42@42

 On Sep 27,2021, I turned 42. This day turned out to special occasion for two reasons:

1. Participation of my friends in a cause that i am passionate about

My friends at school and engineering college have formed respective Whatsapp groups where in a tonne of things get discussed. A few days prior to my birthday, I wanted to stir up these groups by getting my friends do something fun and interesting. So we planned a fitness challenge to get the folks moving- On Sep 27th, participants would need to do at least 30 minutes of any physical exercise of their choice. At the end of the day, folks would need to post what they did and the duration. The challenge was received with a lot of enthusiasm. Friends had questions on what they can do, how they can have it posted in the group, whether video clips are allowed etc.

On the designated day, participants really got into the spirit of it. Most of them did walking or running which has the lowest barrier for a workout. The interesting fact is that many of them ended up with a good 45 min to an hour of workout. Some of them also took their daughters/spouses for the workout and made it a family event. At the end of the day, my school group had done a combined workout of 18 hours and my college group had clocked close to 15 hours.

Everyone felt super happy and pumped up for having enjoyed their share of outdoors. Turned out to be a day that was immensely fulfilling beyond the standard happy birthday/thank you responses.  

2. Realization of a milestone that has been at the back of my mind over the last 4 years.

The above challenge brings me to the realization of a long cherished dream. On my part, i ended up doing a full marathon run (42 km/ 26.2 miles) on that day. Since the time i started running back in 2017, this was  a milestone that i had hoped to get to. It was coincidental that i got to it on my 42nd birthday.

Planning

I charted out a training plan back in March 2021. I had been a casual runner until this point running an average of 12-15 miles a week. Needed something to get me going and a full marathon idea looked alluring. A training plan from https://www.verywellfit.com/ a site that i have been following for a few years was promptly downloaded, written down and pinned up in the room. Having a plan in front of the eyes to track progress on proved to be a a great motivation in this long journey.

 

I tried to stay as close to the plan as possible. Did an average of 20K (12 miles) during the weekdays and switched to the long distance runs over the weekend. For the weekend run, i almost always practised in the same trail that i was planning to run the full marathon on. That helped me get a gauge of the distance, fuelling and water aid stations. This turned out to be key since i was planning on doing a solo run and needed to have a good measure of where the pit stops could be to fuel and refill the hydration. Looking back the fun of the whole experience was in the preparation more than the event itself. The preparation helped me gain confidence that i was ready for the long course.

Experience

I had planned to do the run from the Marymoor Park in Redmond to Log Boom park in Kenmore and back. That distance was exactly 13.1 miles one way as i had ascertained from the training runs. There was also a good park at 7.5 miles (Wilmot Park) that was a good spot for refilling water. I carried water in a 1.5 litre(50 gallon) back pack and 2 small cans that amounted to 500 ml. My estimation was that this could help me last a good 13.1 miles and that i could refuel at half way mark. The day had other surprises in store!!

Woke up at 4 am and got ready for the run.Drove down to Marymoor park and reached there around 5:30 am. It was pitch dark with minimal lighting. I had also taken a headlamp as a contingency for this specific situation. Wore the headlamp, loaded up the backback, wrapped the water belt, tied the lace and started the run. It was the beginning of a 5 + hour journey that had some great learnings in store.

The first half of the run went fairly smooth. I was able to sustain a pace of around 11min/mile. In any case i did not have any specific timing goals and was hoping to merely finish in whatever time it took. It felt good overall and i was able to get the momentum going. Half way mark is when the first surprise sprung up. I had planned to refuel in Log boom park but unfortunately on that day, it was under maintenance. This meant that the park was not accessible for any amenities including water!!  I paused for 5 minutes and checked the water levels. Thankfully i hadn't exhausted the initial water quota, and had enough to get going for another 7 miles(mile 19) which is where the Wilmot park was. Kept myself going but trouble started cropping up around mile 16. There was a bit of a discomfortable possibly because of a muscle ache in my left leg. I could keep moving but it started become less smooth. From this point on, it was a battle of mind vs body.

By mile 18, the run started slowing down significantly. I was short on water, my legs were super tired and i was getting exhausted. Had to get 1 more mile going somehow to get to the park for refilling. My mind started getting blank. Had to motivate myself with pep talks to get one leg in front of the other. Somehow got to mile 19 and took a break to refill the water.

After refilling the water, washing the face and having an energy gel, felt a lot better. The 10 min break at mile 19 proved magical. I could keep running until mile 23 with a renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Mile 23-26 proved to be most challenging. By mile 23, i had been running for a good 4 and a half hours. The sun had come up and it started getting warmer. The water backpack that i had been carrying all along started hurting the shoulders badly. Every step became a challenge. The only motivation at this point was to simply finish the run. Somewhere half way into the run i was thinking that this might be doable within 5 hours. At mile 24, i had thrown any hope of sub- 5 hour timing to wind. Surviving the day became the focus. By the time, i got to the finish line it became more of a fast walk rather than a run.

