Daniel Nazareth's Blog

I ran a 1:35 half marathon and a 5:21 full in 2024. My times were 1:39 and 4:59, respectively in 2023.

Am I getting faster or slower?

After putting humpty dumpty back together again following last year’s marathon, I claimed that I would never attempt another. Spending all that time running was not something I was willing to do. 

However, once my partner, Krystyna, signed up for what was to be her first marathon. I thought:

1. Never go at it alone – it would be nice to train together and motivate each other 
2. Will I ever hear the end of it if she beats my time?

The kinder side of me likes to think that it was more point 1 than 2 that drove my decision, but it probably depends on the day.

Nonetheless, I signed up for another attempt at 42.2.

Building on last year’s lessons, I crafted a more focused training plan and stuck to it more closely. I increased my mileage, reaching 33 km in my longest runs, while incorporating regular physiotherapy and yoga. Krystyna and I even bought matching glasses to look good, feel good, and run good. Everything was coming together well… I mean, good.

Gearing up for the marathon, Krystyna and I signed up for the Georgina Half. On race day, we woke up to 4 degree weather and rain. Despite the conditions we ran our little hearts out and I achieved a personal best (PB) of 1:35:16.

PB’s are a funny thing. While I ran my fastest half marathon yet, I also strained a small muscle that I didn’t even know existed – my flexor hallucis longus (FHL), which connects the big toe to the calf. With just a month to go before the marathon, I found myself back at square one.

Humpty gon’ dumpty.

A year ago, I might have been disappointed to have sustained an injury after staying committed to the process. However, over the summer I learned that building endurance is not about glorifying unnecessary pain or suffering. Endurance is about building sustainable strength: knowing when to rest, when to push, and when to stop.

Also, Krystyna taught me that courage isn’t just about showing up when life is easy; it’s about showing up for yourself when everything feels difficult.

More pain ≠ more gain.

Back at physiotherapy, I learned some fancy toe exercises and once again discovered I had toes. For that month I couldn’t run without pain and thus, I stopped running completely, instead focusing on strengthening and stretching my FHL.

When race day came, my goal was to run as much as I could, walk the rest, and stop when I felt pain. The race wasn’t about pushing through the pain, but rather racing with joy. 

Showing up the way Krystyna does, with courage.

On race day, the weather was phenomenal and at one point in the race, near the Beaches, a gust of wind blew the reddening fall coloured leaves off the trees and danced over me in a moment that embodied the spirit of my race.

Hello, joy!

I am extremely proud to say that Krystyna and I both completed the marathon with a combination of running and walking. Once again, my parents showed up, this time even joining me for some of the walk. 

They always go the extra mile.

As I gear up for the Blacktoe 10k in December and the Toronto Marathon in May, here are the things I want to keep in mind:

• Avoid the terrible too’s: Too much, too fast, too soon
• Approach challenges with alacrity and self-respect 
• Amend your training to what your body is telling you
• Alter your expectations and let go to embody courage

With care,

Daniel Nazareth