Chennai Half Marathon 2012 - 2 Dec

My passion for running continues and this time I am back in my home town- Chennai. After completing my masters degree I came back to my home town and have been enjoying my vacation here, anxiously awaiting a document from the British government after which I will proceed for my doctoral studies in the UK. In the mean while I registered for the Chennai half marathon, an event which I have run twice before, in 2008 and 2009 but this time the route was entirely different. Running a marathon or a half marathon in one's own city is quite an experience in itself for which I will give reasons shortly. Even though there was the full marathon category and running the full in Chennai would have been a great achievement I chose the half, the reasons being I had not trained for the full and I had already done two marathons in this year, hence my body was longing for some quality rest.

So there I was, promptly registered for the half marathon on the event website well in time.  This time the event was wholly managed by Chennai Runners (a running group formed and developed in Chennai) unlike yesteryears where the event was conducted by the Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with some sponsors and Tamil Nadu athletics association. The major sponsor this time was WIPRO, the same firm had also sponsored the San Francisco marathon which I had run on 29 July 2012. Coming to the point of why running an event in one's own city is considered special. Firstly you are connected with the city through heart and soul hence as a runner you feel unjustified if you don't run in your own city. Secondly you have the support of your family and also other friends which gives an immense boost to the moral and the tempo leading up to the event. And finally the mental and physical satisfaction is second to nothing.

I was doing my training not in a completely holistic way but still managed to run 4 times a week. The weather in Chennai is too humid and hot and one gets drenched in sweat after just a few kilometers and exhausted very soon, hence running in Chennai is always a challenge. Getting up as early as 4:30 and doing the runs at 5:15 is an option to beat the heat, the traffic and the sun but after being in Netherlands for over 2 years I was not used to getting up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, hence I always go for my runs (solo) at  7 am or 7:30 am. The sun is already up and the heat is on but I don't mind that. The longest distance that I did was 16 kms during my training and I felt that was adequate because all that I had to do was add an additional 5k on the D day. The one thing that I noticed here is the running culture is slowly picking up but still when I go for my runs I get quizzical looks from onlookers and when I go for longer runs with the fuel belt ( a belt that can house upto 4 bottles of water 250 ml each) tucked around my waist I get even stranger looks. Probably people have not seen such a thing before.

The organizers did a wonderful job and all participants were getting frequent emails, updating or giving information about the event, the expo, the rules and regulations on the race day etc. I was assigned 2356 as my bib number which I had to collect from the marathon expo at Express Avenue mall the day before the event. I was half expecting a huge expo like in the marathons I have run before but was disappointed when I went to collect my number. There were stalls which were distributing the bibs and also a couple of other stalls but nothing on new and innovative sports products or sportswear etc. I can truly understand that the budget is quite a factor in organizing the expo and also unless the running culture increases manifold the attraction to such an expo will always be less nevertheless the expo was well organized. I also got a running T'shirt and a goodie bag but to be frank the running T'shirt was kind of crappy, the material according o me is not of good quality and the T'shirt did not fit me even though I had ordered 'large' size. I quickly collected my bib and came home, had a nice lunch, did not nap in the afternoon as I did not want to stay awake late in the night and had a nice dinner (pasta) and went to bed at 9:30 pm. I had told my mom that I will have a banana-apple smoothie in the morning before I leave and I don't know who told her that drinking a banana smoothie will result in loose motion. She tried her best to convince me to eat bread in the morning or to eat oats but I was adamant on having only the banana smoothie and informed her that I will take only that in the morning.

I got up promptly at 3:30, brushed my teeth and did my business ( a clean stomach is vital to do a good run) and left for the starting point at 4:10. I carried a bottle of mango juice and two bottles of water in my car. I was also carrying a few chocolate balls in my running shorts so that I can pop them during the course (chocolates give energy and thats one of the reasons that I prefer eating chocolates when doing a long run). Driving through the streets of Chennai was so comfortable in the morning- very little traffic and easy navigation, I reached the venue in a span on 20 minutes. I parked my car and did my warm up and was waiting at the starting point with scores of runners, behind the pack of about 350 full marathon runners. The whole scene at the start was amazing, seeing so many runners in Chennai was heartening. The start was inside the IIT Madras campus and went all the way till Napier bridge for the full marathon guys and a little distance from the Thiruvika bridge for the half marathon runners.  Runners from both category  had to come back the same way (in their respective routes) to complete the respective distance. The final 10 kms in both categories was a nice loop inside the IIT Madras campus.

I got a running partner 4 kms after the start. He was Manohar , working at TCS and he informed me that this was his first half marathon. We ran together until the 17 Km mark after which I decided to walk a little bit before finishing the course. I guess he went all the way to the finish point without a break. Hats off to him for a successful first half marathon. I completed my run in 2:02 hrs but felt that the entire course was about a kilometer short of the actual 21.1 official half marathon distance. There were other runners who too claimed that the course length was short. I informed the organizers about this but no one seemed to care. I can understand that nothing could be done at that moment but I was expecting at least a surprised & worried look from the organizers instead I got a nonchalant care free look from the organizers. They were not bothered that the distance was actually short. I was furious at this and no one was even discussing this on the Chennai Runners group, this infuriated me even more. The run was great, the organization was amazing but to make the Chennai marathon a truly national event mistakes such as this cannot be tolerated.

Kudos to Chennai Runners for this wonderful event and I hope I can run in my hope town year after year.

San Francisco 2012 - My 4th full marathon

Its been more than a month since I ran my 4th marathon at San Francisco (SF) and I have been yearning to write about it but things kept me busy, I had my master thesis defense 3 weeks after the marathon so I was busy preparing for that, then I moved back to my hometown to India so I was busy packing and getting things right before I left. Nevertheless its better to be late than never.

Preparing for a marathon is a tough task and is not a joke. It takes weeks of meticulous & dedicated training. I wanted to run one of my marathons on the west coast of USA because that way I could also meet many of my college friends with whom I spent 4 years of my life. This is because most of them left to study in one of the top universities in California right after completing bachelors and have settled there for the moment. In the  month of January this year I registered for the San Francisco marathon and informed my best friend (Praveen) that I will flying down soon and will be coming to meet him in July. Prior to my marathon in July I had another one in April, the Paris marathon about which I had described in one of my previous posts. Hence after successfully completing my Paris marathon I had a few days of rest and then began training for the San Francisco marathon.

May-June- July these months were very crucial to me. I had to complete my experiments, write my thesis report and also prepare for the marathon. The weather in Delft, Netherlands was getting warmer hence training was easier. I prepared a meticulous training plan, with lots of hill training in the schedule because the SF route is full of hills unlike in Netherlands where the whole country is flat as a pancake. I booked my tickets to SF with KLM and then anxiously waited till the D day came.

