Slow and steady wins the individual race.
Quebec City Marathon
I’m sure that most of us know Aesop’s fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. For many of us, it is a staple of our childhoods. The two animals enter into a race after the cocky, arrogant Hare mocks the slow, sluggish Tortoise. The Hare is so confident in their victory in fact, that halfway through it takes a nap! Yet, in a surprising and unbelievable twist of fate, the Hare wakes to see that the Tortoise has continued slowly and steadily to the finish line to win.
It is a centuries-old tale, and one that continues to live in most cultures around the world. It contains many lessons, from warning about the arrogance that led to the Hare’s demise, to dreaming of the rewards that come to those that continue to go “slow and steady”. In our lives, I’m sure we can all think of a moment where employing the Tortoise’s tactics helped us out, whether it be in navigating a stressful situation, challenging a hare to a foot race…
…or perhaps in running a marathon.
The City
Quebec City is one rich in history. As one of the oldest settlements in all of Canada, it continues to be a walled city to this day, one of the only left in North America. The most interesting part to me lay in the heart of town. The Plaines D’Abraham sit outside the south-eastern city’s walls and remain undeveloped to preserve its history. Here, on these grasses, was where the final Battle of Quebec occurred in 1759, where the British forces defeated the French, setting in motion the path towards the cessation of French territory in 1763 through the Treaty of Paris. It is a moment that changed the direction of the country, and brought it to where it stands today.
Despite the significance of this centuries-old-battle, though, it does not feel like the French were defeated at all. It continues feel uniquely French in its character, different to almost all other places in Canada. It has retained the essence of its origins in its narrow cobblestone streets, its cuisine, and its people. “Quebecois” French continues as the primary language in the city, and so as I explored the streets I found myself having to dig deep into my high-school lessons to remember the basics of communicating.
It certainly felt different to the rest of the country I thought I knew well, and I could tell by my discussions with the locals that they preferred to keep it that way.
The Marathon
Quebec City’s military importance is due to its prime position along the St Lawrence River. It held a commanding position on the hills overlooking the water, directing the flow of goods inland. This was certainly great for military control, but not good for marathons. Unfortunately, the city generals of the 18th century did not think ahead to poor Anguses who want to run, and so I was faced with another day of sharp harp, frequent hills.
I was disappointed in them for such an oversight.
Nonetheless, I commenced this one through those the Plaines D’Abraham, feeling steady from the start. I was determined to approach this run in a different way to the ones before it, by focusing on the structure of the marathon as a whole, keeping each kilometre as evenly-timed as I possibly could make it. I.e., I would employ the Tortoise’s slow and steady mentality. Each previous run to date had followed the same script where I would start way too hard and then peter out in pain, so this was a learn to try learn from.
I was up and down towards the Pont de Quebec, but even here I felt like I had absorbed a lot from the experiences of previous hilly runs lie Sydney and Halifax. They didn’t seem so scary anymore. I continued to monitor the watch, keeping it as close to an even and steady split as possible, taking gummy bears to help with the sugar levels, and then I realised I had left the trails behind me once I crossed the iconic bridge to Lévis.
I had learned from Ottawa the need to focus on the scenes around, and boy was I rewarded this time. I could barely believe how beautiful it was to look across to old city from the other side. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, built in 1892 by Canadian Pacific, continues to tower over more humble houses below. It’s pink walls and gothics spires command and define the skyline. It brings a uniqueness to the city that is rare to find in North America.
Try as I did to keep it consistent, my timing slowed as I fatigued in the last 10 kilometres, but when I finished across the river from the city I still felt glad to have tried what I did. I felt progress, not perfection, and that was enough for me.
Reflection
I may not have been racing any mammals, but I resonated with the Tortoise. Slow and steady is a technique employed by the very best in marathons. In fact, as I write this, the 2023 Amsterdam Marathon has just been run and won by Kenya’s Joshua Belet, and his split times were as follows:
5km – 2:58/km | 10km – 2:55/km | 15km – 2:55/km
20km – 2:57/km | 25km – 2:57/km | 30km - 2:59/km
35km – 2:50/km | 40km – 2:58/km
Okay, so Aesop was only half right. Looks like only steady wins the race, but I’m happy to keep it slow as well. Now, somebody bring me a hare…
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