...And it was a real high! No, I am not speaking of the amazing/ thrilling/ phenomenal sort of, I am speaking temperature-wise. My Second Marathon was run at a high, that touched 97 degrees Fahrenheit, in Chicago, on Oct 7th 2007, which was supposed to be the 30th anniversary of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Turns out it was also the hottest ever marathon day, in the 30 year old history of the race in the city.
We (The Asha - NYC/ NJ team comprising of the runners, most of whom ran the D.C Marathon with me last year), had as our local pad for the weekend; a swanky 3000 sq. ft penthouse on the 35th floor of one of downtown Chicago's elitest buildings, Lake Point Tower. (Also famous as Oprah Winfrey's ex-address). I have to mention the floor-to-ceiling glass walls with spectacular views of the Navy Pier, Lake Michigan, Chicago downtown and even Indiana, (for god's sake) in the distance. Entering the apartment and receiving Rakesh's (the owner/ host and Monica's friend) "help-yourselves-with-the-fully-stocked-bar" invitation, only made us all wish we had come here to party, instead of, for a race. We ensured Rakesh (who didnt seem too thrilled with our assurance) that we would only be using the bar for 'water' and would probably go to bed by 10 pm that night.
Back to the race story. After a grand feast of pasta and an early night, all of us woke up early next morning to get ready for our race. Four out of the six of us who had shacked up at the penthouse, were running, while everyone who's name was 'Amit' was supporting. (Amit Sinha; a.k.a AS planned to run his 20 mile training run with Monica, from mile 6 onwards, while Amit Desai; a.k.a AD was going to punctuate the race at various mile-markers to cheer and photograph all of us, as we passed through.)
The walk to the start line (in the Millenium Park) from the apartment was a rough 15 minutes, so we set off from home, after a quick breakfast, well in time to get there. Spirits soared as we drew near the crowds, but the sun had already risen and so had our apprehensions about the weather for the next few hours. Advait lined up at the 4:00 hour pace marker while Monica, Manjari and I walked up ahead, hoping to start out early, to be able to end early, to make it in time for our flight back home.
The gun-shot at 8 am sparked the race off and about 8 minutes later, the three of us crossed the start line, to begin (literally speaking) one of our toughest journey's in life.
The race course in Chicago is supposed to be flat (compared to what Central Park is like), making it one of the most favoured marathons in the US. Little did we know the challenge that lay ahead of us.
My first mile was a breeze; ("Wow, made it in 8-something minutes? Cool!" voice in the heart said. "Starting out too fast..Coach will kill you!" voice in the head, yelled). Somewhere between Miles 1 and 2, AD appeared, camera in hand, among the cheering crowd and before he could take a picture, I yelled out to him and ran away.
Conversations with self start.....run...run.....(looking around)....run....run....."good crowd support"...run...run...."left arch of the foot, please dont ache today"....run...run...."body glide, please stay on"....run.....run.....AD on the left?......."Ammmmmit"....run...run....AD yells out "heyyyy"...run...run....AD misses taking a pic again.....run...run...."You always miss my picture".....run...run.....AD tries to run to take a pic.....run....run....leave him behind.....Mile 4...."can we have some breeze please?"......run.....run......"hope it gets cooler somehow".....run....run...."power gels (pinned to the shorts) please stay on, dont fall off"....run....run....."ooooh expansion joints are fun to run on"......chatter in the background......."why do people talk so much while running?"....."water stop closeby?"...."let's try this Gatorade that these guys keep raving about"....."let's still drink water too".......run...run.....Mile 6......look at the crowd.....run....run....can't see any familiar f aces....run....run.....not many Indians in the crowd......run....run....time to eat the first gel....run...run.....look down to retrieve gel.....run....run.....find one of four gels has fallen off......pluck one gel off and eat......run....run.....gatorade two sips + water two more....Mile 8.....run...run....feel the heat, no breeze.....run...run....."you got to be kidding me".....run.....run....."Cmon, let's get to double digits fast"....run....run.....Mile 10....."Why is'nt this a half-marathon?".....run....run....."Hmmm, Old town".....run....run....."Thank God, I am wearing a hat".....run...run....see runner stretching on side.....run....run....see runner fallen on the side.....run....run....look away and try to not think of what must have happened to him.....run...run....heat growing....run....run.....bad thoughts in head growing.....run....run.....Mile 12...run...run.....see bikers in the distance....run...run...."Wish I could get a ride with them".....run....run....Energizer Bunnies doing everything but energizing....run....run.....read "It's not the heat, you're just warming up".....run...run....smile to self....run....run...."Why are'nt there more people with water hoses?"....run....run....hear "Good job runners, keep going".....run...run....hear "You guys are a bunch of hot bodies out there, half-way there"....run....run.....wish I was as fit as last year....run...run...."A stomach like her's would'nt hurt".....run....run....time for next gel.....run...run....look down for gel....run...run....all gels fallen off......run...run....Shit! Got to wait until gel stop at Mile 17.....run...run....Mile 14...."That's it, just 14 done?".....run...run...."Same distance to go, f%$^"....run....run.....Where the f(&^* is AD?.....run...run....."Ok, next water stop, let's walk a bit more than the last one".....run...run....water stop in the distance.....run...run....hi-five a kid...run....run.....Oops, high-fived a bit too hard. "Sorry"....run...run....leave scowling kid behind....run...run......gatorade 2 sips + water two more + mini-shower with 5 glasses of water....run....run..."What are these runners doing with those ice cubes? Does that really help?"