I had thought of briefing every other minute things that had happened in my life with a new chapter called RUNNING introduced about 10 months back. But a tiring and exhausting Ultra had opened up my eyes and i really started to respect the distance! How i have evolved as a runner, i have penned down here . After the completion of ultra in November i exactly had 8 weeks to train for my first ever Full Marathon in Mumbai . Started to train properly because of the lessons learnt from Ultra marathon. The websites that i had visited and the friends with whom i have spoken with were always stressing on the point that there is a barrier which needs to be get rid off! That is train through Fatigue. Yes train your mind and body to withhold the extreme fatigue times.
After careful planning and advice from expert runner friends, decided to run 2 20 miler+ runs before i start tapering down for the big day! Typically my training had 3 runs in the week days (1 Short run, 1 Medium Run and 1 Long run) and 1 CT Day (with my Schwinn). So Sunday is saved for the long run. And the week of first 32km run had arrived which is a first after Ultra. Started early in the morning and this run had gone good. Felt good and confident after this run. Next week went for another 36km run which is in the pace of 7:30m/km. Due to the very fact and the scare of Mumbai heat, forced me to do a afternoon run the following week. Did a 18km run from 1'0 clock to 3'0 clock! After that started tapering down and did a 60km cycling and 15km run in the following week.
May be a bit of stress caused a slight back pain. So decided to take slow and i was getting bit nervous on getting some pre race jitters. Rest is always the greatest healer for anything! Yes i started feeling better. And finally i did a pacy 4km run in 22minutes and got earfull from my friend Amol (He is a runner / Cyclist who has developed a habit of doing double of Long distance cycling and a Marathon the next day. Instance 1 -Bangalore to Srirangapatnam in cycle and a Marathon in KTM (4h40m). Instance 2 - Bangalore Brevets 200km to Mandya and Back and Marathon in SCMM 2011 (4h33m)!) He has told that do not push yourself with 2 days to go for SCMM - 2011!
And finally after our SAP Roadies lunch meet on friday (13th Jan 2011) came home to pack things. My wife and kiddo were busy packing up small small important things like Cap, Vaseline etc. Giving a good bye to kiddo and wifey started to Mumbai after a call from Sathish who had come in a cab to pick me from my home near CMR IT College. Went and boarded flight around 5:55AM in the morning. In Mumbai airport, we were waiting for Shyam (Sathish's brother). Met him and couple of chennai runners like Ramani sir, Vasanth. Went in walk to Vile Parle station to catch Electric train to CST. Nice get to know feel of Mumbai which was very busy in that morning.
After moving to CST, got down and went to a Hotel Sheel which is very near to the Starting Line. Courtesy : Jacob Bhoopalan (100km specialist!!! as well as veteran of several marathons!). He had blocked one room and enquiring for one more for us. Got the room after some enquiries and dumped the bags and started towards Cuffe Parade, WTC to receive Bib / Timing Chip / Goodie Bag. Went to the expo and collected the same. Comrades Marathon stall was indeed having lot of attention. Had a briefing from the volunteers there since Jacob was interested in the same to do this year. We are thinking about doing the same in 2012. Had good information and moved to the room. Had very good lunch and went for the sleep.
Jacob, Sathish and Shyam all went out. I slept in the room thinking about how my first marathon will go and all these first timer things! In the mean time friends Venkat and Amol had completed Brevets in Bangalore clocking nice timing. Amol had to catch 10:30PM flight and it was delayed by 2 hours. He lost his sleep by a delayed flight and we had lost sleep due to a music lover (Annoying decibel levels at the night time by 10'o clock) in one side and a loud singer due to unimaginable liquid level rise! Finally managed to silence them both somehow we went to sleep. By 4:30AM we had got up to get ready for the occasion. Just by 5AM Amol also came and joined us from the direct flight journey. We all were ready and went to the start line.
Start line was a happening place buzzing with high profile Bollywooders like John Abraham, Milind Soman , Deepika and Siddharth Mallya. As usual huge applause was stolen by Deepika Padukone! We had started exchanging wishes and also warming us up. The clock was slowly ticking towards 6:15AM which is the scheduled start for Full Marathon (Those who are not expecting prize money) and Half Marathon from Bandra.
