It's been one fun journey. I feel truly humbled by the whole marathon experience. The support from family and friends was phenomenal. I would like to thank the following folks- my GK Home Partners, for their generosity. I was able to raise a total of $5100! This is enough for more than 3 houses for 3 poor families in the Philippines.
Maraming salamat (Thank you very much) to all of you:
Bryn David
Dan and Monica Oerther
Perry and Estela Peralta
Ed Nelson
Pilar and Jim Villacorta
Angel de Guzman
Florence and Alvin Lim
Mia Torres-Tigas
Lut Raskin
Bessie Paterno
Mila and Rok Evangelista
Sami Rizkalla
Vic Mandapat
Bob and Anne Borden
Tasnim Hassan
Pia Gavino
Sankar Arumugam
Joel Ducoste
Jay Cheng
Armel Mallare
Dave Parish
Lars Angenent
Myra Pura
Judy Anne Vargas-Sudler
Eloisa Duffy
Mort Barlaz
Akhtar Tayebali
Roberto Nunez
Emmanuel Cartas
Abelardo Cruz
John Stone
Thrina McMahon
Roy Borden
Detlef Knappe
Jim Nau
Tom and Leng Becker
There is hope for the Philippines, because there are people like you, who are generous and care.
Thank you!!!
Francis
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The story of my first marathon
It took a week and a half to finish writing the story of my first marathon. I wanted to describe what I felt during the entire race- everything was so vivid. So it turned out to be a long piece. I decided to divide it into sections, but to read it in the right order, you have to start with Part 1, then Part 2, etc. Sorry, but that's the way the blog goes...
Hope you enjoy this first-person account!
Hope you enjoy this first-person account!
My First Marathon (Part 4)
Miles 23-25
Shortly after we passed the big crowd, Jeff and Eddie went ahead of me again on Edwards Mill Rd, as I had to walk and stretch my cramping legs. This time, I played some more strategic games, like “I will catch up with them at that point up there”, or “I will run when they are taking their walk breaks”. This was the part when I felt most tested. I was alone, and left behind, running my own race. But I never felt that I wouldn’t finish. I’ve read that there comes a time in the marathon when you know you’re going to finish. I just had that point, at Mile 23, when I caught up with them and saw the Filipino group. I knew I was going to finish, but I also didn’t want to be left behind. So I just turned to autopilot, keeping the legs going, muttering words like “glide”, and “strong”. I paid attention to run form, keeping my steps small, running on my midfoot, keeping my turnover high. And then I caught up with them. I was spent, but my mind games worked!
There was one more hill, then a water station. Then came Miles 24 and 25. We probably walked for more than 2 min each time we took a break. And I am sure we didn’t go to 5 min running. We started doing it by distance, “we’ll stop at that light”, etc. I was totally tired. It wasn’t just my legs, but my whole body. But at least I wasn’t swaying, like this one guy we had passed. Still, several people passed us, including a woman who I passed earlier on Ebenezer Church. In some scenarios, with the Galloway method, you are supposed to be strong from mile 23 to the end, and some people report running the last 3 miles. I was just trying to survive the last 3 miles. This was farther than my body had gone before. One more gu, and more water. Finally, we made the turn to the Stadium. We had to go around it then back out to Trinity.
The finish
I think I got a little boost from making that turn. I remember running and actually not stopping at the last water station. I declined the water and gu. My bottles were empty. I felt like I didn’t need them any more. This was it- the last mile! But it was longer than I imagined. We had to walk a few more times. This time, there was no more 5/1 pattern. We just ran when we thought we could, and walked maybe for longer periods. I remember running, then agreeing to stop and walk when we reached a medical station. So when we got there, we all stopped, and the lady shouted “well you can’t walk now!” I almost gave her the finger. I was grateful to her companion, who said “they’re doing the run-walk progam”. She probably saw my face, since she then kept quiet. Not exactly encouraging words when you’re just trying to survive.
Then George came to meet us. He told us about the turn, that we should run before the turn, so that people around the bend won’t see us walking. So that’s what we did. We started running before the turn to Trinity, and there it was- the big giant banner saying FINISH LINE. The road narrowed, as they were funneling us through the timer mat. There were GK cheerers on both sides. My daughter Mia gave me a big Philippine flag to carry, and I gave one end to Jeff. We ran that last few meters together, carrying this big Philippine flag. Later, I realized we were holding the thing backward- oh well. What was funny is that during this final run, I kept feeling the sharp pain in my left leg, but I couldn’t stop. And I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. We crossed the finish in 5:15:35.
I didn’t know they called your name when you cross the finish line. But I heard it- my name- mispronounced, but it was my name. One race organizer tried to give me a medal, but my wife already got my medal, and our 3-year old Mireya was holding it. It was a great feeling, putting the medal on. Everyone was excited, and cheering, and giving us congratulatory pats. We did it. We finished our first marathon.
Epilogue
I forgot to do all the things we should have done. Like keep walking, and eat a high protein bar right after finishing. I felt cold, and got a foil blanket. I was hungry, and we went to the GK tent to get some food- Filipino arroz caldo, and menudo and pansit. I sat down and took off my shoes, as my foot was burning. Later, I had blisters on my small toes that were literally bigger than my toes, and a three-quarter size blister on my right sole.
