In my previous blog post, you read about the cancelled Skopje marathon. It was upsetting having the race cancelled but if you know me, I wouldn't let this hold me back from running my marathon.
The weekend after the marathon, Sunday May 17th, there was a marathon in Bulgaria. One of my fellow runner friends informed me of this race. I quickly figured out transportation plans and was ready to run in the race. It seemed perfect that I wouldn't have to travel so far for a race. As the week progressed, it became evident that I would not be allowed to go to the race.
On May 17, a massive protest was planned in Skopje and Peace Corps wanted all volunteers in their houses in case anything happened. Once again, I was really upset but I wasn't giving up. I began researching all the upcoming marathons. This wasn't easy because we are nearing the end of marathon season with summer coming and most of the other marathons in neighboring countries had already happened.
A fellow volunteer told me that I could fly directly from Skopje to Malmo, Sweden and then take a 30 minute train ride to Copenhagen. I decided this was the best option and booked my plane ticket and registered for the race for May 24.
Town square
Architecture in Malmo
I was going alone and nervous about how everything would work out but God continued to bless me throughout my journey.
The most famous building in Malmo because of the architecture
I was able to spend some time exploring Malmo. I stumbled upon the international food fair when I spotted American flags in the distance and went to investigate. I also stumbled upon a feminist gathering in the park. They had free food which including a delicious pasta salad, so much hummus, homemade bread and Swedish desserts. To say I was excited was an understatement.
Free food in the park!
I took the train to Copenhagen and this city has become my second favorite city I have traveled to (after London of course). There is something about Scandinavia that is so memorizing to me. Maybe it's the untouched beauty around every corner, or how eco-friendly they are in every aspect and the food that looks and tastes so incredibly fresh, or maybe it's the people who were willing to help me when I was lost. Or maybe it's that everyone bikes everywhere; the bike lanes are unbelievable and there are even traffic signals to learn when biking. Also the architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen; with bright colors, glass windows and unique shaped buildings. It's as if this part of the world is years ahead of America in so many ways. I know this may sound silly but I walked into a park and they had a trampoline and parents were letting their kids jump on it without fear of breaking a bone! School parks had the neatest playground equipment and are lined with cedar fences with glass cutouts so you can look through at different points.
Park at a Swedish School
Trampoline in the park!
One of the highlights of my trip was meeting up with a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) who served in Honduras. Did I mention that he is a really great cook?! It was really great getting to share our Peace Corps experiences. He is even from Philly. What a small world! He showed me around Copenhagen and even lent me his spare bike. I got my wish of getting to bike in Copenhagen!
Copenhagen Tower
Although the biking didn't turn out so well. Some lady crashed into me and I went flying off the bike. I had a really bad landing and was scrapped up pretty badly. It figures this happens the day before the race. I was pretty embarrassed, bloody and in a lot of pain! We then went and saw Carnival, yes the Brazilian carnival Copenhagen style. It was pretty interesting. I got to meet his local friends while walking around the beautiful city.
Dunkin Donuts!
biking lanes!
Sunday morning, I was up early for the race. I was still in shock that I was actually running the race. It still didn't seem real. I hopped on the metro and it was full of runners in their race gear. I could feel the energy in the air and with each stop, we picked up more and more runners. Upon arriving at the metro stop for the race, I just followed the crowd until we got to the race entrance. There were changing rooms and showers set up (yes showers in tents!), bag storage, first aid and water stations. I stretched and waited to the last minute to use the bathroom and drop of my bags. They even had ponchos to keep us warm after dropping our bags off!
A friend of mine had a great idea to safety pin energy gels to the inside of your shorts so I wouldn't have to hold them while I run. This was brilliant and it worked so well. My parents sent me gels from the US since they don't exist in Macedonia.
There were water stations with gatorade all along the coarse and every other water station had oranges and bananas. This fruit was a life saver and I don't know how I would have finished the race without it.
At 9:30 am, the race began. There were runners as pace guides and they had big balloons tied to their backs with the end goal time. They made an announcement before the race started that 30% of the runners were international. I am sure most were from Finland or Sweden but I did see runners from all over the world including England, Taiwan, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the USA. I started with the 3:30 group since that was my goal. The whistle blew and we were off. The 36th annual Copenhagen Marathon had begun!!
Pre-race!
I could not believe how many fans came out to support the race. During the whole entire race, there were people everywhere, holding signs and cheering. It was so encouraging and uplifting. The weather was perfect, I was really worried about it being too cold but in the end, I couldn't have asked for better weather. It was about 55 degrees. It was a beautiful city to run in and I never got bored during the race. I think running the Skopje course twice would have been pretty tough mentally.
I started way out too slow in fear of using all my energy and just before the half way point, the 3:40 group passed me at a water station. I was upset but this only motivated me more. I kicked it up into high gear and raced my heart out. The second half of the race was better then the first. I felt so incredibly great, never hitting "the wall" that many marathoners hit once reaching mile 20. My body felt great although at around the 38 kilometer mark, my hips were killing me.
The last 2 kilometers, I ran with everything I had in me. Joy, excitement, relief to name a few of the emotions that came with crossing that finish line with a time of 3:38:40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I was 24th in my age group out of 250 runners!!
Marathon complete!
Splits
Once crossing the finish line, they had people putting ponchos on everyone to keep us warm and they gave us water bottles. There were plenty of snacks to refuel on like yogurt, cinnamon buns, hot chocolate and even beer! My stomach was too upset to try the beer but I thought it was pretty hilarious to have that after the race!
Care for a post marathon beer
Although I didn't get my goal time, I was still really pleased. I think if I ran the race in Macedonia, I may have gotten a better time since I didn't need to fly, I could eat my typical foods and sleep in my own bed but I will never know. I dedicated each of the 26 miles to a special person who supported me. Looking back at my training, I think of all challenges I faced: having the Skopje marathon cancelled 4 hours before it started, running in a country where running is not typical which came with unending starting, cat calls and comments, there is a lack of food options for a vegetarian (they barely exist here, now imagine being a vegetarian and runner!), getting bit by a dog, getting my running shoes stolen and crazy blood blisters on my toes. These are just a few of the challenges but they helped make me not only a better runner but a stronger person.
I can now officially say I am a marathoner!!
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