A bit better finishing 3 kms in 28 mins. The calves were both paining all the way through and haven't been able to hit a rhythm in the 1 hr I have run till now, maybe should start running outside soon. The breathing and stamina need to improve a lot , have not been able to hold a speed of 10 for minute and had to go as low as 5. Good news is that the body is getting used to it and so pushing is becoming a bit easier, maybe will be able to do a 5 km run before the end of this month
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
So it begins, again!
At 74+ kgs and 6 years older I start on the journey to fitness again. Started on the same treadmill slowly hitting a maximum speed of 8.2 and going as low as 4.2. The left leg felt flat footed and ankle can give some prolonged pain as I plodded for half an hour. took me 29 mins to do 3 kms by that reckoning will take me about 7 hrs to complete a marathon. My goal this time is to do a sub-5 hr full marathon in Jan 2015. Should be able to do a half marathon in 2 hrs by June.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Nice Run after Sunset
Today was a day without any work to do. So , went on a longer run , probably about 5 kms. The cool breeze all along the way made it a comfortable exercise and I was happy to double up on the previous distance in two days , so 12 kms next week seems pretty easily doable , maybe I should set a time limit now. Went ahead to pound some pedals and this time smartly choose an easier mode to finish 5 kms in 16 mins. I am gonna make it a habit to pound some everyday , after all it takes just about 15-16 mins.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Experience It!
2008 had its share of To-do-before-I-die ideas. We had the Bucket-List and then its desi version in Dasvidanya. Not really sure how many of us have a similar kind of a list. But, if you have one or will have one in the future, I have a suggestion to make.
At least, once in your lifetime, go and run the Mumbai Marathon.
One would obviously ask what’s so special about it, well here it goes.
The first and the most obvious reason would be that you get to see the “Stars” from Mumbai up-close. There is a catch here though; it works well only for Dream Runners (the 7-km run). If you want to catch the big fish instead (read Ambani) you might have to push yourself a bit and run the Half-Marathon (21 kms).
Well, all this would surely make anyone’s day, but if you want an experience of a lifetime, then, go, run the marathon.
Why Mumbai Marathon specifically? , because it’s the biggest one in India and provides a memorable route to run (and also because that’s the only one I have run ;))
The day started of with a too-early-to-be-up local train ride to CST (previously VT) station. The spirit of Mumbai was evident from such an early hour itself, half the compartment was filled with runners (all trying to be just-in-time for the start) with their bibs on them stating what targets they had set themselves. Most of them were trying to complete their targets for the first time and their nervousness could be read easily from their faces.
(Travelling early morning with the compartment full of runners)
We reached the enclosure and the lines for security checks were a grim reminder of what had struck the city a few weeks before. We started at about 7AM, about 40 minutes before the professional runners start.
The energy was just unbelievable, there was loud music, loud cheers, loud shouts, everything that was happening was loud and brimming with energy, the sound of footsteps made me realize the power of a charging herd, everybody were tearing away from the start line and flying away. Then we reached a turn and lo and behold we were running on the famous Queen’s Necklace- the Marine Drive. Running with the sea alongside is a sublime experience. You have people in the thousands moving along on one side and then on the other side is the morning sea – serene in beauty and unperturbed by the high activity alongside. There were bands along the embankments and a middle aged runner who was dancing on the road to the bhangra and later went on to complete his Half. And then in the crowd I saw a shirt, there were a lot of shirts around pledging their support to their charities, shirts with motivational slogans, shirts with humorous writing, some were personal messages and some of them were declaring that we wouldn’t cower down to terrorism , but the shirt I saw was different, it said.
“Dr.Roy
Born 1932”
It was fantastic, that someone of his age could actually run a long distance; I saw the senior citizen tag on his bib, so he was most probably running the senior citizens run of 8 kms. Just awesome!!
My friend Kela who was running 21 acted as a pace-maker and I tagged along and just as he was about to turn back on the return leg, who should come alongside but the eventual winners! , they had covered the 11 kms after starting about 45 mins after us, WOW!
After the turn-back for the Half-Marathon runners, the crowd suddenly vanished and all who were visible were spread out in a thin line along the road. And it was here the real journey started, with me alone and very sweaty.
Tried to keep up the speed with people who were passing me, also had to placate myself when I saw the pro’s finishing their 28 kms when I was struggling at 18. The heat was starting to tell and the knees were pleading, 19 ..20 ….21 and now for the first time I was stepping into unknown territory that of running another 21kms after finishing one round already. Slowed down the speed considerably as another 21 seemed a long way and the energy levels were very low. The pep-up at this point was when I reached the turn around point at about 23 kms at the Bandra reclamation (made famous by the Amitabh Bachchan ad for Lead India).It felt good that I had reached the extreme point of the race and there were people here in groups cheering the runners along.
But the excitement was short-lived as my legs started to protest the unprecedented and continuous torture they were being subjected to and the belly was also trying to make its presence felt. Had a few ml of orange juice in the morning, so I was depending on my last night’s dinner to fuel my run. Unfortunately, the calorific value of my dinner fell short of the requirements by a long way. I was feeling light; all the fat around my tummy had just melted away in a few hours.