Looking back now, I was glad the straightaway after the turn was short. If it were longer, I would have had time to reflect and think about what finishing a marathon meant. It was my first marathon, the culmination of 7 months of training. I didn’t have time to think about the poor families that would get new homes. I didn’t have time to think about my friends and family who sent in checks to support my run for GK. It was a good thing I didn’t have time to think – I would have cried. All I remember was crossing the finish, carrying the Philippine flag, stepping decisively on the timer mat, hearing my name called. We did it- we all finished! I was able to raise (including a few more expected checks) almost $3000, enough for two homes for two poor families in the Philippines. Altogether, the GK Hero’s Run Team raised almost $14,000. It was a huge success. But it was also an accomplishment I will remember for the rest of my life. From now on, I can claim something that less than 1% of the population can claim. I have finished a marathon. I am now a marathoner.
Shortly after we passed the big crowd, Jeff and Eddie went ahead of me again on Edwards Mill Rd, as I had to walk and stretch my cramping legs. This time, I played some more strategic games, like “I will catch up with them at that point up there”, or “I will run when they are taking their walk breaks”. This was the part when I felt most tested. I was alone, and left behind, running my own race. But I never felt that I wouldn’t finish. I’ve read that there comes a time in the marathon when you know you’re going to finish. I just had that point, at Mile 23, when I caught up with them and saw the Filipino group. I knew I was going to finish, but I also didn’t want to be left behind. So I just turned to autopilot, keeping the legs going, muttering words like “glide”, and “strong”. I paid attention to run form, keeping my steps small, running on my midfoot, keeping my turnover high. And then I caught up with them. I was spent, but my mind games worked!
There was one more hill, then a water station. Then came Miles 24 and 25. We probably walked for more than 2 min each time we took a break. And I am sure we didn’t go to 5 min running. We started doing it by distance, “we’ll stop at that light”, etc. I was totally tired. It wasn’t just my legs, but my whole body. But at least I wasn’t swaying, like this one guy we had passed. Still, several people passed us, including a woman who I passed earlier on Ebenezer Church. In some scenarios, with the Galloway method, you are supposed to be strong from mile 23 to the end, and some people report running the last 3 miles. I was just trying to survive the last 3 miles. This was farther than my body had gone before. One more gu, and more water. Finally, we made the turn to the Stadium. We had to go around it then back out to Trinity.
The finish
I think I got a little boost from making that turn. I remember running and actually not stopping at the last water station. I declined the water and gu. My bottles were empty. I felt like I didn’t need them any more. This was it- the last mile! But it was longer than I imagined. We had to walk a few more times. This time, there was no more 5/1 pattern. We just ran when we thought we could, and walked maybe for longer periods. I remember running, then agreeing to stop and walk when we reached a medical station. So when we got there, we all stopped, and the lady shouted “well you can’t walk now!” I almost gave her the finger. I was grateful to her companion, who said “they’re doing the run-walk progam”. She probably saw my face, since she then kept quiet. Not exactly encouraging words when you’re just trying to survive.
Then George came to meet us. He told us about the turn, that we should run before the turn, so that people around the bend won’t see us walking. So that’s what we did. We started running before the turn to Trinity, and there it was- the big giant banner saying FINISH LINE. The road narrowed, as they were funneling us through the timer mat. There were GK cheerers on both sides. My daughter Mia gave me a big Philippine flag to carry, and I gave one end to Jeff. We ran that last few meters together, carrying this big Philippine flag. Later, I realized we were holding the thing backward- oh well. What was funny is that during this final run, I kept feeling the sharp pain in my left leg, but I couldn’t stop. And I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. We crossed the finish in 5:15:35.
I didn’t know they called your name when you cross the finish line. But I heard it- my name- mispronounced, but it was my name. One race organizer tried to give me a medal, but my wife already got my medal, and our 3-year old Mireya was holding it. It was a great feeling, putting the medal on. Everyone was excited, and cheering, and giving us congratulatory pats. We did it. We finished our first marathon.
Epilogue
I forgot to do all the things we should have done. Like keep walking, and eat a high protein bar right after finishing. I felt cold, and got a foil blanket. I was hungry, and we went to the GK tent to get some food- Filipino arroz caldo, and menudo and pansit. I sat down and took off my shoes, as my foot was burning. Later, I had blisters on my small toes that were literally bigger than my toes, and a three-quarter size blister on my right sole.
Looking back now, I was glad the straightaway after the turn was short. If it were longer, I would have had time to reflect and think about what finishing a marathon meant. It was my first marathon, the culmination of 7 months of training. I didn’t have time to think about the poor families that would get new homes. I didn’t have time to think about my friends and family who sent in checks to support my run for GK. It was a good thing I didn’t have time to think – I would have cried. All I remember was crossing the finish, carrying the Philippine flag, stepping decisively on the timer mat, hearing my name called. We did it- we all finished! I was able to raise (including a few more expected checks) almost $3000, enough for two homes for two poor families in the Philippines. Altogether, the GK Hero’s Run Team raised almost $14,000. It was a huge success. But it was also an accomplishment I will remember for the rest of my life. From now on, I can claim something that less than 1% of the population can claim. I have finished a marathon. I am now a marathoner.
