How do you run a marathon when you struggle to complete a half marathon? I was prepared for pain and injuries, yet also excited and curious. Would I crash at 30k? Would I crawl across the finish line?
Starting point: zero interest
The marathon is a classic goal for many runners. Not me. I am motivated by aiming for faster 10ks and half marathons. I was sure I had zero interest. I thought maaaaaybe Médoc Marathon, walking a lot of it, enjoying some wine tasting along the way and checking out all the funny costumes.
But a marathon where you run for hours on end? Cramping, dizziness, aches, pains, no stairs for days afterward? Half marathons are tough enough! Every single one has pushed me physically and mentally, struggling to keep my target pace. After the finish, my stomach is aching. My legs are shot. More than once, I’ve gotten over-use injuries afterward. So, why would I ruin my body with a marathon? Speed workouts over long runs any day!
And then….
What did I get myself into?
In March, I ran the New York City half marathon with my #wherearewenow team. We had such a blast at the race and on the trip, that we quickly decided to run all NYC halfs. Brooklyn next. 2023. But it was full. To secure a spot, we could run 6 virtual races. One of the must-run races was the TCS New York City virtual marathon. 42,2 km.
Caught up in the moment, it was easy to say yes. But I think deep down I hoped it would never really happen. We joked about giving my watch to someone else so they could run it for me, riding piggyback or in a baby stroller… anything to avoid putting my body through 42,2 kilometers!
But we set a date, October 22nd, made a plan, and I had to commit. I decided in my mind. YES, I will run my first marathon.
Doubt crept in again about a month before the race. I am in no shape for a marathon! After some hamstring, Achilles and hip issues since early 2022, training was minima, averaging 15-20k a week. My only long run was the Drammen half in early September. It was pretty brutal! So all in all… Not what you call proper marathon training! How could I run a full marathon when I could barely run a half?! I read articles that gave me a jolt of fear with statements like “running a marathon without proper training is dangerous.”
But my mind was made up. Somehow I was going to do this. So I focused on what I COULD do rather than worrying I wasn’t running enough. Walking, hiking, yoga, biking and some solid strength training sessions were on the menu every week.
In the final 3 weeks, I committed to specific strength & mobility exercises daily. If my legs, knees, ankles, glutes, hips and core are strong and mobile at least the risk of injury may be lower.
The final countdown
Butterflies!! For about 10 days before the race I went into planning overdrive, making lists of what to wear, what to bring, what to eat, what to drink. I guess it was some kind of reaction to accepting the fact that I was really going to do this. Damage prevention so I could make it through the race alive.
Thomas, in our team of five, plotted out a race course and a fueling plan for us. VIP treatment! We were all registered for the Hytteplanmila 10k the same day and did not want to miss it, so he made that the middle part of our course. We would have 3 stages. Stage 1 from Sundvollen over Vik to the Hytteplanmila start. Stage 2 Hytteplanmila. Stage 3 running part of the Hytteplanmila course again and then back to Sundvollen.
Ready or not!
I don’t know if it was the planning and packing, or that when October 22nd came I felt stronger than ever and finally injury-free, or that I could not wait to spend the day with this group of friends again, but I started to look forward to it! I was ready to run.
I had followed my friends who ran Oslo, Berlin, London, Chicago marathons and started to get really excited about finding out for myself what a marathon feels like. I’ve heard that the mental game gets serious around 30k. I felt ready for the pain. I’ve worked on getting comfortable with discomfort. I was ready for a collision with the dreaded “wall” and felt ready to push through it no matter what… crawling across the finish line if I had to.
Considering Wenche and Thomas in our group had just run London 3 weeks ago, and considering my low running volume, we planned to run 8 minutes and walk 2 minutes, expecting a start time at 11:00 and a finish time around 17:30, with some down time before and after Hytteplanmila race to prep and fuel up before and after.
Race day!
I prioritized sleep all week and felt rested, strong and ready for a challenge. Finally! I would become a marathoner today!
8:30 Breakfast. Coffee and oatmeal with brown sugar and butter. Should have eaten more but really did not want an upset or bloated stomach before the run. I could not imagine running so many hours with stomach pain. I got some tips from my ultra runner friend Nina, so I took 1 Imodium tablet, 1 low dose IBUX and ½ a salt tablet to keep the body in balance.