[The weight loss advertisements that we see promise loss in a few weeks or so. I have found a new technique, let the dogs loose at your clients after promising them results in one day and that too doing it in the natural way!!:) , no machines, no chemicals involved, hehehe!!]
I noticed a guy running along with a small girl probably of 10 years, I did not have the words or the energy to say anything, a nice hi-five did the job of acknowledgement. There were people along the way who were offering biscuits to runners and I was very much tempted to jump into a shop for some instant energy giving chocolates or a restaurant for some quick breakfast, but I reminded myself that in the true spirit of the Marathon I wouldn’t consume anything that was not provided by the organizers or shared by the runners. [Later I had half an energy-bar shared by a runner, it didn’t help much, but the incident made me feel good about the camaraderie between runners.]
I slowly trudged along weary and tired, people just kept passing by me and my spirit was fading along with them. I just reminded myself that all I had to do was to count from 1 to 42 as simple as that [had to wait till I completed a kilometer every time to increment the number though].
Then as I was returning back, it was an amazing sight the streets were lined with kids. For them it must have felt like a carnival , a couple of them tried to pace me up too, one guy was kind enough to remind us that he being just 4-5 years old was able to run faster while we able bodied men were running so slow , to which Balu commented “IF ONLY THEY KNEW…”
I met Balu at around 26-27 kms, he was nursing an injury to his right leg and so was very much off his natural pace. I recognized him as a RFL member from his shirt and we pretty much tagged along from there.
The company and the chatting took the mind off from worrying about the pain or the distance, but the time we were taking to finish was always being marked. We had left all pretences of running and were walking along as fast as we could, having set a target of about 10-11 mins for every kilometer. I wanted to reach the line before 1 pm and have my run timed.
So, along the route we discussed how and why we started running and Balu was running his 2nd marathon after debuting in Hyderabad in August. I remember watching the Bourneville advertisement on the hoarding and commenting that ‘Well, we have proved ourselves worthy for a life-time supply today’. As we continued on our trot, we were passing by the race-course I guess, when I heard a familiar breathing, I could distinguish it because of the effort that was being put into it and who should pass by? But Dr. Roy, who I assumed was running 8 kms, was over-taking me at 35 kms; I was dumb-struck when Balu shared some information to alleviate this absurdity of a situation. Dr.Roy or specifically Dr. Ashish Roy is considered a legend among runners in India and he was running his [hold your breath] 77th Marathon that day. I decided then and there that all I want from my life would be to run a Marathon on my 75th birthday.
I saw a lot of awe-inspiring sights that day; one runner was just back after a heart-attack, one suffering from spondylitis ran with a neck support and his back must have been hurting like hell. But Dr.Roy takes the cake.
At around 37 kms, I left Balu as I wanted to try and make a last ditch effort to finish before 1pm. I ran along for about a kilometer or two and could do it no more, I had to cover 3 kms in 15 mins and my tank had been empty for a long time. I decided to just take it easy and walk to the finish line. But it wasn’t the end of surprises that day. As I walked along the Marine-Drive road, found a regular chap was walking alongside me; I was getting stares from the people on the road as the event had long been wrapped up and the traffic let on to the roads, and there I was walking in my shorts at noon!.
The guy asked me for the time, and we just started talking about the run. He was excited about the event and then he said that he had got up in the morning and saw people running in front of his house. His curiosity took over him and he started walking to find out where all of them were running to. His house is in Bandra and so he had trudged along in just his chappals for around 17 kms and would finish 19 kms with me!!! And that’s why I love Mumbai and its Marathon, the spirit generated is just infectious.
I told him about the whole process of getting registered and he was downcast when he realized that he had to pay for it , but when I told him about the goodie bag , there was a broad smile on his face.
And time passed and finally I reached the finish line, there was no huge cheering or music, but just Kela and his friend waiting for me. They had finished their Halfs around 9:30 and had spent time around the area to receive me at the finish line. Drank a bottle of juice and it just felt good, 42 kms were behind me and my mind had driven my body all through it!!!
We all went along for a nice lunch and a had a deserving nap for a few hours afterwards and then went visiting some friends. Next day I was back to routine.
(Happy to take a sip with the finish line behind me!)
It was a very satisfying experience, one which I intend to use this as a strength in times of need. Never ever had I witnessed and felt so much in so short a time. I had not prepared an iota for this run and had to struggle through it, next time I intend to complete it in less than 5 hours. For the record, I completed my first Marathon in 6 hrs and 10-15 mins.
At least, once in your lifetime, go and run the Mumbai Marathon.
One would obviously ask what’s so special about it, well here it goes.
The first and the most obvious reason would be that you get to see the “Stars” from Mumbai up-close. There is a catch here though; it works well only for Dream Runners (the 7-km run). If you want to catch the big fish instead (read Ambani) you might have to push yourself a bit and run the Half-Marathon (21 kms).
Well, all this would surely make anyone’s day, but if you want an experience of a lifetime, then, go, run the marathon.
Why Mumbai Marathon specifically? , because it’s the biggest one in India and provides a memorable route to run (and also because that’s the only one I have run ;))
The day started of with a too-early-to-be-up local train ride to CST (previously VT) station. The spirit of Mumbai was evident from such an early hour itself, half the compartment was filled with runners (all trying to be just-in-time for the start) with their bibs on them stating what targets they had set themselves. Most of them were trying to complete their targets for the first time and their nervousness could be read easily from their faces.
