Run 10 - Tata Mumbai Marathon (21.1 Km) - 19th Jan 2020

The much awaited run of my life, the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) was held on 19th January 2020.   All and sundry cannot run in half marathon / full marathon. There is cut-off timing agewise and only if you had run in any approved event within those specified time, you can run in this event.

I did not qualify within the cut-off timings and hence had to run through the charity bib.   Once our running club of office was formed and after our first run in July, quite a few of us picked up running as a hobby - but none of us had the time to register ourselves directly.  That is when our CEO Kavi decided that we will support a charity and a few employees will run in TMM.  The excitement began then and I coordinated with TRRAIN, a NGO that works for the benefit of retail employees and decided to sponsor them in exchange of 25 slots in TMM.

I had registered for the Half Marathon - my 3rd and was all set for the run.  Just couple of weeks before TMM, I had attended a couple of trial classes for running and shortlisted "Striders" as the one with whom I will train.  I attended only a handful of classes, but seeing the group and the energy levels, I was determined to do well in the run.  Also, running Powai Run just a fortnight before gave me a good experience as well as confidence boost to do well.

Coordinated with my neighbours, Rajesh Menon and Amit Paithankar.  Left home at 3:15 am in Amit's car.  We were stopped at the foot of Elphinstone bridge - got in a BEST bus which dropped us on Annie Besant Road - we walked to Worli Diary, the starting point of the race.

Met my colleagues, Kavi, Prameeta, Sriram and Pravin.   After a few stretchings, we were all set to start the race !!

The race started from Worli Seaface.   After the first kilometre, we were to hit the sealink.  Running of the sealink was something I was looking forward to.  The crowd that started the half marathon was close to 13,000.  Imagine such a crowd running on the wide sealink and finding their space and time to make themselves comfortable..  It was wonderful to run on the sea-link.  At the end of the sealink, we were to take a U-turn and come back to Worli Seaface.  What I saw at the end of sealink was something I feel bad - when the whole country is talking of "Swacch Bharat", we had runners lining up at the end of the sealink to pee.   This is inspite of the organisers arranging mobile toilets at frequent intervals.   Also, this place comes at close to 5 Km mark.   









Pc: Sriram Radhakrishnan

Came back from the sealink and hit the 10 Km mark.   The mistake I did was that I ran this stretch a bit faster than my usual time.  The moment I came out of sealink, I felt a bit tired and couldn't push myself.   However, I kept telling me that Peddar Road (an incline stretch) is another 3 Kms away and I had to anyway walk it.  Rather, I will run this stretch.  Pushed myself and reached Haji Ali & beginning of Peddar Road.

It was so nice to see Sandeep Naik, who is the Managing Director and Head of General Atlantic’s business in India & Southeast Asia standing by the side of the road and cheering the runners.  After a "hi" to him, I started my run again.  What I was about to hit was "Peddar Road".  One of the inclines in the entire stretch - but the way people lining up and cheering take you through.

There was a girl holding a placard that read "Usain Bolt ran only 100 mtrs. You are running much more".  There was another one that read "You inspire me".  There was a gentleman who was offering "free hugs".  Clicked his picture, hugged him and started my run.

Once the Peddar road and the Kemps corner bridge were crossed, I started my run (had walked the last one km).  Ran almost till we reached Chowpatty.  Started getting tired and walked and ran the entire marine drive.   Saw that we are just less than a Km from the end when we took a left turn at "Pizza by the Bay".  I started running the stretch and the moment we took left from Churchgate station, there were a sign mark of 500 Mtrs left.  Started increasing my speed and encouraged all the fellow runners to give their best in the end.   There were marks every 100 mtrs and finished the race at a good time of 2:36:54.  This was my personal best and I had improved from my Powai time by 3 minutes.  Wish I had run the first 10 kms a bit slow - would have had the energy to finish at a better time!!  Lessons learnt !

