Looking forward to my 10th FM at SCMM

It is just about a week to go for the 2015 edition of SCMM where I will be running for  the 12th consecutive year - having done  HMs in 2004 and 2005 and FM  every year since 2006.  Due to niggles in my left leg that have been hampering me since December 2013 I have not trained well for the event. Nevertheless,I am looking forward to what will be my first FM since Boston in April 2014. SCMM is without argument the largest (and arguably the best) road race in India and with over 3000 runners, well organised including traffic control and with good crowd support. As has been the case for several years now it will see participation of runners from across the country including a large contingent from Bangalore.

My FM timings at SCMM have improved Y-o-Y starting with 4:42:28 in 2006 to 3:37:20 in 2013. I have not trained for any specific timing target this year- rather the training  for this year's edition has been quite limited -  just 9 weeks starting with the week after the Bangalore Ultra on 8th November. During this period I have managed three runs per week in most weeks  including 3 runs of 33Km, 29Km and 35Km. However, not all the runs have been good quality - have struggled towards the end of quite a few. Plus I have not done any interval  or tempo training since March 2014. Therefore, my current FM fitness level is far below that of its peak in Jan 2013 and fairly below that in Jan 2014.

However, based on the timings of some of my better long runs I feel sub 3:50 is still within the realm of possibility. I will be extremely thrilled if I manage to beat my 2014 time of 3:46:23. It will be quite disappointing if at least a  sub 4 is not achieved. The strategy will be to do the first 10Kms in about 52 minutes and the first half in under  1:49 at an average  pace of 5:13/Km.  Thereafter get to 32Km in 2:45 and then push hard to finish as close to 3:45 as possible. Eagerly looking forward to getting on the plane to Mumbai next Friday and have an enjoyable race weekend!!

9th FM at Mumbai done and dusted...

After 8 consecutive years of timing improvement in the FM at SCMM the trend changed this year -not unexpectedly as I was not strong enough either physically or mentally being  under prepared due to  injuries in the last 7 weeks leading up to the race.I completed my 9th FM in Mumbai( and 40th FM+ finish overall)   in 3:46:23,  nine minutes slower then my PB in 2013. Though this was my 2nd best time at Mumbai and 4rth best overall ( being pretty much same as the time in AHM 2013) I felt a little disappointed in not being able to do a sub 3:40 and sad that the upward trend in timing improvement had ended.  With age catching up and so many variables in training for a race and on race day it had to happen sooner or later. I am hoping it is a blip this year and can reverse it again in 2015 - of course that will not be easy at all.

The race itself was well organised as usual with traffic control, clear Km markers, good spectator support and well stocked aid stations(though runners who finished after 5.5 hours had a different experience). Over the years the event has grown in stature and size. The numbers in the picture above show that it is by far the largest race in India. And an amazing growth in the number of FM registrations going up from 2500+ in 2013 to 3500+!! The growing running community in India looks forward to this race and it fills up quickly. The organizers have already announced the registration dates for the 2015 edition!!

As has been my practice I reached Mumbai on Friday 17th January night. However, unlike the past 10 years when I stayed with a relative in Govandi near Chembur station, this year I stayed with a nephew in his PG accommodation at Nariman point. After eating a Domino's pizza I went to bed around 1130PM on 17th and woke up around 7am on Saturday. I collected my bib(and that of my brother Chandru running is 1st HM in Mumbai) from WTC by 1130am. The expo was buzzing with the high energy of outstation runners(Mumbai based runners collect their bibs the previous weekend). I hung around for over an hour chatting with them before heading for lunch at Samrat near Churchgate station. The north Indian food was nice as ever though a bit heavy on the stomach. I relaxed in the room from about 4PM - laying out the gear for the morning , reading a bit and doing some light stretching. After a pasta dinner at Moshe's - about a km walk from where I was staying - I lay down to sleep by 10PM setting an alarm for 4am.

I had a decent sleep and woke up just before the alarm rang. After eating 2 large bananas and some pecans and almonds I left the room at 4:55am. The holding area in azad maidan was less then 2 Kms away. However, I did not get a taxi for several minutes. And when I did get one I realised that due to traffic barricades along the route of the race the taxi could not get close to Azad maidan. So I had to walk briskly (gobbling my 3rd banana on the way)  for about a Km reaching Azad maidan around 5:25am - 10-15 minutes later than I usually get there when taking the train from Chembur. By the time I checked in my bag, used the port-a-loo and headed towards the start point it was past 5:35. The area was crowded with runners and by the time I rushed through sections D,C and B the section A(for runners faster than 4 hrs) runner had started the race. So I started a minute late. That was not really an issue - I picked up pace soon and ran the first 4Kms in under 5 mins/Km pace going past several familiar runners(Pankaj, Shantanu, Vishy, Sridhar et al) . Focusing on my pacing strategy I completed  10K  in about 51 minutes. I ran the race pretty much alone not chit-chatting with fellow runners and not interacting with volunteers at all. The half way mark was reached in similar time as last year(see comparative splits below) - 1:48 at an average pace of about 5:08/Km. This was in spite of strong headwinds in the sealink stretch. I managed to sustain this pace till about Km 25 despite the growing discomfort in the left glutes, calf and sole. At this point the numbness in the front half of the left foot became quite severe and the foot started feel heavier and heavier. It became difficult to move the left foot quickly enough. My mind seemed to have also given up quite easily and I just could not dig deep and push myself. The pace dropped quite a bit. Having given up on sub 3:40 time I knew that even a  sub 3:45 was going to be challenging and reconciled myself to a sub 3:50.  In fact for the 1st time ever in Mumbai I walked for a minute or so around Km 36. However, soon after the Peddar road flyover  a  sudden spike in inner strength enabled me to push hard  through the last 4 Kms, weaving past slower runners/walkers  and finish comfortably in  sub 3:50 time . 

