There is still some gas in the tank or is there?

 The 4 months since my last post have been characterised by a lot of self doubt and consultations with orthos/physios.   The knee X-ray done as part of the health checkup at Sparsh showed nothing abnormal except for age related wear and tear - perhaps a tad more on the right knee compared to the left. The NCS and US tests too did not reveal anything except that there could some degradation in the nerve signals going down to the foot on the left side. the  physio B  suggested mouthguards to correct misalignment in the jaw which apparently can cause imbalances in other muscles such as the hip.  In a desperate attempt to get out of the slump or else just hang up the shoes , spent quite a bit on two visits to a recommended  dentist in JP Nagar and, got the mouthguards done. They did'nt really help with the issue. Gave up on consulting physio B  - as did not really vibe with him, his way of working and lack of responsiveness. . In paralell I kept bugging R for a session. After considerable chasing managed a few sessions with him in May including one in-person.  Focusing diligently on his excercises with minimal running in June I managed a decent 10K after a long time in mid July. Followed that up with a 15K in July end and a 18K in early August- the longest run since TMM 2026. The 18K made me hopeful that there is still some gas in teh tank and I can manage a slow FM in Janaury if I can get in a couple of 32K runs leading up to it. Meanwhile, TMM 27 registrations opened on 31st July and despite the price hike from Rs 3600 to Rs 5000 all the spots got filled by 6th August. Fortunately, I saw the messages saying places were filling up fast and registered on 2nd August night while on travel in Tiruneleveli.  If I had waiting till my customer time of mid/late August I would have missed the boat. 

Based on discussions with R the tighness in the right hip and the hamstrings and glutes not firing possibly seem to be the root cause of my problems. Due to the tight hip flexor my cadence is a pathetic 156-160 vias-a-vis 170+.   This is causing pain below the right knee. Hoping to put in some regular sessions with R and work on correcting the issue sufficiently to be able to do a 5-5:30 FM in TMM 27. The quality of the runs is very variable - the 15K last Saturday was a a real struggle even at a 6:40 pace. The legs did not get the rhythm and the mind kept asking me to quit.  Making me question whether I had done the right thing by soldiering on for another TMM FM finish.   Life would definitely be less stressful and more relaxed if I had decided to  make peace with the end of my long distance running instead of trying to limp on for a few more years. Now having decided to go forward at least for this year,  it is critical (both from physical and mental points of view) to get a couple of  20K+ runs in before the next travel break in 2nd week of Sept.  The monthly mileage since TMM 26 is : Feb - 34Km, March - 74Km, April -24Km, May -83Km, June -15Km, July 72Km, August 110Km(estimated) . This is very low for someone purporting to run a marathon in 6 months. Cannot recollect when I have had a such long gap between two 20K+ runs (2024 being an exception). Nevertheless, hoping to repeat the success of 2025  with just 2 months (Nov and Dec) of over 150Km of monthly mileage. 

Probable end to long distance running?

 My ability to run any distance has really gone south - raising self doubt like never before. The last decent run was in the 1st week of Feb before the trip to Gujarat. Came back from that trip feeling sick from what turned out to be fairly severe viral pneumonia - body ache, fever , cold and cough that lingered on for 11 days. Whether due to the illness or not runs,  have not been the same ever since. None of the 10 or so runs since the last week of Feb  have been easy or enjoyable either physically or mentally . Almost every run felt like a chore with the struggle to get the rhythm going. Both the quads get stressed with the slightest of gradients , there is a low to moderate pain in the right knee/shin area and then the numbness in the left toes leading to progressive heaviness. All of this has caused a severe dip in my motivation to go for a run. While the heart wants to continue running and do a few more marathons the physical and mental battle every time one goes out to run has made even the night before the run stressfull (aka before an event where one is targeting a specific time)  with negative thoughts occupying the mind . Setting out half heartedly in the morning has not helped. Last Saturday I just quit after run/walk of 7km - it did not make sense to continue with an activity when the joy and satisfaction from the activity has completely gone. Decided to take a few weeks off from running  to make an all out attempt to get to the bottom of the issue(s) and get them fixed over April and May . Failing which one just needs to come to terms that running long distance is no longer for me and  focus on overall health, strength  and fitness. 

Am hoping the US and NCS tests suggested by the ortho Dr G of Nandi hospital will point to a neural issue (runners nueropathy) and then I can figure out how to reverse or manage it. Have been putting off doing these tests till after a full health checkup ( did that last week - all the markers are normal though the X-ray showed some wear and tear in the inner right knee-  around the VMO area ). If the US and NCS tests dont give any pointers then  the other options are to consult Dr G of Attitude Prime  or Dr B of activity heals and perhaps  gait analysis at Run Mechanics.  Hopefully restart  sessions with R who has been very busy the last month or so  - we have not engaged since early Jan. 

In the meantime , will continue with non running cardio (cycling/rowing/elliptical) and strength workouts with weights and  core workouts.  Perhaps I need to bring in more variation in my workouts with the help of a personal trainer  though  I doubt one can finding someone who is willing to come to the community where I live(PG). 

