Lasalle Chicago Marathon - T-Minus 1 Month, Excitement Runneth Over

Excitement runneth over. I've got exactly one month to round into form for the Chicago Marathon in October. Everything about this race has got me bubbling over with evangelical enthusiasm of a 5 year old on Halloween night. Why?

- Completing a marathon in 3:30 is my one athletic goal for the year - now that I've given up most of the competitive sports of my youth, it's infinitely more fun being competitive with myself than with others

-  The race has 45,000 runners and runs straight through the heart of Chicago - it's crazy how we can't generate similar levels of turnout, enthusiasm and sightlines here in Toronto (our races should run through the great neighborhoods of Chinatown, The Annex, Kensington, Queen West, College, University, Church St. - not industrial wasteland)

- Chicago is a great town and the tragedy is I've never been there for more than hotel stopovers and indoor conferences  - I love the Cubs, I love the Black Hawks, Wrigley Field, Great steaks, Millenium  park, 2016 Olympic bids, Mayor Daley's ability to get stuff done and have some great friends in Chicago

- the race is 30 years old - and after only being able to squeak out 4,600 runners in its debut back in 1977, it has 45,000 this year and has been booked solid  since February  - it's great to be something much bigger than oneself. Note to interested 2008 runners, heed the warnings book no later than January - myself and my running mates have waited 23 years to get into this one.

- running is a cult - it's similar to when I was head of marketing for Guinness in Canada - hold this interest in common and its a shorthand for "i like you, let's talk"

- the organizers have done a bang up job created added buzz and exuberance

• they have a Facebook group where I have exchanged messages and friend-ed with a number of Canadians headed down to Chi-town for the run (included those maimed by bad joints before the race - you know who you are)

• they have a user-friendly website with all the details and background for the often looked  tourist who accompanies their runners

• they have insider tips on how the course is laid out and a great Google mashup map of the race course - i now know where I'm going to bonk

• great sponsorship, they have the Energizer Keep Going zones - this is the best branded experience opportunity I have heard of in awhile

• finally I visited their supported blog and forum network through a site called "realbuzz.com"  a neat company who are based out of London and have established a great beachhead in the U.S. for people passionate about active lifestyles - as God is my word, we will launch the equivalent here north of the border, this is great Active 2.0 stuff for an audience that is affluent, educated, influential and massively overlooked in Canada - if you are reading this blog and are interested in social media, web 2.0, active life and live in Canada, join my cause     

Oh, by the way, anybody want to sponsor me? Here's the idea - each person can sponsor a mile - what a great branded entertainment vehicle. The My Name is Kate Millenium Park Mile, The Client Side Wrigleyville, The Craphammer Chinatown, the Fruits of Imagination Lincoln Park, the Common Sense PR Prairie district, the Tell Ten Friends West loop, the PR Works Sears Tower, the Blogging me, Blogging You International Mile and the Six Pixels of Separation finish - perfect brand integration (and i will take options of what i should be listening to on my iPod during your sponsored mile).