Race Report: Marathon #1: Brighton Marathon 2018

Bib Number: 13028

Location: Brighton, UK

It took 997 kms in 17 weeks and multiple 3AM alarms to feel victorious end of my A race, my first Marathon.

When I was told to write a race report, I read all of Sukhchain's race reports to understand what goes in a race report. Any similarity, you know where it came from! 

I started running in August 2017, did my first HM (AHM 2017) and that was a disaster. I dragged myself for the last 7kms. I am fit, a gym addict and lift heavy. I realized how small I was when I was not able to keep pace with men/women who are almost twice my age. I developed a special respect for the sport then and now I am a fan of running! I started training from October and have been improving constantly and did my first FM at Brighton Marathon (UK, seaside marathon) on 15^th April 2018. I trained hard, ate right and was guided by the best which helped me finish my debut marathon in 3:28:57 with my second half about 1 minute faster than my first half!

The race report comprises of six sections,

1)      Training

2)      Nutrition

3)      Race Village

4)      Night before the Race

5)      D-Day

6)      Thanks

Training:

Training plan was done by coach Sunil Menon which basically has one interval, one hills and one Long Run for the first 3 weeks. Then changes to 2 intervals, 1 hills and 1 Long Run for the next 10 weeks. Then, we taper where we reduce the time of training but maintain the intensity. The pace was all set for a sub 3:30 time target since beginning. We knew I was not there yet but Sunil said he would want me to start there and take a call as the training progresses.

When I started with the plan, my HM best was 1:50 (1:47 in Chennai but the course was short by 300 meters, so it would have been close to 1:50) but I believed I could be a lot faster and my worst case would be to convert by HM pace to FM.

Long Run	Started at 2.5 hours and was at 3.5 hours for about 6 weeks, then went upto 4.5 hours and tapered down
Hills	Mostly was about 2 hours every week
Intervals	Mix of Yasso's, 4*4 mins @ 10K pace and 4*3 mins @ 5K pace

In my 17 week training, I did about 13 30K+ long runs which really helped me build a strong base. I also had time trials during the fag end of the training which helped me arrive at my suggested race pace. When I did my LTHR, the suggested race pace was 5:05/KM which would give me a Sub 3:35. When I had my mile trial, it was around the same. I knew that LTHR was done by me at the wrong time as my body had not recovered from the weekend long run which was the longest. The plan was 4.5 hours in which I do 3-hour MAF run and 1.15-hour MP run. I did about 3.45 hours and aborted it as I was extremely work out. Did close to 39.5 kms then. Ask from coach as per plan was to ensure I do at least 48kms that day and just couldn’t push. That run boosted my confidence and made me feel that I did have energy even after running for about 3 hours to suddenly increase my pace.

800*10 @ 5K Pace boosted my confidence. I was able to do negative splits and was well within the time. That’s when I got feedback for the first time that I will be able to do sub 3:30 and should not be in doubt.

Due to my travel, a lot of my speed training and intervals were on TM(Treadmill). Once a long run was on TM. I had done 30 kms on TM. Some people felt I had lost it. I once did a loop of hills for 2 hours and completed a HM in the loop which was about 2 kms. I hate running in loops so decided to do that more to get comfortable with it and now I am comfortable with loops! When I recently met Paresh, he mentioned that Gautam and he were convinced that I have gone mad to run in a loop 😊

I followed most of the training but there were off days and I couldn’t complete the runs for the time specified. Mostly to do with hills due to time constraints and Long runs, as they were extremely tiring to complete the schedule.

I used the Club Run HM as my tune up race to help me see if I have improved my pace and was on target for my marathon pace. I did that well and was spot on with my run and that was the first race, I completed in negative splits and my last 3K being the fastest from the entire run.

Training Key Pointers that helped me:

1)      Never miss your Long Run, they boost your confidence and help you become a better runner

2)      Keep your long run slower by at least a minute compared to your race pace

3)      Hills help you a lot, they make you stronger, helps you run faster and longer. Helps you improve your form as well

4)      Few of my training runs were done in the night, when I was completely worn out due to a stressful day! That’s exactly how I felt the last 2 kms on the race, its not new for my body and it helped

5)      Tune up races can help be a reality check. It helps you set realistic targets and evaluate your races

Nutrition:

I am a clean eater. I don’t eat junk, don’t eat artificial sugar and watch what I eat most of the time. My job is extremely stressful and I travel about 3 weeks a month so I eat outside food most of the time. I eat a lot of sea food, red meat when I am outside. I ensured I was on low carbs for the entire training plan and just started eating carbs only during the race week.

