First marathon - Rotterdam marathon 2013

Disclaimer: Automatically translated from Russian

I decided to drag various notes from personal unpublished archives. Here, for example, is a story about participation in the Rotterdam marathon on April 14, 2013, on which I recorded after some hesitation and who managed to run. This was my second participation in mass cross-country events in Holland, the first was 10 km race.

–beginning–

Yesterday, April 15, 2013, an explosion near the finish line occurred at the Boston Marathon. Just 4 hours passed, that is, the middle peasants, whom most, ran. If it happened a day earlier, then my marathon would probably have been canceled, well, or I would not dare to run. Run….

It was something. I don’t even know how to write about all this now, I had to earlier… In general, I got up early in the morning, at 5 o’clock, packed a whole backpack of things: sneakers, pants, sweatshirt, soccer, windbreaker, gels, headphones, armbad, dressed and moved on the train. At the station in Harlem, a small group of participants sat, 7 people. Almost everyone was wearing sneakers and pants. I thought that what for I didn’t dress like that either, because it wasn’t clear about the locker rooms - could I attach all my junk somewhere. While driving, other participants got hooked on the train.Some were already in shorts and t-shirts despite the overcast and humid weather. We arrived in Rotterdam and immediately a string of people headed in one direction. I went with everyone:

Well, music played on the street, helicopters shook, workers built fences near the start zone:

A sense of grandeur of the upcoming event was available. Well, of course, there was excitement. Came to WTC. There was the issuance of start-up numbers. There were tables with drawers grouped by type of race and by range of starting numbers:

I found my box, changed the ticket received by mail a month before the start to the envelope:

The envelope had a chest number with a chip and name, a spin number, pins, some booklet and the size of the shirt was written. Went with an envelope to get a shirt. They gave a small backpack in which there was a traditional orange T-shirt with the symbols of New Balance and a marathon, the ABN Amro raincoat and something else:

He took a route plan and asked about the locker room. They showed the direction and I went to change clothes:

After 500 meters, a huge tent was built, in which there were benches on which people changed their clothes:

A lot of people. The sound stood like in a bee swarm :-)

Everyone put on their sports uniform, clung to numbers, ate bananas, gels, smeared creams. For a long time I could not decide what to run. The weather was promised to roast, about 20 degrees, however, I could not decide on shorts. He put on the titles, t-shirt and windbreaker. I fixed the rooms and went to the toilet. Standing in line and doing my job (at that moment I already drank a bottle of water, but I didn’t eat bananas) went to the exit. Having left and standing for a minute on the street, I still decided and made the very correct decision of that day - I went to take off the windbreaker. I cut the numbers, folded the branch into a backpack, pushed the backpack under the bench (there were no lockers or wardrobes lockable on the key, everyone just left things and left) and went. With me I had cards and documents, two gels, headphones and an iPhone with RunKeeper. On the street it began to warm up. Start to want to drink.Having reached the starting zone, I decided that I need to find water, because it’s not very good to die of thirst in the first kilometers - the first water station was expected only for 5 kilometers (the layout of food and drink points on the track was published on the event’s website). He walked near the starting zone, but did not find where to buy. I decided that okay, it’s time to go to the start. Climbed into his zone E - expected finish time 3: 30-4: 00. The crowd was already decent, but there was no crush - everything is cultural. There were few, about 15 minutes left before the start. The people crumbled, filmed the situation on the phones, talked, tuned. Then I realized that I was terribly thirsty and decided to ask a couple of sips from a man standing nearby. I drank it - it felt better.because it’s not very good to die of thirst in the first kilometers - the first water station was expected only for 5 kilometers (the layout of food and drink points on the track was published on the event’s website). He walked near the starting zone, but did not find where to buy. I decided that okay, it’s time to go to the start. Climbed into his zone E - expected finish time 3: 30-4: 00. The crowd was already decent, but there was no crush - everything is cultural. There were few, about 15 minutes left before the start. The people crumbled, filmed the situation on the phones, talked, tuned. Then I realized that I was terribly thirsty and decided to ask a couple of sips from a man standing nearby. I drank it - it felt better.because it’s not very good to die of thirst in the first kilometers - the first water station was expected only for 5 kilometers (the layout of food and drink points on the track was published on the event’s website). He walked near the starting zone, but did not find where to buy. I decided that okay, it’s time to go to the start. Climbed into his zone E - expected finish time 3: 30-4: 00. The crowd was already decent, but there was no crush - everything is cultural. There were few, about 15 minutes left before the start. The people crumbled, filmed the situation on the phones, talked, tuned. Then I realized that I was terribly thirsty and decided to ask a couple of sips from a man standing nearby. I drank it - it felt better.Climbed into his zone E - expected finish time 3: 30-4: 00. The crowd was already decent, but there was no crush - everything is cultural. There were few, about 15 minutes left before the start. The people crumbled, filmed the situation on the phones, talked, tuned. Then I realized that I was terribly thirsty and decided to ask a couple of sips from a man standing nearby. I drank it - it felt better.Climbed into his zone E - expected finish time 3: 30-4: 00. The crowd was already decent, but there was no crush - everything is cultural. There were few, about 15 minutes left before the start. The people crumbled, filmed the situation on the phones, talked, tuned. Then I realized that I was terribly thirsty and decided to ask a couple of sips from a man standing nearby. I drank it - it felt better:

