Hyderabad marathon 2014

As an amateur runner, I have decided to try to select 2 new cities or venues every year for running events and show up and complete the run (if no fancy goals). As part of this plan, I decided to run the Hyderabad half marathon, touted as 'India's toughest city marathon'.

My training journey to Hyderabad Marathon 2014 (popularly known as AHM) started in April, when I signed up for an year long training plan for SCMM 2015, with running potential. I started running out of various reasons last year and after the first half marathon experience, I wanted to run more and better. So my training included lots of base building which focused on improving my aerobic fitness and some ramp runs to prepare me for the hilly (tough) route of the AHM.
[Please call/meet/write to me for detailed training discussions. I have realized over time how boring it can be for non runners!]

The planning for the marathon weekend started in June with train and hotel bookings. Plenty of trains from Pune so no issues on that front. Also plenty of hotels near necklace road where the race normally starts so no hassles on that front too. I had received the race route and altitudes from my trainers well in advance, which I had studied for quite some time. But as the race day approached, I started becoming more jittery and less confident. I had a lotof strategies and back up plans ready in my head. Timing was not even in the picture. Because on a tough route a lot of factors play deciding role. I entered the city of Hyderabad with only one aim ie finishing the run in under 3 hours. 

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!

thankyou

I always recount to friends proud stories of how I got saved by books at various points in my life. Till now. How sherlock holmes made tedious summers full of mystery and made me anticipate adventure. How Calvin and hobbes and harry potter made me strike new friendships. How the book thief came into my life at a point when I was really struggling. Numerous stories. Humongous debt. 

The stories actually do go back to an origin. Introduction to libraries and books at a young age. One library where I spent my entire summer reading the entire collection. Another where it all started. That too with comics. 

Brother and I shared a comics books library membership in the good old 1990s. Of course brother and his cool bunch of friends would race to the library early morning to collect their share of comics which included super commando dhruv and nagraj and other assorted desi bunch. A nag that I was, brother had to take me along. And kind that he was, he allowed me to choose one comics of my choice every other time. When the boys were competing which latest comics of their superheros to lay hands on, I would lamely (for them) pick a chacha chaudhary one. Those were the only ones I really REALLY liked and enjoyed. Brother would be furious for some time but who can remain angry for long when you have chacha chaudhary and one of his mysteries to solve and tons of fun to have! I can't remember having laughed and enjoyed any other comic book so much during those years. Only Chacha Chaudhary's antics were able to get my attention and laughter. 

That is how I really started reading. With the comics Chacha Chaudhary. Chacha Chaudhary were my first shared books (yes comics are very much books!). They and Calvin and Hobbes are the only comics, I have read in their entirety and never gotten bored of. And for that they are special to me. (Irony is I do not remember much of any of them)

RIP Pran uncle. I will always think of these fond memories of books and reading when thinking of Chacha Chaudhary.

Life in India exposes one to a lot of underprivileged and poor people/animals (mostly stray). I see a lot of them on my way to work everyday. A stray dog huddled by the corner of a street. Trying to protect itself from the chill in the air because of the rains. A poor man eating ban-chai at a roadside stall, probably contemplating how to make ends meet for the day.

A homeless family bathing their kids in the open. One of the kids is crying because it probably does not want to take a bath like any other child. The father is getting their girl ready, trying to tie her hair in a pigtail. These people will then scatter around on the streets begging or asking anyone for work. There is a young couple, who have had a fight. The female is crying dramatically, the guy is trying to persuade her. 

A part of me is torn because of this disparity in lives. In their life and my life. I want to leave everything and go and try help them. I do through food, money. I know its not enough. There is a chaotic system in place which will always have relatively poor and rich people. But I just want them to have a shelter to live under and daily food supplies. I really do. Sometimes I feel I look at life in this super simplistic fashion which in reality does not solve the burdens of the heart.

A part of me on the other hand thinks, poverty must be very liberating. I see people sleeping on the streets everyday. As if they dont care about anything in the world. Of course I am very privileged to even entertain such a romantic thought about poverty. But I really do feel in such case the only fix the world probably needs is some empathy and kindness.

Stream. Watch. Repeat.

This.

To take care of seemingly crappy days. To be watched over and over again.

To be humbled. So powerful.

