Hum hai Hyderabad ke Nawaab!!!

What is it that makes a great run? Is it getting a podium finish? Is it getting a PB? Is it getting a fantastic t-shirt? Is it the travel and the great time that we have with our running buddies? Is it some or all of the above? Different strokes for different folks. Right?

For me a great run or a great race would be where I finish strong and come out smiling. When I have something left in my tank to sprint the last 100 to 200 mts. 

My main motive to register for the Hyd half was to be able to register for the Mumbai Marathon as I did not have any timed half marathons timing link of the past year which I require to register for the Mumbai marathon. 

On race day, Ashok and me reached the People's Plaza on Necklace Road much earlier and found parking in the Imax parking lot. Since we were very early Ashok wanted to listen to some songs on the car music system and we sat there for sometime listening much to the amusement of some other runners who were in the parking lot as well. We then walked in to the start area and searched for RHers. The Hussain Sagar lake is a beautiful sight to behold as the sun had not yet risen as yet and it was dark. There is abeautiful Buddha Statue right in the middle of the lake which was lit by some green and white colour lights. The loud music and the electrifying atmosphere was enough to give an adrenaline rush and a heady feeling right before the start. 

We found Kaiwan and Dilshad and after exchanging hugs we started searching for other RHers whom we were supposed to meet at the baggage counter. They were all busy clicking groufies and selfies and we joined in to click many more groufies. I was glad to meet the boisterous HSR crowd, Rama, Priya, Usha, Hitesh and others. Again I was so glad that Dilshad would be running with me as we had run Mumbai Half together way back in 2014 and done fantastic timing. Dilshad had told me that she would help me to get my time for Mumbai Marathon registration and boy! was I glad for that!! I knew that if I just keep her in sight and stick with her I would be able to do it. Thank you Dilsh for being there with me throughout.

The MC on the stage was introducing the pacers and Dilshad and me were wondering whether we should take the 2.45 bus or do it on our own. We decided to try and stick with them and see how things go. The crowd was very boisterous and the lady on the mike did not have to do much to pep up the crowd. The loud cheering and clapping for no reason, the hugs, the high fives and the music and the noise was enough to pump us all up. She asked all the move to the holding area, but our group continued with their photo sessions. They will put high profile models and movie stars to shame with their posing and their pouting. I wanted to shout to them in Hyderabadi Urdu "Hai!! yeh potta pottiyan pozaan marne ich aaye hai Hyderabad ku?". In the meantime the sun rose to a glorious orange on the lake and it was a beautiful sight to behold. I was reminded of sunrises in Mumbai. 

Finally some of us saner ones put our foot down and urged them to get moving and we finally reached the start area. We were supposed to be in the E or F corals, but there were not many beyond the C and we stayed at C holding area. The speedsters moved to A or B.

It was a really good time to be there because we saw all the marathoners pass by us at that time. They had done 9k or 10k around the Hussain Sagar lake by then and would be going into the city from here on. We saw Siddhesh Hanumantappa speed past us and shouted out his name. It was really inspiring to see them breeze past us so strong, pumping fist in the air and hooting. Each of them got huge rounds of applause from all of us and no one bothered about the announcer's announcements. And before we knew it the race had started and we all gave each other final high fives and hugs and started. Since it was really crowded, we had to walk to the starting mat and it was a good 6 minutes by the time Dilshad and me crossed the mat and heard the continuous beep which signaled the start for us.

The AHM is one of the best organised races in India and is definitely comparable to SCMM in terms of aid station support, crowd support and attention to details paid by the organisers. Each aid station is managed by very courteous and friendly college students and are well stocked with biscuits, bananas, water and electral. This time around, I had packed our Namma Bengaluru weather in my bag and taken it along with me. So it was a beautiful 23 deg C at the start of the race and there was a cloud cover which kept the sun at bay and the humidity was very manageable. There has been good rain the previous night and the roads were still wet and I took all these as good signs and a way in which the universe was telling me that today is my day and that I am going to have a great race. 

Dilsh and I started slow and bam!! right at the 400mts mark comes the Flyover 1: Khairatabad flyover. We spotted the three 2.45 pacers and decided to stick with them. There was a lady who we thought looked too serious (no gender bias here). So we picked a guy who was loudly cheering and pepping the runners. The third pacer was behind us. We kept to this formation throughout the run. We were going real slow, the initial 2 kms and Dilsh struck up a conversation with our chosen pacer and told him that we are aiming to finish within 2.45 and he was very encouraging.

The Hyderabad city is like a bowl, the Hussain Sagar lake being the lowest point in the city and the city going upwards from that central point on, in all directions. So the city is full of Jublilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Kachigudas and so many more gudas, Panchagutta and so many more guttas and Flyovers. In my opinion, Hyderabad must be the flyover capital of India or even of the world. Just when you think you have safely crossed one flyover comes another. But the roads are wide and tree lined. They are all six laned or eight laned roads. They must have tarred the road specially for the Marathon as there wasn't a single pothole on any of the roads and also the city was exceptionally clean without any garbage. Khudos! to Hyderabadis for this!.

The route was lined with people in many places cheering us on. There were school children, army personnel, citizens and runners lined up shouting 'All The Best' right on top of their voices. There was music, folk artistes performing, bands and singers at regular intervals. Even Airtel had its own stage and singers performing at a couple of places. There was a particular lady who was standing right on top of a very tough uphill shouting out 'you can do it'. I even told her that she had chosen the right spot to cheer us on and thanked her for it. But then again i wonder whether she was able to understand what I told her with all my panting. She might have got the gist of it or the spirit of it. The college students at the aid stations were ever attentive and used to rush to us with water, electral, pain spray or bananas and biscuits. We made sure that we drank water and electral at every aid station and also took our salt pills at regular and pre-determined times.

