Miracle Marathon

If I look at my running log and see the repeated and consecutive failed long runs, I'd think that I was possessed by sheer lunacy when I registered for the Hyderabad Marathon. However, it was a deep-seated desire to see myself thru' this and find out whether I could push the envelope and banish the failures of the past few weeks. Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones - Pat Teske

I arrived at Hyderabad late evening and was met by an old friend, Kumar, who hovered around wondering whether we would do a few beers. I chuckled and told Kumar that beers are not the best thing for my present condition and that I need to sink into a meditative state for a race that is different compared to the ones I have done before. And so I ate a dinner of fried rice and curd (to help my tummy remain calm) and slept early because the alarm was set for 3:30am. Most of my friends think we, marathoners are a breed that revel in self-flegellation, an opinion that is not entirely ridiculous.

Race venue at 4:45am and I hi-5 Madhu, Roshni and their friend, Hema, much to their surprise. They are here to do the half marathon and have target times that are keeping them on edge. The race begins without much fanfare except for a group warm-up to loud thumping pop music before the start. There is a large contingent of the AP Police and everyone just zips ahead leaving me to wonder whether this race has an unreasonable time limit and whether I am the only plodder. It appears so as I look back and find that I, along with two other runners seem to be bringing up the rear!

We do a 5K loop around KBR Park which has inclines that shock and depress me. We come full circle back to the start point and I am comforted to find scores of runners now, many of them seem to be walking. It is then that I realise that the half marathon has been flagged off a while ago and the walkers are the ambitious lot that registered for the "kick" of saying they are "doing the Hyd Half":-) I wave out to Roshni who is returning from a out and back loop and catch up with Madhu, who I can tell from my watch, is quite on pace. At the 16K mark I hand over my water bottle to a woman that seems out of breath and whose entreaties for water in a UK accent unsettle me. At 23K I catch up with Rajat (IIT-Alumni) who is doing the HM (he is on his 18K mark) and we exchange muted greetings, allowing each to focus on the daunting task ahead.

The full marathoners are now required to take a diversion and do a 5K to reach back on the common route, thus covering 28K. The sun is out with a vengeance and its getting uncomfortably warm. I get a momentary scare when my legs slow down and I panic that I am not going to last. I am not sure whether it was the continuous nutrition I began taking in or whether it was the ample fluids I took at every aid station, thoughfully placed every 2K, that mitigated the exhaustion. I suddenly felt strong and was cruising at 30K when I suddenly realised I had the AP Police motor cycle escort alongside me. We were now at the Gachobowli stadium where the HM runners turn off to go in for the finish while we have to go ahead and do another 12K:-(

I am now apprehensive about the "wall" coming up but because of my strong strides, I am sure it will hit me later than the expected 32K mark. I am now passing by runners that were far ahead of me, hobbling because they have run into the "wall". The motorcycle escort, perhaps because of my strong condition, pull back to take care of the less fortunate runners. I am hi-5'ed by an RFL guy that is astonished that I caught up with him. Its not that I speeded up; its just that he slowed down and was in real pain. I cruised thru' the 36K mark and briefly lost my way but was corrected by a cop. The "wall" hit me now and I felt my breath going raspy and my legs suddenly feeling leaden. By the time I reached the 39K mark there were 4 other runners that I'd shuffled past and I refused to walk.

The next two km markers passed inexorably and after what seemed like an eternity. I was with bowed head now as I felt my gas tank going dry and I had to wrestle with my brain for that wee bit of glycogen that remains in reserve. The pride you gain is worth the pain - Denise Ogilvy. A fellow runner now moves ahead of me and mutters encouragement with "only 1K to go, c'mon". I would like to keep up with him but my legs simply refuse and I see him find his groove for a fast finish. I smile as I turn towards the stadium and know my good friends Madhu & Roshni are waiting. I did not keep them waiting too long, after all, as I turn into the stadium and speed up the last 100m to the finish line and cross myself after seeing my watch stop at 4:23:53. I had taken a risk and it had paid off.
To win without risk is to triumph without glory - Pierre Cornielle