I have great interest in this field and hence certified myself with ISSA’s fitness nutrition and tried applying everything possible to help me with the diet.

Pre run nutrition:

1)      Generally Roti with honey or peanut butter

During the run:

1)      Dates or Hifi Nutrition Isogels (only for long runs)

2)      Water with salt and lemon

Post run Nutrition

1)      Isowhey – used Ultimate Nutrition (1 or 2 scoops depends on the protein intake I have for the entire day)

During the race:

Pre race Nutrition:

·         I had four slices of bread with peanut butter about 1.5 hours before the start

During the race Nutrition:

·         Plan:  I had a 4 gel strategy. Wanted to take @ 9K, 18K, 26K & 32K

·         What happened: I lost two of my gels in the crowd. So I did take one at 9k, 18K, Shared the pacer’s gel @ 22K, Had a gel from aid station @ 28K. I walked through every aid station and had two cups of water. Had half banana and shared the remaining with a vegan runner. I took unived salt caps at 16K and 32K.

Post Race Nutrition:

·         I had about 3 Full pints of Cornish Pale Ale and Ham/Pepperoni Pizza. 😊

Nutrition Key Pointers that helped me:

1)      Load yourself with Magnesium at least two weeks before the race, helps in avoiding cramps (helps but not a surety)

2)      Ensure you carry salt caps or salt during the race, have it every 1-1.15 hours, don’t wait to cramp and then have it

3)      Train yourself with gels or energy bars whatever you plan to take during the race in your long runs. Cliché but extremely important!

4)      Small amounts of caffeine helps but large amounts dehydrates you and is not advisable. My gel had caffeine in it

5)      Never say no to banana when offered during the race (advised by Paresh), doesn’t help you immediately but helps you mentally

Race Village:

Aravind and I reached there in the afternoon, I had gone to the pharmacy to buy anti-chaffing cream as the weather was humid and my inner thighs trouble me during the long runs.

I dint want to stay for more than the required time at the race village as I was a little nervous about the whole thing and speaking to Gautam the previous day, his advice was not to stay there for more than required as that place breeds a lot of infection which may spoil the race.

Collection was quick as it was a special counter for people who booked using the Amex card and we finished quickly. Then went to a pub, Aravind wanted to watch football and I decided to grab a sub for lunch. Then walk back to my accommodation. It was about 4 kms walk.

Night before the race:

We found an India restaurant and I decided to have fish, mutton and rice. Ate well, reached back accommodation in a cab. Dint want to see the hills that were part of the race and decided to see it on the race day. I did not do a recce of the route as planned and wanted it to be a surprise which worked well for me.

It appeared Aravind was more nervous which made me feel better :D.. He ran the race route and was a little worried about the hills. I told myself that all my training has been on hills and it is my comfort zone and it should not matter. Finally, it dint!

Slept around 10:30 and got up at 3 AM. Post which I couldn’t sleep and was just rolling on the bed. I was checking time every few mins and then eventually it was 7 AM and had to prepare and leave. I had been sleeping well the week leading to the race so not complaints on sleep.  

The D Day:

It was cold! I was not sure what to wear during the run, the humidity was high as well. Decided to go with my usual race clothes. Applied anti-chaffing gel in all the sensitive areas. Had breakfast and took a cab to the start point.

It was crowded, 19000 people and the crowd was awesome. The race adrenaline had kicked in.

I had earlier decided I will start with the 3:45 Pacer and take a call mid-way if I want to accelerate or stay in. Mistake of a beginner, the race adrenaline made me decide that I have not trained all this while to be cautious and wanted to get off with a 3:30 Pacer and see how it goes. 

All my training, the distance was tracked in kms but on race day I had changed it to miles. Felt smaller numbers would help in keeping it simple, the surprise element will keep me busy and it did.