(Travelling early morning with the compartment full of runners)We reached the enclosure and the lines for security checks were a grim reminder of what had struck the city a few weeks before. We started at about 7AM, about 40 minutes before the professional runners start.
The energy was just unbelievable, there was loud music, loud cheers, loud shouts, everything that was happening was loud and brimming with energy, the sound of footsteps made me realize the power of a charging herd, everybody were tearing away from the start line and flying away. Then we reached a turn and lo and behold we were running on the famous Queen’s Necklace- the Marine Drive. Running with the sea alongside is a sublime experience. You have people in the thousands moving along on one side and then on the other side is the morning sea – serene in beauty and unperturbed by the high activity alongside. There were bands along the embankments and a middle aged runner who was dancing on the road to the bhangra and later went on to complete his Half. And then in the crowd I saw a shirt, there were a lot of shirts around pledging their support to their charities, shirts with motivational slogans, shirts with humorous writing, some were personal messages and some of them were declaring that we wouldn’t cower down to terrorism , but the shirt I saw was different, it said.
“Dr.Roy
Born 1932”
It was fantastic, that someone of his age could actually run a long distance; I saw the senior citizen tag on his bib, so he was most probably running the senior citizens run of 8 kms. Just awesome!!
My friend Kela who was running 21 acted as a pace-maker and I tagged along and just as he was about to turn back on the return leg, who should come alongside but the eventual winners! , they had covered the 11 kms after starting about 45 mins after us, WOW!
After the turn-back for the Half-Marathon runners, the crowd suddenly vanished and all who were visible were spread out in a thin line along the road. And it was here the real journey started, with me alone and very sweaty.
Tried to keep up the speed with people who were passing me, also had to placate myself when I saw the pro’s finishing their 28 kms when I was struggling at 18. The heat was starting to tell and the knees were pleading, 19 ..20 ….21 and now for the first time I was stepping into unknown territory that of running another 21kms after finishing one round already. Slowed down the speed considerably as another 21 seemed a long way and the energy levels were very low. The pep-up at this point was when I reached the turn around point at about 23 kms at the Bandra reclamation (made famous by the Amitabh Bachchan ad for Lead India).It felt good that I had reached the extreme point of the race and there were people here in groups cheering the runners along.
But the excitement was short-lived as my legs started to protest the unprecedented and continuous torture they were being subjected to and the belly was also trying to make its presence felt. Had a few ml of orange juice in the morning, so I was depending on my last night’s dinner to fuel my run. Unfortunately, the calorific value of my dinner fell short of the requirements by a long way. I was feeling light; all the fat around my tummy had just melted away in a few hours.
[The weight loss advertisements that we see promise loss in a few weeks or so. I have found a new technique, let the dogs loose at your clients after promising them results in one day and that too doing it in the natural way!!:) , no machines, no chemicals involved, hehehe!!]
I noticed a guy running along with a small girl probably of 10 years, I did not have the words or the energy to say anything, a nice hi-five did the job of acknowledgement. There were people along the way who were offering biscuits to runners and I was very much tempted to jump into a shop for some instant energy giving chocolates or a restaurant for some quick breakfast, but I reminded myself that in the true spirit of the Marathon I wouldn’t consume anything that was not provided by the organizers or shared by the runners. [Later I had half an energy-bar shared by a runner, it didn’t help much, but the incident made me feel good about the camaraderie between runners.]
I slowly trudged along weary and tired, people just kept passing by me and my spirit was fading along with them. I just reminded myself that all I had to do was to count from 1 to 42 as simple as that [had to wait till I completed a kilometer every time to increment the number though].
Then as I was returning back, it was an amazing sight the streets were lined with kids. For them it must have felt like a carnival , a couple of them tried to pace me up too, one guy was kind enough to remind us that he being just 4-5 years old was able to run faster while we able bodied men were running so slow , to which Balu commented “IF ONLY THEY KNEW…”
I met Balu at around 26-27 kms, he was nursing an injury to his right leg and so was very much off his natural pace. I recognized him as a RFL member from his shirt and we pretty much tagged along from there.
The company and the chatting took the mind off from worrying about the pain or the distance, but the time we were taking to finish was always being marked. We had left all pretences of running and were walking along as fast as we could, having set a target of about 10-11 mins for every kilometer. I wanted to reach the line before 1 pm and have my run timed.
So, along the route we discussed how and why we started running and Balu was running his 2nd marathon after debuting in Hyderabad in August. I remember watching the Bourneville advertisement on the hoarding and commenting that ‘Well, we have proved ourselves worthy for a life-time supply today’. As we continued on our trot, we were passing by the race-course I guess, when I heard a familiar breathing, I could distinguish it because of the effort that was being put into it and who should pass by? But Dr. Roy, who I assumed was running 8 kms, was over-taking me at 35 kms; I was dumb-struck when Balu shared some information to alleviate this absurdity of a situation. Dr.Roy or specifically Dr. Ashish Roy is considered a legend among runners in India and he was running his [hold your breath] 77th Marathon that day. I decided then and there that all I want from my life would be to run a Marathon on my 75th birthday.
