Prologue:
21
January 2007. That was when I first participated in the SCMM Half marathon.
Participated not Ran. Ten years on, I was ready to RUN another SCMM Half
marathon. SCMM 2016 was a run with pedestrian preparation, without a single run
longer than 10km. This year, I was in many persons’ view a “Seasoned runner”
having run 356km in 3 months leading up to the race, including top-10 finish in
November. The preparation was challenging and the run was sure to be fun
Preparation phase:
After SCMM 2016, a few friends got inspired to take up
running which in a way fuelled my learning process. I watched videos and read articles
about breathing techniques, running form, etc which would make running easier
and more fun, so that I could share “tips” whenever I was asked. It dawned upon
me during my second half marathon, the IDBI Mumbai Half Marathon that I
definitely needed to prepare better for the SCMM in order to achieve a good
time. At IDBI, my preparation was worse than that for SCMM 2016 and the timing
reflected that
Preparation for SCMM 2017 started in October, with an almost
10km run in the rains. 10km was a distance which on running would formerly leave
me supremely satisfied. But as it is said, when you progress, what one day seemed
impossible becomes routine. The mileage kept growing with a good mix of other
non-running workouts. My levels of discipline and regularity also improved,
with a standard 4 days a week including a long run on Sundays
A day before my birthday, I ran the Vasai Virar Mayor’s
Marathon with a personal best timing of 2:05:55 which was 12min faster than my
previous best for this distance. I knew what I had to work on in the coming
month and I was confident of breaking the 2hr barrier at the SCMM
Pre-race:
The race was on the same route as 2016 and this time I had a
good number of friends and colleagues running the SCMM for the first time. I
had shared whatever knowledge I had gained over the last one year with the first-timers,
trying to ensure that they had a fun and memorable first SCMM. It helped me
revise what I had learnt and prepare me mentally for the race. I had also (finally)
joined a group in my own backyard, called the Lokhandwala Running Club (LRC)
The days leading up to the race were nice and chilly. We
were almost certain that race day would be nice and cool as well. Me and a
number of guys from LRC targeting a similar time had strategized how to tackle
the 2hr challenge. The entire plan was set, including a pacing strategy, hydration
strategy, refueling strategy and a finishing strategy. In addition to the
aerodynamic hairdo (without the scar) I had become a Ghajini with self
reassuring statements written on my palms and wrists to keep me going
I had decided to start with a friend who was making her half
marathon debut. We both got delayed in reaching the starting enclosure and the
gates had been opened for runners to move to the start line. This was the first
time I was planning to follow a pacer to set a time in a race but unfortunately
the pacer we had planned to follow was far ahead. I switched to plan B which
meant getting onto the “Party fun run” 2hrs bus. For those who are new to this
jargon, a bus is a group running with a pacer and is likely to achieve the
time being set by the pacer
The Race:
The party bus was to start a good 10 minutes after the race
flag off so that everyone targeting a sub-2 time, even those from enclosure G
right at the back would be able to join in. I knew that I had to follow the
flag and the pace would be just right to achieve my target time
Worli sea face super crowded as expected. Probably it was
made worse by starting way at the back. That meant there were walkers even
before the 1km mark. Not every one of the 14000 participants was running to run
the marathon. Many were doing what I had done in 2007. “Just participate
because looks cool”. The pacer went ahead and in my attempts to overtake the
nice slow people, I almost slipped off the bus. When I turned onto the
sea-link, my head felt light. I said to myself, “You are in the zone!! You’re going
to kill this race with a super timing!!” In retrospect, I realized that it was
more of Kumbh-mela-phobia with what seemed like the entire population of Mumbai
having turned onto the sea link. Where was the pacer? I couldn’t see. Enjoying
the run, I kept yelling out our progress, facts like “we are running downhill
on the sea-link”, statements like “you don’t get to run on the sea link daily,
enjoy yourselves” etc. which hopefully helped people keep moving.