 

18th TMM Finish

 

Happy and grateful to have crossed the finish line at Mumbai for the 18th time on 18th Jan 2026 . It marked my return to marathon running after a gap of 23 months something that I was very keen to do - many including A recommended pushing it by another year.. I missed my target A (4:45) by a long margin and also target B(4:57). Nevertheless, proud and elated to finish in just under 5:05. Specially considering that , as late as July/August 2025, the rhythm of my runs was terrible making them quite unenjoyable and a chore. Anything beyond 10K felt challenging.  Dr. G ,whom I consulted at the end of July in desperation, directed me to work with R (A's ex- yoga instructor). Started working with R in the 1st week of August and the impact on my running rhythm became visible by August end. The HM at Bangalore on 21st September plus the visibly improving single leg calf raise on the left side gave me the confidence to increase the long run distance and enabled me to clock four 30K+ runs in November and December.  

The anxiety and nervousness in the lead up to the event grew due to the news of sudden negative turn of B's health in Hyderabad. After dillydallying on thursday, we cancelled the holiday in Maharashtra and replanned the travel on Friday. When we left for the airport at 830am on Sat the news from Hyderabad was not very good. As always the airport was teeming with runners heading to Mumbai. Chatted quite a bit with N till he boarded his flight. Also spoke to a couple fo young runners from Whitefield while waiting to board the Indigo flight. 

Reached around 12:15 and took a cab to Cafe Mysore in Kings circle Sion. Enjoyed catching up  with DD(who had collected my bib thereby helping me avoid the mad crowds at the expo on a Saturday afternoon), DM, V and M over  a meals lunch though the food was a bit on the spicier side for me( The Kesri helped me here). 

Got dropped at Ramee Guestline, Dadar by V around 3:30. Turned out that the Whitefield running gang was staying in the same hotel. The TMM legends were given two bibs one for the front with the rfid tag and another at the back - so that they could recognise each other on the route and also be recognised by other runners as legends. However, as there were insufficient no of safety pins I decided not to wear the bib at the back. While getting set for the morning I realised I had forgotten to carry either a cap or a bandana - dont remember the last time I raced without either. 

Walked across to Dadar station around 6 to checkout the train schedule to VT in the morning - there was some confusion whether it was ridiculously early at 2:40 or at 3:40. Went searching for bananas - surprisingly the market did not have veg and fruit seelers. Fortunately located a banana seller and bought 2 of the big bananas.  Bumped into Ramesh and Sneha of the Whitefield running group when walking back to the restaurant at the hotel and gatecrashed to join them for dinner. The dal kichdi was very tasty and not too spicy. It was nice to see so many young runners several of them debutting their HM or FM at Mumbai.  Was back in the room by 8:15. Talked to Ra and then to A, Ri and Su before lying down around 930 with an alarm for 215am (should have kept it for 230). Had an ok sleep. Got ready and left the hotel at 3:15 and was in the platform 5m later. The train arrived a little after 3:45am packed with runners so there was room for standing only. Several runers gawked at the '17 and running ' tagline on the bib specially a couple of debutants. Reached CST by 4:10 and after using the washroom walked across to Azad maidan and got in very smoothly ten minutes later. Moved towards the holding area around 4:40 after bit of warming up and using the port a potty. There was quite a bit of pushing and shoving at the entry which was common for Waves C and D. While waiting there too many negative thoughts went thru my mind probably driven by lesser sleep than usual and the situation in Hyderabad. I felt quite apprehensive of how it would go beyond 32K or so.  Unlike in the past years did not have to wait once we walked towards the start area. Waves A&B had taken off and we could start our race a little after 5:08. With possibly bulk of the runners in wave C&D and large no of finishers around the 5hr mark (see this analysis) I felt surrounded by crowds of runners throughout the race - more so in the 1st Km. Nevertheless, ran Km 1 in 6:30 which turned out to be among the fastest Km.

As per the official timing splits below I ran between 6:30 and 6:40 pace to reach 10Km in under 66 mins. Surprisingly, I did not feel like running up the Peddar road and walked a bit in Km 11 - I have never ever walked this early in a marathon. And then came the challenge of the gradual climb on the coastal road. Still managed to do the 1st half in 2:21 and get to Km 22 around 2:26 at an average of 6:42/Km. (I realised I should'nt have tinkered with the Garmin lap alert settings  - should have left it at lap pace rather than change it to average  pace).

Though the pace slowed considerably from Km 25 I hit 31K in a little after 3:30 - pretty much as per plan .  At this point something around 4:50 finish still looked feasible. However,  after that I expereinced cramps like never before. First the right quads and then the left quads and then the left hamstrings. Felt discomfort in one or more these for the remaining distance with the severe phases forcing me to walk . Consequently, the remaining Kms were slower than 6:55 pace with several over 7:30 and even going up to 9:11 on the Peddar road flyover. By now even a sub 5 looked challenging so I was in no state mentally to  push against the physical comfort and walked quite a bit even after the flyover - through  marine drive and  the home stretch to CST crossign the finish line in 5:04:10 (My Garmin showed the distance as 42.69Kms as did that of most runners). 

Total walk time of nearly 29 mins (almost 10% of the total time) was way higher than I had anticipated. Unable to pin point it to any single factor - weather was good, was hydrating constantly and had 3 energy gels (Km 11, 24 and 34) .  May need to rethink this and plan to consume a couple more in future races. Probably, I was not as mentally strong and positive as I should have been.  One of the handful of races that I ran with my phone but did not take any photos. Abandoned hearing 'The economist' podcast  as it was too noisy. Heard a few songs on Amazon music when it stopped abruptly. So I just removed the headphone and put it into my pocket. Overall, the race experience was great  with cheering and supportive spectators along most of the route. Always fun to observe other runners - the various T-shirts, brands of shoes,  causes they are running for etc. 