I saw a lot of awe-inspiring sights that day; one runner was just back after a heart-attack, one suffering from spondylitis ran with a neck support and his back must have been hurting like hell. But Dr.Roy takes the cake.
At around 37 kms, I left Balu as I wanted to try and make a last ditch effort to finish before 1pm. I ran along for about a kilometer or two and could do it no more, I had to cover 3 kms in 15 mins and my tank had been empty for a long time. I decided to just take it easy and walk to the finish line. But it wasn’t the end of surprises that day. As I walked along the Marine-Drive road, found a regular chap was walking alongside me; I was getting stares from the people on the road as the event had long been wrapped up and the traffic let on to the roads, and there I was walking in my shorts at noon!.
The guy asked me for the time, and we just started talking about the run. He was excited about the event and then he said that he had got up in the morning and saw people running in front of his house. His curiosity took over him and he started walking to find out where all of them were running to. His house is in Bandra and so he had trudged along in just his chappals for around 17 kms and would finish 19 kms with me!!! And that’s why I love Mumbai and its Marathon, the spirit generated is just infectious.
I told him about the whole process of getting registered and he was downcast when he realized that he had to pay for it , but when I told him about the goodie bag , there was a broad smile on his face.
And time passed and finally I reached the finish line, there was no huge cheering or music, but just Kela and his friend waiting for me. They had finished their Halfs around 9:30 and had spent time around the area to receive me at the finish line. Drank a bottle of juice and it just felt good, 42 kms were behind me and my mind had driven my body all through it!!!
We all went along for a nice lunch and a had a deserving nap for a few hours afterwards and then went visiting some friends. Next day I was back to routine.
(Happy to take a sip with the finish line behind me!)It was a very satisfying experience, one which I intend to use this as a strength in times of need. Never ever had I witnessed and felt so much in so short a time. I had not prepared an iota for this run and had to struggle through it, next time I intend to complete it in less than 5 hours. For the record, I completed my first Marathon in 6 hrs and 10-15 mins.
Friday, February 6, 2009
You want to run a marathon, but you know you cannot , so what?
When you take stock of reality and realise that you wont be able to do something, there are two options left.
1.) Accept the reality and rest easy with the fact that you can give it a try another time.
2.) Be stubborn , ignore all facts and just go around with one thought in your head, that of completing the task you have set out for yourself.
My experience has thought me that more often than not , the first option is always the best and is more prudent.
But there is a catch in the statement above, in cases where the first option isn't probably the best one , i.e in the less often cases , following
the second options reaps rewards more than expected.
I was stubborn that I had to run the marathon , no matter what. As they say "Ignorance is Bliss" , but when you have already realised the
futility of the exercise, you cannot seek solace from ignorance.
The only way you can carry out a herculean task is to just blindly believe in yourself and root out any misgivings or doubts one might have.And
since you have already determined that the task cannot be carried out logically , one has to then boost up one's confidence illogically.
Booster Shot 1:
In the rarefied atmosphere above 2500mts , I trekked up a Himalayan mountain pretty comfortably. It was a climb of 16 kms for about 5 hours
, with the temperature hovering below 10 degrees Celsius. A good exercise and especially good way to judge if your lungs are ready to puff along
for a few hours. So , this was one huge boost before the big race. The legs did not pain , neither my back.Thoroughly enjoyed the pristine beauty
of the Himalayas and no sign of the shooting pain in the knee.
What's Illogical in this you ask.
Well , walking up a Himalayan mountain might be a good exercise , but it does never strain your legs. When you walk the stress you put on your
feet isn't the same as the one you do while running. So , taking heart from this trek and believing I was ready for the run was illogical.
Booster Shot 2:
The Race day is just 5 days away. I have not run for more than 600 mts in the last 6 months. I had to start running some time before.
But as always laziness rules!!!. And as always when the looming punishment for not doing my job seems to be more threatening than the
rewards of laziness, I get up at 7:30 (before I slept the night before, had decided to start running by 6 , there's always a pound of flesh to be extracted)
and start running towards Marathahalli. I wanted to check if I could run constantly for an hour. But , as soon as i started to get to my maximum speed,
my good old friend called pain in the ..... knee visits me. I slow down to a speed little more than a fast walk and continue.
People coming out on to the street , all ready and primed to go about their days work and there goes along one bespectacled guy dodging traffic and stares.
Is this guy nuts ?? running at this time in the heat.
I say : Marathahalli is too far ;).
So, I kept going , crossed my office (if only i got my swipe card along) and then onwards , found a couple of people coming back from their morning jogs.
It means, there are people who run around here. On the way, saw an athletic guy, (you ask how I got that, he wore a university athlete's shirt) , but had no stamina,
would run along for 20-30 mts and then start walking , phew.... over took him with my slow run and then climbed up the bridge to reach the point of turning back.
One of the most pleasing event when you run long is at the point you turn back in the loop. Half-done already so completing it in full is no problem.
This thought always goes through my mind every time I run long.
I get back to my room , have been on my feet for 1 hr and 20 mins straight (even though covered only about 9-10 kms).That's good for a first run after 6 months, but the big one is
just 5 days away.
What's Illogical here ,you again ask.
Lets say , the effort you take to complete a 5 Kms run can be provided by 20 biscuits.
