This past weekend, I found myself waking up at 5:00 AM in order to participate in the BMO half marathon. If you’re wondering why anyone would want to do such a heinous activity, you’d be right to question that. For me, it was about proving a point.
I ran cross country back in grade 8, and had always wanted to know how I would do during a marathon. My sister as well as other friends have done it, and I figured I could put up a decent enough time. I also love personal fitness challenge type stuff, like the beep-test in high school or challenging myself at the Grouse Grind.
A friend of mine and his family were planning on running, with one member of their party having to bow out due to an injury. I was alerted the day before the marathon that it was a possibility for me to take his place. They kind of sarcastically asked if I would join, and I figured it was the best opportunity I had, without having to pay the entrance fee.
A record 20,000+ total entries, the most event finishers ever in the Marathon, and the event's most finishers ever in the Half: https://t.co/J6GwCvgJcL #bmovm #runvan https://t.co/xIcZ9HVmfX pic.twitter.com/iDZdlNkKAX
— Vancouver Marathon (@BMOVanMarathon) May 7, 2023
I agreed to run, but it seemed like they didn’t take my commitment seriously. There were a few eye rolls, because who would want to run without any training? All this fueled my desire to prove them wrong.
I’m a very competitive person, and I particularly like the mental side of sports. I feel like this is an area I excel at while playing baseball, and I knew that mental fortitude was extremely important in running as well. I mean how couldn’t it be, you’re running for almost two hours straight.
I was able to wake up on time and get to the start with plenty of time. The race started and I felt great for the first half. I was making great time and loving my decision to run. The second half, however, was an absolute slog, as my pace slowed down quite a bit. There were people cheering on runners along the way, which for some reason made it more difficult for me to keep going.
Thank you to the event's nearly 3,000 volunteers! Logan leads the 8KM here with the bike crew @VancouverPD @runvancanada #bmovm #runvan pic.twitter.com/To50dUYdkX
— Vancouver Marathon (@BMOVanMarathon) May 8, 2023
Since I’m competitive, I never considered stopping, and was able to finish in a respectable 1:47:29 time. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t on the verge of puking or passing out as I was going. The worst part came when I stopped. My legs completely tensed up, and I could barely walk. I’m sitting here two days later, and I’m still having a lot of trouble getting around.
I know, I know. I only have myself to blame for doing this without training. Surely, I would have a quicker recovery if I had been running in the weeks leading up to the race. But running the marathon brought up some memories from my past running days: I don’t enjoy running.
The result was positive, as I have a good body type for running and can pace myself pretty well. I think I ran it about as fast as I could have, but I don’t enjoy the process of running. With other sports and in general with life in the working world, I’ve realized that if I don’t like the process, the result is meaningless.
So you will not be seeing me at the next marathon in Vancouver. I respect people that enjoy running and putting in the hours. But its just not for me.