Mumbai Marathon 2014 - Marathon 5:40 Start
Bib Number	2905
Name	BHASKER SHARMA
Gender	MALE
Category	SENIOR VETERAN
Overall Rank	149 (80)
Category Rank	4 (17 - in veteran category)
Gender Rank	143 (77)
Split@10.5 Km	00:53:15
Split@15 Km	01:16:10  (01:15:32)
Split@20.1 Km	01:42:02 (20Km/1:41:48)
Split@21.1 Km	01:47:14
Split@27 Km	02:18:14  (2:16:03)
Split@29.2 Km	02:30:38 (29.5Km/2:28:37)
Split@30.3 Km	02:36:44
Split@31.5 Km	02:43:49
Net Time	03:46:23  (3:37:20)
Gross Time	03:47:20 (3:39:07)

After hanging around with my brother Chandru and other runners for some time inside Azad maidan  I slowly walked back to my nephew's place  Nariman Point. Though my run was below par  I indulged in  a post run beer+lunch with runner friends at Leopold before heading to the airport. 

The numbness in the left forefoot disappeared a few minutes after the race. The slight  soreness in the calf and shin lasted for a day. The glutes was strained for several days after the race. Hopefully with renewed strengthening exercises over the next couple of months the issue will be addressed soon - And the 3rd and biggest race of the season in 11 weeks from now at Boston will  be better compared to the previous two in Hyderabad and Mumbai.

2012 Year end musings

With a nice 35.5Km/3:05 run at IRR/EGL this morning the last long run of 2012(and the last one before SCMM 2013) is done. And it is now time to look back at 2012 and put down the goals for 2013. In general it was a good year though the total mileage for the year was about 1900 Kms - after 3 consecutive years of 2000+Kms in 2009,2010 and 2011. This was mainly due to the 6 weeks complete break from all cardio exercises in Feb-March - my longest break from running since Janaury 2004. Also compared to the last 3 years I participated in fewer events - the focus was on improving the FM. I did two full marathons - SCMM in January and MHRM  in October; besides half-marathon in Auroville, the TCS World 10K, a 5K race at Puma Urban Stampede and  50Km at 6th Bangalore Ultra. I more or less met my goals in all in these events so there was no real low in 2012- though not meeting my goal of a sub 3:39 in MHRM i was a bit of a disappointment. Of course, I was elated at being fortunate enough to sneak through to BQ. 

Here's a summary of the timings of my 2012 events:

1. FM at SCMM : 15th January - 3:48:57
2. HM at Auroville : 19th February - 2:15
3. 10K at TCS World 10K : 27th May - 51:11
4. 5K at Puma Urban Stampede : 5th August - 21:51 (PB)
5. FM at MHRM : 7th October - 3:39:57 (PB) 
6. 50K at Bangalore Ultra :10th November - 5:07:29 (PB)

As in 2011 I trained for the FM  using the FIRST 'Run Less,Run Faster' training program leading up to MHRM in October.. The difference from 2011 was the rigor - I was able to do over 90% of the 47 training runs and 32 cross-training cycling workouts over 16 weeks between June and October.  Another big change was the stretching - I made it a point to spend at least 20 minutes post a workout on most days and longer on rest days. The twice a week strengthening sessions at Manipal was also beneficial.

In August I switched my shoes to Brooks Defyance 5 after using 7 pair of Adidas Supernova Cushion/glide and found them to be very comfortable.

Goals for 2013: 

1. Sub 3:38 at SCMM  in January

2. Sub 1:43 HM at Auroville in February

3. Sub 45 10K at TCS world 10K in May

3. Register for Boston 2014- of course this is not completely under my control

4. 50K/75K/100K at Bangalore Ultra

Above everything of course the goal is to stay fit and injury free and enjoy the running  - if the timing goals are met then of course it would be great! As usual I hope to start 2013 with a run on 1st January - either a 8K mid-tempo run at 4:46/Km or 10 x 800m at 3:17 or an easy run depending on how 31st evening goes!!