For 10 Kms , it will be 40 , for 20 kms , 80 and so on as its proportionate to the distance
being run. Applying math , one can extend the 1 hr 20mins and say that in about 5 hrs I would be completing the Marathon.
And that I say is Illogical.It's only logical if you are a machine or a trained professional athlete.
The reason being, there is are limits for everyone.One physical and one mental.
I had never reached my physical limit of running continuously , neither the mental one, when running half-marathons.
I believe that I was almost at the limit when I finished those runs and so extrapolating my performance over another 21kms is not logical.
Yes, these were the big two Booster shots used to shoot up my confidence, they weren't miracle causing medicine, just placebos.
But they do their work well in the right hands;) .
1.) Accept the reality and rest easy with the fact that you can give it a try another time.
2.) Be stubborn , ignore all facts and just go around with one thought in your head, that of completing the task you have set out for yourself.
My experience has thought me that more often than not , the first option is always the best and is more prudent.
But there is a catch in the statement above, in cases where the first option isn't probably the best one , i.e in the less often cases , following
the second options reaps rewards more than expected.
I was stubborn that I had to run the marathon , no matter what. As they say "Ignorance is Bliss" , but when you have already realised the
futility of the exercise, you cannot seek solace from ignorance.
The only way you can carry out a herculean task is to just blindly believe in yourself and root out any misgivings or doubts one might have.And
since you have already determined that the task cannot be carried out logically , one has to then boost up one's confidence illogically.
Booster Shot 1:
In the rarefied atmosphere above 2500mts , I trekked up a Himalayan mountain pretty comfortably. It was a climb of 16 kms for about 5 hours
, with the temperature hovering below 10 degrees Celsius. A good exercise and especially good way to judge if your lungs are ready to puff along
for a few hours. So , this was one huge boost before the big race. The legs did not pain , neither my back.Thoroughly enjoyed the pristine beauty
of the Himalayas and no sign of the shooting pain in the knee.
What's Illogical in this you ask.
Well , walking up a Himalayan mountain might be a good exercise , but it does never strain your legs. When you walk the stress you put on your
feet isn't the same as the one you do while running. So , taking heart from this trek and believing I was ready for the run was illogical.
Booster Shot 2:
The Race day is just 5 days away. I have not run for more than 600 mts in the last 6 months. I had to start running some time before.
But as always laziness rules!!!. And as always when the looming punishment for not doing my job seems to be more threatening than the
rewards of laziness, I get up at 7:30 (before I slept the night before, had decided to start running by 6 , there's always a pound of flesh to be extracted)
and start running towards Marathahalli. I wanted to check if I could run constantly for an hour. But , as soon as i started to get to my maximum speed,
my good old friend called pain in the ..... knee visits me. I slow down to a speed little more than a fast walk and continue.
People coming out on to the street , all ready and primed to go about their days work and there goes along one bespectacled guy dodging traffic and stares.
Is this guy nuts ?? running at this time in the heat.
I say : Marathahalli is too far ;).
So, I kept going , crossed my office (if only i got my swipe card along) and then onwards , found a couple of people coming back from their morning jogs.
It means, there are people who run around here. On the way, saw an athletic guy, (you ask how I got that, he wore a university athlete's shirt) , but had no stamina,
would run along for 20-30 mts and then start walking , phew.... over took him with my slow run and then climbed up the bridge to reach the point of turning back.
One of the most pleasing event when you run long is at the point you turn back in the loop. Half-done already so completing it in full is no problem.
This thought always goes through my mind every time I run long.
I get back to my room , have been on my feet for 1 hr and 20 mins straight (even though covered only about 9-10 kms).That's good for a first run after 6 months, but the big one is
just 5 days away.
What's Illogical here ,you again ask.
Lets say , the effort you take to complete a 5 Kms run can be provided by 20 biscuits.
For 10 Kms , it will be 40 , for 20 kms , 80 and so on as its proportionate to the distance
being run. Applying math , one can extend the 1 hr 20mins and say that in about 5 hrs I would be completing the Marathon.
And that I say is Illogical.It's only logical if you are a machine or a trained professional athlete.
The reason being, there is are limits for everyone.One physical and one mental.
I had never reached my physical limit of running continuously , neither the mental one, when running half-marathons.
I believe that I was almost at the limit when I finished those runs and so extrapolating my performance over another 21kms is not logical.
Yes, these were the big two Booster shots used to shoot up my confidence, they weren't miracle causing medicine, just placebos.
But they do their work well in the right hands;) .
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Planning on running a Marathon? , never put yourself in this position
Well, any site on the web or any professional long-distance runner has one advice for the amateur runner who wants to experience the out of the world journey
of completing a marathon. Start preparing three to four months before the race. Have a schedule set up for each week with designated days for rest each week.
Do cross training, i.e do something else than running on atleast one day of the week.Keep increasing the distances you run every week.
Follow a low-high-low pattern of running distances.
For Example:
Week 1:
Monday : 5 kms
Tuesday : 6 kms
Wednesday : 7kms
Thursday:Rest
Friday :8 kms
Saturday :12 kms
Sunday: Rest
Week 2:
Monday : 7kms
Tuesday : 8 kms
......and so on.
Well these are the do's of preparing for a marathon.
Can someone give the dont's??