 At around 41st Km - PC NSP

The medals were handed out in the finish area itself rather than inside Azad maidan. By the time I entered the maidan it was hot and crowded. Collected the refreshments, stretched a bit, had the 3m MTR poha and then walked to CST.  Did not get to meet any known runner in the finish area . Nor did I see anyone enroute - I did chat with a few random runners though. Got a fast local and was back in the hotel room around noon tired but reasonably satisfied. Hope to continue to build strength and return with a sub 5 hr finish in 2027!!

Nervy countdown

 Seem to be as anxious and nervous as during the years when I had agressive time targets over 10 years ago. And this despite having run it 17 times and knowing the course quite well, the changes to the route this year notwithstanding. Both the mental and physical state has been swinging like a pendulum. With the main goal to finish and having run 4 30K+ runs I should be more confident and less worried  than I am. The last couple of runs have been below par. The niggles in the lower boady are . Slight burning along the left ITB/glutes (sciatic nerve pull?), discomfort in both quads, left sole sensation and pain around the right knee. The hip and quads area also feel tight. 

Hope to leave the hotel in Dadar around 345 and get to the start point between 430 and 445. With a wave C start at 5:10 hope to do the 1st half between 2:20 and 2:25. The elevation in the coastal road is a new factor. My quads just dont seem to be able to handle the elevation. If I can get to 31K in under 3:30 then a sub 5 is a possibility. Best case would be  around 4:45, Plan B is below my slowest ever of 4:57 in 2023. If neither happens then I will take anything aroudn 5:15.

3 weeks to TMM 2026

Running has got significantly better in the 2 months since the last post - thanks to R. His diagnosis of the issue seems to be bang on and the exercises to activate/strengthen the hamstrings and glutes medius seems to be working. Not withstanding the below par 10K run last wednesday(attributable mainly due to slow recovery from the 36K done 3 days prior) and irrespective of how the 2-2:30 hr run goes tomorrow(unless it is a complete disaster) I am confident of completing the full in TMM in around 5hrs +- 15 mins. 

Applied for change of category from half to full on 27th November . Have got the mail on cancellation of the HM registration and acceptance of the FM registration. Yet to get the bib no though - hoping to get '1111' back or one of the other two options that I have given. 

Focusing on R's exercises 4-5 days a week, 3 days of strength , 2 runs, and 2-3 workouts between cycling and the elliptical trainer seems to be working - both mentally and physically. While in Sept and Oct running beyond 15K felt like a chore and challenging now that has shifted to 25K+. Hopefully it can be pushed further to 32/K in 2026.

The scaling of my long runs has been as follows: 

2/11/2025       26.05   Km     3:04:06    7:04/Km

16/11/2025      30.41  Km    3:29:01    6:53/Km

30/11/2025      32.23  Km    3:40:09    6:50/Km

14/12/2025      30.60  Km     3.24:16    6:40/Km

21/12/2025       36.16 Km     4:15:03    7:03/Km

Based on the above I hope to be able to do TMM in about 5 hrs at say 7(4:55) to 7:15 (5:05) .

Regardless , looking forward to getting back to  a FM after a break of 22m - 2025 is the first year since 2003 that I have not done a 42.2+ run . 

TMM 2026 - FM or HM again?

 Restarted training on Oct 17th after 3.5 weeks break and it has been a mixed bag. No 2 consecutive runs have gone well. The hamstrings and glutes medius seem to have gone back to the state they were in late August before i started doing R's excercises to help activate them. As a result, am unable to hit a rhythm in my runs and the quads are getting stressed again. Still hoping that by running slower or doing a run/walk combination I can motivate myself to do a 25K and then a 30K run by Nov 23rd. If I succeed in this then I will change my TMM 2026 race category to a FM(the last date for this is 28th November) and try and get in couple of more 30K+  runs in Dec. Else will have to reconcile myself to another HM at Mumbai.  Based on the recent training runs,  a FM will probably take 5:30-5:45.  Whether that is really worthwhile is something I need to answer to myself in the next 3 weeks.  Also being on one's feet for that long has its own risks and challenges - mental as well as physical. The worst outcome would be to change to FM category and then end up with a DNF. 

Wipro Bangalore marathon details

 As in 2023, the last time I ran this event, M and I stayed in Woodlands hotel close to Kanteerva stadium on 20th September. M came from Chennai in the morning by train, collected the bibs and checked into the hotel. I drove from home post lunch and got there around 4PM. The Woodlands room that M changed to was spacious and relatively new. It was a fairly relaxed evening - after  spending a couple of hours visiting a cousin in MG road we had early dinner(the choice of food was limited in the restaurant) and went to bed by 9:45. 

Though I heard some crackers (it being Ganesha week) I dozed off soon. Woke up at 4 - M had woken up at 3:30 and used the bathroom. We got ready and walked across to Kanteerva stadium around 5:15am after a quick pre-race selfie.

As is usual on a city race day in , the area was buzzing with runners converging to the holding area. Bumped into several friends in the holding area including Ra &Ru -  2:15  and 2:30 pacers for the race.

With over 11 thousand registrations, the HM start was in 3 waves. I started at 6:10 am about 10 mins after the first wave. Despite the staggered start it was very crowded getting out o the stadium and in the Cubbon park area. In fact, there were runners at close proximity all through the race except perhaps the last 4Kms or so.  After Km 1 in moderate time of 6:21, ran the fastest Km split - doing the 2nd Km in 6mins. Thereafter, kept a steady pace of between 6:05 and 6:20 till Km 15.  The first half took just under 1:07 - perhaps a minute too slow to hit a sub 2:15 finish. Slowed down to 6:25 to 6:30 pace in the last 6 kms-  With Km 18 being the slowest at 7:13 when my right toes cramped and I walked a bit after stopping at the aid station for water. It was at this point that Ra - the 2:15 pacer crossed me. I did not push myself to keep up with her and finished about 30s behind her - more or less achieving my goal of 2:15. 

