July 26, 2020
Running alone is fun for me, but sharing a running experience with friends is a different kind of special.
I confirmed this with my latest marathon adventure, which started out as a solo time trial idea borne out of the pandemic-themed circus that has so far been our year of 2020. As it turned out, this would become the least “solo” race I had ever experienced.
My plan for this year was to run the Nova Scotia Marathon in Barrington, which was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in our province’s beautiful far southern corner in July. That plan, of course, was tossed out the window along with pretty much every other running event this year thanks to COVID-19.
Even though I knew a cancelation was a definite possibility, I started training for the race back in March, and was feeling good from the start. I had purposely lowered my mileage during the winter, remembering my aching knees from the previous year, and my body thanked me for it.
I found ways to keep my training fresh and interesting. I didn’t confine myself entirely to the familiar surroundings near home, but rather extended my reach a little into neighbouring communities. I ran everywhere, down the shore and around Advocate, to Apple River, Joggins and through to Maccan. I ran all over Parrsboro, from Two Islands to West Bay, north to Southampton and east to Economy, creating new Strava segments everywhere I went, and just having fun.
When Barrington was canceled, I decided to shrug it off and continue training for a race day of Sunday, July 26, determined to do it anywhere, solo if I had to. I just needed to create a route for myself. Looking for ideas, I threw it out to my running friends on Facebook, and they responded.
It was Matthew White who offered the most practical suggestion. An accomplished marathoner out of Halifax, Matthew had set a goal for himself in 2020 that was epic and inspiring. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, he decided to run 40 marathons this year. In fact, he set out to run all 40 by Sept. 20. For more on his story, visit here.
For one of his 40 marathons, he offered to join me for mine, and suggested we meet in Truro for it. We could simply run two loops of the already-established half marathon course for the annual Cobequid Trail Run, a pancake-flat route along the muddy banks of the Minas Basin. Hopeful that the social restrictions of the pandemic would be eased enough to allow for such a thing, we agreed to the plan. I loved the idea of being a small part of his huge goal.
I also liked the Truro setting, not only because it’s barely an hour from home, but because it just felt right. I have always liked Truro. I have a lot of childhood memories there, visiting my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Brian and my cousins Mike and Derek, who continue to live there with their families. It’s also the home of my Cabot Trail Relay team, “Got the Runs,” which adopted me as one of their own back in 2013. Little did I know that my Truro friends were about to become the best support team I had ever had for any of my marathons.
The first one on board was Jody Mattie, who offered to help as soon as Matt suggested the idea. Jody is not just the most exuberant member of our relay team, he is also a part of the Cabot Trail event’s volunteer crew, one of the handful who stay awake through the duration to help keep people safe every year. If you don’t know Jody, look him up and become his friend. He’s a bundle of positivity, he is always up for a beer, and he never runs out of good stories.
I knew having Jody involved with this run would make it feel like a “real race,” and that if there were any logistics to be dealt with, he would be on top of it.
I also started to think about potential pacers, and the first candidate to come to mind was my friend Kelly MacKinnon. Fast and fierce, she has a competitive spirit that I’ve always admired, and I knew we were well-matched pace-wise. We had tried several times over the years to plan a race together but something always seemed to get in the way.
I thought if I had Kelly pace me for the second half of this run, that it would help me keep my eye on the prize. I asked her, and she was all too happy to help out. In the wake of all of this year’s race cancellations, she said it gave her a nice goal to focus on. Her husband Todd also jumped on board, and joined Jody as the main support team.
I then turned to my cousin, Michael Field. He and his wife Dara are an active and adventurous couple, and they have taken part in duathlons and triathlons all over the world, including the full Ironman at Lake Placid last year. The three of us have gotten together for training runs whenever possible in the past, and I knew they would want to be involved in this.
Mike offered to provide me with whatever pacing help I wanted in the first half of the race, and, to my delight, Dara stepped up to join Matt and I in running the full distance. Outside of the Ironman last year, it would be her first marathon.
On top of that, Dara and Mike also opened their home to me for the weekend. The plan was set!