The previous time when we had run in Hyderabad in 2014, the Metro was under construction. But this time the construction work has been completed in many places.  Once we crossed the Khairatabad flyover it was a few ups and downs, but mostly flat up to the 4k mark where we took a U-turn at Somajiguda junction and entered the Panjagutta flyover. This was a 1k long flyover and from here we enter the toughest stretch. We have to cross Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills with lots of uphills from 5k point to almost 10k point. Also, this is the most colourful part of the city with shops and restaurants on both the sides. These and the regular aid stations and the spectators cheering on kept us entertained and I found that I was running all the hills right up to the 8k point from where I started struggling at the hills but made up for the time lost by the downhills. Also, I silently thanked Chandra's Sunday killer workouts for enabling me to run so many of the uphills effortlessly. we sing 'maar daala Chandraaaaaa maar daala' to thank her all the time :) ;)

Somewhere here, at around the 7.5k mark we even crossed a major traffic junction where the traffic had been stopped on all directions. In 2014, our Rowdy gang group must have passed this point at a much later time because by the time we passed it we had seen the drivers fighting and abusing the traffic cops and a lady and a guy in a red Maruthi car had forcibly entered through the barricade. But this time around I saw that the volume of traffic pile up was still low and the tempers had not flared as yet when we passed it. The cops did a really good job of maintaining traffic and also around this point even they were cheering us loudly and calling out 'all the best maam' which made running the uphills a little better.

We then passed Madhapur and Hi tech city where we could see the completed Metro work. This section from 10k to 14k was also flat with some gradual uphill from 14k. This is the new Hyderabad. It is the IT hub of Telangana state and we could see many modern buildings that housed the IT industry with modern architecture, glass and concrete. We could see the Cybercity building. Around this time, Dilshad saw that I was struggling the hills and she told me to drink electral and take the second salt pill. We had done about 15.5 k in 2 hrs and I was pleased with our progress. I also ate a couple of biscuits at an aid station and felt that it gave me some much needed sugar kick. So, from them on I started eating a couple of biscuits and piece of banana at each aid station which I feel helped me a lot to keep up my energy levels.

A note on the green-ness of the event - while they used reusable plates and spoon to serve breakfast, the usage of plastic water bottles was huge in the stadium. throughout the route they used the usual disposable plastic coated paper cups. The volunteers were constantly picking up the trash and cleaning the aid station areas very quickly. They did a commendable job in keeping the place squeaky clean. When we took an auto rickshaw from the Gacchibowli stadium to IMAX parking after the race, we drove on the very same roads and they had been cleaned up by then and there was no sign that such a huge event had taken place. But despite all this it is very alarming to see the amount of waste generated. Could the organisers think of purchasing about 10,000 steel tumblers and reuse them or even rent them out later and earn through it. Could the organisers think of encouraging the runners to carry their water bottles and refill them at various points. These are serious issues that event organisers have to ponder upon for making future events more eco friendly.

Back to the race, there were also many downhills and outright flats which made this my best section where I was able to make up for any lost time by maintaining a steady pace. After this came the killer flyover no 3, the Gachhibowli flyover. It raises its monstrous head at the 19k mark by which time you are spent and  ready to die. I walked up this entire flyover. Dilsh was throwing concerned looks at me and I was trying to give her a weak but brave smile. The encouraging sign was that we were well within our time and also the pacers were within our sight. The third pacer was shouting out encouragement at us and pepping the runners. When we tried to walk on one of the uphill, he asked us to not walk but run up to a particular sign board at the turn around and then walk from there which was a clever move by him because after that board it was downhill. I mentally thanked him for knowing his city and the race route so well and also knowing the mentality of runners so well. 

From the 20k point onwards it was gradual uphills and flats. I was again walking most of the uphills but tried to do a fast walk here as I knew that the finish line was well within reach and also in good time.  This portion of the gradual uphill is very mentally draining and almost all the runners around us were walking. Once we came to the 500 mts mark, I started running. I entered the Gacchbowli stadium gate and picked up pace. I found Dilshad there and we both held hands and started running really fast. It was such a good feeling because everyone around us was walking and we were the only ones running. I was reminded of all the Tuesday tempo runs and the Wednesday workouts that we are made to do. It's because of these sessions that even after 20.5 kms we had it in us to sprint. 

After running about 100 mts holding hands, we had to part ways as there were some walkers blocking our path and I had to traverse around them to take the right turn and run adjacent to the stadium wall. Then it is a left turn to enter the stadium. I thought that the finish would be seen as soon as we enter the stadium but it was a good 100 to 150 mts later. But I was surprised to see that I was still running strong and crossed the finish line running. It was a very satisfying moment as I walked to the lady giving out the medals and she put a medal around my neck. It had been 18 months since my last official half marathon, my last one being Auroville HM 2015 and it was a really good feeling to finally be able to do one.

Later we met Kaiwan. he had completed his 21k and collected his medal and gone back to do another 4k as he had to do 25k on that day according to his training. But he finished 25k right behind us!!!! When we told him about how tough the hills and the flyovers were he said "what hills? what flyovers?? There are none!! It's not as tough as you all make it out to be". We did not have any energy left in us to hit him. I could visualise the next day's newspaper with the headline "a male runner attacked and hit by two other exhausted and delirious women runners at the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon". But I did not have the energy to act upon it and make it a reality. :) 

The HSR gang was at it again. Posaan maar maar ke picturaan letey. Kaiku ine aisi baataan kartey? 

After stretching I told the gang that I would go back to the gate to wait for Ashok. He came back fully exhausted and with cramps in his feet. But he was also able to finish. Then he gave some lectures to the organisers about how bad the post-run breakfast was and also advised them to give biryani for breakfast from next year.

I thank the day that Anu dragged me to join RH and I thank all the coaches of RH, ever smiling and patient Physios and Chandra's strengthening sessions. The buddies of Cubbon Queens, my carpool and our buddy group WTF 'Where's The finish' which is full of absolute crack pots with the most popular and sweetest coach of RH - Nanda at the helm. Srini P's and Srini V's timely valuable advice. My family and friends.

Next what? Mumbai ka daud!!!!!

TCS 10K 2016 - a race that was more than a race

To begin with, my TCS 2013 race report is here if you are interested.

Great things are achieved by doing the small things right, they say. And this is one of the seasons which has been most satisfactory for me as I feel that I was very successful in paying attention to detail and tying many of the loose ends and thus improve my running one crunch at a time, one step at a time.

