Marathons are everywhere- run for a cause, run for fun, run in the night, run with celebrities or pretty much run for everything under the sun. It is a serious business afterall because running a marathon- whether half or full is a task in itself. 21 or 42 kms. is not funny. It does test your perseverance and challenge you to push your limits... but I wouldn't say it is life changing really. It is more of a self-discovery than a life changing exercise. I of course say this with just two half- marathons experience but that's indeed how I feel.
Let me begin with busting a few myths first. There are usually at least 4 week training plans for marathons. I did not train. This does not mean that you can just show up one day and run 21 kms; what it means is that if you are someone who has been fairly active in your life while growing up and still stick to a moderately active routine, you can sail through. When I say fairly active, I mean someone like me maybe who played while growing up in school and college and still make it a point to run/swim 3-4 times a week. Also, when I said sail through, I mean finish it in less than 3 hours. If you plan to ace it or have a target time, you will have to train and monitor your performance. That's the basic rule of improving at anything- check where you stand, set a benchmark, try and see improvement. Nothing specific to marathons. I finished my first one- 26 kms in 2:59:00 hours (Yes, 1 minute will change it a lot for me!) and second one of 21 kms in 2:30:00 hrs. I did not train, not because I had to prove a point or was over confident. I tried but it really bored me. Sports has always been a leisure and the moment I tag some aim or schedule, it loses its charm. I do try to push myself and try harder though I am aware that monitoring will yield better results, but that just isn't for me.
Was it bad once I finished the race? After first time I took muscle relaxant for two days and had mild pain in my foot making me refrain from running for next two weeks. The second time it was no medicine and two day-long stiff calves. That's it. I will include all factors- I did a night as well as morning marathon. Both had varied terrains of grass, gravel, concrete and sand. One was in cold weather while other had scorching sun towards the second half. One had a medal and other had nothing. One had charity proceeds, other didn't. So there- I have tested it all...And this is what I feel about running a marathon, and what I felt while running it...
I am usually excited with activities so when my erstwhile boss mentioned a 10 km run in Mumbai, I was up for it. I had not done a 10 km at a stretch and maximum I did in the Gym was 5 km. while my usual is just 3 kms in 20 minutes. When I managed 10 kms in 1 hour 10 minutes without any hiccup, I was already thinking of doing more. It was a rationale of 'If I can do 10 kms with no effort, 21 should be pretty doable.' I had made up my mind to register for Mumbai marathon but as luck had it, I moved to Dubai and this got delayed by a year. So November 2013, after telling myself enough times, I registered for this 26 kms marathon 2 weeks before it was due. I went to the gym to see if I can still run as being a swim person, there are weeks alltogether that I won't run and doubt myself. Just three days of running and I was bored. I wanted to have fun, not stare at numbers and time during my leisure time so I quit.
This one was a night marathon so the night before was fine. By the time it was morning, butterflies appeared. Even with 'I can't care less about how others would do' and 'what if you couldn't complete' attitude, the idea of just showing up gives you jitters. You calculate timing and pace and think would you stop or should you quit etc. But once you show up, its different. You aren't thinking of anything of such sort. You are busy feeling sexy and a being of superior kind. You stretch a little or not, fix hair, carb-up, tie laces, tune music, act and look tough in pictures and look cool. You are the man. And then hundreds stand cluttered in mob where you can hear mixed tunes from Ipods, some more shoe tying blah blah and then...Hoooter!
...I was running 6 laps of Golf course where each lap was 4.4 kms. When I started I set a pace, or tried to. By the time I was past two kms mark, I could feel a little weariness. I was like...really? Six of these while i am not done with half of the first. I was still good to go so kept running, waiting for water station, deciding if I should stop to drink or keep running. People were mostly passing me from behind, I didn't seem to be passing anyone, or maybe I wasn't noticing. Then I felt a little strain in my back by the time I was past one lap. Arghh...I knew my back is my weak point- I suck at push ups too. There- weak core!
When you start to get tired is when the mind games start. They reveal your true self to you. You maybe dead tired and see someone in front of you stop... Do you feel relieved that someone has stopped so you can too or do you feel you should quickly pass by. You maybe dying when someone from outside the track gives a buck-up and you charge again- just for their sake. You see lot of people on track. People running in groups and keeping up with each other, people holding hands or pulling others. Mothers on a leisure run with baby prams...fast old people, panting youngsters, cool tall dude, stupid-shorts guy, pink long socks girl, bottle throwers, gatorade guzzlers, heavy breathers, turning back to judge while they run-runners...They are all in this therapy together.
