As I crossed the finish line amidst the din of cheers in Gachibowli stadium, there was a sense of relief of having sailed through unchartered waters. The profound emotions during the last few minutes of the race was the sense of accomplishment that one gets after working really hard for months on end.
The finish line
It was August 25, 2013 when I crossed that finish line in my first half marathon (21.1 kilometers) after pounding the black top non-stop for 2.47 hours from Necklace Road to Gachibowli stadium. My finishing time was not spectacular but for me that achievement meant a lot because I ran and completed the race without seeking any guidance from a coach or an experienced runner. All I had was Hal Highdon’s website and his training schedule for novice runners. Till then, there was no instance in Hyderabad where a working journalist was able to complete such a gruelling run.
Three years down the line, as fitness enthusiasts get ready to welcome the fifth edition of Hyderabad Marathon on Sunday, August 30, there is a sea change in terms of availability of good ecosystem to support the booming recreational running in Hyderabad and elsewhere in India.
Like everybody else in urban India, I too have overweight issues. Being an endomorph body type, which means having a heavy rounded soft body with a tendency to accumulate fat fast and find it hard to lose, I was putting on weight a lot easier than others. Somewhere in 2012, realisation dawned that I was clearly overweight (85 kgs) and time has come to shape up. After many failed attempts to make it to the gym, it took a while to figure out that the best, safest and cheapest way to get rid of fat and be fit was to run.
After regular runs, one gains confidence, which kindles a desire to test the limits. This desire to test myself prompted me to complete my first 10K race in the annual Hyderabad 10K run in November, 2012. Once you start concentrating on the nitty-gritty of training for a half or full marathon, the results (like body fat) fall into place.
Gold standard
By January, 2014 my body weight was down to 62 kgs, which helped me to compete and complete half marathon the Mumbai Marathon in 1.58 hours. Running a half marathon within two hours is the gold standard that every runner aspires for. My association with Hyderabad Runners, the group that has been evangelising recreational running in Hyderabad and organises Hyderabad Marathon, made it possible.
When you run in a group, you tend to be more committed, responsible, make new and quite often lifelong friends. Running along with Hyderabad Runners also introduced me to like minded runners who have managed to balance their work, family, social life with running. You learn the so-called ‘tricks of the trade’ like what to wear while running, how to increase your endurance, speed and most of all how to remain injury free.
However, one also must understand that too much of running within a short span also puts a lot of pressure on the human body. Because you don’t give much time to your body to recover from the pounding it took while running. From August, 2013 to January 2014, I managed to reduce my finishing time of half marathon from 2.47 hours to 1.58 hours but paid the price for it. I got injured!
Risk of injury
Like in any other sport, recreational running too is riddled with injuries. A lot of stubbornness and commitment is needed to understand the injury, get professional help and recover from it. One must mix running with a lot of strength training and cross training like cycling and swimming. There are pre and post running chores like warming up and stretching that are mundane but must be done to remain injury free. Post recovery, it’s a long and often frustrating journey to regain fitness. After ten months of injury lay-off, I will be attempting to run the half marathon again this Sunday.
Deep down, I know that ‘physically’ (in terms of training) I am at the same place where I was on August 25, 2013. But, mentally perhaps I am stronger, wiser and better prepared to take it to the next level.