Good deeds and race plans

As I walked down to Flora Fountain to pick up some dry-fruits, I saw a Municipal van pulling up at the kerb. All hell broke loose and some hawkers scurried away with their ware; however, I also noticed that the 'seasoned' hawkers were unfazed, probably because they pay "hafta". Then I noticed that the goons pick on an old man in his 60s who was selling bed-sheets off a bicycle. They tried to load the bicycle in the van while the old man begged them not to. With my penchant for intervention in the face of risk and with the bile rising to my throat, I held on to the bicycle and asked the goons to leave the old man alone. There were veiled threats and a cop asked me to "stay out of it!". I dared them to touch the other hawkers instead of picking on the old man. A crowd had gathered by then and seeing me take up cudgels with the goons, they hollered. Soon the cop and the goons realised that they'd have a scene on hand and let the old man go. I walked with a spring in my stride, triumphant with my good deed for the day.

The dry-fruits have been purchased, but I now have to develop a race plan for the Hyderabad Marathon: a race that I have been foolhardy enough to register for, despite my lack of preparation. I will go thru' my log over the last two months to understand the most reasonable pace that I should set. I have to draw a back-up plan for late race problem solving and can only hope that divine benediction will smile upon me in this marathon. All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go......

Glimmer of hope

Anupriya' birthday celebration was held at MIG club in Bandra and the venue suited me well since it was right next to the highway and I could easily avoid 'breathalizers' that are wielded by policemen nowadays:-) It was a small and jocund company, and the banter and tipple lasted till 11pm. By the time we got home and I went to bed, it was midnight. I hoped for the best since I was going to sleep just 5 hours and I had about 3 large shots of whisky for my liver to contend with.

And so I woke up at 5:11am and felt surprisingly spritely after my cup of java. Diluted orange juice and a granola bar and I was put-putting away on my bike. I started hesitantly and with lingering doubts about lasting this long run. About half way thru' I realized that I was going to make it afterall; albeit, with my ventilatory threshold stretched to its limit. The sky was overcast throughout my run and I was wondering when the heavens would open up and mitigate my exhaustion, when suddenly the rain came down in torrents. I smiled as I felt the salt and sweat being washed away and my inflamed limbs got a respite with cold rainwater quenching the burn that had gripped them. I had still some way to go but a sudden extempore spurt by way of a tempo run for one mile gave me a thrill and I decided that I could as well call off the rest of the run. I stopped to ponder, "Am I in shape for the Hyderabad Marathon?". I shook my head and thought aloud, "Only if you look at it as an extended long run". Hmmm....lets see if all other things, personal and professional, are in place.

Missed workout

I am not sure what caused me to wake up at 2:52am but it made me groan in resigned dejection. I was on tour to Madurai and Coimbatore since the last 3 days and was looking forward to doing a long run today. Accordingly, I had set my alarm for 5am and I now realised that it would have to be called off. Well, the fact of the matter is that last night, when I took stock of my situation, I assessed that not only was I running a sleep deficit, but I was exhausted and running a temperature. Besides, with only an egg dosa for breakfast and curd rice for lunch on saturday, and with no hydration whatsoever, I was sure to face a disastrous long run depleted of glycogen and hydration.

I am sure it was God' own way of telling me that I am better off turning off the alarm and resting today. The old adage of 'live to fight another day' floated thru' my mind as I felt sleep and exhaustion bring on a heaviness on my eyelids. When I finally woke up, it was 7:35am I realised that it was well past the time to run and voila, I was feeling on top of the world with a renewed vigour in my being. The warm furry form of Dojo at my feet made me smile and curl up for another 5 mins of 'snooze'. Dojo, who missed my presence, seems to understand how to divide his ministrations between Minoti and me, so that no one is left unattended:-) Well, there is enough time to hydrate and carbo-load today, but the only hitch is that Nihal' wife' birthday, and the ensuing 'celebrations' and late night, could be the damp squib to my noble intentions of doing the long run tomorrow.

Independence run

It was surely the right day for a long run. There would be no traffic and no walkers at National Park; the walkers somehow feel that they've earned the right to stay at home in bed and sip coffee on independence day:-) I rode my bike on a lonely highway with a grey sky and a soft drizzle of rain keeping me company. The wet and cold feeling made me uncomfortable but I dare not curse the rain because the city is headed for water shortage. The parking attendant, under the NP flyover gave me a knowing smile and told his colleague that "this guy runs for 3 hrs". I nodded acknowledgement and thanks for the indirect complement and took off for my start point.

