2011 Year End musings (of a runner)

With just a few more hours of 2011 left it is once again time to reflect on the year gone by and and look ahead at the goals for 2012(see here for 2011 goals and here for revised goals for running season 2011-12) . By and large it was another good year of running - I continued to make some fantastic new runner friends in addition to strengthening the bond with existing friends. It was the 3rd consecutive 2000Km+ year and I participated in all the events that I had targeted for the year doing one 10K, three Full Marathons, one Ultra, two half marathons and 63Km+ at Strides of Hope and achieving PB times for a 10K,HM and FM. I stopped the strengthening at Manipal Hospital since February 2011. However, I continued cycling twice a week for cross-training albeit this year all my cycling was on a stationary bicycle in the gymn - I did not cycle outdoors even once in 2011. Since April 2011 I have been training formally using the FIRST based 'Run Less, Run Faster' program. It has certainly given a structure to training for a specific time goal. However, I have realised that the program is very rigorous and in order to meet my goals it is absolutely essential to supplement the '3Plus2' cardio training with strengthening excercises specially for the glutes, hamstrings and core. I started and end the year with the same weight of just under 60Kgs.

2011 Highs

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  Going below 3:55 for the first time at SCMM 2011 with a time of 3:52:47


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  Sub 46 minutes 10K at TCS 10K 2011


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  The FIRST training retreat in Greenville,SC


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  The runners party to bid farewell to Richie and Honda-San

2011 Disappointments

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  Falling well short of my goal of 3:40 at Hyderabad marathon 2011


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  Stressed left glutes,calf and hamstrings hampering the push to improve my FM timings


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  'Running Buddy' not progressing as per plan


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  Having to stop after 63Km at Strides of Hope falling well short of the goal of 120Km+ in 24 hours

2012 Goals

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  A sub 3:45 at SCMM 2012 (looks very challenging as of now)


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  Boston Qualification at a fall marathon in the East Coast of the US in Sept-Oct


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  50Km at the Bangalore Ultra

I have not yet decided whether to do the HM or FM at Auroville 2012 - will probably register for the FM and make a call later after the Mumbai marathon. It is quite amazing to see the proliferation of running events around the country with at least one event happening pretty much every month of the year. There has also been considerable increase in media coverage on running in general and marathoning in particular. Including an(absurd) recent article quoting medical research that says that marathoning is bad for the heart and could actually kill. I do intend to research and post more on this topic in the future. Meanwhile, here is a nice counter from Dr. Rajat - an amazing sports doctor and an even more incredible runner!

On the professional marathoning front the world record for a FM got beaten by over 30 seconds in 2011 as the Kenyans continued to dominate. All five world marathoning majors had new course records this year!

As always I hope to start 2012 with a run on Janaury 1 - this year my goal is to do a 21K at target marathon pace ie 5:18 per Km. This is an important run to gauge the chances of acheiving my goal in SCMM 2012. Also I did very little running in the last week of 2011 - just one interval run- so all the more critical to start 2012 well. Here is wishing all my friends a very Healthy, Injury-Free and Safe 2012! May everyone achieve their goals whether in running or otherwise!!