After the ordeal of Chennai Marathon in Jan ’17, I thought I will not put my body through the torture of a full marathon again. I was not in a good shape for Chennai Marathon as I had to deal with back to back health issues for two weeks before it and I barely recovered before the event. Anyways, in a couple of weeks, the thoughts of ordeal disappeared and only the pride of completing the marathon remained. In Feb ’17, I completed a half marathon as part of Hyderabad Club Run just a day after completing one of my 200 Km brevet ride with less than 10 hours between those events. That gave me confidence on my fitness and readiness to continue challenging myself.

I typically start preparing for Hyderabad full marathon about four months before the event. With all the travels this year, I could not start preparations in the earnest till mid June, giving me just over two months to prepare. However, I continued to clock several 10K runs on a weekly basis that kept me in touch though that distance typically will not be sufficient for a full marathon preparation. Net-net, I planned to making the decision on registering for full marathon based on a couple of long runs.

Practice Run 1 (Pachavati) – 11 Jun:

As I was returning back from vacation, I saw a post on one of the WhatsApp groups about a run at Panchavati park. I never heard about this park near Shamshabad Airport. I thought it is a good opportunity to start my preparation for the marathon. The park was a bit disappointing but the weather was beautiful. A full loop of the park was exactly 4 Km. I planned to do five or six loops to make it a half marathon distance. But after four loops, I decided to end the run and have my breakfast. I had completed 16 Km in 1:50 @ 6:47 min/km. It was decent but did not help me decide whether I was ready to register for a full marathon.

Practice Run 2 (Heritage Run) – 18 Jun:

Due to a last minute change in the route for Heritage Run in 2016, I missed the real beauty of the event passing through Golconda Fort and Qutb Shahi tombs. With no late surprises this time and pleasant weather, I enjoyed the run tremendously. My Strava showed that I completed the half marathon in 2:17 hours, which would be my second best timing. That was enough for me to register for the full marathon the same day!

Practice Run 3 (Hussain Sagar loops) – 2 Jul:

With no group runs in the vicinity, I wanted to log some hours of running and decide the best place to do it would be around the scenic Hussain Sagar lake. I did not feel fully fit and started with the target of three loops which will make it around 27 Km. But I managed to complete only two loops and took 2:14 hours.

Practice Run 4 (Hussain Sagar loops again) – 16 Jul:

After two weeks, I completed the pending loop and took 3:23 hours to complete 27.7 Km. Though it was flat terrain, I was happy to have logged more than 25 Km!

Practice Run 5 (Alankrita Run) – 30 Jul:

With just two long runs possible before the d-day, I wanted to push myself towards the 30 Km mark. My first attempt was during Alankrita run. But it was a hot day and I was done-done by 9:30 AM managing to complete 28.8 Km in 3:51 hours.

Practice Run 6 (Marathon dry run) – 6 Aug:

The long awaited 30 Km run finally came on the dry run day. I wanted to start running by 4:30 AM to log about 9 Km before starting with the large group that had assembled for the dry run. But I could start running only at 4:53 AM and managed to log 6 Km before joining the group for the dry run. I continued running after the finish point to make it 30 Km. I was happy to have achieved that milestone for the first time as part of marathon practice in three years!

Airtel Hyderabad Marathon – 20 Aug:

I felt ready for the big Sunday after all the long runs behind me! I collected my bib on Friday at the Expo and also bought four Fast&Up energy gels from the stalls hoping they will help sustain my energy levels. I also carried a 20g protein bar (Yoga Bar – chocolate brownie) that appeared to have kept me in good stead during the dry run. Along with all of these, I also carried my own bottle of Gatorade to avoid jostling with the crowd at water stations. I stuffed myself with two chappatis at 3:30 AM and arrived at the start point around 4:30 AM. I had rained the previous evening and the cloudy weather promised to make it a delightful run. The marathon was flagged off at 5 AM and I started running, still wondering how well I will finish.

