# @emmajanelbates on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DBM63Miu3y0
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/24095729-emmajanelbates-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ebbc336f88.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-10-16T22:31:19.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Emma Bates (@emmajanelbates) — https://gondola.cc/emmajanelbates

## Caption

Chicago Marathon Race Recap, Part 1:

A lot of people have been asking. “Why have such big goals [of 2:18-2:19] if you knew you were dealing with an injury?”
Injuries come in all different shapes and sizes.

A couple months ago I walked away from the Falmouth Road Race with glute and hamstring tendinopathy. I don’t regret running that race as I ran with more confidence and heart than I ever had before. Unfortunately, the strength of my heart slightly outweighed the strength of my body. 

Tendinopathy: “a degeneration of the collagen protein that forms the tendon”

In other words, the area around the tendons of my glute and hamstring were now weak and could take weeks if not months to heal and feel strong again.

Every day was hard and uncomfortable, but I felt as though we had made a lot of progress. Even though I knew deep down it would be a tremendous challenge, I had hope a 2:18-2:19 could still happen.

After all, years ago, my goals were:
- A Top 5 finish at my first World Major (I placed 4th at the 2019 Chicago Marathon)
- To break 2:24 (I ran 2:23:19 and placed 7th at my first World Championships
- To win a World Major (I took 2nd at the 2021 Chicago Marathon and 5th in my first Boston Marathon in which I led the majority of the race and ran 2:22:10)

All that is to say, once I put my mind to something, once I instill the utmost belief in myself, big things always happen. I have found so much peace in my journey. 
I love that I have big goals, I love that I don’t always hit them. It means I continue to have something to shoot for. 

I was walking up to that starting line happy and proud and not giving a flying F about what would happen if I “failed.”

#chicagomarathon #chicagomarathon2024 #marathon

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## Tags

marathon, chicagomarathon2024, chicagomarathon

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