I had a long run scheduled today but considering the kind of strenuous week I had with 2 speed workouts and 2 full body circuits, this ageing body was complaining. They say that after the age of 45 you usually need 2 full days of recovery between speed workouts. Here I was actually doing them with only a day' gap. Anyways, I am not some super "studwa" because the effects were showing on Saturday morning when I woke up.
First of all, I had not set the alarm and woke up at 5:47 instead of 5:15am. This would mean really running in the heat since I had a 20 miler planned. But wait a minute! I am in no shape; with my head in my hands and wishing someone would get me a strong cuppa java to mitigate the swooning drowsiness in my head. I realized that I had to do this run or at least attempt it. Blame Madhu and Roshni :-) because I had promised them I'd help them out in their Half Marathon Trial which they had yet to confirm. I dragged myself to the kitchen and made a cup of java that was actually out-of-limits because of my bouts of insomnia.
I set out on my run after taking my "Bullet" to the start point (yes, up to there;-)) and the throb helped to elate my spirits. But look at my state! The first 8 K felt like the last 10K in a full marathon. I am clearly in no shape to run another 24K! What do I do? I decide that since I have woken up and dragged myself all the way here (instead of snuggling in bed) I'd do my best. I finished 21.4K (I don't know how) after my brief entreaty with bowed head, to Lord Hanuman and had another 10.6K to go. You should have seen my state by now. I was drenched in sweat, I had run out of water and my legs had turned to jelly. I realized now how ultra-marathoners feel in THEIR final legs:-).
I took the next 10.6K in loops of 1.2K which I, in turn, broke into legs of 3 each and focussed on doing 27 such legs:-). God, how I talked to myself during all that pain. At one time I hit upon a real innovative mental game. I imagined that I was training Anil Ambani and that his aim was a sub-4hr marathon at SCMM (my assessment of his current ability is in the 4 1/2hr range) and that I was going to be paid a handsome bonus if he breaks 3:45. I, incidentally in this reverie, was running the same marathon, but much slower as I had done Dubai SCM 2 days earlier. We were connected on wireless headsets and I was providing encouraging quotes even as he complained that the pain had set into his body. I found myself thinking of all the quotes that would drive a guy to the finish at a trot instead of a shuffle. Little did I know but I had done 20 legs thru' all this, lost in my reverie:-) The next 7 legs were a breeze but at the finish I doubled up with my head stuck to my chin and some guy that was studying near my bike asked me with alarmed concern as to whether I was fine. I told him that I need a bucket of water to pour over myself. I was totally dehydrated and done in. Meantime, Anil Ambani had managed a 3:44:46 and announced a bonus of 1 crore for my incredible training methods:-) - vain, aren't you?
I had no luck with the water so I cruised home on my Bullet barely able to sit astride a 350Kg monster. I spent the next hour under the tap and 2 half fried eggs and 2 beers later at my sister Lucy' place and I was in fine fettle. I had actually run a marathon and beyond today - thanks Madhu and Roshni:-)
