At India Gate, still with a smile...
My finish timings...
My split timings as per the the timing chip
The route as per my Garmin 205 Forerunner
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
ADHM 11 results
SO as psyched as I was, I finished in roughly the same time as my last years ADHM. The fact that it was without any reasonable amount of sufficient training make me happy. Probably helped by the fact that this was a particularly flat course. I was helped on the way by encouraging cheers from a few of my mates (Rahul, Ankur, Ankush and a couple of others). The run finish was injury free though a bit of throbbing on the right ankle which went away and a dull ache (sweet pain) in the thighs.
At India Gate, still with a smile...
My finish timings...
My split timings as per the the timing chip
The route as per my Garmin 205 Forerunner
At India Gate, still with a smile...
My finish timings...
My split timings as per the the timing chip
The route as per my Garmin 205 Forerunner
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Psyched...
Psyched. I have Psyched myself.. psyched into thinking a strong finish tomorrow. A strong finish in the half marathon tomorrow. The airtel delhi Half marathon. The place where it all started. The place where I started. The place where I started running. Running. Running. The rhythm. The rhythm of breath. in... out ... in ... out... the sound of my feet. My feet on the ground. The vibrations from the impact. The propelled motion. The motion. Flying on the ground. To reach the peak where I am not aware of whats happening. Of whats happening around me. Lost. lost and oblivious. When I regain consciousness I see I have crossed a few kms without realising. And then... the brain kicks in . asking me to stop. To walk. to regain breath. I do that that. But this time ? No. Why ? Because I am strong. What is strong ? Strong is what is left after you have used up your weak ! I told you. I am psyched. Psyched.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
What is strong ?
Came across this ad for Saucony Shoes questioning what is strong ?
The text while seeming non sensical, is actually awesome. And i think people who are into sports or even slightly extreme activities which take you to the edge of your capacity you will realise what this ad meand and it will touch you and propel you to do more. Just Do it, impossible is nothing. After all, strong is just what you have left when you've used up all your weak...
The text while seeming non sensical, is actually awesome. And i think people who are into sports or even slightly extreme activities which take you to the edge of your capacity you will realise what this ad meand and it will touch you and propel you to do more. Just Do it, impossible is nothing. After all, strong is just what you have left when you've used up all your weak...
Credit & copyright belong to Saucony @ You Tube
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Let it go, how to get over a DNF and come back stronger
Read this amazing article today and could not help reproduce it here. Credit & copyright goes to Kelly Pate Dwyer @ Runners World.
Let It Go
(From the December 2009 issue of Runner's World)
You've trained for months, logging scores, or even hundreds of miles to prepare for your goal race. Then the big day arrives and something disastrous happens: You get the flu. You wake up to a freak hailstorm, heat wave, or blizzard. A killer muscle cramp stops you in your tracks. And with that, your dreams of running a PR or qualifying for Boston evaporate. Maybe you don't even reach the finish line. You're disappointed, maybe even devastated. Was all that hard work really worth it?
Of course it was, as long as you heed what went wrong. "Not meeting a race goal doesn't mean that the race is a failure," says Mark Wallis, a running coach and marathoner from Tucson. "If you can learn something from it, a bad race could be a stepping stone to a breakthrough performance. Also, when you work through a challenging experience, you develop mental strength and perseverance that will help you on your next tough run."
Getting into that mind-set and being able to learn from the past and refocus on the future isn't an easy task. So we've broken the process down into five stages that'll help you recover from the initial letdown and plan your comeback.
1 Immediately After WALLOW (A BIT)
"When you invest so much into your training and don't get the results you want, you have a right to be upset," says sports psychologist Karen Cogan of Denton, Texas. "Expressing your frustration should be part of your recovery process." Cry, mope, blog, vent to a fellow runner who can empathize. Do what you need to for a day or two (a week tops)—it'll help you move on.
2 The Morning After FIND A POSITIVE
Jane Buck's first marathon in 2008 seemed doomed from the get-go: She woke up feeling sick, a punctured gel oozed all over her hands at the start, her heart-rate monitor fell apart, and then it began to rain. At mile 19, she vomited. Still, she finished, which made her realize "I can do anything I set my mind to," she says. "Now when I'm having a tough time on a run, I think back to that race and I can keep going." Wallis says finding the silver lining will help you get over a bad day. "If you were able to adapt and work through, consider the race a success," he says. "Redirect your energy to something positive that came out of it, whether it's getting to run through a new city or getting a new race T-shirt for your collection."