If there is some way to go about doing normal things in a crazy way, you bet there will be a person crazy enough in this world to do it.
And to do the honours this time, we have ( with utmost surprise and shock ) me !!!
Here goes the What Nots :
1.) Never get up on a day and suddenly realise that you had made a credit-card transaction some months ago to pay for the registration fees
of a marathon which is just a few weeks away.
2.) The worst possible scenario at this point would be to realise that you have not run a kilometer straight in the last 6 months.
3.) If that was not enough , there was nothing done in teh past few months that could be mistaken as cross-training , no activity that could atleast strength your muscles or lungs or heart or brain(do you think just legs are enough???)
4.) The worst can become worse when you realise that the reason you did not run for the past 6 months was that you carry an injury in the area around your left knee from your last long distance run.
5.) If the situation isn't already bad enough , the first time you take your legs out to try them on, you discover pain shooting along the path from the back of your left knee to your thigh.
6.) The speed you can run is atleast 3kms/hr below your average speed.
7.) You have no running partner , to go along with you over such a long distance (atleast there should be someone nearby , handy enough to resuscitate you ).
8.) You know of nobody who has done the marathon in the position that you are in.
9.) You realise going by your logic and the reality of pain that this cannot be done.
of completing a marathon. Start preparing three to four months before the race. Have a schedule set up for each week with designated days for rest each week.
Do cross training, i.e do something else than running on atleast one day of the week.Keep increasing the distances you run every week.
Follow a low-high-low pattern of running distances.
For Example:
Week 1:
Monday : 5 kms
Tuesday : 6 kms
Wednesday : 7kms
Thursday:Rest
Friday :8 kms
Saturday :12 kms
Sunday: Rest
Week 2:
Monday : 7kms
Tuesday : 8 kms
......and so on.
Well these are the do's of preparing for a marathon.
Can someone give the dont's??
If there is some way to go about doing normal things in a crazy way, you bet there will be a person crazy enough in this world to do it.
And to do the honours this time, we have ( with utmost surprise and shock ) me !!!
Here goes the What Nots :
1.) Never get up on a day and suddenly realise that you had made a credit-card transaction some months ago to pay for the registration fees
of a marathon which is just a few weeks away.
2.) The worst possible scenario at this point would be to realise that you have not run a kilometer straight in the last 6 months.
3.) If that was not enough , there was nothing done in teh past few months that could be mistaken as cross-training , no activity that could atleast strength your muscles or lungs or heart or brain(do you think just legs are enough???)
4.) The worst can become worse when you realise that the reason you did not run for the past 6 months was that you carry an injury in the area around your left knee from your last long distance run.
5.) If the situation isn't already bad enough , the first time you take your legs out to try them on, you discover pain shooting along the path from the back of your left knee to your thigh.
6.) The speed you can run is atleast 3kms/hr below your average speed.
7.) You have no running partner , to go along with you over such a long distance (atleast there should be someone nearby , handy enough to resuscitate you ).
8.) You know of nobody who has done the marathon in the position that you are in.
9.) You realise going by your logic and the reality of pain that this cannot be done.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
What Can You Do?
Completed the hyderabad half-marathon about a month ago along with sai and sp. It was an enjoyable trip and so was the run. Sadly , even after a month i haven't recovered, Urban Stampede was out of bounds cause of cost-cutting , guess that's the way everything is going these days, Ultra is out of question, so only thing that i can run is the kaveri trial marathon, will try another 21kms if my ligaments decide to heal up in time.Fingers Crossed
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
My Workout Plan -total review
Had started this plan on Feb 16th.
Goals set were:
March 15:Run 5 kms in under 30 mins.
March 30:Run 10 kms in under an hour.
April 19:Run 20 kms in under 2 hrs.
Did not go according to plan, as i was able to run 10 kms under an hour only on MAY 18th , but took a huge leap by running 20.8 kms in 2hr 6 mins 31 secs on June 1st. So, finally even though late i met my goals and along the way lost 5 kgs , rediscovered running and found a group to continue this habit. Will be using a Run Log to track my runs from now, so only major events will find a place here.
Goals for the remaining half-year:
August
Hyd Marathon -- 21 kms looks easy, if i can pump myself up and based on other commitments will go for full marathon.
Urban Stampede -- Get the team and haunt everyone including myself to finish 5 kms in 25 min.
Kaveri Trial Marathon --try for under 4 hrs.
Ultra-Marathon --- will run it for sure(if it doesn't clash with CAT ) , have to decide the distance, right now fixing 52 kms as the minimum.
So, at least 2 marathons by year-end :) , uff!! going a long way from a weight-gainer(by leaps and bounds) to marathon aspirant;)
Goals set were:
March 15:Run 5 kms in under 30 mins.
March 30:Run 10 kms in under an hour.
April 19:Run 20 kms in under 2 hrs.
Did not go according to plan, as i was able to run 10 kms under an hour only on MAY 18th , but took a huge leap by running 20.8 kms in 2hr 6 mins 31 secs on June 1st. So, finally even though late i met my goals and along the way lost 5 kgs , rediscovered running and found a group to continue this habit. Will be using a Run Log to track my runs from now, so only major events will find a place here.
Goals for the remaining half-year:
August
Hyd Marathon -- 21 kms looks easy, if i can pump myself up and based on other commitments will go for full marathon.
