It's a brutal sport, this. Running 26.2 miles!? That's the same as running from Baylands to San Francisco airport. What lunacy!! Except it isn't. No other sport so rewards participation. You can be last in a 100m dash and feel inadequate. You can finish last in a marathon and feel like a million bucks! Because you FINISHED! That's what it's all about. Of course, when the sport is held in a city with many thousands participating and ten thousands more cheering you on all along the course, it can all take the air of a big jamboree. Except it isn't. Marathon running is not for the faint of heart. A six month training period is almost mandatory. Friendships built during this period, with people who understand the pain of hours of running and training, can be lifelong. And that support is absolutely essential when your body is trying it's best to give up on you at that mile 21 after 4 hrs of non stop running.
Part 1: Good The weather at the start is great! It's cool but not biting cold. The pavements are bone dry and the forecast calls for the sun to come out soon. I am feeling good except for one thing. On the last monday run, I've felt pain on the inside of the right foot just below the ankle bone. This is the first niggle I've had in all the months of running. Ice, massage and a quick email to coach later, I feel better, but I still cant escape that niggling feeling. But it's forgotten at the start line, when I join the chorus of runners all ready to go. There are literally thousands of people. Spirit's are high among all the Asha runners. I sync up with Shiva and Shailesh and we decide to start together. On long runs I've always liked to start slow (11 min/m) and feel the pace build up gradually, such that my average pace by the end is around 10:15-10:30. But finish times are not on the forefront of my mind. I just want to finish, come what may. This is the marathon, this is what we've trained six months for. You die before you give up! The start is good. We are running nice and steady. At miles 2 and 5, the cheerleading squad lead by Snehal, Balu and Madhavi are out in full force. These guys have come to Portland just to cheer and support us, which is beyond awesome. Little did I know how crucial their support would become. Mile 9 and 10 passes by uneventfully, and there is no sign of the ankle niggle I had the preceding week. It has already started to rain and get chilly, and a glance at the clouds doesn't paint a good picture. But it doesn't bother me at that point, my body is warmed up and I'm running steadily.
Part 2: Bad Mile 14 has gone by, and early signs of trouble. My right ankle has now started to hurt. It's a feeling akin to someone poking pins into the tendon just below the ankle. This is not good. It's not something that's stopping me from running right now, so I press on. The pain is consistent, but doesn't seem to be getting worse, which is heartening. But I'm unable to relax and ignore the pain. The rain is showing no sign of stopping, and the humidity is high. I am taking in electrolytes at every aid station. At mile 16-17 is an uphill climb to the bridge. Trouble!! My legs, especially my right leg, suddenly feels like a stone block. My thighs and calves feel so tight, its like someone wringing them dry. ..And then the first cramp shoots up the calf. It's an extremely painful sensation. I am forced to stop and stretch it out. I immediately swallow the only salt tablet I have with me. I start running gingerly, but things don't feel good. At mile 18 the cramps hit again. It's such a shooting sensation I almost stumble to a stop. Both my legs now feel bone tight and very sore!
Part 3: Ugly The rain is coming down. It's overcast, chilly and wet, with nary a break in sight. The wetness is causing a painful blister to develop on my left foot. Walking is lowering my core temperature and I am wet and cold, but running is out of the question. Cramps are shooting up at the first hint of a running motion. Walking is now the only option. I walk upto mile 19, trying to ignore the blister when putting weight on my left foot, trying to ignore the ankle when putting weight on my right foot, trying to block out the cold, and stopping at times to stretch out cramps. Mahesh and Shailesh pass me at this point, urging me to finish it, which gives me a boost. And then at mile 19.5 comes the kicker..
Trying to explain ITB pain at it's worst to someone who's never experienced it is like trying to explain color to a person born blind. Many times I have queried Saumil and Shailesh on how and where exactly does it hurt, but I could never really see...until now. It comes on suddenly in the right leg at mile 19.5. I don't know if the tendinitis in the ankle somehow caused the ITB to tighten up, but I feel its full wrath. Suddenly I cant bend my right leg at the knee. I am forced to bring my right leg around as if in a cast. Its extremely painful. I limp upto mile 20.
Part 4: Good again! Cramps are coming on now even while walking. I am close to breaking point. All of a sudden I look up and see a familiar smiling face running towards me. It's Balu! He asks me if I'm ok. I tell him that I cannot run, just about walk. He tells me not to worry, lets walk to the finish. That simple statement fills me with renewed hope. Why not? I've come 20 miles! Why stop now?
