Running a marathon for first time

Ken Shipley is running the Blue Nose Marathon. He's not sure if he'll finish and he won't know until the day of the race because, he's just never run that far before.

A full marathon is 42.2 kilometres.

"The furthest I've gone is 32 kilometres," said the 45-year-old runner from Bedford. "So I can't tell you if I'll do it or not."

If you're doing five kilometres you'll probably run it at least once before the actual day of the marathon, but you don't run a marathon and then run a marathon.

Usually the first day you complete it is the first day you try. The training program is long and intense and very specific in how it's designed. The idea is to increase the amount of kilometres you run, but there isn't a dress rehearsal.

Shippley has finished two half marathons. One of those was "The Hypothermic Half," a marathon he had no intention of running until a co-worker gave him the inspiration he needed.

"I had run before, but stopped for personal reasons," he said. "A year-and-a-half later I started running again because I wasn't happy with what I saw in the mirror, but I was just lumbering through."

Then he started talking to a co-worker who had cancer, but still talked about running. She told him that after her chemotherapy was finished she was determined to run again and spoke about the hypothermic marathon, but she died of before fulfilling her wish. Shipley decided get serious again and run the race for her.

"I finished it and had the participant medal engraved and gave it to her mom," he said. "She sent me a letter to say how much it meant."

His inspiration for the Blue Nose Marathon this year was going to be his younger brother Joseph. As an iron man tri-athlete he was the perfect training partner and their plan was great. They would train together and run together. Then just two weeks ago Joseph had to pull out.

"He's in the army and they sent him on course," said Shipley. "And that was the end of my end of race visual. It was going to be me and him together hugging each other at the finish line. Now I'll be by myself and he'll be getting drunk at a pub in Quebec."

Despite losing his partner Shipley has decided to carry on training and he's ready for the challenge and the pain.

As rewarding and as exhilarating as it can be, running can be very hard on the body - especially running a marathon. During the run your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing run sky high and your body cramps with pain. Eventually you're body will be running on empty.

"It's called hitting the wall," said Shipley. "Your body pretty much starts eating itself."

It's certainly not pretty and only one percent of the population will complete it, but people don't run the marathon for exercise. They also usually don't run it to win. It's personal.

"There's not an easy answer to why I want to do it," he said. "I just do."

Shipley continues to train with other runners at the Running Room in Bedford and is eager for the big day and although he hasn't quite replaced his "brother" visualization. He does know there will be someone special waiting for him at the finish line.

"My 10-year-old son will be there with a jug of chocolate milk," he smiled. "And I'm going to need it."