This motley crew - A love letter

A boisterous gang got together for a Sunday lunch party over the weekend and if you had walked into the restaurant, you would have mistaken this group for any other group of friends you would see in Bangalore or anywhere else. Except for their conversation. Case in point: Zero gossip. No talk about who's getting married or divorced or breaking up. Only alphabets floated - TCS...SCMM...DRHM...BQ... This group while clearly having fun would not have made any sense to anyone coming off the street...

That's because this group were filled with runners...celebrating another runner for achieving something all runners wish they could do. Confused? On Sunday, I was part of a group that came together to hug and celebrate our friend TimTim Sharma. She has been running for 1.5 years now and in that time she has quietly (ok not so quietly) gone and won nearly all the big marathons and races in the country. And in culmination to all that was her running her best during the Standard Charted Mumbai Marathon (SCMM), winning it and qualifying for Boston Marathon (BQ). To the rest of the world this means this girl ran 42.2kms really fast and that's that. To us runners, this means a dream essentially coming true.

One of the most common questions I have gotten from friends and family this past year hasn't been whether I was getting married (although I get a million of those!), whether or not I had a boyfriend or even whether or not I was happy at my job. They want to know why I run. They look at my blisters. They see my lifestyle (which they deem insane) and they ask me what in the world possessed me to run as much as I do. I bite my lips, mumble a reply and change the subject. Because I know they won't understand. And because I know I can't quite put it into words why I love waking up at 4am in the morning to run circles till I finish 10, 15...20kms. But being a runner is as much part of my identity now as my own name.

And that's true for everyone who gathered on Sunday. They were all runners. Some joined to become part of a community. Some joined to get away from people. Some joined  to lose weight. And some like me perhaps began running because they were a little lost. When you run your fears are stripped from you and your worst problems feel manageable. The finish line is a place where there is ecstasy and relief, pain and despair. And on January 2014, one of us managed to achieve something amazing in that finish line...TimTim managed to make us all proud by running the hardest, pushing the hardest and doing her best. It's her achievement. Her moment in the sun and she will get to join the best runners from across the world when she runs Boston.

So, why were the rest of gathered for this moment? Because while the the average person will know that this was no mean feat, they still can't comprehend the effort that goes into running this well. We understand it. We may not all be as good (I know I am not!) but we know what it feels like to run so hard that you can only stumble when you cross the finish line.

Tim for her part is the best representation of what a runner can do and can be. We know that she has sacrificed so much to get here and continues to push herself to go further. We know that when girls her age are pub hopping, she's running intervals. She's doing fartleks (go ahead Rahul, now is your turn to make a fartlet joke and make me giggle). She's cycling. She's gymming. She's pushing beyond what normal human beings think themselves capable of. And because of that we are proud of her. Because of that, we came together to toast her success.

But that isn't all there is to it. She's inspired us all. When she smiles and tells me that I can run faster than I know I can run...I believe her. She genuinely cares when she pushes my friends (people she does not even know well) to do their bests after having met them for 10 minutes. She's that way with everyone she meets in her life. As long as they want to run and as long as they show up to run, she will be your biggest cheerleader. And people respond immediately. And that's why we showed up on Sunday. Not because we were runners but because we were friends too. And I don't make friends easily and I don't trust easily either. But I like this gang. A lot. We show up for the bad times and we celebrate the good ones. We may not all be alike (in fact most of us are as different as can be) but we understand why we wake up at 4am to run circles. So...this is a love letter to everyone in the room. Thanks for running with me and by my side.... And Tim...I know there is a lot more in store for you than this BQ. And we're all looking up to you to keep charging ahead. And we know you can do it all... So keep running. We're all rooting for you <3 

Running your first 10k

So, Pinkathon is just about a week away and that means many women in the city will be attempting their first 10k runs of their lives. I myself ran my first ever 10k at Pinkathon last year and was introduced into the running world with that run. So, I figured I would write about my experience running the distance and how I felt at the finish line.

First things first, if you are running a 10k for the first time in your life, then you need to be prepared for the possibility that you are going to truly suck. I never knew 10 kilometres was that long! I had always been able to run (6.5k being the longest I had ever run before that), so I thought the 10k would be easy. I was wrong. I started feeling knee pain at around the 4k mark after which I had to alternate between running and walking. After 5k, I realised that this was going to be a hard day for me. I was shot and demoralised and I knew I had to do another five kilometres. I ran for what felt like hours only to glance at my watch and realise that I had in fact only been running for 30 seconds. An aunty who was about three times my size easily overtook me and told me to buck up. I tried to keep my head up and put one foot in front of the other. A lot of thoughts crossed my mind. Mostly I was worried about whether I would ever reach the finish line. I had reached the 7k mark.

Around this time I found another female runner who was also struggling like me. I knew her from a previous run and she looked like death warmed over. We decided that we would finish together. Another elderly woman on her final loop (much much ahead of us), shouted us words of encouragement. I just wanted to cry. At this point I was limping and running. So this girl and I decided we would talk and walk and jog and get our minds off the run itself. We spoke about our lives. She told me about her husband. About how much she loved sports as a kid and wanted to take up running now because of it. I told her I loved football and that I was not happy with my job at that time. Despite being utter strangers, we divulged rather intimate details of our lives. We reached the 8k mark.

At this point, Cubbon Park started looking ominous to me. I was shivering and was in more pain than I had ever been in life. What I didn't know at that time was that this was due to my IT Band getting so tight that my knee could barely take it. I didn't know at that time that this problem would haunt me for months and would take tons of physiotherapy to set things right. All I knew was that I had been running for ages and I was still at the 8k mark. The road stretched ahead of me endlessly. My new friend was encouraging me to keep going. She told me not to focus on the pain but rather focus what I was going to eat at the end of the race. Weirdly enough that's the strategy I use even today when I feel a run is killing me. I think about my breakfast and I know the sooner I finish, the faster I can get my hands of whatever unhealthy meal I plan on eating that morning.