This point is where the support and camaraderie of the group comes out in full force. Balu is on his cell phone, with calls to Snehal for advice. I can hear Snehals voice on the other end, urging frequent fluid intake. I drink up at aid stations and limp on. We meet Madhavi at the 21 mile mark, who along with coach Char on cell phone disperse crucial advice. Instead of stretching, massage the muscle hard and deep to stimulate blood flow. Balu uses his cell phone as a tool (akin to SMI Greg's bottletop) to massage the calf and thigh. With this, I feel some blood flowing in the legs, and I can walk without cramps for a bit, with 'only' the blister, tendinitis and ITB for company. Those three I can handle till the finish. On the way, we see a guy hunched up with severe ITB pain. Balu invites him to join us on the walk. He joins us and chats for 5 minutes but his long legs allow him a longer stride, and I have to stop for another cramp massage, so he presses on. There are many struggling runners at this point, but all seem to be headed one way, the finish. And that's where we are headed.
Part 5: Finish!! On any marathon, seeing the finish fills you up with energy. In my case its just about enough to renew my confidence that yes, I AM going to finish. For 6 miles I have walked with Balu, with cramp massage stops at every mile. I make one last ditch effort to run at the finish line, but just the act of STARTING to run causes immense pain, and I limp to the finish. Crossing the finish line is a mix of jubilation and relief, but my brain is fried. I am just hunched over, not knowing what to do. I am like the walking dead. A friendly aid worker comes to me and escorts me to a tent, puts ice on my ITB and gives me chocolates. Ahh I can walk again. I gingerly make my way to the Asha tent, at a pace of probably 10meters/hour, where juice, samosas, bananas and other goodies await. Slowly, my energy is coming back.
Part 6: Thanks! Simply put, without Balu's support there was no way I could've finished this! At mile 20 he suddenly appeared like an angel from heaven :)! Thanks Balu!! Of course, no small part was played by Madhavi who partly walked with us and gave valuable cramp tips, constant calls from Snehal with support and tips, encouragement from Shailesh and Mahesh who implored me to finish when they passed me, my running buddy Shiva who finished strong for me, my brother who drove me around and handled all hotel formalities when I could not walk, all the Asha runners who offered encouragement on the way, my bayland mentors without whom I wouldn't be waking up at 6 to train, the great coaches who disperse 200$/hr advice for free, and of course the amazing volunteers whose meticulous planning ensures that we focus only on one thing, running. It was an amazing experience.. You guys rock!!
Part 7: Aftermath. This was a combination of a lot of things happening at the same time, but I was still able to cross the finish, in a total time of 6hrs, a PR. It can only get better from here. By far this won't be my only run!
What is it about the training, that 10 miles now seems like a 'down' week? How impressive is the human body, that by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, you can make the body adapt in such a short time. I never though I would ever be saying 10 miles is easy (it was only a few weeks ago that running my first 'double digit' miles seemed like a huge achievement). But guess what, 10 miles now falls into the easy category. I am done with the 10 miles. Can't believe it felt that simple..
Nothing like another grueling run to erase the half-marathon euphoria. 13 miles? pfffttt. This is now a 16 miler to tell us, hey.. hello..you're still not done, you're running the full marathon remember! I'm not really ready for the 16miles. For one, the euphoria of just finishing a half-marathon is still strong. More importantly, the cold of San Fran seems to have given me a bronchial infection. I have a slight cough and cold and difficulty taking in a deep breath. But can't miss the training. Every run from today onwards is very important. I decide to take it very easy today. I run a mile and then walk for 1-2 min. I do this right from mile 1 onwards, even if I have the energy.
16 grueling miles later, I've made it.
I'm glad I decided to run and not chicken out. I guess the exercise even helped clear out the mucus from my bronchial tubes and I was breathing well by the evening. But I'm looking forward to the 'down' week next week.
. The volunteer starts handing me the medal. 'Nothing doing', I say, as I lower my head and make her put it round my neck. I have just successfully finished my first ever endurance race, and it feels amazing! And all the Asha runners and my running buddies are there as well. It doesn't get any better than this for an endurance race.
I am cramping. Cramping in my calves and lower hamstrings. Any motion to sit or twist causes causes a violent rebuttal from my muscles. But to hell with it. Nothing is going to block the endorphins from filling my brain. The cramps are now actually enjoyable, a tribute to the sometimes literally uphill struggle of my first ever 13.1 miles. Hugs, high fives and smiles abound and the pain is forgotten, as we all bathe in a sense of achievement I hadn't envisioned possible of me early this year.