Finishing the event , mind felt completely blank. I would have hoped to feel delighted or jubilant but none of those happened! The looooong run was a triumph of mind over body and there wasn't any reserve left to have any more feeling.

Learning 

So here's what i learned from this experience:

1. Strength training- I could literally feel the consequence of not having put enough into strength training. This was evident from mile 17. Any seasoned runner would spend a good 1 or 2 days of training a week into strength exercises. This is an area i am hoping to start focussing actively on.

2. Hydration- I carried close to 2 litres of water throughout the run!! This not only slowed me down significantly but also led to a bad shoulder ache that lasted for a good 4 days. During events, hydration is not a major concern since there would be aid- stations throughout. In case of a solo run, there is a huge opportunity to plan the hydration points and minimize the weight i end up carrying. It would help make the run easy and comfortable.

3. Practise is the key- It is the training that makes the journey enjoyable. No one can keep a training without a blip. Life happens and things come in between. As long as one is able to get back and keep the momentum going, any distance is only a mental barrier to be overcome.

Half Marathon- June 6 2021- PR

Stats

Benchmark

2021-> 2:00:08    9.10/mile(5.41/km) 

2020-> 2:04:59    9.32/mile(5.55/km)

2019-> 2:13:24.   10:11/mile(6:19/km)  

Experience

This was the third half marathon attempt after one each in 2020 and 2019. The goal for my previous races was to merely complete them. Having a mental reference this time around as to what the distance meant, wanted to challenge myself to see how I could do it from a timing standpoint.

A few adjustments based on the previous learnings helped get a good rhythm going.

1. Early morning start

One thing I had observed from the previous time splits was that the second half of the race is where the momentum gets lost. Early on your legs are fresh, the air is cool and you have everything going for you. After mile 6, the legs start getting fatigued, the sun starts sapping the energy and I've found myself slowing down significantly. 

To avoid the heat trap, started early around 6 am this time around. The goal was to cover the maximum distance before the effect of the heat starts setting in. Luckily, it was a cloudy day with 48F(9C) and the sun nowhere to be seen. The early morning start made a significant difference wherein I could focus on the run without having to deal with the heat.

2. Consistent pace

In the earlier races, I always followed the adage start slow and pick up the pace. While that is a great strategy to ensure that one completes the race without losing steam in between, it does impact the momentum in the initial half. 

This time around, I focused on getting a good start and keeping a consistent pace throughout the run. The idea was to get a steady rhythm going without pushing myself crazy at any point.

The splits indicate that I was able to execute this strategy to a good effect. The first mile was completed at 8:45/mile( 5:26 /km). The first 5K was completed in 26 min. From here on I kept the mind focussed on the process and ensuring that the pace does not drop significantly at any point. 

The plot was lost a bit in mile 9 which took 9:50(6:06/km). This was the slowest mile in the race. However, I was able to recover and get the pace back on track from mile 10 onwards.

The last 5k was completed in 27:03 which was not too far off from the first 5K in terms of timing.

 

3. Fuel and Water

Timings around the intake of fuel and water were the other things I got right this time around. 

I had the fuel gel and water at miles 2.30, 5.50, 8.20, and 11.00. The key was to ensure that I do not get to a point wherein I start feeling thirsty. The fuelling had to be done before this tip-over point as the energy loss and consequently the pace drop kicks in significantly once the thirst is felt.

The goal of the race was to beat the 2-hour mark which was missed by 8 seconds. Nevertheless, it was a satisfying run in terms of the overall process. Bettered the previous performance by 4 min and 51 seconds. 

The positive aspects, as well as the opportunities for improvement in terms of better mental focus, would serve a long way in the running journey ahead.

2020- A lookback

2020- A lookback

2020 has indeed been unprecedented. Who would have thought that the entire world would have had to stay confined for many many months!! The year has indeed been full of challenges having to work from home, minimize the outdoors, school from home, and deal with the barrage of negative news all around.

That being said, 2020 has also been one filled with new possibilities. Looking back, I feel thankful and blessed just to be alive. This year is a jolting reminder the present moment is the only thing real. There are no guarantees that I could see the sunrise tomorrow. Hence being present and happy is all there is to this fleeting life.

2020 has also been a year of warm connections. When a virus stopped the entire humanity on its tracks, the realization dawned that a lot of rushing around until that point was needless. The boundaries between work hours and home hours disappeared. As a result, it became easier to bring one's true self to work. The instances of kids and pets popping up between work meetings became a common sight and an accepted norm. Family members could also witness what happened at work which was earlier a black box between 9 to 5 wherein the person disappeared somewhere and then showed back home. People started youtube channels and found time for their hobbies and interests. I also rediscovered my school friends in Chalakudy and reminisced about the fun times together.