Splits:

Mile	Time Taken	Pace (min/km)	Elevation Gain (m)	Cadence	Stride Length
1	7:59	4:58	27	173	1.16
2	7:47	4:50	0	177	1.17
3	7:58	4:57	3	172	1.17
4	7:49	4:51	19	172	1.20
5	7:57	4:57	0	170	1.19
6	7:51	4:53	14	171	1.20
7	7:59	4:57	12	172	1.17
8	8:02	4:59	5	169	1.18
9	7:57	4:56	12	173	1.17
10	7:49	4:51	22	174	1.19
11	8:02	4:59	6	172	1.16
12	7:55	4:55	2	173	1.18
13	7:58	4:57	5	162	1.24
14	7:49	4:51	0	170	1.21
15	7:51	4:53	6	171	1.20
16	7:55	4:55	3	171	1.19
17	7:51	4:52	2	169	1.21
18	7:56	4:56	4	173	1.17
19	7:48	4:51	2	179	1.15
20	7:56	4:57	0	179	1.13
21	8:00	4:58	6	177	1.14
22	8:06	5:02	2	173	1.15
23	7:58	4:57	2	176	1.15
24	7:46	4:50	4	175	1.19
25	7:46	4:50	0	174	1.19
26	7:53	4:54	6	173	1.18
0.45	3:18	4:34	0	176	1.24

First Half:

First 10 miles were tough. I was warming up and was difficult for me to maintain MP. Target was to keep every mile time under 8 mins and I was getting tired and my legs started acting funny. I took walk breaks at every aid station, as it was paper cups and ensured to sip at least two cups of water every aid station. Tried conversing with the fellow runners but most of them were busy focusing on their pace, rhythm and were in their zone.

I finished the first half successfully. I had about 30 seconds in hand and realized I had already run about 350 mts more because of my zig zag running.

21.1 to 36Kms:

My left forefoot started paining badly post my first half. The pain was so bad I had to stop for a few seconds and re-evaluate if I was ready to continue at that pace or should do run/walk to complete. Most of my training was time based, so I was mentally tuned to run for a particular amount of time. I told myself that I will do MP run until 3 hours and then slow down if needed.

Then started running, picked up pace. I was in pain but magically the pain disappeared when I completed my 13^th mile. That was the reason for my 13^th mile to have a lower cadence and higher stride length. I was in excellent control till my 20^th mile and was focusing on the pacer’s legs and my cadence had improved and the run was effortless.

We got to 20^th mile and the pacer mentioned that it is going to get tougher from here but honestly I was feeling strong and felt I had a lot of energy left in me and was not tired. End of 21^st mile, the forefoot pain kicked in again. Wanted to distract myself and decided to force a fellow runner to have chat with me. I thought a good way of starting a conversation would be is to offer half banana to him and he appreciated that, introduced himself. He was doing his 43^rd marathon and I was doing my 1^st. He was a vegan runner and he said that we will finish the race together and decided to stick on as long as possible with him. I also saw Aravind and he was about 1K ahead of me and had his eyes closed and was running in his zone. He looked exhausted and I dint have any urge to catch up with him.

36 to Finish:

When we got to 36^th Km, I saw a fellow runner almost collapse which got me a little worried, but kept moving. At 37^th km, the pacer said last 5kms and one of the pacer decided to run faster for a negative split finish and the other one said he will run for an exact 3:29:59 finish. I decided to run along with the faster pacer and the vegan runner decided to stick along with the other pacer.

This is when my legs started paining badly, I had a small cramp in my fingers and everything inside me was asking me to stop running or slow down. I told myself a favorite quote of mine “ You have not come this far to come only this far” and started running. That quote dint help and body was asking me to shut up and stop!

I finished 23^rd mile and told myself my son & wife will be proud if I do the next mile faster than the previous one. My 24^th and 25^th mile were the fastest in the entire race. Now, that worked! I play running and catching with my son, so I pictured him in front of me for the last mile and told myself I am playing with him, need to get to the finish line and catch him. Now, that worked and the 26^th mile was over.