On 26 July I left for SF, departing from Amsterdam at 10:30 in the morning. The journey was smooth and comfortable and I reached SF at 16:30 hrs the same day. I picked up my baggage and went out of the airport thinking that my friend would be waiting in the arrival hall. The very thought of meeting him after so many years was simply amazing. 

"Only when someone is deprived of something does one realize its true value"

But to my surprise after I picked my baggage and following the signs I was out of the airport, there were no arrival halls and I reached the airport road where cars came and picked up people. I did not see my friend and was getting anxious. I tried calling him from my mobile but the call never went through as I was on international roaming and I did not activate that. An old couple were also waiting for their son to pick them up and I struck a conversation with them and then I asked them if I could use their phone to call my friend. They were kind enough to let me make a call. I made the call and 15 minutes later my friend arrived in his white Lexus. I thanked the old couple, wished them and got into the car and we drove to Sunnyvale, that's where my friend lived. Sunnyvale is just an hour from San Francisco and staying in SF was not an option as its bloody expensive there.

We had a smooth drive and reached his house around 18:00 hrs. I refreshed myself and then he made palak paneer with rotis for dinner. They were delicious. In the meanwhile his friend Krishna arrived home. Krishna is another friend of mine back from college. After dinner we had a long chat, discussing old things and how life was and how things were at each one's end. The next day was a Friday and both left for work and I preferred resting at home. On Saturday we went to the marathon expo and this time we were joined by Surya as well. Surya is my classmate from college as well. Krishna opted out from coming as he had some work to do. So the three of us drove down to SF and luckily we got a parking space and didn't have to pay for it. We went into the expo and I picked up my bib number after which we were looking at the stalls. I particularly like the marathon expo because I always find useful information and products for my running.

After getting the BIB number we had lunch in a typical American cafe. I had pasta, the usual food that runners prefer before the big race as it is important to load carbs so that one has the energy reserves to go all the way. Once lunch was done both of them were keen on taking me to the Golden Gate Bridge. The drive through the Golden Gate Bridge was amazing, I enjoyed every bit of it and luckily that day that moment the weather was simply awesome. I could see the Golden Gate Bridge in its full splendour, no fog, no rain, just crystal clear. My friends told me that it is very rare to see the Golden Gate without any hindrance from mother nature. I guess I got lucky to view this marvellous structure in its full splendour. After spending some time at the the GG bridge we drove back home. I had a quick dinner, just curd rice and banana and went to bed early. The race was to begin at 5:30 in the morning and we had to drive for an hour, so I decided to get up at 2 in the morning. My friend, Praveen is an amazing guy and he told me that he would drive me to the starting point. Oh man not many people take the pains in doing things for others. Hats off to you dude. 

As planned I got up at 2 in the morning, got ready and then woke Praveen at 3. We left Sunnyvale at 3:15, the drive was smooth and we reached SF at 4:30. We found a parking lot with a $15 parking rate (flat rate)

and parked the car. Realizing that we were a little early we decided to nap in the car for half hour. The power nap really helped me. At 5:15 I made sure I was present at the starting point and bid adieu to my friend and told him to be there at that spot at 9:45 as I was hoping for a sub 4 finish. I stretched, warmed myself up and was all set to go. My wave was to start at 5:45, the first waves being for runners who can run the course in a better time. The temperature was comfortable but it was humid and a few miles into the race I started sweating profusely. For the first 3 miles the course was flat and then we hit the first hill, the climb was quite steep and I never expected such a hilly route. Anyways the hill training helped me a lot and I comfortably scaled the hill. Then around mile 5 we hit the Golden Gate Bridge and we ran a full 4 miles on the bridge (2 up and 2 down). It was indeed an awesome feeling running on this landmark structure, tell me how many chances do you get in your life to do something like this? I felt great and felt adrenalin pumping through my whole body.

I was keeping a steady pace but the hills were beginning to take a toll on my legs. Just before the half way mark the first half marathoners entered a different lane for the finish while the marathoners kept going on a different route where they will be later joined by the second half marathoners. I had my power bars and isotone drinks in my fuel belt so didn't have to stop any any drink stations till mile 17. After this distance I could longer keep up pace uphill and started walking to conserve energy, running only on downhill and on flat stretches. Mile by mile I progressed and by mile 20 I knew that a sub 4 finish was out of the question. I kept pushing myself and took inspiration from other runners around me. The final few miles were run through the Golden Gate park, which was truly enriching. Golden Gate park was more like woods and running through the woods is always a feel good factor, the tall trees around you, the cool shade and the lush greenery around you. This makes running a truly awesome experience.

At mile 23 I started hitting the wall and resorted to a much slower running pace, alternating running with walking. Finally after 4:18:15 hrs I crossed the finish line, a sense of joy running through my body and mind. I also received the finisher's medal and the very size of it made my day. It was one damn big piece of metal and I was so proud to achieve it. All these months of training had finally paid off, another marathon was run, another course was experienced and another place was explored. After receiving the medal I collected my refreshments and went back to the parking lot where my friend was waiting for me. I could still feel my legs and knew that I had a strong finish. My friend congratulated me and we drove back home.

The sub 4 finish still eludes me but people told me that 4:18:15 was a very good timing for a hilly course such as SF.

My 3rd marathon- Paris, 15 April 2012

Its been almost a month since I ran my marathon at Paris- The City of Light and have been dying to do a write up for it but just kept procrastinating it. Damn me, other jobs always took over priority. But today I decided come what may I definitely write my experience at Paris.

This was the 3rd marathon in which I have participated, the first and second being Barcelona and Berlin respectively. Let me begin how I decided to run at Paris. After the Berlin marathon in 2011 I was quite excited with my timing and was looking forward towards another exciting challenge and thats when I though about why not run at Paris. By the time I had made up my mind I was quite late for registering, all the early bird registration slots were filled up so I had to pay a whomping 95 Euro registration fee to participate in it. I had the option of registering for either Vienna or Rotterdam (which would have costed me less) but I though I must run at Paris first. So thats where the journey began, I registered myself and prepared a training plan for crack Paris under 4 hours. Let me remind you this is one of the most popular marathons in continental Europe after Berlin, the registrations were closed down 5 months prior to the D day. So just imagine how prestigious this event is. 

I started way back in November 2011 with my training. I did not use any specific training plans from the popular running website but just made my own on the Excel sheet and stuck to it.  This time I incorporated two new items in my training, one was 'Speed Training' with 3 min of fast run followed by 1 min of slow run or trot and then again 3 min of fast run with repetitions of 7 to 10 times. This gave me additional speed during my long distance runs because I slowly trained my body to run fast. Unless you tell your body and make it accustomed to running at an elevated pace it will not get used to it. The second one was I did 'swimming' for cross training as well besides biking. The reason for that is swimming provides necessary exercise for the upper part of the body and also is good exercise during winter months when biking might not be that comfortable.

