Goals for 2020-21 season

Plagued by injuries the last few years, the long term running goals have been sliding out further and further into the future. The last several years I have been starting the season with a break from long distance running and focus on strengthening and rehabilitation. This year also the plan is similar - to consult a physio to address the long festering issues of stress in the quads, numbness in the left sole and inflammation in the right ankle(bothering me since November 2019). The goal was to just maintain base fitness with slow runs not exceeding 21Km and no interval or tempo runs and a weekly mileage of 35-40Km.  Started sessions with with Aashish Kusswaha of IMSMTC in Nagarbhavi from 29th Feb. Unfortunately, post that there has been further setback with increased inflammation of the right ankle as well a catch in the lower back resulting in complete rest from all execrcise for some time.

Hoping that I recover from the injuries by April end or so,  following is a very tentative plan for this running season. 

2nd August 2020  - Airtel Hyderabad marathon

9th August 2020  - Bangalore 10K challenge

October 2020 - HM at Bangalore marathon or Airtel Delhi half marathon

17th Januar 2021 - Tata Mumbai marathon

February 2021  - IDBI Delhi marathon

3 FMs for the year is probably way too ambitious given how the past few years have been. The 10th edition of Hyderabad marathon is tempting as I have very fond memories of it and it has been a while. I am targeting to  race hard and try and BQ at the IDBI Delhi marathon in Feb 2021.  Have slotted the Airtel Delhi Half in October yet again to get familiar with the course. If I decide (again) not to travel all the way to Delhi  then the HM  at the Bangalore marathon is an alternate option.

Apart from injury free running another important factor is to  zoom in on a new pair of running shoes as the new Brooks Ghost 10 seems too heavy and does not seem to be working for me. And last but not least, all going well,  will work towards reduction of the extra weight of 2.5/3 Kgs to get closer to optimal performance weight of 55Kgs by June end.  

The Mumbai streak continues....

The annual visit to Mumbai to run the marathon on the 3rd Sunday of Jan was a good change from the hectic activities related to the wedding that was the focus of all energies since Dec 2019. The race itself was nothing to write home about. After the ankle injury in early November ,which further jeopardised my faltering training,I had reconciled myself to running TMM without any timing goal and just completing it in reasonable shape. With a per km pace mostly between 6:15 and 6:30 I completed my 15th consecutive FM in Mumbai in 4:33 - running the last 4 Kms quite strong. In hindsight, could have pushed a bit betwen 15 and 25Km  for a sub 4:30 finish.  However, glad to have made it to the start line despite injuries and happy to have finished in a reasonable shape.

As in 2019, again I drove to the airport on 18th Jan morning picking up Chandru and Pankaj enroute.  

As usual bumped into several runners at Bangalore airport as well as on the flight. After collecting the bib and taking photos with a few runners at the very crowded expo a bunch of us headed to Rajwada Thal for a Rajasthani thali lunch. (My 2nd consecutive year of lunching here).

After meeting a friend and her husband at Smokehouse Deli near by I reached Hotel Fortune around 7PM.  Met with another bunch of runners over (vegan pizza) dinner at Bezos in Colaba.

Slept from about 10PM to 3:30am Though the room was a bit small the hotel overall was better than New Bengal where we stayed in 2019. Bunch of us left the hotel for Azad maidan at about 4:35am.

This year I did not carry a bag with me for check-in at the baggage counter - probably for the first time ever in Mumbai. Usually I wear a windsheeter or full sleeve shirt which I keep in the check-in bag along with my phone and sandals to change into after the race.  I decided to run with the phone - again a first ever for Mumbai. After quick pictures with D and Monappa and Nitin(outside the TCS tent) I headed to the start line via the holding area around 5:10am.

With no specific race strategy in mind (except to get to half way point in about 2:10 or so) I started at a slow pace with the intention of running with Pankaj and Prateek. Ended up staying just ahead of them till about the sea link after which they slowed down further. So we never met on the course.  Ran with  Chandra Kumar for sometime betwen Km 8 and 14 till I decided to stop at a Sulabh to take a leak. Had Rishi and Amrita for company for a bit on the sea link. Post that I pretty much ran alone.

The first half at 2:18 was about 10 minutes slower than planned . This meant I had more energy for the second half which was 3 minutes faster. Felt reasonably comfortable while going over the Peddar road flyover and the return stretch on Marine drive despite the increasing temperature. Overall the weather was quite ok with moderate temperature and below par humidity level.

Happy to have completed  the racewithout stretching myself too much. The post race refereshment was quite pathetic. After a quick shower at the hotel and lunch at Pancharatna near by headed to the airport early.

It was close to 10PM by the time I got home after dropping Pankaj at UB city - fortunate enough to have made a successful trip for the seventeeth year in a row!!