The other side of Thirty!

Disclaimer: The title of this post is not intended to bluff my age. You, my friends, already know that I look much younger than my profile picture.

Last week, on a whim, I registered for the Bangalore Ultra 50 KM to be run in November. The distance is about 8 KMs more than I have ever run in my life. I walked 100 KM at Oxfam last year in January but then walking is much tougher. Don’t believe me? Try walking for 12 hours at a stretch in a baking Bangalore sun, and you shall know.

Back to the run. I had previously successfully run 42 KM at the Bangalore marathon in Oct 2014 with a not-so-impressive-timing of 5 hours. My second attempt at the full marathon at the SCMM in January 2015, where I was hoping to improve my timing, was a disaster.

At the time I had reinitiated into running about 6 weeks before the SCMM, just after concluding all the rituals post my father’s untimely demise. Obviously, I disregarded the “experts’ advice” of gradually phasing into the running cycle and straight away attempted to go past 10 KM. At around 8 KM a seething pain went up from my right knee to the hip. That was the end of the run, which I discovered later consulting with Dr. Gladson was caused due to stiffness on Illiotibial band, popularly called ‘ITB issue’.

Despite the ITB setback, I was keen to run the SCMM. I went into hyper stretching mode recommended by Dr. Gladson virtually every time I had an opportunity to do so, in office or at home. The situation was made further challenging due to my constant travels to Australia. Come the running weekend, I flew directly from Sydney to Mumbai to run the SCMM. About 2 weeks prior to the event, my body had started giving encouraging signs. Even though I did not run much through the recovery period, the stretches were getting better and the body seemed increasingly flexible. Or, so I had hoped!

On the day of the race, the hope held well till 23 KM. And then ITB resurfaced. I carried on gingerly for another 3-4 KM and somewhere around 27 KM I was barely able to walk. Past 28 KM sign, I was walking on my left leg and the right leg barely supporting the body. And that was the end of it – SCMM 2015.

So, this morning as I sneaked out of the home, it was as much a test of my legs to venture beyond where they hadn’t been in the last 2 years as well as overcome the mental block set since the ITB issue surfaced.

As it turned out, I could go beyond the planned 30 KM. The first 10 KM was done and dusted in 58 mins, the next 10 KM in 60 mins, and the next 10 KM in 62 mins. Fortunately, no sign of ITB, and I am happily moving on my two feet and about to take the folks out for dinner.

I have a renewed hope for Bangalore Ultra!!! 5 weeks to GO!