#tsfm2017

It’s been a while and I must admit, I completely forgot about this account. But back to it!

As of 2016 I’ve moved to San Francisco. It’s been almost a year but I’ve decided to commit to this. So much travel and life experience have happened but I want to document the latest and greatest, the 2017 San Francisco Marathon (half). I didn’t do the full because it’s a completely different beast and I’d probably flop on the ground and writhe in pain before I finish, but I’m proud to say I did complete 13.1 miles.. that’s 21.1km for my fellow Canadian (and everyone else in the world) friends!  Not bad, if I say so myself!

It wasn’t my first half marathon, but it was definitely the most challenging one to date. You see, the terrain in San Francisco is hilly by nature, so battling those uphills proved to be the bane of my existence. I cursed myself for signing up for this torture as I slowly inched up those hills under the beating sun.. but lo and behold, when I crossed that finish line there was a certain feeling of euphoria and gratification beyond your typical superficial nature. That made it worth all the pain.

What made this half marathon especially auspicious as that my significant other, Steven, participated with me. It was his first half marathon, and despite the lack of consistent training, he did pretty well! I’m very proud of his ability to persevere through to the end.

Unofficially and according to my Nike+Run Club App, I PR-ed and finished in 1:55:01 but officially, according to the tag-timer on my shoe, I maintained my average result of 2:01:11 seconds. I tribute the longer time due to running an extra KM from being a sheep and following a detoured route. 

Overall, it was worth it! I’d highly recommend everyone to do some sort of running race at some point in their lives. Yes, it requires physical ability and stamina, but honestly, the mental aspect and will-power is what makes it so much more compelling. Knowing that you’re able to push yourself to the edge and come out better for it is what makes these races so exciting. That and the crowds of strangers encouraging you through the way.