me running…
Yep, that was the last words I heard during today’s Donadea 50K run… Unfortunately I have finished my race just after one lap – 5 km. After last week struggle with injuries – hamstring and shin splint I thought that maybe there is small, tiny chance of running… I was wrong.
Woke up in the middle of the nigh, 3:45? Are you kidding me? Marathon is starting just before 10AM, so why? Cause it is NYC marathon and you want to run it. Usual breakfast, usual but very early. Ice coffee on the way down to subway. And again word which will be used during that post ‘early’. Early subway – 5AM. I was not alone, there was plenty of runners in the train already. Met Aussie, Italian and runner from Luxembourg. We had nice, long chat. All of them were aiming for much better results. One – 2:45, other Boston qualifying time… Me, just wanted to finish. And if possible to get similar result as week before in Venice – 3:25. Aussie was the guy who I have spent quite a lot of time that morning and the rest of the day after marathon run. Mark, that was his name, and me took same ferry. They told us that we can take earlier ferry if we want. We went for it. Two other guys took even earlier one. As we sat there we had another chance to chat. As I found out Aussie was actually from UK, London born and raised, Arsenal supporter (boooo). Nice bloke. He was documenting everything. Pictures, selfies, videos all for friends back in Australia. Landed on Staten Island, you would think that is it but still not. There was another at least 30 minutes trip by a bus until eventually getting to marathon village. Logistically NYC marathon is a nightmare. Cause of the journey from Manhattan to Staten Island and early start of the day for your body marathon felt like a run in the middle of the day. And that is really hard to accommodate. I remember running Eddie Murphy last year. That one started at noon. With all usual routine I was already hungry again before run and eating at that time was a crap idea as I have found out. This time I was trying not to make same mistake. Was trying just to hydrate. Tee, Gatorade to keep my energy levels up. Marathon village and still 2.5 hours of waiting. Anticipation? Yes. But both of us – me and Mark – agreed that we are too relaxed. That something wasn’t right. But that wasn’t first time I had that feeling. Had to stay focused. Toilet, done, twice. Stretching routine to get body into shape. Waiting before my wave and corral gate. At 9AM they suppose to let us in. They did. 9AM still 50 minutes to start. Inside my zone, nervous. Toilet again, waiting. Made a mistake, I took my warmer clothes off to fast. It was cold. About 15 minutes before start we begin to move towards starting line. Runners who knew that race they just now started to lose their clothes. Walking we got to bridge connecting Station Island and Brooklyn. American anthem during which all US runners turned towards flag which was behind us. After that and see words from organisers we have started. In front of me I had 3:25 pacer. In Europe pacers are running either with balloon or flag in here they have small board on the stick with time on it. They are running like that for whole way. Fair play to them…
I think I have reached the point where I have to say I overdid it. I’m over-trained, my body is shutting down on me… At this stage I’m able to run for about 45 – 50 minutes and not even at my fast pace. But then legs just… they just stop. Fatigue kicks in, cannot lift legs, strides are very short. Maybe the amount of strides is same but… being so short means covering less distance. Same distance but more time needed to finish run…
I think I’m done. Still have maybe 5 runs booked till the end of the year and that will be it. No more until the end of the season. Low, low, low…
Haven’t felt that in ages… honestly. Haven’t felt this way ever. Even at the beginning of the year when I thought that I was in a bad shape I wasn’t. Now I know that. Back then I was miserable or just little bit down. Now I’m really bad. Overtrained, overweight… Can’t run marathon even in 3:30… What the hell happened?
But, as you all know already, when there is marathon I follow. And here I was Saturday morning in Longwood. First time for me there. First time, so couldn’t miss it. Was that wise? Probably, definitely not. Should have given my legs a rest. Should stop running 20 km a day without bigger breakes. But again I have ignored my head and body. Yeeea, what could go wrong? Flat course… relatively. Or at least that’s what I thought. Was proven wrong at the end of the run. Maybe I wouldn’t have seen those humps if my fitness was OK but for now it wasn’t flat for me. Lately I have noticed that I’m starting run at full swing and after 10 – 16 km my fuel is gone and remaining distance is a constant struggle or even fight with tired body. For the last 3-4 marathons (including this one) I had so many thoughts about DNF. Was feeling really bad, that idea of stopping, jumping into car and just driving away was very tempting. Haven’t done that but so many times I was rally close to ‘throwing the towel ‘. This run wasn’t different.
Before the race I was feeling OK (unfortunately usual gut feeling bad race will be good, feeling good race will be bad wasn’t working any more). All thoughts focused on the run to finish in 3:30. Should be easy. Week before in Szczecin got small injury and ended up over 4 hours as a pacer but wasn’t counting that time. Previous runs on hilly courses in Dingle, Tyrone were ones were I was getting around 3:30. So, I couldn’t imagine that on a flatter course I would be struggling. But at the end of the day that was the case. But, lest’s start from the beginning. Sunny day, high number of runners. All because of couple distances you could run that morning. 10 km, half marathon, 20 miles and full marathon. I heard that it was biggest crowd to date recorded on the EOI marathon. After inspiring briefing talk by Rory Mooney and kind of ‘Fergie dryer’ from Ger we gathered at the starting line. Plan? Not really. Wanted to get 3:30. Started in pace 4:35 – 4:45 first 10 km. I know that for most of you that is probably jog but for me, especially now it is ‘light speed’. What happened after? You are guessing correctly. Fuel cut off. Not even fumes left. Run with strong will not legs – literally just moving 2 mm above the ground. No speed in them. Why I run again so fast at beginning of the race? Don’t know. All I know is that I had to pay for that stupid idea by feeling big, big, big pain. Really I had to look bad if Andrew offered to give me bottle of Lucozade when passing me by. On each of the 6 loops remaining after initial first 13 km I was just thinking about how slow I’m running and how easy would be to just walk away from that race. Haven’t done that. Maybe my head is stronger than I thought initially. On lap number 7 I even walked, was really exhausted. Seamus helped me with small Mars bar and Redbull. Sugar into blood. That did the trick but just for about 10 minutes. Anyways, have finished my jog in 3:47. Mentally struggled. So, just packed my assignment into car and drove back home.
Why it is going from bad to worst for me? Weight, heavy legs, no rest, head… These were my thoughts on the way back home. Couldn’t relax knowing that following weekend I was suppose to pace Galway Bay marathon. Will I last, will I keep my pace… steady pace? Questions, questions, questions. Just relax… That is what I need now.
And it has happened… I had DNF under Clontarf marathon run on the 27th of December. I feel realy bad now. Especially when I can see the Facebook statuses of fellow runners who finished that marathon or the one in Portumna…