Mercedes Marathon

It was a long drive, but Diane’s Lexus made our travel really comfortable. Took turns driving and made a couple of stops on our way, yet we made it on time to catch up with Phil, Hara and her family. Met at Rocky Pizza as planned for some carbo-loading. The Power Punch pizza looked very tempting and I ended up getting a big one.

Hara was running this for her BQ (Boston Qualifier). We were discussing all the races that we had run so far and our forthcoming schedules while Sophie, Hara’s daughter, was enjoying her pasta and buffalo chicken wings. Very nice of Phil to collect our race packets. After dinner, we headed to our hotel room to catch some sleep. Diane and I headed to the gym and did a mile walk on the treadmill.

Placed some ice packs near my ankle joints and was lying on my bed, pondering that the Valentine’s Day weekend was going to be something very interesting and exciting. Mixed feelings. Did I commit myself too much? Maybe I should’ve listened to my friends. Would it hurt? What would it be like? Those were the questions popping up in my head. I still remember the day when I signed up for four races, and this one was unique as it would be back-to-back. One down and three more to go. My third full marathon if I get to finish it, and my first one in my Vibram Five Fingers. They held up pretty well for my half marathon.

Didn’t know when I dozed off. The alarm went off at 5:00AM. The ankle pain was much better but still a bit sore. That morning was very different. You will never do it; it’s going to be hell; forget the finish line, and thoughts as such. I have never had this feeling before. Tried hard to avoid the voices (sorry if it sounds dramatic) and resisted them harder. Pinned up my BIB and timing chip on my VFF. Found a spot close to the start line and parked the car. The ‘This is it’ moment. No turning back now.

My first-ever marathon with about 2000 runners, could be more. The moment the race started, it took 7 minutes to reach the start line. It was a mix of both marathoners and half marathoners. A two-loop course through downtown Birmingham. The weather was freezing cold, 28 deg F (yes, that’s -2 deg Celsius).

My training runs in the snow helped. Breathing was so hard and my lungs were choking. It took almost 3 miles to gain the pace by squeezing through the crowd. A long way to go, with just me and the road ahead and nothing in between. Mile 8, pain started creeping in near the ankle. Oh oh, not again. Can’t get an ice pack on the run. Poured some ice-cold water over it, gulped a glass of Gatorade and headed towards mile 9. Reached mile 13 at about 2:10. There were hundreds of half-marathoners pushing themselves to the finish line. Man, their race is over, yet I have to do the whole loop once again. It’s very tempting. Shall I just cancel my entry to the full marathon and do the half marathon instead? Just a voice inside my head. “Be a man”, that’s the voice from my heart. The heart won! It’s Valentine’s Day people! :)

Hastily, I took the turn towards my second loop. Pain, legs were aching, fat cells were crying. It was around 32 deg F by now, but I was sweating like hell. My stride length was getting shorter. The milestone was showing 15 miles. 11.2 more miles to go. While I was trying to gain momentum, the course headed towards a hilly road. I should have anticipated it, as I had just done the course in my first loop. Pulled myself up to the aid station. Grabbed some bananas, oranges and some water. Was feeling better. Never felt the need for a potty break though. Reached mile 20. Miles 20-26 always give me goosebumps. The part of the race that puts me to the test. Earlier I could stretch myself and touch my toes without bending my knees. Now, that seemed to be an impossible and grueling task. My nerves had given up, I believe. Still managed to do it in spite of the pain. Now, the interesting thing in this race is that there is a balloon lady; she walks/runs at a 6:00hr pace. If you fall behind her, then you are out of the race. While stretching, I look behind and I see the balloon lady. Oh man, I can’t fall out of the race. I must do it. I must finish it, whatever it takes.

Got some courage to pull myself up and started running at a very good pace until I couldn’t see her. I was running like I stole something. Later I found out that it was another runner with some heart-shaped balloons celebrating Valentine’s Day. Freak!! Thought I would wait for her and beat her up, but good thing I saw her, or else I wouldn’t have gained the pace. That running pace hurt though. Mile 24, 2.2 miles to go. This is where the theory of relativity comes into the picture. That Einstein guy was right, “When you sit with a good looking girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes but when you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours, that’s relativity”. The next 2.2 miles were a hot stove for me and seemed like an eternity. There were a couple of runners ahead of me and I decided to outrun as many as possible. I would take advantage when they walked, just to see them passing me again in a while. 25 miles into the race and the last 1.2 miles to go.

I could feel the vibe already. I was in the downtown area, people standing by the side cheering you. I was literally dragging myself with this newfound energy. 26 miles, the final 200 yards, I could hear the music and the finish line comes into view. All pain and suffering vanished. I sprinted the last 200 yards and crossed the finish line. w00t. Nothing like those few seconds while crossing the finish line. I was soon wrapped in a Mylar blanket by a volunteer and was awarded my finisher medal and my finisher T-shirt. Finished it in 5:18:52.

Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25398605

A very special race for me indeed. I ran this for the pure joy of running, to test myself and for other reasons only known to a few. There were hundreds of them crossing the finish line, each for a cause, some for themselves. One had lost her brother in Haiti, another ran in memory of her child who died of cancer, some for their dear ones and many more reasons. Let me tell you something: you’ve got to be at the finish line to experience what I am saying. Wish I could put my feelings into words though. My friends crossed the finish line 10 minutes after I finished. We hugged each other and said, “We survived, we did it”. The Mercedes medal and the finisher T-shirt were awesome. A sweet gift for my Valentine’s Day!

We were hunting for the Y! for a shower but no luck. We were craving a Chick-fil-A sandwich, but found it closed and later realized it was Sunday. We had to settle for second best and headed to Arby’s. Had my favorite roast beef sandwich and headed to Nashville. Done with a Half and a Full; next would be the 50K and then the 50 Mile. Jeez!!