Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2013 - I Completed the Full Marathon!

Mumbai Marathon - Date 20.1.2013
Status - Completed
Distance - 42.2 Kms
Time - 7 hrs  approx

The goal at the top of this blog says - I need to complete a marathon. Happily thats done. My revised goal is to do a marathon in under 5 hrs 30 mins nw! Unfortunately due to an extremely busy home life I wasnt able to document much my marathon preparation in this so called "fitness blog" of mine. Thats mostly because my fitness efforts have been sporadic rather than systematic! But I still ran the marathon. And finished it. And am still in one piece. Here is an article detailing my marathon story.

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Going to Mumbai for a marathon??? Why??? This was the standard enquiry of incredulity from friends and family alike. I really wanted to go for the half marathon. I shifted to India end of June 2012 from Malaysia. By the time I found out about the marathons in India and discovered the SCMM website, the registration for the half marathon was over. So I enrolled for the Full Marathon instead. Dont ask me why, I was not remotely prepared for it. Enquiring with the organisers made me realise that the confirmation for the run would only come mid Dec.

I go to the gym fairly regularly. I run a couple or more miles and do some weights for my leg muscles. My entire long distance running amounted to one formal 10 km run and a couple of informal group runs of the same distance. By the time I registered it was the second week of November (I think a couple of days before registration closed) and I meant to start training in earnest. Really. It never happened. With two school going kids and almost no domestic help, shifting woes, training never took off. All I could manage was going to the gym 3-4 tmes a week max. 7 kms was the longest I could cover in training. There was never time for more. Finally in desperation I started walking stairs in January to build endurance. I built it up to 60 floors of climbing and descending at a stretch before stopping the week before the run. So on the day of the run, I had no idea how much I could cover. 42 kms seemed an impossibility. I was confident of doing the half marathon distance at least. I decided to enjoy the experience to the fullest, however.

And enjoy, I did.

It was exhilarating just to be at Azad Maidan early in the morning. I couldnt believe I was finally at the starting point about to run a full marathon, with my kids and husband in Bhubaneswar 1500 kms away!

I started the run a bit behind the 5.30 Bus (the pacers that took you to the finish in 5 hr 30 mins) but realized I couldn’t afford to follow their pace if I meant to complete. So I deliberately fell behind and soaked in the atmosphere while clipping along. The noise, music at Marine Drive, the sea at Chowpatti with the fishing boats, the early half marathoners crossing me, Haji Ali, very filimisque in the distance, the suburbs skyline…ahhh. I am not a Mumbaiite and these typical Mumbai sights seen early in the cold morning while actually running – let me tell you nothing can beat the experience. I am sorry to say, doesn’t sound professional, I even stopped and took pics. I am so glad I did. Because I plan to compete against time the next time round and there might be no time for pics!

Then came the most tedious stretch of my journey – the Worli Sealink. The sealink looks a dream from the distance and I had been really keen to run on it. Just imagine – running on the Worli Sealink before getting to drive on it – when the road has been cleared for you! But the stretch did get monotonous. The only relief was the lead pack of Kenyans crossing between 15-16. They came after a pilot vehicle and helicopter and ran by at a flash generally leaving me agape. I was so stunned at their speed and grace I couldn’t even get the mobile up for the pic. Kipketer crossed by me and I got to read her nameJ Savoring hose moments of wonder got me across the sealink – but not before a cramp happened at 18. Never having run a really long distance – I was not familiar with the crippling feeling of a runner’s cramp. I settled down at the side of a hoarding and did a few stretches, applied the small tube of Volini so fortuitously provided in the running kit and felt good enough to continue.

At 22 I messaged my hubby that I was half way through. I realise the message has been sent at 9.10. I was not really keeping track of the time during the run. 3hrs 20 min for 22 kms while taking pics, cramping, seems pretty fine to me! At home I don’t even start a run without the ipod – here I had covered 22 kms without using it! I plugged it on to my ears and continued still feeling okay. By 29 I was feeling bad – real bad. My legs were totally cramped by then. That got relieved only after the 30 k mark when I got some Religare sprayed on the muscles. It worked like a miracle and I made it till 35 walking, jogging alternately. 30 k was done at 10.40 when I again messaged hubby informing him of the status.

