Vancouver Half 2023: The comeback race I’ve been waiting for

Do you want the start of the story? Or, just the start of this race recap? I know this is not related to travel but you’re going to get both. I also started writing this a few days after my May race and now 6+ months later, I’ve finished my thoughts … or, at least what I can now remember.

The postpartum runner

I was not running in May 2022. Well, some may consider it running but doing one minute of walking followed by one minute of jogging is not what I typically consider as running. I’ve run marathons. I’ve done trail races. I even did an ultra marathon many moons ago. But, a year-and-a-half ago, I was 12 months postpartum and was still not back to my “normal” running self. I had been in PT for about six months at this point and things were improving pelvic floor-wise but it was not fully comfortable to run without walking.

This was a pretty low point for me. Running has always made me feel like, well, me. I’ve had a few running injuries — yes, I’m looking at you left knee! — but I had always eventually been able to make it out running again after ample rest, PT and strength training. After having a baby, I knew it was not going to be easy to get back to my fitness and the amount of running I had done prior to being pregnant, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard.

At the start of 2020, I was training for the Vancouver Marathon (yes, the full marathon). This was going to be my comeback marathon after having a stress fracture on the side of my knee after (while?) running the Anchorage Marathon in June of 2016. After that injury, I clearly had to to take my time getting back to where I wanted to be running-wise and also just “finding time” amidst various international travels, getting married, etc. etc. The Vancouver Marathon holds a special place in my heart because it is the first full marathon I ever did (in 2010 with Team In Training and my dear friend Joanna. We were running in memory and honor of our childhood friend, Natalie.) That pivotal 2010 race turned me from being a half marathoner who didn’t always properly train, to a full marathoner with better training habits. Since then, I’ve done the Vancouver Marathon a few more times, always chasing down that sub 4-hour time. (For those who care, my PR is 4:01 and some change, not at Vancouver, but the Eugene Marathon.)

I think you know what comes next. The pandemic happened. The 2020 Vancouver Marathon was canceled, just like every other marathon and large gathering. We all quarantined at home. My husband and I got a dog. Then we welcomed our baby into our lives.

In the fall of 2022, I found an old email from the Vancouver Marathon saying runners who had paid for the 2020 race could still defer their entry up to the 2023 race. I knew a full marathon was out of the question. I was back to running without walking at this point but my longest distance in September was a 5K. I would have the rest of the fall and winter to build up my running base and then would start “really” training for the half marathon at the start of 2023. But, let’s be real, I’ve been training since September.

Race day: No technology, no problem

The night before the race I kept lamenting to Bryce that I wasn’t even going to make it to the start line. OK, I was being a little dramatic but the issue at hand was that I did not plan accordingly and the Airbnb that I picked for us to stay at was too far away from downtown Vancouver that the Skytrain closest to us would not be operating at 6 in the morning on a Sunday. (My race started at 7 am.) To avoid Bryce having to drive me to the start before 7am with our kiddo and dog in tow, we found a rapid bus line that would be operating early on a Sunday that I could catch. The problem was I would have to navigate all of this without a phone. (Bryce’s phone doesn’t work in Canada so we had planned for him to use my phone for tracking me during the race so he would have a general idea of when I would finish.)

I was literally writing the number of blocks (five) I would have to walk to the bus station from the Airbnb. I was writing down the names of the cross streets for the stop I would need to get off at. I wrote down the number of stops (seven) we would go by before it would be my stop. I looked up what the bus station looked like on Google Street View. If I was able to navigate life without a smartphone as a fresh-out-of-college newspaper reporter, surely I could manage one morning without it, right? Right?!

On race morning, after being woken up several times by a coughing toddler — our kiddo had caught a cold earlier in the week — I woke up at 5:05, brushed my teeth, changed into my race clothes, tried to eat as much of a peanut butter English muffin as I could stomach, brushed my teeth again and was out the door at 5:30.

When I arrived at the bus station at 5:40, I was relieved to not only see about 10 people waiting, but also a fellow runner. I was able to ID her by the banana sticking out of the side pocket of her spandex tights.

I was going to sit near this other runner to make sure I got off at the same stop as her, but surprisingly there ended up not being anywhere close to her to sit because of all the other people on a bus before 6 am on a Sunday. And, I wasn’t going to be that weirdo who sits right next to someone when the bus is not completely full. So, I went to the back of the bus. It’s OK, I can count seven stops in my head.

At the next stop we stopped at, a few more runners boarded and one runner sat directly across from me. He was holding a banana in one hand and his phone in the other. It was like we were all part of some secret banana-runner society. I brought a small baggie with me that had a banana in it.

Now with my fellow runners on the bus, I didn’t feel the need to count bus stops. I remembered the cross streets of where I needed to get off and when the bus arrived there, my aisle-mate and another runner exited. Some other runners stayed on the bus but Bryce had warned me it would be a longer walk because of road closures due to the race.

