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SRRC Race Reports
My 1st Marathon
Marine Corps Marathon: Arlington, VA--October 30, 2005
by Siva Natarajan
Preface
“Carb load, Hydrate well, Hit the Rest Room once before you begin” No, I am
not referring to the pre-race recommendations. These are just some tips to
follow before you begin reading this LENGTHY report. If you’re looking for
some short, to the point, no-nonsense marathon training tips, you will be
better served by some of the other race reports or websites. This report is
intended first and foremost for me (so that lessons learned are not
forgotten), for friends who don’t have anything better to do, and for that
one runner out there who, like myself, ends up surfing the web the day
before the marathon looking for either encouragement to follow through or an
excuse to skip the race.
Note: In this report I have used Italics to indicate thoughts in my mind
How it all started
I was going through one of those vicious cycles in life wherein I had
stopped going to gym due to _______________________________ (you can fill in
any excuse here since most will be true in my case) and did not get back in
there, although like many others I continue to diligently auto-pay my
monthly membership.
After about 6-8 months, I was by no means getting bored of my 2 new favorite hobbies –“couching” with or without “TV-watching”, but I was beginning to feel GUILTY. That was when I got a junk email from someone named Maria Little saying that she was interested in starting a running club in South Riding and invited those interested to come to Starbucks at 7am on Saturday, Jun 12, 2004. I had never considered myself to be a runner nor did I associate running or jogging with fun. Still, I decided to go and meet up with them, go for a run, and see how I felt. (Note: I have had issues with my back that drive me to the chiropractor for adjustments almost on a monthly basis. Whether running would have a serious impact on my back was a big concern for me during the first few months. Looking back, no pun intended, I feel running has not worsened my condition; I have since gotten approval from my chiropractor, and I continue my visits).
I met with the group of runners. Almost all of them were older than me,
and in fact most of them were parents - which to me translated to busier
lives than me. Anyway, we went for a run and being the youngest person in
the group I was sure that I should be at the front of the group. 10 minutes
later, while most others were just warming up and perhaps getting ready to
pick up pace, I found myself breathing heavily and soon thereafter having to
STOP. I was very disappointed and embarrassed that day. In the weeks and
months that followed, I continued to run with the group.
The First Thought
After about 3 months, I was getting sick and tired of hearing stories from
other runners--stories about the race that they participated in or the one
they were training for . . . stories about charity 5Ks, fun half marathons,
nth marathon, foolish ultra-marathons. . . the stories kept coming. It was
very interesting to hear about these experiences and what it meant to each
runner, and I learned a lot from each and every one of them. Then, in Aug
17, 2004, Maria via an email had casually planted the idea in my head that I
should try a marathon someday. Hmm. Interesting idea. Would definitely be a
cool thing to say “I once did a Marathon”, although I had very little
confidence that I will be able to do one.
I signed up for the MCM2004-8K. Signing up for the race, helped me with my motivation and gave me something to train for. Maria, Art, and I ran the MCM2004-8K. I had a decent run and felt thrilled when I crossed the finish line. My first race – completed. I also got to see and experience the 20,000-strong crowd of marathon runners that were there for the MCM. It was amazing. The atmosphere, the celebrations, everything about the event is simply superb—indescribable. You have to experience it in person.
There is so much more that I want to share, but I guess you will be
getting impatient right about now.
So I will skip details about my
• winter hibernation (excuse),
• injury concern (excuse – I blame this on Jeff Galloway. It was after I
read the chapter on “Running Injuries” in his book, that I started getting
concerned about the normal aches and pains that a runner experiences; I
imagined the worst - that I probably had “stress fracture” when in fact it
was the very, very less serious and common “shin splint”.)
and take you to April 2005.
This may be a good time for you, the reader, to take a break, get up and
stretch, and get a coffee or something.
Training Begins
Spring 2005: With winter behind us, I got back on the running program (GUILT
and ‘club emails’ greatly helped). This year if I start early and train
regularly, I can have a shot at a Marathon. I decided on the MCM 2005 and
registered for it.