Urban Stampede -- Get the team and haunt everyone including myself to finish 5 kms in 25 min.
Kaveri Trial Marathon --try for under 4 hrs.
Ultra-Marathon --- will run it for sure(if it doesn't clash with CAT ) , have to decide the distance, right now fixing 52 kms as the minimum.
So, at least 2 marathons by year-end :) , uff!! going a long way from a weight-gainer(by leaps and bounds) to marathon aspirant;)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 09/05/08
Did a good thing this week, joined a run club of a sports apparel brand , they have been organizing runs for some time now for the 10 k run, went early at around 6:00 am on Wednesday and was truly amazed to see people of all ages warming up for the run.
The track was a 2.5 kms stretch inside the famous cubbon park and it was a good sight to see so many people out for their morning walks, some laughter club too was conducting its session:), anyways the run started and there was a group of 10 -15 people who just galloped off and i am not one who wants to be left behind so i just sprinted off behind them and run along for around 200-300 Mts. and that was that for the day:), started a sprint-stop-walk style of running.
Had kept a target of running 10 kms before i started and i was just blown off in the first 2-3 kms itself somehow completed 2 rounds and was wondering if i could complete 10kms and just as i started off the 3 round saw someone (no. 376 or 378) in the same situation as me, so just joined him and we kept jogging for sometime, and i started getting a rhythm going and just when i thought of increase the speed, the guy fell back(have to thank him for hitting a rhythm ) , i continued at the same pace and completed the 3 rd round peacefully ,in the 4 th round i was tempted to again increase my speed but somehow i decided to just keep going and reached my 10 kms target in probably 1hr 10 mins , but i didn't stop there:) just kept going for another round and so completed 12.5 kms in 1 hr 25 mins.
Although the timings aren't that good it felt good to hit the roads after such a long -time and the organizers took care of the fluids with the electrodes, bananas and biscuits.Looking at how the legs did not complain much, feel confident about running longer distances;).Anyways i still have the target of running 10 kms within an hour on race day which is just a few days away , so its time to hit the road again!!
The track was a 2.5 kms stretch inside the famous cubbon park and it was a good sight to see so many people out for their morning walks, some laughter club too was conducting its session:), anyways the run started and there was a group of 10 -15 people who just galloped off and i am not one who wants to be left behind so i just sprinted off behind them and run along for around 200-300 Mts. and that was that for the day:), started a sprint-stop-walk style of running.
Had kept a target of running 10 kms before i started and i was just blown off in the first 2-3 kms itself somehow completed 2 rounds and was wondering if i could complete 10kms and just as i started off the 3 round saw someone (no. 376 or 378) in the same situation as me, so just joined him and we kept jogging for sometime, and i started getting a rhythm going and just when i thought of increase the speed, the guy fell back(have to thank him for hitting a rhythm ) , i continued at the same pace and completed the 3 rd round peacefully ,in the 4 th round i was tempted to again increase my speed but somehow i decided to just keep going and reached my 10 kms target in probably 1hr 10 mins , but i didn't stop there:) just kept going for another round and so completed 12.5 kms in 1 hr 25 mins.
Although the timings aren't that good it felt good to hit the roads after such a long -time and the organizers took care of the fluids with the electrodes, bananas and biscuits.Looking at how the legs did not complain much, feel confident about running longer distances;).Anyways i still have the target of running 10 kms within an hour on race day which is just a few days away , so its time to hit the road again!!
My Workout Plan -review week ending 02/05/08
Again work comes in the way, so tried out to run something on May 1st a holiday, hadn't had anything much the day before or for breakfast and it showed , struggled to make it to 3 kms and then somehow put in the whole lot of energy left to reach 5 kms in 30 mins 30 secs. Puts a lot of suspicion on my stamina but hopefully i will answer it well:)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 20/04/08
Instead of the normal weekly review , it's the review for a month :), and nothing to report after the office getting moved to a far off location, my routine and time available has taken a hit and adding to it is the hectic work that's being forced upon me which doesn't really help in keeping my spirits up for indulging in any activities after work, anyways as always going against the tide i ran 5 kms in 29min 30 secs today which after a month of just parking myself in chairs is i believe a good effort even i though i wished i could have run 10k today.
I registered for Sunfeast 10 kms Bangalore Run which was scheduled for may 25 but cause of elections was first postponed to june 2 and then i got a mail to inform that it was advanced to 18th may :). For me it doesn't matter when it's scheduled, it just lessens my waiting time. Looking at the run today i can honestly say Bring it on!!!!.I am absolutely sure of running it well within an hour and to keep a record of that will take the chip timing.So, come on baby , i am licking my lips!!!
Another observation: running bare-foot on a treadmill isn't such a good idea leaving aside the fact that it brings down your timing, after the first 2 kms, it just started feeling like i was running on hot coals, and after the run i was left with a lump below my left toe , which i hope doesn't turn into a blister, so from now on shoes it is.
I registered for Sunfeast 10 kms Bangalore Run which was scheduled for may 25 but cause of elections was first postponed to june 2 and then i got a mail to inform that it was advanced to 18th may :). For me it doesn't matter when it's scheduled, it just lessens my waiting time. Looking at the run today i can honestly say Bring it on!!!!.I am absolutely sure of running it well within an hour and to keep a record of that will take the chip timing.So, come on baby , i am licking my lips!!!