By the time we reached the Bandra end of the sea link, I
spotted the self proclaimed pacer Guru with the gigantic 2hr flag. He was a
good 400m away on the other carriage of the sea link with a sea of people in
between. I thought to myself, “Chalo here goes one more solo race”. A lot of
cops were cheering for the runners at the Bandra end of the sea link where we
took a u-turn. They had done a stellar job helping the organizers make all the
necessary arrangements. I kept running at a steady pace but had missed a
water-station or two. The hydration strategy had gone for a toss. The chill
which had given us a big boost over the last few days had mysteriously disappeared
that morning and we were all sweating profusely. I felt the water and energy
drink stations were not present where they were listed on the route map. I perhaps
missed sighting the stalls or maybe there were no signages. Also, running on
the extreme right lane, I didn’t feel like cutting lanes across to the water
stations I saw. They were way too crowded anyway. BIG MISTAKE!!! In any case,
the strategy had taken a beating
The leading pack of the full marathoners had reached the sea
link by the time we reached the Worli end. It was inspiring to witness their
pace in the same freaky weather which had hit us all. After the 12km mark, I
realized that the inability to follow the plan had made it difficult to get the
time I had worked for. At around NSCI, I took the decision to abandon the quest
for my target time and decided to make the race enjoyable for myself and other
co-runners. Every announcement I made, every “great job” encouragement I gave
to a tired co-runner had the desired effect. It didn’t help my time but it
helped me run better, with a happier frame of mind. I was unable to check the
time on my fitness tracker or my phone thanks to my sweaty palms. I had no clue
what my projected timing was at that point of time
The stretch from Mela to Haji Ali was refreshing with a cool
sea breeze. Peddar road didn’t seem like a horrible monster but lowering one’s
ego while tackling such a slope definitely helps. As always, the crowds were
out in full force. I did my best to get them to scream and cheer for everyone
as we passed. Their support which included giving fruits, juices, chocolates
etc and also medical assistance was pivotal. Some residents played music for
the runners near Kemps corner and also near Babulnath. Music has the magical
ability to lift spirits and Mumbai’s residents made full use of this medium to
keep us going. The elevation changes from the steep uphill climb of Peddar
road, a gentle downhill stretch, a short uphill climb on Kemp’s corner flyover
and then a long downhill stretch towards Babulnath, coupled with cheering
SoBo-ites made the run fun and challenging. We were welcomed onto the flat
final section at the start of Marine drive with a guitar wielding group singing
the classic “Jaan-e-jaan dhoondta phir raha”
As predicted we witnessed the elite athletes going north
when we were on the Queen’s necklace. Their effortless speed made it seem as
though they were gliding over the road. There were a good number of music
performances along the sea-side stretch, with the highlight being the men in
whites, the Navy band churning out some amazing music. It got runners like me
to sing along as we ran which seemed quite amusing to some
 |
| Nothing like savouring the success after finishing a challenging run |
The run right up to the finish seemed to be pretty much like
the preceding few kilometres. I was
pushing co-runners to finish the run,
getting the crowd to stay vocal, etc. The stretch from Hutatma chowk to the
finish line was a little crammed due to the metro construction activity and the
champions with disability occupying the right lanes. The cramps did show their
ugly face but didn’t affect me much as I was mentally prepared to tackle them.
I managed to pick up the pace and crossed the finish line singing the RD Burman
classic, “Tum kya jaano mohabbat kya hai” which was blaring on the speakers. After
cooling down, stretching with running buddies etc, I picked up my bag from the
chaotic baggage counter and headed off to do what I had planned to, cheer the
full marathon runners finishing the race
Post-race:
The bus-stop near Churchgate became my bastion for this
purpose. I used every bit of energy I got from the contents of the “Refuel bag”
and more to cheer the men and women completing the Full Marathon. I kept
dishing out high-fives to countless runners, goading them to make a strong
finish. It was inspiring to watch people undertake a challenge as massive as a
full marathon making me feel that this was the least I could do for such
heroes. A number of familiar faces from previous runs, a buddy from college, the
morning’s train journey, etc too went by and it felt great to spread a little
bit of positivity. A gentleman from the Coast Guard whom I had befriended at
the Navy Half Marathon in November was delighted to see me. He stopped, gave me
a warm gratuitous hug and proceeded to make a strong finish
The perspiration during the run had drenched my shoes. I had
changed into what seemed like a Sabarimala pilgrim’s attire full black and
barefoot with the exception that I was in shorts and had the half marathon
finishers’ medal adorning my neck. After a lot of high fives, I was asked by a
full marathoner to accompany her forward**. I ran with her for around 200m till
Churchgate railway station.
As I was returning towards my cheering base, I saw
a familiar face, a senior member from Lokhandwala Runners’ Club heading towards
the finish. It was delightful to see her and I ran along with her all the way
to the finish. The distance was almost 1.2km and I continued doing what I had
done during my run as well, getting the crowds going, whatever was left of it.
I felt like a running cheerleader and it was fun
The biggest lesson I learnt this year was that making a little
contribution to help someone conquer a huge challenge, provides a unique high
of its own. It made my race experience even more special in spite of having to
pull the plug on running for a stellar timing at SCMM. There are so many more
races till SCMM 2018 where I can get this timing. I am certain no other race
would be able to give me the experience I got at the SCMM 2017
**I later learnt that she too was from LRC but we had never
met before. She made a good,
strong finish but not knowing her helped me help
someone else do the same