all in a day’s work!

I reached on Saturday and spent the entire day out. From 9 am to 10.30 pm. Explored the charming old city. Visited Charminar, Macca masjid, Salarjung museum, haggled with the shopkeepers in Meena Bazar, asked for directions from random strangers, argued with rikshawalas, took city buses, ate at chutneys, Ohri’s. In short loved Hyderabad despite the heat and traffic rush. 

I also managed to collect my running kit for the race during all this touristy activity and literally forgot that I was visiting the city for a half marathon and not all this sight seeing. 

When I hit the bed before race day did I realize that I was kind of tired. Nervousness started creeping in. And I went to bed making all the arrangements for the next morning ready like running clothes, shoes, breakfast stuff, water bottles, charging phone. 

Woke up at 4.30 am on race day with 5.5 hours sleep. Got ready and drank 2 glasses of water and ate a banana and did some light warm up. Prepared my electrolyte solution to be carried with me. With some money in pocket and earpods and phone I went to the hotel lobby where I met other runners. Together we all left for the start point which was 10 minutes walk away. 

And boy was that a party or not! Loud music was playing. Hordes of runners had gathered. The full marathon runners were about to reach our start point as part of their route. Our race was to start at necklace road and end at GMS balyogi stadium. A calm started to spread over me. I made a simple strategy of starting steady with the 2.30 hour bus and making it a point to hydrate well even if it meant longer waits at water stations. The announcers also confirmed the expected bad weather conditions like extreme heat and humidity and asked us to keep hydration levels high. Even if it meant taking loo breaks!

The gun went off at precise 6 am on the watch. I started slow and steady with a pace of 6.40 mins/km. The 4 month long training had taught me that this was my comfort zone pace. I was feeling good and my breathing also sounded rhythmic (I fall into trouble if my breathing is irregular and hence that’s a huge indicator for me if my run would soar or tank). By 7 am I was near the 10 km mark and was feeling hopeful. The 2.30 hour pacer was still in my sight so that meant I would be able to catch up.
The only concern was the increasing perspiration. It was annoying. I was waiting for the next water station to take my first water break. The electrolyte solution had helped me take this risk. I drank 2 glasses of water at the next station and started the next phase with renewed hope. The route had started to get tougher. The ramps looked never ending and the sun god made running even more tough. 

a sight for sore legs!

I had roamed around the city the day before enough to know the halfway point of the half marathon. I was overjoyed when I crossed it. Only to encounter a steep ramp, where my first walk of the run started. It was to be first of many walking breaks that I took that day. From then on it became a constant struggle to not get annoyed by the sweat, humidity and heat and keep going on. By this time the 2.45 hour pacers had passed me by. 
I started to feel miserable by 16 km. And thought of giving up for an entire stretch of 500 meters. But then I thought of the friend who had accompanied me to Hyderabad and was eager to see the medal. Her presence made me not give up. So I continued on till I saw this sign -> 

This meant only 2 more kilometers remaining!
But to everyone’s shock these 2 kms were also full of ramps. The Hyderabad route would not have it easy on any of us. 
I managed to run the entire last kilometer with whatever willpower I had left and completed my half marathon in 2 hours 49 minutes and 53 seconds. 

Even though the weather and route had it tough on us, the extremely enthusiastic volunteers and awesome arrangements for food, water, rest made the run a memorable experience.
I failed almost all goals I had set myself up before this run. The only goal I succeeded at was recovering sooner post run. So all is still well in lala land. And looking forward to next year’s AHM!