Everything I Ate in Chicago When I Ran the Marathon
I trained for 18 weeks to run 26.2 miles. But let's be honest — the real reason I went to Chicago was the food. Here's every meal, snack, and questionable decision from the weekend.
FRIDAY — Carb Loading Begins
Lou Malnati's Deep Dish
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, River North
You can't come to Chicago and not. I know deep dish is controversial. I know real Chicagoans supposedly eat tavern-style. I don't care. That butter crust, the chunky tomato sauce, the obscene amount of cheese — it's a religious experience.
Italian Beef (Dipped, Hot)
Portillo's, multiple locations
My first Italian beef ever. Ordered it dipped with hot giardiniera because I'm not a coward. The bread disintegrates in your hands. Your shirt will never recover. Completely worth it.
SATURDAY — Pre-Race Anxiety Eating
Breakfast Burrito
Cafecito, Loop
Cuban-style breakfast burrito with eggs, black beans, cheese, and their signature garlic sauce. Small, efficient, perfect for nervous stomachs. Paired with a cortadito that was strong enough to wake the dead.
Pasta Dinner at the Expo
Chicago Marathon Pasta Dinner, McCormick Place
Look, it's not gourmet. It's thousands of nervous runners eating mediocre penne in a convention center. But there's something beautiful about it — the shared anxiety, the terrible jokes, the collective hope that this will somehow help tomorrow.
SUNDAY — Race Day
Pre-Race: Banana + Peanut Butter
Hotel Room, 4:30 AM
The most boring and important meal of the trip. Two bananas, a packet of peanut butter, and a lot of water. Eaten in terrified silence while staring at the ceiling.
Post-Race: Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Random stand near Grant Park
I finished. I couldn't feel my legs. Some kind stranger handed me a hot dog with everything — mustard, onions, relish, tomato, pickle, sport peppers, celery salt. No ketchup, obviously. I cried a little. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted.
Victory Dinner: Steakhouse
Gene & Georgetti, River North
Old-school Chicago steakhouse. Wood paneling, white tablecloths, waiters who've been there for 40 years. I ordered a ribeye the size of my head, creamed spinach, and a martini that was mostly gin. I earned this.
MONDAY — Hobbling Around
Doughnut Flight
Do-Rite Donuts, Streeterville
Post-marathon recovery involves sugar. I tried the pistachio old fashioned, the maple bacon, and something called "The Couch" which is exactly what I became after eating it. No regrets.
One Last Italian Beef
Al's Beef, Little Italy
Because once wasn't enough. This time I went sweet peppers to compare. The bread was somehow even better. I shuffled out of there like a satisfied zombie, ready for the airport.
Running a marathon is hard. Eating your way through Chicago is easy. The combination is the perfect excuse to consume approximately 12,000 calories over four days without a single regret.
Next year: Tokyo Marathon. The food research has already begun.