Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Bengaluru marathon - return of a recovered runner

42 km at Bengaluru

42 km at Bengaluru
Rule number (0): Start run keeper on mobile. Keep in Silent mode and continue as if it does not exist. Watch the reading only at end.
Rule Number 1: Vary my speed using few short bursts.
This got me 10.5km at 54min 54 sec including 1 pee break. (Much better than all of the earlier marathons.)
Rule number 2: 10 km onwards, treat 10 km mark as 0 km and continue repeat bursts. Cool down when feels exerted. Watch the body.
Met Thomas. Four bare footers jogged in a line. And then Thomas said, We are in between 4:00 and 4:15 bus. (It is too good a feeling to be true. I never dreamed of this.)
Half marathon in 2:02:03 which is my 21 km PB.
Rule number 3: Drank water on most of the booths between 5km to 20 km. 20 km to 30 km did not need much water.
Rule Number 4: Remembered ‘Ustaad’. Use the Butt force during run. Straight back. Thighs should take load. Reduced step distance.
But then we do not live in a very organised world that works only with rules. Always some things to maintain imbalance.
AT 31km (PB 03:02:07) a piece of glass entered my left toe. Has happened many times I pull it out and run.
ONLY this time it broke inside. I tried but could not remove.
Rule number 5: Don’t count your chicks before they are hatched.
I continued to limp, stop inspect.
Rule Number 6: Use all the resources you have on your body.
A foreigner felt sorry and offered me his mobile arm band. That was when I realised I too had one wink emoticon. Wound my mobile band around left foot.
ALAS: I had safety pins which could have dislodged the glass easily when it entered. It just did not occur to me. I could have taken titanus shots later.
Kept pressure on outer ridge of the left foot…heavier landing on right foot. Weaker legs. Was forced to walk run.
So the little bit of progress I could make for the rest limping with a Mobile arm holder tied up to the toe to reduce pain.
Ash Nath passes by and gestures me to keep going strong.
Rule Number 6: Drifting is OK. But Back to reality.One thing at a time.
Cubbon park is beautiful, I envy Bangaloreans, but I am not here to paint. I wish I were.
4:45 bus overtakes me. The end is just 5 kms and I let this bus take over. That was all I wanted, a 4:45 marathon. Could have been 4:30 but that still feels a long call.
I continue to walk. Have removed the mobile band, as it slips all the time. Body is cold and feet have started complaining for last 3 kms. Can’t keep the body warm as I can’t run.
It ended in 5:19 marathon.
As I say its God time.(again)! Even if you plan and progress something could still go wrong. Am happy with my perf for 21km AND upto 31km..From then on I tried to complete to best of my ability. It is easy to give up at 6kms from end line. But should we ever DNF because your dreams did not turn real? Perhaps I could have tried to ignore the pain and run. Perhaps, continuing was too foolish.
I went for first aid in the stadium..The ‘Doc’ bent a syringe in many attempts to get the piece out,Thick alligator skin sole. How it hurt then and made me cry like a kid.
Glass better than needle.

Afterthoughts:

Sometimes I really look at the money I invested in an event.
I was not shot by a bullet in the leg. It was just a tiny piece.
I know of guys who could bear more pain and would still do it in 4:30..
We could look at Army guys! I am lot more relaxed about my goals. But I know, it is easy to get morose if you think of target that you wanted to achieve.
I have also known people give up a run in between just because they prefer DNF rather than a black mark on Time. I do not understand this attitude. If you are doing your best in circumstances Should time ever matter? Is this something that I had learned earlier and relearned yet again?
We should think about it as the best judgement in circumstances..forget the rest!
It hurts to slip off track for sure . Dark thoughts of giving up the run 6km premature did cross my mind. I could still think that I could have done an easy 4:45 .
I did not have guts to do that.