The official timing splits were as below :

Did not meet many runners at the finish (most of my BHUKMP runners were doing the FM). Waited for M for about half an hour in the finish area - but missed seeing him in the crowds. So had breakfast by myself and walked back to Woodlands around 10am. 

As M's train got delayed we decided to have lunch at PG. Left Woodlands around 11:45 and reached home around 1 - satisfied with the way the race went specially since several of the training runs in July and August were below par creating self doubt on whether I would be able to do a decent HM. Both the quads held up as did the right ankle. Credit to R for this turnaround - he seems to have assessed the core issue correctly as the excercises prescribed by him seemed to be making a difference. 

Good run at Wipro Bangalore half marathon

 The run on sunday, 21st September went pretty much to plan . Without pushing to the hilt I finished in 2:15:24  - about half a minute behind the 2:15 pacer and good friend R.  Was comfortably on target for a sub 2:15 till Km 15. Slowed down considerably after that and then the right toes cramped at Km 18 . Considering the long travel and trip in less than 36 hrs it was not worth pushing through that.  Very satisfied with the outcome and the recovery has also been good. Hopefully 3 weeks break from running will help me get back with renewed vigour in the 2nd half of October. And the break from strength and other trainign will not set me back too much. Have greater confidence now  of getting in a couple of 25-30Kruns by mid November which will enable me to target  530 FM at Mumbai in January 2026.

More details on Sunday's run later. 

Bangalore marathon in two weeks and thereafter ..

Did not enjoy most of the runs in June and July  - in fact they felt like  drudgery both physically and mentally - a feeling I have never had before in 24Y of distance running . So much so that the nervousness and tension the night before and the morning of every single run was palpable . With this state of affairs it was clear that a FM in Sept was impossible to pull off. Therefore, switched  race category at the Wipro Bangalore marathon coming up on 21st Sept  from FM to HM in mid July. A consultation with  Dr G (his positive attitude was very impressive- that , a good treating doctor and his strong faith should hopefully cure him )again in July end led me to get in touch with R who I knew of as a yoga teacher from my Ranka days. Dr G surmised that there was imbalance in my muscles and the glutes and hamstrings were not firing causing lack of rhythm and putting higher  load on the quads and  lower legs . And as this needed focused attention to correct he advised I consult R who was now doing such  work with a number of people(mostly in Dubai and Singapore) . As per R the left hamstrings and gluteus medius were the culprits though these muscles on both legs needed to be worked upon. 

After two weeks or so of consistently doing the excercises suggested by R (to help the hamstrings and medius fire ) and also to correct the right shoulder warp towards the left hip,  I sense  a turrnaround in the quality of my  runs - albeit all slow and interspersed with some walking. Could be the physical or mental affect of R's exercises. Either way it does not matter.  I am once again looking forward to the runs. The quads are getting strained much later in the run and not as much specially when running up gradients and the numbness in the left foot has not been as bothersome.  The left ankle/calf strength has also improved (this may have nothing to do with R's exercises and may be due to the elapsed time since the surgery and the calf raises that I have been doing regularly) as the range of motion in the single leg calf raise is slowly but surely getting better. As a consequence, the last 3 weekend runs of  17K, 21.2K and 14K ( 85% run and 15% walk) went well and have boosted my  confidence of doing a sub 2:30 half on 21st Sept. If I manage the first half  in under n 67m and the quads and the left foot sole  hold up then I will try and get as close to 2:15 as possible. Regardless, I am looking forward to the run - only my 2nd event since the aborted one in May 2024. 

Meanwhile, have registered for the HM at TMM 2026 with the goal that,  after returning from the travel,  a decent 27-28K run can be managed  between Oct 20th and Nov 20th, then I can upgrade to a FM . The last date for doing that is 28th November. That is of course, looking too far ahead . The focus for now is on a good run on 21st Sept!

FM training ruled out for now

Have not been enjoying what ever little running I have been doing the last 3 months or so. The persistent issues in the right ankle is affecting the runs both mentally and physically. Took  3 weeks break from running(and all cardio) in May and consulted Dr G and Dr HK. X-ray showed no stress fracture. Dr HK diagnosed a possible nerve issue. While the wax therapy provided some relief , the discomfort in the ankle area came back once I restarted running. The intensity of pain and the are of pain is quite variable. Starting from the lateral area around the ankle bone and spreading to the mid foot on top. Sometimes the shin area also hurts. At times it does feel like a nerve issue. Not sure what to do about it.Trying out combinations of run/walk and also the compression socks to see if it helps in managing the discomfort.  However,  it is clear that FM in Bangalore in September is out. Have done just one 21K and a couple of 15K+ runs since Mumbai 2025. Hopefully by giving it time the right ankle/calf will get strong enough to train for a FM in Mumbai 2026. Or else it will be curtains on marathon running. 

Another FM left in the ankle and calf ?