There is something about seeing that finish line in the distance, that n shaped float that signifies the end. I can't really explain it. It does not matter if you have hit the proverbial wall or are left enervated by the run. The moment that end is visible, the body just finds that extra reserve of adrenalin that you never knew was there. I sprint towards that finish line, arms raised triumphantly. No amount of drugs or Gu's or Gels can give you that energy. It is a moment to cherish.
I am struggling. I can feel calves cramping mildly and the knees are buckling as we enter Golden Gate park. But this is the point where the crowd really swells. Encouragements and loud shouts of 'you can do it' fill the airwaves and egg me on, as does spotting mile marker 13. I spot Asha members in the crowd and know that the end is near. And then a helpful volunteer points at a white float in the distance and utters the magic words 'you have done it guys, that is the finish line!'.
Hills! Why did it have to be hills! Who had the wise idea to commission the building of this city on rolling hills! Did they look at a mountain range and exclaim 'This looks like a great place to build a city'. Various such thoughts cross my mind between mile 11 and 12.5. The course teases us, as we run up a hill, pray its over when it flattens out, only for another hill to start again. Curses! I am forced to walk up the last hill, running up at this point is impossible.
The view on the downslope is fantastic. Running up after the bridge was hard enough, but now I have to control myself from going too fast. But the misty view of the seashore on the right as we come to mile 11 takes the mind off the discomfort. It's a little hard to control the strides as the downhill is quite steep. I know my knees and calves are taking a pounding here, absorbing the shock of every step. I think they are going to hurt quite a bit soon.
Mile 10 comes without warning. Either they forgot to put in the other mile markers or I just didn't notice them. It's a nice shot in the arm after tackling this slope. It's not too steep but it just seems to keep going. I thought the course would flatten out after the Golden Gate bridge, but I was wrong. I hope it's the last one. Short strides and use the arms, I keep telling myself, knowing that whatever goes up must eventually come down.
The run up and down the Golden Gate bridge is fantastic. They have blocked off two lanes just for the runners, probably the only time of the year those vehicular lanes are open for people to run on. Passing cars and honking and waving. The atmosphere and view is amazing, with a slightly misty SF skyline in the distance. What's also fantastic is watching and waving to the other Asha runners as they pass by in the opposite lane. There is great camaraderie in the air as we egg each other on. I shout out to Balu and high-five Saumil on the way. I don't see Snehal, Shailesh or Mahesh and assume they must be right behind me. Mentors Arun and Mouli are at the start of the bridge, taking pictures and shouting encouragement. This feels great!
This slope is steep. It's like like paying your dues before being allowed to run on the Golden Gate bridge. In lieu of the toll you will run up 250 feet. A clever sign at the top says "Wouldn't you rather be running 'up' this slope?". Rrright!
This run is fantastic and very familiar. Kudos as usual to the awesome Asha team for organizing a run at Crissy field. It's great preparation for running here, as you know exactly what to look for and where you are in the run. For me, it means knowing where to take my second p break. This is going to mess my time a bit, but I don't really care. I do need to find a balance between drinking too much water before the race and not worrying about getting dehydrated.
And we're off! The emcee shouts encouragement as everyone takes off in a wave. I have never run with so many runners at once before. Its great to see so many different faces, shapes, sizes and countries running. One person is running with signs stapled all over his jersey. One person is running in a Spartan costume. One person has the flag of Canada tattooed on both his calves, no mistaking where he's from. I quickly lose Saumil and Balu in the large crowd, but its ok. I am going to run my normal long run pace here, which is anyway slower than those two. I am trotting along quite nicely, enjoying the run and the views and the smells, and the Fort Mason slope, once already conquered, holds no terror whatsoever. But who knows what lies ahead!
Waking up at 3am was never this easy frankly, as the anticipation of the day ahead has messed with sleep already (That and three helpful wakeup calls from my running buddies). A seemingly short bus ride later, we're at the embarcadero, greeted with a sea of humanity. There are so many Asha runners there, it's fantastic. I meet Medha, who I have to thank for introducing this to me in the first place. But first order of business, the potty line. Second, the sweats check. Then a warm up run to the start of wave 6. The loudspeakers are blaring, people are jogging in place or jumping up and down. Everybody is excited to be part of this. In this month of the Olympics, I cant wait to start running and get a medal at the finish. I will make sure the person doesn't just hand it over to me but puts it squarely around my neck.
