Why every marathoner is a survivor!

It all boils down to this last week.

As the date for the Mumbai Marathon draws closer, Rediff staffer Laxmi Negi braces herself for the event of her life.

Read her Marathon diary:

PART 1: Rediscovering the simple joys of running

PART 2: The blisters, the cold, the agony, the ecstasy

PART 3:  My leg and core strengthening regime

This is part 4 of her Marathon diary

If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.
- Emil Zatopek, 1952 Olympic Marathon gold medallist

These are the words that keep me motivated.

There might be certain lows during the process of training for the marathon. But when you look back over all the training you have done, you can't help but think that you cannot stop now. Not after all the hard work and pain you have gone through.

One needs to keep going until the finish line. There is a reason why every marathoner is called a survivor.

So, it is Friday and going by the books it is the day I load on my carbohydrates to help me pump those muscles for the long run on Saturday.

There is a huge tick mark against my diet.

The only good thing about having a desk job is that one can easily monitor one's meals.

I also keep myself hydrated throughout the day with regular supply of Enerzal to my body.

Thursdays and Fridays are feel-good days as I get an excuse to eat to my heart’s content.

I take the liberty of eating anything under the pretext of the upcoming long run.

The subconscious is silenced by saying that I am going to burn it all with that killer run on Saturday, which I hopefully do!

It is a relaxing day at the gym -- just 30 minutes of cross-training which seems like a breeze these days no matter at what difficulty level you are at!

You can actually feel the leg muscles at work on the stepper and you know that those gruelling leg strengthening exercises have finally paid off.

They say to run a marathon, you need to be stronger in mind than in body. So I keep telling my mind, it's just 30 minutes and on the D-day I will be running over five hours.

That is the key. It keeps you going for more. At least it works for me!

The second part of the training was strengthening the core with stabilisation exercises. It's all done with ease and seems like a breeze.

I have reached the stage wherein I can take things lightly now. I have done the hard work and now it the time to sit back and take a deep breath and relax.