The season started with the crazy dream that Jyothi and me have of doing the Mumbai Full in January 2017. Many would think how can two 3-hour half marathoners even dream of such a thing and achieving such an impossible task. Are they not biting too much than they can chew. But there is a beautiful Kannada song by Dr. G. S. Shivrudrappa sung by C. Ashwath in his sweet melodious haunting voice and in his inimitable way.

|| Kaanada kadalige hambaliside mana, Kaanabalene ondu dina, Kadalanu koodaballane ondu dina ||

It is a beautiful song and if you have not heard it till now, please listen to it immediately https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz9GZd7yfWo

While there are many meanings and interpretations to the song the most literal translation would be as follows: A river is longing to merge with the unseen ocean, its final destination. The river has heard a lot about the sea/ocean and wonders where it is and longs to see it and merge with it. As the river passes through the twists and curves of the mountains and the plains, it is filled with doubts and uncertainty, whether it will ever be able to see the ocean and merge with it and become one with it . But nevertheless it marches on its journey and continues to fulfill it’s destiny. This song finds a lot of resonance with me as I embark upon this beautiful marathon journey with my friends alongside me and RH behind me.

The seed of this dream of running the Mumbai Marathon was sown a couple of years ago when Santhosh used to introduce the Ananya Rabbits and other youngsters (by age) of RH like Ankush etc, that they are the only RH-ers doing distances more than their age. Each time I would think that the only way I would be able to run a distance more than my age would be if I do a Marathon.

Last year would have been ideal to do a Marathon and fulfill my dream of typing in my age lesser than the distance when I fill the registration form. But due to various reasons I could not do it. And therefore this year would be the last chance that I have as I would be turning 42 this year and when I fill the form I can fill age and distance as equal. So 42 @ 42 was my new motto. 

When a group of us, Dilshad, Mukund, Rama, Jyothi and me spoke to Santhosh and Srini V and our respective coaches about this they were all most appreciative of our plans and gave a clear go ahead and green signal. Of course there were many things that we had to do in the coming months and work really hard to ensure that we finished strong, which we were all ready to do. We have been working really hard since then. Srini V’s positive response and complete faith in us boosted our confidence.

Marathon Photos is charging Rs.1600 for all 

my race pics in all formats. I refuse to spend 

more money than I have already spent

With all this in the background, this season became the base building season for the SCMM for us. I did a lot of things right this season. I stuck to the RH schedule and followed it to the ‘t’. I did not miss a single run or workout. My attendance is above 95% (I think). I changed my yoga class and joined Vidya (a former Rh-er) and she corrected many of my poses and the way I was doing them which reduced my lower back ache and neck+shoulder+elbow+wrist pain. I ate right, tried to maintain good sleeping patterns, rested well, did strengthening at home too at least once a week apart from RH strengthening on Sundays.

After the nutrition talk, I took Chandra’s advise of how important it is to take protein immediately after the workout or within ½ hr for recovery and repair of muscles very seriously. Added to that Kavitha gave me the same talk at our BG BF at MTR, which strengthened my resolve to create my own protein powder as I do not like the ones available in the market and am a very strong exponent of homemade food stuff. My family has this wonderful recipe of making ‘Ragi Hurittu’ or sprouted finger millet powder. We add about 5 different grains and 12 different peas, pulses and beans to ragi along with dry fruits, soak and sprout them, dry them, dry roast them, all separately mind you! and finally mix them together and create the powder. I call it ‘my secret weapon to PBs’, ‘The magic potion’ which helped me power my way through the Bengaluru roads and achieve my PBs in every training run that I ran this season. Even Getafix and Snape are both very happy with my secret potion J J J.

All the attention to teeny weeny details that I paid helped me get stronger and I was running quite easily in all the areas where I used to struggle before. The ups and the elevations that I used to dread became easy and I was able to run faster and farther than before. This paid high dividends to me and I was able to do the distances in lesser time. I enjoyed the heat training and got a PB in pipeline 16k run. Enjoyed the run in Stone hill and got a PB there too. Enjoyed the Bylakere run where Jyothi and me did an easy run but had an enjoyable time talking nineteen to a dozen. Had a fantastic and strong run in Decathlon too and stuck gold with my 10K and 14k timings again!

For me the target run is just a clog in the wheel of training and running as a lifetime habit. The TCS run was a walk in the park compared to all the training runs that we has done through the summer in the heat. The start was a bit crowded and we had to walk the first 300 mts, from the start point up to the gate, where there is a slight elevation and this was expected. The RH support crew was astounding and really loud. I looked out for the RH support at each point that Santhosh had mentioned in the mail and crossed over each time to high five them, a few seconds lost be damned!. They called out my name each time which gave me such an adrenaline rush which would take me to the next pit stop easily. RH rocked on that day. No other group had these many supporters. But the last 300 mts, from the left turn that we take from Cubbon Park at Hudson Circle, to the finish point, was so crowded that I could not sprint even though I had a lot of strength left in me to sprint. This was most disappointing. I could only run slowly and especially the last 100 mts was so crowded, with all the runners finishing at the same time, that I had to walk those last 100 mts and past the finish mat. Note to self: try to become a sub 70 or sub 65 finisher by next year so that you finish earlier with lesser people and may have a chance to sprint the last 100 mts JJ.

The icing on the cake that day was my daughter doing the Majja run in support of an NGO called VAANI and it was her first fund raising effort. It was wonderful to see her run and finish so well.

Those who have seen me 4 years ago will remember that I could not even run 50 mts. RH and its coaches and physios have made me achieve so much in the last 4 years. Running has brought about so many changes in so many other spheres of my life. If you pay attention to one aspect of life, giving time to yourself and your own growth, the discipline and dedication that it brings about in you improves you in many other spheres of life also. 

In conclusion, despite sounding like the slides of Santhosh’s intro session all I can say to all the newbies is (1) Stick to the schedule (2) Maintain 100% attendance (3) Do all the things that is told  in teh intro session, by respective BG coaches, physios, in FAQs and RH website diligently including the ones mentioned in the looong emails J (4) have faith in the process (5) success will soon follow.

Happy Running and Happy Staying Fit!!!