Mind you its always tough training during winter. I have two good reasons for that (my personal view), first when the atmospheric temperature is below 5 degC the body is not comfortable with it and feels lazy and secondly lack of sufficient sunlight can be demotivating. But as the saying goes "where there is a will there is a way". I kept the ultimate goal in my mind and self motivated myself to train in this cold. If one has to be fit and fine during the beautiful spring season then one must train during the winter and thats what I precisely did. 

So days passed by and I looked in good shape , achieving all my training goals 90% of the time. Ofcourse there were times when I skipped a run because I was too tired. Always remember 'Listen to your body first' never over work it. Another motivating factor was the weekly emails from the organizers giving valuable tips and advice and also the  some of the great achievements made by my fellow runners back in my city- Chennai. I am silent reader of the Chennai Runners group and have taken valuable tips from the greats like Ram Vishwanathan, Navin, Shankar and Bala.

I booked my tickets for Paris two months in advance and ofcourse by bus. Eurolines offers the cheapest means to reach Paris, the to & fro ticket costing me just 25 Euros. The accommodation was a problem though. All good hostels were very expensive for a single person, rates starting from 25 Euros a night and going till even 50 Euros a night but thats when my good Dutch friend Eva suggested that I stay at "Ausberg Internatinal des Junes", a nice and cozy hostel with cheap rates (just 19 Euros a night). 

So I left for Paris on 13 April, my birthday with well wishes from my mom and brother. My dad never cared that I was running a marathon, he was more interested in me finding a job or something as quickly as possible. But my mom always supported me for my runs and I wanted to dedicate this marathon to her as  mark of gratitude for all that she has done for me through these years and being there for me whenever I am feeling low. THIS ONE WAS FOR YOU MOM :)

I reached Paris at 21:00 hrs the same day and reached my hostel safe and sound. The bus was two hours late in reaching Paris. I checked into the hostel, a 3 bedroom hall which I found empty when I checked in. I was quite thrilled at that and thought I can relax at peace until someone else knocked on the door at 24:00 hrs.I thought OMG but anyways I didn't care much. There were 3 beds in total, out of which two were on top of each other like the dorms and the other one was single. Since I came first to the room I chose the single one but found it quite uncomfortable and later switched to the upper bed the next day. Thank God the third person had not come that night.

The next morning I left for Port de Versailles, thats where the marathon expo was being held and I collected the formalities of collecting my running number. I was keen on buying new shoes so I also did a feet scan at the ASICS stall and purchased new running shoes, The GEL NIMBUS series. Trust me they are amazing quite light, 300 grams and superb. Aaah I almost forgot, one tip for all your runners may be you already know it. Always try to make it to the marathon expo as early as possible for eg if they open at 9 be there at 9:15 or maximum by 10. Thats when it will be least crowded and you can get easy access to all the free stuff and do not have to wait in long queues. There was a serpentine queue at 13:00 hrs when I left the expo.

I purchased my new shoes and also a running short, typical Paris marathon merchandise and left the expo happily. 

I went back to the hostel, took some rest and then went out in the evening to have some snacks and then check how long does it take to reach the starting point from my place. It took me exactly 30 min and then another 10 min to walk down to the area where I had to deposit my bags. That set I headed back to my room and got pasts packed up on the way for my dinner. I hit the sack early enough so that I could get sufficient sleep but there was a twist in that. As the room has only one key I had to endure the disturbance of the second guy knocking on the door and later at 1:00 am a third guy spoiled my sleep. That was the most frustrating part of the accommodation. Anyways I managed some good quality sleep and got up at 6:30 in the morning and got myself into my running gear. Everything in my running gear was pre-set the previous night itself.

I reached the starting point Champs Elysee and deposited my bag at Foch Avenue and then joined the crowd to the starting point. The sight of so many amazing people around me inspired me. OMG there was a sea of runners around you and may be thats why Paris is one of the biggest in Europe. The mood, the atmosphere, the crowd, the cheering everything was excellent. My block started off 30 min later after the professionals made their start. This is generally done to ensure smooth flow of runners else there will definitely be a stampede and someone  might get seriously injured and thats the last thing the marathon organizers will ever want. 

I started off with my run quite well, keeping the pace that would take to the finish line under 4 hours. Mind you there was constant cheering all around but I wish I had some of my friends or family out there shouting "Go Viku" you can do it, but never mind I always self motivate myself. The first half of the route was quite amazing and the second half even better. The second half took us through the banks of river Sienne, and Eiffel tower and finally to the finish as Foch Avenue. I was on track for a sub 4 finish until 32 Kms but after that tiredness started kicking in. I kept pushing myself but could not be on track for a sub 4 finish after 35 Kms. Then I resorted to alternate walk and run to finish the whole distance.

It took me 4:10:34 according to my watch but the official time was 4:13:08 hrs. Never mind that I still bettered myself by 21 minutes from my previous best at Berlin so I was happy but the sub 4 finish still eludes me.

I got my finishers medal and finishers T'shirt and collected my bag and left back for my room on the wonderful Paris metro. Paris was a great place to run and I am extremely happy that I did and completed it successfully.

PS: I most often keep some runner as my tracker who is faster than me so that I can follow them till the finish and most often I choose a girl coz I feel I get motivated even more and get more energy pumping in.

My second marathon- Berlin 2011

25 Sept 2011- date of Berlin marathon

Well its quite late that I am writing about my second marathon but as the saying goes "better late than never". Well it all started with Anand Teke informing me about the Berlin marathon last year in October and suggested that we do the run together. I was quite thrilled at the idea and quickly jumped into it, registering as soon as I can, paying the early bid registration fee of 66 euros. So I had actually planned for my second marathon almost a year in advance.

I started training for Berlin in April, combining cross training (mainly cycling and football) with my weekly runs. My aim was to finish Berlin in 4:30 hrs, at least thats what I had indicated when I registered for it last November (in 2010). So I started training hard, not loading myself with much coursework during my 4th quarter.

In July I went back to Chennai for my summer vacation (for those who are reading it, I am pursuing my masters at TU Delft, The Netherlands) and had a good time there. But the thing is the roads are so not pedestrian friendly that one has to be on the constant lookout for any vehicle, for not getting hit. I booked my bus tickets quite early and got a cheap deal for 42 euros to & fro from Den Hague. Then I also booked my accommodation, a hostel quite close to the starting point. At this moment Anand said that he would not be joining me as he had stopped training for it. I was disappointed because the fun and excitement of running with someone else, together in a big event like this is quite special. Anyways I carried forward.

