Helsinki City Marathon 2014 : My Experience

Helsinki City Marathon | 16th Aug 2014 | My Experience  

 

Marathon: (Noun)

1: a footrace of 26 miles 386 yards i.e. 42.195 KMs

2: a contest of endurance

3: the triumph of `will´ over reason

Since the day I started my amateur and totally not-yet-exceptional journey of long distance running, I have been made a subject of awe, fear, respect, insanity, ridicule (sometimes), fun and what not… but one thing for sure that it has always been a “subject” – just like the saying goes – you can love me or hate me but you cannot ignore me, kind of stuff.

This marathon was really special to me. I have done a few marathons in Mumbai but those were almost a couple of years ago and before I was treated for a partial slip disc. Partial slip disc is a fancy name of severe lower back ache. I had totally recovered from it and had started running a 4-5 KMs per day at least 5 times a week since June 2014. As per all the calculations and the wisdom available on google (blogs, running websites, forums etc.) it was not enough to run a Marathon.

Day I landed in Helsinki was Sunday 10th August and Helsinki city Marathon was scheduled on Saturday 16th August. Exactly the 6th day after I landed in a foreign country with a very different and fluctuating climate which my body was not at all acclimatized to. Hot during the day, rains in the late evenings and chilly cold during the night till dawn. I dropped the luggage at the room and immediately started out to check how to get to the office from where I lived. I was supposed to reach office by 8 AM next day so had to get used to the transport and roads. The crazy runner in me was also on a look out for a running space without much of road crossing since they take even the pedestrian traffic rules very strictly in Finland. I found a park just a couple of blocks from my place and I took that as a first signal from the universe that yeah, I should run.

Monday I couldn’t even take out my running shoes but on Tuesday as soon as I reached home after office I put on the shoes, had a quick apple and reached the park. I had decided to run for an hour without any stops. If I was able to accomplish that then I would decide whether I have any chance of running the marathon in four days. Initial steps were a bit easy since my legs had rested enough but within 15 minutes the pain kicked in. I knew that this was my body’s way of telling me that I was doing something it is not used to. That’s a funny fact about human body, you stop doing exercise for a couple of weeks and it will rebel when you start again. It gets used to the comfort I suppose. I pushed through that hour with a bit of tingling pain in my legs but was manageable.

Wednesday I did the same routine. Legs were still ok and I was feeling confident that I would be able to at least participate. Will fall out of the marathon after 20 KMs was my estimate.

Things changed on Thursday morning. As soon as I got up from my bed I knew I had done something wrong and my lower back was in acute pain. As it turns out the soft spring bed in my apartment was the culprit and my lower back was the victim. I literally cried when I experienced that pain as I was familiar with it. I knew that if this pain doesn’t go away before Friday, I won’t even be present at the start point, forget about running. I reached office and was constantly making sure that I give some rest to the back. The day went in agony and there wasn’t any change till Friday. I decided that I won’t be running since that would mean jeopardizing my client visit. I even asked another running enthusiast at office if she knew anyone who would like to run in my place, but there was no one who would decide to run a marathon a day before. Quite wise!

So, there I was a day before the marathon, lower back ache had not worsened but hadn’t gone away completely. Talked with my father who has always been encouraging for my stupid endurance conquests and he too advised against running so I completely dropped off the plan and went to a friend’s place for dinner. Had a nice time and slept at his place. Next day I woke up feeling a bit stiff since I had slept on a mattress on floor. It was 11 AM and since I had decided not to run the marathon which was supposed to start at 3 PM, I was in no hurry. Had an awesome breakfast loaded with carbohydrates and came back to the room around 1 PM.

I switched on the TV and saw some news about the Marathon. What an irony. I just couldn’t sit there feeling miserable. I had a quick warm bath, put on my running clothes and shoes and was out of the room within 30 minutes. I had decided that I will be there at the starting line come what may. If the back gives away I will just stop running and come back to the room.

The atmosphere at the starting point was electric. Almost 5000 Runners from over 50 nationalities were present. There was music and laughter everywhere. Even the climate was perfect for a long run – a warm sun with a cool breeze. As I reached there around 2 PM with almost an hour to go before the starting time, I could feel that the euphoria and the collective enthusiasm had started to do the trick. I lied on the grass so as to rest my back before I put it to the most grueling test.

I actually fell asleep on the grass and woke up when the announcer was happily saying –

“Five minutes to go runners! Whether you complete it in 2 hours 50 minutes or in 5 hours 50 minutes. It doesn’t matter as you would already be a winner once you cross the finish line. Have a great run”

Those words actually instilled a different kind of confidence in me and I was waving to the friendly crowd who were cheering all of us wildly as we embarked on a feat which is not supposed to be normal a human thing to do. The start of the marathon is a mixed bag of emotions – there are thousands of strangers around you, esp. if you are running in a foreign country, everyone is excited for you and looking at you with that feeling in their eyes which say “you are crazy but I like it!”