Cheers to all!!!!!

Auroville Marathon Training : Week 3

December 3 to December 9

There are some days that seem just right and you wake up feeling that today is the day that you can conquer the world! By now the running bug had bitten me and bitten me hard and I was addicted and was determined not to miss even a single training session. I was also particular not to succumb to frivolous excuses.

The week began with the arrival of the weekly schedule mail by Santosh. I was very exited to know that we would be running at Kanakpura again.

It was raining very heavily on Wednesday morning when I woke up at 3.45 am. But as I had made all the preparations the previous night to go for the Wednesday workout, I began making the chapathis for my daughter. I was ready by 4.45 am and all set to leave at 5.00 sharp. But, 

My friend called at 4.45 and asked me if I would be going as it was drizzling continuously outside. I told her that I would go no matter what. She said she would  not come as her asthma would get aggravated if she runs in the drizzle. At times like this I am always in two minds whether to push or to give space. Usually I end up not pushing much and giving people their space and letting them make their own decisions. I have come to realise that sometimes, especially when it comes to people pursuing fitness regimes, it requires some amount of motivation and gentle push from well meaning people because the mind is always looking for excuses to skip and go back into the warm blankets especially in Bangalore during the winter months.

I have realised that we can always run, no matter what the time is, what the weather is and how our circumstances are. So, it is important that we do not allow ourselves to give in to those small moments when our mind is testing us with doubts and questions. 

My daughter and I completed our warm ups, drills and runs along with the hill run on the small rock at Cubbon Park and I was able to drop her at her bus stop and come back home feeling very exhilarated. The rest of the group went to Kanteerava Stadium for the hill work out.

The Saturday, Kanakpura run is always the best in the entire training program. The trail is very beautiful and traverses through a quaint village. We pass through the village bus stop, school and temples. There is the beautiful lake and the route is full of ups and downs. We are greeted throughout the way by village urchins and school boys  who take their cattle to graze before their school begins and bring the cattle back after the school.

This time I ran along side Raji. Raji is 58 yrs old and a very fast runner. She has always been a source of inspiration to me and I felt that on Saturday she was running much slower than her normal pace just to be able to run along side me. As we were chatting non stop and exchanging notes and swapping stories, I did not realise that we had already come up to the 3.5 km mark and the aid station. Very soon, we touched the 5 km mark and came back. Each time, we took a moment near the lake to savour the view and feast our eyes on the sheer beauty of the surroundings. It was a sheer pleasure to see Raji keep one stride after the other and run at a steady pace even at the steepest slopes on which I had to walk. Towards the end, when I had to walk a little more, she raced ahead at her normal brisk pace and I carried on at my normal pace. Throughout the route we were greeted by cows and dogs that Raji was scared of and she needed support to run past them. 

The next day, I could not go for the Sunday recovery run due to a terrible family tragedy and thus ended my week 3 of the Auroville Marathon Training.

Auroville Marathon Training Program - Intro session

November 18

We completed the Bangalore Ultra on November 11. We provided the feedback about our training program. We also wrote some stories and read all the stories written by the running community about the training program, the Ultra run itself, what worked for them, what did not work for them, what memories will remain etched in their hearts and the inspiration.

The week was a week of relaxation and also of basking in the shining glory of having completed our task and having achieved our goals. The most significant feeling was that it is not some reflected glory but its your own achievement that has been earned through one's own sweat and blood. Ok.. ok.. I know that I am being a bit over dramatic but that was the feelign that prevailed throughout the week.

The intro session for the Auroville training program was scheduled for the coming Sunday, November 18. My neighbour and our driver who ferries us to and from each training session apart from training himself for the half marathon, had left for Japan to learn to speak more Japanese than moshi moshi and sayonara.:). Of course not, he has gone on work. But that sounds boring. Going to Japan to learn to speak Japanese sounds more interesting :)

I was the driver for the next two weeks. I packed my car with Rashmi, my friend Meena and her children adn my two daughters and we all went to Cubbon park. As we had arrived a few minutes early, there were only a few coaches and a half a dozen odd people. But as the seconds were passing by more and more people kept pouring in and phew! I will not be exaggerating if I say that there were more than two hundred people who had registered. And I will not be wrong if I say that at least half the faces were new faces.

The session was full of humour, friendly bantering and congratulating each other on the Ultra run. Subhashini was the star among the women for having come first in the 10K run in her category. Santosh then started with a brief introduction about Runner's High and a short overview of the Auroville marathon training program and how the entire program will be spread and how the sessions will be each week. Even though I had heard it before, it certainly felt new and like I was hearing it for the first time.

The highlight of the session was the novel method adopted by Santosh to introduce the coaches. He introduced the first coach and then he made each of them introduce the next coach. This added an element of freshness and also gave us an opportunity to hear all of them as we usually do not get to hear all of them speaking but only get to know the coaches whom we interact with directly.

Santosh asked the newcomers to run two rounds around the Queen's park. The pain in my left shin and left knee that I had developed during my Ultra run had reduced considerably to the extent of having disappeared. Even though I did not have to run, I ran the two rounds to check if the pain would return back. It did return back with such a short run. We have two guardian angels and miracle workers in the Runner's High community. If Santosh forms the foundation and the coaches are the pillars then these two form the roof or the protective umbrella like cover to the community. They are the physios or the physiotherapists. They patiently hear each and every runner's complaints and give a set of dos and donts and exercises. If followed carefully and diligently, the pains disappear and we emerge stronger. That is how it worked with me also and by next week I was as good as new.

Armed with new confidence and a general sense of well being I was eagerly looking forward to beginning the new training season and a new chapter.

Process Runner : Week 7 : Bangalore Ultra Finished

Nov 5 to Nov 11

This was the week that I had been training for. The Bangalore Ultra marathon was scheduled for Sunday, November 11. The Sunday afternoon mail of Santosh contained the weekly schedule and many inspirational videos. He wrote many useful tips about how our preparation should be, nutrition, hydration and rest. The best piece he wrote was that we were our own heroes as we had all trained against al odds, persevered with determination and said that we must go ahead and proudly call ourselves athletes. I found that to be the most motivating as I had never seen myself as an athlete up to this point in time.