My Reasons for choosing MCM 2005 (in descending order of importance)
will give me 6-7 months of training time,
cheaper since it is local (no hotel, flights etc- I will end up losing only
the
registration fee if I don’t make it for one reason or the other),
great for first timers, large crowd, Ranked among the best marathons
I also signed up for the online Jeff Galloway training program. I
slightly altered the program and averaged 3-4 days of running (short/long
runs) per week. Going back to my training log here is a summary of how I was
progressing.
Apr 05 Weekly mileage –14 Longest run - 6
Aug 05 Weekly mileage –28 Longest run - 16
I started to do some early runs with the 5:30AM group as the weather got warmer. A good decision. I felt great after each and every run and here is just one entry from my log:
Jun 19: 10 miles in 2 hours - My first TEN MILER. VERY PROUD and happy;
very pleasant day; I was originally hoping to do this on Sat; but then woke
up late and so decided to skip it; catching up with Jeff Galloway's training
program; I was very excited and nervous about doing the 10 miler; Started
early at 6am, did the 5 mile course and took a break at SBucks; Beth was the
host and Alison was also there; took head start on the 2nd half; miles 6-8 I
felt great; cruising along; After that my back seemed to nag; took plenty of
water; took a short break at mile 9 to stretch; then completed my 10 miles;
beat but felt good.
Everything was going well in terms of my training. I have watched numerous
Indian movies where everything goes very well, in fact extremely well during
the first half. Then, there is a sudden twist in the plot and that is when
we know it is time for the Intermission. Well, in my story too, this is the
point where things start to fall apart.
Around mid-August, during a run I started feeling some discomfort in my right ankle and left knee. At first I thought it would go away after a week of rest and some icing. No luck. I was disappointed. Then I gave myself 3 more weeks of rest. Still no luck. I was desperate. I checked with my chiro, a message therapist and an ortho over the next 1 month looking for a magical “immediate” remedy. No Luck. I was frustrated. They suggested that it was most likely a tendonitis and recommended icing, rest and exercises.
I had soon given up hope. I was no longer following the training program. When you are injured and are resting, getting emails in your inbox reminding you of the training that you are about to miss, it is not helpful. I soon quit and gave up any remaining hopes of doing a marathon. There were things I could have tried to do more sincerely (icing, specific exercises suggested by other runners and the ortho) but I had already given up. I lacked the strength and patience to see my way out of this injury. There ended my great training spree.
I did not run in September. In October I went out to join the group twice
(and that was only because I had already signed up to put out the water)
during which I once walked 3 miles and the other time I ran 0.5 mile.
Finally, a couple of days before the race packet pickup I reluctantly took
on the task of trying to find someone to buy my BIB. If someone offers me
$60 I will sell it.
The Day Before
Since I did not get any responses for my ad, I looked to the person who
seems to have all the answers and an abundant source of inspiration for
runners like myself. I met up with Phil on the day before the marathon:
“Phil, Considering that I have not trained for the last two months, what
should I do? My options are
a.) try to see if I can change the registration to do a 8K.
b.) don’t care about how far I go in the marathon, just go as long as I can
even if it is just a mile.”
I was still worried that my ankle pain will bother me if I run again. My
mind was prepared to hear a logical reason of why I should not attempt a
marathon without the proper training. Something like “Siva, I think you
should take it easy this time. Do the 8K or just come out and cheer the
runners. There is always a next time. You can train properly and do the
marathon next year.” But then my heart was wishing that he would say, “Go
for it.”
What do you think, Phil (the guy who is trying to run a marathon in each of the 50 states) suggested? Of course his reply was “Go for it man”
Although it may be the response I had wished for, I was not fully prepared for it. How could he allow me to continue my foolish notion that I could attempt a marathon? Was he telling me the truth or just telling what I wanted to hear? May be he was thinking the best way for me to learn is from my mistakes. This way if I try and fail, at least I will know better the next time. Once again, I wondered what was Phil thinking?
