The first in my marathon journey...

15 Jan, 2012 642 PM
It's come and gone; The Standard Chartered Mumbai marathon and my first ever half marathon. Like most events, this too, is starting to seem like a memory of a few days back.Random images of this morning flashing across my eyes as I try to sleep. The chill at 5 o clock in the morning, us driving down the reclamation to the holding area, sipping water by the minute till my bladder felt it'll burst... the milling crowd at the holding area.. all in their running gear, the many rounds to the mobile rickety loo and yet some more bottles of water!
It started with the beeping of the starting mat when I looked at my stop watch and ticked it on. My time had begun.I knew i had to run harder than I had done in any of my practice runs- I had to run at a 9.91 kmph vis a vis a 9.7 kmph that i'd run on my best days. So, i started fast. Avani ( who had the same running time as I did) was running with me foraround 10 mins. I kept looking over my back to ensure she was with me, but I think around 2-3 K, when I trned back a couple of times, I didnt see her anymore. I decided then that it was futile to keep pace with her and I decided to head ahead on my own. A couple of meters down, I found another running partner or rather he found me. It was as if he's realised that his pace matched mine and that I had a plan written on my wrist and that he could run along with me. We ran in tandem for about 4 K, criss crossing people ahead of us, clearing crowd ahead and shoving occasionaly ( of course apologising profusely after that!). I thought here was a guy who I could latch on to to complete my entire run. And just then, I was so terribly aware of the searing pain that was rising in my calf muscles and my quads. As dan would say, I had already started to feel that my quads were getting roasted! As I look back, I am not sure my pain was just physical. The fear that was overpowering me after the 6K mark overcame my determination in no time. I stopeed. Just stopped. My running partner looked to his sides to find that I was no longer running with him. He gave a few glances over his shoulders and ran on. I saw him run meters ahead in no time and I saw many hundreds cross me in seconds.I felt I was central to a movie where I am left standing on the edge as this entire blurry sea of people passes me by. At that moment.. i gave up.. for those moments. Pictured myself looking up, crying, throwing my hands down in despair. My legs just wouldnt move and I had already missed out on a few minutes and my legs had almost given up but my mind was not far behind. I decided I had to break my thoughts. I couldn't complete the race this way. Funny thoughts crossed my head too - The whole ofc knew (courtesy Hima's mail that I was doing the HM and I'd felt like a star after reading it) . Moreover, I had already run 21K thrice in my practice runs - Why the fuck should I give up now. I started to walk, cleared my head, had a snicker bar and decided to chuck all plans. I decided to now do it at my own pace . I ran, surprisingly much smoother this time and my head cleared up much more after the 8k mark. I was running my normal race.I have a faint recall of what crossed me as I ran - Haji Ali, Atria Mall, up peddar road. many residents had gathered on either side of the road to cheer mumbai as it ran this morning. Bananas, parle g bisuits, gloucose sachets - they'd bought it all- in crates to hand out to the runners. I loved it and helped my self to a banana and a couple of drinks along the road. Before i realised i'd done 14k and then 16k. I knew that when I hit 18K, i could do the last leg.. Scrape through somehow.
And then I did hit 18k. I could hear junta shouting 'last leg -go for it- push-push'. I wanted to slap all of them then because the last leg is not cake walk- at least wasnt for me this morning.As I hit 18 K, the pain in my quads and calves came back with a vengeance, my head was fuzzy and the sun had started to show up. There were runners with me and ahead of me and I could hear them panting, the sweat drops flying in the air against the sun.. all running in a rythem - thud thud thud thud...I felt my heart beat the same way in my chest.I've never been more aware of it. I couldn't give up now- not at 19K! I willed with everything in me - Rudyard Kipling's -"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; - playing through my head more than a couple of times. And I willed with my heart and nerve and senew to take every stride after that. My legs numbed , my back breaking and shoulders hurting, I took the longest strides I had taken in the last hour and a half and ran on the mat at 2 hrs 19 min 56 secs after I started. I had done it..I had finally done it! What I'd so looked forward to, what I'd so prepared for, what hurt so much as I went through had come and gone..I was happy and breathing easy as I staggered and trudged along with the support of the divider on the road towards the medal area. I got my refreshments- what else but parle g biscuits and orange and apple and collapsed on the ground as I waited for Subin to reach the azad maidan. It was taking time to sink in but it did when Alok, who I bumped into, said 'Great job Abhi, your first half marathon under the belt':)
I typed it as I dint want to memory of my first half marathon to fritter away. The next one's going to be about my full marathon:)