3 A Week Later ANALYZE IT
Once your emotions settle, review your training plan, your diet, and your race-day strategy to see if there is anything you can improve upon. "Every race is a puzzle," says coach Jeff Horowitz, author of My First 100 Marathons. "Look for clues to solve the puzzle." Did you rest enough during your taper? Did you go out too fast? Did you drink enough leading up to—and during—the race? "What went wrong is sometimes within your control," says Horowitz, who is proof that mistakes can happen to experienced runners. In March, at his 141st marathon, he was on pace for a 3:15 finish. But 22 miles in, his energy tanked and his calf muscle cramped. He eventually finished in 3:35. "I pieced together what went wrong," he says. "I wasn't taking in enough electrolytes." He tweaked his nutrition strategy for his next race and finished strong, cramp-free—and 10 minutes faster.
4 Two Weeks Later SET NEW GOALS
Every athlete has bad races—even the ones who do this for a living. Britain's Paula Radcliffe dropped out of the 2004 Olympic Marathon, but three months later, staged an impressive comeback by winning the New York City Marathon. Elites like Radcliffe are able to bounce back because they have to, says sports psychologist Neal Bowes, of McLean, Virginia. If they allowed themselves to get caught up in a single bad race, they'd be out of work. You may not get paid to run, but you can adopt this mind-set. "Your running career isn't about one race," Bowes says. "Use your disappointment to fuel your next success." When setting your next goal, though, make it manageable. If you struggled to put in training miles for your last marathon, you might want to target a shorter distance. Also, to increase your chances of reaching your ultimate goal, set smaller goals along the way. If prerace jitters threw you off, race a few 5-Ks before your next big race so you learn to calm those butterflies. "Small victories help rebuild confidence after a disappointing experience," Cogan says.
5 Before Your Next Race MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
"I go into a race knowing full well that part of running is taking the chance that something will not go right," says Kim Maxwell, a coach in Stillwater, Minnesota. Also, before you toe the line again, remind yourself that your performance—good or bad—doesn't define you (see "Embrace the Process," below). Running is part of a healthy lifestyle; it can make you feel stronger, happier, and saner. Those benefits outshine any postrace glow.
FEEL BETTER
If you're still mopey weeks after a race, consult a sports psychologist. Red flags of depression include lack of energy and motivation, appetite loss or overeating.
Embrace the Process
To enjoy your racing, sports psychologist Neal Bowes recommends being process-focused rather than outcome-focused. This allows you to see ups and downs as part of becoming a stronger athlete, rather than tying your self-worth to a time goal.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: You focus on a highly ambitious, perhaps unrealistic, time goal.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: Your time goal is based on training runs and recent races. You also focus on mind-set, pacing, fueling, nutrition.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: Your confidence as a runner is based on race times. You're driven by how people will view your achievements.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: Your confidence is based on your ability to execute a race plan, your development as a runner, and the role running plays in your life.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: Your routine is strict—you train through pain and risk injury.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: When you notice a potential sign of trouble, you back off and give your body time to rest.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: You measure race-day success in terms of times and placing. If you miss a goal time, you feel like a failure.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: You measure race-day success based partly on times and placing, but also on the experience—what you can learn and how you can apply it to future races.
Let It Go
(From the December 2009 issue of Runner's World)
Link to the original Runner's World Article on how to get over a DNF
You've trained for months, logging scores, or even hundreds of miles to prepare for your goal race. Then the big day arrives and something disastrous happens: You get the flu. You wake up to a freak hailstorm, heat wave, or blizzard. A killer muscle cramp stops you in your tracks. And with that, your dreams of running a PR or qualifying for Boston evaporate. Maybe you don't even reach the finish line. You're disappointed, maybe even devastated. Was all that hard work really worth it?
Of course it was, as long as you heed what went wrong. "Not meeting a race goal doesn't mean that the race is a failure," says Mark Wallis, a running coach and marathoner from Tucson. "If you can learn something from it, a bad race could be a stepping stone to a breakthrough performance. Also, when you work through a challenging experience, you develop mental strength and perseverance that will help you on your next tough run."
Getting into that mind-set and being able to learn from the past and refocus on the future isn't an easy task. So we've broken the process down into five stages that'll help you recover from the initial letdown and plan your comeback.
1 Immediately After WALLOW (A BIT)
"When you invest so much into your training and don't get the results you want, you have a right to be upset," says sports psychologist Karen Cogan of Denton, Texas. "Expressing your frustration should be part of your recovery process." Cry, mope, blog, vent to a fellow runner who can empathize. Do what you need to for a day or two (a week tops)—it'll help you move on.