I had planned to maintain a steady pace instead of starting fast and progressively slowing down. I maintained a pace of around 7 min/Km for the first 13 Km, covering it in about 1.5 hours without stopping or walking. I gulped down the first gel as I walked up Panjagutta flyover and prepared myself for the climb for the next 10 Km. My pace came down on the climb but I was able to sustain running. I was able to reach the half way mark in about 2.5 hours. At this point, my timing was similar to the last two Hyderabad marathons but unlike the previous attempts I felt quite fresh for more. It was a great feeling for which I should thank FastnUp gel and gatorade. I had the second gel at 22 Km mark and increased my pace over the next 2 Km of downhill. As I crossed the 26 Km mark, I felt the need for my protein bar and had half of it. That’s when I noticed someone clicking a picture. An odd one with a mouthful of chocolate!

I took a 5 min break at the top of Gachibowli flyover (27 Km) to stretch my muscles. This was a key milestone as I found it difficult to continue running after this point during my previous marathons. After a bit of relaxation, I started running and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to continue running. It was about 3.5 hours since I started running and I had another 15 Km to cover. I now believed that I can complete the marathon in less than 6 hours!

As I took the left turn at IIIT and come to the end of the last climb, I finished my third gel and raced down microsoft hill. I reached 32 Km point in about 4 hrs 10 mins. By that time, my gatorade bottle was empty and got it filled up with Fast&Up reload at a water station. I was ready to push through the last 10 Km and told myself that I should be able to finish in less than 6 hours unless I mess it up from there. Pleasant weather was also holding up. So, overall I felt better at 32 Km mark than any previous marathon. Soon after, I finished the remaining protein bar and continued running at about 8.5 min/Km.

At 36 Km point, took the right turn towards Hyderabad Central University and gulped down the last energy gel. It was a little under 5 hours and I told myself that I should push myself to continue running to finish strong. But I could not sustain running after that and started to mix it up with walking for the next 4 Km. As I exit HCU campus at 40 Km point, I started running again and was surprised that I could manage running continuously. I gathered all remaining energy and called upon my will power to finish in 5 hrs 47 mins. It was my best full marathon time and the first under 6 hours! A marathon that made me feel really good and am ready for more!

After completing my Super Randonneur series in December ’16, I was tired of cycling and took a break from it for a few weeks. During my rides over the next six months, I realized that the overnight brevets that made me a Super Randonneur also subconsciously changed my riding style and pattern. My body is always prepared for the long haul and is ready to endure non-stop biking for hours together. But this increase in stamina came at the cost of speed as I found it increasingly difficult to increase pace as in the past. I noticed similar pattern with my running as well.

My first long ride was TAF Republic Ride that I finished third year in a row. Significantly slower this year, with a couple of riders from my office finishing before me unlike the previous two years!

I had completed only three 200 Km brevets between Nov ’14 to Nov ’16 and used to consider them as events that require a lot of preparation. But after completing the Super Randonneur series, I started looking at them as opportunities to get some time for myself to relax and also add some miles for my fitness sake. The next 200 Km brevet was coming up on 18th Feb and as part of preparation, I went on a 100 Km ride the previous Sunday with my friend to Ameenpur lake and Ordnance Factory – some of the most scenic places at Hyderabad!

With the summer heat and numerous travels between March and June, my next long ride had to wait till the season’s next 200 KM brevet on 8th July. I had done a couple of relatively small rides during the preceding weekends but no real preparation for the brevet. And the 200 Km this time was the toughest route – Heaven n Hell. I took it easy and decided to use all the time available, still finishing with about 20 minutes to spare.

I had not originally planned to take part in 300 Km brevet as we typically we had to ride overnight. Surprisingly, the scheduled start was 6AM, which meant I can complete around mid night and not lose my entire night’s sleep. So, I decided to do it. The week before the ride was filled with rains that made the countryside lush green and it was a refreshing ride. The finish was not so good as I had miscalculated the climb during the last 50 Km and suffered through the last three hours. But all that ends well is good. I did manage to complete 300 Km just under 20 hours, with 9 minutes to spare!

That was my 10th brevet and one remarkable feat is that I managed to finish every one of the brevets that I started! I may not be the fastest rider, but I manage my time well!