Less is more

After my 30 K effort on Sunday, I followed that up pretty well with a really strong 10 K on Tuesday. I set quite a fast pace and between the 3 K and 7 K mark I was going as quick as I've ever done. Of course this wasn't race pace because I knew I would stop after hitting 10 K but it still felt good to go on for that long at that pace.

The best part of all this was despite 30 K and 10 K in 3 days, there is hardly any pain. The ankle is fine...the plantar is fine. My core strength is improving each run. The downside however is I still need to knock off around 5 kilos. Maybe I can sustain the full marathon at my current weight but I just feel being 5 kilos lighter will make the run a whole lot more enjoyable...not to mention the obvious benefits it would have on my already sexy profile! No?

30 is the new 20

I am tired but satisfied. I had an ankle scare but ice and Voveran did the trick. I covered close to 30 K today in 3 hours with no walking or stopping except for when I bought a bottle of water around the 20 K mark.

Getting closer and closer each day...I have another 7 long runs left and I want the last 4 of these to be around the 38 K mark.

Oh and yes...Vaseline and clear plastic surgical tape work wonders. :)

Chh-Ching!

I received my first contribution today! I have been so swept up in just understanding all the angles that go into running a marathon that I have had scant time to raise money for my chosen charities. However, that too has now begun. I am aiming to raise about $2500 USD in all.

If you have an Indian credit card, you can contribute by going here.

Don't look down...

OK so this isn't the most inspiring bit of experience sharing and it will probably elicit reactions ranging from laughter to "oh that's disgusting!" but since I am chronicling all my experiences I don't see why this should be left out.

One of the most well known but least talked about scourges, almost exclusively among male distance runners is chafing. What is chafing you ask? It's when your body constantly rubs against something leading to wear and tear. In a distance runner's case, chafing mostly revolves around nipples. Yes remember even us men have them. Right now, it's becoming a major pain in the ass problem for me. Think about the pain if, when you step into the shower, you have to cup your hands around your nipples so the water doesn't directly hit them? They burn, they bleed and they pain like a kick in the nuts. There's really no "cure" as such because as you run, your nipples will chafe against your singlet, friction leads to skin tear and eventually bleeding and more tearing. All one can do is lube up pretty well, Vaseline is something I haven't tried but something which I intend doing right away. Applying band aids or tape is also something people recommend. I'll keep that as Plan B. But for now all ye men who shall run, remember to guard those two tender spots on your chest.

Putting it in perspective

Just to put things in perspective, here's the qualifying times for the Boston Marathon: one of the ultimate challenges for any runner. When this page loaded I audibly gasped. You will see why. If I ever qualify for this marathon, it will truly be something to savour. I am right now staring at a time of 4 hours 30 minutes in Bombay. Remember, I fall into the first age bracket for another 7 years!

AGE GROUP	MEN	WOMEN
18-34	3hrs 10min	3hrs 40min
35-39	3hrs 15min	3hrs 45min
40-44	3hrs 20min	3hrs 50min
45-49	3hrs 30min	4hrs 00min
50-54	3hrs 35min	4hrs 05min
55-59	3hrs 45min	4hrs 15min
60-64	4hrs 00min	4hrs 30min
65-69	4hrs 15min	4hrs 45min
70-74	4hrs 30min	5hrs 00min
75-79	4hrs 45min	5hrs 15min
80 and over	5hrs 00min	5hrs 30min

There's pain and then there's pain

I upped the ante a little bit this morning. I put in about 25 km today and stayed on my feet for 2 1/2 hours. The last 8 minutes or so were absolute agony. My calves just packed in and I sincerely hope regular intakes of glucose along the way would have ensured otherwise. But yes coming back to the pain. As you're in the 20th km or so...the sweat more or less dries up covering your arms and legs and face with layers of white...which is salt. And when a drop of sweat does trickle down from your forehead it falls straight into your eye carrying with it some of that very salt. You're stinging like crazy and tears are streaming down your eye, your calf muscles feel like blocks of wood with nails driven into them, there's a strange but sharp pain in your chest and two dull red spots glowing through your running jersey....in the trance like state you look down and your mind rationalizes, "Oh that's blood...I should have used a little more Vaseline". Your tongue feels like sand paper hanging uselessly in your mouth. Extremes of pain I've heard serve to clear your mind, at times enabling brilliant streaks of clarity where suddenly you see. Maybe the Zen masters and yogis did it without the pain or maybe that's why some of them would lie on beds of nails. Didn't Bhismha lying on Arjuna's bed of arrows see all that took place as the war raged on?
I don't know but yes a lot goes through your head in those moments...not least when you begin to curse yourself ...why on earth are you doing this? Are you mad? And as that question raised itself, I broke into a big smile and decided that yes...in many ways I accept yes I am crazy to do this. What else can explain this drive? And I like this crazy side. Next stop 30 km.

Glide

A 1 hour easy run today to follow up day before's start-again run. I think I covered about 9 kms what I am astonished by right now is the sheer ease with which I put in the miles today. I more or less glided through the first 45 mins and felt my legs only a little as I really pushed the last mile. Today was a great run because mentally I am now back in that zone where I believe I will enjoy the race and savour the challenge as it unfolds. Next stop the 30 km. mark.

On another note, "Jesus of Suburbia" has to be one of my favourite songs to run to...simply keeps you ticking not to mention BJ Armstrong's lyrics making me nod in agreement and bringing a smile to my face much to the bewilderment of those walking around me:

To fall in love and fall in debt
To alcohol and cigarettes and Mary Jane
To keep me insane and doing someone else's cocaine

And there's nothing wrong with me
This is how I'm supposed to be
In a land of make believe
That don't believe in me

Listen

After a big scare last Thursday, I'm back on my feet. I'm doing something every single training manual and coach says one must do: listen to your body. I hadn't felt pain like I felt last week in a long time...like 10 years. Which is around the last time I was training this hard.

I put in a 40 min easy run today...must have covered about 5 kms. The legend PP and his missus were walking around at Sankey park too...the boy still looks fit enough to start lapping me in no time if he fancies it. Thankfully he just kept walking with the missus. Inspiration of course to see him walking around. Just the kind of role model one needs to achieve a goal that will take a lot of hardwork. Legend.

So the heel is better now. I'm going to embrace ice every day from here on...I don't know why I took so long to do so in the first place! I should be back on the long runs in another week or so.

The Pain is Real III

Everything was going great...until yesterday. I slept with a nagging ache in my left foot. I woke up to find my left heel pained like the devil with every step. After some reading I figure I have this:

Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Spur Syndrome: What is it? The Plantar Fascia is a dense fibrous tissue which runs from the calcareous (heel) along the bottom of the foot and inserts under the metatarsal heads. This fascia can become irritated anywhere along its course, but the pain is often located under the heel. Signs and Symptoms Often the pain intensifies when getting out of bed in the morning when weight is first put on the foot.

However, the pain lessens after a few steps. The pain is often reproduced if the toes are dorsiflexed (pulled up). In plantar fasciitis, the pain is more severe when running on the balls of the feet, whereas if pain is more intense on heel contact, a condition called Heel Spur Syndrome could be present. Heel Spurs result from excessive ossification (bone formation) due to the constant pulling of the fascia at the point where the fascia inserts on the bottom of the heel, and can be extremely painful.

Did I mention it hurts like hell? The only cure is to put ice and hope the damn thing goes away....I have lost a good week's training because of this damn it. I can't afford such injuries...less than 3 months to go.