My First Marathon (Part 3)
Umstead
After one water stop and more gu (the stop had only Espresso flavor, with caffeine- I tried it anyway; conserving my own stash for later), we finally go to Umstead. Jeff and I needed a quick break, but there was a couple lined up at the single port-a-potty, so I told Jeff we should just do what we always did at Umstead – go off the trail and hide behind some trees ☺. So that’s what we did. It’s funny how little breaks like that take up time, as a bunch of people we had passed before now passed us. Umstead’s trails were nice and familiar. The ground was softer, but I felt like I wasn’t moving that much faster, like I was exerting too much effort.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. It was a muscle suddenly tightening, and then pulling away. It was so sudden, I let out a little yelp and stopped abruptly. Jeff and Ed looked concerned, and walked with me, but I told them to go ahead. I stretched it out, but it was still tight. It wasn’t locking up, though, but it was enough to scare me. I knew if I got full-blown cramps I would be crawling for another 12 miles! So we started to do a modified 5/1 approach, with me stopping more frequently to stretch every time I felt the pull. I felt it every half-mile or shorter, and it was no both legs. I noticed I felt it only during uphill climbs, when I am pushing off. So I tried to vary my gait, my run style, and I tried to go faster going downhill. Using these strategies, I managed to keep up with Ed and Jeff, or at least re-join them after lagging behind several times.
At Umstead, we met some really amazing folks. There was this old lady (maybe 70?) who passed us. She didn’t stop to walk, she just kept on going. Man, I wish I can still be running marathons when I am that old… There were also several maybe 60 year-old men out there, conquering Umstead. I also noticed a lot of people walking, or stretching. One guy was probably cramping up too. Another lady was stretching her ITB. It crossed my mind that it was the Ultima spprts drink that led to people cramping, but of course I wasn’t sure. All I know is that in 7 months of training, through long runs of 18, 20, and 23 miles, I have never cramped up before, and here I was, struggling at Mile 16.
Anyway, I knew that at the end of Umstead, my wife and kids will be waiting for me at Mile 18.5. So I had to catch up with Jeff and Eddie. I just kept running when I saw them take their walk breaks, so I could catch up before we got to our cheering squad. And we saw them- I saw my kids- Mia and Miguel, with banners and T-shirts that said “Go, Daddy, Go!”. Jeff’s kids and wife were there too. We gave all the kids high fives. Mia ran a little bit with me. Then I saw my wife Bembe with our youngest, Mireya. I stopped and kissed Mireya on the forehead. She had “Go Dad” written in black on her forehead! My wife later said my kiss was salty ☺. Well, that’s what you get when running a marathon- salty lips and a stinking body! It was good thinking to have them wait for us at this point, as we sure needed them. Now there was only 8 miles to go.
Miles 19-23
Now we were on Ebenezer Church. This was a 4 mile road that scared me, since there were two long hills (again, the kind you can see all the way up). I also knew that if there was a wall for me, it would be on this road. But for now, it was downhill. I was still cramping up so I would stop when I felt the muscle pull, then walk. We were trying to stay together and keep up the 5/1 pattern. Jeff said that he was also feeling some tightening in his calves. There were stretches when Eddie would be far ahead then Eddie and Jeff would be ahead, but I would always find a way to get back to them. I felt the pain during uphills, so I just kept going during downhills, and took more walk breaks during uphills. Still, this was a long road. The sun was also directly in front of us. Not too many cheerers, and a road as far as the eye could see. The mile markers were a comfort- Mile 21, Mile 22, as well as the water stations. I had stopped drinking the sports drink, and just drank water. I also refilled my water bottle, as I wanted the freedom to drink whenever I wanted. My personal gut check time was Mile 22-23. Jeff and Eddie were ahead of me, and I had to catch up. My legs were stiff and tight, and I felt a sharp pain every few hundred yards. It was uphill. I knew there was no chance of me quitting- I only had 3 miles to go! But my longest run before this was 23 miles, and my body knew it. I had another gu (this time, my favorite lemon flavor), and just kept going. Suddenly I saw Perry near the top of Ebenezer Church. He started running with me. I wasn’t making good conversation, as I was struggling, but the thought that there was a group of cheerers waiting for us at the top kept me going. Finally I caught up with Jeff and Eddie. So when the big GK crowd saw us, it looked like I wasn’t lagging behind!
Again, there were flags, and my wife and kids. I also saw Tony, Mike, and Efren with medals around their necks. They all finished! This was a big boost to me. I knew then everyone would finish. I tried hard to not show that I was struggling. Later, pictures showed me with this look of “concentration”, but I knew that I was really beat up at that point.
