Running My First Half Marathon

You only get one ‘first’ half- marathon race... The day did not start as a typical Sunday morning.  I was up early and I had butterflies! Everything was perfect that day.  The morning air was crisp and fresh, it was blue skies as far as the eye could see. It was going to be the hottest day spring and I was going to run the Calgary Half Marathon.I had been training for 16 weeks and inadvertently for the past 2 years. I had three goals to complete; first, enjoy the race, second, run all the way and finally, finish under 2:20:00. It would be 21.1 km of self-determination of the most epic proportion to meet the grueling challenge of crossing that finish line. 

The finish line is the most exciting part of the race, however, the start line is by far the most daunting. I was petrified all the way to race day, and it was a struggle to come to terms with the fact this was going to happen. Even after registering for the Calgary Half Marathon, I had thoughts of chickening out. These thought plagued me, thoughts that I would accidentally roll my ankle when training, I would oversleep and not hear my alarm go off or there could be a massive snowstorm on race day, I do live in Calgary, so  that could actually happen. Looking back, I had contemplated every kind of scenario that would get me out of it and I am so happy I did not let those negative thoughts win.

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”

Oprah Winfrey

Booty ...booty ...booty ...booty... rocking everywhere!  #MissNewBooty

I trained 16 weeks, which is early, as I know some people can train 12-10 weeks prior to race day. I wanted to get my leg strength, stamina and cardio to be at its best way before race day. I did not want my lack of preparation to be an excuse to have self-doubt.  I wanted be in the best shape of my life. I am proud to say I was running 80-100 km a month, 25-30 km a week and shaving second and minutes off my Personal Record (PR ) every month. I improved more in my first 6 weeks of training than I ever did in the past 2 years of running.  My confidence stated to peak when I was meeting and exceeding my weekly running goals. The more my running improved the more comfortable I got that a half-marathon was achievable.

At the 19 km mark and still smiling 



Loving the costumes

Changing your narrative is key to unlocking  self- doubt, but there are those few people who inspire you along the way. I was fortunate to have certain people who were runners enter my life and they pretty much sealed the deal that I could do this! Amazing people like Amanda B, whom I met last winter was a God send!   We connected through running and as she had completed multiple half and full marathons, she gave me the low down on all things to prepare for.  This conversation was had on a running trail by the Bow River in mid February ... FEBRUARY! There was still ice and snow on the ground and in total darkness as it was 4 pm. She is one of those runners, you know those runners! Runners that talk the whole way through a run... I at this time was not that runner! That was the most important run I ever had as I soaked in all her recommendations and knew I had to try this now or never.

Winter and Spring Training 

Celebrate every run & trusting the process

I immediately drafted my running strategy.  I needed to stop running only on treadmills, (outdoor winter running has to be done), understanding and identifying my  half-marathon pace is critical to pace your race and  I needed to develop a training plan that consisted of long runs, pace work and hill sprints. These all foreign terms to me but knowledge is power and I took all that she told me and ran with it   (pardon the pun).  I was recommended to read Runner's World Big Book of Marathon (and Half-Marathons).  It was the best book to read to prepare for my race and I highly recommend it to all running newbies. It gave me great tools for training, diet and it shares inspirational stories that make you believe in the process... trust the process!

Night Before Prep

Race day was surreal. I carb loaded the day before, so that meant guilt free binging on bread and pasta. I was in heaven! Saturday night I was in bed by 9pm as the race start time was 6:30am. I had my usual pre-run meal, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and topped with sliced banana.  I hydrated like crazy, did my stretching,  and of course used the bathroom ( this is the mist important think you will do pre-race!). It was so amped up on adrenaline heading to the Calgary Stampede Grounds and seeing a 15,000 runners with bibs and in costume excited to run their races. There was amazing energy in the air and a rush that I crave to experience again!

Calgary Marathon T-shirts & Medals

The Calgary Marathon is Canada’s longest running marathon and in  voted  Best Road Race in Alberta in 2014 . This marathon is the largest marathon in Canada that is a challenging, competitive and fun event with a race designed for everyone of any level. There is a 50 km Ultra, full marathon, half-marathon, 10 km, 5 km family walk or run and kids' marathon. This is a great race to ran as you can walk or run and there as so many people at different stages of their running journey and all levels are welcomed.

The Calgary Marathon was the best choice for my first race for many reasons, first, I was very familiar with the race course as it included my running routes in my neighbourhood and routes in  downtown Calgary that I ran with my  running club The Outsider( check them out on Instagram!). Secondly, this race is super organized, especially for the large number of runners participating in the race. I obtained my running package with bib and a sweet dry fit t-shit from Health and Wellness Expo and got to see many running vendors and wellness professionals.  The additional race perks included post run massages, medal engraving and personalized photos of your run are available for purchase.  Finally, I was most impressed with the atmosphere of the race. Along the racecourse there was designated cheer sites where spectators, photographers and local bands, buskers, musicians and performers entertained the participants.  This was a great moral booster t you need as a runner that just pushed you through race.

My Cheer Team

This is where I get all mushy and acknowledge my ride or die team. My handsome beau and my loving BFF are everything to me. They were the most amazing cheer team a runner could ask for! I was totally floored by how they managed to move along the race course and to catch me  4 times at  multiple cheer sites. Seeing them yell and scream my name throughout my race was a testament to the type of people they are.  They woke up at 4am for me… If a friend can show up even though they knew I got this and just because they wanted to share your dreams and success, they are keepers. I think I will be keeping them for life!

15 km mark along Kengsington side of the Peace Bridge (look a pace bunny)

The Finish Line

Lessons learned from my first half-marathon are, enjoy it, smile because you are having fun and take it one-step at a time. I will train with gels and chews next time guys, I eliminated this from my training and you should never try anything new on race day.  An omission I will never do again, my legs paid dearly for that at the 17 km mark. Brutal! My PR and finishing time was 2:05:13. I can not wait to try to do it under 2 hours next time!