That day I dreamt of double cheese pizza. I reached the 9k mark. My friend turned to me and said that we should pick up the pace a bit. I thought I was dying. I knew that if I wasn't so exhausted I would have broken down and cried. The final 500 metre mark approached. At this point my friend told me she was going to turn up her pace and went ahead. I was barely able to keep my head up.  I entered Kanteerva Stadium. I was completely limping at this point but I summoned the last bit of energy I had left on me and I ran as much as I could. I crossed the finish line. I was dazed. In pain. And it was about one of the happiest memories of my life. I had completed the 10k in 1 hour and 16 minutes.

I may have recounted my first 10k like a horror story but the truth is that day I learnt a lot about myself. I realised I don't give up even when I am in pain. That's a trait that running has instilled me in the past year. I didn't know anything about running itself. I didn't have drifit clothes. My running shoes were a pair of beaten down Reebok Easy Tone shoes that weren't even my size. I ran wearing two different socks stolen from my father. My shorts were also cotton if my memory serves me right. It wasn't about the timing or the whether or not I looked like a runner (you know those girls from Nike ads). I got to the finish line. That's what mattered. I was a runner. I had earned my pizza. I had earned that grin that slowly enveloped my face as I realised that I had done it. At that time I only knew two runners - Dharmendra (the ultra man extraordinaire) and Brojen (the sweetest person you would ever meet). Both came and gave me a hug and told me I had done a great job. I got a glimpse into how amazing and encouraging the running community is. I was in pain but in that moment everything was forgotten. I wanted to do more. I wanted to keep running. I had made friends with the exhaustion because I knew there was exhilaration at the finish line. I never saw that girl again in my life. As I got more and more embroiled into running events and became serious about running, I think she may have given up entirely. I hope she is running somewhere though...where ever she is.

A lot of people ask me why I run (mostly non runners). I don't have fancy running clothes. I buy what's necessary. I buy good shoes but only when they are on sale. I only indulge in buying good drifit socks. Over the past year I have done three half marathons, one 25k and four 10ks. I was also forced out of running for a good two months in between when my ITBS problem became too painful to handle. But I kept running if only in my mind. I knew I wouldn't give up on this because of the pain.

Running is one of the most honest hobbies you can adopt for yourself. It makes you confront your own demons. There are no shortcuts in running. You can cheat on your exams, you can bribe corrupt officials and you can get ahead in work by sucking up to the boss. But you can only run when you have trained. You can only run when your body is ready for it. You can't lie about your run. Running clears your head. It keeps you fit. And it keeps you positive. You end with more energy than you can manage and you start day dreaming about running where ever you are.

My only advice to first timers is this - forget about things like podiums and timings. Just run the course. Grab a buddy if you can and encourage those behind you. Use the person who is ahead of you as inspiration. Don't be greedy and mean and rude. Smile a lot. Wear comfortable shoes. And when you get to that finish line, the distance, the pain, and the sweat will be entirely worth it. Never give up. I hope all you have great run next Sunday, 23rd Feb. Oh and do not forget to bring a scrunchie for your hair. Like an idiot I left mine at home and ran with my hair open last year. It makes your neck itch. It becomes rather heavy and you will fantasise about wanting to go bald in the middle of the race. So, yes, please wear a freaking scrunchie!

Like I said, wear a scrunchie!!!

Breaking from blogging....not running

So since my last post, I ran the 25 k Bangalore Ultra and the Bangalore celebration half. Bad news first - I felt terrible after Blore Ultra. I ran while sick. I got more sick during the run. I promptly fell extremely sick (lasted for half a month!) after the run. Note to self - never ever run on fever even if it's a race you have been prepping for. You never win and your body struggles to recover.

The good news: The Bangalore celebration was MUCH MUCH better. Ran 21.2kms in 2.24! I have cut out 10 minutes since October. The dream of finishing the run in less than 2.20 for SCMM lives! But I have been left with bad blood blisters. So been in recovery for most of the week. Will be entering the gym for the first time in a looooong time today. Need to work on my core. Going to buy some supplies to keep the blisters at bay (watch this space for more blister prevention techniques I have learnt!) and am feeling very optimistic about this year.

Thanks to everyone who has read this blog and encouraged me. I hope I have inspired at least one person to pick up the running shoes. Keep running. Keep smiling and a merry christmas to all! 

Taking a break

I am not really running anymore. No...I have not given up on running but I have taken a very short break. I did a couple of kilometres two days ago and then worked out quite a bit but I have scaled way back in the past two weeks. Mostly because it's festival season but also because I needed to break away from running a bit and relax just a bit. Regroup and recharge. Of course all that ends this weekend. Am attending a running workshop and should be fun. I will blog about it once I am done with both days but it has to do with running form and running well. I want to put an end to injuries, so I am very much looking forward to this. Once that workshop is over, I will be back on the training wagon, running consistently and gymming as well. As of tomorrow my little semi-vacation is over. I for one am glad that I am getting back to running but am also glad that I took a break. I really needed my body to chill and relax a bit. 

Ugh my diet

I have started noticing that in the recent weeks, my junk food to healthy food ratio is absolutely skewered. Am having too much junk food and just because am not putting on weight does not mean my body is not feeling the after effects. Sooner or later (the way am going am sure it's sooner), it's going to catch up to me. I am very worried. I need proteins, carbs and loads of fibre and you don't get that from a bhel puri (go figure).

More peanuts. Bananas when I am hungry. A glass of milk in the morning and no more milk and cheese only after a long run. I also have cut out chips from my life. I hardly ever eat pizza anymore but have been eating nearly one packet of chips a day (at least which I know is the worst thing I could do to myself). I need to bring some healthy snacks from home to quench my hunger in the afternoons at work. Just because working out makes me hungry does not mean I have to eat all the time. And I really need to eat healthy. Am going to keep a food diary on this blog along with my running one.

P.S I finally ran a bit yesterday for 20 minutes. The muscles have finally loosened up. And I worked out hard at the gym. My body is absolutely recovered and I am bloody thankful. This weekend am hoping to do anywhere between 12-15kms. I am so grateful for my physiotherapist, Dr Gladson. He really changed my life :)

Come on women....run!