 Post the half marathon in Mumbai in January 2025  I have been focused on increasing the amount of running per Km and also strengthening the right ankle/calf. It is dosconcerting and disappointing that nearly 10m after the achilles tendon repair surgery I am still unable to do proper single leg calf raises on the right leg . As per many of the articles on TA rupture surgery and rehab being able to do a single leg calf raise is a prerequisite to running and one should be able to achieve it by about 6m post surgery. This is something that I should have paid more attention to in Sept/Oct 2024 when I restarted run/walk training. Unfortunately I did not research this properly and neither Dr HK(surgeon) or Dr G(sports ) emphasised this sufficiently as part of the rehab protocol. Without achieving single leg calf raise I managed to do the TMM HM fairly comfortable mainly due to the 55%run/45% walk regimen.  But as I restarted running in Feb 2025I realised that the single leg calf raise is very critical to scale the distance towards FM training and also towards 100% running. As a consequence I have not run beyond 17K since Jan 2025 . And I have been struggling with pain in the quads/knee area even on shorter runs. As per Dr G (whom I consulted last week) this is because the ankle and calf are week and so the shin, knee and quads are being overloaded. .  The only solution is to strengthen the ankle and calf.  So I am diligently working on this while limiting my runs to under two hours. The good news is that Dr G has cleared me to run continupusly without walk breaks. Was happy to do my first such 10K run on  6th April.  However, I am now beginning to doubt whether my ankle /calf/quads can take the load of a 5hr FM. Will find out soon as I start training  for a FM in Bangalore on 21st September 2025.  This will require me to start doing 20-35K runs latest from June. By that time I am hoping the range of the single leg calf raise improves and so the load on the shin and quads is reduced. Else one will have to downgrade to a HM and bring the curtain down on FM running. While I can and will need to reconcile with that if needed I hope I have a few more years of running FMs left in my legs. The next 3m will determine the future of my long distance (>21Km) running career!!

One good news in all this gloom is that the shoulder and arms have definitely becoming stronger with consistent gym workouts. After over 6m of consistent training am now able to do about 4 pull ups and 5 chin ups on a good day!! 

Emotional 20th finish in Mumbai

 

It was with great relief, joy and gratitude that I crossed the finish line at Mumbai on 19th January 2025 for the 20th consecutive year. Relief that I was able to maintain the streak at Mumbai(2 HMs, 17 FMs and HM), joy to be able to run in the iconic event just 7m after the achilles tendon surgery and gratitude for the recovery post surgery and the support and encouragement from family and friends. I have been extremely fortunate to be able to get back to running just 3.5m post surgery. It is not unusal for folks to not be able to run for 6-8m after such a surgery. It has been a real roller coaster since I sustained the ankle/calf injury  during the HM at the Avenue of Giants marathon on 5th May.  Did not realise the severity of the injury till a few weeks later and also the long rehab and recovery time required . While Procam allowed for race category change till Nov 29th I realised once I restarted running that it was going to be able to scale beyond 21K for the race in January. My sports doc Dr. G also strongly adviced against it.Given all this I am extremely happy to have met my goal finishing in just under 2:44 with about 55%running and 45% walking every Km.

Flew to Mumbai on Fri(17th Jan) evening due to the felicitation function at the expo on 18th morning. Having planned a holiday post the run A accompanied me to Mumbai. On 18th morning we reached the expo around 11:30am just as procam was finishing up an interview with Sir Mo Farah. Contrary to expectations Procam decided to honor all the runners who had run at least 10 full marathons since the event started in 2004. Of these they decided to felicitate on stage the 'two star' runners- those that had run 15 or more full mrathons. It was nice to get a cap, plaque and a scroll handed over by Mo Farah and also to see the wall of TMM legends  displayed in the bib collection area. Though I felt sad that my streak of 17 FMs was ended  I was delighted to learn that I am among the 10 runners from across the country(and the only one from Bangalore ) to have run 15 or more full marathons out of the 20 so far. 

As always the expo was buzzing with runners from across the country. It was nice to meet up with several of the fellow TMM legends from Bangalore. Went back to Kandivili after a quick lunch at Andheri and then moved for the night to Nitin's place in Borivili . 

After an early dinner at home lay down by 945pm. It was a little noisy and was unable to sleep much. Woke up with the alarm just before 2am and was ready and out of the house after a few photos by 2:45am. After walking for about 10m got into the special local from Borivili starting at 3:05. By then Nitin's gang had swelled to over 20 runners. The train was anyway full of runners . Got off at Mahim around 3:45am and reached the holding area ground after a 10m brisk walk. Bumped into old friend and wonderful runner Bhasker Desai on the way. The entry was quite quick and smooth - the volunteers scanned the bib to verify that bibs were not being misused- dont recollect this being done in the previous years. The holding area was a bit small for the over 13K runners. After using the loo a couple of times headed to the start line for Wave C(met NS Partha warming up ). While waiting for the start talked to Amrita who was targeting about 2:15. The race for wave C started at 5:05 . After running slowing the first 100m or so I went into a brisk walk and pretty much stuck to my strategy of 400-500m walk and the rest run every Km. It was very crowded and one had to make a lot of effort to weave through runners and not bump into anyone. The weather was on the warmer side (22c at the start and 24c at the finish 3 hrs later) though a bit humid specially as one hit the sealink n the 4th km. I had a very comfortable run reaching half way in just under 1:20 resisting the temptation to increase the quantum of running. The 2nd half was about 4m slower . It was good to see Naina on and off the course. Could have shaved about 30s in the last 2Kms - but was unable to do so partly due to the density of runners cris crossing my path. Ran them steady at under 8m pace to cross the finish line around 7:50am. 

