Munich Marathon 2014

After running my first marathon in Barcelona in 2014 , I was somewhat disappointed with my experience. After the race, I felt like beaten by a group of angry monkeys. Heavy, untrained and disappointed, I wanted to do everything all over again. This time I would do it properly. Nutrition, stretch, long runs, I would do it all.

Sometime in summer, I started running interval sessions once a week and started to take my longer runs more seriously. Since I had serious time limitations, I could only run 4 times a week. This was my first serious training cycle and I was still trying to grasp the basics of running.

I needed a training plan and decided to use Furmans First Marathon Training Plan with some modifications. In my view, this is a very good plan for first timers trying to improve their time. The plan is self explanatory and has very economical in terms of mileage. These days I think increasing volumes matters more in the long run, but for younger runners who have time issues, the plan is just perfect.

My training buddies Serhan and Ahmet were aiming for a similar time so we decided to do the training together. I think that was my most enjoyable training cycle ever: running with like minded friends is great fun, the season was perfect and we were all somewhat new in the sport. We had all the motivation in the world.

I can not say whether the interval sessions or long runs did the job but the plan worked. I also lost some weight in the process, not because of increased mileage but better nutrition.

During one of our long runs in Bostanci, Serhan and I were attempting to complete a 10 K segment at 5 km/min pace. We started the segment after warming up, but it turned out to be real hard. While we were running our asses off, trying real hard to maintain our speed, an old guy in his seventies passes us without showing the slightest sign of stress. Then he slowed down, asked whether he could join us. We could only nod in approval. He was visibly limping and using one side of his body a lot more. He told us that he used to be an athlete and had had an accident some time ago. Now he was just running “for the fun of it”. Thanks to him, we did complete the 10 k but were exhausted. We had to slow down. He was polite enough to slow down with us. After running for another 10, we had to stop. The old guy told us that he had another 90 minutes or so and kept running, speeding up again, with a steady pace.

We were totally surprised. Obviously, we were underestimating our capabilities and training too conservatively. This was a turning point, a green light to push harder. After that day, we started discovering more ambitious paces, not only on track, but also on our long days .

Long story short, we completed the training in 16 weeks by pushing our longer runs each week. Last three weeks, we completed 30+ K runs at 5:10 K. In retrospect, that does not seem too much. One big thing missing in our training was a complete lack of strength and stretch sessions. It is a miracle we survived the training in one piece.

Why Munich? Simple, because lots of friends form TeamIstrunbul were there. I don’t know who made the choice in the first place.

Munich Marathon, like many other events in Germany, was very well organised. Finish point was comfortably located in the legendary Munich Stadium- this means you an run your final 400 metres posing for photos :-).

My racing plan was very simple. First 16 km were downhill, giving me change, even dictating a fast half. Until 28 KM mark, there was a mild elevation increase followed by a flat stretch until 36. After that, downhill all the way. My intention was to run the first half as fast as I could and take it easy in the second.

What makes Munich Marathon special is the nature. This is a “city” marathon but Munich has lots and lots of beautiful parks and we passed through many of them. The atmosphere was supremely relaxing and beautiful.

During the first half of the race, I tried to stick with the 3:30 pacers, who did a fantastic job. My original plan was to keep a flat 5:00 km/min pace throughout the race. Pushing a bit too much in the heat of the event, I ended up trying to keep 4:50.

Inevitably, I slowed down after 21 K. I felt I could push myself a bit more, but the fear of the wall waiting ahead was frightening. The memory of my previous race was still fresh. My primary goal was to see the finish line in good shape, both physically and mentally. I wanted a steady pace and an enjoyable experience overall. Slowing down a bit helped a lot. I stopped at all CPs in the second half, hydrated well and took gels every 5 K. By the time I entered the stadium, I was still feeling OK.

Many of my friends were already sipping their virgin beers in the stadium when I finished. Perhaps this is the best part in any event. After months of training, the race is finally over. Simultaneously this is both a relief and disappointment. I never had the “epic feeling”, “life changing euphoria” or the “tears of joy” many runners claim to have. But I was happy. And hungry… I don’t eat much, if anything, before or during the races. In my case, running on empty work better. But after cooling down, all I could think about was food.

This was my first race with a GPSs watch. After almost 4 hours, the battery was almost full. I made a mental note to stick with the brand and the model for longer runs.

I remember slowing down after the 40 K mark. This is when you know you made it. Besides, forcing yourself into a sprint during last 2 K can only shave off 1-2 minutes from your overall time. Why not enjoy the glory then? And pose for the finish photo? . n the end, a few minutes more or less does not matter. If you are not doing this for a living, a race is just another run that you should enjoy and you should not put your health in danger to break an arbitrarily set racing target.

But something was very different and special about this race. Only six months earlier in Barcelona, I had felt like shit after the finish. But here in Munich, things were entirely different. I was feeling very light, alive and happy. Dog tired but certainly not exhausted. Two days after the race, I did not get a horrible DOMS like I had after Barcelona.

Months of training paid off and yes, something about me was very different. This was my return to the sport after a dry spell of ten years. This race put running back in my life. I knew, in a very silent and satisfactory way, that I would keep keep running.