The biggest problem started after we finished the run.  The 10 Km runners also finish at the same spot.  There was a big queue to get out to the Azad Maidan.  Somehow got into it and the chaos started.  After running 21.097 Kms, one should not face this.  There was a big queue and chaos for collection of medals.  A lady standing next to me started fainting.  I and few others who were standing behind her caught hold of her and made to sit on the floor - gave her water.  After a few minutes, she said, she was fine and got up.  The chaos was anyway there.  We would have moved a couple of steps only, she again started to faint.   Along with another person, we shouted "medical emergency" and took her to the grounds without collecting our medals.  Made her sit, drink water and after she confirmed she was alright, I went to meet my colleagues.  Took a few photos and went to collect my medal.  The chaos was worse.  Somehow got a medal (even 10Km runners were given HM medals).  

The entire race was marred with the controversy post the race !!

Took a train to Vikhroli and then a rick and came home by 11 am...

Mission accomplished !!  Ran on the sea-link !! Qualified for the next TMM on my own !!

Run 9 - Hiranandani Powai Run (21.1 Kms) - 5th Jan 2020

As mentioned in my earlier blogs, had signed up for two half marathons in the month of January.  The first one was today, the Hiranandani Powai Run, my home run.  I have seen Powai Run grow year on year.  This apparently is the 9th edition.  My first "home run" was the Half Marathon.   

Battling some injuries in the previous year, I had apprehensions as to how my half marathon would turn out to be.  Also, at the back of my mind, there were fears of the injury that I had while I ran the navy run.  However, in the run up to this event, I had made adequate preparations.   My sister, Surekha had gifted me an Apple 5 watch - it helped me a lot in analysing my runs - the splits as well as heart rate explaining as to how I performed.

Coming to this specific run, they changed the course from the earlier years - it used to be Powai to Powai, but this time, the start of the run was from opposite to Godrej One on the Eastern Express Highway.  The route was from Godrej all the way to Bhandup Pumping (the turn to Airoli) and a U Turn from there to JVLR.  In JVLR, we run on the wrong side all the way upto L&T Gate 1 (aarey road) and a U Turn from there back to JVLR.  Cross the road below the Powai police station bridge and enter Hiranandani in the Heera Panna road and reach the finish line.  I loved this route - it avoided loops which we used to have in BKC generally and it gets bored.  Also, the first 12 - 13 Kms was flat track on the service road of EEH.   Couple of steep gradients - Gandhi nagar all the way to IIT 
and then L&T Gate 1 till Powai Lake.  

On this run, I did not have a good sleep.  Indira and kids were coming back from their vacation and I went to airport to pick them - the flight landed at midnight and we were back home by 12.45 am.  I went to bed at 1 am with an alarm at 3.45 am.  Kept rolling on the bed before sleeping at 1.45 am.  The alarm rang at 3.45 - got up and left home at 4 am.  The reporting time was 4.30 am and I was there on that time.  Met my colleague, Pravin Kumar - did some streches and was all set to go for the run.

As mentioned earlier, the first 12 Kms were more on a flat surface.  I started well and was going at a constant speed for the first 6 Kms - later slowed down a bit, but still was very consistent.  When I crossed 10 Kms, I checked the timings in my watch - 72 minutes - it was my personal best - If I was running only 10 Km, I would have pushed a bit in the end, but the focus here was conserving energy as another 11 Kms need to be completed.

Then came the Gandhi Nagar bridge - ran for some distance and walked the balance till IIT Market.  Again ran a bit - kept maintaining the same timing.  While taking a U Turn at L&T gate 1, I realised that I have covered 18 Kms at approx 2:15 hrs. .  Another 3 Kms left and the cut-off time for qualifying for TMM was 2:43 hrs.  I decided that I need to finished before the cut off time.   Was very tired, but kept pushing.  For the last one km, I pushed - my watch mentioned I covered the last Km at 7:16 mins.  Finished at 2:39.51...  Chopped off 27 minutes from my earlier half marathon, which was a disaster..

Very happy to have completed the race without any injury and also in a decent time.

