Up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready for a long day at the studio - I was coordinating a photoshoot for work, on my feet for all of the morning and the better part of the afternoon, got home and had a late lunch of simple carbs, managed a quick hour-long nap, got my running gear all ready, squeezed in some stretching and a quick banana snack, got ready, warmed-up, took my customary pre-race picture and was whisked away to the venue for my first ever night run. I was doing a half-marathon run for D2D. Honestly, I don't think a long day at work should end with running 21.1 kilometers! :-)
I reached the venue at 9:15 and the flag-off was scheduled at 10:00. While waiting, (stomach full of butterflies) I warmed up for the 2nd time, partly listened to the compere on the dias and had an interesting chat with a fellow runner I just met. There were many more runners lined up than what I had expected - considering that the bib expo was almost deserted in comparison to the bib expos of other runs. There also seemed to be only a teeny-tiny percentage of women runners. The flag-off was about ten minutes late and there seemed to be an awful lot of runners at the start all around me.
The 21.1k run was through a looped route. I remember thinking "ugghh" when I first saw the route map. Its mentally so much more tedious to run in loops and this one showed 3 loops.
By the time I had finished the first mini loop, the route was joined by the the 10k runners who had just been flagged off and the road was filled with loads of runners. The first loop went swimmingly well, I was surrounded by other runners, had good music in my ears and though it was stiflingly humid and hot (yes, it was freaking hot at 10:00 pm - felt like 40 degrees), there was a good steady sea breeze which gave a bit of relief. I finished the first 7k at a good strong pace of 7'00" ish and I was feel very good about myself.
As I approached the 2nd loop and all the 10k runners split off towards their finish, suddenly the roads seemed deserted. There were very few 21k runners around me (I believe there was a huge number of drop outs) and then slowly the runners seemed to become very few and far apart. Running along the beach stretch, suddenly the street lights were off and I found myself running in pitch black. I could make out a runner about 100 meters or so in front of me and when I turned around I could see no one and I honestly thought I was the last runner in the pack. It was a scary 300 odd meters stretch of darkness with short respites of light as a vehicle or two passed on the other side. After a point the street lights were back on and I found myself plodding on to the turn-around point.
There were many hydration points along the route with water and gatorade and though I had fueled up at intervals, at the turn around point I felt completely drained of eneregy. It was the 14k point and my pace was at 8'15" something. At many times between then and the finish I kept thinking I should stop running and walk the rest of the way and I kept talking myself out of it saying we're 2/3rds done and if I continued running I would finish the torture sooner. I had worn my fuel belt supplied with electoral and a small pack of gummy bears and around the 16k mark I had some of the gummy bears and few sips of the electoral and from then on I think these two were the only things that kept me going.
I realized there were lots of other runners behind me and quite a few in front of me as well though the number of runners were quite scraggly in comparison to the start. I counted just 4 other female runners throughout the route and I knew for sure that two of them were way ahead of me. By 18k I felt that my legs were lead, my feet and ankles were sore and begging me to stop. The last three kilometers were run purely in my head and I could'nt believe it when I finally saw the finish line and the big digital clock hanging about it. Phew! it was over! 2:45:41 of why-am-I-doing-this-to-myself pure torture.
My first night marathon was great as running experiences go but will probably be my last. I felt awesome after crossing the finish line but I think night-time is meant for sleeping and morning time for running. The body is all set to wind-down-mode and it will fight you for trying to make it run a half marathon when all it wants to do is curl up in bed.
Well, another half marathon done and dusted and this run has rekindled my running spirit and made-up for the blah-ness that I felt post Pinkathon. Bring on the next!
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