Next weekend is the San Francisco half marathon. Almost everyone I know is running it, unless they are in India. This causes a reshuffle of the schedule. The Chicago people are due to run 13 miles, but before the run it is announced that the maximum everyone is running today is 6-8 miles. This is not an issue for Portland as this is supposed to be our down week anyway, so the SF Half slots in rather conveniently in our schedule. The run is at Campbell park again, which doesn't hold any terrors for me anymore. For some reason I don't find a running rhythm today and legs feel a little heavy. But the 6 miles are over fast. We decide to have a group brunch at IHOP after the run. Plenty of pancakes and omlettes later, we are refueled (and then some). And now its time to rest and recuperate for next week.
Crissy Field! Have you heard of it? Maybe not. Even after years of living in the bay area, neither had I. So when someone said we have to run this week in Crissy Field, San Francisco, I groaned a little bit about going so far. But then, I got a pat on the head and a vivid description of the running location. To save a 1000 words, it was here.. (photo courtesy Praveen)
Where do I sign? We would be running on trails and roads next to the ocean with sailboats in the water, a cool sea breeze in the air and the Golden Gate bridge looming in the distance. I couldn't wait.
We carpooled to the waiting area in Crissy Field. It was as cold as San Francisco could get in summer (which is a LOT) so we could not wait to get started. Today we are running 13 miles, almost half a marathon.
The run starts off great. The views on the way definitely help make it a little easier. The first two miles out are towards Fisherman's wharf. Turning back from there, we run all the way to the base of the bridge as in the photo above. Suffice to say, the views are fantastic.
Here are some photos from the run (thanks to Shiva again for getting a camera)..
Our carpool group. Yes, it's brrrr cold. Note the sailboats in the background.
This time, the first 11 miles are not too bad. But I struggle a little bit on the last two. My legs have a peculiar feeling to them, as if all the flesh's been stripped away and there are just bones and joints for support (and even these feel like all the lubrication is gone and they need an oil change). My knees hurt and joints are getting noisier with every step (like breaking knuckles). I finish the run, but I cant go through my range of stretches, because at the end of the stretch, the muscles are rebelling and cramping, especially the hamstrings. I ask coach what's going on. It seems I have to increase my potassium intake, which means even more bananas and Gatorade.
After running frequently on the trails I had begun to form opinions on them, like any other entity that you frequently see. I did not have a good opinion of the Campbell trail. This could entirely be due to the fact that the trail has not been good to me yet. There are some flat sections, but there are a lot of ups and downs as well. On one occasion I got dehydrated on the trail (week 11), on the other it was 5 agonizing miles when I was just starting out (week 7). I had not gotten a chance to admire the trial or focus on its positives yet. So when the email implied we were running 12 miles on the Campbell trail, I let out a groan. I immediately checked the weather, and let out a sigh of relief when it predicted cool and cloudy. At least I wouldn't get dehydrated, I think. I came all prepared this time. Drank water like a horse throughout the week, and came to the run with all 4 bottles filled up. I decided that the only way to change my opinion on of the trail would be to conquer it. I decided to run the 12 miles without stopping. No stops at the water holes, no stops to stretch the legs, nothing. Just get into a running rhythm and stick with it, sipping water out of the fuel belt ever so often. And things actually go according to plan. The weather stays cool and I keep running. After 8 miles we are back to where we started (which I hate), but I put my head down and keep running. At this point I pick up a running partner (Vivek) who helps carry me the next 3 miles. It makes a big difference when there is someone running with you, as the chitchat really takes the mind off the pain. On the 12th and last mile, things are not so rosy. I have been running without stopping and the I'm definitely feeling it a bit. But its frankly not too bad. I get to the finish line and feel great. 12 miles and the demons of this trail definitely vanquished.
Whew! I'm still trying to recover from that Nadal-Federer Wimbledon final. Nadal..I'm sure that guy can run a marathon tomorrow if he so wishes.
But a Nadal I'm not, so its back to training. This week is a down week, meaning only 6 miles (I'm still tickled at being able to put 'only' before that number nowadays). We were asked to meet up at Sawyer Trial in San Mateo. Now I've heard stories about the beauty of this trail from others, but this was our first time there. We carpooled again like last week and got there on time. There were plenty of runners in spite of this being a long weekend, no doubt also curious about this trail. And they were not disappointed. The entire track zigzags around a beautiful lake. With the early morning mist still over the trees and low clouds, it was absolutely beautiful. Now I know why runners get hooked to running. Luckily, Shiva had bought a camera, so in the spirit of 'A picture is worth a thousand words', here goes..
Shoreline is a dumpy marshland compared to this. Can't wait to have more runs here..