But deep inside, the runner always feels a pit in the stomach. 42.195 KM is a long distance and you can only prepare your body to take that grinding. And yet how will the body behave and whether you will be able to reach the finish line is always a mystery. Even great marathon runners have been forced to quit at the last stages of the marathon because of pain. That unknowingness or hopelessness of “whether” you will be able to complete every one of those 42,195 meters is a mystery which needs to solved and you are your only team. The cheering going on around you definitely helps but still marathon running is a solitary sport so you are dependent only on one person you can ever be really dependent on – Yourself!

Helsinki Marathon is often described as the most beautiful Marathon in the world and while running the beautiful route I got to know why. There are lakes, parks, wilderness, sea shore, old roads flocked by exquisitely designed buildings… there is so much to look around on the route that it takes a bit of pain away! Then there are very friendly Finnish families who make sure that you are encouraged along the route. Small kids held their palms out for a high five every now and then and even a band was present playing amazing music with drums, trumpet… the first 20 KMs went by in a jiffy!

As I hit the half way mark I made a quick assessment of facts –

I was tired – yeah that’s genius. You just ran 21 Kms I was sweaty – Much more Genius My legs especially calves were paining – aren’t Indian supposed be good at plain logic? My lower back was… wait… It was fine! I actually touched my back up and down to make sure it was still there. It was there and it was going solid! Wow… that was the assurance enough for me to push myself and on that high note I started the second half of the Marathon.

It was almost 6 PM and the Sun wasn’t blazing anymore. The winds were a bit speedy and there might have been a cold breeze but all the running had made my body a bit immune to the atmospheric conditions and I quite welcomed that feeling. After crossing the 35 KMs mark we got some much needed protein paste to nibble on which helped. Last 7 Kms are always the hardest but the Finns standing alongside the road and the volunteers handing out water, sports drinks, salt, bananas etc. made it easier.

Biggest credit goes to a group of elders who were sitting on one of the corners of the routes and having Karhu (very famous beer in Helsinki). One of them looked me in the eye, pointed to the Karhu bottle he was holding and shouted

 “Run, Run, Run! This is waiting for you back home”.

 I couldn’t help laughing despite of every corner in my legs going through a different level of pain.  But at that point, one such incident of encouragement and you are back in the game. The pain becomes a distant memory – still there- but behind a veil of an upcoming achievement which is much more important.

I must say, the finish of the Helsinki marathon is a grand affair.

After all, how many of us actually get to run a race, on the same track used for Olympic Games?

Yes. Helsinki Marathon ends in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. As I entered the stadium to run the last 100 meters of the 42,195 meters, I felt privileged to be running on a track which was used for Olympics. I was immersed in that moment and profusely thanking the people who had gathered at the finish line, cheering me as I took the last steps towards the finish line.

I heard the announcement on the loud speaker:

 “Shantanu Desai from India just running towards the finish line! Congratulations Shantanu! Well Done!”

…and my name flashed on the display in the Stadium. I have no words to describe that feeling. The name being announced and displayed in an Olympic stadium is a memory which I will cherish for my lifetime.

As I crossed the finish line and stopped on the track, I kissed the Earth and thanked Her.

 I am not a very religious person but certain things in life are not achieved by you alone. Deep inside, you are aware that this achievement was possible because of some unknown factors coming together only for your sake and most importantly – for no apparent reason. I could think of numerous:

- Why would I arrive in Helsinki just 5 days before Marathon?

- Why would I get an apartment quite near to the Marathon start line?

- Why would my back ache for 2 days before the marathon. Was it to make sure I rest my legs and don’t do over enthusiastic running and fail on the D-day?

- The friend’s place which I went to night before the Marathon – I dint even knew him a week ago. And yet I get awesome nutritious food on night before the run and an amazing and almost ideal breakfast for runners, 4 hours before run. How did that fall in place?

- Usually there are many who would like to have a registered number to run in case someone is not running a Marathon. It happens often and it happens throughout the world. I tried to find someone a day before. But did not find anyone… why?

The list goes. My point is your achievements are never “only” yours.

I thanked these countless circumstances and whoever made this pattern out of the chaos which helped me cross that finish line, as I walked towards the school kids who were doing the honor of handling out the “Marathon Finisher” medal.

I bowed before him with a traditional “Namaste” and felt the weight of medal around my neck.

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150 grams made of copper with ample amounts of determination, guts, stubbornness, stupidity, craziness, just-not-knowing-how-to-give-up and yes… lots and lots of blessings!

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