So on the 23rd of September, the Friday I left for Berlin from Den Hague, boarding the bus at 19:00 hrs. The journey was quite comfortable and as soon as the bus crossed the German border we were held up for passport checks by the German Police. I guess this is a routine check by the police. Anyways didn't matter. The bus dropped me at the central bus station near Kaiserdam subway at 6:00 am on 24th Sept. I had already informed the hostel guys that I would be arriving at 8:00 in the morning and the directions provided by 'Hostel world.com' to reach that hostel were perfect. I have always received excellent service from hostelworld.com. So I arrived, checked in my baggages, had a shower, ate breakfast and set out for the marathon expo. I did the routine of collecting the bib number, pins to attach the bib number to my running shirt. I also purchased a new running jacket to help me out for the cold Dutch winter and also a pair of full length dry fit running slacks. The best part was I was clicking photos in front of a apparel stall and the guy called me in and gave me a 25 euro t-shirt absolutely free. I was thrilled, thanked him from the bottom of my heart and thought 'that was one lucky moment'. I loaded myself with a cheese pineapple sandwich and a veggie pizza for lunch.

Then I got back to the hostel, took some rest and went out in the evening to check how far is the starting point, how should I get there etc etc. The starting point was quite close, just one station away from the place where I was staying. When I got there in the evening I saw many runners like me exploring the area, taking in the marathon atmosphere. I walked around Tiergarten and also Brandenburg gate, had a couple of strawberry waffles then proceeded to a pure vegetarian Chinese restaurant named 'Samadhi' to have my dinner. I must admit vegetarian Chinese food is excellent I really loved it.

The next day was the D day. I got up by 7 in the morning, did my daily business, had a good breakfast, muesli, bread with peanut butter and also milk. I had already set aside my running dress, my running belt, loaded with isotonic drink, chocolates and biscuits. I then proceeded to the starting point, taking the morning subway train, accompanying many of the runners. I was little confused as to where to leave my bag but the organization was good and eventually I found the stall to leave my bag. I then proceeded to the starting point, excitement kicking in, the thrill of running my first of the BIG FIVE marathons in the world. Before the start there were hot girls on top of erected stages doing warm ups, urging the sea of runners to get into the rhythm with them. That was definitely a motivation INDEED.

I was in starting block H and started after a gap of 20 min or so after the elite runners started. I had previously done two long distances during my training sessions so I exactly knew how much time I would be crossing each kilometer. I comfortable crossed the 10K mark in 58:43, the half way mark in 2:04 hrs. I even crossed the 35 K in 3:38:52, three minutes ahead of what I had done in my training. So I thought I was definitely in for a 4:10 finish, quite ambitious. But then fatigue kicked in and then I crossed the finish line in 4:34:40 hrs.

I was skeptical if I had stepped on the mat kept at 40 K distance was was worried if I would be qualified as a finisher but eventually I had stepped and that got confirmed when I received my finish time and position via SMS late that evening. I had also subscribed for the SMS service that would send my running details to my parents back home so that they don't worry if I had completed successfully or not.

After the race I was still feeling fresh, legs okay unlike my first marathon where my quads and hamstrings were completely fatigued. I got back to the hostel took complete rest till about 5 in the evening and then proceeded to the Marathon Party at a Hotel, whose name I forgot but it was situated in the area where most of the embassies were located. I took another guy who was staying with me in the same hostel, his name was Joshua and he had come to Berlin to do his internship at the American Embassy. Guess what at the marathon party we actually got to see the first three elite runners in both the mens and the womens category. I got to see Paula Radcliffe the elite British runner and the current marathon world record holder Patrick Makau. Unfortunately I was standing quite far away from them and could get my Berlin medla signed by them by nonetheless it was indeed once in a life time opportunity and I was grateful to GOD for giving me the strength to complete my own run, achieving my personal best and shaving a nest 30 minutes from my first marathon and also to be a part of Berlin where the current record for the marathon in the mens category is set.

It was an unforgettable experience and a wonderful one too.   

I am a marathoner

Marato de Barcelona (6 Mar 2011)

Well after completing 8 half marathons (including the recent Amsterdam half marathon) so far I felt I have to progress to the next level to test my physical endurance- to participate in a full marathon. The leaflets kept inside the envelope that I had received as part of my registration for the Amsterdam half marathon had one particular leaflet on the Barcelona marathon 2011 and that particular one caught my eye.

It was then that I decided that I will definitely run the Barcelona marathon in March 2011, mainly for two reasons. The first one being it was scheduled on a perfect day 6 Mar 2011 and that meant no exams, and other stuff coming my way and the second one being that the Barcelona is a lovely city to visit. I began my four month training program starting from November 2010 until February 2011 for this particular event.

The whole training program was a wonderful journey. The excitement and the desire to run 42.2 kms or 26.2 miles kept getting stronger day by day. The months of December and January were particularly tough as afar as training was concerned. This is because it was snowing heavily during these two months, not the ideal weather to just go out and practice your run. But I was determined, I had to get my weekly mileage so that my body gets tuned to the arduous long distance journey. I did not have the wind cheater jackets nor the skin tight full length track pants as the regular Dutch runners in Delft. So what did I do? I just wore three layers of clothing on top and pulled on my half running trousers and dashed out in the snow to do my weekly runs. I had spent my Christmas vacation, a full 11 days travelling across Paris and Switzerland and even during these times I made sure I had my running gear with me. I just could not afford to miss two weeks without doing my runs. Crazy isn't it? Thats what I am 'A Crazy Road Runner'.

Now there was slight twist in the story in the month of January, after completing one of my practice runs in the evening I had slight pain in my right knee. I just ignored it thinking that it just a muscle strain but it kept getting worse until I had to abandon my practice for a whole week in January. Complete rest was essential if I had to run in Barcelona. I experienced pain whenever I got down from the staircase, things were not looking well and I panicked. I feared that I might not be able to run in Barcelona and was also calculating the monetary loss that I would incur if I can't make the trip- The flights to and fro were booked, hostel accommodation reserved and other miscellaneous stuff confirmed. But by God's grace and some medication and stretching techniques my knee pain subsided a little, I could run once again but was averaging at a pace way below my normal speed. My normal speed is 6.2 mph but I was able to hover around 5.6 mph. So I though some running is better than no running. I kept practicing, running slowly and making sure not to strain my right knee.

Finally in the month of February I learnt some knee and lower back strengthening exercises. This helped me a lot in getting back on track with my usual running pace. I was convinced that I can complete the marathon in good condition but just to confirm my confidence I had to make sure that I had the stamina and the strength. So on the 20 Feb 2011 I did a 35 Km practice run and my dear friend Ershad played a major role in it. He was kind enough to carry all my bottles and other foodstuff and patrol me on his bike for the entire duration. I really owe him a lot for his kind hearted gesture.

