Every race teaches us something.  Most races teach me many things.

Yesterday, I learned what it is like to drop out of a marathon.

I am still processing everything that happened, and working out the lessons that can be gained.  So far:

• I learned that you can make a very smart decision for very good reasons and still regret the outcome.  You can then consider every other outcome that was possible on that day, and realize they’d all have been met with regret.

• I learned that I can put on a brave face and celebrate the successes of others.

• I learned that non-runners “get it” a lot more than I ever gave credit for. In fact, some of them get it better than some runners.

• I learned that the runners who have been through it came out stronger because of it – even if they don’t notice that side effect for themselves.  They are then quick to step up and say, “hey, I did that that.  I know it kinda sucks, but know you’ll be okay.”

I know that it is only really a big deal to me, and that soon, it won’t even matter.  I know that one day someone will drop out of a race, and I will be able to say, hey, you’re not alone, I’ve done that too.

Besides, if every race were a PB, it would be kind of predictable and boring, wouldn’t it?  As Tom Krause once said, “There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.”

Well, the work week is over; my marathon weekend has begun!  I am excited, but I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it because it’s been an interesting week.  In reality, that’s probably just as well!  So now, I have to pack, and try to get a good night’s sleep tonight!

I’ll be heading to Toronto tomorrow morning in the hopes of catching the first shuttle bus from Nathan Phillips Square to the Expo.  After I pick up my kit, I have a small shopping list, and a few people I want to try to run into.

After that, the plan is to check into the hotel, and try and sit on my butt as much as possible.   Last year I had a blast walking all over Toronto visiting stores I don’t get to visit up here, seeing the sights, and meeting people at the bus station, but I really wore myself out!  That’s a pretty predictable outcome, of course, but I also had a strong hunch that I wouldn’t be walking all over Toronto AFTER the race.

Dinner will be something bland and predictable – no shocks to the system please!  I’ll probably set two alarms, or maybe request a wake up call, because I am a little paranoid that way – I won’t sleep well if I am worried about not waking up on time.  Then it’s early to bed, even though I know I won’t have a terrific sleep even with two alarms.

So that’s what I’m doing.  I guess there is no real point to this post beyond switching gears from week to weekend – race weekend that is!

5 more sleeps ’till my marathon!  This is, of course, assuming that I sleep the night before.  I’m amazed I haven’t started to freak out (too much) yet.

While preparing for a race sometime last year, I started a packing list.  I always have one of these when I go away, but this time I had the sense to save it on my computer rather than scrawl it on a giant Post-It Note.  So now, all I have to do is print off a copy and I am ready to get packing!  Of course, the list changes depending on the season and the weather, and I have added a few things over time that I wished I’d have thought of, but in general, it saves me some time and worry that I am forgetting things.

I thought I would share  my list with you, in case you’re packing too! Feel free to let me know if I’ve missed anything!

Running stuff:

¨       Running shoes         ¨       Hair elastic
¨       Socks                    ¨       Throw-away shirt (to stay warm at start line)
¨       Sports bra              ¨       Sunscreen
¨       Shorts/tights          ¨       Hat or visor
¨       Shirt                     ¨       Fuel belt and bottles
¨       Jacket                   ¨       Sports drink powder and measuring cup
¨       Garmin or watch      ¨       Gels
¨       Body Glide             ¨       Sunglasses
¨       Advil                     ¨       Chapstick
¨       Race Number belt   ¨       Nail clippers (to trim zip tie end)

Breakfast:

¨       Cereal                    ¨       Bowl and spoon
¨       Banana                   ¨       Milk (usually kept cold in ice bucket)

Other:

¨       Pyjamas                 ¨       Under garments
¨       Socks                     ¨       Comfy pants
¨       T-shirt                   ¨       Sweater
¨       Comfy shoes         ¨       Registration confirmation
¨       Applicable meds    ¨       Hotel confirmation

Toiletries:

¨       Toothbrush & paste ¨       Deodorant
¨       Brush                       ¨       Shampoo & conditioner

Someone asked me why I do it.