I had a conversation with a friend on Twitter last night that had me both laughing and puzzled last night. She told me one of her friends said that if women take up running, then their breasts will start to sag. Of course my friend is far too smart to believe in nonsense like that but it got me thinking. I really do not see too many female runners in races. Even in my own running group, I can count the number of women with one hand. For me running is not about winning. I know that I will never have podium finishes but for me taking part in a race is the best part of running. The atmosphere, the challenge, the community...it's brilliant. But there are simply not enough women here.

I generally see a couple women ahead of me and maybe one or two behind and I pace with the men most of the time. At long stretches I don't see any women at all. I find this really distressing because I think women make for great runners. Here are the list of reasons why I think, if you are a girl or a woman, you need to find the perfect pair of running shoes and head out of home.

My ugliest pic and I never cared cause that run was fun!

You can handle the pain
If you think you won't be able to handle the exhaustion or find the energy for a run - think again. Physiologically and mentally women can handle a lot more than our male counterparts. Honest to god do you think any of our male friends will be able to handle one day in the parlour? I don't think most of my male friends will be able to survive even getting their eyebrows done and they run as fast as cheetahs. We can take the pain and we generally even push through it. So, why not show how tough you really are on the trail?

Be selfish
One married friend of mine told me that I should enjoy activities like running and trekking now because once I get married I will have to give up them all up. She just seemed so sure about it and it made me very sad. But then I know some wonderful women (Deepa Bhat I am looking at you!), who inspire by being great moms, friends, runners and everything else. My own mum has plenty of hobbies and passion projects that have nothing to do with the rest of us. Why aren't you entitled to your own me time? Run when you can and slowly your family will start recognising your passion and start accommodating your needs as well.

You have the time
Saying that you don't have the time is the worst excuse on earth. We make time for everything else in life including shopping, movies, television, beauty parlour visits, hanging out with friends but we can't find an hour to run? Really? You can sleep a little earlier and wake up a little earlier. I used to have that excuse all the time. For me it was about late night football matches followed by hours sitting arguing about the game on Twitter, so I convinced myself that I had no energy to get up in the mornings for runs. Now I don't Tweet after matches much (a girl has still got to Tweet!) and I only watch the important games. That under-21 game between 'club no one cares about' and 'club you don't know anything about' is not worth giving up your sleep. Oh and I have all but given up on cricket. My favourite players have retired and it hurts my eyes to see Dhoni's haircuts. Easiest decision made. Stop doing things you don't like anymore. It is as simple as that.

Cute guys
Okay so this is really shallow but ladies you will never find couch potatoes on a run. Every one of those guys there are either trying to get in shape or are already in the best shape possible. They lead healthy lifestyles. Most runners I know do not smoke which means you don't risk lung cancer any time soon. Also when you feel like dying on your feet, looking at a cute guy and commenting on his cute shoes does not hurt anyone. And when the cute guy flirts back, it's a total and harmless win. Why not?

*Side note to cute guys: If I have ever run with you and have mentioned your shoes, it means I think you are cute.
*Side note to the not so cute guys: Um....sometimes I just want to know about the shoes.....

You appreciate your body
You become very aware of your body. You become aware of what you're putting in and what's coming out (I know gross but you start caring about these things!). Every little pain gets treated immediately. You start listening to the signals being sent by your body. But running is not a vanity fitness project I must warn you. It's disgusting. When you're running, you generally do not look your best. You are outside so people see you looking haggard and sweating.

Nothing falls off!
To those who think the boobs start sagging (because gross), I have one answer for you - buy decent sports bra and you are set. Either way nothing falls off. Everything firms up as far as I can tell. You become stronger. But yes to be honest when you train hard sometimes your toenails fall off and some of your toenails turn black. On top of that you get feet blisters if you have sensitive skin like mine. But those blisters are war wounds and reminders that you are one tough cookie. So when you have a bad day, think of the time when your toenail fell off and you kept running anyway. It puts things in perspective immediately.

Men can't have all the fun
You get shiny medals at the end of races. You can eat all you want (well keep it relatively healthy) and running makes sure you still fit into those jeans you had back in college. And the best part about running? It's so much fun! You get to be with nature and appreciate things like sunrises and sunsets. You strap on your favourite music on your iPod and you get to really appreciate being alive. Why just let men enjoy that?

So ladies, run. I promise you, you will not regret it! Happy running.

99 problems but half marathon ain't one!

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am now officially a half marathoner! Of course the road to making this happen was paved with best intentions and a ton of problems and self doubt as my blog clearly indicates. In fact this time last week I had all but decided to quit because I just did not think my body could take it. But turns out I am tougher than I thought I was. I am really proud of myself. I remember back to last year when I had to quit running (I only ran about 4-5kms a day) because of my knee pain. And then I think back to the Pinkathon in April of this year when running 10kms felt like the end of the world. And now if I could bottle up that feeling I had when I sprinted the finish line on October 6th 2013, am sure it will cure depression for all mankind.

I still have no idea how that person managed to complete a half marathon in two hours and thirty minutes. It would have been at least 10 minutes faster had it not been for the fact I was victim to something that I had always read about but had never encountered personally - the dreaded runner's stomach. You see the previous day I had sore throat and a little bit of cold. I also had stomach cramps because....well you can guess why. This is not how I wanted my first half marathon to be. I wanted to be fresh and raring to go instead the previous day I was tired, cramped up and exhausted. I had little lunch. A cup of milk in the afternoon and light early dinner. And then I crashed at around 10.30-11 pm. I had to wake up at 3.30 to stretch because I stretched only once on Saturday.