So I finally departed for Barcelona on the 4 Mar 2011, taking the direct flight from Amsterdam-Schipol to Barcelona-El Prat. The plane landed safely and I comfortably made my way to the hostel. The next morning I woke up, had my breakfast and walked down the street to the 'marathon expo' from where I got my BIB (running) number and the runners goodie bag. There was a pasta party exclusively for the runners, to pump in some carbs into us so that we all run the marathon in good condition. I just roamed around the city in the evening and enjoyed the carnival that was happening that evening.

Finally the D day approached. I woke up at 6:00 hrs brushed my teeth, washed myself and changed into my running gear. I packed all my stuff and kept it in the luggage room of my hostel and walked down the road toward the starting point. There was a sea of runners pouring in from all directions to converge at the starting point 'Placa Esapanya'. I felt great and excited that I was finally going to do my maiden full marathon. The whistle was blown and the elite runners kicked off in the blazing speed. I was positioned in the four hour plus runners category so I crossed the starting line 10 minutes after the official start time. I kept treading along with my usual pace, enjoying the city also. The route was almost flat and covered almost the entire city. The marathon organizing committee had done a wonderful job, water stations, fruit points, sponge points all were perfectly organized. I had no worries about nutrition and drinks along my way, they were in plenty. After the 30 km mark I slowed down a little. It was more of a mental game now rather than the physical one. My body was strong enough to got he distance but my mind was plying games. But I had trained for that too I kept my composure and took one mile at a time after mile 19. Finally I reached the finish line in a time of 5 hours 4 minutes and 4 seconds (5:04:04). Wow that was amazing I had actually completed my maiden full marathon, there were tears of joy in my eyes. I had actually run 42.2 Kms, Oh My GOD!!

After the run I went back to my hostel, had my shower and headed back to the airport to travel back to Amsterdam and to Delft from there. Oh man, this was one wonderful experience I will never forget.

Amsterdam Marathon 2010

Well, I made my decision to run my first international run exactly one month back and I registered for the Amsterdam half marathon on 18 Sept 2010 (just 1 day before the closing date). Right from the day when I had registered I was quite thrilled and was waiting anxiously for the D day.

On sunday 17 Oct 2010 myself, my roomies (two Chinese students) and another classmate of mine boarded the train to Amsterdam from Delft. They were coming all the way to Amsterdam to cheer for me and I really appreciate that. We boarded the train at 9:03 from Delft and then reached Amsterdam Zuid at 10:45. I must admit the train service in The Netherlands is simply amazing.

We then navigated our way from the station to Sporthallen Zuid, this was the place where the marathon expo was being held and also the place where the running bibs were being distributed. I collected my running number from the designated counter and asked for the 'goodie bag'. But the lady at the counter couldn't understand the meaning of 'goodie bag', she thought it was some kind of brand. Then I explained that usually a bag with lots of stuff is distributed whenever a marathon is conducted but it seems Amsterdam Marathon doesn't give out any stuff like this. May be this is one of the reasons it is still rated 'Silver Class' by the IAAF.

I had about 2 hours left before the start of the run. Thankfully it was a cold and sunny day and the Sun God was merciful in showing his face all day long. I changed my clothes and had a quick meal (bread+biscuits+banana). We then proceeded towards the 'STARTVAK' the dutch term for starting point. I handed over my bags and belongings to my friends and did my warm up session. This is the first time I was running a half marathon in the afternoon. The runners were divided into 4-5 packs and I was in the last pack. The time was 13:30 and our pack still had not started, I was getting a bit anxious. Finally our pack was flagged off at 13:45. I waved to my friends and started on a positive note.

The route was superb and the climate excellent. But at many places the route was quite narrow and the runners had to squeeze through or slow down so that they don't bump into one another. I had set my mind for a finish under 2 hours but the last three miles were tough. I had to slow down my pace in the end. Usually when one doesn't have any friends taking part in the run he/she sets another runner as his/her target and then follows/overtakes the target. In my case I had set my target on a girl, who was pretty good. It soon became like a cat and mouse game. I overtaking her and then she overtaking me then again I overtook her only to find that she was just behind my heels and overtook me after the tenth mile. I couldn't catch up with her after 10 miles.

I finally reached the olympic stadium, this is where the finish point was and completed my run with a net timing of 2:08:26 hrs. Oh man, I was at the olympic stadium and that was a wonderful feeling, may be once in a life time opportunity. I received my finisher's medal and was looking out for my friends but couldn't find them. I joined them back at the same place from where I had collected my running number. They were happy for me that i finished the run successfully.

RUNNING NUMBER: 31321

NET FINISH TIME: 2:08:26

THIS IS MY 8TH HALF MARATHON AND MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL ONE.

My First Trail Marathon- AUROVILLE 2010 14 Feb- #7 for me

I am a crazy guy whose passion is running and this passion took me all the way to Auroville (near Pondicherry) on the 14 of Feb 2010. Whoa what a way to spend the Valentines Day running around the forests of Auroville.

I was in Alwar till 5 Feb 2010 and thanked God for giving me some time to practice before the D day. But as luck would have it I was asked to pack my bags to Alwar again on 9 Feb. I thought Oh My God, I am going to miss this nice wonderful run. But I believed in myself and knew that God wouldn't let me down. I back on 11 Feb 23:45. I did some stretching exercises on 12 Feb and did a mild 2Km run 13 Feb.

Thanks to Shameek, one of the Chennai Runners who offered me a seat in his car for this 3 hour journey to Auroville. There were totally four of us in the car- myself, Shameek, Puro and Bharani. Myself and Shameek were doing the half marathon (21.097Km) and Puro& Bharani were doing their maiden full marathon (42.195Km).

The journey from Chennai to Auroville was a pleasant one, we covered the whole distance in about 3 hrs. Shameek had got all sorts of snacks that one usually doesn't munch on before a big run such as this. But we thought ' Chalta Hai' and also we were hungry.

Bharani is an amateur cyclist, slowly moving towards professional cycling. As myself and Bharani were sitting behind the driver's seat and the journey was going to take us close to 3 hrs we started chatting about cycling. I got some info on cycling, what sort of cycle to but, what apparel to wear for long distance cycling etc etc.

Finally we reached Auroville around 14:30 hrs and went straight to Visitor's Centre, the place where they were distributing BIB numbers. We got our BIB numbers and dinner tokens and left to find our respective dorms. 

The full marathon runners were put up in a hostel called Mitra, which was located quite close say about 2Km from the Starting point. We had no problems in finding it. Unfortunately the Half marathon runners from Chennai were put up in dorm called DANCE HALL. It was funny that no one in Auroville had ever heard about such a hall. We spent nearly 3 hrs finding our dorm. The name of the dorm was actually " New Creation Corner" near Basket Ball court. We were informed of this change after nearly 2 hrs of searching. Once we found our dorm we wanted to have some food as we did not have our lunch but no restaurant in Auroville was serving food (by food I mean rice, roti and solid stuff) at that particular hour. We were tired, hungry and frustrated. Bharani grabbed a packet fo masala biscuits form a bakery and all of us munched on this.