~Fangirl

Conflicting worlds

Prachi and Pooja are from middle class families. Well educated families. Pooja's father did not want a daughter hence her mother took a stand and raised her by herself. Prachi, daughter of a principled man with anger issues, thinks its her father's right to physically punish her for the sole reason that he let her live as she is a product brought into this world by her parents.
Pooja is a beauty contest winner. Prachi is part of a hindutva movement, where they teach girls how to defend oneself and take up weapons.
Both are in their 20s. Both want their life to be meaningful, both want to do something.

There is huge irony here. Their worlds are paradoxes. These are the subjects of the brilliant and thought provoking documentary by Nisha Pahuja, 'The world before her', which explores what it means to be a 21st century Indian woman.

Some of the things that these girls said have left me dumbfounded and searching for answers. I try to see myself in these women. I am there, when a girl says she wants to make something out of this life. I am in the dreams, hopes, fears and passions of these girls. These are rational girls who know what they are choosing.
We are similar yet so different. So many belief systems, so many ideologies. The dichotomy in our existence and how it converges and yet gives life an altogether different meaning, is what's troubling me the most. 
For the outside world, Prachi will remain a could be fanatic in a movement branded as extremist, Pooja another superficial, pretty face making use of her beauty. But in the 21st century do these perceptions matter ? Or is it more about individuality ? 

In a deeply patriarchal society like India, where girls have opened up to education, avenues of income to become financially independent, how necessary is it to uphold our ancient roots? Some very valid and profound questions surface out of this conflict. And that is the reason I highly recommend you to watch this remarkable documentary.

Because she wants to be a part of the world before her, shape it and make it. 

Unlearning

With growing old sometimes comes the feeling that you understand life in much better sense. Of course if you are a person who likes to have filters in place and constantly seeks clarity. You are thankful for a lot of things that have happened and helped you grow. And at times you are just forgetful enough to forget how it is to be a teenager. 

Specially a teenager surrounded by constant competition, expectations and general 'dont have a clue about future or life but parents and friends are into this, so I am also into this' thought process. Recently a 17yo nephew was visiting us for some exam preparation classes which the city I live in is believed to have some of the best. Initially I was totally peeved by his sharp and critical demeanor. That initial phase lasted the 3 weeks he stayed with us. Yes, sometimes I am an excruciatingly slow adopter. Almost everyday we got into some kind of argument (behes in his sweet MP hindi) about a physics problem (sometimes random life funda) and my lack of remembering anything except for the concepts. I who's raised by teachers who believed in the power of clear concepts was somewhere happy believing it was a good sign that I did not remember the actual formulae but knew my stuff. I was proud even. But this did not impress the kid. He kept on questioning my entire life and so called engineering education. I was more annoyed and more intrigued. Intrigued cos how was all the grown up stuff I mentioned at the beginning not helping me see that this is what it feels to be a teenager. Over the 3 weeks, eventually he stopped asking me much physics questions and we spent time discussing how life in US is where he aspires to go for studies. 

I began to realize though, there is so much I need to unlearn to be able to continue to learn. Whichever species evolves, evolves because it is able to unlearn. Shed old knowledge and constantly gain new. I am seriously questioning people who say knowledge is power and stuff like that. I wonder if they are talking about knowledge acquired through unlearning.

such cool things in life..

I read/watch/experience stuff which evokes different feelings and turn to the blog to share them and somehow the day never arrives when I get a sense of having accomplished writing down my own thoughts. Today probably is that day.

Anyway, I remember writing about rescuing oneself and agreeing to give up on the 'steadfastness' once the right person is found to let them rescue you. Luckily while I was trying myself I found the right bunch of people who did help 'save me'. Funny how you always get what you need :)

On a totally unrelated note I am happy for Kangana Ranaut. I really am. I know she would not care. I loved her movie Queen. And if you have not watched it already, you need to go NOW.

Pune has the most unexpected surprises if you love nature. Like this sunset I get to witness everyday as my cab passes over a flyover. I look forward to this time of the day just to take it all in.

love my drive back from work!

This is the second month in succession where I have not read anything apart from study books. Out of desperation of having accomplished some kind of reading, I feel pretty lame to admit that yeah I read up few books on algorithms. Not usual spellbinding stuff but fun nonetheless.

Dancing is fun. Zumba or not. Paglet is so passionate with it, that she can make even sticks like me dance.

Whatchu up to? Whatchu doing?