The Wednesday workout was at cubbon park and consisted of the short train workout.  I was encouraged by Santosh and Chandra to run faster and I had to really push myself to sprint the fastest I could. Each sprint is very touch and the time I need to recover and for my heart and lungs to come back to normal is longer. As a result of which I am unable to continue with the rest of the group and have to take longer periods of walk to recover as compared to the rest of the group.

The rest of the days of the week was for rest so that we are fresh and raring to go on Sunday. Santosh warned us that this is not like the exam we give in college and school where we resort last minute cramming, memorising and preparation. Here, the preparation has happened in the last six weeks, and this week is to go and give our best shot.

The usual last minute advices, collecting of the bib took place. The d-day arrived on Sunday, November 11. We all assembled at the Hennur cross and went to the race location in the Ananya bus and the Shrishti bus. The 100 km runners and the 24 hr runners had completed their runs at 5 am to great success. The 25 km runners had already begun their run at 6 am. As, we, the 12.5 km runners collected at the starting line to last minute announcements, the enthusiasm and the excitement was palatable. There were last minute high fives and best of lucks going around  It was very exciting to see many of the 25 km runners come to the 12.5 point and turn back for their second lap. we cheered them all loudly. The race started as the clock struck 7 and all the eager fast runners rushed to the front and we all started at a very steady pace. We saw many more 25 km runners along the way who cheered us along. 

It was beautiful Bangalore weather and perfect for running. The trail has many open stretches and a bamboo forest on either side. The soil is soft and perfect for runnig even though there are a few rocky stretches and a few puddles that we had to watch out for. 

I found it very tough right from the beginning itself. There was an ominous feeling that today might not be my day. The slight gradient in the first 1 km itself did it to me. My lungs threatened to burst. I was already panting at the first aid station. I developed a slight ache in the lower abdomen and then my left leg started to stiffen and ache from the 4.5 to 5 km mark onwards. But seeing so many fellow RH runners on the opposite side egging me on and hearing 'come on Asha, you can do it!' kept me going.

All our fellow runners had raced ahead and Seema, Geethanjali and I formed a group and kept each other going. Seema wasn't feeling well and the heat was getting to Geethanjali. But each time one of us feel back the other would call out a word of encouragement. 

The cheering squad on the way with their whistles were great boosters and gave a rush to us both the times we passed them. The spoon and tumbler ringing was a great touch! and these guys rock!!!! and are better than the IPL cheering leading squad. Seeing so many volunteers hooting and whistling and many who had come on a beautiful Sunday just to cheer us kept me going. Each time I hear some one say Go Go, I increased my pace for the next 3 or 4 steps. We saw many of our elite long distance runners many of our coaches running.

Seeging Raghu sprawled on the floor with his camera trying to capture each one of us was another great sight which helped me to gain some more strength. Both the times we passed him we made sure that we gave a nice smile and a great pose.

Throughout the pain in my leg kept increasing, but Geethanjali saying each time, 'we are at the last 4 km', 'this is the home stretch' etc. kept me going and took my mind away from the pain. 

The scenery was beautiful and the bamboo groves and the many tunnels of greenery that we ran through were a sight to behold!

I experienced many emotional moments where the pain increased and the though that I might not be able to finish seemed to overwhelm me. I thought that I might burst into tears for no rhyme or reason. I kept thinking that I might just have to give up in the last 2.5 to 3 km stretch. But I continued on with the single thought that no matter what happens I have to cross the finish line even if I have to crawl. I was reminded of the motivational video Santosh had sent and also my sisters words, 'please finish the race, even if you have to crawl'. 

I saw many people walking the last 3 to 2 km stretch.  25 manykm runners had started walking. As I approached the last aid station I realised that I was only 1 km away from finishing. I decided to run as much as possible but could run only a few paces and had to walk again. Just when I was experiencing another emotional moment, I saw my daughter and niece shouting out my name. Seeing my family cheering me helped me to control and compose myself. They both ran a few paces with me as my husband took my video and my older daughter, mother in law and neighbour aunty cheered me on.

Ajay joined to pace me the last 300 mts. Sharath kept saying 'come on, just 200 mts more' Sheetal ran with me up to the finishing point. All of them and many others helped me to cover the last 1oo mts. 

Crossing the finishing line to great cheering and finally getting the medal was the high point of the day and soon all the pain and emotions of the last 2 hrs seemed all worth it. This run had made an indelible impression on my heart and not on my mind. With this experience, I feel it is now possible for me to do anything. I can now call myself a finisher !!!!!!

Starting from zero and a no-exercise background, I never ever imagined that I would be able to run/walk a 12.5 marathon in a short duration training program of 7 weeks. From October 25 to November 11, I have come a long way thanks to the those who inspired me to join, my family for being supportive, the coaches and the entire running community. The memory of today will be etched in my heart forever. 

Thanks a ton once again everyone for making this possible for me.!!!!!!

Next Sunday .... we start training for Auroville 10K on February 10, 2013

Process Runner : Week 6

Oct 29 - Nov 5, 2012

After the mock run on Sunday, I was completely exhausted and it took me a whole day of just lying on the bed to recover and to be able to go to the office the next Monday. Santosh's mail arrived in the afternoon listing out the program for the week and contained some interesting articles and trivia.

I did my Tuesday tempo run alone in the morning. I had to run for 25 minutes and I did three lops around the storm water drain. I had to do 4 strides of 100m each. Just as I completed two, I bumped into a friend and had to rush back home as it was getting late to go to the office.

Our Wednesday run was at Cubbon Park and we had the delayed relays scheduled for us. Santosh and Chandra were the coaches for the day. The runners of RH attend the Wednesday training sessions at any one of the three venues Cubbon park, Agara and Jaynagar to reduce the distance they need to travel as it is a working day. Santosh divides his times between  the three venues. All the coaches put in a lot of effort to not only train the new comers like me but they also keep track of the progress of the different levels that each runner is in however accomplished or seasoned they are. They keep changing the patterns to suit the needs and requirements of each one of us depending on our levels of fitness.