After some time, a shot from the gun sounded and the race began. Under the singing of a man with an opera voice and the cries of fans, everyone began to slowly move towards the trunk of the starting gate. About 4 minutes were a step, and then, finally, they ran. Around the road stood people and greeted the athletes - waved their hands, held posters encouraging specific people and everyone else, music played. A kilometer from the start, people decreased, but still continued to stand and greet, some orchestras periodically played, on some bus in front of the bridge a group played, near the store there were also 3 dudes. In general, it was easy to run. The pace took a good one. I looked around, overtook, missed, did not listen to music. That is why I did not notice that the first 10 km ran with the idle RunKeeper. Then turned on,but in the end, the activist was canceled - he decided to drive the route later with his hands. In general, they fled. About every 5 km there were drinking points - there were 10 tables with built-in cups, closed foam lids - a special technology that allows you to drink on the go, and then use the sponge to refresh the body. There was water and isotonic fluid - the so-called “ AA! AA! ” (as the assistants shouted at the points, holding out glasses). At first he drank only water, but then he drank both. And I wanted to drink very much. At each point, he first drank 2 glasses, and then more. Plus, at 15 kilometers, he picked up an empty bottle on the sidelines and constantly replenished it with water, almost empty to the next point. Up to 15 km ran well, but then it became very difficult. At around 21 marks, I already seriously thought that I could not run,that you have to call Nadia and say that they do not go - since “ well did not shmogl! ”. But he continued to move forward. At 23 kilometers I decided to walk a little, and so I walked about a kilometer. Periodically, fans shouted “ Alexey go! go! ” then I waved them back and, making an effort on myself, again went on to run. From 25 km to 30 km it was very difficult. Periodically went one step and walked, drinking a ton of water, isotonics, watering the refusing muscles with water, trying to somehow mobilize, stopping near the pillars and resting in them, warming the muscles. From time to time, people came across on the sidelines, lying under foil blankets and clapping doctors over them - someone had muscles rubbed, with someone they did something incomprehensible, someone was loaded into an ambulance, and one dude was lying on the lawn on the sidelines and enjoying a dropper,tied to a traffic sign. In general, some were clearly worse. Of course, there were people much older than me, mother old men and women who overtook me continued to move, and this greatly motivated me. At the beginning and end of the race he fled without music: it was somehow uncomfortable to isolate yourself from people who came to support you, wave, cheer you up, give you a high-five. And it was just interesting to look around and listen. Isn’t that great?Isn’t that great?Isn’t that great?

However, in the middle of the distance he put on his headphones and first listened to music, and then the whole release of Radio-T, which helped to enter the monotonous rhythm and get a little distracted:

And after 32 km everything went better. Yes, it was hard to run, periodically it reduced muscles so that you had to stop to grind them, pour cold water and give them a rest for a minute. He stopped like that - pulled off his pants and poured bottled water into his pants. From the side, it probably looked wonderful :-) As well as people who stopped on the sidelines to go little. People in the towns wave, greet, take out cleaned bananas, and athletes instead water them :-) In general, with 32 km, I was definitely sure that in any situation I would get to the finish line and lay down on the time limit:

The last 2 km ran without stopping - there he himself ordered - a lot of people, cheer, all things:

As a result, I crossed the finish line at 4:42 - it was a dirty time, and the net time was 4:38:41:

At the finish line, someone stopped to talk and hug acquaintances, they handed children to someone, one man’s son took out a jar of beer. Those who escaped were given medals, women flowers:

Then people dispersed and seated on borders or slowly walked like zombies:

It was a very pleasant feeling that I could, ran, did it. Yes! Yes! Hooray! It was still a shame for my thoughts in the middle of the distance about what I can’t, I have to quit, get off. But no, he caught it, got :-) And this is exactly what was required to prove:

It’s bad that they missed Nadia and Leva a little at the finish line - the child was going to go to the marathon almost more than me, so it would be great to finish together. Then together they slowly went to the locker room for things and engraved for the medal. Gave, dictated the starting number:

I had to wait three whole minutes:

Then he took the trophy and went on the train:

And someone stayed to rest and relax:

The people pulled themselves to the trains with zombie trekking. Many were wearing orange T-shirts. Someone had medals hanging. In general, a real holiday. In the evening I posted a couple of photos on facebook. Congratulations, asked about further plans. He replied that it would be nice, probably someday in the future to run a marathon in Boston or New York. And the next day such news. I don’t know what else to write. I’m recovering.

– end –

A week later, he signed up for the October marathon in Amsterdam.

It was very difficult to walk a week after the race - yet the load on the muscles was very serious, and especially the strain of the left knee, which was restored the longest. A week later, he caught a runny nose and because of this he could not run, but the breaking was terrible - when you run at least a couple of times a week for two years of downtime seems to be a very long time. When I decided to go for a run again, I realized that the knee was restored, but did not recover - I was able to run 600 meters, after which I had to stop due to pain. The next attempt was made in a couple of weeks - I could only run a kilometer. I decided to make an effort on myself and not run for a month - after 3 weeks I decided and was able to run only about 2 kilometers. In general, the last time I ran a month and a half ago and overcame only 3 km.Since then I decided to give a full rest to the foot from shock loads and instead ride rollers, bicycles, recently bought a skateboard. I hope that by September I will be able to run my usual standard distances of 10-15 km and still take part in Dam tot Damloop, 16 km, which he signed up more than six months ago with his work colleagues. Well, I’ll think seriously about the marathon. Although he was preparing for the Rotterdam marathon, winding the mileage, he did not have time to run enough long distances - a half marathon ran a couple of times, once 30 km ( it was difficult ), well, he ran 5-6 times on endurance in a hot climate during the February holidays in the Dominican Republic. In general, a marathon is a serious matter and training should also be serious. At least you need to run 3-4 times 30 km without curses and stops.Then you can finish with decent time and with a smile on your face. Well, if the goal is to just test your strength and run ( like mine ) - go ahead right now, it’s fun.

PS. In October 2021, after 9 years of more meaningful training, participation in a fairly large number of a wide variety of starts and some more successful marathons (all were more successful!) I would redo the ending by adding some basic lessons that this race taught me. Here they are.