Race day, in my own words
I was walking south on Michigan Ave, wet, cold, smiling, happy, blasting Kids in America on my phone. I just finished my first marathon. I had been waiting for this moment for two years, I trained for so long, I ran the race, it was hard, it was so effing hard. I crossed the finish line.
- Race Chicago Marathon
- When October 2021
- Finish time 3:23:22
That time was a Boston Qualifying result — the goal I had been chasing through two years of training.
Crossing the finish line of a first marathon is the kind of moment that reshapes how you see yourself, and writing about it here is a way of holding onto that feeling. The cold, the wet pavement, the song playing in your ears, the strange lightness of legs that have just carried you further than they ever have before — these details matter because they are what the training was really for. Race day arrives all at once, but the preparation behind it unfolds slowly, in ordinary mornings and long, quiet miles.
Training for a marathon is less about the race than about the weeks that lead up to it, and those weeks are built from small, unglamorous choices. Early alarms, careful fueling, learning to listen when your body asks for rest, and finding people to run alongside all shape the outcome far more than any single hard effort. Having a coach or a group to share the miles with makes the long runs feel less lonely and keeps the schedule honest, especially when the weather turns and motivation is thin.
There is also a whole life around the running that deserves attention, and that is where style, skincare, and everyday care come in. Recovery matters as much as the workout itself, from gentle treatment of tired muscles to simple routines that help skin cope with cold air and long hours outdoors. Documenting the small rituals, the products that earn a place in the rotation, and the honest reviews of what actually helped makes this space feel like a conversation rather than a highlight reel.
How the training came together
Long runs and early mornings were shared with South Loop Runners, and my coach Denise helped shape the work that led into race day. My husband Sam was there through it all, cheering from the sidelines and waiting at the finish.
| Distance | 26.2 miles |
|---|---|
| Training group | South Loop Runners |
| Coach | Denise |
| Support crew | Sam, my husband |
Four weeks later
Chicago was only the beginning of that autumn. In November 2021 I lined up for the LA Marathon — my second marathon in four weeks, with hills and tired legs to contend with. Read how it went.