The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted just about every aspect of our lives. Events and races have been cancelled, classes have been moved online, and we haven’t seen our loved ones in months. (I, for one, am dying for a warm hug.) Essentially, the world has stopped.

The BMO Vancouver Marathon is no exception, so it converted into a virtual race. A virtual race is where you do the race on your own while using a GPS to record the distance and time.

Our Washington State governor released a stay-home order with a few exceptions of essential activities. Exercise is considered an essential activity, as long as a physical distance of at least six feet is maintained. For this, we are grateful–many countries around the world even prohibit exercise.

Prepping for the solo 26.2 miles

While I don’t have a smartwatch to record my distance, the Strava app on my iPhone gets the job done.

Because this race is done alone, that means there are no aid stations. Participants must have their own supplies such as water, snacks, and electrolytes. I use an Osprey Dyna 1.5-liter hydration vest. That amount of water weighs a little over three pounds, so the extra weight might take some getting used to if you’ve never worn one of these before.

For electrolyte gels, I switched over to Gu Energy. (I was using Clif Shots before, and these happened to be on sale.) Before you do a big race, it’s good practice to sample a new gel before an easy run and see how your body reacts. Certain people’s systems may react to different gel brands. I personally have never had any problems with energy gels.

The long and slow 26.2-mile journey

As an introvert, I generally recharge from alone time. However, I do enjoy feeding off the buzzing energy from crowds. This is the first full marathon that I’ve done alone. No crowds. No spectators. It was just me and the road.

It was also 25 degrees warmer than what I’m used to. I was training in 50-55 degree weather, and it warmed up to 75 degrees that day! A friend said that the heat can slow down the pace by at least a mile a minute.

Lately, my body has generally felt heavy, slow, and sad. I’m always grateful that I can run this far, but this time it felt strange and even formidable. For the first 20 miles, I shuffled my feet, wondering why I even do these. Earlier in the week, I saw a sign online that said, “Do people who run marathons know they don’t have to?”

But I kept pushing through. I knew this was going to be a more challenging race. My time was going to be on the much slower end. This I knew.

Keep going. You have got to keep going.

I returned to my home after the 20-mile loop to refill my hydration vest. I did not want to set out again for the last 6.2 miles. Still, I had to finish.

I ran under the sun numb. I checked Strava every 10 minutes or so. Counting down one mile at a time. Then half a mile at a time. Then tenths of a mile. I kept going, almost numb to the stinging sweat in my eyes, until the app ticked 26.2 miles.

My finishing time was 5:57:13, my slowest time ever.

Post-marathon self-care

After every marathon, I am starving! Running a marathon can burn anywhere from 2,500 to 3,200 calories. This is on top of the daily 2,000 calories that the body burns for its usual functions. After a race that big, you may need 4,500 to 5,200 calories to replenish the energy lost. If you’re like me, you’ll feast on the best vegan food in town. This time I went to Chu Minh Tofu in the International District. This amount of food above was probably enough to feed four people…and I ate it all in one sitting. No shame.

A memory or a lesson

This race may have been the slowest, but I’m still glad that I did it. Everyone has their best races, and then there are ones that could be used as lessons. Did I give my best? Did I keep going? Did I finish? Yes to all of the above. It wasn’t my best time at all, but I still did it. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.