On Wednesday as I got up at 4 am to got ready, it was raining heavily. Anu called me asking if I was coming and then Rashmi messaged me saying that we will go for the run even though it is raining.

The delayed run is another killer Wedneday work out that not only takes us directly to hell, but also deep fries us and throws us into boiling water :) !. It was drizzling, but, that does not stop this group from running. On the contrary, they all love running in the rain.

Again we are divided into groups according to our paces and the first runner of each group sets out. The second runner starts after 10 seconds and tries to catch up with the first runner. The third runner next and so on and so forth. I started well as I was the first runner. We had to do eight loops of 200 mts each. We stop at the first 100 mt point and wait for al the runners to join us which gives us about 15 seconds of rest and then we start again. After about 2 rounds I started panting and needed more time to recover. Finally Santosh asked our group to stop after 7 rounds and I was actually disappointed that he did not allow us to do the last. I felt like a school girl whom the teacher had scolded and  given the tougher job to the other student. :)

The Saturday run was again at Cubbon park. We had to run 8 kms and do two loops of 4 km each around the park. Cubbon park is the most beautiful location for a run. We Bangaloreans are blessed with beautiful weather throughout the year that is most conducive for running. Many runners often share their experiences of running in hotter cities like Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

The sun rays streaming through the trees was a sight to behold as we were running. The dogs in the park are used to the runners and more importantly, the runners are used to the dogs. We get to see parrots, mynahs, pigeons and other birds through the running course. I was happy that I ran without stopping for a long distance before starting to walk. I maintained a steady pace and kept up a good time. I must run longer distances before starting to walk because the first course is always the easiest. Once you stop and start walking, then it becomes more and more difficult to run even 100 mts  or even more than 10 paces.

Te, Sunday run at IIMB was very beautiful. We had to run a  distance of 4 km and then we had the core training session. We started with a quick warm up of 1.2 km and then we did the form exercises. After that was the 4 km run. I started with Seema and Shuba. But Seema raced ahead and me and Shuba continued at a steady pace with a few paces of walk thrown in between to catch our breaths. Shuba is on a come back from an injury and she suffers from knee pain. When we were at the 3 km mark, we saw a crowd around fellow runner Padma who had felt giddy due to sudden low sugar and thank fully has sat down by the road side. Rashmi and others ran to the aid station to get her water and coach Santosh came running with chikkis (very tasty and crispy Indian sweet made out of peanuts and jaggery (tradiitonal unrefined whole cane sugar)). He advised us to continue running as he realised that we had all crowded which was not very helpful. So we all continued our last 1 km and completed our run on high spirits.

We then had a session of core strengthening exercises with Chandra. They help us to improve the strength of our core muscles, prevent injury and improve our running stability and efficiency. So strengthnin our core is the sure way to become fitter and faster.

As it was the last Sunday of training before the Bangalore Ultra Marathon, Santosh had planned a small award giving ceremony. It was a moment to recognise all the newcomers who had put in a lot of effort, shown great commitment and  improved significantly during the six weeks of training. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy to get recognised for my regularity in using the runner's log and through this I hope all runner's will realise the benefit of the runner's log created by Vinay and Santosh.  

Rashmi had got coffee for everyone and I had prepared Tea. Santosh and coach Sourav (who is also a professor at IIMB) had also organised tea and coffee for everyone. So we ended the days with a hot cup of coffee and a steaming hot cup of tea. I could see a lot of energy and enthusiasm around and felt that happiness is the greatest form of gratitude and I also knew that I would store the memory of this day not in my mind or head but deep down in my heart.

Next Sunday .... November 11, the D-day, the day that I have been training for the last 7 weeks, the Bangalore Ultra Run - 12.5K http://www.bangaloreultra.com/

Process Runner : Week 5

Oct 22 - Oct 28:

A lot of people ask me why I joined this running program. My only reason for joining is to be able to inspire my daughters to take up the healthy way of living. I wanted to motivate them by doing it and showing it and practising what I preach.

By now, after four weeks of being a part of Runner;s High, I had also become used to planning my life around the runs. I didnt want to miss a single run. The week was the week of the Navrathri festival and I had to go to Mysore to visit my father and grand mother at Mysore as both were not well. I set out to Mysore after the Sunday run at  Cubbon park. I drove down with my daughters.

 The weekly mail of Santosh arrived on Sunday afternoon detailing the weekly program. That Tuesday, as I was in Mysore I did not run in the morning as I had to drive back in the afternoon so that I do not miss the Wednesday run. The Wednesday run was at Cubbon park and it was the group fartlek. In this  runners who are of similar paces form groups and do fast sprints for a distance of 4 km . The group does a fast stretch  for 2 minutes and then stop till the last runner joins. The last runner is given just 30 seconds of rest and then the group starts again. If I though the last weeks Train workout was a killer then this was a killer that takes you directly to hell. I struggled to keep up with my group and the runners kept encouraging me all the time and kept egging me on to not give up.

We are supposed to do a short 25 minute cycling or yoga every Friday. But the past four weeks, I have not been doing the Friday workout. I hope that when the next training program starts I'll be able to be regulat with the Friday workout also tha way I have been regular with the Tuesday workout.

That Saturday was a rest day as we had a mock run on Sunday at Kingston County Annexe which is the venue for the Bangalore Ultra Marathon for which we have all been training since the past four weeks. The mock run was organised by the Runner's for Life group who are also the organisers of the Bangalore Ultra Marathon and the Kaveri Trail marathon every year. This year they had organised the Mysore marathon on the very same day as our mock run. Because of this the only runners who turned up for the mock run were from the Runner's High group and we were a good hundred strong team. As the organisers had forgotten to get the marking powder, we had about a 45 minute period when the organisers themselves were doubtful whether the run will actually take place or not as they did not want to risk runner's getting lost as the trails were not marked. But they managed to place volunteers at important points and the run commenced at 7 am.

It was a beautiful trail with a few puddles that we had to avoid and a few stretches with rocks. But all in all it was beautiful as we were running through a forest. To find this place with dense trees just about 12 kms from our house was really a surprise. It would make a very good cycling route also as the approach roads are in excellent condition.