35 km till the end was a nightmare – relieved only because I was running with a co-runner. After 38 we realized BMC had taken down the markers, even though the markers at the other side were still there! It seemed a long long distance before finally the turning to Churchgate came our way. Kingfisher water stalls were still on the road – but not much else. Churchgate to Flora Fountain was a bad – especially when one had to ask directions. But the longest stretch was from the Fountain to the Azad Maidan gates. A paltry distance of hardly 1 km seemed to go on and on. We had to ask the way all along in our dazed state, the roads were really crowded, the sun was blazing down and I was dragging and limping along alternately. The last 7 kms took more than 2 hours and I could only cover it with the thought that stopping was not a choice after coming so far.

After reaching the Maidan I realized that Finishers medals were still to be had. I was really thinking all would be shut down and the organizers would have packed up! But the finishers just ahead of me egged me and said “go and get the medals”. That literally infused new life into my oh so tired limbs! I ran to the stalls, picked up the medal and for some moments I was feeling as fresh as a 1 year old – as if I could go for miles and miles more.

Sitting in the car for the trip to my brother’s house brought a reality check. I hadn’t done the post run stretches while I was still standing, so couldn’t move, I had huge blisters on 8 toes and well I just wanted to go to sleep for ages.

But what the heck – I had completed a marathon and plan to do it all over again! For someone who was obese and a couch potato till 1.5 years back, a Mom of 2 starting to run after 40 years, I have come a long way…

Day 1 Marathon prep

18th December - I jogged 5 kms on the treadmill in 40 mins. then did a walk jog routine on the incline for 20 more minutes. My aim was to jog for 40 mins non stop. Achieved.
Total calories - 400. Time - 60 min. Distance - 7 kms.

Finished with some stretches.

19th Dec (morn) - some light stretches and leg muscles workout.

Tip of the day - Never stretch cold muscles - you might pull some. Do a light warm up before any routine.
Plan to jog 5 kms today evening. Lets see.

Gym And So On

Afterahectic

SCMM Mumbai Marathon 2013 - Here I come!

Mumbai Marathon - Here I come!

My registration for the Mumbai Marathon has been accepted. i am to run 42 kms - wow wow...boo hooo.

Scared shit. three things can happen.

i can complete the course in a time of 6 hours plus (most preferable)...but better than Katie Holmes timing ;-)
i can quit after the halfway mark...i feel i can complete half the course
i can fail to show up...most deplorable. But i do tend to get sick with nervousness before any major event. even though the event is for fun. even though the event is just a self test of mental and physical fitness. even though the result is meaningless. wimp :-)

Why Not To Watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Shahrukh Khan

and Katrina Kaif, and 90 minutes less and a few less bomb diffusion and a few less accidents. Whew!

I went through the torture that was Jab Tak Hai Jaan last night. It is hard to believe that the director of movies like Lamhe and Chandni ... could have given us this 3 hours of drivel packaged as a movie. Most reviews have been muted in their comments I guess out of deference to the just demised patriarch of YRF - Yash Chopra. Never mind - Yash Chopra will be much remembered and loved for Trishul, Deewar, Lamhe, Silsila, etc - and he would prefer not to be associated with JKHJ.

Shahrukh Khan spans ten years in the movie. It was an awful sight to see a near naked wrinkled Shahrukh posing as a 25 year old in some of his risque poses with Katrina. He looks (and acts) closer to his 50 years! Will Shah Rukh be as delusional as Dev Anand and prefer to act the romantic lead ( maybe give a new definition to the evergree hero) even in his 70s??? Hindi movie heroes really cannot age gracefully. The female leads have made the transition. And play and look their age. Look at Rekha, Madhuri, Juhi and of course the current darling Sridevi! And look at Shahrukh and remember Amitabh in Mard and a host of other nineties movie...till he returned as the patriarch. A Dabangg is ok in your mid and late 40s  - definitely not a crooning, mushy Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Shahrukh Khan has the opportunity. He should have gracefully made the transition 4 years back after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi or Chak de India. Even a Don is preferable!

