The race started well. My friend John Grebe, I and a couple of his friends pushed up to the front of the open start (I did not get a preferred start this year). We joked with fellow runners and tried to ignore our mounting anxiety. When they lowered the barrier we melded with the folks ahead. It took maybe five minutes to shuffle to the the start line, but with a chip on my shoe it didn't matter - I would get a corrected time.

It was crowded but from the start I had running room. My first two miles averaged 16:55, which meant I was already better than my hoped for 8:30 per mile pace for the first half of the race. Nothing like thousands of runners with you to pull you along!

John and I soon lost track of each other in the crowds.

I watched my heart rate and kept it pegged in the 148-152 range, which, given the heat, was both in marathon range and yielded the pace I wanted.

Through mile five or so I kept up my pace. In the next seven or so miles I backed off just a little, with my heart rate running 156-150, the insidous heat taking effect almost without notice at the time. I did start appreciating the shade and feeling the intensity of the sun as the sun rose higher and the spotted clouds disappeared.

I took a bathroom break at five miles and took my time walking through a couple of the water stops before mile 13 to be sure I was properly hydrated. I did resist the free beer offered as we ran alongside the United Center, as well as the guy earlier who mimicked a ballgame beer guy: "Free beer here! Get your free beer here!"

Though I did note some funny signs and colorful spectators (including the famed boy cheerleaders as we turned along the northernmost part of the course) and all sorts of verbal encouragement, I maintained a good racing focus, being mostly "in the moment" of running rather than being distracted. I did think repeatedly about staying loose and running easily and freely so I would not expend unneeded energy being too tense. I think this was an effective mindset.

At around 12 miles I came up on John and he clearly was off pace. He said his hip was hurting. I put my arm on his shoulder and give him a "You can do it!" Then I motored on, concerned about John's condition but knowing I could not do anything more for him. He told me after the race he had dropped out a few miles later after being joined by his son, hoping to save himself for the California International Marathon in December and a hoped for Boston time.

In my head I still had an older version of the course imprinted, so I was really happy to see the mid point banner come up soon after turning west and crossing the Chicago River out of the Loop. It seemed a couple of miles earlier than where I remembered, which was great! Though I crossed the 13.2 mile mark in 1:58, subtracting my necessary breaks I was running an 8:40 pace or so, which was fine. Even at 1:58 I had five minutes to give in the back half and still get my Boston time of 4:00:59 or less.

Nonetheless, I wanted to put a little more time in the bank knowing I would almost inevitably slow in the later miles, so I picked it up a bit, silently repeating a mantra about getting a Boston time. It worked - I ran mile 14 in 8:25 and felt OK.

I kept up this greater intensity, even though my times and heart rate started slipping again. What mattered was that I was on pace for my Boston time...until I started to feel twinges in my legs. Ohhh, that's not good! I knew this feeling, having cramped in some of my previous 26 marathons. I tried to ignore the repeated knotting of muscles, especially in my right calf, which was possible for a bit, and then I ran more on my heels and that helped. But by mile 18 the leg cramps could not be ignored. I backed off, knowing I would not make my Boston time standard of 4 hours. Darn!

It was pretty hot but beyond the cramps - which certainly could be attributed to the heat as much as to any other cause - I felt fine. I wanted to keep running. I had coped by drinking extra water and Gatorade, freely consuming salt capsules and consuming gels that had added salt.

I walked for a while, along the southernmost part of the course in Bridgeport. When I approached the turn east crossing the Dan Ryan Expressway just before U.S. Cellular Field, someone had posted a hand-written sign saying "Race cancelled. It's a fun run." I laughed at this seeming joke.

I started running as we entered the IIT campus, but calculating that a four hour finish would not be possible given my cramping, I just ran easy. Then as I was running slowly north on south Michigan Avenue, at about mile 23 someone on a loudspeaker on the course and then police from a car loudspeaker announced the race was canceled, no official times were being given and we needed to walk in. Some around me kept running, but I was OK with this - kind of a party walking! I spent some time talking with a Glen Ellyn guy who was a 4:30 pace leader. He did not stop his pace group until he had it from the mouth of a race official that the race was over; after that he kept yelling at the runners going by: "The race is over. There are no finishing times. We'll all get the same time and a medal. Don't run!"

I walked until we turned onto Columbus and I could see the finish line banner. Then I ran in the final 400 meters to loud cheers from many spectators, crossed the finishing line timing mats and got my medal. I can understand why those behind me who were bused in were not happy - running across the finish line at one of the biggest marathons is a big kick, even when you have done it ten other times at Chicago and in this case did not get an official time.

I know everyone wants to know what happened with water on the race course. Personally at the official marathon water stops I had all the water and Gatorade I needed - even ice and offers to have water poured on me - and more of the same from all sorts of spectators and at unofficial water stops - but I gather some others did not. I think the marathon organization did the best it could under very difficult conditions. It was eerie hearing all the sirens and seeing all the ambulances. I saw no more people in trouble than I did when it was hot at Boston a few years ago - but clearly this was worse.

Now I need to find another race as my Boston qualifier...

(I was the "older runner" whose experience in the race Coach Spivey talked about on Chicago Tonight on television this evening when he was a guest with Chicago Marathon Race Director Carey Pinkowski. I was glad Carey rejected the idea that a guy 55-60 was "old"!)