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| I did it! I did it! |
| Sunday, July 25, 2010 |
Another feather added to my cap, I am officially a marathon runner!! Yippee!
With this I finish all my big goals for the first half of 2010.
Pre race -
Friday when I visited the Chiropractor, he taped me up for my ITB. I kept asking him, how do you think I will do, will I survive? And he kept telling me I dont know. :--( I asked him the best and the worst case and he said, best case, you will have an angel with you who will help you make it to the finish line, and the worst case would be I will drop out after 6-7mi. I came home so dejected, I cannot explain how much.
I was doing very well with the training until May, when DH got injured and then I got busy with work and other stuff, I was at the point of screw running, I have work to do.
I think I am to blame for the injury, I really slacked on the weekday runs. One whole month I was to travel every day for the week, which left very little room for running. Then I think I got lazy too when I realized I could do long runs without doing week day runs. Plus looks like the ITB has been accumulating for 3 months atleast, right from the time I started slacking with the weekday runs. It finally hit me when I did the 12miler. That was a painful 12miler where I limped, and ran the last 4miles stopping to stretch every .5mi. I thought just resting with make the ITB 'go away' but it didnt. Three weeks before the race, and I staggered through a very very painful 3.5mi and walked back almost crying another 3.5mi. Everyone else did another 12mi. Thats when I realized its time to visit DH's Chiropractor. He worked on me every other day for the past two weeks, but running injuries take 6weeks and more to heal.
So even 3 days before the race, I was so apprehensive. Had it not been for the fund raising I would have most certainly dropped out.
The day before -
Saturday morning we spent unpacking a bit.
Afternoon we left to SF, visited the Expo picked our bibs and Tshirt. Excitement just picked up, seeing so many runners and running related stalls. We found a TShirt store which had some super duper running slogans, I clicked on quite a few. We ate all the free stuff, and tried out the massager, and did an alignment check among other things.
Went to a pasta place for carb loading with the Gang. Carb loading was just an excuse, we probably ate in quantities fit for a 50mi run, not a mere 13.1mi. See! I told you running is the cause of my increased weight.
Checked into our hotel and I slept off by 9:45 after a complementary pint of icecream. DH slept at 10:15.
Race Day -
I woke to the 4AM alarm from room service. We had laid out everything we would need for the race the previous night. Marathon bag with fuel belt, jacket. Fuel belt had a pain ointment, GU Gels, iPod, $10 cash and of course Gatorade. We had custom made Tshirts for our group which we wore instead of the marathon tee.
Two other guys from the hotel were looking for a cab and after some walking around, found a cab to take us to the starting point. It was still dark, it was 5:15.
We didnt expect to see the other folks from our group, but we did see some of them.
Because of the injury, Coach had asked us to sneak into an earlier wave incase we are not able to finish on time. We sneaked into Wave 3.
5:42 we started. I didnt want to push myself too much, I listened to my body a LOT. I didnt want to push myself now and then not finish the race. :--( I dont want to talk pace since I will be embarrassed to death if I do.
Oh I had on the Tape AND band, just in case, for ITB on the right leg and a knee band on the left leg. DH decided to run with me, because I was injured. :--( I am sure he would have finished fast and strong if he had really given his best. But I am glad he ran with me. I believe he was the angel the doctor was talking about.
So ya, we started quite relaxed, I was a little pumped up with the enthusiasm around. DH was taking pictures of the crowd.
1mi - No pain. We did a decent pace.
2mi - No pain. I gained a bit of confidence.
3mi - No pain on ITB! I was surprised. Left knee start aching just a bit.
4.5mi - Cytomax, GU Gel, water Was going strong. DH continued to take pics of the bridge.
5mi - Killer hill to the Golden Gate Bridge
6mi - On the Bridge! It was lovely and an amazing feeling. My ITB just started getting irritated and right knee was also paining.
7mi - Flat portion of the bridge. I decided to focus on the amazing scenery, it was foggy, weather just perfect for the marathon, not warm and not too cold.
7.5mi - GU Gel water. DH stopped to take pictures for the Bridge :--S I was already losing time, and hence left DH and started the run back.
8mi - DH caught up with me after asking one of our group runners if I was ahead. On the bridge, both direction runners run side by side, so met a LOT of our group, we hi-fi-ed as we ran. It was great boost to our mental energy.