The run itself was very good. I ran a good distance before beginning to walk. As the trail was full of rocks, I struggled a bit. The body refused to cooperate and the muscles began to scream asking me to stop. That's when I faced the inevitable question that every runner comes across at least once during their runs. Why am I doing this? And its also very amusing to see the kind of answers that the mind comes up with. I finished the run in 1 hr 45 mins to loud cheering and clappign by fellow runners.

Here is a link to the trailer released by RFL (Runner's for life) of the Bangalore Ultra Mock Run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8rANypBiRQ&feature=plcp

After the run we shared tea and had a good chat during the stretches. Rashmi's tasty sandwiches and Anu's tasty akki rotti (rice flour roti) made the day even more memorable. With the mind empty, spirit full and the stomach even fuller up to the brim, there is nothing else that one needs .......

Process Runner : Week 4

Oct 15 - Oct 21:

The fourth week again began with the arrival of the much awaited and anticipated mail on Sunday afternoon from Santosh with the details of the week's running schedule and program. It is always exiting to know the venue of the Saturday and Sunday runs because he keeps changing the venues to keep it interesting and challenging for us and to avoid making the running experience monotonous. Also, it gives us the experience of running on different trails.
Santosh's  mails also contain a lot of information on breathing, recovery, nutrition and hydration and various other tips that are helpful to us in our running. He also sends some inspirational articles and videos and some articles either written by him or from any other source that are relevant to that week's running.

Monday was the day of rest and on Tuesday I had to run 25 minutes and then two 100 mts strides (sprint) with 1 minute walk in between. I could not keep the 3 minutes run and the 1 minute walk intervals. Even though I started with the 3 minute run, after the first loop around the storm water drain, the running started decreasing to 2.5 min, 2 min, 1.5 and then 1 min. The walks started becoming slower and increasing in duration. I ran with Rashmi and quite late at around 6.30 PM.

The Wednesday Cubbon park run was a slightly more difficult run, We had to run 4 km around the park and I struggled to keep up with my fellow runners. I tried walking faster and tried to keep the last of the runners in sight. After one loop around the park we had to run up a small rock right in the middle of the park to gain some experience of hill running. Coach Kanishka was near the rock giving encouragement to all the runners. I ran up the hill with fellow runner Raji who kept encouraging me to run faster. I had to do 2 runs up the rock but unknowing I did 4 runs. After that we had to run three more loops around the jogger's trail. I was exhausted and I was walking more and running less. I kept taking a very long time for each lop and after my second loop which I walked most of the distance, coach Srini coud not see my plight any more and asked me to stop and do the stretches.

The Saturday run was scheduled to take place at the Kanakpura trail. Through the week Pani kept saying that he might not be able to make it to the run as he was working very late everyday. But finally he could not our enthusiasm and excitement and finally made it to the run. Pani, Rashmi, Aseem and I set out early at 5.30 so that we could reach the destination well within time. Again, Kanakpura trail is a long way from our area and it was a good 1 hour drive.

The run commenced at sharp 5.30 am and the long drive was all worth it as the trail is beautiful. We had

 run up to the 3.5 km point and turn back. I started very well and ran a good distance before slowing down and begginning to walk. At the end of the 2 km mark there is a beautiful lake and the entire trail is lined on both the sides with beautiful trees. The villagers have got used to the runners by now. I lost my fellow runners right after the 2 km mark when I started slowing down. Then I met Shubha who is coach George;s wife. We decided to run together. We had a good conversation and discussedabout a lot of things. As we neared the 3.5 mark, we saw a lot of villegers standing near the turning. We decided to avoid them as we didnt know what they were there for. We turned around a few paces ahead. imediately the villagers started cheering us and calling out 'mosa' 'mosa' 'illi tirug bekittu' which means 'cheating, cheating, you were supposed to turn around here' in Kannada. had a good laugh and were laughing about it for quite a long time.

As we were approaching the 5 km water stop, Shubha developed pain in her calf muscles. We met Kaiwan who was manning the aid station and he congratulated us on our pace and said that we were doing very well. Shubha told me that she would walk the rest of the distance. I came back to the beautiful lake and spent a few moments admiring the beauty and the serenity of the place. Even though the trail had a lot of killer ups and downs I was able to run up a few. But the rest, I had to walk them up. But still I tried to maintain a fast pace even during the walk. Al in all, the beauty of the place kept me going and I was able to complete the run in 1 hr and 40 minutes and arrived at the starting to a lot of loud cheering by the fellow runners.

That day, the elite senior runners of the group along with Santosh were doing the 50 km run and it was really very inspiring to see them run.They had started their run at 5.30 itself and finished their run at 10.30. The sheer beauty of seeing a person run those distances and the passion with which they do it is something very commendable. The run ended with very tasty sandwiches that Rashmi had got for all of us and hot steaming coffee and tea from my thermos flask that I had started taking along with me for each run.

The Sunday run was again at Cubbon Park and we had to run 5 km. One round around the park which is 4 kms and 3 rounds around the jogging track. After the Kanakpura run I was totally exhausted and could not run very well. Karthik who is the 8 yr old son of fellow runner Manjunath Rao kept me company throughout the run.His constant chatter and his description of his exploits on the cricket field was very delightful to hear and we both ran together. He kept chasing the pigeons every time we passed them and their flight together made a wondrous sight to behold. Coach Srini joined me during the last 1.5 km of the run and encouraged me to run by timing myself and strictly adhering to the intervals. He told me about maintaining a rhythm, breathing in rhythm, keeping to the timing of 3 minutes run and 1 minute walk and to gradually reduce the length of walks and increase the length of runs.

All in all a very beautiful week of running and discovering ....

Process Runner : Week 3

Oct 8 - Oct 14:

Once again, the week begins on Sunday afternoon with the arrival of the mail from Santosh. The previous week Santosh had sent us the runner's Log which I started filling diligently after each day of running. This will keep me informed about my progress after each session and also coach's comments about ways to improve and their thoughts.