Getting dressed! It feels like going on stage for a nerve-wracking performance. BodyGlide (Vaseline) all over the place to avoid sores. Sports tape on the heels and big toe plus Steigen socks to prevent blisters. Compression sleeves to keep the blood flow in the calves. Soft flasks filled with Tailwind sports drink.
10:30 Met the group and we drove to the Hytteplanmila race area, left a car there with our bags for Stage 2 and 3. Grabbed a banana. We drove to Sundvollen. Parked. No time to lose! 5 minutes behind schedule. Filled the running vest with Tailwind, toilet paper, banana, gloves. Tightened the shoes. One last toilet stop. Then…
11.10 Watches on. Here we GO! Start! We were off! Wenche, Thomas, Aretha, Torbjørn and I. Both Torbjørn and I running our first marathon. Thomas uploaded the course to his watch so he could lead the way. We ran along the fjord, up to Vik, chatting, laughing and enjoying the views. No rain, no wind, no sun. Perfect running weather
We ran out to the water’s edge at Vik… forest trails and stunning views! 12k done. The trees smelled like sweet pine. It felt great. We walked up the hills and ran at an easy pace. Out of the woods and back on the road to Hytteplanmila. So many runner friends there! We wanted to stop and talk to everyone, but we had just enough time for a toilet stop, change into a dry shirt, dry socks, attach the race bib, refuel and go.
13:30 With one minute to spare, we stood there ready to go with the 70-minute pacers Stig Andy and Kjetil. 16km done. These next 10 would be fun! Great vibe in the 70 group! We stuck to our 8/2 run/walk method. We chatted with fellow runners, smiled at the cameras, and before we knew it we were at the last 200 meters of the race, the death hill, which we had the joy of walking up this time. We crossed the finish line all together, hands in the air. What a boost! How fun to run this race in the middle of our marathon. Miles and smiles. Feeling strong. 26k done. And a quick selfie with fellow RunAgain ambassador Maria before refueling and prepping for Stage 3.
Mental game
15:00 This is it! Last stage. I was still just drinking Tailwind and eating bananas to be safe. I was feeling good and did not want to risk a stomach cramp. We had been on the move for 4 hours by now. The sun came out, the trees were a vibrant golden orange and yellow and it felt like we had the world to ourselves. Joking, laughing, and encouraging each other. Cars honking. Friends leaving the hytteplanmila and heading home, cheering us on.
We passed 27km… further than I have ever walked or run before. We passed 28, 30, 34, where was this infamous wall?!
I was prepared to hit the wall and push through it. I had all the pep talks ready for myself. “Run the mile you are in” “Just keep going!” “Your mind CAN, your body CAN” “Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear” “You trained so you could manage the pain” “No pain, no glory” “The pain will fade but the victory will last forever”
Shocker! I did not need any of this. There was no pain. There was no wall. I still can’t believe it. Was it the slow pace? The walk breaks? Was it the fuel/hydration? Was it the strength training? Did running less help me run more?
By 37k I was getting hungrier and hungrier and ran out of Tailwind. But my body was not hurting. My legs were getting tired but not painful. Not even the soles of my feet which always hurt after a half. I knew I could make it to 42,2. I felt so happy. New energy.
Finish line
And then we got there, we passed 42km… Sundvollen hotel in sight… just 200 meters remained and I could not believe it. I did not want it to end. I saw my husband and son at the finish line waiting for us! Cheering, hugs, pictures… 42,2 km. WE DID IT!!!
I expected an ugly cry. But I could only smile. There was no pain to overcome! There was just a feeling that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Wow, what if I had said no to this?! I would have really missed out.
We put on some dry clothes, grabbed a quick burger & coke, shared memories from the day and drove home for a hot shower and an evening of relaxing and celebrating.
I felt so grateful for Wenche, Thomas, Torbjørn and Aretha for making this journey possible and fun. It is true. You can go far alone, but with good friends you can go farther.
I was warned that in the elation of completing a marathon, you’ll end up registering for your next marathon. Yup! Annecy marathon 2023, Berlin team lottery 2023 and London 2024. Let’s go!
PS! My watch told me I would need 120 hours recovery. That was true. Heavy legs until around day 6 post-marathon. But no old injuries resurfaced. HAPPY 😊