Finally we found a place called Georgio's Pizzeria and the good news was they were serving food. WOW we thought what a relief ! There was this old Japanese lady or may be of some other country but definitely of a Mongolian race. She was so sweet, she took down our orders and suggested which food would give us the strength to complete our runs successfully tomorrow. Myself and Puro had Spinach Pasta, Shameek had some other pasta with eggs, Bharani had the pasta with mushroom sauce.

After having our food at Georgio's we headed back to Visitor's Centre where we had our dinner again. Guess what Pasta again and salad. We retired to our respective dorms and prepared ourselves for the run tomorrow.

The full marathon runners had their run starting at 5:00 am, we- the half marathon guys had our run start at 6:00 am. It was cool in the morning and the run through the forest was amazing. The route being through forests was a little tough for me and I could not maintain a constant pace. This was because you had to be extra careful while negotiating your course else you would end up twisting your ankle or knee. In spite of that I tripped on a root of a tree around the 8 Km mark and went crashing to the ground. Thankfully nothing much happened but I ended up tearing my BIB from my shirt.

My goal was to complete the run in 2:06:00 hrs but this being my first trail run i completed it in 2:25:40 hrs. I was quite happy about the run and the friendly atmosphere at Auroville but a little disappointed with my timing. The Auroville run was superbly organized, hats off to all the members of the organizing committee. Each and every detail was taken care of with utmost care by the organizing team and it was really an enriching experience.

We had our breakfast after the run and got our t' shirts as compliments. Shameek finished with a timing of 2:07:31. I felt sorry for him. This chap was going to complete the run under 2hrs but just 300mts before the finish line he got cramps and went crashing to the ground. Saravanan was running with him and so kind of him that he helped Shameek back to his feet without thinking about his own timing. It is this attitude that sets apart runners from the rest of the crowd. We care for fellow runners without giving any second thoughts.

Puro and Bharani completed their full marathon in 4:21 and 4:29 hrs respectively. Kudos to these guys for a stupendous performance on their first maiden full marathon.

There were cyclists (mostly foreigners) keeping track of the runners, helping them out and encouraging them during the course of the run. The best part of Auroville run is that you get a nice massage after the run by wondeful ladies and this kind of soothes the pain out of your legs. I didn't go for it because I didn't experience any sort of pain in my legs and also I was feeling a bit awkward for a foreigner to massage my feet and legs. But damn I missed it. Anyways Auroville 2010 was a wonderful experience.

Mumbai Half Marathon- My 6th half marathon

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was conducted on 17 Jan 2010 and this was the 7th edition of the premier event. Let me tell you why running in Mumbai is special. First of all you need to register way back in July of the previous year because the competition is tough and number of participants overwhelming. Secondly the Mumbai Marathon is given Gold status by AIMS.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23092968

This was my first Mumbai Half marathon and #6 overall. I had booked my tickets in advance with Jet Airways and was all set for Mumbai 2010. I took the 7:15 flight on 16 Jan 2010 from Chennai and reached Mumbai at around 9:00 hrs. There were two surprises instore for me. First I met my colleague from Strategic Sourcing on the same flight. He was going to Mumbai for an official trip. Secondly I met a girl ( Archana ) from computer science dept from my college,my batch. I was 100% sure it was her but I didn't have the guts to talk to her because even though I was staring at her for quite some time, waiting for some reaction she didn't seem to recognize me.

I had a quick breakfast with my colleague at the airport premises and left for my uncle's house in Matunga. Now Matunga comes under greater Bombay and autos are banned inside Greater Bombay. My colleague dropped me till Kurla Gardens, from there I took an auto till Scion and hired a cab from there to Matunga Central. My aunt and uncle gave me a warm welcome and made me quite comfortable, making me feel at home. They after making sure that I was comfortable went off to office and I spent the rest of the time till lunch with their younger 8 year old daughter Aayushi.

We had excellent lunch, rotis and undiyo, dal and a sweetdish whose name I do not remember. I really liked the undiyo as it was very very tasty and makes for an excellent side-dish with rotis. After lunch my uncle took me to Cuffe Parade, where I collected my BIB no. 11182 and the goodie bag. My uncle wanted to make sure that I had the best time in Bombay and went of the way in ensuring that. He took me to Leopold's cafe. Does this cafe sound familiar? This was one of the places where the terrorists open fired on 26 Nov 2008, killing many innocent lives. I saw the bullet marks on the granite wall as well as on the glass windows. After having a drink at Leopold's cafe we went for '3 idiots' the most successful film in the history of Bollywood cinema so far. We returned home by 22:30 hrs, had dinner and went off to sleep.

It was the D day. I woke up at 5:00 and geared myself for the run. I had set a target of 2:11 hrs to crack the 21.09Km distance. My uncle made sure that Raju stayed overnight just for my sake and drop me in the morning till the starting point. I warmed up,doing my usual stretching exercises and waited patiently for the flag off. The route was amazing; part of it was on the newly built Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link. The sad part was there was no water points on the sea link and many of the runners were struggling because of that.

I did a nonstop run till 8km after which I coupled walking and running till the finish. I was motivated by the enthusiasm and excitement of the Mumbai crowd. The toughest part of the route was the Peddar Road stretch where the road is narrow and quite steep. But the cheering crowd kept the runners going. People went the extra step of providing refreshments for runners and this is something unique you can find only in Mumbai. Cheers to Mumbai on this aspect.

I completed my run in 2:24:39, this was my official timing. I was quite pleased with my performance and thanked God for giving me both the mental as well as the physical strength to complete the run.

After the run I took a train from Marine Lines uptil Matunga Road and from there a taxi till Matunga Central. As I didn't carry my cellphone with me my aunt and uncle were worried when I took a long time to return home. It was my mistake; I should have called them from some other mobile. But anyways I was treated by my aunt's garam parathas with an extra dash of butter. I enjoyed my meal and went off to sleep. After that I went on see my friends at SP Jain. I met Anoop, my high school classmate and spent about one and half hours with him before departing for Chennai. On the whole I had a great run.

Delhi Half Marathon (1 Nov 2009)

The joy of completing a long distance run is unique in its own way and the satisfaction that a runner gets after finishing the run is quite exotic. I am an established amateur half marathon runner and successfully completed my fifth half marathon recently by running the Delhi Half Marathon 2009.

I trained myself on 30 Oct 2009 by doing a 9 mile jog before leaving for Delhi the next day. In the process I stretched a few ligaments on my left knee and was experiencing some pain. I consulted my family doctor and he recommended a couple of pain killers and advised me not to run but seeing my determination and the eagerness to take part he told me to wear a knee cap while running. I had those pain killers the same night and felt a little better. I was determined to run the Delhi Half and there was no looking back at this point.

