Reflecting on my marathon journey

 My reflections on my marathon journey has increased a lot in last couple of years. I keep revisiting my accomplishment for two main reason - why I succeeded ? And second is to draw on the experience of training and achieving for such a mammoth goal.

I didn’t want to be a one time marathon runner and so in 2017 I ran my second marathon in just under 5 hours.. I didn’t stop there and I was all set to set my personal best in my third run in 2018. All was well until about 15 kms from the finish line - I was struggling with pain in my left toe - having pain in different parts of body throughout the run was nothing new. Get a pain in shoulder, or stomach, or ankles - you ignore/acknowledge it but keep running. After a km or two the pain would go off..

This time however it felt different and after pushing for 3-4 kms I stopped completely, sat down and removed my shoe - there was a blood clot on left toe - reason - I didn’t cut my toe nail before the race. In my training or past runs I never faced such an issue or injury. That was it and I called it a day. This reminds me of one issue I encountered during half marathon- sore or bleeding nipples.. after like 17 kms - even touch of jersey was not bearable on nipples and from then on I practiced applying Vaseline there too. I have heard incidents from my friends where they started bleeding - I guess few things you need to learn the hard way and cutting my nails before run is one among those.

Started writing when I was at Mumbai airport and now resuming in Bengaluru airport bus - heading back to Bangalore house.. So, the big reveal - one reason I succeeded back then was my WHY ? Why I wanted to run.

I was not so much into sports from childhood and in 2011 or so a side effect of a medicine led to a breathing issue. On further investigation I realised I had asthma all these years - may be not so serious but a wrong medicine magnified it and I was out under medication. In a month or so I was leading a normal life but taking morning and evening medics was the norm and it was told to me that I’ll have to take it lifelong.

I was not ready to accept this and so I decided to take up marathon running - there are other reasons too behind this but this was the major reason to take something up of marathon magnitude.. I wanted to run and also show the world that this came be done by someone who not into any sports at all before. I also wanted to show that you can win over asthma and you can achieve anything and everything irrespective of your current past and present.

Journey sure wasn’t easy. I used to go breathless in 2.5km slow run. My IIT friends easily outran me daily. But I kept up to the task. At the same time I started reduced the dosage and frequency of my medication. There were so serious consequences and that proved that what I was doing was leading me into right direction..

Step after step, mile after mile and I completed half marathon in 2015 and 2016 my first full marathon. 2017 I managed a sub 5 hour marathon just by few seconds.. that was some achievement man :|

Then, as I would like to put up - life happened :)

Late in 2018 I bought a car, 1 year back I had bought a road bike - and used to go for 60km-80km long rides once a month. I was for and life was good. I used to do mini iron man too on Sundays.. I don’t know if it was car that I purchased or the reality that I DNF (I did not finished) a marathon or something else - I went into unhealthy habits. Using cycle very less, eating junk food more than the healthy one etc etc. also, one more info might be helpful- I was underprepared when I did sub 5 hour marathon- in fact I was out with friends for dinner party and slept post midnight. That in a way made me complacent and I further undertrained for third marathon and hoping to use my mental toughness (developed over last 3 years) to sail me through the finish line.

This is what I get when I look back on why I succeeded. Now a days I try to get back but I don’t have any big reason or anything to prove to anyone and so on tough days - I just give up and take a break. 

One major lesson I learnt and try to use it in new skills that I try to pick up is that small steps will lead to something big. Initial journey is going to be small and tough but that is the only way to the end goal. Be it trading or learning data science or may be learning to catch a wave using a surf board - I am going to fall at the start, it’s not gonna be easy and so having a proper WHY is necessary. I haven’t read Simon Sinek’s - Start with Why, but I do get it now what he means and he can’t be more correct in that.. your reason and passion helps you push on the days that you don’t feel like working out..

I know I have a hard time being consistent and so I accept that being consistent is not my cup of tea yet- but getting back after a knockdown and keep trying is my strength as of now. All I can do is keep trying again and again till I become consistent coz I ain’t giving up never..