After last week's experience, I was all prepped this week. All four fuel belt bottles filled up, energy gel in pouch. Today is the first time we hit double digits. Ten miles. Only 16.2 miles more left to conquer. We decide to car-pool to the oracle trail. I was going to take my car but the addition of a 6th person to the pool meant we had to substitute with a van. We all meet at the McAfee parking lot.
On the way I know I'm forgetting something, but cant quite place it. Cap, check, car keys, check, sunscreen, check, fuel-belt.. hmm where the heck is the fuel belt? In the truck of my car that's where! Damn!
I tense up. I barely survived last week even with a fuel belt. But today is different, its very cloudy and cool, perfect weather for running. The sun is behind clouds and its even a little foggy. I decide to drink up at all the water stops regardless.
The sights we missed last time are all part of our mileage today. We run along the bay with the water on the right and huge San Mateo bridge looming in the distance. It's a fantastic sight. The trail is 5 miles out and 5 miles back. It takes us up-to and under the San Mateo bridge. We turn back from just past the bridge. The weather is perfect for running. At the 6 mile mark we stop for water and an energy gel. Not a good idea. Only take a gel if you really need it. And don't ever gulp the whole packet down, it starts feeling like a blob of atta stuck in the bottom of your stomach. You feel like you've just eaten a heavy dinner. Oh well, some lessons are learnt the hard way. But this is roses compared to last week. I press on, and finish the 10 miles in about 1hr 45 min. That's about 10.5 min to a mile.
While I'm certainly enjoying the training, it is important to not lose focus on the ultimate objective, which is to raise awareness and funds for ASHA which will all go towards the education of underprivileged children. I have just created my very own fundraising page. Please take a moment to visit and donate generously.
A little poem might help. Credit for this goes to Arjun, a runner in our large group I haven't met yet, but going by his creation below, surely deserves a place in the amateur poets hall of fame: Little Rani wants to play yet she sits, kneading sulphur clay
For as the sun glares down, on this dusty town Fireworks from here, get shipped all around
And by Rani's hands tiny, are these fireworks made, bought by the rich, at festival's trade.
Little Rani wants to play yet she sits, kneading sulphur clay
what she needs, at all costs and no delay Is an education, to make sure she doesn't fritter away
For great ideas and a world full of delights, await Little Rani, if only she can read and write.
Little Rani wants to play yet she sits, kneading sulphur clay
So here we jog, in the morning fog clenching fists hoping they will defrost
and as Team Asha, we run, mile upon mile, with indomitable spirit, at times cracking jokes puerile
for when we hit that mark, at 26.2, in all that melee we silently know, that one day will Little Rani play.
Remember to hydrate people! Hydrate a lot, and on a day like today, hydrate some more.
It was a day of record heat. Yesterday broke the record for the hottest June 21st in San Jose downtown history, and today was expected to be hot too, well into the 100's (37 - 40 deg C).
I was confident this time, especially after last week's run. But I still got a fuel belt along (an elastic belt attached to 4 lightweight bottles that go around your waist). Thinking I would be better off with only two bottles, I left behind the other two. Bad idea!
The run was 9 miles this time, and the start at 7.30am was ok. The sun was already out, but was yet to unleash its full wrath. The run to the halfway point of 4 miles was good but not as easy as last week. Around the 5.5 mile mark, I had already finished my two bottles. The sun was glaring down now, unleashing all of it's 100 deg fury. And then a curious thing happened. I started to feel cold... from the inside. The sun was shining bright and I was feeling cold enough to get goosebumps. It felt like somebody inside me had turned my body's thermostat way down. It was something unlike I had ever felt before. And I was not alone. My two running buddies felt it too. Luckily the water stop was not too far off. We took a big break and had plenty of water and an energy gel. But that lasted only for about a mile. Still about 1.5 miles to go. I just could not keep running anymore. I had to start walking. It was the first time I had ever 'walked' on the runs, but it was the first time I had ever felt like this, and I was not prepared to risk it that much. I would walk, feel a little better, the run a little till I had to walk again. After 8 miles we came back to the start, and I was ready to curl up and die. But here is where running buddies help. Training alone I would have surely given up at this point, but they called me out for another last mile which was again walk-run. At the end, I was more exhausted than I've ever been in my life. Gathering some energy and senses, I asked coach what the cold feeling meant. It seems that when you sweat away all the water you have in you, the body cant cool itself with sweating anymore, so it turns the thermostat down. On days like this, it's important to carry all 4 bottles with you, drink water every so often, and re-fill the bottles at the next water stop.