After collecting the medal and refreshment waited for Nitin to come. Asha and Niyati had taken the train and come to CST but were unable to enter the finish area so they took the train back to Borivili after meeting Nitin. The latter  took a bunch of us into the TCS booth which was very loud and crowded. Took a few pictures there, ate some more snacks and then rode in a car back to Borivili reaching home around 12:30 - tired but very happy and thankful. 

One Week to the slowest HM at TMM 2025

 The build up to the 20th edition of Mumbai marathon has been very different from the last 15 or so editions. It is strange to end a calendar year or start one without a  30Km+ run . Having reconciled to do a HM(after 17 consecutive FMs)  and that too using walk/run method with a goal to complete between 2:45 and 3:00 hrs the two longest runs have been of 21.2Km/2:50m. Barring unforseen circumstances on race day I should be able to comfortably finish under 3 hrs with about 60/40 walk/run ratio. Though I could reverse the ratio just for the race I probably will not as shaving a few minutes off does not matter as it will anyway be my slowest HM. See here for the timings of all the HM races done by me so far . 

Had goofed up the dates of travel to/from Mumbai. Rebooked to now go on Fri evening to attend the TMM legends event on Sat morning at the expo. Happy that I have been fortunate enough to run a HM or a FM in every edition so far- among the 42 runners from across the country to do so. 

An exciting part of this year's event is that A will be accompanying me to Mumbai for the first time - looking forward to a smooth trip to Mumbai and the short holiday thereafter. 

Walk/run training towards TMM 2025

 Post the Achilles tendon repair surgery on 27th June and the required immobilisation and rehab period , I started walking from 15th of August. Got the ok to commence running in the last formal review with the surgeon Dr. HK on 24th Sept. Ran for the first time  on 6th Ooctber - 5m after the injury sustained on 5th May in California. Had built the walking distance and pace from 2Lm in 31min on 16th August to 8.3Km in 80 mins on 2nd Oct. In the first run on 6th Oct I walked 850-900 m and ran 100-150m completing 9Km in 84min. With mostly 2 walk/run sessions per week supplemented by 3-4 sessions of stationary cycling/rowing  the weekend walk/run was scaled as per the following progression : 10.55(17th Oct), 12.53, 14.1,17.56, 21.2KM(24th Nov). The walk to run ratio being at most 65/35. Pretty happy to have done 21.2Km under 3 hrs - giving me confidence that at TMM 2025 I could aim for  2:45. The discomfort around the ankle and heel area during and for a period after the run will hopefully reduce over time. So will the limping which is quite apparent when walking briskly.

The last date for changing the category from  HM to FM for TMM 2025 is 29th November. Though I feel terrible that my streak of FMs at Mumbai will end it does not make sense to take a chance with just 6 weeks to the race day including the 12 days trip to Delhi and HP which period there will be minimal running. 

Rebuilding fitness...

The 3m review with   Dr HK on Sept 25th (surgery was on 27th June) went off well - as per the doc the achilles tendon has healed very well and I can start excercising with very little restrictions (plyometrics is avoidable for some more time). Which means I have been cleared to start running again building up slowly. With fabulous support from the wife , the recovery period went well. It consisted of two weeks of ankle immobilisation with a plastic board under the dressing, followed by 2 weeks of RT cast and then 3 weeks of airboot.  Post that , started walking from 15th August building up from 2Kms/30mins to 8 Kms/78 mins.  Added stationary  cycling and  rowing to my cardio workout .   And seated dumbbell and machine based strength exercises in the gym. The swelling in the ankle area is almost completely gone. The redness and a slight limp though are still there which is not uncommon for upto 6m post the surgery.  Hopefully they will dissolve soon. 

Meanwhile, the registration for TMM 2025 (on 19th Janaury) started at the end of August. Was confused whether to register for a FM or HM. Given that I have not run since the 5th of May and have lost a significant amount  of my lower body strength and cardio fitness it logically did not make sense to take a chance with a FM . However the heart did not want to let go off the 17y streak.   Dr G  was strongly against a FM  as even a 6:30 hr run/walk could put the ankle under severe stress risking a relapse. - he very reluctantly ok'ed  registering for  a HM  with the caveat of making a call post recommencement of running.  Also as  one can upgrade from a HM to FM till the 29th of November I went ahead and registered fror the HM.  Therefore, it definitely looks like the end of the FM streak at this point. Plan to start running from 5th Oct (5m since the last run and the injury)  and build up over  Oct and most of Nov starting with 9m walk/1 min run and gradually moving to say 8m run/2m walk. At the same time scale the distance to 20K by mid Nov and then make the final call on the distance for TMM. 

Nevertheless looking forward to getting back to running with anxiety, excitment and nervousness !

Out of action till at least September

 When I DNF'ed on 5th of May due to a severe pull in my right calf muscle at Km 3 of the Avenue of Giants marathon, little did I imagine that I would be unable to run again for next 4-5 months. Even when writing the previous post after returning to India and undergoing treatment in consultation with the ortho,  the possibility of significant change in trajectory of  life in the latter  half of 2024 was far from my mind. Things changed when the MRI on 14th June showed a fairly significant tear in the achilles tendon. Subsequent multiple consultations (part of a dozen visits to doctors/hospitals in a space of 6 weeks inclduing visits to see my dad who was hospitalised ) revealed the (partial) tear at the point of insertion of the tendon to the ankle bone. All optinions unanimously suggested a surgical repair as the only way forward specially if one wanted to return an active physical life. Shifting the focus to which surgeon/hospital? After some consideration went ahead with Dr HK at Manipal on 27th June. 

