What's next, Paul?: Euphoric high on endorphin after completing my first marathon

Pre-marathon
I was anxious for the last seven days before Oct 10, 2009 partly because I wondered if my body could run 26 miles/ 42 km as I had sustained injuries from training. Basically, my left side was in pain which were interconnected. My left knee started aching first, followed by my lower back and eventually my left sole hurt. Because of the pain, I could not keep to my training schedule and had to improvise by cycling on a stationary bicycle or swimming.

Feeling desperate, I visited a sports injury clinic, called the Arnold Palmer SportsHealth Center at Union Memorial Hospital on Sep 22. I was diagnosed with over-pronation and was prescribed some pain killer and advised to get a Spenco RX full arch support insole.

The next day, I cycled from my apartment to Falls Road Running Store, about 4.4 miles, along some treacherous narrow road heavy with traffic. I purposely took the afternoon off so that I would not be caught in the evening rush hour and "commit suicide." I ran with the insole the next day and it helped to relieve the pain. The investment was worth it.

Besides my injuries, the farthest distance I ran was only 15 miles. It was a mental hurdle to complete another 11 miles. Further, I was trying to stave off coming down with a sore throat by sucking lots of lozenges on Wednesday.

For the last week, I ate more carbohydrate and avoided spicy food. I was also glad that I just had to run 4 miles daily.

On the night before (Oct 9), I laid awake around 10 pm as I was excited and nervous. I tossed and turned till about 12 am and did not have a deep restful sleep.

Marathon
I woke up at 6 am to have breakfast and to stretch. TiahLing and Wenmin offered to send ShuZhen and I to the starting line at the intersection of Russell and Camden Streets. Another two supporters, KianMeng and SauLing met us at the starting line itself since they were living nearby. The starting line was divided into sections according to the speed one could complete a marathon. We headed to the section marked 10min/mile as we were targeting to complete in 5 hours.

It was hard to stretch without bumping into somebody since the place was crowded with runners. According to the organizer, about 22,000 signed up for the various events (marathon, half-marathon, 5k, and team-relay etc), including participants from 44 countries. Also, there were some runners wearing interesting outfits e.g. a tuxedo suit, a beer can costume, a denim bib with straw hat, and even Spiderman ran instead of climb.

At 8am, the horn blew and confetti was blasted into the air. It took me about 4 minutes to pass the electronic timer. Roars and claps resonated from supporters lining on both sides of the street. My pace was slow since I had to jostle with others. ShuZhen and I decided to split up as we ran at different pace.

The temperature was surprisingly pleasant and not humid. The forecast for the morning was passing showers. Some runners had jackets on which I decided against as I would be warmed up in about 15 minutes. Wenmin said that there were garbage bags and even branded sweaters, littering the beginning route at last year’s marathon in New Jersey.

The initial 6 miles toward Druid Hill Park was elevated, rising 350 ft above sea level. At the park, I saw some runners heading to some bushes. Initially, I thought that they were taking a short cut but realized they were relieving themselves as there was no Porta-Johns around. I had heard of runners peeing while running. Talked about dedication!

The route brought me to streets that I had not visited before and would not have gone in the first place. Supporters cheered and official photographers snapped pictures along the 26-mile route with police officers mending traffic. No doubt, some drivers were caught unaware of the race and were stuck in traffic.

Along the way, I saw various groups of runners clustered together, keeping close to their pacers. For me, I just wanted to complete my first marathon under 5 hours. I kept reminding myself that I needed to pace; I was not competing in a 100-meter sprint.

Maintaining 12 miles for 2 hours were easy. After that, it was a constant struggle to maintain my speed and pain started to build up in my legs. To prevent chaffing, I wore a pair of shorts with inner running thighs and a tight fitting shirt. However, I forgot to cut my toe nails and my left second toe started to ache.

Cheering from friends really helped as I ran faster after seeing my supporters. A boy shouted my bib number to encourage me. “You really feed off from the positive energy of the supporters,” said Jamie, my friend who participated before. In addition, fast music also helped as I ran according to the beat of Beyonce’s Single Lady as I passed by Under Armor Headquarter where there was music blasting away.

I kept hydrating myself with the official drink, Gatorade and water. Somewhere along, I started to pour water on myself to cool my core temperature. Bananas, oranges, gummy bear sweets, potato chips, and PowerGel were some of the food given out. I thought that banana was inappropriate as I had to avoid stepping on banana skins to avoid slipping. I lost count in the number of PowerGel I consumed since I finished four of my own, and took several along the route.

The weather turned out perfect for running as there was a slight drizzle and remained overcast throughout the marathon. I was praying that the sun did not come out to evaporate the precipitate and increase humidity. With the road slightly slippery, I slide along instead of lifting my tired and sore legs, thus using other muscle groups.

The run between Mile 16 and 23 was elevated again and both my soles hurt now. There were cardboard advertisement on feet therapy along the way. What a great reminder! I found that the difficult part in completing a marathon was not lack of stamina but in overcoming the pain. Running after stopping was excruciating, so I tried not to stop.

At 22-mile marker, it was my "longest" last 4 mile. My left knee hurt badly now and I put my weight more on my right footing. Crowds thronged on both sides near the finishing line. I sprinted after running through the Camden Yards, thinking the finishing line was near. However, I slowed down as I could not last the distance. Emotionally, I was high and I held back tears of joy.

Finishing at 4 hours 46 minutes, I completed my first marathon. I had stepped up a notch higher for my mental endurance.

Post-marathon
After meeting up with our supporters, we had lunch at a Vietnamese Restaurant at Inner Harbor and I slept for two hours before going for a Thai dinner at Federal Hill.

Ten days after marathon, I still walk with a limp but am recovering. People asked if I would run for another marathon, I replied that I shall see after the pain has subsided.

My marathon statistics