The story of my journey into the unknown, taking on an unfathomable challenge, and proving to myself that I’m not as limited as I’d once thought.
Boston Marathon 2019
My feet were raw and tender as they pounded the hot pavement, surely blistering and likely bleeding inside my new Nike VaporFly’s. My singlet and shorts were drenched in a combination of sweat and water, heavy and sticking to my skin. I wiped away a pool of sweat from my brow and glanced down at my Garmin which read 178 in large bold font, taking up the entire watch face. This was my heart rate, a number that had gotten too high too early, once again a byproduct of the inopportune race day sun and heat. This was mile 24 of the Boston Marathon.
Cornwall Marathon 2018
Well folks, I did it. I finally did it. On Saturday morning I ran the Cornwall Marathon in a personal best time of 2:56:39, nearly 3 minutes faster than what I’d run almost four years ago in Toronto. I finished 3rd overall and 1st in my category, but best of all, this race qualified me for the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Peak Week
I can't believe how fast this has come. All of a sudden I am wrapping up my peak week of training and am only 3 weeks out from the Cornwall Marathon. Between a few races, some horrible Ottawa winter weather, lots of travel, and a bit of an injury scare, this training cycle has really flown by. Now seems like a good time to take a step back and reflect on hows my training has gone since I ran the Hypothermic Half Marathon 5 weeks ago.
Chicago Marathon 2017
One foot in front of the other. Keep them moving. Strong form. Smooth motion. Continuous turnover. These were the things I was telling myself as I heard my feet pounding the hot pavement along with the shouts and cheers from thousands of encouraging onlookers. I'd been at this for over two hours at this point, and it wasn't getting any easier. I gave my head a quick shake and I exhaled with purpose in an attempt to snap myself out of the the delirious state of mind that had overcome me. Like an over-tired driver trying to wake himself up after continuously nodding off on a long road trip, I was convinced this would work. I winced in pain as I wiped salty sweat from my eyes and took a swig of the bottle of water that I had collected at some point from a well-wishing spectator. As I made the right hand turn onto Wentworth Avenue I gritted my teeth, dug a bit deeper and finally crossed the long-awaited 35 kilometre mat. I glanced at my watch expecting the worst.
2017 Canada Army Run
As I took off the start line with 6,700 other runners, I reminded myself of my race plan. “Take it easy” I cautioned myself. “Stick to your pace.” This race, unlike most others I’ve run, was not about going as fast as possible. It was not about getting a personal best. This race was a dress rehearsal. A dress rehearsal for the Chicago Marathon, which was a mere three weeks away. The goal today was to try everything out - nutrition, fuelling, hydration, clothing, pacing, drafting, kicking - everything that I would need come marathon day on October 8th. From a time perspective, my stated goal before the race was to run a 1:28:something. I wanted to cross that finish line in about the same time I’d plan on finishing the first half of Chicago.
Countdown to Chicago
After an epic 36km long run last Friday, I was making the long drive to Niagara-on-the-Lake for my sister-in-law’s wedding when it hit me. Chicago was only one month away. It’s been this distant goal for so long now, yet all of a sudden it was around the corner. As I cruised down highway 403 I thought about how far I had come - from not being able to run at all 6 months ago, to now feeling fitter, stronger and faster than ever. Training has been going well - really well. Here’s what I’ve been up to and where I’m at.
60 Days
A lump developed in my throat as I read this tweet. Woah, my race is coming fast. The last 12 months have been an absolute whirlwind of ups and downs for me from a running perspective. After coming back down from my highs - and lows - from Boston, I set my sights on running a half marathon PB, which I finally nailed in October in Vancouver (after a less than ideal race in Ottawa at the Army Run). Heading into the New Year, I was feeling stronger and more confident than ever. That was until I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a nemesis that would keep me away from doing my favourite thing for 4 months.
My long road to recovery
I'm back. I've said this before, and regretted it. I've wanted to say it again for weeks - months, really. But I've been too scared, nervous, and anxious to let myself admit it, or rather embrace it. I'd been burned once before, and didn't want that to happen again. But I'm ready now. I'm back. I've conquered my plantar fasciitis and am ready to kick off my training for the Chicago Marathon this fall.
The Big Picture
“Why are you doing this to yourself?” I sat there in silence for a moment, my foot soaking in an ice bath, thinking over the very pointed, honest question that was just posed to me. On the table in front of me, my marathon training plan was open on my laptop where I had been making constant tweaks and edits, trying - desperately - to Frankenstein my plan to accommodate injury recovery while ramping up to train for a marathon in less than 75 days. The math wasn’t adding up, no matter how many ways I approached it. “It can be done” I’d been telling myself. But it was becoming clear that I’d been trying to force a square peg into a round hole.