All I had to do now was finish training, and I could not have been happier with how that was going. I basically ran the same training program that Greg Wieczorek had designed for me in 2019 for the Johnny Miles Marathon, only this time I felt faster and stronger. It had been close to 11 months since my last marathon at Resurgo in Moncton, and I felt well rested.
I thought a PB would be a possibility on this flat course in Truro. I set my sights on a 3:20 finish, and set my training paces accordingly. I never missed a workout, and only had one long run that went poorly, a 25K tapering effort through Halfway River and West Brook, where I started too late in the day and crashed in the heat.
Race weekend arrived, and the gang gathered at Mike and Dara’s for a carb-loading meal on Saturday evening. Of all the races that were canceled in 2020, there were none that I missed more than the Cabot Trail Relay, and I really enjoyed this chance to get together with some of my teammates. Jody, Kelly, Todd and I are the only four who have not missed a year with our team.
The highlight of the Saturday get-together was when Todd surprised me with the presentation of our very own race shirts that he had gotten made for this occasion! On the front was “Wagstaff Marathon, Cobequid Trail, Est. 2020.” It was pretty amazing to sit there and realize the thought and effort that so many people were putting into this, all because a crazy fool like me decided he wanted to run a marathon.
“Man, I hope I don’t blow this one,” I thought to myself.
After my typical sleepless pre-race night, we rose early on Sunday morning and headed for the trail, where Matt was already well into his marathon, an astounding #26 of the year for him. Coming off an injury, he had walked several of his more recent efforts, and planned to mostly do the same again on this day. Aiming to finish at around the same time as me, he started out in the darkness of 4 a.m.
Jody and Todd were waiting for us with their bikes at the Willow Street trail head when we pulled in at 7 a.m. After a quick briefing and a stretch, we were off, about 10 minutes later than planned. The joy of running your own time trial is that you don’t have to worry about missing the starting gun :)
My plan for this race was simple - to keep to around a 5-minute pace for the first 4K, and then ramp it up to around 4:45, and stay locked in as long as I could, hopefully sneaking in a few faster kms somewhere along the way.
With Dara not far behind, Mike and I started out at a conservative pace. He had been having cramping issues with his legs recently, and was not sure how far he’d be able to go, but he committed to pacing me for that important first 4-5K, to help keep me from going out too hard. Meanwhile, Jody and Todd stayed nearby on their bikes, supplying water and fuel whenever anyone asked for it, along with plenty of encouragement.
The day was warm and humid, as expected, but I was thankful to see cloud cover. We also had occasional raindrops throughout the morning. It could have been much worse. I had never run Barrington, but had been there a couple times as a spectator, and both of those days were hotter than this one.
I had also never run on the Cobequid Trail before, but I loved it. The crusher dust surface and the flat terrain were very reminiscent of the Fredericton Marathon, and I enjoyed the surroundings. A doe and two fawns crossed the trail near us as we were gathering at the start line, and I spied a heron on the mudflats as we cruised along by the bay (river?)
We met Matt on the trail, returning from his first loop. I was expecting he would be walking, but he was smiling and running every time I met him that day. That guy is a warrior.
Mike’s cramps started to attack, and he bowed out at around 8K, more than fulfilling his duties. He later hopped on his bike and joined the support crew. Dara had become a bit separated from me by this point, with Jody sticking by her, and Todd staying with me. As we neared 10K, the regular trail sort of ends and you have a choice of going left onto the paved road in Old Barns, or keeping to the right onto a dirt lane into farm country.
Todd and I stuck to the left, climbing a hill by a church, only to find out that Jody had actually planned the turnaround on the farm road. I simply ran until I reached the 10.55K distance on my Garmin, and actually enjoyed that “off-course” section. My training runs had been 100% on the road, and the pavement felt nicely familiar under my feet. Despite the hill, I didn’t feel like I lost any time there.
It was nice seeing familiar Truro faces out running that morning, including Tanya Munroe and Tawnya MacNeil, and several others enjoying the day. It was far from crowded, however, and I never once felt any social distance concerns. Our group was small and spread out, for the most part. On race day, there were no active COVID cases in Nova Scotia, and we had gone 11 straight days without any new cases.
