My First Marathon

One of the most prestigious marathons in the world - The Marine Corps Marathon was held on Oct 26th. To say that it was an ordeal would be an understatement.

The day started at 5AM. We parked the car few miles away from the race area and took the Metro to Arlington Cemetery. The race was to begin at 8AM right outside Pentagon. I got off the Metro and went up the escalator to the street level. As I walked out, I could see huge sea of people.  Some tens of thousands registered to run this year’ MCM. You could see people all the way to the horizon. The first sight was intimidating.

Runners are divided into groups – grouped together based on the expected finish time. I should have rightfully been standing with the 6 hour group.  That is almost at the end of the road. I couldn’t see where the runners’ lines ended.  Imagine twenty thousand people lined up on route 110. It was already 7:58AM, just 2 mins before the start. I was desperate to get into the runners lines. It would take me 15 mins to go to the back and find the 6 hr group. So I got into the line closest to where I was and found a place for myself. Then I looked up at the board, I was standing among the sub 4 hour runners’ group when I wasn’t even guaranteed to finish in 6 hours. There was no time to think abt anything now. The countdown began - 10 seconds to go.

Just like everyone else around me, my excitement level was so high. It was 40 degrees and my nose and ears almost froze. We slowly started jogging and in couple of mins, I came to the start line. With the huge roaring crowd, I officially started the Marine Corps Marathon. The crowd was so enthusiastic that with their cheering, they provided half the energy the runners need. They estimated abt 100,000 visitors would be out there to cheer the runners.

My first mile was very pleasant. It was interesting to see runners of all shapes and sizes. As soon as I got to Mile 2, the right knee pain started again. It’s the same thing that has been bothering me for the last few months and has not let me complete even 10 Mile runs during training (see my earlier post below). As if this wasn’t enough, there was 120-160 feet elevation on the course around Mile 3 and then around Mile 8. The pain wouldn’t go away. By Mile 3, I was considering abandoning the race. That’s when I saw a pretty girl who was pushing it hard to go up the 120 feet elevation. I was so inspired by her attempt that my pain paled in comparison to her struggle. I could either give up the run and save my knees or go on and see how long my legs will hold up before snapping. I chose the latter. I diverted my attention towards the cheering crowd. I slowly started noticing the placards – they had my name on it. They were cheering me to go on. There were hundreds of them. And then there were thousands. I couldn’t believe so many came out to support me. I tried to relish the moment when suddenly I felt someone push me from behind. The guy behind me was trying to move over to the road side to reach one of his family members to give a hug. That’s when I realized that the placards actually had the names of other runners – held by their family and friends. They were all so generous with their support that I felt they were personally encouraging me. That was enough for me to push myself to go on.

Few miles down the road, there was a U turn on the course. I saw the race leaders run towards us. This would be the only time such a rare occurrence could happen. They were 3 miles ahead of me while I was still at Mile 5. Isn’t it great :) By the time I reach the next U turn on the course, the leaders would finish the race and would be on their flights back home.  The race goes on and so does the knee pain. By now, both knees started to pain. The right knee was the worst. It was excruciating. All I wanted to do was reach the 10 Mile marker – The Lincoln Memorial - that’s where VG and SB were supposed to be waiting for me. The least I could do for them is show that I could run at least 10 Miles.

It was downhill and the pretty girl I overtook earlier during an uphill passed me. By the way, did I mention that the pretty girl was 72 yrs old, had both legs amputated and was on a wheel chair. She had just two lean hands and a great heart to push her through. That was a symbolic reminder for me to not give up. There are times when you just have to yield and times when you can keep fighting. My time to give up hasn’t come yet. My target now was to reach Mile 10 and then reevaluate.  The second uphill was painful. I was trying to run at a steady pace without trying too many things. I didn’t notice anything with my knees for the next few minutes. I crossed Mile 10. The only good thing so far is that I have steadily been maintaining a pace of under 10 min/mile. i.e. over 6 MPH. As I was getting closer to a bridge the pain was slowly subsiding. Right under the bridge, I met VG and SB. I almost missed them in the crowd. I removed the extra T-shirt that was protecting me from the severe cold and I felt much lighter now.  The temperatures were rising. My knee pain was magically reducing. At Mile 11, I totally didn’t feel the pain. I was really lucky that the knees held up and even the pain was gone. If I were to thank someone at that point, it would be the “Gods of Knees”.

I was enjoying the run now. One of my favorite runs is to run in DC in the middle of a highway without being bothered by the traffic. I was able to do that today – George Town- M Street, Lincoln Memorial, Constitution Avenue, right next to the monument, Smithsonian museums, Capitol Hill, Jefferson Memorial, Crystal City. I was constantly hydrating myself at every water point and my appetite for snacks helped very well.  I was at Mile 18 maintaining a steady pace of 10 i.e. 6MPH. I was pretty happy that I got it this far and was almost sure to complete the race.  My predicted completion time was around 4 hrs 30 mins now. When I came to Mile 20, the next big problem started. All muscles in the legs were cramping up. This is something every runner will go through at some point. So I wasn’t as worried as I was when I got the knee pain. But by Mile 21, I came to stand still. I was trying to walk fast. No amount of cheering from the crowd could help me this time. Because I almost couldn’t hear anything. Muscle cramps could stop you instantly. The phrase “so close, yet so far” was very apt. I knew my friends AC, TR, KP, SY, SR along with VG & SB would be waiting at the finish line. That provided much needed encouragement and mental strength. That last 4.2 miles were probably the longest 4.2 miles that day. The only thought that kept me going was being able to share the triumph with my family and friends when I cross the finish line.

After 4 hrs and 57 mins, I finally crossed the finish line. Though it could have been better, I am extremely happy with the 4:57. When I stand near my window, looking out at the Potomac and the Sky above, thinking what I did today that I will remember for the rest of my life - My First Marathon will always be up there. Thanks to everyone who has been supportive all along. Without you I wouldn’t be able to do this today.

MCM2008 Pictures

Statistics: 4 Hrs 57 Mins 16 Sec
Distance MARATHON
Clock Time 04:59:49
Chip Time 04:57:16
5K 0:31:46
10K 1:02:02
15K 1:32:10
20K 2:03:54
Half 2:11:14
25K 2:36:07
30K 3:11:07
35K 3:52:00
40K 4:38:24