I was brand new to running, living with diabetes and training for my first marathon. After a long journey full of learning, growth, setbacks and pain, the big finish was fast approaching. Here’s what came up in the last week before the marathon, and what carried me across the finish line.
1. Silence the critics again. Negative messages sometimes come back, and we have to be vigilant about blocking them. For instance, a friend called from the finish line of another marathon with this message, “It was so hard, my feet are killing me, I can’t walk, I have blisters all over my feet, this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” and then, “You really need to crank up your training, Shawn, and you might want to rethink doing the marathon so soon.”
I knew his intentions were good, that he was looking out for me and trying to help. But I didn’t hear one positive thing from him in the message. That’s why I needed to turn it around myself and MAKE it positive.
This WILL be hard, there’s no screwing around now. I heard that loud and clear. And I also felt a surge of some, “I’ll show you!” motivation.
I must have listened to that message at least 6 times before my next training run, which was the best one yet. It really set the pace for the last leg of my training before the marathon.
The day before the marathon, my inner critics started chiming in. My wife and I were walking around the runner’s expo. Surrounded by all of those athletic, long, lean running types, I said, “What am I doing here?” My wife wouldn’t hear any of it, reminding me that I am a marathon runner just like them, doing exactly what everyone else is doing.
2. Take it in and enjoy. And sometimes that’s not easy. The morning of the Vancouver marathon was cold, dark and rainy, and the weather called for the chance of freezing rain and snow.
It’s not what I would have chosen, but we just kept going with our plans. We all sat down for breakfast and I truly enjoyed the time visiting with my brother and his family.
There was actually a lot to enjoy about the first part of my day. My wife and niece left me with encouraging, loving words, and I made my way to the back of the group (knowing it would feel better to pass than to be passed).
I tuned everything else out and focused in on the most important reasons I was running this marathon – raising awareness about diabetes, encouraging others with diabetes to lead healthier lives and in memory and admiration of two special women – my mother and my wife’s aunt.
I stood and reflected on all of this. And even though I was surrounded by thousands of other runners and even more people lining the streets in support, that last ten minutes before the race started was one of the quietest times of my life.
Then we were off, with the crowds cheering, and I felt great. Over the first 10K, I really appreciated seeing many parts of Vancouver I’d never seen before. Hey, some people take bus tours – this was a jogging tour!
It’s a good thing I didn’t know Vancouver very well, because I had no concept of where I was and how far I still needed to go. It made it much easier to just settle in and enjoy.
3. Revisit your why. The halfway point of the marathon was in beautiful Stanley Park and included more cheering people and motivating music by a live band. And then, just past that, I came upon a massive hill, “You’ve got to be joking,” I thought. It was truly the biggest hill I’d ever run. And then the hail came down – big ice pellets that hurt when they hit.
I just started laughing, and said to myself, “Bring it on, man, bring it on, there’s nothing that’s going to stop me.” I could see other people struggling and quitting. I saw this was yet another test to pass. “How badly do you want this?”
When there was 12K left, I saw my wife and niece again. It was perfect timing, because things were about to get tougher.
For the last stretch of the race, we ran out and back to Kitsilano Beach – it was disheartening seeing how far we were running and knowing we still had to come back. My legs were killing and me and I hit the dreaded “runner’s wall.” I just wanted to collapse.
That’s when I took the time to refocus on my why, and to look down at where I’d written my mom’s initials on one sleeve and my wife’s aunt’s initials on the other sleeve. The rest of the run was life changing for me in many ways. As I saw myself passing runners who were in a lot better shape than me, I knew that my connection to my why was carrying me.
The last kilometer was amazing; knowing that my brother, both nieces and my wife would be there, seeing and hearing the crowds cheering, what an incredible moment. My wife and niece ran the very last stretch with me.
And then it was done. My blood sugar was running low – right back to the reality of living with diabetes – and I had to head straight for the food tent to take care of myself.
4. Celebrate your success. For me it was a dinner with family. It’s so important to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, no matter how big or how small. A lot of people and organizations don’t do this well. It’s also an opportunity to say thank you and express appreciation for the friends and family who supported you and helped make it happen. In my case, that also included my Team Diabetes training friends. They had all run another marathon in Rome, that I couldn’t participate in because I’d had a shoulder injury, but they were there with me in spirit.
And it also included my runner friend who left the message from Rome. When it was all over, I thanked him for that message and told him the effect it had on me. He was amazed at how well I’d done, even with a shoulder injury and less time to train.
So when you’re facing the finish line of whatever dream you’re working towards, be sure to stay vigilant against your critics, remember why you’re doing it in the first place and celebrate your big and small successes. And most of all – enjoy!
(c) Shawn Shepheard, 2007.
