I’m taking you with me to Chicago for my first World Major and my first standalone marathon (I’ve done marathons before, but Dopey is a whole different kind of chaos). This weekend vlog starts with travel day and “Chicago 101” figuring out the CTA/Ventra situation, then we jump right into all the pre-race fun: Skydeck on the 103rd floor, the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo (which was… not small, and honestly overwhelming), and all the pop-ups like Tracksmith and Bandit. I also do the very important carb-loading research: tavern-style pizza, donuts, and the “drink those calories, baby” dinner energy. I also share the mental side of going into race weekend when training didn’t go perfectly. I talk about nerves, comparing myself to other runners, and how hard it is when you *know* what a great training block feels like—because this one included a calf strain, getting sick, and just a lot of bumps. Then we do the Abbott 5K shakeout, sightseeing (hello, the Bean), and the full race morning routine before heading into marathon day. It was a rough day out there, but I finished Chicago Marathon 2025, got the medal, and I’m just grateful my people were there at the end—because sometimes the win is simply showing up and getting it done.