The 20 miler is an important distance in marathon training. It’s the furthest you go with any sane training program. This weekend was my first 20 miler (32km) and my peak run during my training for the Vancouver Marathon. As a treat I decided to mix up my route. Here’s my play-by-play.
I started from the Running Room at Alma & 4th.
- Yuck my first couple of K are sucking. It’s more than a small incline up 8th. Oh well, I’d rather get the hill over with. Besides, my first couple of K would suck no matter what.
- Oh nice! I’m at the edge of the UBC Endowment Lands now. The yuppie houses of the West End have given way to a vast forest.
- 3K and I’m turning onto 16th. A lovely trail follows 16th. Giant trees are overhead. This is really beautiful here! This trail will lead me right into UBC.
- I’m at the edge of UBC now. Wow – look at all this new development here. I can’t imagine how much these condos must cost.
- A quick turn onto Marine Dr. This road will carry me for a long while.
- Oh look at that! It’s the botanical gardens! That’s where the Apple Festival was last fall. Mmmm Apples… How many K am I up to?
- I’m running down Marine through residences. Oh hey! I know this place. This was on the UBC Half-Marathon route last fall.
- A quick look to my left and I can see endless ocean through the trees. I’m really high up.
- Down past the Anthropology Museum and it looks like I’m starting to hit the edge of UBC again.
- 9km and I’m running down the steep slopes of Marine Dr. overlooking the Spanish Banks. Wow – this is stunning. The tiny view I can see through the trees is breathtaking.
- 10km – down a gel. “Espresso” flavour. Blech….
- 11km and I’m down at the Spanish Banks. Wow – I’ve never been here before. The vast beach makes me feel like running in slow motion with Chariots of Fire blasting through my iPod. Next time…
- Really wishing all of the water fountains on these beaches worked. I can’t cut the taste of sugar.
- There’s Jericho Beach and the fancy Yacht Clubs.
- The beach side path ends so it’s up to Point Grey Drive I go.
- Running through Point Grey. Look at all those expensive houses. How rich would I have to be to afford property here?
- Halfway point!!! 16km to go.
- On to Cornwall and through Kitsilano Beach.
- Past Vanier Park and the Vancouver Museum. This is a route I know like the back of my hand.
- 18km – Under Burrard bridge and.. hey! There’s Melinda! What’s she doing here?
- A quick water break and a refil of my Powerade supply and I’m back on track. I run up to 5th avenue and over the Granville St. Bridge.
- This bridge is really high up. 20k – Pop another gel. Vanilla Bean. Blech. I think I’m turning diabetic from all this sugar.
- Over the bridge and I weave down to Yaletown.
- The seawall will carry me the rest of the way. I pass Sunset beach and English Bay.
- 24km and I glance to my left across vast ocean. The Spanish Banks are so small! Hard to beleive I was running along that distant shore an hour and a half ago.
- I’m deep into Stanley Park now. My familiar running territory. This seawall trained me well for all those half-marathons.
- Under the Lions Gate Bridge at the tip of Stanley Park. Not far to go now.
- Through the lumbermans arch and past the Aquarium.
- I plow through the tourists at the entrance to the park (something I’ve gotten quite good at over the past year).
- Coal Harbour – my final stretch. And before I know it. 32k comes to a close.
- I walk it off looking across Burrard Inlet. The float planes are flying past my view of North Vancouver and the north shore mountains.
- I walk past the new Vancouver Convention Center and onto the Skytrain which carries me home.
What a great run. What a great city I live in to have such a picturesque run.
3 weeks till the marathon but I’m feeling a lot more confident after today.