About 2K out from completing the first loop, I was still feeling good, but noticed my pace had started to drop a bit. It alarmed me because it was way too early for that to be happening. I knew Kelly was waiting at the start to join me for the second loop, and I was hopeful that having her beside me would get me back on track.
That plan seemed to work briefly… all too briefly. She was ready and waiting at the start line, and we were off for loop two. She was beside me, then she was a few paces ahead, then several paces ahead. I had told her beforehand that I wanted to keep to that 4:45 pace, and she was doing that perfectly. But I just couldn’t keep up. She asked me if I wanted her to stay with me, but I told her to stay on pace. I decided I’d rather fight to chase her than to have her slow down for me.
Fight as I did, I was soon watching her ponytail bounce off over the horizon. She had never paced anyone before, but proved to be a champ at it, finishing her half with an average pace of 4:46, giving me exactly what I asked her for. I only wished I could have hung with her longer, and it’s the only regret I have from this day.
I may have been slowed, but I was far from defeated. I had Jody by my side for the entire second half of the race. If I wanted a drink or to pour some water over my head, all I had to do was reach over and grab the bottle off his bike. I really was spoiled rotten for this one.
On the second loop, we took the farm lane that Jody had intended for the turnaround. It was flatter, but the road was a bit uneven and rocky. I think I actually preferred the road detour that Todd and I had taken on loop one, but at that point, it didn’t matter to me. I was just focused on the finish, and as we made that final turnaround, it was on to the “championship rounds.”
On that final return trip, all the marathon clichés started coming to mind, the foremost being “The race doesn’t start until the final 10K.” I didn’t feel like I had much left in the tank, but I dug as deep as I could. All the while, Jody rolled along beside me, keeping me entertained with stories. Although my contributions to the conversation had become little more than the occasional grunt, I appreciated the distraction from my screaming legs and roiling belly.
At 35K I had taken the last of my gels, and the last couple were not sitting well at all. My stomach was mounting a rebellion, and my ears started to feel plugged up, which commonly happens to me when I’m dehydrated. I was more hydrated on this marathon than any others I had ever run, but the humidity was clearly taking its toll.
It was right at this moment when I received another special surprise. Who came bounding along to meet me on the trail up ahead, but none other than my pal Paula James. All decked out in MVR black and her trademark smile, she had been traveling by Truro, and decided to stop in and run with me for that final stretch. Paula is not only one of Nova Scotia’s fastest women, but is among the fastest masters women in Canada, which she proved with her own 2:47:50 solo marathon time trial this spring. Speaking of time trials, she had just run a 10K PB of 36:47 the day before my run.
Needless to say, she’s a rock star, and her presence and encouragement gave me a much-needed boost as I entered into the gritty final stage of my marathon. It was from that moment on that I managed to arrest what had been a declining pace, and hold steady to the end. Kelly came back and joined us for the finish, with Mike and Todd joining Jody on the bike escort.
I hit the 42.2 mark at 3:33:26. My cousin Derek and his family were part of the cheering section at the finish, and his kids Alex and Amy held up a finish tape for me to break. Matt had finished shortly before, and was among the smiling crowd gathered. Dara wasn’t far behind, pulling off a sub-4 hour effort.
I felt pretty rough afterwards. As I helped myself to some water, I started to shiver and my belly continued to roil, and I almost made it to the bushes before the gels, water and Gatorade from the past hour or so came back up (more would come up later). I had never run a marathon in July before, but my first four were run in August, and this felt very much like the way I felt after some of those.
I had a quick power nap at Mike’s before we headed over to Todd and Kelly’s for a post-race barbecue, and I eventually was able to eat a bit. By evening, I was sore but feeling much better.
Although I came up short of my goal, I felt pretty positive about this race, and was very thankful for all of the support. I knew that if I had tried to do it entirely as a solo effort, I would have crashed spectacularly. I drove out of Truro feeling pretty fortunate to have friends.
Comments