I woke up Sunday and I was not remotely nervous. I took a bath, wore my race day clothes, secured my running bib, stretched and popped in a pain killer (generally on those days my stomach cramps get so bad that I can't even get out of bed and here I was planning to run 21.1 kms with this....awesome). I had one banana, two visits to the bathroom and half a chocolate bar for energy.  I reached the venue and realised one major thing - my stomach was definitely not feeling good. I rushed to one of the portable bathrooms the organisers had installed at the venue and figured that my problems were solved. Except I had no idea that I was going to be victim to the runner's stomach. I have never had it before, so I had no way to compare it with anything in my life.

So let me tell you - it's not fun. I nearly dropped out of the race. On the 8km aid station I practically broke down in tears. I wanted to know if there were any portable restrooms on the way for the runners. Turns out there weren't. But the good news was that the 8km aid station was right next to a mall. The mall manager (god bless this man) quickly took me to the rest room in the mall's underground parking station. My stomach still felt a bit off for the rest of the race but it was never quite as bad again. And in the process I lost 10 whole minutes of my time and that really sucks because that means I would have completed as early as 2.20. Oh well. Lesson learnt.

But the weirdest part was that my left leg while always threatening to erupt in pain, never did. I stretched a bit at the 14k mark and it hurt for about 10 minutes but suddenly it went away. It went away till I crossed the finish line! It kept away after I finished stretching. The only thing is I felt a bad twinge after coming back home (sitting in an uncomfortable position during the train journey for 7 straight hours can do that to you!). But this morning I feel completely recovered and strong. The leg pain is there but minimal and I only feel it while walking up the staircase. That also should be gone by tomorrow because I have scheduled nearly an hour long stretching session in the evening at the gym.

Anyway back to the race day. Throughout the run I had wonderful thoughts running through my head. I could not believe I had finally made it to this day. I wanted to drink in every single second. The reason I know I didn't run my hardest is because even at the 18km mark I was able to have a casual and fun conversation with one of the runners. This means I should have pushed myself. But the truth is I had no idea how my body would behave after 14-15km (those are my safe distances). This was supposed to be my learning curve. I wanted to know and understand the way my body behaved during the run. I plan on running as as long as it's possible for me, which means a ton more half marathons and hopefully full marathons lie in my future. I can gun for timing on my next one. This one was strictly about understanding what I was capable of on race day. Turns out my training has served me really well. Gymming has helped. Stretching has helped. Core workouts have helped. And this is just the beginning. I plan on training harder and doing better. The first stone has been set on the foundation. Time to build upon a beautiful running experience with this.

I started this blog as a way to motivate myself to run my first half marathon. Mission accomplished. Now I need to hunker down and start improving my time. I want to bring my 10k time to 55 minutes (it's currently at 59.04). And I want to run half in two hours. That means during race days I will not goof around. Not stop to take pictures or pick up conversations with runners who are obviously holding you back from your general pace. Clear cut goals. At least for the important races.

And here's quiet push for all the non-runners who think it's impossible to run beyond a certain point. The only restrictions that exist are in your own head. You never know what you are capable of unless you try. It after all starts with one step at a time. And that feeling you get when you get to the cross line? Boss it's worth all the trouble in the world! And turns out I was top 15 in the women's category. Not bad eh? Happy running!

P.S Kudos to the organisers of the Vodafone Coimbatore Marathon 2013. Brilliantly organised and fun race. The route was great. The atmosphere was unbelievable. The officials were helpful and the aid stations were wonderfully stocked. They had lime, salt, biscuits, energy drinks, salted water, water, oranges, cut bananas and extremely cheerful volunteers. Truly the best kind of experience. 

My running playlist

So while my post yesterday was not exactly a Debbie Downer (please refer to this particular blog post for epic one person pity party I threw myself a couple of months ago - The blues have hit me hard), I still feel like I put myself in a negative space by scaring myself. In fact last night I had a vivid dream about waking up with pain on my right knee. Suffice to say, I woke up freaked out but also determined to shake myself out of this panic that I created myself.

And that means, I spent a lot of my morning trying to figure out simple things I could control from now on till my run on Sunday. For instance, I will be having a nice pasta early dinner with my running friends the day before. I am going to the gym today and running tomorrow in the morning. That will be followed by a painful but totally necessary sports massage. Thursday is going to be my last day in the gym before my race. Friday I am going to hang out with my friend and Saturday I will be off in the train to do what I set out to do this year (no pressure see? lol).

Anyway, it has helped loads that I was able to organise my whole week. I have broken my days into small segments that I could easily tackle. And once I get to race day, I am hoping preparation and excitement will bring me (crawling I believe) to the finish line. This can be a great tip for runners (and people in general) who tend to panic before big events in life - just break into smaller moments that you know you can handle.

Another way I took control of my mind space? I spent a considerable amount of time coming up with a playlist that I will be listening to on the day of the run. Now I know a lot of runners believe in the run and don't even listen to music and in fact frown upon those who do. But I love music. I am more obsessed about music and books than I am about running (imagine if you could read a book and run and I would do just that). And I put a lot of importance to the song I'm listening to when I run. Now it may not be the greatest idea since you can't always rely on technology but it has worked for me so far and I love an excuse to slip away into music. I have a mix of trashy music and inspirational music to get me through any run and at times even a slow burner that you might not even think of as an ideal running song but it would get me through to the next kilometer.



Anyhoo...I thought it would be fun to share my top 10 songs from my running playlist (the familiar and the unconventional). If you find something that you like for your run that will make me very happy. So, here goes:

Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? This is a fun song with a great beat. And this song always puts me in the fun zone and I feel quite flirty by the end of it (that's saying something as I am generally in track pants sweating and panting and ready to curse the world).

A R Rahman - Gangsta Blues. Honestly if this song from Slumdog Millionaire does not get you pumped during a run, then am not sure what will. It's that good.

Steven Cooper - I can. This is a new addition to my playlist because I didn't even know this guy existed until a while ago. And I am not a fan of rap music. But this number isn't filled with a million insults and a beat. It's inspiring. With lyrics like - "If you fall, stand up. When you break, stand tough", is it any surprise that it pushes me?

