EPIC Fail Run

The quads froze and the pain started as my Garmin Fenix beeped 3KM, just outside the Gachibowli stadium. I knew then this was going to be a longer-than-expected run at least as far as timing was concerned. I hadn’t run 21K in over an year or so. I showed up on the start line with no illusion of sub 2 half marathon. I had obviously hit those numbers many times even with little preparation but such a long gap wasn’t going to help. I had hoped for a 2h20m’ish finish. That would mean swallow my pride but at least that would be a respectable close. Of course, cramped quads wasn’t in the equation. A tight quad or a sore hamstring I had prepared to deal with in the last 3 kms. Here the timing of cramps was inverse.

The rest of the run was a start stop affair. Being in Hyderabad and esp this part of the town you eventually make peace and even come to love the hills and the inclines. So every incline up I grabbed the invitation to let it fly, often failing to surmount the hill despite throwing kitchen sink at it. But the biggest bummer was downhill as the rock-solid quads screamed even more as knees took additional weight stepping down the hill. It became a struggle eventually to just run anywhich way. I was glad to come across a pacer and another runner along with him. They helped push me through the last 3 kms. By the time I showed up crashed and burned at the finish line, with hands raised for customary finisher photo, the clock had ticked 2h 45m.

Instinctive reaction of a runner once the run is done is to click a couple of buttons on their fitness trackers. The readings, especially run time and elevation, are the two metrics that determines the emotions of a runner. The spectrum of the emotions range between dejected to overjoyed, often not binary. So it was no surprise when I fidgeted to complete the run on the watch and gawked at those metrics. I was relieved, depressed and thankful in that order. 

Relieved that I was finally over the finish line having entertained the DNF thoughts many times. Depressed because this was my longest time ever to finish a half-marathon - even longer than when I first graduated from 10K to 21K. And finally, thankful that I started and finished because failure - EPIC failure here actually, is the best teacher. I wouldn’t be reflecting if it wasn’t for this helluva of run. 

Of course when situation goes sideways by such a huge margin the brain starts to find reasons, some rational but often irrational. I had just run 17km only a few weeks back on a similar terrain under 1h45mins. What just happened here?

- Was it lack of sleep the night before the run? I managed to catch a wink only for a couple of hours.

- Was it because of zero carb intake I had purposely planned for last 4 days? Surely I wanted to see the impact on the performance with this diet but was I overreaching assuming my body would find a way somehow to fuel the run?

- Was it lack of alcohol? Did I say irrational! I’ve been off my favorite single malts for close to an year now. I have run better times the morning after a good company accompanied by good malt.

- Or was it age? But hey, didn’t some researcher found that running was the only sport where your timing improves with age? Yeah, I know plateau and tapering but again only 3 weeks ago the engine was revving well!

There was a time when I could get out of any side of bed and get a half marathon done in close to 2hr. No prep, no roadside fueling. Just me, my garmin, trusted adidas adizeros and a small 250ml handy flask filled with water (yeah, nothing yes in that flask I assure you). Today was a reminder perhaps that the time is drawing to close. 

If I need to hit those magical sub 2’s again - even get anywhere close, I will have to ditch the comfort of courts - badminton and squash, and go back to my beloved roads and rough it out on the streets. Today, then, I conclude eventually was a not-so-subtle reminder from my first love - Running to get consistent with it once again.

For the record - Distance 21.1K Time 2h45. Elevation 200m. Humidity 97%. Status Finisher! 

Squatting Now!

#gonetorun this morning and came across a bizarre happening.

I am trudging up the Waverock hillside and notice a chap doing squats in a perfect posture about 200-300 meters away. That he is doing so next to a car seems strange but not completely unbelievable. I have stopped the car in middle of long drives and did drills - push-ups and sit-ups - to get the Chi flowing again. To each his own OCD, I thought.

100 meters later I began to wonder otherwise. The form seems fine, knees slightly bent and  hips dipping perfectly to the ground but his hands, shouldn’t they be cross resting on his shoulders? From afar it seemed that was the case but now I see hands a little higher than the shoulder. Perhaps this dedicated fitness freak is making it tougher for himself.

50 meters away from him now and clarity emerges. The chap is no fitness freak and no, he isn’t squatting to tone up his quads and strengthening hamstrings. His hands are crossed alright but touching his ears, not shoulders. He is prostrating on the side of a car. Indeed, some people like to treat vehicles with godly respect but this is bordering on stupidity now, I thought.

10 meters away from the guy and I notice a bald chap sitting in the car. That’s when the real story emerges. Turns out that the boss is dealing out corporal punishment to his driver, literally counting the squats. Right in the middle of a busy road.

In 200 meters I go from admiration to disgust about humanity.

Pink-ed

Lady, Gaga!

#gonetorun yesterday. On the return leg of my route I was passing through a woman runner. I had noticed her earlier on the downhill and just by looking at her pace I knew she wasn't here for the first time. I egged her on as she made the way up the hill.

She reciprocated my nudge by telling me she wished she had my speed. I slowed down a bit and we got talking.

I mentioned that I'd read somewhere that running is the only sport in which you improve with age and it has worked for me, so it must be true. She told me it wasn't working that way for her - she had been slowing down over the last few years.

Turns out she had been running since 2001/2002. A few years ago, she ran Bangalore Ultra 100KM. She did 112KM in the Nilgiris a couple of years ago. She felt that while the endurance has gone up, her legs were beginning to slow down. That probably explains why she was trudging up and down the ISB road training her legs on the hill.

I was awed. Before bidding her good bye, I told her she has ran more than 2x of the furthest I have run.

And then I told myself, which I didn't share with her, that I need to gather speed because I have a long way to catch up with her. She is a superstar. Salute and RESPECT!

Pinkathon

It's that time of the year when swathes of pink come running out on the road. Yes, it's time for Pinkathon.

Several ladies I know, including my wife, participate in this event. Some of them are serious runners looking for their PBs. Most of them though show up because the lady next door - who has 2 young kids, or who is so-out-of-shape-yet-attempting, or who is so very popular in the community as a health freak - is also going. It is the same reason why the neighbors' neighbor also shows up. And before you know it, every 2nd women in the neighborhood is preparing for the event with evening 'brisk' walks. 

I totally respect the sentiments of the individuals running in these events. I just hope they know better than "neighbor's envy" as the reason for their participation.

While the reasons may vary, almost all the ladies have a common objective to show-up at Pinkathon. The ultimate prized possession for the most is to return home with a 'selfie-with-Soman' - Milind Soman.

Talking of the cause, I happen to recently speak to a bunch of ladies participating this year. None of them had a clue about the cause supported by Pinkathon. It's breast cancer, in case you were wondering too.

Speed Boat

Never let the mind goad you to believe that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Woke up this morning with soar limbs courtesy heavy-duty iron pumps at the Gym yesterday. For a good few minutes my mind swung between ‘why not skip today’ to “don’t break the habit”. Eventually I took the spin.

And glad I did. The return on investment made it worthwhile.

-        Fastest 1K @ 4:28 mins.

-        Fastest 5K @ 23:37 mins.

-        Fastest 10K @ 48:32 mins.

And to think I almost did not run today only because my mind was almost about to bend? Never let it goad your will.