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Runner experience: “I was going for a record, instead I’m processing my first DNF”

After months of hyping up his record attempt, Dan Grant is processing his first DNF and looking towards Boston

I’m not looking for sympathy. Sympathy makes me uncomfortable and in the current climate, no one wants to hear a white guy crying about not establishing a record that really doesn’t matter… including me.

I wasn’t going to write anything about this, but after months of drawing attention to my Guinness World Record attempt, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that people want to know what happened. Hopefully this will suffice.

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On Sunday, just after I crossed the halfway mark of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I stepped off the course and ended my attempt. My pace was falling off and the tendons in my ankles were throbbing. Was I disappointed? Absolutely. I’ve never even slowed to walk in a race before. So that sucks. I was crushed to record my first DNF and also somewhat humiliated because I had drawn so much attention to this event in particular.

Plenty have asked if I’ll try again. My answer is no. I’d never attempt to run that distance in boots again. As much as I regret not finishing, I can’t imagine how much longer I’d be sidelined had I actually travelled another 21K in that state. No record is worth the injury I likely would have sustained.

Furthermore, it’s especially tough trying to do something that gruelling when you’re so visibly on display. While I was trying to focus, others surprised me with pats on the back. Plenty wanted to chat. A few insisted on getting close enough to take selfies. I don’t blame them. They all offered encouragement. They meant well.

Will I try for another record? I doubt it. This attempt was simply to raise cash and profile for Good Foot Delivery.
Great Lakes Brewery really, really helped with that. Beyond their very generous $1,000 donation they also gave plenty of social media support, shared my cause with their entire media/P.R. distribution list, provided cans for RunTOBeer’s finish line hand-offs and donated all the beer to the charity’s annual fundraiser: The Good Foot Get Down. They met every single request I made, and oftentimes went well beyond my ask. GLB has been a remarkable partner in all of this and I’m abundantly grateful they chose to be involved.

How am I feeling now? Emotionally, I’m far more disappointed in my DNF than missing the record. Physically, my right Achilles is in a world of pain. When I try to stretch, it feels like it’s been fastened shut. It’s only with successive snaps that it loosens up; each crackling sensation like staples being ripped out beneath my skin. I’m taking a few days off from running, which isn’t easy, but as someone whose income depends it, I have to be ready for the City Running Tours Toronto guided runs I’m leading on Thursday, Friday and Monday (and The Inaugural Fear Mile! of course).

So that’s what happened and I’m not prepared to let go of it yet. The DNF sucks, the injury is minor and the overall experience was a good lesson in balancing priorities with limitations and expectations (mine and others’). Now I’ve learned from it and I feel like I owe it to myself to use the experience to put the disappointment behind me.
Qualifying for Boston would accomplish that. So that’s the new goal. I don’t want sympathy. I want Boston.

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