I did couple of short runs with a bit of speed to test the legs and the knees and they felt good.
Last run was on Tuesday and then nothing till Sunday.Needless to say, I couldn't wait and did basically nothing whole Saturday, just eat and rest.
I tried to eat pasta but somehow I think I overdid it. Pasta for lunch and dinner was I think a bit too much carbs for my stomach and I left the dinner (my friend Heather, seasoned marathoner, joined me as she was running in the marathon as well) feeling bloated.
I was hoping my stomach would settle during the night.
As usual, I got about 4 hours of sleep, I am just too excited and nervous before bigger event so was glad when the time came to get up.Stomach was feeling really off so I had smaller breakfast, but that made it even worse.
The weather was a bit tricky to judge, it looked like it could rain and with temperature around 10oC I decided to wear my Polartec top but only shorts.
I left the hotel at 7:30am (for 9am start) in very negative state of mind, but was determined to get to the start and see what happens. I knew my stomach is normally very solid and it doesn't take long to get it settled. I was hoping it would be ok when I needed to take the first gel, at around 40 minutes in. Clearly, if I couldn't get anything into my stomach, the race would be over.
I didn't linger on the negative thoughts and tried to reflect on the whole journey that got me to the start line, the tough training, problems with knees, as well as looking around, there were hundreds of people. It is definitely better to be in the crowd than just running on your own, especially if you are battling your inner demons!
I was in corral D, which meant finishing time 4.5 hours or more, which was fine by me. Today was only about finishing and not worrying about the pace.
Start!
We went off at around 15 minutes after 9am and the first km or so was over a huge bridge, which was a stunning view. I was also glad to be moving as I was bloody freezing when standing around before the start.
First 5km went fine, crowds were pumped and we hit the city centre, my average pace around 6:40min/k. I was anxiously waiting for the 40min to take my first gel. It went down without any problems which was a major relief, phew! :)
I hit 10km mark in around 64 minutes which was quite ok, I was really enjoying to have people around me, it made a huge difference.
I would eat a gel every 6 or 7km, when I would walk for 30 sec or so and wash it down with diluted Nuun. I also decided to take one S Cap every 1.5 hours to keep the electrolytes in check. Bearing in mind how much I sweat, I was really trying to drink lots, in spite the cool weather. I was sweating at constant rate, which was a good indicator. All systems seemed ok.
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I had had this pain before, either during long hikes or 20k run and I know this is a showstopper. The more I run the pain starts shooting up my thigh and it is really bad.
'Great' I thought, another problems to deal with. So I tried to walk on the knee and there was no pain.
As a result, my strategy after first 20k would be to run until the pain got bad, then walk for 500m and run again. It was especially bad on the uphills so all those were walking.
At this point my pace dropped significantly but I didn't care.
Halfway done, there was a tough junction - right was for half marathon finish, left was to continue. Man, was it tempting! (You could decide to skip marathon and finish the half and you would get a medal). But I shook that off and went left and suddenly, there was no one around me!
Most of the people were running half marathon and I found myself on my own on the street with just a few people behind.
The part between 20k and 30k was mentally the toughest thing I had ever done. To know you still have the same amount to run that you had just done was just downright depressing. Even more so, there is a 10k out and back section, where you see people coming back at you who have just few km to go and you know you still have to run 10k before you get to that point. I just had to get to 30k from where it would by 'just' 10k to the finish. I knew if I could get to 30km in one piece, I would have won mentally.
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| just after 31km |
It was bad as you can see on this picture. I so wanted to be past the turnaround, you have no idea.
Around this point I also started to get serious lactic acid build up in my legs, it was unbelievable.
They felt heavy and I could sense how tired the muscles were.
I kept on plodding along, taking gels and the so much needed flat coke (I don't drink coke at all, normally) around 36km. It tasted great, this is a definite must have for the future!
Finally, I came around the last bend and started returning to the end of the out and back section. There were hardly any people on the streets and what was worse, the aid stations had run out of bananas!
I am considering to write an email to complain about this. If the organisers say the course will be open for 6 hours then I expect fully stacked aid stations for 6 hours!
If I had planned my fuelling strategy around these bananas, I would have had a nasty surprise.
It only shows that the best way (for me) is to carry all the food with you and just count on supply of water.
It had been 4 hours since the start and I hadn't been to the toilet once. That wasn't anything new, I am always on the minus side with my hydration but since I was still sweating and had no cramping issues I felt it was ok.
My legs felt quite heavy but my energy levels were stable and solid. I was considering whether I should push the last 5km or so but didn't want to risk my legs seizing up or anything else so played it safe.
I will definitely have to test how much my legs can take when they have so much lactic acid in them, but I wasn't going to jeopardise my first marathon finish.
I had been hoping to see my family who had come to cheer me up but they were nowhere in sight.
Slowly came the 40th km.
I was going to overtake that guy, for sure!
And then I spotted my mum on the left side, taking pictures! What a lovely surprise!
And my twin sister on the right side, cheering me on!
She decided to run few meters with me :)
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| twins running together |
And last but not least, my dad loomed into the view. He was also very happy to see me still moving strongly (albeit slowly)
Dad's point of view :)
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| Only 2km to go, I am pumped to get this done! |
This was such a mental boost for me, to see my family on the course, it felt amazing.
Suddenly, there was no pain and only desire to finish.
There came a long straight and the final bend
After which there was the red carpet finish!
I really went for it, speeding up as much as I could and before too long I was
DONE! :)
5:17:54, 8km/h
I was soo glad it was over, you wouldn't believe it.
Legs very heavy but definitely proud and excited to have finished my first marathon!
What a feeling of achievement and satisfaction!
The rest of the day went by quickly, we went for a late lunch with my family and then I met with Heather for dinner. She finished in 4:15 or so, impressive result.
Monday and Tuesday were hell. Despite having Ultragen recovery drink and a cold shower, my legs were seriously sore and every step up and down the stairs was agony.
This is were I was glad to have a IT job, sitting for 8 hours :)
Surprisingly, my legs felt much better on Wednesday and I could walk without major problems.
This was much faster recovery than after the half marathon when it took me almost a week to be able to walk properly.
Next time, however, I will definitely take the next day off, as I was dazed and couldn't really function properly.
Conclusion:
I have done it, I am sure I could go under 5 hours but under the circumstances I did all I could, and that is what counts.
I am very happy with my nutrition and hydration, had no energy or cramping issues. I drank around 2 litres of Nuun plus some coke and water. Considering the cool weather, I would definitely need to up the fluid intake in warmer weather.
What's next?
Well, I think I am done with road races, and since I always say the challenge for me is distance and not speed, I would like to try a trail 50km race. When and what, it is too early to say as summer is upon us, and that means very little running, as I hate heat.
Few tips for anyone training for their first marathon:
1. Set yourself realistic goals and be prepared to adjust them as you go into training.
I had a good training plan, but with the knee problems, I had to tweak it and focus on what was really important.
2. If nothing else, do your long runs!
Doesn't matter if you have to walk, crawl or roll on the ground, make sure you cover the distance using your legs! Only the long runs prepare your mind and your body for the stress of running 42km.
3. Try to see negative things in positive light and ride the bad waves with hope that things will turn around.
My stomach was a real concern at the start but it settled without problems later. The sudden knee pain could have ended my race, but I adjusted the running strategy and made it to the finish without any damage.
4. Be smart about your speed and make finishing your main priority.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
That's all folks, keep checking this blog for posts on other adventures and races :)
take care
Matt
