Half Marathon - Do I, Do I not?
Till the day preceding the run day, i was in dilemma should i or should i not.
Even though i had paid for the Thane Hiranandani Half Marathon organized to spread the awareness of Hockey - supposedly the national sport of India.
My training was not up to the mark; I had been working long hours in the preceding week; some outstation travel; plus the blood sugar levels after my new medication was not in good control (i am diabetic and on medication for the last 4 years plus a strict regimen of what i eat, when i eat and how i eat)
My wife accompanied me to the bib collection venue. My intention was to go pick up the goody bag along with the bib, and take rest on the Sunday. Why should I miss the opportunity to sleep longer on a wintry Sunday morning?
My wife was prodding me -- just give it a shot. When i saw the energy levels of other runners, who had come for bib collection, i had decided -- to run!
Night before the run:
The sleep was not sound.. There was palpable anxiety and i was tossing and turning in the bed, not getting good sleep.
BTW, i bought the proper running attire, only the night before the run.
The run day:
Got up at 4.30 am. It was like any other day where i need to rush to catch an early morning flight out of Mumbai. Kitted up myself and i got out of home. Oh boy! there was lot of dew and it was brrrr.. cold.. 18 degrees Celsius?
Lots of runners from all over Mumbai, but not even a person whom i know were there.But the energy levels of the event was infectious.
The run:
The run started at sharp six. First two kms were breeze. There were lots of runners -- young and old, novices and experienced athletes. Some 9000 of them.
Said to myself ** Slow down, slow down, it is an endurance race. that too a fairly long one**
The first two kms i was doing at 7 minutes to a km - so far so good.
The road out of Hiranandani Estate Thane, was a steep ascent and it was told in advance that the terrain is not an even one.
Run Strategy: Slow down when the road is climbing steep - perhaps even walk, and downhill course i MUST run, long strides to make use of the gravity, to propel forward.
** Lesson 1: Make best use of the environment. Use gravity when it is favourable to you.**
By the time i hit the 5km mark, i had been running for 31 minutes.
I had to constantly watch the pace, and slow down, as the tendency is to pick up pace (influence of other runners around) and I did not want to run out of breathe/energy..
Crossed the 7 km mark, in 46 minutes and I was getting into uncharted territory.
*** I am on my own. i have never done this distance in the last two decades **
The body was propelling in autonomous mode -- pace set by its own rhythm. Every runner has a sweet spot where the energy expended equals to the energy generated by the body.
Somewhere around 9 kms the road started uphill again. (Upwan lake). It was getting difficult to maintain pace. Legs felt like they were made of lead.
Had to cajole the body with rewards of walking 200 metres for reaching 7k mark.
In endurance sports, it is better to practice to separate the mind from the body.
With mounting pain, the mind keeps playing games -- stop, lets walk now. etc. Doggedly one needs to push the mind out of the way, and firmly command, just keep running.. Run, run and run.
*** It is me vs myself. Can you do it Vishy? Can you do it? ***
Reached the half way mark at exactly one hour and three minutes. Which means, i can finish the race in under two hours and fifteen minutes!! Real athletic performance. Hoorah!
The path became downhill and i was picking up pace.I was literally jubilant and so very positive. That was a moment of ecstasy leading to catharsis - breaking away of all kinds of mental barriers and super charged spirit shined through. I was never so positive!!
Km 14: There was this dull pain in the left knee (i injured the knee ten days back, when the foot slipped and the ankle twisted itself. The injury was what was keeping me away from training.) The pain was getting sharper.
Km 15: The pain was becoming unbearable. It was pinging every time i put weight on the left foot. I even stopped for a while to do some stretches.
Km 16: The downhill phase ended and the uphill started, lasting for another two kms at least.
I continued running, trying to shift the weight to my right foot and landing the left one softly. An awkward sight, but it gave some relief.
Meanwhile, the right thigh started to feel stiff as the weight shifting strategy started to work against it. Cramping started.
I had to start walking now.. The left leg was getting to become unusable. Ram rod straight it was refusing to bend at the knee. pain pain and pain...
I was slowing down and looking at the watch helplessly as the pace started to slow down to 10 minutes to a km. I was running two hours straight. 18 kms covered. 3 more to go.
The road was rising steep. I had to really push the pain out of my mind and keep walking. People started to overtake in droves. Dang helpless situation!
The distance to finish placards said 2 kms. Can i finish in two hour twenty?? Started to run in downhill (or what seemed descent) pushing myself hard.
Suddenly, the next placard read 3 kms instead of one.. What is going on?? Was the 2km placard a gimmick?
The road went straight uphill.. Legs were crying, left knee was literally busted... i was sweating more.. How much more pain can i handle?
I was hopping around; pace as good as crawling.. doing one km at 12 minutes!
i had thought of making a dash in the last one km.. i will deal with my knee later on.. the focus is on finishing the race before 2 hr 30 mins.
1 km to go placard came twice; in gaps of 500 m!! i had accelerated after the first 1-km--to-finish placard, and the pain came back with a vengeance, pulling me back. Every meter of movement required tremendous effort.
i had to slow down, when every body else around me were revving up to the finish line.
limping limping limping..
i saw the placard - finish line around 500 meters away.. the mind wanted to run, accelerate. The body was just not doing it. it was resisting as much as it could.
After much coaxing, cajoling, the body started to respond in the last 200 metres.. It was not blocking like it was doing between 14 to 20 kms. The pain vanished for an instance and i darted off.
The moment i crossed the finish line, i saw the clock - 2 hours 38 minutes.
Yesss!! i have done it.
The body was in writhing pain, especially the knee. The right side thigh now started to shiver and get into cramps..
The mind had stopped functioning. It was a tremendous victory of mind and the body - together.
An indescribable peace, positivity and calm descended all over.
For that feeling i will run 10 more marathons.
Valuable lessons from the marathon:
1. We are much more capable of doing more than what we think. Unless we try, we don't know what we can achieve. Trying is everything. The first step. i discovered long distance running when i was hitting 40 years in the calendar.
2. Use the situation to the advantage.I can not crib about the road going uphill. I need to make use of the downhill whenever it comes.
3. Just hang on and keep going till i get the favorable environment.
4. Focus. My job is to run. Keep running. The moment i start to pay attention to all and sundry, the energy to run, drains off mysteriously. i focused on the run, pushed the pain behind, and i could finish. On any other day, i would not have limped for 7 straight kms.
4. Strategy -- Life is a long road. I need to have a plan to maintain pace and keep doing the necessary course correction every now and then. I may not have started with a great plan, but it does not stop me from creating one, en route, as the situation unfolds.
5. It is always what i can do vs what i am. There is no tough competitor in the world other than one's own mind. The mind conceives, executes and even breaks down possibilities as impossibles!
Win the mind, win everything else.
