My first time: I am finally a man

I want to start this by saying: “I did it!” And how: with a good time, big time negative splits and a fast last 1km. In other words perfect (of course mostly thanks to Brett who paced me).

The story behind

Two years ago I signed up for the first edition of Tokyo Marathon 2007. I did not feel very prepared so decided to give up my registration number. A few months before that though (Nov. 2006) I had ran a personal best in the half marathon breaking 75 minutes. Still, with results in hand I did not feel ready and chickened out.
Last year once again I applied, and once again luckily got in (lucky? Is what I thought). I had decided to run it this time. No matter what I would run my first marathon and get it over with. Summer came and I brought my mileage up to 400km per month. November came and with it the time to prepare for my first marathon.
I needed 3 months of 450km or more each to be ready for a good debut.
But it all went down the drain when I twisted my ankle buying band aids at the convenience store. BAM 21 days of absolute rest. When I was ready to jog again, my endurance was almost back to 0. And because fortune is always by my side I caught a cold a few days after my ankle healed, adding 4 more days of rest.
“I’m not giving up. Hell no ... sell my registration number again? People will start saying things”.
So I put on my running wear, and set out in the cold for a run and guess what I found. I got influenza type A. One of the worst flu types in the country. 13 more days to add to the already 24 days taken off.
I was so sick not even Santa Claus came near me during Christmas.
It hit me then. Running Tokyo Marathon as a serious race was out of the question. Aiming to break 3 hours became a ridiculous challenge.
I ran a total of 350 km in January. Raced 3 of the 4 weeks, reaching my goals in each of the events. Things looked good; that if the coming race was to be a half marathon. But the coming race was a full marathon and for such a distant the picture was not pretty.
I heard many things during the weeks of wait. “You will crash against the wall.” “Breaking 3 hours is out of the question” “Run for fun or you will not enjoy it.” “You are fucked.”
It was time to look for a buyer and chicken out again.
But there was Brett's voice ... among other mean people ... if you don’t run you won't be a man...
So I decided to take the challenge and to put the bar higher and decided to go for the 3 hour barrier.

February 17th: The day had arrived

Packed my stuff and set off to the meeting point.
I was really surprised (although I guess I should have expected it) to see Shinjuku station packed with runners ... and runners and runners all over the west side of the station. And it hit me ... this thing is big!! This is what a major marathon event is about.
Anyways so the race began ... before it did though I had to take a short toilet break which caused Brett (who was running as my pace maker) and I to line up in the middle of the A block rather than the front.