The run went off well except that my sports drink, that I'd painstakingly prepared the night before, got stolen and I had to walk up to a restaurant across the road for plain water! Then there was the pleasant surprise of meeting Giles and Ram, runners from the RFL forum, who for some strange reason, were walking instead of jogging. I was afforded some relief in my exhausting run, when the rain came down in torrents but then as quickly, it disappeared and the sun peeked out from the clouds. I finished in bad shape but felt satisfied that I'd finished at all.

Later that morning, we drove over the sealink for the first time and were in awe at the majestic sight of its engineering complexity and the vast expanse of the sea on one side. We drove to town and visited my sister who treated us to a typicall Goan lunch of roast meat, pullao and potato curry with chapatis. I must not forget the bottle of "Caju" that was offered me with so much love and which I was told was for me to keep even after I'd helped myself to two large tots:-) We drove back home in time to catch 40 winks. Real independence!

A lil' bit of speedwork and rain

The beep of the alarm clock going off at 5:04am really pierced the depths of my consciousness and jolted me awake. My instantaneous thought, after putting off the alarm, was to say, "To hell with the workout. Go to sleep!". Nonetheless, I lay in bed, my chest heaving from the sudden spike in my heart rate; courtesy the shock of the alarm clock. I looked out the window and saw that the dawn was just about breaking. I dragged myself to the kitchen and the strong aroma of coffee did me more good than the caffeine kick.

I took off, thundering on my motorbike and reached my start point to ease into a gentle warm up. I hid the bottle of orange juice I'd carried, to stave off the hypoglycemia that has often struck me. I have been losing too many bottles of my favorite drink to mischievious school children, that revel in taking them away. The moderate speed workout seemed to flow easily at first; however, just as I was feeling the strain, the heavens broke open and I felt relief at the sudden and unnatural cool down. The orange juice helped me stem the loss of glycogen. I reached home exhausted and just as I plonked myself on the floor, Dojo came trotting over for a customary tickle under the chin:-) Not a bad start to the day.

Karla - MTDC

It was the 2nd Saturday of the month and my long weekend. I was scheduled to drive to Karla (Lonavala) and spend time with my Company team. While, they had gone ahead, early in the morning, to visit Kamshet Dam, I thought I'd keep them company over appertiffs in the evening. Accordingly, I got enough time to put in a medium long run that stretched my limits a bit and I also had a nice cool beer to rid myself of dehydration.

I drove to Lonavala, listening to my favorite songs; Santana, Bread, Eagles, Cliff Richard and yes, Lorna' Goan songs:-) It was a nice relaxing drive and I felt at peace with my thoughts. The verdant landscape as I neared Lonavala was reminiscent of my times with Catholic friends in Pune, in the late 80s. It felt heavenly as I drove thru' a ghostly fog that rolled down the Ghats, making visibility a tad difficult on the expressway. I finally arrived at Karla resort and settled in with my team to some shots of whisky and a typical maharashtrian non-vegetarian dinner. I had fitful sleep that night as I was kept awake by the incessant drumming of rain on the roof of the cottage I'd been put up in. It also felt very eerie to hear the rain drops pitter-patter outside and a ghoulish wind howling all night long.

The next morning I woke up and as I went about my ablutions, I thought of all the friends that might have assembled at the i-Race in IIT. I wished I could have somehow woken up earlier and driven down to join them in time for the race. I realised that even I did, I would be in no condition to do a 10K, given that I had just done a long run 24 hrs back! Well, I'm sure just being there would have been enough. I had a nice breakfast of hot coffee and egg omlette with buttered bread - its nice to spoil yourself sometimes. Besides, what the heck, I can easily burn off the butter:-) I then drove back at a cruising speed, breathing in the crisp mountain air in the Lonavala Ghats, as I wound my way downhill, this time. Glad to return home to the family and Dojo and some delectable "Caju Fenny" sent by Joe, my bro-in-law. Simple pleasures:-)