When I was into my 3rd lap, I was past 10 kms and thinking, okay, this much I have done before. Also the run was 3/4/6 laps so I was wondering if I should fall out in some time. I thnk 10 kms is an important mark. It's about mind frame after that, and the numbers. It is also now that you have experienced what you can only do once you run so much. Your shoes start rashing the back of your ankle in case you are wearing short socks or the hems of your shorts start marking their leg space for scratches. Your body is hot and on fire and the mix of sweat and splashed water on your face has given it a slippery texture dripping salt in your mouth. You do feel different things. I kept on running, one water station at a time, one lap at a time. After my fourth lap, I had made up my mind to edge out on completing the fifth as that would be half marathon finished. And once I neared the 5 lap post, I had array of thoughts in mind. I was running faster and I ran ahead. I somehow couldn't give up. I would have hated myself. Also, I am someone who mostly tells myself that things are easier and usually made unnecessary hype of. I am also deeply, secretly competitive. If I have decided to give something a shot, it hurts me that someone else can do it, and I couldn't.
To be honest, I learnt two things in those last 4 kms. One, I am far away from attempting a full marathon, and two, I was running on feet I couldn't feel. I was numb waist down while I could still feel a rusty movement. I was running at the speed nearly matching or worse than my normal walking speed. My back was hurting. I was waiting for the spot from where I can see the finish line. I did.... And then I ran. I ran not as fast as i can but i was drifting smoothly, floating in fact... Feeling my best, and trying to look my best for the final lap. Once I finished, the calm and pre-race "cool-dude' look was back. As if, it was a cakewalk, or was it even a big deal? I didn't cry for life revelation, nor felt that I have done something big or different. I felt as if I have just done something I knew wasn't over aspirational for me, just that I didn't prove it before. This is how you feel. There is sense of accomplishment, yes.
Let me begin with busting a few myths first. There are usually at least 4 week training plans for marathons. I did not train. This does not mean that you can just show up one day and run 21 kms; what it means is that if you are someone who has been fairly active in your life while growing up and still stick to a moderately active routine, you can sail through. When I say fairly active, I mean someone like me maybe who played while growing up in school and college and still make it a point to run/swim 3-4 times a week. Also, when I said sail through, I mean finish it in less than 3 hours. If you plan to ace it or have a target time, you will have to train and monitor your performance. That's the basic rule of improving at anything- check where you stand, set a benchmark, try and see improvement. Nothing specific to marathons. I finished my first one- 26 kms in 2:59:00 hours (Yes, 1 minute will change it a lot for me!) and second one of 21 kms in 2:30:00 hrs. I did not train, not because I had to prove a point or was over confident. I tried but it really bored me. Sports has always been a leisure and the moment I tag some aim or schedule, it loses its charm. I do try to push myself and try harder though I am aware that monitoring will yield better results, but that just isn't for me.
Was it bad once I finished the race? After first time I took muscle relaxant for two days and had mild pain in my foot making me refrain from running for next two weeks. The second time it was no medicine and two day-long stiff calves. That's it. I will include all factors- I did a night as well as morning marathon. Both had varied terrains of grass, gravel, concrete and sand. One was in cold weather while other had scorching sun towards the second half. One had a medal and other had nothing. One had charity proceeds, other didn't. So there- I have tested it all...And this is what I feel about running a marathon, and what I felt while running it...
I am usually excited with activities so when my erstwhile boss mentioned a 10 km run in Mumbai, I was up for it. I had not done a 10 km at a stretch and maximum I did in the Gym was 5 km. while my usual is just 3 kms in 20 minutes. When I managed 10 kms in 1 hour 10 minutes without any hiccup, I was already thinking of doing more. It was a rationale of 'If I can do 10 kms with no effort, 21 should be pretty doable.' I had made up my mind to register for Mumbai marathon but as luck had it, I moved to Dubai and this got delayed by a year. So November 2013, after telling myself enough times, I registered for this 26 kms marathon 2 weeks before it was due. I went to the gym to see if I can still run as being a swim person, there are weeks alltogether that I won't run and doubt myself. Just three days of running and I was bored. I wanted to have fun, not stare at numbers and time during my leisure time so I quit.