I packed my stuff the previous night and departed for Delhi the next day (31 Oct 2009) by the morning 7:40 SpiceJet flight. I had company on the same flight, a fellow Chennai runner ( Purushotam) was also taking part in the Delhi Half Marathon. He reserved a seat next to his,messaging me the details of the seat number and asking me to get the same seat. The flight took off on time and I relaxed myself completely during the journey. We landed at the IGI Delhi airport by 10:30 and drove off straight away along with Purushotam's friend (a veteran runner)to the DLF mall, where they were distributing BIB numbers and goodie bags.

All of us collected our stuff and on our way back we met Shankar and Narayan,two more runners from Chennai who had come to take part in the event. I greeted them,wished them luck for the run and left for my cousin sister's place at CR Park. I must tell you that CR Park is one of the posh areas in South Delhi and is predominantly a Bong (Bengali) place. CR Park hosts the biggest and the best 'Durga Puja' every year in Delhi.

I made sure that I took complete care of my leg on Saturday,having those pain killers as advised by my doc and massaging my knee gently. My brother in law,Sarath and my cousin sister both had also registered for the run by my cousin sister backed out in the last minute because of some personal commitments. They have a neighbour whom they called Bhutia and he was also to take part in the run. I had my early dinner and went off to bed early.

The D day finally arrived and we (myself , Sarath and Bhutia) got dropped at the start point by Bhutia's dad. This was even better because we didn't have to scout for an auto in the wee morning hours.We purposefully got off the car one Km ahead of the start line and did some warm up exercises. There was a huge crowd at GATE no. 4,the gate via which we had to get to the start point. By the time I started my run the digital clock was showing a time of 7:34:10. I began my race slow and steady,making sure that I do not stress my left knee too much.

By the time I completed 4 miles the Ethiopians and the Kenyans were on their way back,having completed 14 Km. I was simply stunned by their pace and kept wondering as to how do they maintain the same pace throughout the complete run. These guys are SIMPLY AMAZING! The climate was cold and pleasant,ideal conditions  for running and I did a 5.45 miles at one go before slowing down to a walk. I could do this because I was running with a lot a people and  the motivation to beat my own timing inspired me even more. It was good to see a lot of people take part in the run and the all the more there were more women running the half marathon.

My knee ached at times but my will to complete the race kept me going. My inner mind was constantly reminding me that I can do it and there should be no giving up now. I set myself little time-distance targets and tried to keep up with it but I could not abide by it 100%. I completed my entire run in 2:40:44 hrs and was quite thrilled by my accomplishment. My main goal was to finish the race well within the stipulated time limit and at the same time not straining my knee too much. I thank God for giving me the strength to complete the race.

The race was well organized and there were water stations at every 2 km so there was no paucity of fluids. It seems Sharukh Khan had come for the Great Delhi Run (which is a 7Km run) but I did not get a chance to see him. Shit man! missed the best opportunity to see him. My brother in law completed the race in 2:19:41 hrs. After the race we received our finisher's medal and walked out of the place to get back home. The funny part was we didn't get an auto for almost an hour, we were tired and the sight of seeing autos streaming past us with passengers in it added to our frustration. At last a noble man gave us a lift till Khan market and we got an auto from there. My cousin sister greeted us when we got back home and served us hot 'Peserette Dosas' for breakfast.

Chennai Half Marathon (27 Sep 2009)

My home town Chennai organized its second half marathon last Sunday (27 Sep 2009) and I am proud to have run for Chennai. I am regular runner,doing a 10K or 12K on weekends. I was quite excited about running in the second edition of the Chennai Half Marathon because it is my city. This was my 4th official half marathon. This year the event required each and every participant running the half marathon to undergo a medical test,to test their capability to run such a long distance. This was because last year's event witnessed a couple of unfortunate deaths,participants pushing themselves beyond their capabilities and subsequently succumbing to exhaustion.

The BIB no. assigned to me was 4109 and decided to wear the new outfit,which I purchased last week from ADIDAS. I must say the new outfit was pretty cool and comfortable. I had a light dinner the previous night ( soup and oat meal ). My mom decided to drop me in the morning and also decided to stay there till I finished my race. We started at 5:10 from home and reached the starting point by 5:25. I did my usual warm up exercises and prepared to get going. I met my fellow Chennai Runners and it was really a boost to see them all. This cheered me even more.

The event was flagged off by Mrs. Kanimozhi (MLA) and I started my run in the usual relaxed manner. This year the event was organized in a better way. I carried my own 500ml bottle though water stations were available throughout the route. I completed the 12K mark in 1:23:00 hrs, wanting to finish the entire distance within 2:15:00 but I clocked 2:40:06. I didn't want to strain myself too hard and end up hurting myself. It was quite a journey and I  am pleased that I completed it successfully.

As it rained the other night the climate was cool and pleasant. This year many people came down from their homes to cheer the runners on the street. This was very encouraging and it gave me an added incentive to push harder towards the goal. One thing I noticed was the water bottles handed over at the water stations were too big and people were wasting water. It would have been good if smaller bottles were provided or water provided in paper cups. The latter option would have been wiser because firstly you don't waste water and secondly you don't degrade the environment with plastics. Anways kudos to all the volunteers and organizers to have conducted such a wonderful event and I look forward to the Chennai Marathon getting bigger and bigger every year.

HAPPY RUNNING

Hyderabad half marathon (30 Aug 2009)

My passion for running has been growing over time and I take immense pleasure in covering long distances. I also got a GARMIN 305 about 4 months back with which I can check the distance covered,calories burnt,the speed of my run etc. It has also got a load of features which I still haven't explored. The best part is its got a GPS and works absolutely fine. The Hyderabad half marathon was to be held on 30th of Aug and I was quite excited about it. A consortium of about 20 runners from Chennai were going all the way to Hyderabad to take part in this special event.

I had booked my flight to Hyderabad on 29th Aug and was travelling with a fellow runner on the same Spicejet flight. Travelling alone is boring,though some might not agree. The flight took off on time,covering the stipulated distance in precisely 1 hour and 5 min. The Hyderabad airport is just awesome,the infrastructure is just too good. We took a taxi from the airport to Gachibowli,travelling along the new express way and reaching Gachibowli in about an hour.The runners from Chennai and Bangalore had asked for accommodation and we were all accommodated in the Gachibowli stadium dorms.