So has 2020 been one of progress or loss for humanity? It's hard to say and depends on the prism with which the events are being looked at. The definition also varies from person to person shaped by circumstances. One barometer that has been helpful for me is a measure of the time spent in being truly alive and present. A few simple questions help frame this up:

• Am I truly immersed with my daughter while spending time with her?
• Am I paying attention to what am I eating, when am I eating and how am I eating?
• Am I paying attention to my physical and mental well being? How can I share joy if I am not taking care of myself?

In retrospect, I count those activities that helped me reinforce the present moment as progress. Here are the stats for 2020:

1. Running

Distance: 400.41 mi(644.39km) Vs 306.58 mi(493.39km) for 2019

Time: 71:52 hrs Vs 61.25 hrs for 2019

Personal Records

5K- 26:15 (8:27 min/mile)

10K- 54:31 (8:46 min/mile)

Half Marathon-2:05:42 (9:36 min/mile) 

2. Biking

Distance: 801.96 mi(1290.62) Vs 502.6 mi(808.85km) for 2019

Time: 62:24 hrs Vs 59:22 hrs for 2019

3. Swimming

Distance: 16.59 mi(26.69km) Vs 14.73(23.70km) for 2019

Time: 10:30 hrs Vs 19: 04 hrs for 2019

4. Walking

Distance: 234 mi(376.58km) Vs 446 mi(717.76 km) for 2019

Time: 114:00 hrs Vs 192:22 hrs for 2019

Summary: 

Distance: 1453 mi (2338 km) Vs 1270 mi (2043 km)

Time: 332 hrs Vs 259 hrs for 2019

Total days active: 221

5. Reading

Books Read- 24

Time Read: 132 hrs

Top 3 books

• Man's search for Meaning- Viktor E Frankl
• I am Malala- Malala Yousafzai
• Siddhartha- Hermann Hesse

Complete list of books referenced here

So what helped?

1. Little things every day adds up- I have been doing the above activities previously too but the biggest difference this year has been the consistency. With a lot more time available at hand, it became a bit easier to fit these activities into the daily schedule. 

2. Keep encouraging yourself- You are your own best teacher. Pat yourself on the back when you take that small walk outside or find time to read a book. Find a company to discover motivation for the things you want to pursue. A triathlon club that I joined earlier in the year has been a big source of strength.

 

3. Have fun- I felt joyful doing some of the things I did. If you are not enjoying the process, you are likely not going to enjoy the result. A few instances where I got bogged down with some boring books is a classic example. Instead of throwing the book aside, I tried to stick on and finish it no matter what. This ended up with me spending a much longer time on these books. On the contrary, I looked forward to picking up and continuing those books that kept me hooked. Life is short. Have fun. Throw things away and start anew if something isn't working. 

What can be improved?

1. Less is more- One thing that I always feel guilty about at the end of the day is not having done enough. This happens due to that checklist with several things marked to be done only for the day to be hijacked by everything life throws at you. I have noticed this pattern both at work and personal front. A more prudent strategy is to make a list of only 2/max 3 things to be done every day. This helps keep things in perspective and do a better job of those 3 things rather than having to squeeze in a lot and add to the stress.

2. Stick to the basics-  I frequently go back in memory to the childhood days at school in a small town of Chalakudy. Used to be woken up by grandma at 5 am which is when the church bell rang and the temple song played. The day started with a black coffee and progressed at a steady pace with a river bath, visit to the temple, ride to school on a BSA SLR bike, classes, games with friends, and back home to play some more, finish the homework and get to bed around 9 pm. The only indulgence were the designated programs that played in DD such as chitrahaar, byomkesh bakshi, chithrageetham or wagle ki duniya. A good 1500 Rs was sufficient for a family to meet their monthly needs. Life was just...well....simple and had a rhythm.

Fast forward to now and we have a smartphone that streams the world and helps connect people far and wide. But are we truly connected? While the breadth of relationships is ever-expanding, the depth seems lacking. This is definitely not the fault of the technology but the me who is using it. I wonder occasionally as to how the spirit of those old simple times can be imbibed into these fast-paced modern day. As Covid has reminded, it is time to possibly slow down and find happiness in small things.

Read this Zen story somewhere:

A professor visited a Zen master with certain preconceived judgments. The master poured the tea in a cup and it started overflowing. Stop..said the professor. What are you doing?

Master replied, Like this cup, you are full of yourself and your notions. How can you learn about Zen unless you empty your cup??

It's time to empty the cup and start 2021 all over again..