SCMM 2012 - A missed opportunity

I did manage my PB  in my 29th Full Marathon at SCMM 2012 on 15th January. However, finishing  in  a time of 3:48:57 four minutes slower than my target time was a big disappointment. Considering the early 5:40am start, pleasant weather by Mumbai standards, no glitches in the race  organisation during the run, the fact that I reached the 35Km mark around   3:06  without too much stress on my glutes and calf muscles and that I did not have to take a leak break during the run I should have pushed a bit harder the last 5Kms for a better finish time! Of course, one can rationalise with  ifs and buts - and though weaving through the slow HM runners rather walkers on Marine drive on the return leg did impact my rhythm a bit I think I lost the battle more mentally  than physically.  Given that this was just my 2nd FM race of the season(I do not race at the Bangalore Ultra) and I had trained hard for a sub 3:45 I missed a good opportunity to acheive that.

As has been my usual routine I reached Mumbai on Friday 13th Jan night. I reached WTC for the bib collection on Saturday morning 1130am. At the gate I bumped into a number of runners coming out after picking their bibs - doc Rajat Chauhan, BHUKMP'ers Rishi,Nari, Vasu, Chandra etc and then Sunil Chainani. Met several more in the bib collection queue -   Naina Lal, Asha Arora, Madhumita, BB Patil, Prakhar etc. The bib collection process was smooth - though due to the change in  schedule we outstation runners did not get to see the expo this year.  After collecting the bib I joined Dharam and Sanjay for a pasta lunch at Moshe's before returning to Govandi by 4PM. Dharam was not running his own race and agreed to pace me for a 3:45 finish. He and I discussed our pacing strategy for the race over lunch - 21K in 1:48/1:49, 30K in 2:35 and 35K in 3:03 or so.

Saturday evening was spent with the usual pre-race jitters and nerves.  After a noodles dinner around 830pm I went sleep at 10pm. As usual I woke up just before my alarm rang at 3:10am. The security in the front gate was able to send in an auto at 4am. I caught the 4:17am local train at Chembur to reach VT station at 4:55am. I had 3 small bananas before leaving home and a 4rth one and a few almonds enroute to VT on the train.  Met Latha Narayan and Bhasker Desai there heading towards the start point. After using the rest room and greasing my legs with Vaselin I entered azad maidan at 5:10am.  As expected it was buzzing with the energy of runners getting ready to start the FM. Met lots of  familar runners. Checked in my bag, streteched a bit, took one last leak and headed to the start area at 5:25am. At 5:35am the gate opened and while runners were supposed to line up as per assigned enclosures(something new at SCMM this year)  the volunteers were unable to enforce this. I was assigned enclosure A and managed to get to the front of the pack. 

The race was flagged off at 5:40am and I took off a bit fast completing the first Km in 5:02. Dharam, Neera and I started together - Dharam kept warning me that we had started too fast. We settled into a rhythm of average pace of between 5:05 and 5:15 per Km.  A stray dog ran a bit ahead of us at this pace attracting the attention of the spectators. I felt that in the first half of the race the crowd support was thinner compared to the past years - perhaps due to the earlier start. This time when we reached the sea link at the 15th Km the sun had not come out. We crossed a huge swathe of HM runners in the other lane.  We ran quite steadily and reached the 21K mark pretty much on target in 1:49.  We saw Milind Soman a little ahead of us. At this point in time Dharam took off leaving Neera and me behind. Neera and I continued pretty much together till the Peddar road flyover at the 35th Km going past Milind. We slowed down considerably at the flyover and at this point Neera fell a little bit behind. Between 36K and 37K I managed to pull ahead of Dharam and saw Sid a bit ahead of me. This is where the slower HM runners/walkers took over the entire road impacting my momentum. I realised that 3:45 was definitely not going to happen and was targeting  3:47. Around the 39th Km I caught up with Sid. However, just as he did at Mysore half marathon in Oct 2011 Sid got inspired by seeing me next to me and pushed ahead with renewed energy. This is where I lost the battle mentally. While the legs were tired the left glutes and calf did not bother me much - so I am not sure why I could not push harder. I did feel a bit giddy though - possibly because I did not consume my usual energy bar. The couple of cups of gatorade seems to have been inadequate. I managed the last Km in 5:42 to get across the finish line a few seconds behind Sid(having started the race late Sid actually had a timing 1.5 minutes faster than me) quite exhausted.  For some unknown reason there are no official pictures of mine this year from Marathon-photos. The photos below after the finish are thanks to Madhumita.

A number of my friends did their PB this year - many of them doing sub 4 and also shaving tens of minutes of their previous best. Of course, the whole field seems to have got faster - the weather and the route would have helped apart from better training ofcourse. I finished 78th overall out of 1442 finishers with an age category place of 20.  See here for some interesting  statistics on this year's run.  This year's event was pretty much well organised - except for the chaos to get inside Azad maidan after the finish. There was one narrow entrance and too many tired runners trying to get in. There were more pacers this year - see http://tanvirkazmi.com/ for a detailed write-up of a 5:30 pacer.