......Mile 16....hear "You can do it....".....retort in head "We can help" (Stupid joke, Home Depot punchline)...run...run....Gel stop....run...run....Pick up two chocolate flavoured ones, double caffeine.....run...run....lots of water hoses...run...run.....drench self completely.....run...run....feel fresh as a daisy....run...run....speed up....run...run...slide back to consistent pace.....run...run...."Man, not the wall already".....run...run....feel sort of a wall...run..run..."I thought more 20 miler training runs meant a better marathon?"....run...run....4:00 hour pace group passes me by....run...run....heart sinks a little....run...run...."Dont worry, it's not about the pace as much"...run...run........"Who wants donuts right now? Seriously people."....run...run....Mile 18...."Cmon, this is not even the longest run in the park yet".....run...run...."No chafing yet, can you believe that?"......run...run...."No left-arch paining too"...run...run...."It's a miracle, prayers have been answered"....run...run.... mind running faster than body....run...run.....wish body was running faster than mind....run...run....time to walk.....walk...walk...."Hmmm, this looks like a nice lunch place"....walk...walk...."Dude, you got to start running again!"....walk..walk...."But before that you need to take another shower"....walk walk.....notion to hose guy to spray.....Splat!!!.....run....run......like there's a new ray of hope.....run...run....look out for next shower spot.....run..run...to my glee find a broken fire hydrant gushing water like crazy.....run..run....drenched head to toe....run...run....."Man, this feels good."....Mile 20...."This is where last year, the wall started to form, brick by brick, tread by tread".....run...run....no wall.....run...run....AD in the crowd again....run...run.....AD jumps in to run alongside.....run...run....he starts to say something....run...run.....give an angry glare and with action say "zip it"....run...run....AD shuts up...run...run....think in head "Was that rude?"...run...run.....think in head "whatever"......run...run....am on a roll....run...run...."Isnt it weird to be on a roll in the last 6? What kind of a runner feels this?"....run...run..."God knows, must be the insane kind, who hit their wall in the late 10's and then overcome it in the early 20's, maybe?"....run...run...AD running ahead, trying to take a picture....run...run....reaching the video cameras....run...run....AD and I waving and smiling at them....run...run...."Hopefully there's going to be one good shot in the dvd, now"....run...run...AD drifts away somewhere.....Mile 22...."Nice, 4 more to go"....run...run....."Not Michigan Ave yet?"...run...run...."So happy, didnt end up wasting any time at the port-a-potty, unlike last year in D.C".....run...run...."How about another gel now, might just help?"....run...run...look for water stop.....run...run...Mile 23.....run...run....AD pops out of nowhere.....run....run....running alongside again.....run...run...knows better this time to zip it......run...run....water stop....run...run....splash water all over again.....run...run...loud announcement "The race has been cancelled, all runners are requested to walk from here on to the finish line. You will however still be timed and awarded your medals at the finish".....run...run...."What the f&^%? What did they just say?"....run...run...AD repeats announcement.....run...run...."But I ll still be timed right?"....run..run...AD: "Yes you will...Cmon let's keep running".....run...run....most runners walking.....run...run....makes me want to run faster.....run...run....AD starts making friends on the way...run...run....try to run away from their chatter.....run...run...."Why couldnt they just have declared this earlier? Better still, preponed the race timing, knowing the heat."...run...run...."This is just like when in a school exam back home, there's a question that's not from the book and someone came around to announce that it could be considered in option with another easier one".....run...run....Mile 24....run..run...AD clapping....run...run....can hear more cheers for me than in any of the past miles....run...run....AD yells "Only 2 more miles to go now"...run...run...."I can see that, hullo!"...run...run....Thankfully that was only in my head....run...run...amazed at how much the heat can affect one's sanity;)....run...run....almost everyone walking....run...run....Mile 25.....run...run..."Can you believe it, the end is almost here?"...run...run...."So what is my final time then?".....run...run....."This better be faster than D.C".....run...run...AD's voice in the background "Cmon, you can still try for under 4:30"....run...run...."Really?"....run...run...AD:"Let me know when you want to sprint and we'll go"...run...run...in my head "You sprint, I am ok:)"....run...run...see people ahead make a right...run...run...think in head the finish must be right there....run...run...realise its a whole bloody bridge to cross....run...run...."Freaking sadists"......run..run....Guard throws AD out of race....run..run...AD resists, guard doesnt listen, AD moves out of race....run..run...look left to see if he's running on the sidewalk....run...run...don't see him....run...run...Mile 26...Last mile....run...run....start managing hair/ cap to give a good finish-line shot;)...run...run...."Will I have tears in my eyes when I cross the finish line this year too?"...run...run...."Maybe, but they just maybe tears from having fought the overbearing heat instead of finishing the race"......run...run......"I can see the finish line".....run...run....."Oops, I can see the finish time too and it does'nt look great".....run...run...."Doesnt matter, go cross it girl and get your 4th medal"....run...run....loud cheering all around....run...run....glance at the timer....run...run....."Alright, atleast it's a PR".....run...run...cross the finish line.....walk...walk......"Thank God, It's over!"
