Since the day I registered for the Mawana Sugars Indian Open Marathon, I knew that I wasn't able to complete the 42.2K distance in 4 hrs. There was an option of half marathon but then I thought I would be able to run more than that.
At the bib distribution, we got confused as where to pay the fees. We stood in a queue, which people said, was the place to deposit entry fees. I came out to be true. Met a boy there who had won 5th prize in 2011 edition of the marathon. He had come from Allahabad standing the whole night in general bogie. He needed rest, like many of those like him when the rain started slowly. He told he us that he was going to fall ill and can't even take any medicine in case there was doping test the next day.
Today morning me and one of my friends, Deepak, took an auto to India gate. Dropped our bags and stood at the starting line. Saw many of the people who have online presence in some form or the other. Rahul Vergese, Anil Kumar (his physique is awesome), and two dailymilers I know through their profile pics. I missed seeing Abhijeet who was running half marathon (I don't know how he looks like and neither does he).
The run started and I was exhausted in the first km :P. I stopped for water on the first aid station and drank a lot. Then started to run. Weather was beautiful for me but the boy we met yesterday had told that they didn't wanted it to be cold. So, I was worried for him. The last time I saw him at about 5K, he was leading. :)
Many boys asked other people who were returning from switchbacks if there was any chip-detector at the end. When it wasn't there they cut through it, thus saving more than 200 meters or so. Around 40 minutes in, I heard a boy shouting for water. I was walking that time, with my electral bottle in one hand and clear water bottle they offered in other. I extended my hands and he grabbed it right. He drank a sip and threw it away. It was half full man! There laid it, among thousands of others, half full with clear drinking water..
Running and walking I completed my first round (~10 K) in 1:10. Deepak had already gone ahead when I had stopped for water for the first time. Later in the second round, saw a boy with one crooked leg limping swiftly on one leg. Well, he overtook me. I finished the second round in 2:25 (half marathon). I decide to complete one more round and then stop. Slowed down my speed and took more walking breaks. Left leg, ligament at the knee had some problem. I was a bit painful to step on it. Walking still was all right. More than that, I was feeling hungry ( Habbit of eating little every 3-4 hrs). Called a friend who was going to come as spectator to tell him to bring one paratha. It would have been great. (The rain stopped him.) Met Deepak who was returning from a switchback.
Half way of the third round a girl called me. "Bhaiyya, chaliye saath me". She was fast and was in her last lap. I ran with her for 5 minutes. Had my fastest km that time and still had not lost breath told her to go ahead thinking of my leg. It started raining after some time. I started feeling cold but was happy and enjoyed the rain. Hunger had increased. I wasn't feeling weak but just very hungry. On Rajpath again I saw Arun Bharadwaj. He wizzed past. Thought for a second, to run with him when he went past the signal and I had to stop until the vehicles went across. Never saw him again. At the India gate, near the end of third round, I knew I would complete the round in 4 hrs when I saw a woman selling corn. Obviously completed the round enjoying the corn.
Deepak ran the 4th round for half hour and came back. He had completed the half marathon in 2 hrs and later got slower.
We walked to Andhra bhawan for lunch after the prize distribution. The boy we met yesterday did not make it to the podium. A marathi girl won race in women's category. We were happy! :)
At the bib distribution, we got confused as where to pay the fees. We stood in a queue, which people said, was the place to deposit entry fees. I came out to be true. Met a boy there who had won 5th prize in 2011 edition of the marathon. He had come from Allahabad standing the whole night in general bogie. He needed rest, like many of those like him when the rain started slowly. He told he us that he was going to fall ill and can't even take any medicine in case there was doping test the next day.
Today morning me and one of my friends, Deepak, took an auto to India gate. Dropped our bags and stood at the starting line. Saw many of the people who have online presence in some form or the other. Rahul Vergese, Anil Kumar (his physique is awesome), and two dailymilers I know through their profile pics. I missed seeing Abhijeet who was running half marathon (I don't know how he looks like and neither does he).
The run started and I was exhausted in the first km :P. I stopped for water on the first aid station and drank a lot. Then started to run. Weather was beautiful for me but the boy we met yesterday had told that they didn't wanted it to be cold. So, I was worried for him. The last time I saw him at about 5K, he was leading. :)
Many boys asked other people who were returning from switchbacks if there was any chip-detector at the end. When it wasn't there they cut through it, thus saving more than 200 meters or so. Around 40 minutes in, I heard a boy shouting for water. I was walking that time, with my electral bottle in one hand and clear water bottle they offered in other. I extended my hands and he grabbed it right. He drank a sip and threw it away. It was half full man! There laid it, among thousands of others, half full with clear drinking water..
Running and walking I completed my first round (~10 K) in 1:10. Deepak had already gone ahead when I had stopped for water for the first time. Later in the second round, saw a boy with one crooked leg limping swiftly on one leg. Well, he overtook me. I finished the second round in 2:25 (half marathon). I decide to complete one more round and then stop. Slowed down my speed and took more walking breaks. Left leg, ligament at the knee had some problem. I was a bit painful to step on it. Walking still was all right. More than that, I was feeling hungry ( Habbit of eating little every 3-4 hrs). Called a friend who was going to come as spectator to tell him to bring one paratha. It would have been great. (The rain stopped him.) Met Deepak who was returning from a switchback.
Half way of the third round a girl called me. "Bhaiyya, chaliye saath me". She was fast and was in her last lap. I ran with her for 5 minutes. Had my fastest km that time and still had not lost breath told her to go ahead thinking of my leg. It started raining after some time. I started feeling cold but was happy and enjoyed the rain. Hunger had increased. I wasn't feeling weak but just very hungry. On Rajpath again I saw Arun Bharadwaj. He wizzed past. Thought for a second, to run with him when he went past the signal and I had to stop until the vehicles went across. Never saw him again. At the India gate, near the end of third round, I knew I would complete the round in 4 hrs when I saw a woman selling corn. Obviously completed the round enjoying the corn.
Deepak ran the 4th round for half hour and came back. He had completed the half marathon in 2 hrs and later got slower.
We walked to Andhra bhawan for lunch after the prize distribution. The boy we met yesterday did not make it to the podium. A marathi girl won race in women's category. We were happy! :)
