• Privacy Policy
  • Collaborate
  • Write For Us
  • Media Features & Our Work
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Maa of All Blogs

  • Home
  • Motherhood
    • Motherhood
      • Experiences
      • pregnancy
      • Guest posts
      • DIY
      • Baby woes
      • product review
      • Free printables
    • Childhood
      • Kids Fashion
      • toys
      • Teens and Preteens
      • Kids skincare
  • Travel Diary
    • Travel Diary
    • Experience
    • Maa loves Spa
    • Hotel Review
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • short stories
    • My Take
    • Interview
    • Posts that I recommend
    • social initiative
    • Loudspeaker
    • DIY
    • product review
    • Events
    • Food
      • Recipes
      • Food Review
    • Fashion & Beauty
      • skin care
      • go natural
      • What’s New
      • Womens Fashion Trends
      • Product Review
  • Fitness&Me
    • Fitness&Me
    • Events
    • Yoga
    • Reviews
    • General fitness posts
    • Running
  • Dad’s corner

The Year That Lead Me To My First Full Marathon

Fitness&Me· All posts· Running· Uncategorized

29 Nov
Share232
Pin
Tweet
Share
232 Shares

 

My  First Full Marathon

The Year That Lead Me To My First Full Marathon

You never know what you are capable of until you have tried it.

I just ran my first full marathon and this post is dedicated to that. Hopefully, if you are planning to run one or have just finished one, you will relate or find solace in my story.

Every story has a preface and mine started something like this. My husband at a friend’s party decided to enrol both of us for a half marathon as most of our friends were doing the same. As random as that.  It must have been all the alcohol in the system that made me say yes, because I see no reason why a person who had just run 6kms dream run before that and that too mostly walked would agree to do a 21kms run on a whim.

After the party, when senses came back I was psyched because, 21kms seemed like an enormous length to be run. Nevertheless, I religiously prepared for it along with my friends and finished my first 21kms a few months later at 2 hours 30 minutes and was on the top of the world.

This was 2014 and ever since then, I have run various half marathons and 10 kms run but somewhere in the back of my mind I always wanted to try running a full marathon. However, while running a half, my brain would tell me running the same distance again is an insane idea. Today after completing a full, I don’t know if the brain was right or am I actually insane. The fact remains that I have done it and yea, it’s a tick on my list.

So what got me to even register? I have been running the Mumbai Marathon for many years and this year I didn’t which was ok but then closer to the run I got FOMO and while the world ran around Mumbai Marine drive, I ran a 30 kms in my building, which I had never attempted before. Now I was missing the high which I get after a race, so what was the next best option? I decided to do a longer run which I can do slowly and someone suggested me a 35 kms run at Tata Ultra which happens in Feb. Mind you, I didn’t realise then that this was called an Ultra because the trail is really tough and apart from the 30 kms that I ran in the building that day, I hadn’t really been training. 

So I registered, did some bit of practice with just 4-5 weeks to go and went for the run. Somehow completed(was dehydrated as in the hills sun can be killing), much later than the cut off but honestly I just wanted my body to know what it can feel at a 35 kms. In another whim, registered for Satara which was a good 6 months away and just a 21 kms.

Already a 21 kms hill was sounding easy. But I forgot all about it as I took a few months from running due to some family issues. To cut it short when I finally woke up, it was already August-mid and Satara hill run was on 25th August. It was a wise decision not to go, but then what are crazy friends for? Meenakshi, my running buddy was aghast. How could I miss Satara, did I even know how difficult it is to register for it? Arre, but what about how difficult it is to run a 21 kms hill with no practice. Anyway, she didn’t take no for an answer, and I must be crazy enough to listen to her. So that week, I requested Nisha(another awesome  running buddy) to make me do hill practice. We did 8 kms on Monday, 11 kms on Wednesday, 16 kms on Friday and I went and ran the Satara Hill Marathon. The timing  was my all time low but it didn’t matter. I had decided to just enjoy the run. 

It didn’t matter but alas, now I was aching to run more and that’s when my other crazy buddy, Gautam(comrades runner), pushed the idea of running a first full marathon at Adani Ahmedabad. He convinced me with arguments like, this is the best track possible(flat and scenic) and many of my other half marathoner friends are doing their first full marathon there. I got tempted and said yes. Why? Must be the endorphins, again.

My training began in September and I started straight from a 28 kms long run. My body, didn’t know what was happening, but in a few weeks, it got the rhythm. Training in NCPA is no joke with the Peddar road slopes and the Marine drive humidity. I was reaching mileages body had never seen before. It was screeching stop but the mind kept pushing on. I was at my lowest speed ever, arches were burning, ankles were hurting, IT band was inflamed and tender. You get the picture!

Finally, the D-day arrived and somehow, I was more excited than worried. All I cared about was finishing happy and how happy I will be once I finish. In my mind, with every passing km, I was doing a mental countdown. To my surprise I was running  better and more comfortably than I had done in my practice runs. All that training had helped. I joined the 5.15 bus and we were a bunch of first-timers who were chatting and running. It was a scenic route with river banks on the side and trees to shade you. All was going well until at the 28th km, I suddenly had an IT band pull on my right leg and soon on the left side too. I told the pacer to go ahead as I couldn’t keep up. I met Prabha(my running partner), told her about my injury so that she was aware that I might reach later than expected. We were a gang of 12 people running from our group that day. 

