David Sutherland finishes Hamilton Marathon

Fort Albany’s David Sutherland wants to see more First Nations people involved in running marathons and other races.
“I’m sure if we ever fielded good athletes in any sport, we would fare very well,” said the 60-year-old marathon runner who completed the Nov. 6 Hamilton Marathon in 3:40:17. “If our own athletes could be seen nationally, the young Aboriginals would look up to them.”
Although Sutherland had not run a marathon for about a year before participating in the Hamilton Marathon, he usually runs marathons every six months and competes in shorter runs in between.
“I was trying to break the three-hour (marathon pace), and I was doing about 1:35 at the halfway,” Sutherland said. “They ran the half marathon at the same time, but I guess I ran it too fast. It was a good course. It was pretty well all down hill, almost half of it.”
While Sutherland had been running with the pack until the 35-kilometre mark, he said he hit a wall at that point in the 42 kilometre race. Hitting the wall is a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which results in sudden fatigue and loss of energy.
“I knew there was something wrong,” Sutherland said. “I hit a wall and I just shut it down.”
Sutherland felt like he was having a “rough time” after hitting the wall, noting he usually sprints the last five kilometres to the finish line from the 37-kilometre mark.
“That is the first time that has ever happened to me,” Sutherland said. “My personal best is 2:45/2:46.”
Sutherland believes there are two reasons why he hit the wall: he ran the first half of the marathon too fast and he didn’t put in enough training. He usually trains about three months but had tried a shorter training program for the Hamilton Marathon.
“I’m just going to go back to the way I usually train,” Sutherland said. “I try to run for an hour every day, four or five days straight. I take two days off. Then after every second week, after a couple of days off, I will do a long run.”
Sutherland usually does his long run from the community to the crossroads, which is about 33 kilometres out and back.
“Running is a pretty lonely sport,” Sutherland said. “You pretty well have to do it on your own, just like anything, if you want to succeed.”
Sutherland also does intervals during his training program, which consist of running about three miles at a comfortable pace before running full speed for about 100 metres.
“You do about four of those in a row,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland, who grew up running along trails out on the land during the winter, finished first in a 10-kilometre masters run in Regina, Sask. two years ago. 
He also placed second in the five-kilometre masters run.
“When I run, I’m very consistent – I don’t slow down,” Sutherland said. “I still feel very good.”