Today's long run is not really a long run. The Portland runners have a 'down' week. The training schedule is 2 successive weeks of increasing mileage followed by a week of low mileage. Today we are running only 4 miles!
Let me reflect on that a little bit. A couple of months ago, 4 miles would have killed me. The fact that I can add 'only' in front of it today tickles me no end. But I digress..
We meet at the Oracle Trail. It starts from Oracle and continues alongside the bay, parallel to 101N, up-to and under the San Mateo bridge. It's a beautiful trail.
Unfortunately, we don't get to see any of it. Me and my friend turn back at the two mile back. It's fun to see the faces of the 8-9 milers on our way back, a mixture of envy and hatred. :)
Just kidding. We amble back at a decent pace. The easiest four miles I have ever run. The body is definitely adapting, stamina is increasing, and today was ample proof of that change.
I was dreading this week's long run. I was barely able to finish 5 miles on the last long run. How can I finish 7?
Would the weekday runs help? We had started running 3 miles now on Monday's and Thursday's. Those are tough, but I'm counting on the body's ability to adapt. It's two weeks since I (barely) finished the 5 miles, but it's not like I've been lounging around since then.
The run is at Shoreline this time, a little flatter than the up and down Campbell park. I start and before I know it, I've crossed the three mile mark.
Why is it that the weekday 3 miles seem much tougher than these first three miles? Is it because I'm mentally geared on the long run to not stop at three miles? The mind works in strange ways.
By the 4.5th mile, I'm feeling it a bit in my knees and shins. But then a surprising thing happens. After the 5 mile mark, I get into some sort of rhythm. My feet are moving, but I'm not really thinking. I cant really explain it. It's like the feet have taken a life of their own. Plus my breathing has also settled into a rhythm. This feels good! I know this can't last forever, but I milk it for the last two miles. At the end, even though my legs feel a little heavy and sore, I'm not panting as much as the run two weeks ago. This is good. The confidence is back!
It's when you take that first hopeful swing of a Golf club and meet only air, that you appreciate just how good a professional golfer is.
I ran a mile in 7m35s. I though that was quite good on average and I was panting hard at the end of it. But that was one mile. I ran a mile and I stopped. Consider this: Haile Gebrselassie holds the world record in the Marathon, finishing the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:26. This means, the man ran every mile of that 26.2 miles at an average of 4m45s. That is just ridiculous.
It was not too long ago till a 4 minute mile was considered impossible until Roger Bannister broke it. To run 26 miles at an average pace of 4m45s per mile is unreal!
Check out how the man runs:
I wouldn't be able to run that fast if I was sprinting.
Today was the day of the mile time trial. A chance to show off your speed for the Hicham El-Guerroujes among us.
The concept is simple. Run a mile at a pace you are comfortable with.. plus one. One gear higher than your normal weekday or long run pace. Not too hard so that you have to walk the last 400m, not too slow that you are singing happy days at the end of the run. You get the drift.
The trial is held at a school 400m track. It's a dirt track, that makes it a little tougher than the regular rubberized surface.
And we're off.... I get off to a steady start. I'm not pushing myself too hard; something I ate last night is not agreeing with me. But I don't want to drop too far back. So I push it a little bit more. Curse the damn ego!!
I'm spent after the four laps. That was tough. Running hard over that long a stretch is not easy. Turns out this is something we're going to have to do every Tuesday starting this week. Oh Joy!
How did I do? 7m35s for the one mile. If this was being scored like Golf, that's about par for the course. Not too shabby. Some people did it in 6m20s thereabouts. There was no way I was going to do that.
That was the point of the exercise, to separate people into 4 groups based on your speeds. Nothing carved in stone, the coaches say you can switch groups if you like. This is just to avoid stepping on each others toes.. literally.
In last weeks post, I mentioned that thing were looking a bit rosy now. Well, scratch that! Today's run made mincemeat of that thought.
Five miles. Five easy miles I thought. 7 in the AM, no sign of the sun, piece of cake after last week! Yeah rrright!
The first two miles were OK. But the Campbell trail we were running at has its share of inclines and declines. I don't know if it was that or my misplaced confidence, but things started getting bad around the 3.5 mile mark. Last week I stopped at the three mile mark and felt great, but today two more miles to go. Heart rate way up, panting through the mouth, stitches under the ribs.. I had it all!
The worst thing about the Campbell run was that it is not a straight up and down run. The trail extended to only two miles. So for people doing 4+ miles, you come back to the starting point and go back out again. It's like landing in Mumbai, tired and weary after a 36hr flight from SFO, only to take off for Delhi and fly back again just because your ticket says so.