The three of us who exited at the same stop walked in single file in the direction of the park where the race start would be. I think the guy behind me felt a bit awkward so he started walking next to me. To break the ice I turned towards him and said, “I didn’t realize the walk to the start would be this far!” It wasn’t that far but it did take about 7-10 minutes. We exchanged “normal” pre-race banter. Have you done this race before? Do you have a goal time? Are you running with any friends? This would be his first half marathon and like me, he was hoping to break 2 hours. Achilles looked to be in his early or mid-20s with a trim build. I didn’t say it to his face but I knew he would have no problem finishing a half marathon under two hours. And, yes, I know his name is Achilles because as a friendly Canadian, he introduced himself. And, no, I did not make a joke about Achilles’ heal.

The start

I arrived at the start area around 6:15 am so I had plenty of time before the 7 am start. There were already a lot of people hanging around, stretching, looking at their phones, drinking water or talking to their friends. I decided to use the portapotty since there was no line.

It felt a bit weird being at the race by myself. Usually I do races with friends so we’d get our pre-race jitters out together. (Now everyone is either injured, moved away or are too tired taking care of their kids.) Or, Bryce would be at the start with me for moral support. I picked a grassy spot off to the side to stretch, or act like I was stretching. With no phone, I had “nothing to do.” I people watched.

With 15 minutes until the race start, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom again. But, by now the lines for the portapotties were long and circled around the whole area. I decided I didn’t have to go. (Please, don’t have to go during the race, I thought to myself.)

I luckily did not have to use the bathroom during the race.

I made my way into the corral slightly in front of the 2-hour pacers. More and more runners started to gather around. Over the speaker, the race organizers made announcements and tried to get us runners amped up. I think they sang the national anthem. They wished us a great race. Then, we were off!

And, my watch would not work.

I mean, my watch worked but it never successfully connected to GPS prior to the race starting. I couldn’t believe it. How was I going to keep track of my pace? This hiccup had me feeling quite stressed. At least the stop watch functionality still worked so I could just time my race in general.

As if this was my first rodeo, I started out way too fast. I don’t know what my pace was, but it felt fast. I kept clipping away. Everyone around me was in good spirits since we were only about a mile (maybe?) or so in.

I found myself next to another woman and at each kilometer marker we passed, I thought to myself, should I ask her if her GPS is tracking in kilos or miles? I decided to just keep to myself. I don’t think my GPS ever really connected, it was telling me I was running anywhere from 6 minute/mile pace to 10.

At some point I lost my running companion at a water station. I run with a handheld water bottle so I rarely need to stop at water stations — unless it is a really hot day or I’m otherwise just feeling really thirsty. The weather this day was clear and sunny with some clouds. It was not too hot for me.

The middle

Since I am writing this recap seven months later, the middle of the race is a bit murky to me. Every cheer station amped me up. Every kilo marker I passed, I questioned why I was doing this race.

There was one spot around the 8 or 9-mile mark that Bryce said he would try to go to cheer for me. I remember making it there and then feeling disappointed not to see him, my kiddo and dog. And then I remembered that he was driving around with a toddler and dog and perhaps they got stuck in marathon traffic. Or, maybe they couldn’t find a close parking spot. Maybe the kiddo had a diaper situation. I carried on.

The end

The last stretch through Stanley Park is scenic but I remember feeling annoyed that it was pretty congested. Here we are only a few miles out from the race finish and runners were bumping elbows since we were so close to one another. With a cement barricade to one side of the road and a grass lawn on the other side, we were “trapped” on this one path. One woman yelled at another one when she brushed too close to her passing by. Then another person in a Canadian accent told everyone to “just have a good time.” Aw, Canadians.

Somewhere in the park I also heard a bunch of people yelling and giving one another words of encouragement. The sound was coming from behind me. My stomach sank. It had to be the 2-hour pace group. Was I going to hit my goal time?

I did not turn around. (Never look behind you in a race.)

I kept on chugging along and just tried not to slow down. My body was exhausted but I didn’t train this hard just to get passed by the pacers in the last stretch of the race.

When we finally turned out of the park and onto Pender Street, I knew we were close. The street was lined with spectators cheering runners on. I tried to look for my family but honestly there were so many people it was hard to search while also trying to focus on finishing the race in one piece.

I could see the finish line ahead of me but it felt so far away. I dug deep. And, somehow I got that last kick out of myself and sprinted by many runners as I crossed the finish line.

After I crossed the finish and before getting my medal, I gasped for air with my hands in my knees. I did it. I didn’t know my exact time but I knew I ran the race under 2 hours.

My official time was 1:59:03.

It honestly felt just as hard as I remember full marathons being.

I slowly walked through the maze of runners and grabbed two water bottles, a sandwich, a banana and other snacks. (Vancouver Marathon knows how to refuel their runners!) I stood to the side and ate the banana.

Then I hobbled to where Bryce and I had arranged as our meet-up spot (next to Canada Place). He told me he saw me sprint to the finish. There were too many runners for my toddler to identify me. But, she claimed my medal as her own when we were reunited.

I’m very proud of this race. After this race, I continued on with training and ran a trail 23K at Squamish in August– while Bryce did the 50 miler — and then after that I did a hike-thru of the Enchantments with my friend Joanna. (Bryce ran-thru the Enchantments the day after us.) TBD if I’ll have recaps on those events but I can say that I am ready for 2024 running adventures.