Gnarls Barkley - Run. I have a big problem with this song - it's only 2 minutes and 45 seconds. But it is on top of my running playlist because no other song makes me want to run quite like this song. I once ran nearly an hour with just this song on repeat. And I did not get bored. At all. I wish the song went on for hours. I could probably finish two marathons before dinner (not possible but you get the point). Run for your life indeed.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead. Something about a fast and heady song about a sleepyhead during early morning runs is just what you need to wake up.

Outkast - Bombs over Baghdad. To this day I still have not figured out what the lyrics are but it has one relentlessly fast beat. And addictive to boot. I have always increased my speed and kept with the speed through the entirety of this song. It's that amazing.

Rudimental - Not giving in. This song is not particularly fast but has a fun fun beat to it. And it's perfect for those last couple of kilometers in the run. Who wants to give in to their doubts when the chorus keeps going - "This time I'm going to be stronger, am not giving in"?

Doctor Who Instrumental - This is Gallifrey, our childhood our home. Ok so you don't have to be a Doctor Who fan to get lost in this track. It's epic and beautiful and also melancholic at the same time. I feel like I am floating across the universe in a blue box when I hear it (ok so you may have to be a little bit of a fan to feel like that way). But I swear the track sees results.

The Royal Concept - On our way. We are young. We are one. Let's shine for all its worth. Yup. This song is quintessentially made for running.

Imagine dragons - Demons. Short song. Wonderfully deep lyrics. So when you feel like that today is the day you cut your run short, listen to this song. I promise you that you will forget why you were doubting yourself in the first place.

So, that's it. My top 10 running songs for now. What I love about them is that they are not insulting rap songs about - bitches and whores. They are not negative. They are fun. They carry wonderful messages. And they will get you to the finish line. Or so I hope.

Happy running!

Panic before the marathon

It's hard for me to talk about running these days. I feel like I end up jinxing myself, as paranoid as it sounds. And the panic of running my first ever official half marathon on Sunday is finally setting in. I ran 11kms on Saturday. The time I took to do it was one hour and 10 minutes. Not bad I thought. But then my trusty (rusty) old left knee kicked into complain mode. I cannot even explain it. The moment the outside of my knee started to feel uncomfortable, I nearly burst out crying.

First, the silver lining - a month ago I couldn't do 4kms without my knee exploding in pain. This is most definitely an improvement and I am very grateful. I also recovered incredibly fast. By the time I had finished stretching after the run, the knee felt comfortable again. There was some pain climbing down the stairs the next day morning but an hour stretching at the physio helped me loads. The pain was all gone. Now am planning on doing a final 15k run on Wednesday. Honestly I am feeling both hopeful and scared. Am scared because I really hate that my knee is not letting me be. But am hopeful that I will recover from the next in time for Sunday half marathon.

Of course the half marathon is whole different ball game. I am terrified! I have been waiting for this moment for so long that now that it's here, all I want to do is hide under a rock and simply not run at all. Sure, I am excited but I will not be lying when I say that I am really scared of embarrassing myself. What if I blow my knees again? What if I make a fool of myself and run at a pathetic time? What if I lose my way through the marathon because I am the last person in the race and have no one to tell me where to turn? Ugh. I am allowing myself just today to walk around in my insecurities. When I wake up tomorrow, I will be ready. I shall force myself to believe in me and hopefully I can delude myself into thinking that I can do this.

Oh and I signed up for a running workshop! It's a bit expensive but it is run (pun intended) by one of the most veterans marathoners in India - Ash Nath. I am very excited because of that. He is all about technique for injury free runs and I am hoping if there is someone on this planet who can help me right now, it's going to be him (no pressure right? LOL).

And finally I am seriously LOVING Nike Free Version 4. It's like it was meant for me. I still use it only for treadmill runs but honest to god, it feels like a light sock that hugs your feet and makes you feel good. If I could afford it, I would dearly want Nike Free Flyknit but I think it's for runners who actually make it to the podium or close....not beginners like myself. But man I can only imagine how amazing it will be to run in those. Anyway, catch you guys later. If you are injured right now and reading this please know this - you are not alone. It's hard but the injury did not happen overnight, so we can't expect results overnight either. That's the amazing thing about becoming a runner - you really have to put in the time to see results. There is no such thing as a shortcut.

Happy running!

P.S If there is anyone interested about the running workshop I had mentioned earlier, you can find more information here - http://catalystsports.in/. The one I am attending is on October 19th-20th weekend. I know for a fact my running is going to change after this because I am determined to implement what I learn. But am hoping I change as a runner too. 

Learning from Arsenal

Well it has been good progress so far in life. Been hitting the gym regularly. Got myself Nike Free Version 4 (trying out the minimalist trend!) to rotate with my Nike Structure 16s. And yesterday was particularly a good day because I ran over an hour and my left leg felt pretty okay. Not perfect though. Cause at around the 47th minute mark, the outside of the left knee felt uncomfortable. I stretched a bit and honestly I was pain free. Woke up this morning and was again pain free (THANK YOU LORD). But had the same discomfort in my left knee. So I stretched thoroughly and religiously and am happy to report that the discomfort has left me!

Man, that is progress in my head. Two weeks ago 4kms would have left my knee feeling destroyed. During the Hyd Marathon, I practically wept at the 15k mark. Honestly I know I have a long way to go but am getting results for working hard, so there is no cheat sheet here. You work and you get results. So I have to work.

Anyway, things have been going swimmingly well for my football team as well. Despite being bogged down with injuries themselves (just like me!), Arsenal have shown such resilience in the face of so many naysayers that I can't help but feel inspired by them. So, am going to dedicate my first official half marathon (and the reason I even started this blog) to my team. Every time on October 6th when I am running in Coimbatore and I feel like giving up, I will think of Arsenal. Every time the sides of my stomach feel like they are about to be knackered, I will think of Ramsey's broken leg and how he came back from that injury and has now become a goal scoring machine. Every moment I think this is simply not worth it, I will think of the boys in the Arsenal jersey. Everyone critic, journalist doubted Arsenal could compete with the big guys but now they have been silenced. Not because the lads are better than the rest, but because they just don't give up. They have that spirit. The Gooner spirit. The one that says that they will not back down to any opposition. Win or lose, they show up suited for war. And I am a Gooner. I have that spirit too.