2 The Morning After FIND A POSITIVE
Jane Buck's first marathon in 2008 seemed doomed from the get-go: She woke up feeling sick, a punctured gel oozed all over her hands at the start, her heart-rate monitor fell apart, and then it began to rain. At mile 19, she vomited. Still, she finished, which made her realize "I can do anything I set my mind to," she says. "Now when I'm having a tough time on a run, I think back to that race and I can keep going." Wallis says finding the silver lining will help you get over a bad day. "If you were able to adapt and work through, consider the race a success," he says. "Redirect your energy to something positive that came out of it, whether it's getting to run through a new city or getting a new race T-shirt for your collection."
3 A Week Later ANALYZE IT
Once your emotions settle, review your training plan, your diet, and your race-day strategy to see if there is anything you can improve upon. "Every race is a puzzle," says coach Jeff Horowitz, author of My First 100 Marathons. "Look for clues to solve the puzzle." Did you rest enough during your taper? Did you go out too fast? Did you drink enough leading up to—and during—the race? "What went wrong is sometimes within your control," says Horowitz, who is proof that mistakes can happen to experienced runners. In March, at his 141st marathon, he was on pace for a 3:15 finish. But 22 miles in, his energy tanked and his calf muscle cramped. He eventually finished in 3:35. "I pieced together what went wrong," he says. "I wasn't taking in enough electrolytes." He tweaked his nutrition strategy for his next race and finished strong, cramp-free—and 10 minutes faster.
4 Two Weeks Later SET NEW GOALS
Every athlete has bad races—even the ones who do this for a living. Britain's Paula Radcliffe dropped out of the 2004 Olympic Marathon, but three months later, staged an impressive comeback by winning the New York City Marathon. Elites like Radcliffe are able to bounce back because they have to, says sports psychologist Neal Bowes, of McLean, Virginia. If they allowed themselves to get caught up in a single bad race, they'd be out of work. You may not get paid to run, but you can adopt this mind-set. "Your running career isn't about one race," Bowes says. "Use your disappointment to fuel your next success." When setting your next goal, though, make it manageable. If you struggled to put in training miles for your last marathon, you might want to target a shorter distance. Also, to increase your chances of reaching your ultimate goal, set smaller goals along the way. If prerace jitters threw you off, race a few 5-Ks before your next big race so you learn to calm those butterflies. "Small victories help rebuild confidence after a disappointing experience," Cogan says.
5 Before Your Next Race MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
"I go into a race knowing full well that part of running is taking the chance that something will not go right," says Kim Maxwell, a coach in Stillwater, Minnesota. Also, before you toe the line again, remind yourself that your performance—good or bad—doesn't define you (see "Embrace the Process," below). Running is part of a healthy lifestyle; it can make you feel stronger, happier, and saner. Those benefits outshine any postrace glow.
FEEL BETTER
If you're still mopey weeks after a race, consult a sports psychologist. Red flags of depression include lack of energy and motivation, appetite loss or overeating.
Embrace the Process
To enjoy your racing, sports psychologist Neal Bowes recommends being process-focused rather than outcome-focused. This allows you to see ups and downs as part of becoming a stronger athlete, rather than tying your self-worth to a time goal.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: You focus on a highly ambitious, perhaps unrealistic, time goal.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: Your time goal is based on training runs and recent races. You also focus on mind-set, pacing, fueling, nutrition.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: Your confidence as a runner is based on race times. You're driven by how people will view your achievements.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: Your confidence is based on your ability to execute a race plan, your development as a runner, and the role running plays in your life.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: Your routine is strict—you train through pain and risk injury.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: When you notice a potential sign of trouble, you back off and give your body time to rest.
OUTCOME-FOCUSED: You measure race-day success in terms of times and placing. If you miss a goal time, you feel like a failure.
PROCESS-FOCUSED: You measure race-day success based partly on times and placing, but also on the experience—what you can learn and how you can apply it to future races.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Running Season is back again...
The running season is back with some interesting half and full marathons & ultra lined up.
The most impressive being the Bangalore Ultra tomorrow. A big gang of friends and acquaintances are already in bangalore for the big event. Distances more than 42.2 KMs are classified as Ultra. The guys I know are running - 50, 75 & 100 Ks.
The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is next on 27th November. Going back to its old start location of Jawaharlal National Stadium. This is a fun road race, a Gold standard event.
