Our Preparation
Our initial preparation plans were for the tangible aspects of our journey. Flights, accommodation and tour visits were our main concern. Being young professionals only starting our careers but wanting everything, we were definitely on a tight budget. By hunting best deals and cutting unnecessary costs, we were able to squeeze in a two-week trip to the US.
But the real preparation was, of course, for the marathon itself. Being the amateurs that we are, we Googled for a marathon plan that we thought doable. An alternative would be the ‘Coach’ section in the Nike+ Running App. We are lucky to live in this era where training plans are available everywhere. There are many apps that offer free virtual coaching experience, which can easily be downloaded on your smartphone. Choose one and follow the plan, which, of course, is a lot harder than it sounds. This is when Kyserun Krew is more important than ever to us.
When you have friends doing the same event, you can always seek for advice and encouragement from each other. And if you are stuck, you have the whole crew ready to give you what you need. Questions such as “What shoes should I wear for the marathon?”, “How can I improve my time?”, and “How do I hydrate during the race?” are common. There are no right or wrong answers and getting advice from the more experienced members within the crew is sometimes even better than Google.
You do not have to run the same pace or be at the same location to “train together”. Throughout our 12-week training plan, we reminded each other on what we need to do each day. This kind of virtual support is anything but artificial.
The Arrival
We arrived in Chicago on the Friday before the race to give us plenty of time to rest. As soon as we arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, we knew that we were in a marathon city. There were plenty of signs and stewards to help those in the city for the first time. The Blue Line to the city centre was full with people on their Garmin watches, seasoned Asics runners and sharing their running experiences. We might have been wrong, but we guessed that they were all running the 2015 Chicago Marathon, which made us even more excited.
Upon arrival, we went straight to the McCormick Place Convention Centre to pick up our race number. We were impressed on how organised the race expo was. It was a seamless experience from picking up the race pack to trying out the latest running swag on display by more than 200 exhibitors. We also had fun taking as many free gifts as possible.
We also spent the day before the race wandering around the city. To say that the city skyline was breathtaking is an understatement. Walking along Lake Shore, we had the mighty Lake Michigan on one side and the amazing Chicago skyline on the other. Chicagoans were friendly and we were blessed with good weather during our stay in the Windy City. Somehow, we felt at home when we were in Chicago. It was probably down to some familiar faces/groups within the running community.
The urban running crew movement is no stranger to Bridge The Gap. It was all started by the great Mike Saes with his New York’s Bridge Runners. The movement spread to other cities such as London (Run Dem Crew), Amsterdam (Patta Running Team), Copenhagen (NBRO) and Tokyo (Athletics Far East). The essence of Bridge The Gap is to connect the running crews worldwide, with the intention that everyone will have a running family wherever they go. We have played host to Berlin’s Run Pack, Hong Kong’s Harbour Runners and other running crews in the region such as Purple Lights of Singapore and Rush Runners of Jakarta. Chicago is the playground for 3run2 and GO! City Runners. Prior to our arrival, they helped us in finding an accommodation and provided tourist recommendations. We saw two members of 3run2 at the race expo and straight away we introduced ourselves. We connected as if we have had been friends for a long time. Beautiful.
It was the night before the race. After carbo-loading on delicious Malaysian food (prepared by our local Malaysian host), we laid down our race kits. It was a ritual to help us get into the right state of mind. Diana, on the other hand, has finished packing her cheering backpack that had everything from banners to cowbell to hydration gels. The night allowed us for one more sleep before the race
Running a marathon is not easy. Trust us, it did not get any easier even on the fifth marathon. It is also a distance that deserves respect, being one of the oldest events in the Olympics. Chicago Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors and it deserves every bit of respect. After all, we do not want to be in Chicago and not run a good race.
ABOUT KYSERUN KREW:
Kyserun Krew was formed in August 2013 by five friends who had one aim: to inspire people to enjoy running. We are not a traditional running club and we do not try to be one. We focus on becoming a family who encourages others to take one step after another. We use the city as our playground and the track to burn our lungs. We live by the motto, ‘Together We Attain Great Miles’, literally and figuratively. We cheer the first to cross the finish line and celebrate the last. Find us on IG @kyserunkrew.