Post-Finish line, I limped amongst the throngs of tired runners, towards 'chip retrieval', then to the medal-giving lady and finally in line for a 'Finisher photograph'. Then the challenge was to find the ASHA tent, where I could hopefully get my free massage. Walking through the crowd, towards the tents, I approached the runner-meet up zone, where I did'nt see AD, so kept moving towards the Charity village, pining for my massage, when as has become the norm, he again emerged out of nowhere.
With me gradually limping, we made our way to the ASHA tent, where my friends Amar and Manjot soon dropped by. My phone had a few text messages and voicemails from some other friends, all of us trying to co-ordinate our co-ordinates. What followed was about an hour of experience-relating to everyone over 'samosas' and cold water, until it was time to leave to catch the 4:50 flight back home.
Note of Thanks:
1. In strict alphabetical order; Advait, AD, AS, Manjari and Monica for being the best team-mates ever:)
2. Coach Jane and Courtney, for their invaluable advice, training tips and patience, always. Coach Jane also, for suggesting we do the NYRR training runs this year, which were the reason I kept a consistent pace throughout the marathon.
3. Everyone who wished me luck and hoped that I do well on race day. (Mom & Dad lead this list, as always)
4. Rakesh Patel, for hosting us graciously in his sprawling penthouse and of course Monica, for knowing Rakesh Patel, in the first place:)
5. My First Marathon, at D.C last year; for the "Been there, Done that" factor that it provided me with, for this race. Although motivational levels were extremely high last year, this race was all about the fighting spirit which only sustained itself to re-feel the feeling I ve known before; of crossing the 26.2 mile marker at the end of a marathon. Also, for establishing a record in the first place (D.C was at 04:37:29 while Chicago was at 4:35:54) , that I could break this year, (albeit by a mere 1:35 minutes), but it's a PR all the same.
6. The mad yelling boisterous crowd, almost all along the 26.2 mile distance, that yelled, screamed and made so much noise, that you forgot what silence feels like.
7. Amar, Manjot, Karthik and Preetam for having had the time to drop in and meet me, during the trip.
8. The arch of my left foot, for not giving up on me on race day.
9. The random water-hosing crowd, that willingly doused water on me as I ran and whoever it is, who broke open the fire-hydrant along the route.
10. The 'Wall' for occuring well in advance and giving me enough gusto to breeze through my last 6.2 miles, like never before.
11. I did'nt think I would thank the heat, but I guess I have to, since it's over-bearingness, did take away my mind from the smaller hindrances such as foot-ache and chafing that apparently occured during the race, but I realised them only after.
12. The unstoppable and at times quite hilarious voice in my head, that can take me running any distances, without ever experiencing boredom.
13. Everyone who's donated to our cause at ASHA.
14. The only ASHA-NYC/NJ supporter we had in this race, Amit D, who ran from one mile-marker to another, hopefully managing to cheer all of us at some point, while taking pictures. Also, for being my personal (more importantly, silent motivator) from mile 23 to 25.5.
And lastly but definitely not at the least, looking back at the one unfortunate death and 300+ emergencies that rolled in because of the excessive heat on race day, I truly have my body to be the most thankful to, for surviving the struggles I put it through. Just as I mentioned in 'My First Marathon High' write-up last year, this year made me realise, that even a little training goes a long way in affecting performances when the time comes. Although my personal fitness levels were at their best last year, I can still proudly acclaim that I was not part of the unfortunate 300+ statistic. On Sunday, 35,867 began the race in Chicago; but only 24,933 finished it. With a little glint in my eye and a definite bounce in my step (that promises to return when I am done limping all week long:) , I'd like to say "I was one of them"!