Now in the midst of 4 weeks recovery which will be followed by 4-6 weeks of rehab. All going smoothly hoping to start cardio exercises(slow short runs/indoor cycling) in the 2nd half of September. Meanwhile trying to maintain some muscle strength with simple (non weighted) LB excercises in lying down position and seated upper body dumbbell workouts. However, as I am still imbibing the same amount of calories as I used to while doing 3-5 cardio workouts per week , the weight and waist are slowly inching up . The challenge is to maintain them around   60Kgs and 34" respectively in what is turning out to my longest break from cardio since 2004. Another challenge is to avoid getting mired in a spiral of negative thoughts about life and its future course.

Some general life musings during this period - nothing very profound:

a) Life is unpredicatable - so live it as purposefully as possible

b) Painful decisions can often have hidden benefits - the clot may not have been detected on time if we had not abandoned our holiday plans and returned

c) Be thankful for what you have - zillions are going through worse situations and may not be economically as well off to handle the costs

d) Good relationships provide invaluable support - partner, family, friends, neighbours...

e) Important to stay positive when going through an adverse phase in life

f) Hospital/doctor visits are avoidable but maybe inevitable

g) Aging is inevitable and needs to be managed both mentally and physically

- 

A DNF and a painful end to a holiday

 

Going into the race on 5th May 2024 I was reasonably confident of around 2:15 HM finish. Based on the ankle/pain runs on 25th and 29th April ,in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree respectively, it became apparent  that running the FM would be downright stupid. The head and the heart differed on the two remaining options of the three  summarised here .The rational decision would have been to DNS. However, I made the emotional decision of changing the race category to HM. 

Despite the long driving (SFO to Laka Tahoe to Eureka via the Shasta-Trinity National Forest)  and lack of sufficient sleep I was eager to run the HM specially after collecting the bib and driving through the course on 4th afternoon. the main anxiety was the cold and possibly damp weather - it rained all Saturday(4th) with the forecast for Sunday morning being more promising albeit with temperature in the high single digit Celsius. The other concern was to get to the parking lot comfortably early as the organisers had warned of very slow traffic after getting off the high way (101 S in my case). On learning from our Airbnb host that another guest staying in the studio room was also running I contacted him to see if we could carpool. However as he was running the FM it did not workout.

Went to sleep at 10:45 Pm and woke up at 5:20. Decided to wear a full sleeves shirt on top of the half sleeves for the run.  After toying with decided not to wear gloves which turned out to be a wrong one specially during the walk back to the start line when the hands became really cold. A, R and I left at about 6:40 and exited 101 S at about 7:20. As expected there was a bumper to bumper traffic from the exit to the parking lot. Nevertheless , made it to the parking lot by 8:05 and reached the start area by 8:15. After using the portaloo and warming up a bit removed the windsheeter. Though a bit too cold for my liking I expected to feel quite comfortable after a couple of Kms of running. 

Started the race much faster than I have been doing off late - the course was rolling hills with an overpass in Km 2. Ran the 1st and 2nd Km in 5:31 an 5:54 respectively. While it was nice to run among the lovely , giant redwood  trees the cold, wet weather was quite a dampner. I slowed down in the 3rd Km as I sensed that the heel was going to be quite stressed  by the end of the HM. Just as I completed the 3rd Km(in 6:14) my right calf had a very severe pull. I had to move to the side and literally stop - there was excruciating pain. After a few secs I limped  a Km to the 1st aid station hoping to get some relief with a muscle spray or gel. Disappointingly, the volunteer there was very unhelpful and the medical kit they had was pathetic - a bandaid and some pain killer tablets - that is it. No muscle relief spray or gel. At that point it was clear to me that my race was over specially as more than 50% of the vacationw as ahead including lot of travel within Peru. With a heavy heart I reconciled myself to a the 3rd DNF of my career (the others by in my first ever FM attempt in Pune in Dec 2002 and Bangalore Ultra 2015 ) So I wanted to get back to the start line and get some medical help at the earliest. Again all the volunteer could suggest was that I walk back slowly. Perhaps, I could not convey the seriousness of my injury because I myself was not aware of it. And my brain also did not fucntion properly. Ideally I should have insisted on an ambulance being called to take me back. Instead I willed myself to slowly walk back the 4Kms - it took about an hour to do so. Close to the finish line I saw A and R coming out of founder's grove.  Shockingly the medical tent at the finish line was also pathetic without any spray or gel. After icing the calf for a few minutes A convinced a forest officer to drop me in the parking lot in his vehicle. We headed back soon after reaching the airbnb around 11:45am disappointed, weary and worried about the injury.

Managed the next 3 days with a hiking stick and with minimal walking. However, the swelling in the ankle/heel area and the calf increased quite a bit by the time we reached NYC on 8th morning. So after agonising and going back and forth for 48 hrs we made the painful decision of returning to Bangalore cutting short our holiday by 2 weeks . Cancelling the much anticiapted Peru trip left me feeling quite miserable. The ortho consiltation on 15th (the day we landed back in Bangalore) showed a tear in the achilles tendona s well as muscle calf and also a blood clot(DVT) in the calf. So in hindsight it was the right decision to return when we did.

With the treatment I am undergoing and complete rest hoping to be back on my feet by May end . All going well looking to commence running short distances slowly from July after building some strength back to the damaged heels and calf!!   

FM or HM or DNS ?

