My first marathon? Let’s just say I was about as prepared as a cat in a water park. As a shift-worker, training was a solo gig and my work schedule did not align with traditional training programs. So I concocted a plan using online resources – with no clue what I was doing.

Perth introduced a 42.2km event to the popular “City to Surf” run in 2009, sadly discontinued after the three year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Race day arrived and I felt good on the relatively flat first half section from the CBD to Matilda Bay and back. At half-way, joining up with the half-marathoners who are flying past with fresh legs, we head into the hilly section at Kings Park. Not unexpectedly it was here I hit “the wall”; fueled only by “Gludocin” tablets which, FYI, are not an appropriate substitute for race-day nutrition.

The last 8km were a mix of walking and jogging but I made it to the finish line in 4h 19m 35s. Not exactly a time to write home about, but hey, I finished. And then, as I crossed the finish line, the reality of the potential risks of extreme physical exertion hit me like a slap in the face – a young half-marathoner had collapsed and was receiving CPR. Needless to say, it took me seven years to even think about running another marathon.