Culture shock

At six a.m., my alarm clock went off. It didn't matter though, because I was already up. My heart thumped hard and my determination stood strong. I thought: Today is the day - the day of the half-marathon. I've worked so hard for this, and now it is upon me.

Hearty breakfast in and happy prep begins. The prep is a bit of a ceremony for me. I get the basic clothing on, then focus in on my feet. First, moleskin - a sticky blister preventative - is applied. Second, a blister bar -much like that of a deoderant stick - is applied to nasty spots on my foot, spots that are not for moleskin. Then, the socks. Last, the shoes (which I love). This time, an extra step occurred out of ceremony - the securing of my ankle-strap. This strap recognized when I cross the start and finish line for the Royal Victoria 1/2 marathon.

I also secured a paper number to my body, #3919, which identified me as a half-marathoner and just made me feel damned cool.

Angelo and I went for coffee, which I didn't really need, because my mood was beyond hyper. We made our way to the parliment building area and found the start line. The mood of the crowd of 8 000+ was dynamic. The electricity of runners inspired me. What, stretch? Oh yes, I need to do that.

Within a 10 minutes, the start of the race began. I was quite far back in the pack, but it was inconsequential. Elated, I crossed the start line and noted the chip bleeped, alongside many others, and marked my beginning.

I started slow, knowing the hype of the crowd would be alluring to join. This truly paid off for me, as my pace of the race really set me up for a fabulous result. Initially, I navigated the crowd cautiously, keeping my pace slow and observant of other eager runners. I quickly made an ally with a Crowsnest, AB runner. We ran for about 5 km and talked about the dynamics of the event and general life experiences. After a while, we parted, but I was thankful to have had someone to run with.

The run proved incredibly beautiful. Though rain was in the forecast, none occured. It was dreamy and absolutely wonderful to experience. The run took us through Beacon Park, up and down, and led us out to the Pacific Ocean. We ran alongside the great Pacific for several kms, twice. Simply wonderful.

At some point within the run, a family sitting out on their lawn blared the song to Chariots of Fire endlessly, and I felt like I was in slow-motion.

I planned my run, and followed the plan completely. Insert gel pack. Insert water. Insert Gatorade. Perfect - timing and feeling.

For a while, I ran with a 70 year old gent. We talked and enjoyed the ocean and then he politely told me (after a brief look at his watch) he had to go. Sure enough, he beat me, by at least a minute or two. Wow.

Later, at about 18 km, a lady approached me and mentioned my lovely pace, by which she followed throughout the event. Wow, thanks. She mentioned that she'd been doing this sort of thing for 25 years, or so, and that I was the best first-time 1/2 marathoner she's ever seen. She was 65 years old. Inspiring.

At this point, I went hard. I turned up the pace and finished strong. I ended at 2:20 hours. My goal was 2:30 hours, so I was quite pleased. I feel incredible. I could have kept going. A stellar experience.