Anyway, Phil had convinced me that I should give it a shot. The worst that could happen was that I would have to stop after some time – mile 1, or mile 5, or wherever. After that discussion, I returned home and found myself very restless and anxious. I started to think of the reasons why I wanted to proceed with this – was it “to see if I can…to see what happens when one follows the heart and disregards logical thinking.. … to push myself and see when I break down…to experience the dreaded WALL…to have a decent race report to share.” While all of these were partly true, the real answer was “I wanted to test my strength – not physical but mental. If I set out to do something, can I achieve it?” It was just something I wanted to find out for myself
I then proceeded to indulge in lots of positive talk. I started reading all the race reports that are posted on our club website www.srrunners.org . Although I had read them before, reviewing them again was very helpful as they gave me a sense of what to expect during the marathon – be it pain, glory, or pride. I went over my running log. I spent some time at a friends’ place and watched a movie to distract myself.
I reset the clock to adjust for Daylight Saving. Tested the alarm. I went
to bed at around 10pm. Got up did some stretches (don’t ask why?). Went to
bed again. Got up to drink some Gatorade. Went to bed again. Got up to lay
out all that I needed for the next day. Went to bed and waited restlessly to
fall asleep.
Race Day – Pre Race
I was up by 3:45am. Decided to log on and listen to 45 minutes of a NPR
“Wait wait don’t tell me?” show. Showered. Stretched. Had my half bowl of
oatmeal cereal+ raisins. More water and Gatorade. One more time reviewing
the SRRC race reports and my running log.
At 5:25, I stepped out of the house and inserted the key to lock the door – it got stuck. Was this a sign telling me to reconsider? No, it was a sign that I had separated the wrong key from the bunch. Then an announcement that the Vienna Metro that the train is going to be delayed. Was this a sign telling me to reconsider? I then realized that I did not have BIB pins. Was this a sign telling me to reconsider? Another runner nearby had extra pins and gave me some. His story – first marathon, injured, just hoping to finish. This to me was the sign - telling me to go on.
I was very anxious and did not talk much for the next 2 hours. However, I
thought I would get lots and lots of advice and strategies from Phil, Scott
and Adam. But all these guys told me were things like “have fun”, “mentally
strike down each mile in your TO DO List after each mile”, and “gummy bears
taste Goooood”. Is this the best advice these seasoned marathoners can offer
to an anxious, nervous, first timer?
Race Day – Race
Once we reached DC, I hit the porta john. Got my best wishes from the group,
and proceeded to the gold wave section. I knew that if I maintain 13-14min
mile pace I will have maximize my chances of going the farthest. I had
decided earlier not to wear my watch, since I usually try to run faster than
I should when I have it on. The Gold Wave started at 8:45. Things went well
for the first hour. My ankle pain did not reappear. The sight of a sea of
runners is quite beautiful. The sight of wheelers struggling to go uphill
but never quitting is simply incredible.
I felt like I must have been doing just under13-minute miles at this
stage (Post Race analysis show that I was doing under 11:40. Much faster
than what I had intended for)
The miles kept rolling and soon I hit the 10K (6.2 m). I was hitting all the
water stations and getting a cup or two of Gatorade/water. I soon made it to
mile 10.
I was then starting to slow down automatically. I don’t know what happened after that. I started feeling some pain in my feet. My back was a bit sore – but that was very bearable. I started taking short walking breaks between miles 10- 13. The walk breaks then started to get longer and more frequent. The pain in my feet worsened. Between miles 13 – 15, I had to stop a couple of times, sit down by the curb, stretch and then try and get back on the course. I cannot run any more I will start walking and see how far I go.
I had started to look for treats and ate pretty much anything that they were handing out – pretzels, Hershey’s kisses, M&Ms, granola—I mean anything. In fact at one point I got Vaseline all over my fingers – I thought they were handing out something to eat. And remember the advice on “gummy bears” (Scott) - Well someone in the crowd was passing them out. I grabbed a couple and yummy—they were so good.
Mile 16: This was the most I had done in training. So I was thrilled that
came so far.
I will walk as long as my body will allow me to. I had to beat the bridge
before 1:45pm since those who don’t will be picked up by a shuttle. If I
make it to the bridge, great, but in the meantime all I care about it the
next one mile.
I tagged on to a couple of other walkers (Michelle and Tom) and tried to walk faster so as to keep up with them.