After one water stop and more gu (the stop had only Espresso flavor, with caffeine- I tried it anyway; conserving my own stash for later), we finally go to Umstead. Jeff and I needed a quick break, but there was a couple lined up at the single port-a-potty, so I told Jeff we should just do what we always did at Umstead – go off the trail and hide behind some trees ☺. So that’s what we did. It’s funny how little breaks like that take up time, as a bunch of people we had passed before now passed us. Umstead’s trails were nice and familiar. The ground was softer, but I felt like I wasn’t moving that much faster, like I was exerting too much effort.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. It was a muscle suddenly tightening, and then pulling away. It was so sudden, I let out a little yelp and stopped abruptly. Jeff and Ed looked concerned, and walked with me, but I told them to go ahead. I stretched it out, but it was still tight. It wasn’t locking up, though, but it was enough to scare me. I knew if I got full-blown cramps I would be crawling for another 12 miles! So we started to do a modified 5/1 approach, with me stopping more frequently to stretch every time I felt the pull. I felt it every half-mile or shorter, and it was no both legs. I noticed I felt it only during uphill climbs, when I am pushing off. So I tried to vary my gait, my run style, and I tried to go faster going downhill. Using these strategies, I managed to keep up with Ed and Jeff, or at least re-join them after lagging behind several times.
At Umstead, we met some really amazing folks. There was this old lady (maybe 70?) who passed us. She didn’t stop to walk, she just kept on going. Man, I wish I can still be running marathons when I am that old… There were also several maybe 60 year-old men out there, conquering Umstead. I also noticed a lot of people walking, or stretching. One guy was probably cramping up too. Another lady was stretching her ITB. It crossed my mind that it was the Ultima spprts drink that led to people cramping, but of course I wasn’t sure. All I know is that in 7 months of training, through long runs of 18, 20, and 23 miles, I have never cramped up before, and here I was, struggling at Mile 16.
Anyway, I knew that at the end of Umstead, my wife and kids will be waiting for me at Mile 18.5. So I had to catch up with Jeff and Eddie. I just kept running when I saw them take their walk breaks, so I could catch up before we got to our cheering squad. And we saw them- I saw my kids- Mia and Miguel, with banners and T-shirts that said “Go, Daddy, Go!”. Jeff’s kids and wife were there too. We gave all the kids high fives. Mia ran a little bit with me. Then I saw my wife Bembe with our youngest, Mireya. I stopped and kissed Mireya on the forehead. She had “Go Dad” written in black on her forehead! My wife later said my kiss was salty ☺. Well, that’s what you get when running a marathon- salty lips and a stinking body! It was good thinking to have them wait for us at this point, as we sure needed them. Now there was only 8 miles to go.
Miles 19-23
Now we were on Ebenezer Church. This was a 4 mile road that scared me, since there were two long hills (again, the kind you can see all the way up). I also knew that if there was a wall for me, it would be on this road. But for now, it was downhill. I was still cramping up so I would stop when I felt the muscle pull, then walk. We were trying to stay together and keep up the 5/1 pattern. Jeff said that he was also feeling some tightening in his calves. There were stretches when Eddie would be far ahead then Eddie and Jeff would be ahead, but I would always find a way to get back to them. I felt the pain during uphills, so I just kept going during downhills, and took more walk breaks during uphills. Still, this was a long road. The sun was also directly in front of us. Not too many cheerers, and a road as far as the eye could see. The mile markers were a comfort- Mile 21, Mile 22, as well as the water stations. I had stopped drinking the sports drink, and just drank water. I also refilled my water bottle, as I wanted the freedom to drink whenever I wanted. My personal gut check time was Mile 22-23. Jeff and Eddie were ahead of me, and I had to catch up. My legs were stiff and tight, and I felt a sharp pain every few hundred yards. It was uphill. I knew there was no chance of me quitting- I only had 3 miles to go! But my longest run before this was 23 miles, and my body knew it. I had another gu (this time, my favorite lemon flavor), and just kept going. Suddenly I saw Perry near the top of Ebenezer Church. He started running with me. I wasn’t making good conversation, as I was struggling, but the thought that there was a group of cheerers waiting for us at the top kept me going. Finally I caught up with Jeff and Eddie. So when the big GK crowd saw us, it looked like I wasn’t lagging behind!
Again, there were flags, and my wife and kids. I also saw Tony, Mike, and Efren with medals around their necks. They all finished! This was a big boost to me. I knew then everyone would finish. I tried hard to not show that I was struggling. Later, pictures showed me with this look of “concentration”, but I knew that I was really beat up at that point.
My First Marathon (Part 2)
Miles 6-10
We saw a line of them on Glenwood. It wasn’t one of the blue ones the race organizers had put up. These were on a construction site, but several runners were doing the same thing. We went up a little alley, through some construction materials (iron rebars, etc.) and made a quick trip. Right after this was a water station, so I guess we filled right back up. By this point, Gil was ahead, and our groups was Jeff, Eddie, and me, with Walter not far behind. The trio of Tony, Efren, and Mike were somewhere in the back. We knew Tony and Efren were there to keep time and pace, so we didn’t worry about them.
On Mile 7, we saw our first GK volunteers. Robin and Sonny were taking pictures and shouting. It was good to see familiar faces cheering you on. I gave my long-sleeved shirt to Robin- I was now all set to run the rest of the race. Shortly after that, we saw the Penillas and some other Filipinos- they had the Phil. Flag and were a noisy bunch. I’m sure Walter got a big boost from them.
We ate some gu around Mile 8. There were none at the water stop- I guess they ran out. Good thing we brought our own… I didn’t realize there were a few hills on this leg. We passed through some nice neighborhoods with quaint houses- lots of character. There was a group of young men banging on drums and bongos on one side street. One woman runner ran up to them and gave one guy a big hug. It was quite a party! The only thing was I couldn’t get a stable heart rate because of the uphill-downhill thing. I still felt good though, no major problems- I was conserving my energy for the later miles.
