This was my first ever marathon. I ran a time of 3 hours 35 minutes, placing first in my age group. I fell short of my goal of 3:30, which was a disappointment at that time. This race taught me a lot about hydration, nutrition, and heat management. 

I ran this a week after the above marathon, which in hindsight was not the best decision and a poor financial decision. The goal was still sub 3:30. Unlike Red Deer, I started this one with convinction. I was on pace till the halfway mark but I never really recovered from the previous race so I fell short of the goal once again, running a time of 3:38. 

Coming into this race, I thought I was "that guy". I wanted to set the course record at this race, going sub 8hr 30 min. I had trained way more than the guy who set the record, and I was quite satisfied with the 12-week block of training I had completed. To add to my confidence, I watched "Walmsley" on YouTube the night before. Three hours in, I was locked up, unable to move under a tree, unable to believe the great betrayal of my legs. I was just playing survival for the next 9 hours, and I finished with a time of 12 hours 21 minutes, placing 2nd overall. This was a humbling experience. 

This was 7 days after the above race. Unsatisfied with the previous result, I signed up for this 3 days before. The format of this event is that you keep making laps of a ski slope until your total elevation equals your selected mountain. I showed up at the start line with no expectations — only pure vibes and unanswered questions. I finished this in 21 hours, climbing 8850m, running through the night for the first time.