It was quite the ride to the start line and a journey to the finish.
I started the morning about 430am. Tried to eat my oatmeal but nothing was going down. Managed to have my normal coffee, stretch, foam roll, and packed a smoothie for the road. I tried to keep my pre-run routine as normal as possible. It was just another run, right?
I got to the event about 630am to cheer on my friends doing the half marathon, some for the very first time! I was proud of each and everyone one of them for doing the half and the full, even in the heat! My friends were off about 720am (10,000 people to get through the start line, takes a while!) and I was off for a pottie break. I was nervous. Everything I had been working for and towards for the last 4 months was to come to light. Would I be ready or not, even if not, I was doing it.
I found my friends I had been running with the last four months. We nervously lined up. I checked facebook about 745am to find out that the leader of the half marathon was already in Stanley Park and likely to finish shortly after we were to start (turns out, he set a course record of 1 hour 4 minutes. I don`t even run a 10km that fast! Holy that`s fast). The gun went off and we were off. Wow! It still hadnt`t hit me that I was actually running a marathon but I was going with it.
We turned onto Cambie down to 49th. While on 49th Chef Tojo was out cheering us on! I also saw the best sign on this stretch "You have great endurance, call me!" Made me laugh about the 7km marker. Everything was going great then Camusen (sp) Hill. Halfway up the hill there was a "dry shower" to the left, "wet shower" to the right. kids were out with a hose hosing anyone of the runners off that wanted to cool off.
I was feeling really great until about 16 or 18km then the heat and boredom hit. Its really boring around the back of UBC and in around the Southlands area. Not much in the way of crowds (random people were out cheering), not much in the way of bands, no cheer groups. Then at 20km I had to start walking. The heat was getting to me, my foot was getting a little sore and for the next 10km I had to talk myself into continuing the marathon. I was feeling heatstroke, delirious, moments of self-doubt. There were two other girls that kept passing me and then I would catch up and pass them. I decided about the 26km marker that I would make sure they were always in my sight.
Two km before the Burrard Bridge and the 30km point my heatstroke was worse. I was trying to not be sick, although I thought, if I could just be sick then I won't need to continue. Once I got over the bridge back into downtown I started feeling ok again. The crowds were thin at this point as I was the back end of the marathon runners, but there were still people out cheering on the runners. Once we hit the seawall runners going opposite way were high-fiving me. I had people stand up from benches cheering me on, I started to feel a surge of energy. I was tracking my race on my Nike app on my phone and around the 21 mile marker, I actually started to go faster! I think that was the motivational mile around the Seawall. There were quotes up from around BC from random people to keep you. These were great although I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the Gandalf quote! Dead in my tracks and cracked up! Really! A Gandalf quote!
I came around the last corner of Stanley Park and saw downtown, close, so close. I was 2km away at this point. Marathoners who had finished before me were at the last corner before I came to Pender Street (and the finish line) and cheering me and the others who were yet to finish. At the coral to the finish line three of my friends were waiting for me, two up ran up one side, one the other. I had another group of friends cheering me on about 50 metre from the finish line and then three of my friends were waiting for me on the other end of the finish. It was great!
I had just finished my first marathon and what did I do before I even got my medal, fell to the ground, might have kissed it too. I had a first aid guy come running over to make sure I was ok or if I wanted a wheelchair. To be honest, I wanted to sit in the wheelchair and have my friends take my picture of me getting my medal that way, would have been pretty funny. As soon as that medal was round me I was drinking the fireball, yummy! Re-hydrating like a boss.
I felt reborn after I did the marathon, like I had died at the 28km marker and came out the other side, changed, victorious. This was a special moment for me, it wasn`t just finishing the marathon, it was conquering something in myself to continue, to finish no matter the time it took me to do it. Will I do one again (not attached to Ironman that is)...hell yes!!! I plan on doing it next year with my friends Selina and Erica. Both were to do it this year with me but unfortunately got injured (one broke her foot rushing the stage at the VSO!). I have a good feeling both are going to be in great shape for the marathon and I`ll be there to cheer them both across the finish line!
