119 - The Vancouver Marathon
a sneakyart drop.
👋🏼 Hello reader!
This is a SneakyArt Drop. I share the latest lines from my sketchbook, and some words to describe those lines.
This Sunday was the 50th Vancouver Marathon. I went to the starting line early in the morning to watch the runners set off (left page). Then I visited the finish line and post-finish area between the 3.5 hr and 4.5 hr marks to draw the runners with their medals (right page).
It is a characteristic of Tiny People that, even when you don’t know them, you may still recognize them.
Is there anyone on this page you recognize? If so, share this post with them!
I saw this person at the starting line, pushing up the first uphill section. The 42km route included several uphill sections, and I couldn’t imagine how he would go all the way. But I realized he was a true champion when I caught him after the finish line, just over 4 hours later.
That’s when I drew him.
In the area beyond the finish line, I watched this finisher smile widely to pose with their medal.
A minute later, they were bent over, and soon afterwards sitting on the ground to massage muscles that had finally given up.
I was amazed by the number of runners who displayed no outward signs of extreme exhaustion or fatigue.
Hundreds of finishers — of different age groups, demographics, and body types — crossed the finish line with wide smiles. They posed with their medals, laughed and reconnected with family members, and rode the train back home as if this was not even a big deal.
Incredible!
Running is a blessed alone time for me.
The steady rhythm of physical movement puts me in a state of flow. The rigours of the long run shrink the scope of my thoughts, anxieties, and worries - indeed, the scope of my world - to only the essential concerns. I think about my next breath. I think about the next step. I think about the next bend at the horizon. I think about the sound of my steps syncing with the cycle of the wind and the lapping of waves.
I think about that brief moment in the middle of each stride, when I have left the earth with one foot but not yet landed with the other. I dwell on this moment of suspension … and I wonder if I can make it last forever.
Do you run for fitness or recreational reasons? Have you tried a 5k or thought about running a half-marathon? In the comments section, I share my running goals for the year. Let’s talk!
📕 Sketchbook Tour
On Saturday, May 7 at 10 am Pacific Time, I am doing a live sketchbook tour on the SneakyArt Discord server. In this 60 min interactive session,
📖 I will flip through the 30 Days of Vancouver sketches,
✍🏼 I will live-draw a zine out of the favourite Tiny People we spot on each page.
🎁 Select readers will win copies of the zine in their mail.
This is a great opportunity to see the 30 Days of Vancouver sketchbook and speak with me!
If you are already a member of the Discord, RSVP to the event and receive timely notification.
Thank you, dear reader, for adding SneakyArt to your inbox. I am glad for your time and attention.
This year I want to run my third half-marathon. It probably won't be an official race event. Most likely, I will run it alone, one fine morning, along the sea wall.
Another goal for me is to be a more fit runner. I had trained for a half-marathon last year as well. But a couple of weeks before raceday, I injured my back because I hadn't paid enough attention to cross-training during the 12-week regimen. I have been working to correct this mistake!
After 27 years of loading airplanes, my knees no longer care for running. But I do love to take long walks (usually about 3 miles) and go hiking. I go for walks almost daily. Fortunately, we have greenway (paved walking path in a natural setting) near our house that goes around a beautiful pond.