Mile 10-14
As we came back out on Hillsborough, the State Fairgrounds came up on the horizon- ok so we’re getting close to the halfway point! The runners started to thin out a little bit. People were starting to talk- “ok, it’s just another 5K, we can do it”. At this point, we have been running for around 2 hours. I thought about the race leaders finishing in another 30 min…I started talking to a few runners. Like the lady who was doing the half, and the old funny guy in yellow, who kept egging the crowd to keep going. He asked me what we were running for, as we had the red GK shirts on, and I explained in a few sentences what GK was about. I guess you have to be always ready, even while running! We also saw a big GK/Filipino contingent with flags and signs around Mile 10. Wency ran a little bit with us, and we asked about Anthony and Gil, who passed earlier.
A little later, on the stretch in front of the State Fairgrounds, I felt my right calf tightening. Uh-oh. Stopped a little bit, stretched it out, and caught up with Eddie and Jeff. As a precaution, I took out my right knee band, thinking it was pinching a little. The tightness didn’t go away, but I was still running. No problem. Turning the bend on Youth Center Drive, the half-marathon finish was only 2 more miles. Lots of cheerers on Trinity. I saw some runners with medals around their necks- these must be the half-marathoners, no way anyone finished the full in 2:15! Then, the half-marathoners had to take a turn, while the full folks kept going straight up on Trinity. Only a few people were continuing on the marathon (officially, around 1000 out of the 3800 runners). It dawned on me that now the true test begins…
Well the test got harder. Mile 12 was a long hill. It was the fact that it was straight, and you can see the entire hill, that made it harder. Sometimes, a curving road is better, since you can’t see how far you have to go. This is when I started to feel the marathon. So far, it had been smooth sailing, but now, I felt I was exerting effort. This was also the part of the course I didn’t know much about. I hadn’t driven through this stretch and didn’t know how long it was (at least visually). It was also a lonely stretch, with very few cheerers- few houses here, and most people were probably at the half-marathon finish. There were fewer runners, so it was quiet. It was just the sound of shoes hitting the road. When I saw three cheerers at Mile 13, I thanked them for being there, saying it was getting lonely (and quiet). I was so glad I was with Jeff and Eddie. It was too early to face the road alone. I also didn’t know how long we would stay together. Jeff could run much faster if he wanted to, and I fully expected that at some point, we all had to run our won race. Still, we all crossed the halfway mark at 2:28. I was really surprised. If we kept going like this, we will finish under 5 hours! But I didn’t really think too much about it- I just wanted to finish. But I was glad the first half was over, and we had made good time.
Around this time, I noticed some rubbing pain in my feet. I knew I would end up with big blisters. I felt it under my right foot, and my little toes in both feet. This was the price to pay for going back to my old (and tighter) shoes…We caught up with a guy who looked nothing like your typical runner. He was big, muscular, and top-heavy, and he ran with big heavy steps- not very efficient. But he was friendly, and tried to warn us about Umstead’s hills, how this was nothing compared to the hills coming up. We just sort of nodded. We had trained at Umstead, and I felt I knew its every rock. Umstead was my friend. I was almost thinking we can make time at Umstead. I couldn’t wait to get there, but it seemed like Mile 13-14 were long miles…
We saw a line of them on Glenwood. It wasn’t one of the blue ones the race organizers had put up. These were on a construction site, but several runners were doing the same thing. We went up a little alley, through some construction materials (iron rebars, etc.) and made a quick trip. Right after this was a water station, so I guess we filled right back up. By this point, Gil was ahead, and our groups was Jeff, Eddie, and me, with Walter not far behind. The trio of Tony, Efren, and Mike were somewhere in the back. We knew Tony and Efren were there to keep time and pace, so we didn’t worry about them.
On Mile 7, we saw our first GK volunteers. Robin and Sonny were taking pictures and shouting. It was good to see familiar faces cheering you on. I gave my long-sleeved shirt to Robin- I was now all set to run the rest of the race. Shortly after that, we saw the Penillas and some other Filipinos- they had the Phil. Flag and were a noisy bunch. I’m sure Walter got a big boost from them.
We ate some gu around Mile 8. There were none at the water stop- I guess they ran out. Good thing we brought our own… I didn’t realize there were a few hills on this leg. We passed through some nice neighborhoods with quaint houses- lots of character. There was a group of young men banging on drums and bongos on one side street. One woman runner ran up to them and gave one guy a big hug. It was quite a party! The only thing was I couldn’t get a stable heart rate because of the uphill-downhill thing. I still felt good though, no major problems- I was conserving my energy for the later miles.
Mile 10-14
As we came back out on Hillsborough, the State Fairgrounds came up on the horizon- ok so we’re getting close to the halfway point! The runners started to thin out a little bit. People were starting to talk- “ok, it’s just another 5K, we can do it”. At this point, we have been running for around 2 hours. I thought about the race leaders finishing in another 30 min…I started talking to a few runners. Like the lady who was doing the half, and the old funny guy in yellow, who kept egging the crowd to keep going. He asked me what we were running for, as we had the red GK shirts on, and I explained in a few sentences what GK was about. I guess you have to be always ready, even while running! We also saw a big GK/Filipino contingent with flags and signs around Mile 10. Wency ran a little bit with us, and we asked about Anthony and Gil, who passed earlier.
