Half Marathon Name and Date
Ottawa Marathon, May 30, 2010
My Finish Time
3hrs/40 min.
How Many Half Marathons I've Completed
Two in total
How I Trained for the Half Marathon
I trained with the Team In Training Montreal Group. Our training began end of January through the beginning of May. In February and early March, on some days we were training in -40 degree whether, we all thought that we were nuts for doing this, but when we met the cancer survivors that we had helped raise funds for, we felt that our training was nothing compared to what these survivors had gone through, so we all put our big boy and big girl pants on and continued going forward to reach our goal.
How I Did It
The big day was exiting, as we all approached the starting line, the blood was pumping, and everyone was exited to begin. Our coaches wished us luck, and our team mates all hugged one another. The actual walking was brutal on the legs and feet, and at the 17KM post mark, we all seemed to want to drop from exhaustion, and call it quits. By the 18KM post, it was as though someone from above came down and pumped us up with energy to continue going forward, at the 20KM point, our coaches and mentors were there to make sure that the last kilometer would be as painless as possible, in the near distance we saw team mates waiting at the finish line, screaming that we were almost there, and just give it that extra boost. As we fixated on the finish sign, it seamed as though the minutes didn't exist, and next thing you know, a buzzer went off, and photographers were taking our photos, along with team members. Although this year I completed in 3hrs/40 minutes, 20 minutes ahead of last year, I was slightly disappointed, and felt that my time was much better during training. As I was being awarded my medal, (well deserved I might add) I realized that at the age of 49, I did much better than the statistics of a women my age, I looked around, and realized that many men and women 1/2 my age had not reached the finish line yet. I had cancer survivors that had thanked my at the finish line, and expressed that I was their Hero. This had put it all into perspective for me, and it brought joy and satisfaction. As I look at my medal from time to time, I re-live the moments of the finish line, and it brings a sense of serenity that no one can describe with words.
I need to thank my walking partner, Mr. IPOD, I don't think that I could have completed the 1/2 marathon without it.
Lessons learned
- The biggest lesson that I have learned in being able to complete my second 1/2 marathon, was that the training process played a big role in preparing me for the big day. Over the months of training, I had experimented with different foods, shoes, and clothing. Although our coaches and mentors had great advise, in the end, I basically did what I felt was best for me, I listened to my gut, and I prevailed in the end. I strongly feel that when we listen to our inner voice, we cannot go wrong. If I would have to change one thing for my third 1/2 marathon, it would be, NO COFFEE right before starting.