Why run for so many hours straight?  Surely at some point, a line is crossed where it isn’t fun anymore?  Why not just run for fun?

I tried to explain.

It is fun.  I mean not circus clown, helium balloon, ice cream cone, bouncy castle, giggle and laugh fun.  More like stretch limits, sweat hard, question sanity, reach exhaustion, ache after sort of fun.

That answer sure didn’t make sense.

Well sometimes there’s giggling-fun.  Like when you’re so tired that you’re a bit delirious, and the fact that you’ve named a dead skunk “Wayne” to make it less gross seems so hilarious that you laugh uncontrollably until you have to stop laughing so you can catch your breath so you don’t pass out sort of fun.

That still didn’t cut it.

Well then there’s the part afterward where you stretch, and debrief, and get cleaned up so you feel human again, and settle back with a coffee and a carb-protein snack to refuel.  That’s really fun.

While that made a little more sense, the question became, why run to exhaustion before you can enjoy coffee and a snack?

I gave up.

The truth is, if a person is asking these sorts of questions, there is no adequate answer.

It can’t be explained, it has to be experienced.

Apparently the whole Oprah running a marathon thing is a giant can of worms.

Most of the debate veers way off course and actually has little to do with Oprah at all.  This article, by Edward McClelland, as well as this one in Slate are just two of the articles claiming that Oprah, among others, ruined the marathon by making it more popular, and thus slowing the average finishing times.  Of course both articles are so full of assumptions, incorrect facts and flawed arguments that they can be torn apart and refuted paragraph by paragraph, but that’s been done.

But I do want to take a quick look at the overall concept that increased participation in the marathon, and the resulting slower average results, is somehow ruining the sport.  First, I want to acknowledge that this viewpoint really does seem to be from the ‘vocal minority’ – it has been my experience that most runners respect other runners regardless of ability.  Most runners are thrilled that others are embracing a sport that encourages an overall healthy lifestyle in a world that is becoming more sedentary.

I just don’t see how the increase in participation and resulting slower times have taken away from the accomplishments of elite and competitive athletes.  In the past, I have discussed that unlike in other sports, I can run in the same race as some of the best runners in the world, and I think that’s pretty cool.  But in no way do my results, or even my existence for that matter, impact the outcome of the race.  The slower average times do not hold back the winner.  And just like in other sports, they have elite competitions that most people do not get to participate in, such as the World Championships and the Olympics.  I won’t be going to either; but interestingly enough, neither will Mr. McClelland.

So why do these particular people feel so threatened by runners like me?  Are they truly worried about the integrity of the sport?  Because really, I don’t think that Haile Gebrselassie minds that I am out there, any more than Sidney Crosby feels that Timbits Hockey is somehow making the NHL less competitive.  In fact, I would argue that widespread interest in a sport can only benefit the future of the sport – the more of a market there is for it, the more support it will get.

So really, shouldn’t we be thanking Oprah for sparking, or at least contributing to the second running boom?

In The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life,  Amby Burfoot tells the story of Oprah Winfrey’s marathon.  I had known that Oprah ran a marathon in the 1990s in a time of about 4:30, but beyond that I hadn’t given it much thought.

Sure, I had heard she stirred up quite a controversy.  I mean, it’s Oprah.  Love her or hate her, you have to know that for anything she does there will be critics who lament that it is ruined because it was touched by Oprah.  Did she have an easier time of it because she’s Oprah?  Of course not.  I mean sure, it crossed my mind that she likely had a full support-crew with her during the race, not to mention a trainer, nutritionist and chef who helped get her there.  But she’s not magic.  Let’s give the distance its full due:  to get through it, you must put in the work; if you don’t, none of those advantages will make a lick of difference.