I had my breakfast that morning and was hungry by the time it was 13:00 hrs. We were also to collect our bib numbers from KBR park,which was the starting point of the race. But one of the organizing team member was kind enough to note down our order numbers and get the bib numbers and t'shirts delivered to our dorms. We had to kill time so we all went to Lingampally in a share auto and ended up watching a Telugu movie, "Magadheera". The movie was ok,the usual masala stuff and I must confess this was the first movie I have watched without knowing the language,trying to work out the story with my imagination and figuring out what the characters in the movie were conversing.

After the movie we had a quick and early dinner,bought some bananas,bread and crocin and got back to our dorms. We were told the bus would be here at 4:30am the next day to pick us up. I had a quick shower,ate a banana and went to bed early.

The D day arrived, I woke up from the sound of my cell-phone alarm,which sings "You've got to pick it up,oh yeah...",brushed my teeth,washed my face and got ready for the half marathon stint. This being my third half marathon I was quite thrilled and excited. My body was tuned to long distance running so I did not have to worry about cramps and back pain.

The half marathon started off at 5:30 and I started off with a slow pace. I had set a time target of 2:17:00 hrs to complete the 21.1 km run. The half marathon path had many ups and downs so the race was quite tiring. Having more stamina and endurance was the key to complete the race successfully. I did the first 6 km with ease before I stopped and started to walk,gulping down a little water to keep myself hydrated. The number of people taking part in the running event like this was huge, and I kept motivating myself that I have to overtake one person after another to complete my race. I completed half of the race in about 1:08:00 hrs and this was a pretty cool timing as far as I'm concerned.

Traffic was stopped on one side of the road for this event. Thanks to the Hyderabad traffic police for their wonderful support. As I was nearing the finish line I increased my tempo and pace, reaching an amazing max speed of 7.3mph. I entered the stadium premises with about 1.5 km to complete. I went round the stadium and entered the stadium via the second gate and completed my race in an impressive 2:39:44 hrs. I was cheered as I entered the stadium and was given a medal for completing the race successfully. I felt elated about what I had achieved and thanked God for his support in giving me the physical and mental stamina to complete the race.

Last but not the least I would like to thank the organizing team of the Hyderabad 10K foundation for having organized the event beautifully. Kudos to them for doing a wonderful job. I would like to thank Ganesh and his wife in particular for their wonderful support and the care which they took of us during our stay at Hyderabad.

"Keep running for a healthy body and soul"

My 20Km run down the ECR (26 July 2009)

The 'Chennai Runners' organize 'The ECR' run every year sometime around July or August. This time a couple of people from my office (regular runners) got interested and roped me in too to participate. I was excited and gave my name for the 20Km category. I am regular runner(mostly long distance running) and doing a 20Km won't be cumbersome task for me. Of late I have been regularly doing 5km and 10 Km runs,building up my stamina and strength for the big ones like these. Just before the D day three people out of five back out and only myself and Mr. Saravanan (Special Director,Ashok Leyland) are left. The information bulletin sent by 'The Chennai Runners' said the run would start and end at MGM beach resorts. Quite excited about the ECR run I quickly do a google map search to get directions to MGM,not that I didn't know but just wanted to confirm that I don't miss it during my drive the next morning.

The D day finally arrived,I woke up at 3:30 am,freshened myself,packed water bottles and lime juice in my car and hit down the road by 4:00,driving at a leisure pace. This is the first time that I have done my running so early; normally I for a jog only at 6:30. Before jumping into my car I put on my GARMIN forerunner 305 and switch it on. The GPS in this watch is pretty cool,and its an excellent companion for training purposes. I drive past VGP golden beach,green coconut and many other restaurants before reaching the starting point (MGM beach resorts). I was there by 4:50 and collected my bib number which was 119. I take out my t-shirt ad pin the bib number carefully onto it,making sure that I don't prick myself in the process. The organizers set out with water packs and isotonic drinks to their respective places down the ECR to cater to the needs of the participants.

I do my usual warm up exercises,stretching my limbs and body, little bit of squats and knee bends. I tie my long kerchief across my forehead to prevent sweat from dripping on my face and also to make myself look cool. At 5:00 am sharp the 25Km & 30Km participants kicked off with their race, the others cheering and wishing them good luck. My run started a 5:30 and there were about 25 people totally taking part in it. I set my watch for the 12.42 miles so that I can keep track of how much distance I have covered and how much is left. I slowly begin my jog, the rest of the pack surging ahead,leaving myself and a couple of others behind. I knew that the 20 km would be a tough one to complete and that conserving as much energy as possible was vital so that I am not completely drained at the end of the run. At 2.5 km I see the first water point, but I didn't stop over there and continued with my run. My going was getting better, I could feel a factor motivating me from within,pushing me further towards my goal. I run non stop until I reach the second water point which was at 5Km. I quickly drink a little of water to keep myself hydrated and continue with my run. Let me tell you some facts here. One should not drink too much water at these water points because it would make your stomach heavy,fills it with water,causing discomfort while running. Secondly you might have to take a nature's break which might hamper your rhythm and lastly drinking more water while running would cause the hear to pump diluted blood to ones body thereby preventing the muscles from receiving a good amount of oxygen. So take a few small sips just to keep yourself hydrated.

After covering the 5Km mark I am slightly tired and i slow down my pace, continuing like that for a kilometer or so before picking up again. At the 7.5km mark I quickly grab a small portion of isotonic drink ( this is an electrolyte,so replenishes your lost nutrients) and march on to the 10Km mark. During the course of my run photographers were doing a wonderful job of capturing each and every runner in their cameras and I posed for the cameras with aplomb. I now reach the half way mark where Tiger was waiting with the drinks ( Tiger was one of the volunteers and member of the Chennai Runners). I grab some gatorade and turn back to complete the remaining half of the run. The good thing about this run was myself and another guy,Venkat from Bangalore kept running together. Though we didn't speak during the first half of the run we were kind of motivating the other silently, to keep up pace,push further beyond one's limits and complete the run with a decent timing.

The second half was getting tougher because the Sun had come up and traffic on the ECR was increasing. I completed 14 Km when I could feel the heat of the sun and stiffness of my shoulder muscles. I quickly slowed down myself and started walking at a brisk pace, stretching my shoulder and neck muscles so that my back doesn't get stiff and completing the run. I decide to stop at just one of the water stations on my way back,grabbing a small bottle of water,sipping and gargling water to keep my mouth and body hydrated all the time. My GARMIN forerunner ws one of my key motivators,telling me the distance left to cover. I completed my run in 2:43:00 , the organizers cheering at the finish line.

The feeling of completed the 20Km run gave me immense pleasure and satisfaction. We had breakfast at the beach resorts,munching on vadais,bread and idlys. I gulped down a couple of glasses of grape juice after breakfast and received my certificate for completing the run. I thanked the sponsors for organizing such a wonderful event and the amazing experience I had. I got behind the wheel and drove back to reach home at 9:30.

Great running and good experience indeed!