Tag: Berlin Marathon

2019 week forty eight

Book Read
44. Wanderlust, A Book of Migrations – Rebecca Solnit

Kilometres Ran
week forty eight – 50.0

2019 to date: 2,505 KM

I picked up this book because I like Solnit’s essays and I like the idea of this book and so far it hasn’t disappointed. And by so far I mean I’ve been taking a bit of a stroll through this book rather than a run or even a casual jog. I’ve read quite a few books that explore the relationship between mental health and running; this is the first that I’ve found that focuses on walking, and in Solnit fashion explores the walking within an ever accelerated culture. I’m interested, but I’m not hooked yet. I’m not ready to give up on it yet, but I’m also not in any rush to finish it off.

Another finish sprint shot from last weekend’s Moustache Mileish courtesy of Jeanine Avelino

This afternoon I noticed that after my run this morning I surpassed 2,500 km so far in 2019 and I got to thinking about that. Two years ago I wanted to run 2,600 and didn’t quite make it. Then last year I sort of tongue-in-cheek went for 2,018 knowing full well that I wanted another crack at 2,600. Injuries threw a wrench into that plan but as the year came to a close I closed in on that number, and managed to surpass it on New Year’s Eve. With four weeks and a marathon between now and New Year’s Eve 2019 it looks very much like I’m going to run far more than I ever have. The California International Marathon is now just a week away. My goal is to run a Boston Qualifying time, and then my plan was to not run a full marathon in 2020. (CIM could still go sideways, though I’m riding some pretty high confidence right now.) Sometimes life comes along and changes your plans. Injury has been the one that has crashed my running quite a bit since I started this stupid sport. Then this week, it was a lottery. On Wednesday morning I woke up and made coffee and eased into my day doing pretty much everything and anything except checking my email, having completely forgotten that November 27 was the beginning of Berlin Marathon lottery notification. I’m no Hitchcock; you can see where this is going. I finally opened my email to find out that contrary to my grand plans I am going to be running the 47th Berlin Marathon on September 27, 2020. This is the World Marathon Major that I want. Needless to say I’m very excited. It’s ten months away and I haven’t lost sight of the looming 42.2 that’s just seven days away, but I’ve already set a goal for 2020: to run a sub three hour marathon. Berlin seems like as good a place as any to do it.

2018 week forty eight

Book Read:
51. French Exit — Patrick deWitt

Kilometres Ran:
week forty eight: 39.7

To date: 2,328 KM

I don’t remember why I picked up this book. It was not because he wrote The Sisters Brothers because I did not clue in that he had written The Sisters Brothers because if I had realized that I would not have picked up French Exit because I hated first forty or fifty pages of The Sisters Brothers and did not finish it. It’s possible that I picked up French Exit because it subconsciously made me think of Jean Paul Sartre and it turns out there is a bit of an existential theme running through the novel. It tells the story of Frances Price and her son Malcolm who go from being wealthy New York socialites to poverty and relocating to Paris. It’s dark and funny and a fun, casual read that for some reason I will never understand was nominated for the 2018 Giller Prize. What do I know.

Stanley Park Seawall loop counter-clockwise AKA the last quarter or so of the BMO Marathon in reverse, as seen from iPhone AKA the worst night photography camera.

On Thursday I received an email letting me know that I am officially a Berlin Marathon lottery loser and what I realized almost immediately upon reading the email is that I cared a lot more about getting to run Berlin than I thought that I cared (which I thought was not so much). So I signed up for the North Van Run 10K which is on the same weekend as the Berlin Marathon and is of absolutely zero consolation and on the last day before prices increase I changed my registration from the half to the full for the BMO Vancouver Marathon here in May. I’m rather lured by the notion of having a sober second look at this race, and to see what I’m capable of on a course I know so well. I’m still looking out for a fun run that requires a flight to get to, though. So we’ll see.