After much training and preparation in all ways for the big run, everything was set and the day was nearing. Training was a little on and off during the week leading up to the race all thanks to some work, among other things. But the hard work had been done in the weeks leading up to the race. The last week was always meant to relax and build up the carbs, recover, stretch, etc etc you know, the usual stuff those "athletes" do.
The running numbers were in our inboxe and four of us from Mysore had planned to go together on Saturday, collect the running numbers, roam around b'lore, eat-up, get full, hit the bed, get up the next day and run like there's no tomorrow.
We all left Mysore at the 11AM Tippu Express; we were all hyped up and surely in no mood to catch up on some sleep, except, that is for Ajay who fell asleep even before the train left the platform. The remaining three of us spent time standing in a group and talking to each other, since we weren't lucky enough to get seats together on the train. Having reached b'lore, on foot almost all the way on the train, we'd worked up a good appetite and headed to the nearest kamath cafe and had a good meal for lunch, met subbu and collected his confirmation to collect the runnign number on his behalf since he was busy with some work which had come up just that afternoon. Then it was time to head to Kanteerava Stadium, where we were to collect our running numbers, and i, the extra timing chip to help me record my official time. Everyone got the running, and i got the chip too, having met the girl who'd given me and subbu the chip last year too (she was all smiles when i recognised her, and asked whether she was at the chip counter last year too, with some leg-pulling from her friends sitting next to her thinking i couldn't understand kannada)
Then it was destination Bangalore Central for some window shopping, which later turned in to a financial black hole for me since i ended up buying a pair of jeans and two very-fine shirts! every time i do such a thing i remind myself to remind myself about destroying my credit cards, but! heh! anyway, by the time we came out, it was too late to have lunch together and still reach home without having to pay through the nose for the ride back! so we just decided to split right there and meet up tomorrow at the start line.
The dawned all bright and clear. Subbu had done the nice job of preparing some electrolytes for me too, which we almost lost at a turn at the Rajajinagar powerhouse when the bottles flew out of the auto in the turn! i had to run and get them back, they were on their way back to vijayanagar! heh!
On reaching kanteerava, we were separated immediately as i was the only one among my friends who had taken the timing chip and such people were to start from a different group. The start... well, there was no actual gun shot and such, ppl just started running as soon as the gates opened, and once they crossed the start line, the time would start for them, since they had the chip, it was ok to do that. once i realised that was the start, i too started overtaking people left right and centre. i wanted to be ahead of a few before i crossed the start line. By the time i headed out of the staidum gates, i was almost at full speed and already working up a mild sweat. The overtaking kept on happening all the way till i left kasturba road and took a left. from there the other people started to pick up the pace too and so i could make up much positions. From there, the run was really smooth, never did i stop for water, took my first snack at the 3rd km, a square of Cadbury's Bournville, and then realised what a big mistake that was! my throat dried up and lost my rhythm for a kilometer or so, that makes it 4km, yeah? OK so after than there was this downhill hairpin left to take from where you start the journey back to the finish line. the 5Th kilometer was all up hill , nearly! and the sixth and the seventh was good.... i passed the point where my knee gave up last time! By the time i was in the 8Th kilometer, i was inside cubbon park and the atmosphere was calm and tranquil which gave me more spirit to run better... i started to pick up speed in the 8Th, and by the time i reached the 9Th, i was in full gallop again with my mouth open and my strides at it's full length again, overtaking a lot of people on the way, definitely more than 10 or 15 and finished 123rd with a time of 49 mins and 12 seconds for 10Km. It was a lovely feeling to finish! but the sad thing was that i still had energy, to stand, smile, walk around, talk to people, i didn't want to, all that energy i could've used up to run faster and just collapse after the finish line! well, i guess it'll take more time before i can gauge myself so accurately, running, for me, isn't that much of a calculated science yet!
Cheers!
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