Then comes the Running & Living Gurgaon even which will host an Ultra for the first time. The best part is the group of people who gather including the ring leader Rahul Verghese. The event happens on 18.12.2011 - http://www.runningandliving.com/
January hosts the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on 15.01.2012. The Mumbai heat , humidity are supposed to be killers. At teh same time the Mumbai supporters and crowds are awesome.
The most impressive being the Bangalore Ultra tomorrow. A big gang of friends and acquaintances are already in bangalore for the big event. Distances more than 42.2 KMs are classified as Ultra. The guys I know are running - 50, 75 & 100 Ks.
The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is next on 27th November. Going back to its old start location of Jawaharlal National Stadium. This is a fun road race, a Gold standard event.
Then comes the Running & Living Gurgaon even which will host an Ultra for the first time. The best part is the group of people who gather including the ring leader Rahul Verghese. The event happens on 18.12.2011 - http://www.runningandliving.com/
January hosts the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on 15.01.2012. The Mumbai heat , humidity are supposed to be killers. At teh same time the Mumbai supporters and crowds are awesome.
Salwan Marathon : Sunday 6th November 2011
Sunday the 6th Novemeber there was held an excellent event at the Army Equestrian grounds. A running race. For school children under 18, under 16 and under 14 boys and girls. desitances from 5-8 kms. The special thing - they had also a 3.5 km race for visually and the intellectually challenged kids ! Why was this special ? Not because of the physiological challenges they are facing life with but that the race organisers were not trying to coddle them and make an eye wash event with a 100 mt or 500 mt run but a nice respectable 3.5 KM ! That too a cross country. (for the uninitiated, cross country run means no paved road, ditches, mud, stones, rocks, inclines, declines, bushes, thorns, dust and some horse shit thrown in for good measure, equestrian grounds, remember)
They called out for runners as volunteers with the idea that each runner hold hand of 1 kid and run the distance guiding them. I was with a kiddo named Ayush Prakash from Bihar studying at the Blind School in RK Puram sector 5, New Delhi. He loves social science, reading and running.
Before the run :
We had some small chit chat, warmed up for the run with some stretches, got all hyped for the run and had some fun. We faced all the things typical of a cross country run as mentioned above. We finished the run in about 32 odd minutes. sweaty, dirty and happy!
After the run :
They called out for runners as volunteers with the idea that each runner hold hand of 1 kid and run the distance guiding them. I was with a kiddo named Ayush Prakash from Bihar studying at the Blind School in RK Puram sector 5, New Delhi. He loves social science, reading and running.
Before the run :
We had some small chit chat, warmed up for the run with some stretches, got all hyped for the run and had some fun. We faced all the things typical of a cross country run as mentioned above. We finished the run in about 32 odd minutes. sweaty, dirty and happy!
After the run :
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Sleepless nights.... ON
Yesterday night was my first sleepless night (nearly) with Rudra. It wa s also a record of sorts for him. He slept only 3 hrs in a 12 hr period. and all those 3 hrs were in snatches of 15 min - 20 mins at a time. Both Sunina & the nanny were tired and sleepy but the dudes switch was turned all the way up - to ON!
Around 1 AM Sunina woke me up and presented me my opponent - Rudy to lull him to sleep. I tried various forms of martial arts - the rumbling stomach, the walking sleep, the shoulder chin up art, then my sonorous sound style. All i could get was 15 minutes out of him. He was more trained then I thought. I did the best thing possible - bring in the experts ! I sauntered back to my bed and fell off asleep.
I was woken up again around 3 AM with the tough warrior still fighting it out. Then my memory blurs. I remember buckling in and bringing in the nanny who was a now a little refreshed. We decided to tackle this tough guy from scratch.
We cleaned him up, changed his clothes, turned him around on her lap and gave him a constant one- twos on his back and off like a light for 4 hrs ! Here's the story :
Around 1 AM Sunina woke me up and presented me my opponent - Rudy to lull him to sleep. I tried various forms of martial arts - the rumbling stomach, the walking sleep, the shoulder chin up art, then my sonorous sound style. All i could get was 15 minutes out of him. He was more trained then I thought. I did the best thing possible - bring in the experts ! I sauntered back to my bed and fell off asleep.
I was woken up again around 3 AM with the tough warrior still fighting it out. Then my memory blurs. I remember buckling in and bringing in the nanny who was a now a little refreshed. We decided to tackle this tough guy from scratch.
We cleaned him up, changed his clothes, turned him around on her lap and gave him a constant one- twos on his back and off like a light for 4 hrs ! Here's the story :
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