Happy running! And if you're an Arsenal fan, happy EPL season! 

I'm back!

So I know I have been gone a long time but my experience in Hyderabad was quite bad and I didn't want to come across as the whiniest runner of all time. The good things first - I was able to do my leg of the race with minimal pain. The pain only kicked in at the 45th minute and even then by the 59th minute I was done with my part! Our team came in 21st out of over 60 teams. Not bad I say.

The bad part now - while the half and full marathons were so wonderfully organised in the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon, the relay part was not quite as a good. Only because early in the morning we were shuffled from one end to another, not knowing where we were going. Also, there were no spectators. Zilch. At one point I was nearly hit by a biker who decided to forgo the policeman's instruction to stay put and anyway run over the runners. Very classy indeed. Another part I missed? Because the volunteers were spread over 42kms, there were not enough to really help when help was needed. Why you ask? Well, I decided to run past my own section and ran 15kms on that day. Busting my knee in the process, again. I had some people spraying in volini but no one knew how to take me to the finish line once I was done running my bit. The lack of people cheering you on also played heavily on the psyche. That said. It's a beautiful city. Beautiful marathon. Just wish the people in the city cared more about the runners. Oh well.

Now the really good news - my left knee is almost fixed! Even though literally a week ago I could not run more than five minutes without pain, thanks to strengthening exercises, rehab and stretching, both my knees are doing quite well. I ran for half hour a couple of days ago and even though I felt pain at the 30th minute, once I was done, the pain was gone. I stretched loads and whatever little discomfort I was feeling before is slowly ebbing away. GOOD NEWS. Today am planning on making it 45-50 minutes of running. Let's see.

Have also been thinking a lot about getting Nike Free Flyknit. But they cost Rs 14,000 and that bill scares the hell out of me! But then I am planning on at least trying it out and seeing. Anyway I seem to have sprained my left hand, so can't type too much (I must have slept incorrectly, just my luck I say). I am just glad, I am back to writing about running in a hopeful and cheerful mood. I love running again!

Happy running you guys. 

Tight hamstrings - the cause of all evil

Ok so according to my PT, my hamstrings are so freaking tight that he does not expect them to loosen up in time for Hyderabad but promised me I should be fine in maybe another week after aggressive rounds of stretching every day.

And I have to say, yesterday was PAINFUL. I could not handle it. I had to keep running on the treadmill for a period of five minutes and then stretch my hamstrings. The running part I liked because I realised that every single time I returned to the treadmill, it hurt a little less but stretching? I cannot emphasise on how painful it was. The PT assisted/tortured me during those moments and when I went back home after an hour, I genuinely felt like I ached all over the body especially my hips.

But when I woke up this morning, my left leg felt about as good as I can possibly hope in this short time frame. I have also changed my running form and paying more attention to my upper body and that has helped me a lot. I have not stretched today so far (it's only 5pm) but I feel very tired today just not ready to move past the pain I felt yesterday.

But then Sunday is Hyderabad. That means I just don't have the luxury to call it a day on my IT band and hammies and say - screw it. But then I am also feeling really optimistic about September. By next week, my knee issues will most likely be sorted (I am being VERY aggressive) and with my changed running form and constant stretching, I should get back on HM training track as early as next week. No rolling hills for me for a while though, that's for sure but the focus is on training, strengthening and stretching. I found out yesterday that even though I thought I was stretching certain muscles like my hamstrings, generally when they are tight, we go easy on them and that should be the opposite. I have been doing this subconsciously but it has caught up to me. Happy running.

Officially scared for Sunday and my left knee!

Ok so my left knee (IT Band) has been doing loads better in the past week and a half. Loads of stretching, foam rolling and cross training has made it pain free on days I don't run. Yesterday feeling relatively confident I went out for a 7k run or so I thought. Right from minute 5 my knee felt uncomfortable but no pain. So I stopped a bit and stretched and the leg felt better and I took off again. At minute 17 (my 3 mark) I started feeling pain. It was mild enough that I thought I could push through it. But at minute 26 when I had finished 4.5km, my pain navigated from sides of my left knee to my whole lower knee and I knew I had to stop so as to not exasberate the condition further.

Now since I have been through this whole rigmarole with my right knee, I know that this will get better (my right knee has been very smug and pain free through these past few weeks touch wood). But I am truly worried about Hyderabad Marathon coming this Sunday. I have upped my daily stretches to four times a day and I plan on doing another short run tomorrow to test my legs. I just really want to enjoy an entire period of time when my legs are devoid of any kind of pain except for the usual soreness. Hopefully September will bring with it a pain free month that I enjoyed in July. Stretch people! It saves your knees!

Update: A panicked phone call occurred from my end to my physiotherapist right after lunch. Yup. I panicked and how! Almost laughing now at how desperate and scared I sounded on the phone. Anyway, long story short - am gonna go to PT after work today and probably spend hours working on the IT band. Wish me luck! 

One thousand feet to ascend

The longer I look at the trail map for the Hyderabad Marathon, the more scared I tend to become. By the looks of it I the first 7.5KMs are bumpy by themselves with loads of ups and downs. And then my route ends with a clear ascent of close to 1,000 feet.

Oh well. It will be a blast anyway. If I run in Hyderabad, then I would have run in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad so far and that count can only increase by October when I run the Coimbatore half marathon. Either way I have decided to become very serious starting this week. Going to run anywhere between 17 and 20kms on the weekends and going to sucker in one 10k run during the weekdays in the coming weeks with maybe a 5k run if I can manage it. Also, not going to forget about heading to the gym. I want to run injury free in Coimbatore. And I don't want to be in too much pain at the end of Hyderabad. Let's see. Fingers crossed. Happy running. 