A little later, on the stretch in front of the State Fairgrounds, I felt my right calf tightening. Uh-oh. Stopped a little bit, stretched it out, and caught up with Eddie and Jeff. As a precaution, I took out my right knee band, thinking it was pinching a little. The tightness didn’t go away, but I was still running. No problem. Turning the bend on Youth Center Drive, the half-marathon finish was only 2 more miles. Lots of cheerers on Trinity. I saw some runners with medals around their necks- these must be the half-marathoners, no way anyone finished the full in 2:15! Then, the half-marathoners had to take a turn, while the full folks kept going straight up on Trinity. Only a few people were continuing on the marathon (officially, around 1000 out of the 3800 runners). It dawned on me that now the true test begins…
Well the test got harder. Mile 12 was a long hill. It was the fact that it was straight, and you can see the entire hill, that made it harder. Sometimes, a curving road is better, since you can’t see how far you have to go. This is when I started to feel the marathon. So far, it had been smooth sailing, but now, I felt I was exerting effort. This was also the part of the course I didn’t know much about. I hadn’t driven through this stretch and didn’t know how long it was (at least visually). It was also a lonely stretch, with very few cheerers- few houses here, and most people were probably at the half-marathon finish. There were fewer runners, so it was quiet. It was just the sound of shoes hitting the road. When I saw three cheerers at Mile 13, I thanked them for being there, saying it was getting lonely (and quiet). I was so glad I was with Jeff and Eddie. It was too early to face the road alone. I also didn’t know how long we would stay together. Jeff could run much faster if he wanted to, and I fully expected that at some point, we all had to run our won race. Still, we all crossed the halfway mark at 2:28. I was really surprised. If we kept going like this, we will finish under 5 hours! But I didn’t really think too much about it- I just wanted to finish. But I was glad the first half was over, and we had made good time.
Around this time, I noticed some rubbing pain in my feet. I knew I would end up with big blisters. I felt it under my right foot, and my little toes in both feet. This was the price to pay for going back to my old (and tighter) shoes…We caught up with a guy who looked nothing like your typical runner. He was big, muscular, and top-heavy, and he ran with big heavy steps- not very efficient. But he was friendly, and tried to warn us about Umstead’s hills, how this was nothing compared to the hills coming up. We just sort of nodded. We had trained at Umstead, and I felt I knew its every rock. Umstead was my friend. I was almost thinking we can make time at Umstead. I couldn’t wait to get there, but it seemed like Mile 13-14 were long miles…
My First Marathon (part 1)
Woke up at 3:30 AM. I think I got 4.5 hours of sleep, but I feel ok. I didn’t want to drink coffee. I was awake. I had spent an hour before going to bed laying out what I will wear- the shorts, the GK Hero’s Run jersey, the long-sleeved shirt under it, the fuelbelt with 2 flasks (1 water, 1 gatorade), 3 “gu”s (1 lemon, 2 strawberry-banana). I had pinned my race bib (#511) perfectly on the GK jersey. I decided the night before that I would wear my old Asics shoes. The new ones didn’t feel right, and I didn’t want to bet on it. My instincts told me I might get a blown Achilles or knee after 20 miles. I knew I would have foot problems with the old shoes, but these were problems I knew about. Better the “known” problems, I guess.
My wife drove me to the race start area. Already, some of the GK volunteers were there. We decided to set up the GK tents near the starting line, but far enough that we wouldn’t be thrown out by race organizers. We found the perfect spot next to a port-a-potty. That was a good sign☺
We stretched a little bit, then Robin said a group prayer. Then the GK team started going to the start area. We had to walk past the 6 min mile pace sign, past the 7, 8, 9, 10 min mile pace signs. We knew we were 12 min-milers! Needless to say, we were at the back of the pack. It was very exciting at the start. My heart rate monitor read 89 bpm, so it was ok. But all the cheerers and runners made the air electric. I was nervous, but really alive. We stayed on the right side, so the GK volunteers can take pictures of us. There were 9 of us who made it to the starting line: Jeff, Anthony, Eddie, and I were doing the full, and Walter, Tony, Mike, Gil, and Efren were doing the half.
Then off we went! Jeff kept time and pace- we were doing 5 min walk, 1 min run. I felt smooth, comfortable. I felt like the shoes were feeling good- remember, this was my first run on a surface other than the trail or treadmill. We were passing a lot of people during the first mile, so I was a little worried we were going too fast. All the books say don’t go too fast at the start. But it felt easy, so we just kept it up.
Miles 1-5
Before long, we passed the first mile marker- that was one mile? But we just started! Time was 11 min- so we were doing a whole minute faster than we planned. But it was downhill, so maybe that was fine. In my mind, we can go a little faster downhill, then conserve energy uphill. By this time, there were lots of sweatshirts on the sidewalks- people had generally overdressed, and were now too warm. I wondered if strangers just pick up the free shirts…I had on a long sleeved cotton shirt (from a WEF conference in 95), and then my GK run jersey on top of it, and shorts. I planned to take off the cotton shirt then just wear the running jersey the rest of the way. I was hoping to hand off the longsleeved shirt to a GK cheerer on Mile 4, I sure didn’t want to lose this shirt.
