2 weeks ago i ticked another thing off my bucketlist. My virgin marathon.
It was something ive been wanting to do for years, and something that injury has stopped me from achieving.
This year there was no stopping me. i spent the last 6 months injury free ( almost - except for a lingering 12 month old sprained ankle), which allowed me to actually train for this.
A change in running technique also helped. ive suffered from shin splints my entire running career. i read a book called Chi Running which emphasised a few techiniques i had never used, which helped me reduce my shin splints by 70% (on a scale of 1-10).
so im really happy that i got it done.
The marathon wasnt without drama though. i was at the 21.1km mark and was feeling great. just where i wanted to be time-wise and feeling quite fresh. My time even included a piss-break and a few hello's to people along the way including family and friends. It was a great atmosphere. It was even better that out of all 5 days a year that it rains here, that it sprinkled much of the way up the first half of the marathon.
once i hit 28km, i felt the ankle that i sprained the week before play up, and at 29km the outside of the right knee starting pulling. a km later my hip flexor started to spasm.
at 30km i was sitting at 3hrs 10 mins, and on track to possibly breaking the 4hr mark i set to achieve.
by 31km it was a run-walk with simultaneous knee and hip pain. the spasms in my hip were too much if i walked, and the knee pain was too much if i ran. so i alternated the last 11-12km until the finish line. There was no way i was pulling out, and i even planned on hopping or hobbling the way to the line if i had to. fortunately i didnt have to do that, but the last 12km were really tough.
if you ask me now to do another one, id do it in a heart beat. the tranquility that comes over me from running is surreal. it clears my mind like nothing else and is by far one of the most satisfying things i can do.
next on my bucket list? - an ultra marathon... or an adventure race over a few days..i havent decided which one to do first... TFPer welcome to join or make recommendations
here are some pics from the Dubai Marathon
chirpy at 5km
the last 3km...
the final stretch
Done! 42.195km!
not the time i had hoped, but considering the circumstances, im quite happy with ticking it off the list.