Running 42km in the City of Light

Henny Swinkels is our buyer at Duty Free Stores Hamilton. We congratulate Henny for recently completing her first full marathon – in Paris! This is her story…

Planning my marathon

After running my first half-marathon in Hamilton in October 2010, I was on cloud nine, so I started playing with the idea to run a full marathon. I had read Kerre Woodham’s books, which were a great inspiration for me, and all those runners out there, who don’t want to put down the best time in the world, but want to participate and experience a marathon.

I couldn’t think of a better location than Paris. I’d always wanted to go to Paris, and knew that it would give me that extra bit of motivation and inspiration. A trip back to the Netherlands enroute would fit in with my plan, so I went online to register for the race: the first step to achieving my goal. I booked my flights, and things started to take shape.

The next thing on the list was getting a medical certificate – a requirement for participating – and I thought this was a rather novel excuse to go and see my doctor. I’m sure she doesn’t see many patients coming into her practice with a big grin on their face!

As my doctor is a runner, she was very supportive, and after a check up on blood pressure, heart rate and limbs, I got the ‘big tick’. Finally, after organising a month off work, I was set to get started on some serious training.

Training

Although there are loads of marathon training schedules to find online, I did find it easier to go by a schedule like the one from Kerre’s first book and the one my friends used for their Christchurch marathon: I could draw on their experiences and adjust my goals wherever needed.

So I programmed my training schedule around these examples. I printed and stuck mine inside the kitchen pantry door, where it was very visible, and I could tick every run done.

It consisted of 18 weeks, with a basic fitness level to start with. I was running around 25 km a week, and it was great to learn from all the runners at The Hamilton Hawks: my local running club.

My most loyal training buddy Dot was there with me from the start, and shortly after that we were joined by other friends. We teamed up on evenings for the shorter distance runs and on a Saturday morning went out for long run, followed by a visit to a café, for a well deserved breakfast and coffee – a great treat and a mighty fine start of the weekend!

It is so much more fun to run with other people and it gives you that extra boost when you’re feeling a bit low, or don’t feel like going out especially on cold or wet days. There is always doubt in your mind that you won’t have done enough training to get through a marathon.

There is no way around it but to put in the many hours of training needed to achieve your goal – a daunting task at times. I do enjoy the benefits of running, and the many friends you make along the way.

The last Tuesday before my trip was a Hawks club event. What a night that was: I received a bottle of wine for the most improved runner, and my running mates presented me with another two bottles of wine (were they trying to tell me something?) and a wonderful good luck card. It was a fantastic evening, and I went home overwhelmed by the support I received. There was no way I could let these people down.

The Trip

I left Auckland with loads of good luck wishes. I did manage to sleep on the plane, thanks to a sleeping tablet, so I got there well rested, but dying to have a shower and stretch out onto a bed!

The hotel wasn’t very flash, but had all the basics and was in a great location. I went for morning runs in the days leading up to the marathon, which was an experience by itself: running past the Moulin Rouge, beautiful churches and narrow streets lined with great historical buildings.

In the days leading up to the Sunday we had a busy schedule to see as much of Paris as possible. On the Thursday we went to the Runners Expo, where I received my bib with number and name and a bag containing lots of essential items for the event and the usual brochures.

I am not sure if the sightseeing was a good build up to the big day, up and down hundreds of steps on the Eiffel Tower, and in the underground, and walking miles and miles to cover all the beautiful sights: but I enjoyed every single minute of it, with no time to get nervous!

The Marathon

Sunday morning: up at the crack of dawn to make sure I had everything I needed. It was the busiest I’d seen on the Metro that week, with all the runners making their way to the Champ Elysees.

The start was at 8.30: I was a bit nervous to begin with, but once we got the start out of the way, it was beautiful weather and I settled into the race. I made sure not to go too fast, wanting to last as long as possible, unsure what I would have left to finish the task on hand.

I hit a small ‘wall’ at 27 km, but what the heck, one foot in front of the other –I walked for a few hundred meters – and off I went again. As the 38 km mark passed, Gloria Gaynor came on my iPod with ‘I will survive’: what great timing!

I got through the finish at 4.44.47. That’ll do me! I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get my target time of 4.29 (a minute faster then Oprah Winfrey!) – maybe next time!

What an experience it was. Paris put on a spectacular event, I couldn’t have picked a better place to run. Special thanks goes to my daughter Rachel – who supported me through the training, aches and pains, the highs and the lows and by being my number one supporter even from the other side of the world, and so many others, too many to name.

I am sure this has to be one of these great life experiences, which I will draw on for a long time to come. Would I do it again? Yes, if time and health permitted I will give it another crack: I’m already eyeing up locations!

For those people out there who would like to give it a go, I highly recommend it. It is possible: put in the training, pick a great location, don’t get stuck on a finishing time, go along for the ride and enjoy.

Henny