beyond the finish line

Alli Mang Having been a competitive athlete in skating and swimming, I have always committed my life to being healthy both in body and in mind. The prize is often secondary to what one gets out of pushing beyond one's comfort zone. The early morning long runs, the never-ending sore back and tight iliotibial bands are all worth the effort in my opinion.

Participating in sports forces one to stay in the moment without worrying about what’s around the corner. To date I have completed 6 marathons. With a distance of 26.2 miles you "can’t phone the effort in", but if you've trained for the distance everyone from Kenyans to first timers cross the same finish line. It requires dedication, hitting milestones and consistency. The best part is that everyone from the Kenyon’s to the first timer’s, no matter how fast or slow, crosses the same finish line!

Oct. 7th, 2006 ~ Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon celebrated their 30th anniversary and was one of the largest marathons in the world.

Chicago 2007 50,000 marathoners were signed up, one person died and over 300 people were admitted to hospital. At 5:30am, the morning of the race – the temperature read 86ºF and by the time the race started at 8:00am, it was already 90º degrees. At 10:00am the race was called off due to the lack of water to sustain the runners. (There have only been a handful of marathons cancelled in history so this was an unprecedented event.) Helicopters were buzzing overhead commanding all runners to stop running and shouting through megaphones that the race was cancelled. It felt as if we were in a war zone. All I can say is that I made the cut off and was able to finish the race to wear my medal proudly. That day I learned that sometimes no matter how prepared you may be, no matter what your dreams and goals may be during life, there’s a lot beyond your control so you better enjoy every minute of the moment you are in. Running is a humbling endeavour and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

Mississauga 2008 May 11th, 2008 ~ Mississauga Marathon

The Mississauga Marathon was my personal best marathon! I cut almost eight minutes off my previous marathon time. With just over one minute away from my Boston qualifying time (a goal for many runners), it certainly gave me a glorious glimpse of the type of work I’d need to do for the next race. Thanks to my award winning coach Fiona Gray of NRG Performance Training. Fiona - you rock!

Scotia 2008 September 28th, 2008 ~ Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon

The Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon was a beautiful marathon but a tough day for me. There were definitely a few moments when I asked myself – “And why do I do this again?” I thought a lot about the quote from Bill Rodgers, who is one of the most significant American marathoners in history...
“To be a consistent winner means not preparing just one day, one week, one month or even one year – but a lifetime”!
                                             Well, off to the next run….!