I found my race recap from my first marathon in October, 2014. A lot has changed about my running since then but I still use the same fundamentals. I continue to set three goals before any race: 1) have fun, 2) finish the race and 3) hit your aspirational time. I always have a pace, nutrition and hydration plan and I always arrive at least one hour before the start of the race.
I also found this video, a gem which I had forgotten about. Some parts make me cringe but the video captures the bliss of the finish line. This feeling of accomplishment comes from all races – it could be 5km or 10km, not only marathons. If getting in shape is one of your new year’s resolutions, planning a running race is a very rewarding way to get in shape.
Race Recap – Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2014
I live about an hour from downtown Toronto, where the race started. I got up at around 4am and started getting ready to leave. I made sure to review my three goals and my targets for pace which gave me a lot of comfort. It relieves the pressure when you remind yourself that you are not out to win the marathon. This is a very unrealistic goal. A much better goal is to ensure that you have fun. I also did a quick mental review of all my training. I had completed about 80% of my training plan which also gave me a lot of comfort. One of the things that I love about running is that you have either put in the work or you have not.
Starting Line:
I arrived at the race with my wife Lindsay about an hour and a half before the beginning of the race and the start line was already buzzing with excitement. I was happy to have Lindsay there with me, this was the first time that I had run a race bigger than 10km and I was nervous. It was a freezing October morning and I was only wearing one layer, some running tights and a T-shirt. I looked around and saw that some of the more experienced runners were wearing garbage bags that they had pushed their arms through. This was a smart move. You could wear the garbage bag at the beginning of the race until you warmed up and then throw it out along the course.
The Toronto Waterfront Marathon has its start line on University Avenue, one of the busiest streets in the city. It was quite a site to see it deserted from cars and filled with people. There was loud music playing as all of the runners started filing in to the start line.
Before I knew it, the race had started and I was running quickly down University with music blaring over the PAs and surrounded by thousands of runners. We turned on to Bloor street and I noticed that the loud music had faded away and I could hear the distinct sound of collective footfalls. This is a melodic and light sound but it is very distinctive. There is something very special about this sound. I have run a good number of races with large groups of people since this race and I always take note of this sound at the beginning of the race when everyone is running close together.
Mid-Race Cramping:
I was running at the pace that I had planned and things were going well. I hit my pace for the first 10k and enjoyed the scenery. There were steel drum bands and rock bands set up at the side of the road. There were spectators all over the course who had hilarious signs – a lot of them which had to do with getting beer at the end of the race. The thought of an ice cold beer always gets into my mind towards the end of a race. It was at this point that I saw Lindsay and the kids at the side of the road. They had come to watch and it was great to see them. I had only been on the course for two hours but it’s amazing what seeing your family can do to lift your spirits. I kept a good pace as I left my family and continued along the course.
I got fairly serious cramping in my quads at around 35k. I stopped at the side of the course and pulled my foot up behind my butt to stretch my quad. The stretch helped for about ten seconds until it made my hamstring to seize up. I immediately let go of my foot and stood up straight to get rid of the hamstring cramp. This made both quads to seize and I yelled out in pain. I made eye contact with an older lady who was watching the race. I will never forget the look of shock on her face when she heard me yell. She suggested that I stop the race but I was determined to finish. I had big knots in my quads but I decided to keep running and hope that they went away. I know now that salt pills would have gotten rid of those cramps fairly quickly.
Finish Line Bliss:
Fortunately, the knots in my quads did go away. It was painful running for about ten minutes and then my legs started functioning well again. I could tell that I was getting closer to the finish line and this gave me some renewed energy and focus. The crowds started getting bigger and everyone was cheering me on and calling me by name, your name is written on your race bib. I got to the final 1km stretch of the race and started to realize that I was actually going to finish my first marathon. I was exhausted but I somehow summoned enough energy to sprint through the finish line. There was an announcer on a loud PA and he announced my name and my time as I finished. It felt amazing to be done and to be walking instead of running. I got my medal from the volunteers and wore my medal proudly as I started walking back to find Lindsay. The feeling after a race is incredible, it often makes me tear up. I believe that this is your brain’s way of appreciating all of your hard work. My mind often brings me to my family at the finish of a race and I reflect on how much I love them.
