I had the opportunity to go and watch the 30th running of the Chicago marathon. We went and got a great spot around mile 22 (it was such a good spot that we even spotted ourselves on tv later). It was fun to watch the elite runners, but I did learn that its lonly at the top. While I'm used to runnig with a mass of humanity around me, the elites and seeded runners are practically by themselves. It was aslo interesting to see that even some of the "better" runners had to sto
p and walk. I had also never seen any wheelchair participants, and while we missed the winners of that race go by, we did get to see quite a few of the wheelchair athletes. One guy appeared to only have use of one arm and so he cranked himself the whole 26.2 miles with just one arm. While the weather was rough, most of the people who passed us seem to have the usual expressions, some with determination, some with relaxed faces and those with agogny (I'm extremely familair with the last one). If you haven't seen the any of the finishes to the three races (wheelchair, mens and women), I suggest you check them out, as they were all filled with drama. 
I felt a little twinge of remorse for not running early in the weekend, but watching the runners, I was quite happy to be on the sideline, maybe some other time that desire will return, but until then, I'll enjoy my view from the side.
