Running

Best way to Celebrate Graduation? Second HM! (July 21, 2024)

This run was meant to test a training regimen I had been following for a few months in the lead-up to race day. The natural goal after your first HM is to aim for Sub-2-hour HM. Lesson from the previous HM: The last 3kms were brutal, so the goal was to endure it! A not-so-well-thought plan – increase the long run distance every Saturday, and on alternate weekdays, go all out in a 5K.

It did not quite work well. Felt burnt out with the ever-increasing mileage week after week. Eventually had to give up the training plan.

On race day, I just knew I was not gonna hit a PB. So ran for purely the fun of it, observing the people, the scenes, the smell of the beach, taking pictures, updating my friends the milestones I have hit. As expected, the last 3km were so brutal, more brutal than the first HM.

But I guess, I was already high on accomplishment. I graduated just two days before the run, and finishing this run was a cherry on the top!

And on a side note, this run was also special because, my thambi Mohnish was running the 10km race :)

Inter-Hostel Road Race! (5th February, 2024)

It was a RACE! In all the long-distance running events I have participated in up till this point, my goal was just to beat my own PB. And there was a bit of pressure to put in my efforts to fetch points for my hostel. I reached the starting point around 7 am, only to see some awesome athletes from various high-stamina-requiring sports warming up! And I saw this foreign exchange student making warm-up runs. I have seen him run on the athletic ground (Watsa) and damn, he is good. PRESSURE!!

But finally, before the race, I just stuck with a Kobe Bryant quote, which roughly goes like this, “Don’t play to win or Don’t play to not lose, play to figure things out!” I just have to give my best, doesn’t matter if I come first or last and I can learn from whatever the result is

And I think I did it! Gave my best. Set my PB in the 5k (in 23:44 mins) and completed the whole course (8 km) with an average pace of 4:46/km, which was honestly surprising to me, because never completed a distance >5 km under 5:00/km pace.

I finished 17th of the 70+ participants with a timing of 36:14 mins. Like I guessed, the foreign exchange won the race and I guess he completed it in 29: XX mins (hmmm, damn). Our hostel-Narmada, finished 4th and we got 2 points! It was fun! :)

My First Half Marathon (6th January 2024)

Honestly, I was pretty nervous the day before. In fact, I just wanted to call it quits and was finding reasons to drop at the last minute. Thankfully, I did not, as it turned out to be one of the best experiences. My aim for the marathon was to complete it, that’s all!

The first 15 km was easy peasy. I ran a 15k precisely a week before the HM. But after the 15 km mark, every km was a beautiful struggle. I was determined not to walk at any cost except for maybe a few meters before and after every aid station. Oh boy, I just sprinted the last km and did not know I had the energy to do so. But yeah, crossing the finish line, gulping a whole bottle of water, letting your heartbeat settle, and finally, the fact that you completed HM sinks in – It's one of the most excellent feelings!

I had the amazing opportunity to meet some of the most down-to-earth elite runners. It was an amazing chance to learn from them.