It should be a rule in Bollywood not to give pretty female leads who cant act, more than 10 minutes of screen time. If you thought it was a torture watching Aishwarya for 3 hours - just wait till you catch Katrina in JTHJ. She is pretty - that is granted. But putting her histrionics skills under the microscope for more than 2 hours. Please - I still shudder to remember last night's agony. She is definitely NOT a Kajol, Vidya or Rani. More than 10 minutes of watching Katrina's "acting" will definitely lead to indigestion.

A song like Saans from the AR Rehman group? WTF? Its like you go to a exclusive do expecting caviar and end up eating tikka masala at a Punjabi wedding. I have nothing against the music - but its like something you have heard everywhere. There has to be some atrophy in the maestro's repertoire if one song "Challa" had to be repeated 4 times (at least).

Just a few days back I was thinking that - thank God Hindi movies no loger pair up a heiress with a rickshaw wallah. I was obviously wrong. Heiresses can get paired up with beggars in Hindi movies - albeit in a slicker package than in the eighties. And this brings to mind the question -  if Shahrukh had so much cash stashed away - why wasnt he opening his own restaurant? After all the same cash enabled his slouchy, lazy, inexperienced in the food business, definitely simple friend to become a millionare. I have nothing against any class of people - i just like to watch stories that remotely make sense...that's expecting too much I guess.
If you go to a so called "family movie" with a universal rating with 6 - 10 year olds - you definitely dont expect dialogues like "i want to have sex with all accents of people (a very bad translation of the actual dialogue , am afraid)." This from a girl who is shown to be extremely cool. I mean... I am old fashioned and I want my movies to be properly labelled. Jab Tak Hai Jaan definitely deserved a PG - 13 rating.

Is there any reason to watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan? Well 10-15 minutes of the film are actually worth watching. One of them a dance. A few minutes of Shahrukh and Anoushka's perfect dive into a  freezing Ladakh lake. So just get someone to edit those parts and put it on youtube. No need to go through torture.
Rating - 1/2 out of 5

This blog has also been published by me at Xomba.com
http://mamamia07.xomba.com/jab-tak-hai-jaan-far-superior-movie-without-shahrukh-khan

www.procamrunning.in/scmm/ - Register For Mumbai Marathon 2013

You can register for Mumbai Marathon at the the website
http://www.procamrunning.in/scmm/

The registration for the Half Marathon is closed. However the Marathon is still open for registration. Enjoy the run!

The marathon page has a number of tips for runners. So even if you are not joining the marathon - you can prepare according to the schedule for fitness and training for a future run. Its always difficult to start from zero to run a marathon. The training schedule is for people who have had some running / walking experience as the first run/jog/ walk is 4 kms.

If you are starting from zero and wish to participate in a long distance run - my advise is just start with small steps - run 800 mts the first time - without giving up. Just let not the distance of 42 kms daunt you. Keep increasing till you are at the 3-4 kms level. This may take 15 days to 2 months depending upon your fitness level and commitment. But the fun and a feeling of achievement is guaranteed! And maybe you can run a marathon in 6-8 months.

Mumbai Marathon Registration

Oops - the registration to the Standard Chartered Half Marathon at Mumbai is already closed. I dont understand the Mumbai Marathon page. There seems to be a Quota system for ladies - but how does one register for it? Is it still open for the Half marathon? Apparently information is not easily available unless one registers and pays up. I mean its just the webpage for a Marathon - for us dumb runners - not an application form / webpage to the MIT for the geeky types! All Info should be clear. The navigation through the Mumbai Standard Chartered Marathon page is a bummer - period.

Do I dare try for the Mumbai Full Marathon?

I have been putting in some effort at the gym the last 3 days. Though not in any way good enough for a marathon.

Thursday - 530 calories in 1 hour, followed by muscle training and a steam bath.
Friday - 450 calories from a 6 km trip on the treadmill in 50 minutes. More running than walking and climbing.
Sunday - 3 kms in 30 minutes and just about 200 cal. Followed it up with some weight training.

All the marathon training schedules say that I need to put in at least 20 miles a week. I seem to be at the 10 miles a week level still. I do think i can complete a half marathon. Not at all sure about a Full Marathon though.