Smile while you still can!

I may have had mixed emotions in the days leading up to the half marathon, but by 6:30am Sunday morning, I felt nothing but sheer excitement. The energy at the start line was truly tangible – if I wasn’t already pumped by the time my dear fiancé dropped me off, I certainly was by the time the race began!

Some wonderful things happened before the race even commenced. As I approached the excruciatingly long queue for the port-o-potties, a kind stranger mentioned that there were more loos just around the corner with no line-ups, proper indoor facilities no less! I made sure to spread the word on my way back to the start line.

As I scoured the crowd for my fellow Joe Runners (whom I never did find), I could not help but smile as my adrenaline built watching everyone in their final stages of warm-up. A seemingly well-seasoned runner gently touched my shoulder as he worked his way through the crowd and said, “Smile while you still can!”

The wisdom behind these words stayed with me throughout the race. Whenever I felt my feet begin to hurt as they pounded the pavement, or I became aware of the burning in my thighs, I thought, “But can I still smile?” And low and behold… I could. So I did. Smiling seemed to alleviate any discomfort my mind sought to feel in my physical body. I'm sure there's a life lesson in that.

The support from the side of the road also made it easy to keep that smile on my face. I felt so blessed to have my wonderful husband-to-be, and our amazing pal Cindy, follow the race course on their bicycles. Every 3-4km, they would pop out to hand me sunglasses (most appreciated!), take my picture, or just cheer me on… so much love and support! To think that they woke up before 6 o’clock on a Sunday morning to ride over 25km just to cheer me on is overwhelming – thank you guys.

And it wasn’t just my personal support team that kept me going… I wonder if the crowd of spectators realize the full impact of their encouragement. At first I was confused to hear someone I didn’t know shout out, “Looking strong Julie, you can do this!” until I remembered my name was on my race bib. I soon came to appreciate this brief interaction with total strangers – when else would that happen?? I also got a real kick out of some of the signs that people brought with them: “Where’s everyone going?” and “Worst Parade Ever!” were two of my favourites.

To answer the question “Boot camp: Boost or Bust?” I respond with a resounding, “Boost!” During the uphill slog at the 13k mark, and heading up over the Burrard Street Bridge at 18k, I felt a surge of power throughout my entire body. Many people opted to walk these more arduous sections, as did I when I ran this race three years ago, but this past Sunday I felt the unfamiliar exhilaration of flying past other runners on the incline… it felt amazing! I have no doubt this intensity can be attributed to boot camp.

I wondered a few times along the way if I should push harder but I didn’t want to risk hitting that wall and burning out before I reached the finish line. Nor did I want to feel nauseous and light-headed, thus not able to enjoy the journey. So I forged ahead, smiling because I could, and took it all in: the beautiful weather, the spectacular scenery, the supurb bands, the camaraderie between runners and spectators – it was all so mind-blowing. True, I may have been able to finish with a faster time but I’m glad I was able to sprint the last couple hundred meters without the urge to vomit. I still beat my last time by 1 min and 15 seconds and, best of all, as I crossed the finish line I thought, “I would totally do that again!”

Thank you to everyone who played a role in helping me along this journey: my family and friends for their physical & emotional support over the past 6 months; my sponsors who pledged $650 to the Tapestry Foundation for Healthcare; the good people at SVHM (and Asics and Forerunners) for the opportunity to hone my skills as a Joe Runner; my fellow Joe Runners for their inspiring and entertaining blogs; my chiropractor, naturopath, yoga teachers and trainers for ensuring that my body kept up with my training; and, last but not least, I need to recognize my late pup Baxter... memories of you kept me going Puppydog.

So... when's the next Half? :)