This one was a night marathon so the night before was fine. By the time it was morning, butterflies appeared. Even with 'I can't care less about how others would do' and 'what if you couldn't complete' attitude, the idea of just showing up gives you jitters. You calculate timing and pace and think would you stop or should you quit etc. But once you show up, its different. You aren't thinking of anything of such sort. You are busy feeling sexy and a being of superior kind. You stretch a little or not, fix hair, carb-up, tie laces, tune music, act and look tough in pictures and look cool. You are the man. And then hundreds stand cluttered in mob where you can hear mixed tunes from Ipods, some more shoe tying blah blah and then...Hoooter!
...I was running 6 laps of Golf course where each lap was 4.4 kms. When I started I set a pace, or tried to. By the time I was past two kms mark, I could feel a little weariness. I was like...really? Six of these while i am not done with half of the first. I was still good to go so kept running, waiting for water station, deciding if I should stop to drink or keep running. People were mostly passing me from behind, I didn't seem to be passing anyone, or maybe I wasn't noticing. Then I felt a little strain in my back by the time I was past one lap. Arghh...I knew my back is my weak point- I suck at push ups too. There- weak core!
When you start to get tired is when the mind games start. They reveal your true self to you. You maybe dead tired and see someone in front of you stop... Do you feel relieved that someone has stopped so you can too or do you feel you should quickly pass by. You maybe dying when someone from outside the track gives a buck-up and you charge again- just for their sake. You see lot of people on track. People running in groups and keeping up with each other, people holding hands or pulling others. Mothers on a leisure run with baby prams...fast old people, panting youngsters, cool tall dude, stupid-shorts guy, pink long socks girl, bottle throwers, gatorade guzzlers, heavy breathers, turning back to judge while they run-runners...They are all in this therapy together.
When I was into my 3rd lap, I was past 10 kms and thinking, okay, this much I have done before. Also the run was 3/4/6 laps so I was wondering if I should fall out in some time. I thnk 10 kms is an important mark. It's about mind frame after that, and the numbers. It is also now that you have experienced what you can only do once you run so much. Your shoes start rashing the back of your ankle in case you are wearing short socks or the hems of your shorts start marking their leg space for scratches. Your body is hot and on fire and the mix of sweat and splashed water on your face has given it a slippery texture dripping salt in your mouth. You do feel different things. I kept on running, one water station at a time, one lap at a time. After my fourth lap, I had made up my mind to edge out on completing the fifth as that would be half marathon finished. And once I neared the 5 lap post, I had array of thoughts in mind. I was running faster and I ran ahead. I somehow couldn't give up. I would have hated myself. Also, I am someone who mostly tells myself that things are easier and usually made unnecessary hype of. I am also deeply, secretly competitive. If I have decided to give something a shot, it hurts me that someone else can do it, and I couldn't.
To be honest, I learnt two things in those last 4 kms. One, I am far away from attempting a full marathon, and two, I was running on feet I couldn't feel. I was numb waist down while I could still feel a rusty movement. I was running at the speed nearly matching or worse than my normal walking speed. My back was hurting. I was waiting for the spot from where I can see the finish line. I did.... And then I ran. I ran not as fast as i can but i was drifting smoothly, floating in fact... Feeling my best, and trying to look my best for the final lap. Once I finished, the calm and pre-race "cool-dude' look was back. As if, it was a cakewalk, or was it even a big deal? I didn't cry for life revelation, nor felt that I have done something big or different. I felt as if I have just done something I knew wasn't over aspirational for me, just that I didn't prove it before. This is how you feel. There is sense of accomplishment, yes.
I love the quote-" Any idiot can run but it takes a special kind of idiot to run a marathon" yeah that's true. Marathon runners are special idiots. They do something beyond the normal for no reason-, physical, material or whatsoever.
Finishing marathon is also a way to easily tackle the restless feeling you get before you are challenging yourself. I got that restless feeling when I was going back-packing alone for the first time as well. It always appears so but slowly you familiarize yourself with the feeling you get before venturing into unfamiliar. That is a great thing. Its like telling yourself- Don't you worry child, heaven's got a plan for you...and believing it really does. Yes it makes you stronger and you come out a different person-not changed but self-aware and trained to handle, if I may say-life. You feel, think, believe, hope and decide you will quit and then you don't.
Lastly, marathons also make you happy because without realizing this, you know you have started and finished something by yourself and are happy about it. That's it. You have learnt to be happy in your own company. You are now the person you look forward to spending time with. Oh you are so cool, pity you can't marry yourself. You are 'The one'
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