I think the biggest things going on in my head were: that we were passing a lot of people (so maybe we wouldn’t be last ☺), and that we were running in the middle of the street! It felt weird being in the middle of Hillsborough, with no cars. The runners were generally very upbeat, very happy. There were some loud spectators shouting encouragement. It was surreal to see them in thick coats, carrying mugs of hot coffee, while we were in shorts. It was probably 48-50 deg F. I felt like an athlete, as sweat started to build up. I had taken off my longsleeved shirt by Mile 3, as I didn’t want to overheat. At Mile 2, we passed by the first water station. Lots of volunteers, with the white “Ask me, I’m a volunteer” shirt. I decided to try the Ultima sport drink (maybe a mistake?- see later). I shouldn’t have been surprised at the litter of paper cups on the road, but I still was. My impulse was to look for a trash can ☺. The issue of looking for a port-a-potty with a short line was also becoming more important. We usually are very hydrated at the start, and need to go early during our training runs. But most of the booths I saw had a line of 5-7 people, and I didn’t want to waste time waiting. So I just decided not to drink too much, and keep on the lookout for an open port-a-potty. Mile 3.5, we passed by NC State’s Bell Tower, and there were a few kids with their hands out, high-fiving the runners. I made a special effort to high-five all kids along the way. But mostly, we were weaving in and out of runners, as we passed them when we ran, and tried to stay out of the way when we walked.
Around Mile 5 on Hillsborough and Glenwood, we saw some of the faster runners making the loop back, maybe 2 miles ahead of us. I suppose since we spotted them 4 minutes at the start, they were ahead by half a mile, but still, these guys are going fast. Maybe they’re all half-marathoners ☺.
There were several groups also doing the Galloway method. They were easy to tell apart- someone would usually look at his/her watch and say “that’s it- walk break”. People were still cheerful, talking to each other. Raleigh spectators were out, cheering, and even the police were giving encouragement as they pointed runners to the right direction. I was thinking- this is a nicely organized race- streets were closed, and police were on hand to give directions. There was this big, muscular guy in a yellow sweatshirt with half a dozen medals around his neck, shouting encouragement to the runners. “You can do it! Pain is nothing! You can be like me, get all these medals!” We saw him again around Mile 7, and a runner shouted, “Where did you get those medals?” and he shot back “I got them from the dollar store for a quarter each!” I’m still not sure who the guy was- he looked too big to be a serious runner, more like Bo Jackson than a Prefontain.
Running through downtown Raleigh was also surreal. For the first time, I started observing the buildings on Fayetteville Street, and noted how quaint some of them are. Raleigh has some nice small buildings with character, and the Capitol dome was looming ahead on a picturesque street on a cold morning. This is what it feels like to run a marathon- a few hundred people moving together, owning the streets. But, now I had to think about finding a port-a-potty…
My wife drove me to the race start area. Already, some of the GK volunteers were there. We decided to set up the GK tents near the starting line, but far enough that we wouldn’t be thrown out by race organizers. We found the perfect spot next to a port-a-potty. That was a good sign☺
We stretched a little bit, then Robin said a group prayer. Then the GK team started going to the start area. We had to walk past the 6 min mile pace sign, past the 7, 8, 9, 10 min mile pace signs. We knew we were 12 min-milers! Needless to say, we were at the back of the pack. It was very exciting at the start. My heart rate monitor read 89 bpm, so it was ok. But all the cheerers and runners made the air electric. I was nervous, but really alive. We stayed on the right side, so the GK volunteers can take pictures of us. There were 9 of us who made it to the starting line: Jeff, Anthony, Eddie, and I were doing the full, and Walter, Tony, Mike, Gil, and Efren were doing the half.
Then off we went! Jeff kept time and pace- we were doing 5 min walk, 1 min run. I felt smooth, comfortable. I felt like the shoes were feeling good- remember, this was my first run on a surface other than the trail or treadmill. We were passing a lot of people during the first mile, so I was a little worried we were going too fast. All the books say don’t go too fast at the start. But it felt easy, so we just kept it up.
Miles 1-5
Before long, we passed the first mile marker- that was one mile? But we just started! Time was 11 min- so we were doing a whole minute faster than we planned. But it was downhill, so maybe that was fine. In my mind, we can go a little faster downhill, then conserve energy uphill. By this time, there were lots of sweatshirts on the sidewalks- people had generally overdressed, and were now too warm. I wondered if strangers just pick up the free shirts…I had on a long sleeved cotton shirt (from a WEF conference in 95), and then my GK run jersey on top of it, and shorts. I planned to take off the cotton shirt then just wear the running jersey the rest of the way. I was hoping to hand off the longsleeved shirt to a GK cheerer on Mile 4, I sure didn’t want to lose this shirt.