Off we went.
I was pretty much just following Brett and thinking about how cold it was for the first few kilometers. I was wondering if we were going too slow as I found myself running with people of different shapes and dresses rather than the usual front pack in the regular small race event. But there we were going at the set 2.58 goal pace.
First 5 km: 4:25 - 4:03 - 4:16 - 4:11 - 4:13 (21:08)
We continued and our fellowship got bigger with Yamada-san and Steve hopping in.
Chatting about the event ... I asked Steve ... "so this is what running a marathon is about" and he replied "No, this is what jogging at a 4.10 pace is about, a marathon starts after the 30km warm-up"
5 km to 10 km: 4:07-4:14-4:10-4:11-4:11 (20:53)
I felt perfect, no soreness, nor bored. Brett then decided we should bring up the pace if I felt the same after the half point.
Jay joined somewhere at this point (and quickly disappeared).
10 km to 15 km: 4:11-4:11-4:11-4:13-4:12 (20:58)
Perfect pacing ... Brett must have a stopwatch somewhere in his brain. The crowd was amazing and so were the runners dressed up in various characters. I was actually having fun for the first time during a race.
Mario Bros to my left. “I wonder where Luigi is.”
A girl dressed as a playboy bunny to my right. “Too bad she isn’t hot.”
A man dressed as a cow. “Am I going slow or what?”
15 km to 20 km: 4:10-4:14-4:11-4:11-4:10 (20:56)
Brett: "So how do you feel Omar?"
Omar: "I feel perfect"
Bret : "Lets bring up the pace then"
20 km to 25 km: 4:14-4:05-4:10-4:07-4:10 (20:46)
5 more kilometers and I was to enter a new realm where every step would be a PB even if I crawled. My knees were starting to feel a bit heavy and my back in pain.
“Does the marathon really find everything? Does the wall really exist?”
“Did a short girl just pass me? Or was she a he?”
25 km to 30 km: 4:08-4:12-4:11-4:11-4:07 (20:49)
I was seeing so many friendly faces (Takako, Gordon, and the entire Namban crowd) ... plus the runners themselves at the turns ... saying hello to everyone. It was so easy to forget about the pace and race.
But when I stepped on that 30 km line I knew it was time. Not properly prepared physically nor mentally ... images of Fukushi (Japanese record holder of various events) falling on her face during her first marathon flashed through my eyes.. Oh man ... it's coming.
30 km to 35 km: 4:06-4:08-4:06-4:06-4:02 (20:28)
Now for some reason ... no idea why ... it really got easy once I crossed the 30 km line. The pace went up, and I was tired so it felt a bit faster than it was. But the high speed enabled me to put less weight on my less and hips so my knee and back pain were relieved. Began concentrating on my form and following Brett's advice ... good thoughts ... think about good things.
“Hmm I think I want to go to the bathroom real bad.”
35 km to 40 km: 4:05-4:01-3:53-3:52-3:42 (19:33)
We were rocking ... although when Brett told me that I answered ... "are we? Isn’t this pace like really slow?"
Well, slow or not ... there were still two more km of fun and oh they were.
I think I was in 700th place at this point and passed some 300 runners in those two last km. Off went Brett to look for his under 8 minutes last 2.195.
And 10 seconds later off I went.
I was careful during the first km to not blow up a few hundred meters before the end.
40 km to 41.195: 4.28
“1km to go” sign was there ... time to rock for real...
Last km: 3.23 and I am very positive I ran the last 800 at under 3.10 pace.
What a debut ... 2.53
Thank you Brett, Takako, people that came to cheer and Tokyo Marathon.
Best experience I have ever had in a race or sport event in my life. Very VERY happy.
A better view of my splits:
1-5k: 4:25-4:03-4:16-4:11-4:13 (21:08)
6-10k: 4:07-4:14-4:10-4:11-4:11 (20:53)
11-15k: 4:11-4:11-4:11-4:13-4:12 (20:58)
16-20k: 4:10-4:14-4:11-4:11-4:10 (20:56)
Half: 1:28:34
21-25k: 4:14-4:05-4:10-4:07-4:10 (20:46)
26-30k: 4:08-4:12-4:11-4:11-4:07 (20:49)
31-35k: 4:06-4:08-4:06-4:06-4:02 (20:28)
36-40k: 4:05-4:01-3:53-3:52-3:42 (19:33)
40 km to 41.195: 4.28
Last km: 3.23
Total: 2 hours 53 minutes ... still waiting for the net time which might be 23 seconds.

After the race:

The first 30 seconds once the race was over felt amazing. I had completed one of the hardest challenges in my life in one piece and not even felt tired. 31 seconds after though the most terrible pain I’ve ever felt ran through my body. And a few seconds later my entire body froze as I was too tired to even keep my 36.5 degrees of body temperature.
Fortunately the volunteers handed me a heat coat quickly together with some food and drinks. I felt okay (as long as I kept moving, because if I sat I probably wouldn’t be able to stand up again).
Inside the changing area I got more food, a free massage and a few minutes in a feet hot tub. Oh what a feeling sticking my feet into the warm water, feeling the bubbles run through my calves.
And well after that is was all about mailing everyone and bragging about my great success lol. Well I deserved it.

Days after

I woke up the next morning in great pain. Walking was no problem, but going up and down the stairs was very challenging.
Those who read probably think it felt like playing a soccer month after a year of no sports. No, no, no. Very wrong. I know how that feels. Legs feel a bit crampy, and they hurt when you touch them, etc.
What I felt was pain.
Tuesday the pain increased a bit, but only in the morning. As the day went by, my muscles loosened up.
Wednesday I could walk again. Now it was then that I felt as if I had done sports after a while.
Today Thursday I still feel strange but I feel good enough to sprint up the stairs, which means I should be fine by tomorrow.

For pictures click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93880&l=f3990&id=737630111
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I use to wonder why people run marathons. Why the sacrifice to run such a long and apparently boring race. Now I understand.