Just in - push the panic button

This is what happens when you make a knee jerk decision without thinking things through. While I love being an impulsive person, I just just found out that the Hyderabad marathon features a terribly hilly terrain. So for my first leg of the competition, I literally have to do a slow descent up a hill! Which is awesome when you have IT Band issues (not!). Sigh. It's ok. I will make it. I can do it. I will just train extra hard this week. Stretch extra hard and pray extra hard. And take it easy on the hills. I have an hour and 45 minutes before I am disqualified and that's ok cause even at my slowest walk I finish in 70. So I am taking it slow and going to enjoy the run and stretch all day long after the race. And am definitely not tackling any form of hills in the near future and I should be fully recovered in time for my first official half marathon on October 6th. I know I am cutting everything short but I have faith. And plenty of time to foam roll. Till next time you guys.

P.S Always check before letting someone register you for a marathon. Even if it's a relay. But then 10.5 does not seem like it will be too much. Fingers crossed and praying. 

A good day

Yesterday was a very good day. No...I did not run pain  free. In fact I did not run at all. But I cycled for close to 20kms and spent the whole day with runners and those adapting a healthy lifestyle and it was great. Morning I woke up late and biked about 7kms from Jayanagar to Koramangala for a special vegan buffet lunch that had been organised for runners by a runner. I spent hours there with my friend Radha (who has recently turned vegan) and tried everything from almond and cashew milk, to vegan cheese and even had some vegan pizza. Good think I had cycled my way to the lunch cause there is no way I would have worked out those calories otherwise :P

Then I biked another 10k right after lunch to IIM Bangalore where a movie was screened for runners called Unbreakable. It was the story of ultra runners and how they conquer the incredibly difficult Western States 100 where they have to run a 100 miles through a mountain terrain. Watching it I certainly felt a little dumb about complaining about my IT Band problems after only having run 20k! But then it was also terribly inspirtational. I biked home another 5km after that and I was really pooped. Did I mention it had also rained cats and dogs in Bangalore yesterday which meant I was very wet for a lot of the time?

But that said I had a brilliant day. My cardio was taken care of as well as my cross training. I stretched religious and today I went to the gym without complaining and finished the whole routine without any knee pain. Am going to test my leg left on Sunday. Which means more stretching today and tomorrow no matter what. As well as another round of gymming tomorrow. I can't wait for this weekend cause Arsenal plays its first game of the season! And next week I will be jetting off to Hyderabad for the Hyderabad Marathon. So am finishing this week in no pain and plenty of hope. Keep running and stay safe. 

A Bangalore runner's plea to men - don't attack me

I have thought long and hard about posting this particular blog as I really didn't want to even broach this subject but I have come to the conclusion that it's necessary for me to talk about this issue. It goes without saying that I love to run. Even through injuries, it is what I love doing. I love that feeling you get after a run that's gone off particularly well. What I hate about it though? How unsafe I sometimes feel while running in the city.

I wear Nike shorts on race days but during my own personal runs, I wear over sized t-shirts and loose fitting sweatpants. I figured early on that I will not give reason for anyone to stare or "pass judgement" as the so-called moral police would say. Oh how wrong I turned out to be. You see whether I wore shorts, or compression tights or the baggiest sweatpants on earth, I have always found that the city is simply not a safe place for a woman to do anything except hide inside her house. I live in Jayanagar, a suburban area with mostly middle class, upper middle class residents. When I decide to go on personal runs, I generally have this tried and tested 1.1k loop which I keep repeating until I complete my desired mileage. This helps me stay close to home which I think it very important. I also ensure that I don't run too early in the mornings when the roads are deserted, because as long as there is some general movement, I can always call out for help.

Therefore every week before I go for a run, I am also subconsciously thinking about different ways I could possibly get harassed by men. By now I am used to the curious glances. Even though there is a vibrant running community in the city, generally when a woman runs alone, men on bikes, autos, scooters, cars, or any kind of vehicle for that matter, slow down and stare at her. I still have no idea what exactly they are trying to figure out or what exactly they are gawking at but I crank up my iPod and essentially put them away from my mind.

And then there is the more dangerous kind - the ones that will hurl comments at you. It still takes me by surprise when a disgusting old man passes a lewd comment at me, be it when I am running or when I am going about my business for the day. Do they get some form of guttural satisfaction knowing that they have objectified a woman? But seeing as I have been taking the public transport since I was 17 (in three different cities no less), I have also learned to tune it out (see how women have to condition themselves against harassment?).

There is also another kind of a man - the one that starts stalking you. It's only happened to me two times so far but both times (it happened in plain daylight), I was shaken and scared. The first was when an auto driver kept looping my route and stopping around me. I kept quiet for a while but when it got scary, I pulled out my phone and threatened him with police action and he went on his way. The other incident happened last weekend when these two guys on a scooter (by the looks of it they were both educated and from so-called "good families"), decided it would be fun to call out to me and be around me. Suffice to say that once again the threat of police action and some yelling from my part and the threat of their faces being photographed, got them to leave me alone.

But then I keep thinking what happens if I encounter the most dangerous kind of man? The one that is not deterred by threats? I now carry pepper spray when I run alone. I carry my cellphone and I am always wary. I know as long as I am in my own area, I should be safe but experiences have told me not to take even that for granted. But a day before India celebrates yet another Independence day, I have to ask - how independent are women really in this city? In this country?

Why have men been conditioned to think it's fine to harass someone as long as they don't do anything beyond it? I remember once when I was in college in Chennai, these bunch of boys from Pachiappas College had boarded the same bus as me and were singing lewd and horrible songs every time a girl came onto the bus. When I complained to the bus conductor, he stared at me for a while and told me to get off the bus because I was making a scene and told me very clearly - boys will be boys.

And in many ways girls have learned to adapt to the way the men behave in this country. If you wear a salwar and a duppatta, don't be surprised when a guy on a bike yanks off your duppatta and drives away. You just learn to either pick up that duppatta again and keep walking or simply skip wearing it the next time you decide to wear salwar kameez (this actually happens in Chennai). I have learnt to run with a group of trusted people because there really is safety in numbers and I have learnt to never board a crowded bus in any city in the country. All because I am a woman.