 Are the three options that I am grappling with for the Avenue of Giants marathon less than 2 weeks away. Unable to do even the two 30K+ runs that I had planned for  due to the heat and  an ankle injury diagnosed by the ortho as Haglund's deformity it is a real trilemma.  Specially after I had to abandon my 22K run last Saturday at 15Km due to acute heel discomfort. If I do go ahead with FM it willl definitely be a very  slow one with the goal of  keeping it below my slowest ever time of 4:57 though even that could make the ankle worse and jeopardise the rest of the trip.  Half marathon in about 2:15/2:20 should not be a huge challenge - have till Friday 26th April to exercise the option of changing the race category. On the other hand, the easiest option is to use the injury as an excuse  and decide to DNS now itself  and fully enjoy the lead up to the wedding on 27th April. Hope to do a 10-12Km run in the cooler climes of LA on 25th April and then make the call on changing race category. I will then have  a week plus and a couple of more runs to decide on DNS.  

 . 

Evolving training plan for AoG

My first run after the Delhi marathon  was  a 10Km on Friday, 8th March - after almost 2 weeks break  from all excercise except walking and occassional pushups ,squats and stretches . This run and the subsequent 17K run two days later made me realise that recovery from two back to back marathons will take time and training for the Avenue of Giants marathon on 5th May  with any timing goal in mind is unrealistic. The struggle to stay below/around 6:30 Km pace in the last 2 weekend runs of 22K and 28K runs further confirmed this . Though the inital plan was to do two 32K+ runs and a couple of intervals and short tempo runs  in the 5 weeks before travel to the US on 23rd April both the mind and body are not for it.  The bright sunshine and warm morning temperatures of Bangalore summer does not help either. The plan now is to do another run of close to 30K if possible and a 33-35K on 14th April -3 weeks before the race. And enjoy the  wedding revelries and the travel in California planned in the days leading up to the race. Hopefully the new aches and pains (the area above left knee when sitting for over 30m and the right ankle just above the heel) will not impact the training (and the racing) adversely.  The goal is to enjoy the race and try and do better than my two slowest ever times of 4:57 in TMM 2023 and 4:48 in London 2007.   

Delhi marathon race report

 

My 1st experience of the Delhi marathon on 25th Feb was quite good - I hit my goal by finishing in 4:33:14 at an average pace of 6:29 though the first half at 2:11:16 was a minute slower than plan. Was happy to shave 10 minutes off the timing of TMM 24 though given the cool weather and flat course sub 4:30 should have been possible(the ifs and buts invariably kick in after any race!). Nevertheless,  thankful to have completed two back to Back FMs within 5 weeks with just one long run (28.3Km falling short of the 30Km goal) between the two races .

Landed in Delhi around 1:15PM on Sat, 24th Feb with wife A. Took a cab with brother M  to the Airbnb at Jangpura extension and after leaving the bags there reached Gate 1 of JLN stadium for bib pickup. The expo was relatively small and not very crowded and the bib pickup process was very quick. 

After  Bib pickup at Gate#1 JLN stadium

After an early dinner at a Haldirams about 500m from the Airbnb slept by 945. Woke up at 2:15am and got ready by 3:10. Booked Ola cab but the driver was unable to figure his way to the Airbnb. So cancelled it and  walked/jogged to JLN gate 14 with Ashwath Reddy and Manjunath , runners from Bangalore, also staying in the same place. Joined other runners heading there after we went thru the colony gate and crossed the overbridge. Reached at 3:40 and after some warmup and taking a leak walked a fair bit to the start area(from gate 14 to gate 1).  It being about 11c  at start time (going up to 16c by 9am) agonised over whether to wear a full sleeve shirt. Ended up with a regular shirt and checked in the windsheeter at baggage counter which in hindsight was a good decision as the cold was not too bad and the body warmed up fairly quickly.

With Ashwath near the baggage counter

The race got flagged off at 4:18 a couple of minutes after the elite women started. Ran the 1st Km too fast in 5:50 . Shoe laces coming off slowed me quite a bit in the 2nd Km(perhaps it was a message to slow down). Keeping the pace mostly below 6:20 completed the 1st half in  a little over 2:11. Continued at that pace till Km 26 when I hit the tail end of the half marathon runners (who started at 6:15). With the road being narrow and given the number of HM runners occupying it I was forced to slow down and and lost momentum. The pace dropped to between 6:30 and 6:50 with , by now, familiar strain in the right quads rearing its head in Km 35. Unlike in the case of Mumbai decided to continue running through the cramps albeit slowly. Hitting the 10K runners at this point did not help and the last 5Kms were again at 7 mins+ pace. 

Have mixed feelings about the , as flat as can be, route due to their being too many U turns, the road being narrow in several sections for the number of runners and the cadence of the road.  Disliked the  cobblestone section in the first 5Km and the absence of lights in Km 3(mot of the route either had streetlights or lights put up by the organisers).  Of course, running on Kartavya Path was a unique experience - many runners took selfies with India gate in the background. 

The finish area seemed very chaotic with no volunteers to direct one towards medals etc. The breakfast area  with the long Qs , lack of waste seggregation and  overflowing bins seemed quite messy and was  not appealing to me. So except for some kind of daliya did not eat anything else. Feeling bad that A was not allowed inside the gate so went out in a hurry at 9:30am to join her. 

After a few photos outside the gate area we headed back to the Airbnb  undecided whether I would do the race again anytime soon. As my long distance running years maybe numbered and its unlikely I am going to be able to improve my timing significantly,  the risk of  two back to back marathons may not be worthwhile. Anyway it is a long way off and after the 10 days break in Delhi and Uttarakhand need to shift the focus to training for the AoG marathon on 5th May!!