I went from walking to running and I ran a few shorter races. I ran my first marathon in 2005 in 4:35:07 hitting the mighty wall. I knew I could do so much better, it did not feel like I had really tried. I had skipped all of the speed sessions, some of the tempo runs, every time I started to train well I would sabotage myself. Feeling as though I did not really deserve success. I struggled over the next year with injury and no consistent running.
I signed up for the Kingwood Texas marathon held on January 1st 2008. My husband had found me an online trainer, Jack Cook from Fast Trax Run and Ski Shop, I did the tempo runs, the speed work, strength training and most of the race pace long runs. My longest run was cut short due to blisters, so my longest run sat at 14 miles, so I was very nervous but determined as ever. I wanted to get under the four-hour mark and hopefully even get a chance at qualifying for Boston.

The Kingwood marathon is 4 loops on concrete trails. I had looked up the route online. I checked out the previous years pictures and results and used these images in my hard runs as motivation to keep me going. I cut quotes from running magazines and pasted them on my treadmill.

We arrived at the race site; I got my race number, pinned it on and started to relax. Much to my amazement I was feeling very calm and all my nervousness went away. The race had begun, the trail was beautiful, fully treed and a nice trail around a lake. I found myself talking to another racer and before I knew it the first lap was complete. I felt great and was running faster than I thought; maybe I could even get a Boston qualifier!

The second lap I was feeling strong; the water and fuel stations were placed perfectly. There was not a lot of fan support as it was early new years day, but they were not needed as fellow runners did all the cheering. Your name is hand written on your bib so every once in a while someone calls out your name and gives you a mental boost. I crossed the halfway mark under 1:45 so I was very excited, as this was a personal best for a half marathon. My wonderful husband and 4 kids were cheering for me with a “Go, Mom, Go! I started to tire around the 18-mile mark and started to get concerned about my legs holding up. I was almost finished loop three when I spotted my personal neon pink sign on a tree that read “Carla from Canada” that the race organizers put out for every runner (about 300). This gave me a boost and I pushed past the checkpoint and on to my final loop. The next few miles were tough, my form started to fade and my knees grew weak but I kept on reminding myself to run with my mind and not my body, as my body would have quit at this point but my mind was strong and ready to push through the last miles. As people started to pass me I pushed as hard as I could and finished 5th female. I got my medal and my stuffed monkey with a 29th place around its neck. I had finished in 3:43:19. I missed my Boston qualifier by 2 minutes and 20 seconds but felt a great sense of accomplishment; I got under my 4-hour mark. I tried the best I could with what training I had, and at that time with my family around me I felt like I finally deserved my success. I have already signed up for another Marathon in May, this time I will put everything on the line, do all my training and leave no room for excuses and enjoy and be proud of the successes yet to come.

Carla Clarke, Entwistle, Alberta, January 2008