Another marathon

So, I'm going to run another marathon. This Sunday. And compared to last year I feel strangely calm despite the fact that I didn't train half as much and hard like I did last time. I guess, it's the same with pretty much everything you do for the second time, it's not as exciting or terrifying anymore because you know what to expect.

Childbirth, flying, public speaking, public speaking in another language, driving a car, driving a motorcycle, kissing, or sex. All of them are terrifying but less so after you've done them once. Well, I can't speak for the first but I am actually not sure it's true in this case. Given that you do know how incredibly painful it will be you might be even more terrified. But at least when you give birth you do go home with a much better reward than just a plastic medal and a shirt. Also, I've read and I will most likely be able to confirm it on Sunday, one tends to forget how painful a marathon (or birth, which I won't be able to confirm) actually was and is looking forward to the experience. Which will be as painful or even more painful than the first time. But then, once you have crossed the finish line and all those endorphins hit you like crazy, you just forget about how hard it was to finish all those miles and how you wanted to quit at mile 5, 6, 7, well, all of them but then you did it. And you're just happy and can't wait to run the next one.

When I say I didn't train that much I mean that I never ran more than two times a week and sometimes I didn't run at all. I completed, however, a few longer runs. 13, 17, and 20 miles (21, 27, and 32km). Latter didn't even feel as bad as my 20 mile run last year. When I just managed to run 19.5 miles and had to call my father to pick me up because my legs hurt too bad to walk.

The 17 miles were supposed to be only 10, half of it uphill somewhere in Napa. So I started running up that hill, briefly scared by a fake mountain lion that was sitting on top of a garage. Then, after 2.5 miles I felt something dripping from my face to the ground. I thought it was sweat and wiped it away with my hand. But it wasn't sweat. Blood was squirting out of my nose. At that point I had only reached an altitude of roughly 300 meters so it could not have been the altitude. Regardless, I turned around and decided to do a long run instead of a high run. Not before I had taken some pictures of the bloody mess and sent them to all my friends in time for Saturday breakfast.

The 20 mile run seemed really hard while I was running. I considered stopping plenty of times. I started with a bit of a hill, running up 17th Street in San Francisco all the way to Golden Gate Park. Once I was over that hill though, it got a little easier. Until I reached the next hill and the stairs at Lands End. As I had started a little later that morning a lot of people where already on the streets and hiking Lands End. Honestly, I'm kind of concerned that I might not even get to the marathon in time, given that I didn't do a single training run that early during the day. Anyway, when I climbed up the stairs at Lands End and a teenage boy started to race me, I was tempted to ask him how many miles he'd run so far and was going to run still. 7? 13? No? Then back off!

The climb up to the Golden Gate Bridge along Lincoln Boulevard was less strenuous than I had remembered it to be. At the bridge I refilled my Camelbak and started the remaining 8 miles. Mostly downhill or flat. At that time I started bargaining with myself for how much more to run. 17 miles would be fine. Maybe to Whole Foods on Potrero Hill instead of all the way home? 18 miles should be doable, too. Eventually, I decided to run to Whole Foods. And half a block away I reached 20 miles. It got me thinking that maybe, I can tell myself that I have to run 27 miles. And then, when I get to 26.2 I allow myself to end the run early :-).

I will certainly not break any records and maybe I'll even be slower than last year. Given that this year there will be 25,000 runners vs. 500 last year I will definitely have to start slower and water stops will certainly a lot busier. But the route will be more scenic and I do know it very well. There are no terrifying hills, there might actually be someone who runs the same pace as I do who I can talk to. Or silently suffer with. Or I could just watch the other runners. That's usually entertainment and distraction enough. As long as I don't get too competitive and end up running a minute faster than my usual pace and break down on the last few miles.

And this time I'll have a bunch of friends waiting for me (thank you Nihan, Barry, Danny, and Olivia). And we have a brunch reservation at 11.30am. So I do have a hard stop at 5 hours if I do want to take a shower before we eat. And I should. If only to wash away the blood :-).