It was fate that a runner spotted my discomfort and asked me why I had slowed down. I told him about my IT band and just like that he gave me a paracetamol and asked me to go slow as I still had 14 more kms to go. I took his advice and also remembered the strategy of my friend Joyee(she just did NYC marathon), where she ran 9 minutes and walked 1 minute for a large part of her race. From then on, I ran every km and then walked 100 mtrs, and with every passing km, I would feel elated at the thought of how close I was to finishing my dream. This and the medicine helped me keep my pain under control. Sun was out now but my spirits were high and soon, I saw the finishing line and did a 100 mtrs dash.

I completed my first full in 5 hours 39 minutes. Not the best, but much better than what I had expected given the circumstances. 

And just like that, I had accomplished my dream. I was a full marathoner.

As they say,

for those who dare to dream there is a whole world to conquer.

Signing off, until my next adventure.

 

You may also like:

  • Post Marathon Recovery Plan- #SCMMPost Marathon Recovery Plan- #SCMM
  • The Right Shoe Fit Matters – Gait Analysis By AsicsThe Right Shoe Fit Matters – Gait Analysis By Asics
  • Raj Vadgama-10000 kms-A salute to the nation !Raj Vadgama-10000 kms-A salute to the nation !
  • Keeping Up With The Monsoon RunsKeeping Up With The Monsoon Runs
  • Chandra Gopalan: Impossible Doesn’t ExistChandra Gopalan: Impossible Doesn’t Exist
  • Running Tips For Beginners: If They Can, You Can Too!Running Tips For Beginners: If They Can, You Can Too!
Share232
Pin
Tweet
Share
232 Shares

20 Comments

« Meet These Two Women Who Are The Change Drivers The World Needs- In Association With SheThePeople Tv Digital Women Awards
8 Ways You Can Balance Your Role As A Mompreneur »

Comments

  1. Gautam Das says

    November 29, 2019 at 11:23

    You are a champion and achieved what you once though was impossible. Keep going and enjoy the journey. Next is target is comrade!

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      November 29, 2019 at 11:37

      Thank you Gautam for pushing for this one :P).

      Reply
  2. rakesh dhoot says

    November 30, 2019 at 00:33

    Very good blog for first time attempting fm….

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:24

      Thank you, Rakesh.

      Reply
  3. Vinayak Koranga says

    November 30, 2019 at 10:06

    This blog post is super amazing and highly motivation.
    Well said, that we never know what we are capable to do. Until it’s done.
    Hope this post goes as a motivation for lots of other people

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:24

      Thank you, Vinayak and truly those words have a very powerful meaning.

      Reply
  4. Gurjeet Chhabra says

    November 30, 2019 at 16:29

    Congratulations dear, I can’t think of finishing half marathon . 21km is too much, you are truly a champ.

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:23

      Thank you Gurjeet, we all start somewhere and as you may have read in my journey, I started from the same place :).

      Reply
  5. Ghunjain says

    November 30, 2019 at 18:35

    Wow it’s really amazing you achieved a full marathon finish ..hats off

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:22

      Thanks Ghunjain, It feels awesome.

      Reply
  6. Cindy Dsilva says

    December 1, 2019 at 22:23

    Wow that’s an inspiring story! And an awesome accomplishment. Hope you have many more full marathons and come out a winner!

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:21

      Thank you Cindy for the lovely wishes and touchwood to that.

      Reply
  7. Prakhar Kasera says

    December 2, 2019 at 00:59

    Ok! First of all, being on the track for 5+ hrs is something we can’t even think of. Secondly 30kms, I daily run about 7-8 kms and that too treadmill but nowhere near 30kms. An athlete respect for you!

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:20

      Thank you, Prakash. I feel what you are saying and before I started training for it, I felt the same. What I have realised is that once you practice and train, all becomes possible.

      Reply
  8. Humaira says

    December 2, 2019 at 02:31

    That’s great you have completed my first full in 5 hours 39 minutes. Keep going and enjoy the journey.
    GREAT THOUGHTS

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:19

      Thanks, Humaira :).

      Reply
  9. Noor Anand Chawla says

    December 2, 2019 at 09:13

    Wow congratulations on overcoming the injury and completing your first full marathon!! It really is an unbeatable rush!

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      December 2, 2019 at 12:18

      Thank you Noor, truly it was a rush and I am still feeling the hangover.

      Reply
  10. Nidhi Agarwal says

    April 16, 2020 at 15:40

    Excellent article!!!

    Reply
    • Prerna Sinha says

      April 21, 2020 at 13:32

      Thank you Nidhi :O)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Maa of All Blogs

Prerna Sinha

I am a, happily married, mother of two beautiful boys, a foodie, travel enthusiast, shopaholic and a newly minted fitness seeker. Read More…

Trending

  • 10 Tricolour Food Ideas To Make Independence Day Fun For Your Family
  • 500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names For Boys And Girls -2022 500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names For Boys And Girls 2022
  • 500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names For 2020 500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names 2020
  • How To Explain The Chakras To Your Child- Energy Centre Of Our Body
  • ITC Kaya Kalp – Spa Review
  • How To Introduce Principles Of Yoga To Kids: Yamas For Kids
  • First timers guide to Vietnam for Indians

We are on facebook

Maaofallblogs
Winner of The Indian Blogger Awards 2017 - Lifestyle

I am the ‘Maa’ !!

IndiBlogger - The Largest Indian Blogger Community

Useful Links

Follow us on Twitter

Tweets by @maaofallblogs

Copyright © 2023 · maaofallblogs ♥ Made by Kaushik

Posting....

Get into our Newsletter & receive regular updates!

We promise not to spam you but if you want to hear more about what we are up to .. do join our community.

x