Let’s look at this from the flip side: when Burfoot tells the story of running the marathon behind Oprah, he does so in his chapter on Courage.  He points out that she was surrounded by photographers from publications such as the National Enquirer the whole way.  They sure weren’t there to put her picture on the front page because she’d run a marathon.  There would be no headlines reading “Oprah finishes marathon, meets personal time goal!”  Nope, they were there waiting for her to screw up.  They were waiting for some colossal failure for the front page.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like some serious pressure to me.

The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life: What 35 Years of Running has Taught Me About Winning, Losing, Happiness, Humility, and the Human Heart was written by Amby Burfoot, one of the editors of Runner’s World magazine and winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon.

The book has 15 chapters named for the lesson they discuss, for example “Winning,” “Traditions,” “Listening,” and “Courage.”  These are interspersed with “insight” which are fun little sections covering things like quotes, books, music and people.

I think what astounded me was that a Boston-winning runner and I have so many lessons in common.  I could relate to most of the chapters and loved the stories, both about Burfoot and about other people.

This is also a reader-friendly book because each chapter is short and story-based, so you can read a chapter each night before bed, or you mow through large sections all at once.  Then you can go back and read any one chapter on its own if you feel the need to be reminded once in a while.

If you are looking to add to your running library, I highly recommend The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life.

Remember the book All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten?

Even if you didn’t read it, maybe you remember all the spin-off posters and t-shirts that resulted from that book title – All I really need to know I learned from [my cat/my teddy bear/rednecks/whatever]…well here is my ever growing list of things I have learned from running:

• It’s not the destination, but the journey.
• It’s always better when there’s a crowd cheering you on.
• Porta-potties are your friend.
• There’s nothing wrong with stretching in public.
• You, too, can wear spandex.
• If you’re sweaty and you stink, you worked hard.
• Your own endorphins are the best high.
• You may not see the small day-to-day improvements, but if you’re consistent, you’ll suddenly notice how far you’ve come.
• Set goals, but remember that missing them is not fatal.
• One workout will not make or break you.
• Plan your own route.
• Carry money and a phone, you never know when you’ll need a lift.
• Always have a back up plan.
• It’s okay to brag a little.
• It’s not okay to gloat.
• “Faster” does not necessarily equal “better.”
• Nothing beats a high-five from an 8-year-old.
• Sometimes you just have to pee in the bushes.
• You can’t always hit your “A” goal, but you can sure try!
• It’s okay to run for fun.  In fact, if it isn’t fun, it is time to re-evaluate.
• Sometimes, all you need is a little encouragement.  Often, you can be that someone who offers it.
• It’s all about the bling!
• You have to work a lot harder to form good habits than bad ones, but it’s worth it.
• In the end, you’re only competing against yourself.

Summer is in full swing and with it comes fantastic fresh local produce.  Lately there has been abundance of eggplant, zucchini, garlic and tomatoes at the farmer’s market, and I am sure the onions are coming.  What better dish to use all of these together than Ratatouille?  There are tons of different recipes out there, but this one (thank you, MaryCatharine!) is my favourite:

Ratatouille

3 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 eggplant, chopped

3 zucchinis, chopped

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes, or 8 roma tomatoes blanched, peeled and chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp herbs de Provence

1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic, and sauté until transparent, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the eggplant and zucchini, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes, cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the stock, salt, pepper and herbs and stir.

Cover and simmer on low heat for at least an hour, or longer if you prefer, to allow the flavours to blend.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be exact.  Got 2 eggplants and 4 zucchini?  Great, throw them in!  I don’t think you can mess it up.  The only thing I wondered about when I got the recipe were the herbs de Provence – it turns out you can buy the complete blend in one bottle in the spice aisle.

This is a very versatile dish – you can serve as a side dish with a well-balanced meal, over pasta or rice, or as a main course with some of your favourite fresh bread from the market!  Not only that, you can freeze it in airtight containers for up to 6 months – a great way to continue to enjoy your local produce during the off season.