Moms Can Have A Summer Blog Too: How to Run a Marathon

26 July 2015

Today I ran the Kamloops marathon. That's 42.2km of running. It took me 3 hours, 23 minutes, and 2 seconds. That's the fastest I've ever run that distance by more than 6 minutes. Here's why...

I started badly. I started fast. Too fast. Why is that's problem? Because even though it feels great to run fast at the beginning, it costs a lot of energy. Every bit of extra energy you use at the beginning means you will run out of energy earlier towards the end. And it's at the end of the race you really need it... Anyhow. So I started too fast and it made me worried early. But after a few kilometres, I saw my mom and decided I would be okay.

Once I hit Westsyde road, I could only think about one thing; I mean 2 things: Adam and Dana. That thought kept me focused to kilometre 15. I ran through the Dunes, headed down Overlander Drive and this is what I saw:

Did that sight make me happy? You decide: do I look happy?

I had a running buddy for a little while:

That was a nice treat. I hardly ever have a running buddy!

The trek back down Westsyde road was long and lonely. I lie. After Oak Hills, we met up with the half-marathoners. These were the 2-hour-plus finishers which meant they were running a much slower pace than I was. It became a game: see how many people you can pass. Another marathoner had caught me up and was running with me and we played the game together. The most memorable moment along this part of the run was passing the blind half-marathoner. She and her running companion were doing awesome. Seeing them and knowing their story was a very emotional moment for me. I applauded them, wished them well and got the biggest energy surge of the race.

Other than passing half marathoners, there was nothing much going on during this stretch. Or was there? Who is that familiar face? My Dad! And then my Mom! That gave me energy all the way to the Overlander bridge. There, I got a bit of a kick: I saw a marathoner ahead of me and decided to pass her. As I ran by, her companion wondered what I had I my water pack. Best comment of the race...

The run through Riverside Park was LONG. At this point, I had already run 30km and I was getting tired. The only marathoners I saw were ahead of me and on their way back to McArthur Island. Just as I was getting discouraged, I saw this:

The best part was I knew I would see them twice. During the toughest mental part if the race. You can see that I really needed the boost. This is me on the way out at km 32:

Tired, but happy. Here is me at km 34:

Tired and no longer happy. But here's the thing: I knew I was in the home stretch. I was headed to McArthur Island and the finish line. There, I knew I would sees my mom, my dad, my parents-in-law, my Huffer, and my Cat. I found another gear and started the kick for home.

I will now interrupt my story to tell you this: while it felt at this point like I was flying, anyone watching me would think I was going at turtle pace. The reason: late in the race, it takes a lot of energy just to keep going at the same pace you started out at. And this late in the race, there is no energy left. I always have a bite of Clif bar every 5 minutes all the way through the race. After km 36, I started popping bites like candy and pretended they were magic beans full of rocket fuel. Maybe it worked. Who knows.

Back to the story.

I passed one more person with 4km to go. I was exhausted. I was disoriented. It's a good thing there were lines on the road and course marshals to tell me where to go because I would have been completely lost. Just when I wondered if I'd made it onto McArthur Island, I saw what I'd been looking for ever since I started: the finish line. And even though I had been feeling like someone had tied anchors to my ankles, dropped me into a big pool of jello, and told me to run; I suddenly felt light as air. My legs found a new gear and I sprinted for home. As I crossed the finish, I saw everyone who had supported me throughout the race and I was grateful. It was over. And I finished strong! At some point, someone (I don't know who) put a medal around my neck.