9mi - 9mi!! I was soo glad! 4.1 more miles to go! Oh, DH and I gave hi-fi as we crossed every single mile! :--) DH can be a darling. Everyone around was like, "ohh DH was asking Where is SK even at the race, what a dedicated husband" :--) Did I say he was my angel? Who would decide to run slower with their partner on their very first marathon, for which they have been practicing for 4-5months?
10mi- I had another GU and washed it with Gatorade. But I think I had it too early or too much of it, I felt a weird pain in the chest. I got very scared. But now I think it was the Gel only. The series of killer hills had started. We had our AID volunteers, sooo nice of them to stand there and encourage us. Some ran with us a few feet.
11mi- By now the ITB had gotten really really bad with the hills. Every step I took up the hill was plain agony. I stopped and stretched the ITB and did some stuff the doctor taught me, which would provide relief for a few minutes when I would run 400ft or so. Then I would stop and repeat the process.
12mi- 1.1 more miles to go! Walked the hills, with the ITB getting progressively worse.
12.8mi- We had almost reached the end. Our coach had already finished and cheered for us so loud. I was motivated to run with the pain a few feet. Coach knew about my condition through the past two weeks, when I struggled to run even 3mi. He said he was happy to see I was running.
12.9mi - Saw more of the gang that had finished, saw more friends, more random Indians encouraging us seeing our Tshirts.
13.1mi - My Garmin said 13.1, but the finish line was another .1mi ahead. I told DH lets sprint to the finish.
13.2mi - I stepped on the chip monitor and I was smiling.
I was soo happy. I kept asking people, where is the medal, I want the medal. We were official finishers and I finished within my expected time, under 3hrs. And I was glad I could do this. I seriously thought I might be walking most of the way, but walked lesser than I thought.
We got the medal, the 'shawl'. The euphoria was amazing. DH forced me to stretch. The endorphins were running high, didnt feel the pain so much. It took an hour for the the pain to kick in. Everywhere. ITB, knees, heels, arches, shin, calves, quads, hamstrings... did I miss any muscle group?
A friend was seriously in pain. We helped him a bit. We got the foooood. I went to the medical camp to ice my knees.
I felt a little bad when people started quoting finish times. I know I could have run better, I was doing very well in the beginning of the training. But, I am just glad I finished it. Next one, I will time and finish it strong, with regular runs and no injuries. Definitely there will be a next time.
We all walked yet another mile to the Indian Resaurant who closed the place for outsiders, for we were about 50 of us! Had some awesome food, made fun of everyone's walking style, and just made simple fun and then left to the hotel to check out.
We debated on whether we should meet this undergrad friend living in SF, DH has arch pain and was pretty dull which is not usual of him. I am the dull complaining one generally. But the friend was going to give a check as donation, and we hadnt seen him in two years so we visited his place.
Then we drove back home. DH is taking a nap, while I am typing away to glory, before I take mine. :--)
Here is the TShirt and medal. I cannot tell how happy I am and proud of getting this. From someone who has never run even 1mi continuously, I managed to finish a half marathon!
As is customary, ;--) I thank most of all DH for running beside me and finishing with me, my Chiropractor for working with me to make run, Coach for being a constant source of motivation, our guide to running, AID volunteers, cheer(leade)ers for doing an amazing job arranging everything leading to the race day and the race day, all my friends and well wishers and fellow blogger friends for the donations, prayers, wishes and luck!
:--)) |
posted by SK @ 4:45 PM  |
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| 7 Comments: |
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Congratulations SK! That must feel wonderful, especially with the injury. Very motivating indeed! :)
Am whining with a cartilage tear and knee pain. ugh!
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vari naice. odamodhu onyum theriyadhu. apuram thaan matter.free
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Congratulations, SK. So, you are officially a 1/2 marathoner now. Cool!!
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Thanks Anon!
Rads! Yes in cloud nine ;--))
oh tear and pain.. sounds terrible, you should visit my chiro he is amazing.
Gradie, thankoo
Soin, You are so right.
Shoba, Yippee :--))
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Nice write-up - the mile by mile write-up was wonderful. Congrats to you and DH.
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Congratulations