 a.m. 4-mile predictor run

9:00 1-mile fun run

Cost: \$4 until Nov. 21

\$6 through race day

Laura Miller

Hospice Races

The Iowa City Hospice Road Races were held on Sunday October 19th. This
is a big event in Iowa, with registration limited to 9000 runners. There
are events for just about everyone: 1 M, 5 K, 10 K, and 13.1 M. Some
very good runners have run this race, including Jenny Spangler (of the
US Olympic Marathon Team). The course is mostly flat, but there are more
hills than there are for most races around Chicago. Most of the courses
are on city streets, but the half marathon route heads out into the corn
fields for a few miles, including one section of about a mile on a
gravel road. This race was expected to raise about \$125,000 for the
Johnson County United Way.

I have enjoyed running this race several years now. This year, the
weather was cool (in the 40's), with cloudy skies for the start. The
clouds cleared out by the time that I finished the race 1 hr. 52 min.
later. My sister, Carol, had signed up for the 10 K race, but at mile 2,
decided to run the half marathon with me. The T-shirts from this race
are nice: they are colorful and don't have any advertising on them.

Inspiration

The marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama. It
has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Every jogger can't
dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a
marathon.

Fred Lebow

Cool Down