So when I got back to the starting point, I still had one more mile to go. The urge to stop was overwhelming, especially after seeing all the happy faces there of people done with their 3 miles. But I decided I was not going to cheat myself and went out for that last mile anyway. I'm glad I did. Unless I push myself, I will not improve.
This weekend I ran another three miler, this time at Shoreline. And it was surprisingly easy. I don't know if it was because of the cool weather or because I had already run three miles last week, but I don't ever remember feeling this good after three miles. Well, relatively speaking of course, since I'm still breathing a little hard, but its way less than what I expected it to be, which is saying something. I reflect on this when I suddenly realize that my arch is not hurting at all. Looks like my feet gave up their futile struggle to dissuade me from doing this (or could it be the new insoles?). So its all good. Can I actually do this? I feel more confident about this endeavor today than I've ever felt before.
Its time for the first 1+ mile run of the season. Since I'm doing the Portland marathon which is earlier than the others (Chicago and Silicon Valley in that order), we have an accelerated schedule. We jump to 3 miles this weekend while the others stay on 1. I don't mind this at all, it's a good opportunity to gauge progress so far. But this weekend I'm visiting my good friends in Simi Valley.
While training, it's not important where you run, only that you put in the required miles per week. So I run in Simi Valley, at about the same time as the others are running in Shoreline. I measure 3 miles using the cars odometer first; I don't want to guess it, nor can I... not at this stage.
I take it easy for the three miles, I don't want to push it today. But at the end I'm still tired and my arch still hurts. I think I need new insoles.
I'm glad I ran the three miles. It would've been easy to lay back and lounge about, especially when you're on a mini vacation.
The weekday runs have started in earnest. Those days of getting up at 8am are over! I better get up an 6 am and smell the coffee (wait, you cant drink coffee before a run; not that I ever do, but not even if I wanted to). I just have a banana. I have never eaten so many banana's in my life before. Time to go to costo and get a truck load of bananas. But wait, I cant buy so many bananas at once, I hate the smell of overripe bananas in the mornings. Damn!
... was not that long. Only a mile. But I will take it. I am glad that the program is so beginner friendly, and allows the individual to ramp up to outdoor running. I say this because running outdoors and running on a treadmill are chalk and cheese. I am able to run one mile on a treadmill without too much discomfort, but I cannot say the same thing for the outdoor one miler today. Fighting wind resistance, while experiencing none of the bounce and assistance offered by the treadmill, makes outdoor running a different ballgame.
After the miler I am not too out of breath, but I certainly feel it in my shins and foot 'arch'. This is going to take some time to get used to.
Later we all pose for a group photo. They have a decent sized group this year. A lot of first timers, which makes me happy; there will be people to share early training travails with!
Another week, another stretching only round, same time, same place. When is the running going to start?! As is evident, I'm really getting into this now and can hardly wait for the actual running to start. Slow and steady is the call. There is no use pushing it.
The next week is when the weekday runs start. Finally!! Today we have been assigned mentors. Mentors are volunteer asha alumni who have running experience and have run marathons before. Mentors will guide us through weekday runs. Each of us will select a preferred location on where to run on weekdays and specific mentors will be assigned for specific locations.
Recall I mentioned something earlier about waking up early? Well guess what, I have to show up for the weekday runs at 6.30am sharp! My days of lazing around on the bed till 8am are numbered!
I have chosen the Sunnyvale baylands park. It's close to office and home. Finally, the meat of the training starts..
The ASHA program training began in earnest today. We had to show up at Shoreline by 8am. Now waking up at 8am on a Saturday morning is a little difficult, showing up at 8am on a Saturday morning doubly more so. But I better get used to it and fast, because as the training moves into the summer months, we have to 'show up' in various places by 6 or 7am. If you are not a morning person...well you just have to train to be one. So I show up at Shoreline kite flying area at 8am. Shoreline is a nice place to run if you can run with nose plugs on, but our stretching area is far away from the marshlands, so its not an issue. We are first made to run a small warm-up lap. This being the first session, everyone's eager to impress and takes off, only for the coaches to shout 'slow, slow, SLOW!!'. Apparently you are supposed to run the warm up lap slow. Tell us beforehand!
Once the warm-up lap is over everyone congregates in a grassy area. Most people (including me) are trying hard to pretend how easy the warm up lap was, while cursing under our breath "that was only 0.5 miles? $%&@##". This is going to be interesting.
Whenever I play any kind of sport I don't bother to stretch before and after. Bad idea! I always knew the importance of stretching but never bothered. For the coaches here it's priority numero uno, as they consistently drum into our heads during the stretching. Always always ALWAYS stretch before AND after a run!
