My first marathon- full distance SCMM2013

As decided on the finish line of the SCMM 2012 half marathon last year, I registered for the full distance this year.

TRAINING: The very first full marathon-

I had heard from lots of marathoners, about the dedication to training required, and consistency in logging miles, never missing the long run losing weight during training etc.

Giving time to training was a big question being a homemaker and a class representative parent at school, and working from home. Long runs required longer time of early morning which I could not give as it’s the time when I was required to be home to send my son to school.

However, I used a time slot where I needed to take my son for athletics on the tracks of PDP (Priyadarshini Park) for about 60 to 90 min per day every day in the evening. I used the tracks and premises for my training.

I got the opportunity to run on the road only twice in the whole period of 6 months. One long run of 32km and another of 18km, 3 and 2 weeks before the marathon day, which was the period of Xmas vacation for my son, so I could go early morning to do those two runs. I forgot to add: the Pinkathon (10Km) and National Level Master Athletes road race (5.25km).

I had my plan chalked out that involved speed work, time based runs and one day of rest per week.

Some long runs were of 90 min or 120 min long which I literally did in and around the PDP tracks, hovering around my son Chirag’s athletics training.

Just before the race I asked Dan sir about my race strategy. He asked all the details of my training so far.

Then he had given me a sub4 plan which would qualify me for the Boston marathon if I would follow it..

But on the race day, being a rookie, “conservative me” wanted to go slow and steady just to “COMPLETE” it first.

I had heard lots of fearful stories about marathoners and good runner’s experience. So, I went on at one constant speed which I did not count but it was the one which I used for my easy long runs.

 At the end of the race, I thought I could have run faster. If you see the statistics of my run, it’s a steady line.. It’s a speed of 10.1KM on average, and throughout constant at each 10K distance.

I enjoyed my run, and loved to observe the nutrition and hydration during the race..no pain no cramps, just easy and steady i went on accepting the positive energy from the friends cheering us..and reached finish line with last 100 meters of stride! I did it!! I met Arati Gaikwad after the finish line, she took me to base camp for stretching, the AHI people interviewd me there.

I didn’t reduce a single gram of my weight before or after the race not even during the training, it was constant.. a slight fluctuation of ½ kg..  In- spite of carbo-loading. ;)

In the evening when i had to go to airport to pick up my son who was to come  back from Aurangabad..He had participated in sub-junior state level athletics championships there. Luckily the flight was delayed by 20 min and i got this opportunity to keep walking. and the stiffness lasted only few hours..I was amazed to experience the response of a human body after a stress of 4:12 Hrs. my longest period of running ever..

and i read a messege on my blackberry from Vaishali Mane, mentioning that i had got a winning position in Veteran category. I'm proud to be the first indian veteran to run a full distance first time and get a position.

thanks everyone for inspiring me. Though i do not attend NRC regularly, i'm aware about the plan each Saturday as updated by Dan and try to do it here at home. (Distance learning?!)

PS: the long run of 32 km was done from home to NCPA and three loops from NCPA to chowpaty and then back to home! as per capt (my h usband) that is only the safe route for practising of road running.