The 2014 BMO Vancouver half-marathon snuck up on me like a final exam sneaks up on a truant student. I hadn’t run more than once or twice a week in the previous months, and those were just social runs, ways to catch up with friends and enjoy the beauty of the UBC trails at the same time. I hadn’t created a training plan or set any running goals for the year. In other words, I wasn’t prepared and shouldn’t have run it. But of course, that didn’t stop me!

10 minutes into the race, however, I made a promise to myself: whether I survived or not, I would write this blog article to share my foolishly-earned Lightfooted Lessons from the race course. So, here’s my first blog post in over three years… please enjoy it and then go and run for someone you love (see Lesson #3).

1. Honour Where You’re At.
   
   In the week leading up to a forgotten race, a couple of long, hard ‘catch-up’ runs isn’t going to make a difference in any positive way. What will is honouring exactly where you’re at in the taper. That means psychologically committing to the race, humbly acknowledging you’re running it to learn and to grow so next time you have ample motivation to train properly. As I usually run two to three half-marathons a year, and maintain a solid fitness base with weekly yoga, runs, bike rides and swims so my race time doesn’t vary much, this ‘reminder’ that there is healthier ways to approach the starting line is a lesson I can apply to the next race, the SeaWheeze on August 23. Equally important, is committing to letting go of a race, if running it poses a threat to your future health & happiness, as it did for my fiancé. He is flying to Australia this week and the possibility of leaving with an injury was a serious deterrent, one which we honoured. He got no pressure from me to run, but he did join me in the race-day prep, which was greatly appreciated, as he made the delicious pre-race pasta dinner!

   Applying the lesson of honour. The day before, we wore the bright ‘blazing’ yellow technical tee-shirt given out in the BMO Vancouver race kit around home all afternoon (great fit – a rarity with race jerseys, but alarmingly see-through), enjoyed said carbolicious dinner and laid out all our favourite running gear. Nothing new, nothing different. Just what we would wear for a long, slow run in the rain. A good night’s sleep and three alarms set on two different phones for 5:30am to ensure I didn’t sleep through the race. It would prove to be the most extraordinary run in the end.

2. Race Mindfully.
   
   Everything about an un-trained race is yours to learn from. Starting with setting a goal of “I will learn from this race and honour where I’m at” (see lesson #1) will let you focus on what’s most important: finishing with your body intact, not your ego. Your main task is to run mindfully, listening to your body and giving it exactly what it needs.

   Applying the lesson of mindfulness.With my first steps of the BMO half-marathon, I focused on my breath, letting it stay level, deep and fulfilling. I never let it get shallow or ragged. My breathe determined my optimal pace. My music supported this with rhythmic and calming ‘comfort’ tunes from Broken Bells, Vampire Weekend and a long-time favourite, the Due South soundtrack. I covered my trusty Nike+ running watch with my jacket sleeve so the numbers didn’t dictate my decisions. Whatever I needed, whenever I needed it, I honoured it – water, a walk break, gel shots, hugs and high-fives from the  spectators that braved the rain to re-energize me as I needed.

   This meant I ran an optimal split time, entering the second-half of the race feeling strong and in the groove.  When I passed the 16km sign and checked my watch for the first time, I felt comfortable adjusting my goal to get as close to a 1hr 50min finish time. (Chip time, mind you, not gun time, considering I placed myself waaaay back in the 2:00-hour finish corral at the start, so not to let ego run the race.) I crossed the finish line with a sprint and a deep sense of gratitude. In the end, the race time didn’t matter at all, as I didn’t get a finishing time (crossed the wrong mat perhaps?) but got a much bigger gift. Read on to the biggest lesson of all, that of gratitude.

3. Run with Gratitude.
   
   Running in a race is a chance to reflect upon the fact that every deep breathe you take, every level step you take is a gift. The brightly coloured tribe you belong to isn’t running from man-eating dinosaurs, or an army, or from any other force threatening their freedom. You and your fellow runners are united in your ability to move forward,  all pulling towards a single outcome, all inspired by a multitude of reasons to cross the finish line.  When you run with gratitude, pain, discomfort and worry dissipates (I’m pretty sure that’s a scientific fact).

   Applying the lesson of gratitude. With the rain doggedly determined to drench Vancouver all morning, this lesson was mine to soak-up. I drew on the energy of runners around me and spent the race focusing on all the most positively helpful elements of my environment. I  thanked volunteers whenever I could – especially those handing out water (two+ hours with wet fingers and still smiling is a feat!) I thumbed-up and thanked spectators for cheering and bands for playing. I stopped to hug my dear friends standing in the rain. I got an intense runner’s high from the fact that I could breathe and take in so much beauty around me.  I crossed the finish line thinking of my family and after taking a moment to reflect on the lessons of the race, called my grandparents to tell them I loved them. This call was a gift beyond all others, as my Gramps passed away peacefully later that day. For his gentle hello and good-bye that morning, I will forever be grateful. He was our family’s moral compass, creative fountainhead and our very own health guru. And to him, I dedicate the training of my next half-marathon. I think he’d like that.

   

Who – or what – do you train for?