Another observation: running bare-foot on a treadmill isn't such a good idea leaving aside the fact that it brings down your timing, after the first 2 kms, it just started feeling like i was running on hot coals, and after the run i was left with a lump below my left toe , which i hope doesn't turn into a blister, so from now on shoes it is.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 21/03/08
Again the same story , loads of work, no time or energy left:(
Sunday, March 9, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 07/03/08
And so it was, a very dissappointing week after the 5km run on sunday, couldn't get to run any more for the rest of the week. Had to nurse my legs throught the week, my left shin still hurts even when i walk:(, guess one has to pay for over-enthusiasm, chyaa.... what a waste.But as always i find a silver lining i lost 3k's in teh past few weeks, thanks to doing something caus eof this plan.
So total distance covered this week: 5kms in 28 mins.
Hopefully will get in atleast 10 this week, keeping my fingers crossed.
So total distance covered this week: 5kms in 28 mins.
Hopefully will get in atleast 10 this week, keeping my fingers crossed.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 29/02/08
I started this week by running 5 kms on Saturday with absolute vengeance for my laziness the previous week.But this had its side-effects. Sunday was a rest day and then i plodded for 18 min 10 secs on monday covering 3.3 kms.Then again took rest on tuesday.Wedsday --improved upon the timing 3.43 kms in 18min 10 secs, was able to get a rhythm and reached 2 kms without much of a sweat but then that was it for the week, didnt run on thursday or friday.
So, EOW ran 11.73 kms .Not meeting expectations but at least better than last week
And then....
Saturday wasn't able to do much ans so Sunday arrived , i again got back into vengeance mood and had to huff and puff to the finish line ,was forced to take a break after 3 kms for a min , not the best runs i ever ran. But.... I covered 5 kms in 28 mins flat !!! , there sure is light ahead:)
So, EOW ran 11.73 kms .Not meeting expectations but at least better than last week
And then....
Saturday wasn't able to do much ans so Sunday arrived , i again got back into vengeance mood and had to huff and puff to the finish line ,was forced to take a break after 3 kms for a min , not the best runs i ever ran. But.... I covered 5 kms in 28 mins flat !!! , there sure is light ahead:)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
My Workout Plan -review week ending 22/02/08
It was the worst possible start to executing my plan, a long day out on saturday rendered me energy-less for working out on sat and sun and an over the hill effort on monday running 3.5 kms in 21 mins meant running on tuesday was out, wed was a day of dejection and it took thursday and friday's plan with it, so finally the week ended with me running only 3.5/25 kms , a very bad start.
So to buck up decided to keep to the plan today and ran 5 kms in 31 mins and 30 secs , thats 90 secs more than my first milestone, so that gives me hope of keeping up , have to confess i had to huff and puff to reach the 5 km mark, my fitness and stamina aren't where they used to be but i sure am going to reach there, running such a long distance after nearly 2 yrs, made me feel light-headed just as at the end of running a thriling crossy, makes me wish for the morning dew, the cool breeze and the nice soft grass rather than thumping the platform along in one place , and tommorrow have to confess 8 kms seem very daunting , so maybe i will try to reach 7 in two efforts.
So to buck up decided to keep to the plan today and ran 5 kms in 31 mins and 30 secs , thats 90 secs more than my first milestone, so that gives me hope of keeping up , have to confess i had to huff and puff to reach the 5 km mark, my fitness and stamina aren't where they used to be but i sure am going to reach there, running such a long distance after nearly 2 yrs, made me feel light-headed just as at the end of running a thriling crossy, makes me wish for the morning dew, the cool breeze and the nice soft grass rather than thumping the platform along in one place , and tommorrow have to confess 8 kms seem very daunting , so maybe i will try to reach 7 in two efforts.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
My Workout Plan
Somehow generated some enthu to run today and found that i ran 3 kms in about 20 mins, that means i can cover 18 kms in 2hrs. At my fittest best i believe i could run 22kms in 2hrs.So i will be following a plan to achieve that same stamina in hmm..... say 2 months.
Weekly Schedule of runs:
Monday : 3 kms
Tuesday: 2 kms
Wednesday: 3 kms
Thursday : 2 kms
Friday: 3 kms
Saturday: 5 kms
Sunday: 8 kms
I would like to consider these as the minimum requirements thru the week.
Milestones:
March 15:Run 5 kms in under 30 mins.
March 30:Run 10 kms in under an hour.
April 19:Run 20 kms in under 2 hrs.
Lets see if can get thru this challenge , will make it a point to record the actual weekly runs at the end of every week, see you at the other end fat guy:)
Weekly Schedule of runs:
Monday : 3 kms
Tuesday: 2 kms
Wednesday: 3 kms
Thursday : 2 kms
Friday: 3 kms
Saturday: 5 kms
Sunday: 8 kms
I would like to consider these as the minimum requirements thru the week.
Milestones:
March 15:Run 5 kms in under 30 mins.
March 30:Run 10 kms in under an hour.
April 19:Run 20 kms in under 2 hrs.
Lets see if can get thru this challenge , will make it a point to record the actual weekly runs at the end of every week, see you at the other end fat guy:)
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