Sky high heart rate. Body full of nerves and adrenaline. BANG! The starting shot went off. Bergen City Marathon 2021 was underway. What happens now!?
I remember it very well. March 2020. The pandemic came to Norway and the fitness centers were among the first to close down. What should I replace my daily trips to the gym for strength training with?
Like many other Norwegians, I frantically rushed to the shops to buy exercise equipment for home use. The shops were almost robbed, but I secured some dumbbells, a pull-up rack and an exercise mat. Quickly got started with the home training and got it working well enough. I already had good routines for getting out on walks and mountain hikes, but still missed a good variety in my daily training routine. Perform in a different way.
I began to sniff the idea of starting outdoor running. Not an attractive thought! I was definitely not a runner. I didn't have particularly good experiences with running from before either. Run a few intervals here and there on the treadmill, but far from a favourite.
After a bit of back and forth on a sunny day, I dusted off my trainers and went for a run. It didn't take many kilometers before I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Classic rookie mistake; go out too hard. I didn't know any better, but I didn't give up after this trip. I will have that!
Not surprisingly, I started sharing this little "journey" on Instagram. Some pictures, film and thoughts from my runs. Got supportive and good feedback from others, and started by following several profiles who were involved in running. It inspired me. I also made new discoveries on my runs that led to great experiences. Now it was starting to get a bit fun!?
After a few months (summer 2020) I was contacted by Trondheim Marathon and asked to become an ambassador for the event. I had never participated in a race before and I had not thought about it either. I wasn't a runner. Thought it was cool that they wanted everyman in as ambassadors - to promote the most important thing; the joy of running! I therefore politely accepted, and with that a new goal was set; half marathon in autumn 2021.
Good time to train myself. Zero stress. Even though I actively started running, my runs were on average no more than 3-7 km at a time. I probably had 2-3 trips with 10 km in the running bank from earlier, and the longest I had run was around 13 km. A vague memory. But I started to enjoy running. Found the joy, and that was pretty enough in itself.
November 2020. I went home to visit my family in Bergen (lived in Ålesund at the time). Arranged a quiet Sunday trip with a friend. Was challenged as to whether we should test the half-marathon distance. Almost panicked just from the question, but took the challenge. We set out on the Sunday ride and made it through the distance without stopping. What a victory it was!
Blood on my teeth, I sped up my participation in my first race. It went from being the Trondheim Marathon in September 2021 to the Bergen City Marathon in August 2021.
I didn't train very dedicatedly for the distance itself, but I had continuity in my running and enjoyed myself along the way. My goal was to complete the distance without interrupting as well as enjoying myself.
The month of August arrived, and so did the nerves. Out of pure fear, I set out on the half-marathon distance the week before the race, because I was starting to feel unsure of myself. It had been 9 months since I had run the distance. Was I going to make it again? I got through. It was tiring, but I did it. Okay, a little less nervous.. This will work!
Race day came. Unsurprisingly, I slept little and badly the night before, but didn't stress too much about it. Had a bowl of oatmeal and headed towards the center of Bergen. The sea of people that met me was overwhelming, but in a positive way. The sun was shining this Saturday morning. I was surrounded by people who radiated the joy of running. The audience stood and cheered on the marathon runners who were starting, and the music played in the background. Wow, how cool is this!
I trudged into the starting area of my pool after a joint warm-up. Stood and pressed the heart rate monitor a little frantically, sent a snap to those closest to me, got the music ready in my ears and counted down the last few seconds before the start. BANG! The starting shot went off. Bergen City Marathon 2021 was underway. What happens now!?
Together with thousands of others, I ran down Bryggen in Bergen. My first race. Sunny weather in Bergen city. Cheers. It almost didn't occur to me what I was doing. Am I really doing this? Am I, little me, running a half marathon in an official race now!? A euphoric feeling!
Many had prepared me for the fact that a section of the trail was going to be challenging. The infamous Fjellveien. I felt mentally prepared for this, and also had many mountain hikes in my legs - so this part went surprisingly well. I managed to take it easy uphill and didn't think it was too bad. At the top of Fjellveien, it then went downhill. Full of adrenaline and overheat, I sped away. I had a genuine feeling of happiness throughout my body!
Only a week later it was already ready for the Trondheim Marathon. Here I struggled a bit more with the distance, but not so surprising since eager me suddenly had 3 half-marathon distances in my legs in 3 weeks, something I was certainly not used to. Anyway, the event was fantastic. I experienced mastery and enjoyed myself from start to finish with great people I got to know through the ambassador group!
I will add a brief summary;
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! Participating in a race and challenging yourself at such a distance for the first time is one of the worst experiences I've had!
I went through the entire range of emotions on the road. Not only during the races themselves, but on the way to the goal. Frustration, despair, demotivated, motivated, joy and mastery.
I am sitting here today and I am SO GLAD that I started running and never gave up. Besides all the benefits running gives physically and mentally, I have gained many new friendships, experiences, experiences and opportunities. I am infinitely grateful for that!
Now I'm really looking forward to the race year 2023 and all the experiences in store! I hope to see you on the trail!