But today I have one simple plea to men - set women free in India. We are not property. We are not things to be objectified. We are living breathing human beings with actual emotions. Let us be. A girl should be able to get into an auto or ride around in a scooter without fearing for her own safety. A girl should be able to take part in physical activities, no matter the time or place, and feel safe enough not to carry a pepper spray. As for me, I will keep running with my pepper spray in tow for now hoping for a day when it's no longer the case. Oh and next time I am definitely calling the cops. 

The crouch is not cool for your body

We have all had parents or grandparents telling us to sit up straight growing up and apparently that particular posture is key is ensuring faster recovery from injuries like mine (IT Band Syndrome). You see I have generally the worst posture of all time. Seriously. When I was a kid I was not a very confident person and hence would crouch while walking around and generally not pay attention to my posture at all. And being a backpack person, my natural gait suffered (I still carry a backpack!).

So, yesterday I was sitting at the PT's office absolutely devastated that even though my left knee seems to be on the mend, it's still taking much much longer than I had expected it to. And that's when my physiotherapist, the fabulous Dr Gladson told me that my posture was all wrong and that was hindering faster recovery. It also not helps that my job requires me to be sitting for hours at length and my go-to stance while working is the crouch. While I must say that in the past year since I started working out, I have improved my stance considerably, it's the little things that you ignore that end up biting you in the ass. I think it's also because I have naturally broad shoulders for my height, I tend subconsciously minimise it by crouching. But my muscles are put under a strain every time I do this. While I have been told to sit up straight more times than anyone else I know, I finally paid attention to the doctor's words yesterday.

Anyway I decided that from today I will not bring my shoulders together in order to blend in and be invisible (childhood trait but nothing is set on stone). Gladson said that in order to achieve perfect posture while siting and working on a cubicle, you need to position your butt in the far end of the chair which will naturally make you sit up straight. Then you need to pull your chair close to the desk, so your hands rest comfortably on the desk while you type on the laptop. It's as simple as that but is definitely easier said than done. Right now my mind is looking for any kind of slip up to bring me back to my original position but I am mentally being aware of my own body. And what's better is that I am already noticing that lower my back does not hurt as much as it used to just a day ago. It may be the easiest tip on earth but one really needs to be aware of their own body and what it does to literally pull you down. Am still hoping to run a bit tomorrow but essentially that depends on how confident I feel about my left knee. Happy running you guys :)

My calves

It's hard to explain how tight my left calf has become. It's fine when I foam roll it but then after 10 or 15 minutes the heaviness to the knee returns. So I foam roll again to find out that the calf is still tight. I woke up this morning and figured that instead of hitting the gym I might as well just foam roll and stretch for a long time...(I also wanted to oversleep just by a little bit...). So, that's exactly what I did. Foam rolled on my calves for over 10 minutes and then stretched my hamstrings, calves, IT band areas and inner thighs. The moment I finished my stretches, I immediately felt good but the nagging weight kept coming back. So I foam rolled AGAIN which is when I realised that my left calf is unbelievably tight and I really need to do something about it before it becomes too much of an issue.

My lower left back also seems to be radiating some amount of pain. I am hitting the gym later tonight after work and hope to sort out these issues. I also plan on gymming again tomorrow, so I am ready for a hopeful (and I am very hopeful about this) but easy 15k on Thursday. Seeing as it's independence day, I don't have to work...whoohoo! I really really want to iron out all my muscle strains before the August 25th, so I run pain free and then carry on that trend till my half marathon. Of course I will like to be injury free for the rest of my running career. Suffering pain 10 minutes into a run is no one's idea of fun. I want to do better. Guess that means hitting the gym harder and complaining a little less about lack of sleep. It's hard to remember how good I feel after a run that early in the morning when all I want to do is curl up and go back to sleep. I might have started hating my alarm clock...

Happy running and hope you guys have a better relationship with your calf muscles. 

Running 10k and pain

I honestly am never ever going to ever skimp on stretching properly at least twice a day from now on. Because I am a vegetarian runner or because of my own history with injuries, I seem to have very weak muscle tone that keeps straining. So apart from cross training, am going to stretch religiously no matter how sleepy or tired I think I am. Why such a vehement preamble you ask? Well my left leg is the one struggling with a IT band related knee pain right now.

Exactly the way I struggled with my right leg, my left leg has decided to get in on the action as the right leg seems to be on the mend. I ran a little over 10k yesterday. As far as endurance goes, I could have easily run 5 to 6kms more without feeling the strain but my left knee started proving to be problem after 10 minutes! I went home (finished run in 62 minutes which is not too bad considering my knee) and foam rolled till I died. Took a very hot bath, stretched and foam rolled again. Leg was certainly better but the pain was not gone. What's worse is that my right leg was fine! My left calf is so tight that it's PAINFUL when I foam roll through it. And my IT band area also aches. I woke up this morning with my knee feeling terribly heavy and yes I stretched for a looooong time. Then came to work where I have to sit all the time! I took the lunch time to do another round of stretches. I don't care who's watching, I need my leg to be in fighting shape! Tomorrow I head off to the gym and today after going home I plan on doing MORE stretches, foam roller and some yoga videos I found on youtube. I will write a whole other post about the Yoga videos once I have tried a bunch of them and gauge their usefulness.

Oh and I am running in the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon (see why I am panicking?) on August 25th. It's only a 10k relay but I need my knee to be absolutely fit, so I can recover and keep my knees in tip top shape for my first half marathon which is less than two months away. Right now my back hurts and my left knee while loads better is still feeling extremely off. I am never ever ever skimping on stretching ever again. That's for sure.

P.S That foam roller I bought was one of the best investments I have ever made. A few months ago, this pain would have even worse but thanks to the painful painful foam roller, my knee would be fine in time for tomorrow's early morning workout. Bye guys and happy running.

P.P.S Btw I almost forgot to mention - it was my first run in over a week and I really really enjoyed it minus the pain. Only when I run do I genuinely feel like myself.