The stretching itself feels really good. There are some classic stretches and also some new ones. The one I have a little problem about is this stretch called ITB. It's difficult to execute and remember, and it feels awkward. Right now, I'm convinced this is some cruel joke by the coaches to make us look like ballet dancers for five minutes while they snicker under their breath.
I'm sure I will be proved wrong in the weeks ahead.
To test whether I should really be even attempting this, I decide to hike up mission peak with a friend. This is basically a 2 mile hike up the local peak on a paved road.
This tests me. Even though I actually reach the top before my friend does, I am spent!
Remember this is just two miles uphill. A marathon is 26.2 freaking miles of road that could go uphill-downhill in many places! But if I do the training as prescribed, eat the right foods as prescribed, I think I should be able to crack this. We shall see in the weeks ahead..
It's final then. I have decided to run it this year. So I attend the kick-off at Sports Basement, a sports store I did not even know existed (and its virutally just behind my office). What do you know, there actually is a sports store besides Big5 and Sports Authority! Oh Well.. Sports Basement turns out to be a rather large store that supports charitable organizations like ASHA and provides the means to hold meetings and clinics. There are plenty of people already there, including a few familiar faces. I meet Medha who first told me about all this. She introduces me to a few of the ASHA alumni. I begin to feel comfortable. So far so good!
Next comes the part where they make us sit and listen to speeches. Only in this case, I'm actually interested. The coaches come and talk about running a marathon, the importance of training, proper diet, proper attire. A variety of people come up and talk about their experiences with training and running the marathon, how rewarding the whole experience was, how it changed their life in some instances. In fact, there's so much asha in the eyes of every asha member I meet, I begin to think I'm joining a cult. Visions form before me of us sitting in a circle around a fire under the full moon chanting 'asha' while dressed in hooded robes (dry-fit wicking ones of course). I've seen way too many movies. But I digress.. This is no cult, as the next speaker talks about the eventual goal of ASHA, which is to raise money for children in India who cannot even get a basic education. We are just the means to that end.
Do I play sports? Yes, tennis and cricket occasionally when I get time on the weekends. But have I run long distances at any point before? No! Am I lazy? Yes! Am I in good enough shape to run a marathon? Absolutely not! Am I in good enough shape to run even 5 miles? Nope! But I am overweight or physically handicapped? Nope again! The point being, blog reader who does not know me, this is not really an inspiring tale of fantastic perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. For those who do know the procrastinating and lazy me, this is a tale of fantastic perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, maybe just not that tear-jerking enough to put on TV.
Q: Can I actually run a marathon today? A: Absolutely positively unequivocally not!
Why a marathon? Well, why not? The first time I entertained thoughts of running a marathon was sometime late last year. I was out of shape but had reached a point where I was doing 20-25 minutes on a treadmill at 6mph without feeling like dying. 'Whats the problem?' I said to my brother, who's quite fit. 'Just put on running shoes, practice a few miles on the road, and run'. He couldn't stop laughing.
There is no way I can run a marathon today. There is no way I can do the required training alone. I might put in a few days, maybe a week, before the monotony sets in. Then its 'Umm lets sleep in today and do the miles tomorrow' and its all over.
Then as luck would have it, I met an old friend Medha at a birthday party in January. I hadn't seen her for a while and thought she looked quite trim and much fitter than I had last seen her about a year ago. But before I could say anything she proudly beamed 'I ran in the marathon last year'.
'So what?', I teased, 'Even I can run the marathon, its finishing it that's a major pain'. 'No', she answered, 'Not only did I finish the Silicon Valley marathon, I ran 18 miles of the Chicago marathon that was abandoned due to the heat'. Now I was flabbergasted. The marathon and all its training seemed impossible to me, and here was a person who had done it by training for just one year. 'How the @#%^ did you..' I started to say, but before I could say anything she started to tell me about the team ASHA program.
I wont go into too many details of the team ASHA program, you can find more information here. In short, Asha is a zero-profit, zero-overhead charitable organization, focusing on raising funds to provide education for under-privileged children in India. The team ASHA marathon program provides you all the necessary training required to run marathon, while expecting the marathon runner to raise a certain amount for ASHA in order to actually run the marathon. And have a lot of fun the process. 'Seems like a win-win to me', I thought. Here are some qualified people who will actually train me, every weekend for six months and then some weekdays too, with personal attention, without the standard 60$/hr fee. In fact, its 100% voluntary. 'Great' I thought, 'I'm in'!!