I think the biggest things going on in my head were: that we were passing a lot of people (so maybe we wouldn’t be last ☺), and that we were running in the middle of the street! It felt weird being in the middle of Hillsborough, with no cars. The runners were generally very upbeat, very happy. There were some loud spectators shouting encouragement. It was surreal to see them in thick coats, carrying mugs of hot coffee, while we were in shorts. It was probably 48-50 deg F. I felt like an athlete, as sweat started to build up. I had taken off my longsleeved shirt by Mile 3, as I didn’t want to overheat. At Mile 2, we passed by the first water station. Lots of volunteers, with the white “Ask me, I’m a volunteer” shirt. I decided to try the Ultima sport drink (maybe a mistake?- see later). I shouldn’t have been surprised at the litter of paper cups on the road, but I still was. My impulse was to look for a trash can ☺. The issue of looking for a port-a-potty with a short line was also becoming more important. We usually are very hydrated at the start, and need to go early during our training runs. But most of the booths I saw had a line of 5-7 people, and I didn’t want to waste time waiting. So I just decided not to drink too much, and keep on the lookout for an open port-a-potty. Mile 3.5, we passed by NC State’s Bell Tower, and there were a few kids with their hands out, high-fiving the runners. I made a special effort to high-five all kids along the way. But mostly, we were weaving in and out of runners, as we passed them when we ran, and tried to stay out of the way when we walked.
Around Mile 5 on Hillsborough and Glenwood, we saw some of the faster runners making the loop back, maybe 2 miles ahead of us. I suppose since we spotted them 4 minutes at the start, they were ahead by half a mile, but still, these guys are going fast. Maybe they’re all half-marathoners ☺.
There were several groups also doing the Galloway method. They were easy to tell apart- someone would usually look at his/her watch and say “that’s it- walk break”. People were still cheerful, talking to each other. Raleigh spectators were out, cheering, and even the police were giving encouragement as they pointed runners to the right direction. I was thinking- this is a nicely organized race- streets were closed, and police were on hand to give directions. There was this big, muscular guy in a yellow sweatshirt with half a dozen medals around his neck, shouting encouragement to the runners. “You can do it! Pain is nothing! You can be like me, get all these medals!” We saw him again around Mile 7, and a runner shouted, “Where did you get those medals?” and he shot back “I got them from the dollar store for a quarter each!” I’m still not sure who the guy was- he looked too big to be a serious runner, more like Bo Jackson than a Prefontain.
Running through downtown Raleigh was also surreal. For the first time, I started observing the buildings on Fayetteville Street, and noted how quaint some of them are. Raleigh has some nice small buildings with character, and the Capitol dome was looming ahead on a picturesque street on a cold morning. This is what it feels like to run a marathon- a few hundred people moving together, owning the streets. But, now I had to think about finding a port-a-potty…
Monday, November 5, 2007
An email to my HS class-morning of the race
Well, here I am, ready at 4:48 AM, all dressed for the City of Oaks
Marathon. The start time is 7 AM ,we're supposed to be there by 6.
The GK volunteers are setting up two tents, and it will be a whole
morning party while they wait for 10 of us to cross the finish line.
There are 3,300 participants, relatively small compared to some of
the big marathons. My race number is 511,and I am hoping to finish
in 5 hours, 30 min.
I'v been training since March, getting my body ready to run 26.2
miles. I have gone through 3 pairs of running shoes, and have
probably run 400 miles in the process. I have gone through all kinds
of injuries- shin splints, knees, foot pain, dead toenails (black and
about to fall off). I have been raising funds/getting home partners
for Gawad Kalinga. My goal now is to raise enough for two houses
($3000). Not quite there yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I am excited, nervous, worried, hopeful, alive. Today, I know i will
push myself beyond my limits. All that SCO training is going to come
handy today, at Mile 20, Mile 21, Mile 22, Mile 23.
I will think of GK, the families I have met, and how my 6 hours of
running is nothing compared to extreme poverty.
I will finish.
Thanks to all of you, my batchmates, who have supported me. It's not
too late to send in pledges :) Thanks to the Toronto folks (and to
Vic) for the support!
And now, I take my 2 Advils....
Delos
Participant, GK Hero's Run
Marathon. The start time is 7 AM ,we're supposed to be there by 6.
The GK volunteers are setting up two tents, and it will be a whole
morning party while they wait for 10 of us to cross the finish line.
There are 3,300 participants, relatively small compared to some of
the big marathons. My race number is 511,and I am hoping to finish
in 5 hours, 30 min.
I'v been training since March, getting my body ready to run 26.2
miles. I have gone through 3 pairs of running shoes, and have
probably run 400 miles in the process. I have gone through all kinds
of injuries- shin splints, knees, foot pain, dead toenails (black and
about to fall off). I have been raising funds/getting home partners
for Gawad Kalinga. My goal now is to raise enough for two houses
($3000). Not quite there yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
I am excited, nervous, worried, hopeful, alive. Today, I know i will
push myself beyond my limits. All that SCO training is going to come
handy today, at Mile 20, Mile 21, Mile 22, Mile 23.
I will think of GK, the families I have met, and how my 6 hours of
running is nothing compared to extreme poverty.
I will finish.
Thanks to all of you, my batchmates, who have supported me. It's not
too late to send in pledges :) Thanks to the Toronto folks (and to
Vic) for the support!
And now, I take my 2 Advils....
Delos
Participant, GK Hero's Run
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