Met Bhasker sir in the start line. And also i have spotted the 5 hour bus led by Comrades Fame Dr.Amit Seth and Neepa Seth. Myself and Sathish have planned to stay with this bus. Amol, Shyam and Jacob decided to stay ahead. Sathish is also a fast runner but the throat infection kept him in check and he has decided to take it slow and decided to stay with 5 hour bus. Decided to have Garmin from my Cyclist friend Venkat aka Pappu but due to the last minute flight delay of Amol and due to famous memory power of Venkat!!! Venkat was not able to send the same. But got a Analog watch from Shyam and i was ready for the start with sipper containing 500ml of glucose and Horlicks Nutribar!
Started thinking about everything right from training, Ultra and all those positive and negative memories creeping up in mind. Usual thought of whether this can be done or not had started to be in but soon they are rubbished by a strong mind. As always when Mind takes good control of things happening around, it becomes easier for the body to follow. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Yes this is really happening and i am running in the best Marathon in the country amidst of huge cheer and participation!
I had started strong but with slow pace thinking about my wife's wishes and my kiddo's interest in packing things for my travel and kept on telln "Appa innigkaaga" (Her form of telling, Its all for appa's running)! I don't know suddenly tears were hanging their heads out in my eyes. Thinking how stupid and started concentrating in the run. May be initially i thought 5 hour bus was going a touch fast. But later it was in control. By 34 minutes 5km was done. Sathish was running with the bus for some time but later he overtook but he was in sight. "Another one bites the dust" Amit Seth started to shout out loud when we saw every Km marker going behind us. It was good following the bus and i had a good feeling about this initial Kms.
Over all the energy and enthusiasm of mumbai started to show off with every kilometer gone by. I had a mini target of crossing 20km within 2 hours and 15 minutes. But crossed the same by 2hours and 20 minutes. I was happy and with the bus. By the 23km or 24km mark bus got ahead of me and there came the famed Sea link. Mere thought was taking away some energy from my mind and legs. But i did not want this to happen. Pace had reduced a bit and after getting few water bottles to wet up myself and to drink, i had started my journey to tame the sea link. And fortunately this time water stations were available through the sea link as well. All of us got bit down in this link.
Walked a bit and started to run again and crossed the sealink without much damage to the body but pace took a beating. By this time i had done around 30km in 3h52m. Which had taken out the option of a 5h20m finish. I did not want to think anything else but to focus on the Km markers. I had finished my full Nutribar and the Glucose which i had taken at the start of the race. Full of energy from the spectators and even the cops made me to further run/walk ahead towards my target.
By 33km to 34km it became very hard due to slight cramps. Stopped at a water station, filled up the water and started to continue ahead. I guess the sun, traffic and the ascent all killing the hopes slightly but cheers and choclates from small kids kept my engine running on the reserve fuel. Guess after all these still i was running and crossed 37km which is my longest by far and the feeling of just 5km had by gone for now and thought of 5km to cover loomed large. But started to think that we had done 5km in less than 30 minutes and all.
But one more voice was telling about the beating the legs and body have suffered. Now i have started to push myself thinking about some tempo runs but could not sustain it for more than 500m. At this very moment i saw ice pack massage being given to the runners at some distance. I ran with all my guts towards that point and got a massage from them for almost a minute or two. Believe me that had done wonders and i had started pushing myself and all the fatigue had disappeared. I was laughing to myself whether this is second wind. Starting from 38km to 40km i had done within 14 minutes.
I did not realise until this point where all this strength was hidden but i was doing it with full josh pushing it. After 40km i was running at full steam and still searching for the 41km mark. But took the left turn with a slight walk for 30 seconds and picked up pace again. But suddenly to my confusion everyone were cheering me up and i had crossed the finish line even before realising it. Enquiring some friends i had confirmed and turned back to see the finish time which was 5h 56m. And yes to my astonishment and emotion i had completed my first marathon. A proof for hard work and dedication can let you achieve anything and everything.
Emotionally drained out but yet happy to get the finisher medal and got back to the room and called up my wife. Was very emotional to talk with her but informed and told her that i will call her back. Called almost every friend of mine who had supported me through out my journey and informed my Marathon finish. Job done but i thought this is the start of a long journey ahead for me as a Marathoner. Thinking about Auroville Marathon in Feb now. Thanks for my wifey who had done lot of sacrifice and still doing a lot. Special thanks to all my friends and SAP Roadies group who had motivated me to do this. As per my understanding Marathon does not embarrass anyone but embraces everyone. Now it is my turn to better the timing with some tuning to my training.
Hope to do it in the next marathon, as if now i am nursing my toenail!!! Indicator of my marathon effort.
Our Marathon Efforts:
MJV - 5h56m
Jacob - 3h30m
Sathish - 5h30m
Shyam - 5h20m
Amol - 4h33m
- MJV
