Running the Chicago Marathon? Start training
BY Mitch dudek Staff Reporter/mdudek@suntimes.com June 6, 2011 8:04PM
Runners pass the shade from a grove of trees at mile 16 during the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10, 2010. | John J. Kim~Sun-Times
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Updated: May 9, 2012 9:34AM
Lace ’em up.
Tuesday marks the first day of running in the 18-week program used by thousands to train for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9.
Novice marathoners are tasked with running three miles today — a number that slowly builds each week until runners reach the 20-mile mark in week 15, after which, distances taper until the big day.
“It works, people just have to have faith,” said Hal Higdon, creator of the program, which is used by the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) and countless lone-wolf runners.
Higdon, 79, who’s run 111 marathons, qualified for Olympic trials and authored 34 books, is considered the grandfather of Chicago distance running. He created the novice running program, as well as ones for more experienced runners in the early 1990s after years of trial and error.
“It’s pretty much foolproof; the success rate is something like 99 percent. If we can get you to the starting line, we’re gonna get you to the finish line,” said Higdon, who grew up in the South Shore neighborhood and serves as a consultant to CARA.
In Higdon’s view, new runners need to tap their inner child — the one your parents told to stop running in the house.
“Running is something we learn when we are very young and then forget about. Kids will run and run for hours, just playing. Basically we’re just tapping into old memories and relearning how to run,” said Higdon, who still runs, but does more biking near his home in Long Beach, Ind.
CARA, the largest running group in the Midwest, has 3,000 runners participating in the program, meeting twice weekly in the city and suburbs.
“The bulk of our runners are novices, it’s their first marathon,” said Megan Sullivan, who manages CARA’s training program.
Runners need not be jittery about the long road ahead.
“Just realize you are part of a huge movement, you’re not alone,” Higdon said. “And despite nervousness, on day of the marathon, you’ll look around and find 40,000 other people who are just as nervous.”
And, don’t forget, Higdon added, enjoy it.
“There’s a certain pleasurable feeling that comes from moving through the air, especially this time of year. . . . It’s a wonderful time to be alive. Summer in Chicago is a special time, particularly if you’re a marathoner.”
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