I was abused by a guy somewhere in my 25^th mile, the reason I am yet to figure out. I saw him again when I finished by 26^th mile and I decided that I will not let him finish ahead of me and started to run my last part of the race at my best pace and over took him about 100 mts before the finish line. I am sure he was in his zone to even realize what happened, but I did punch the air when I overtook him.

The Finish

I finished the race successfully, saw Aravind. Called him and realized Aravind might have finished a few seconds before me. We took a pic together and then started walking towards the beer point. That’s when my pain and cramps became worse. I went straight into the A&E, was treated for about 30-45 mins before feeling better. The cramps and forefoot pain was unbearable and I had no reason to not feel the pain. So decided to lie down and let the experts deal with me.

Race Day Key pointers that helped me:

1)      Sunil said when you feel completely exhausted and done, you are only 40% done and you have remaining 60% to go! This is true! I felt I was done at 21.1 because of my pain but was able to see the race through

2)      First 16kms and the last 5 kms are the toughest in a marathon as both your body and mind are not at their best in this phase. If the first 16kms are seen through, then the last 5 will be the same way!

3)      Nasal breathing is very helpful. It does not dry your mouth so doesn’t make you thirsty, keeps your HR low

4)      Don’t stop abruptly (slow down) and then slowly pick your pace from your walk (Strongly suggested by Sunil)

5)      Try not to take a walk break post 32K, you tend to get tired mentally post 32K and slowing down then will not help you mentally and also your lower body will start feeling heavy making it difficult to pick up pace (I never stopped or walked post 32, once I slowed down and felt cramping on my fingers in the feet: picked up pace, opened the salt cap and had it directly. Felt better within mins)

6)      Most of us are not professionals, we do this for fun. Its self-created, we put ourselves through the grind willingly though it doesn’t pay our bills. So, most important cliché: Enjoy the race! You are there because of your choice so have fun!

Lastly,

This was a dream race with a dream finish for me! I thank Aravind because of whom I did pick running. I was happy lifting weights in gym but now addicted to the highs races give me. Enjoy the training process. Getting up at 3 AM for my long runs, I abuse Aravind for the first 14-16kms for making me do this but then, end of the long run, the sense of achievement is worth it. He is my biggest inspiration and all this effort was to beat his maiden marathon number which I did by 5 mins!

Veda who helped me execute the breathing technique suggested by Sunil. My HR never went up, I was nasal breathing most of the run and it helped. Kumar, the guy is fast and when I did my 800*10 intervals, I just decided to finish it come what may because he had a successful finish the week before and he is slightly faster. Anbu for pacing me in Chennai during one of my long runs at the end. He dint have pace in his watch but the experience made him pace me so accurately and that training was a real game changer for me. I did 37.5kms at 5:42Pace with the last 9K being at MP.

Sashi, Mahender, Paresh & Surendra from Hyderabad Runner community for sharing tips, strategies and key inputs based on their experience. Sashi’s and Mahender tips came in handy while training. I decided to rest when needed and took my off days positively because of Sashi’s inputs. I might have not carried the salt caps if Paresh had not told me more than once about it, it helped me avoid cramps which helped me execute the race! Surendra for pacing me for one of my Long Runs, the guy is a speedster. I told him, I had to do 10K under 50mins and he made me do 7K at HM effort post my 3 hours of MAF run.

When I got back and picked my phone, there were already congratulatory messages from folks who had tracked my race using the app. That’s when it started sinking in. I loved the way Mahender had written and tracked each of my split in a group. Would have read that multiple times and every time it puts a smile on my face!

And, the coach Sunil for his plan, guidance and words of motivation whenever I had an off day. He was more confident than I till the very end that I will be able to pull off sub 3:30. Multiple times when I was in doubt, he had made me feel better. The coach is filled with positivity which is extremely important and always has a lot of time for you. He told me to target the Club run for a 1:35HM and I decided to break the fundamental rule (Listen to the coach) and ran at 1:40. Result: My last 3K was close to my 5K pace and that’s the amount of energy I was left with.

My PB’s which I want to improve in the coming seasons:

5K (Self supported)	21:47
10K (Self Supported)	46:20
HM (Club Run 2018)	1:40:49
FM (Brighton Marathon 2018)	3:28:57