Hey Reader, wake up. I realize that many of you will find that reading
this report in its entirety to be challenging. But keep your focus. Just a
few more details and then you will be done. You can try some of the same
things I tried to keep me going when I was on mile 16. I was doing several
things to keep me going.
Self talk.
Reading out the posters that spectators were holding up for us. They read
“BODY + MIND = POWER”
“I will do 26.2”
“PAIN IN TEMPORARY, PRIDE IS PERMANENT”
simple, still they seemed profound at that time
or the funny one that read “I can do it bcos I have the DETERMINATION, ENDURANCE and an EX WHO THINKS I WILL NOT MAKE IT…….. SC*** HIM”
Remember the other advice, “mentally strike down each mile in your TO DO
List after each mile”. Well this worked wonders to distract me from my pain
and keep my focus on the road.
1 mile down, 2 mile down, 3 mile dow, 4 mile down, 5 mile down….16 mile down
– I kept repeating this over and over.
I started cheering for other runners; they smiled or waved, greatly appreciated it and were thrilled. It was fun and kept me moving as well.
By now my spirits were back up again. I hooked up with another walker,
Brian, and we motivated each other to keep up our pace. The bridge is now
very much doable. I had heard that the MCM was a very beautiful course since
it passes through the best spots in the DC area. However, to me the only
beautiful sights were the Mile Markers.
I made it to the bridge and was very thrilled. This was the moment that I
knew that I was definitely going to complete my marathon.
Mile 21-25 – walking at a brisk pace.
Mile 25 – 26.2 – a last minute rush. Managed to run most of the last mile.
Then walked up the hill and made a final dash to the finish mat with a huge
SMILE of satisfaction on my face. I had done it in 6:08 (i.e. a 14 min mile)
Race Day – Post Race
The pain got much worse after the race. I went to the medical tent. They put
some ice on my feet. I should have asked for the crutches, but I did not – I
guess PRIDE IS PERMANENT. My post party rewards included an entire “Medium
Chicken Supreme Pizza” and that was after having some leftovers from an
earlier Chinese take out (I could not wait till the pizza was delivered). My
rewards for the following week include “guilt free trips” to the office
vending machine and lots of junk food.
Thinking back on the whole experience, I am so glad that I went ahead and
tried it. I can now yell out loud that “I finished a marathon”. My only
regret is that I gave up hope after being injured (in Aug) and used it as an
excuse to quit my training.
What’s Next?
You probably have already guessed from the title of this report “My 1st
Marathon” as to what’s on my mind. I now look forward to the time when I
write my next article “My 1st Marathon - where I RAN the entire course”
Thanks
I usually tend to get the writer’s block when it comes to expressing my
gratitude to the people who have helped me and whose help I greatly
appreciate. I never seem to find the best words that do justice in
expressing how thankful I am for all their help.
Phil – Thanks for talking me into it. I would not have done it if not for
the chat on Saturday. But there are so many more reasons to thank you –
thanks for inspiring starters like myself, and providing us with the support
we need and for sharing with us the passion you have for running.
Maria – For starting SRRC and running it like a pro.
SRRC runners – those who have run with the club, put water out, shared your
tips and stories.
There are also folks outside of SRRC who have greatly helped me.
My wife, Rupa – who was very supportive during my training (or was she just
too glad to see me out of the house on Saturday mornings)
My brother, Arun, for inspiring me with his fitness regimen.
Debbie - for getting me out to walk during lunch time and for keeping me
away from the cupcakes.
All my friends for their support and friendship through the ups and downs of
life.
Reader: Congratulations. You have now finished this article. Great Job.
Thanks.
(I bet you are glad that I did not go with my original idea of writing a
26.2 page report.)
Appendix
Results
START 10K HALF 23M FINISH
8:15:18 EST 1:12:39 2:41:50 5:21:21 06:08:39
TIME Chip Time: 06:08:39 Clock: 06:08:46 Pace: 14:03
Placement Overall: 17469 Gender: 10677 Division: 1665
October 2005
The SRRC would love to hear about your running, racing, or crewing experiences! If you would like to submit a race report, to be posted on the SRRC website, please email srrunner@srrunners.org.