Looking forward to Tata Mumbai Marathon on 19th January 2020 !!

2019 - A reflection

When I look back and reflect on 2019, running was a new addition to my life.  If someone had told me on 1^st Jan 2019 that I would be running 500 Kms in the year, I would have scoffed.  With hours and hours of practice runs and 8 official runs comprising of one half marathon, one 15 Km run, four 10 Kms and two 5 Km runs, I have ran close to 500 Kms in the second half of the year (all started somewhere in mid June 2019).  It has helped me achieve the main aim – weight and waist reduction!!

As mentioned in the first post of this blog, when our new (then new!) CEO, Kavi formed a running group within the organisation, I did not join as I had failed multiple times trying to run.   I could not run beyond 1.5 Kms.  Hence, bought a cycle and tried to get into cycling.  However, I tried to run in parallel and see if I can achieve.  While I was determined (it was early June and the humidity was high), somehow I ran 4.5 Kms one day and then messaged Kavi that this is what I have achieved in parallel. Within seconds he added me to the group and asked me not to quit.  I decided to register myself for 10 Kms in Kanakia run, which was the first marathon / event the group of office was to run.    To  my surprise, out of 30 odd people who had registered for it, only 6 ran 10 Kms and I was one among them !

Have signed up for two half marathons in the month of January - Powai run on 5th Jan and Tata Mumbai Marathon on 19th January.   What made this formation?  Even before the Kanakia run which was in end July, on 18th July after I posted a run of 5.5 Kms, Kavi mentioned “Arun we are running 21k in Nov”.  My response was “Am in primary.  You are asking to complete post graduation in Nov”.  Thanks to motivation from Kavi, I completed the post graduation (Navy Marathon) with Kavi honouring his words – “I will hold your hand and ensure you finish”.  We finished together!!

Running these 500 Kms made me also understand human anatomy better.   Got all sorts of injuries – runners knee, runners toe, runners heel.  However, determined I am to finish better in 2020.  My new year resolution is to run atleast 1500 Kms in the year.  Even if I run for 25 days in a month for about 5 Kms, I will achieve this target.

Special thanks to Kavi for encouraging me to run and also to my ex-colleague Davis John who runs almost half marathons every week and is an inspiration for me.

Run 8 - Kisna Diamond Marathon (10 Kms) - 22nd Dec 2019

After running the Navy marathon in the third week of November, I had to tend to my IT Band issue.  Did not want to stretch myself and hence did not go for any run.  Got the foam roller as advised by Dr. Bhoomi Gala, my physio and worked on it.  Also, had a black toe due to "runners toe" and the toe pained for a couple of weeks.   I had signed for this run long back and as it was a month after Navy run, was fine.

The run was to start at 6 am - I was awake early and left home at 4.45 am.  Around 5 am, I was at the venue.   21Km run was to start at 5.30 am and the runners were warming up.  As I had registered for a 10 km run, I had some more time and did the warm up with them.  Did lots of warm up and was ready to run.  As I was coming back from injury, was a bit worried.

Met my colleague Pravin Kumar, who was to run 21Km - after wishing him well, I again stretched myself.  The run started and it was smooth.  I could see that I was getting into a nice rhythm.  However, the worry of injury was at the back of my mind and hence I did not push myself.  

Ran the distance of 10 Kms (2 loops in flat BKC) in 1:18:06, the slowest of my four 10Km runs.  But, the satisfaction was that I did it and finished without any threat of injury.  

One of the highlights was that I was able to maintain consistency in my timings since the 4th Km.  This was the consistency I was hoping and was glad to achieve the same.  I felt confident that I can shave off atleast 3-4 minutes of the total time if I could give my best.

Icing on the cake was having foot massage from visually challenged men at the end of the race.  Felt good that I was doing something for them and also the massage was good.

Having signed up two 21 Kms runs in January (Powai run and the Tata Mumbai Marathon), decided to focus on training for the same and not register for any other run.

Hope to complete more runs in 2020.