Tuesday Rashmi and I teamed up to run around the storm water drain. This time the duration was increased to 25 minutes. So, I had to do three rounds and a distance of 3.6 km as each loop around the storm water drain is 1.2 km. I ran at a slightly reduced pace and so was able to run a little longer distance before I had to stop to catch my breath and walk. I was tiring out quickly and couldn't run well. We ran in the evening at around 6.00 pm which is very late as we have less than twelve hours to recover for the next day's Wednesday quality workout.

The next day Wednesday was the train workout. Pani, Rashmi and I set out once again at 5.30 am with all enthusiasm for the train workout. The conversation during the car drive centred around how tough the train workout is and what are the best ways to tackle it. I got tips to remain calm and not to get into a competitive mode. Srini was the coach for the day and he explained the concept and encouraged me to run well. I found it very difficult to sprint at such high speeds and the recovery for the next run was very difficult. Srini kept encouraging me to keep running and not give up. But the lungs felt like they are going to burst and the heart kept pumping more and more. The encouragement from fellow runners Anu and Shubhashini and coach Srini was what kept me to try harder and not give up. Mainly due to the voices of encouragement that kept egging me to go on I was able to run the six loops.

The Wednesday workouts are killer workouts and we feel the effects after we come home. Firstly we are always ravenously hungry. Even though I cannot eat too much at each meal, the frequency of eating has increased. The stomach rings the alarm every three hours and has to be filled with some nutritious food. Apart from that the muscles make their presence felt. For the first time I knew each and every muscle in my legs which were screaming thank you for having awakened them from deep slumber for the first time. The hardest part of a Wednesday is that I have to come home , get ready and head straight to the office. At the office after sitting at the desk for two to three hours, when I get up to go to the water cooler, the legs feel like lead and as though they have got set and the ows! and ohs! from me have evoked quite a few jokes from my colleagues. The key I have realised is to take a short walk every half an hour to prevent this from happening. Finally at night, the tierd muscles make their presence felt the most and ache and cry. But its all the good pain and an highly enjoyable experience.

The Saturday run was at Cubbon park again and this time my distance was 7 km. So in a matter of three weeks I had come to the point of running 7 kms. Due to the short duration of our training program which was only 7 weeks, our ramp up was very steep. We had to take the loop around the park which is about 4 kms and then come back to do three loops on the joggers track. which is another 3 kms. We Bangaloreans are very fortunate to have two beautiful parks right at the heart of the city, Lalbaug and Cubbon Park which are a haven to runners and walkers alike to pursue their fitness regimens. Cubbon park is beautiful in the mornings and there are many other walkers and joggers apart from our Runner's High

 I found it very difficult to run on that day also and I walked most of the distance. My buddy group runners all raced ahead of me and I struggled to keep up with the group. As I did not know the route, I focused on keeping the last of the runners in sight. I returned back to the main running area and then had to run three loops inside the jogging track. I was very slow and was walking quite a good distance in the first two loops. Each loop took me at least 15 to 17 minutes to complete. During the third lop, Seema came and joined me. I decided to run at her pace and we struck up a lively conversation which helped me to run at a good pace. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had completed the third loop in just 11 minutes. Then and there both Seema and I decided that we run well and better when we run together and decided to run together from now on during every training session.

The Sunday training session was scheduled at the world renowned Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. I were very exited to be entering such a hallowed seat of knowledge and innovation. Pani, Rashmi and I left early as it is quite a long drive to Bannerghatta road from our area and I felt quite at awe  as we drove past the security guards and the gates and into the campus. The pure and pristine atmosphere inside the tall gates, the well maintained campus and the neatly maintained gardens and trimmed lawns evoked a new sense of respect and wonder in me. The contrast between what exists outside the high walls of IIMB and what is present inside is unmistakable. The chaotic and pollution filled roads outside and the beautiful atmosphere inside is proof of what India is and what it can be with a little bit more political will and strong leadership.

But, I am digressing and coming back to running, it was the recovery run of 3 kms and we had to do a loop of 1.5 kms up to the hostel and back. I started with my buddy group but they raced way ahead of me. I struggled to keep sight of the last of the runners as I was walking after less than 1 minute of running. After I had lost sight of them completely and we were nearing the last 1 km, I decided to catch up and ran fast and even sprinted twice. The recovery time after each sprint was excruciating but it helped me to catch up with Seema and I was able to finish the run along with my buddy group to loud cheering and welcoming by our fellow runners.

Thus ended my third week of running with a great deal of satisfaction and a deep feeling of  fulfilment. 

Process Runner : Week 2

Oct 1 - Oct 7:

The second week of training began with the arrival of the mail from Santosh promptly on Sunday afternoon. By now I had become eager to receive the mail and to know where the Saturday and the Sunday runs would be.

Monday is always a rest day. Tuesday is the short run near my house for fifteen minutes. I teamed up with rashmi for a run around the storm water drain. I set out from the office early so that I could run with Rashmi. I got a rap on my wrist from my 'BOSS' for leaving the office early for this new crazy passion of mine. After our run, Rashmi and I did our stretches and foot drills. I hadn't yet got the stretches and the sequence of the foot drills. Rashmi patiently explained the it all to me. My body was very stiff and I couldn't bend much. But nevertheless like a true soldier I carried on!

Wednesday was the straights and curves work out. After the warm up of two laps and the form exercises, we had to run eight laps of easy run in straights and curves method. It means we run for one minute and walk for three minutes till we get our breath back. It was quite tough and I kept tiring out at shorter distances and couldn't run much. 

Saturday was the Easy run at Decathlon and the distance we had to run was 5 Km. Again, I couldn't run beyond 1 minute and had to walk much of the distance. We had to run with our buddy groups. But since I was the slowest in my buddy group, everyone else went way ahead of me. Seema stayed with em for a good distance and then went ahead at her pace. Rashmi started getting her famous sandwiches and they are so tasty that all the run and the hard work seems worth it just to eat her sandwiches. Since we had driven in my car, Rashmi and I left early and did not wait for Pani.

Sunday was the recovery run of fifteen minutes at Cubbon Park. We did the form exercises, stretches and the foot drills as well. I had carried hot coffee with me. So Pani, Rashmia and I shared a tumbler of hot coffee, yes a steel tumbler of hot coffee before heading to the Kamat hotel for some masala dosa.