I have been running Mumbai Marathon for the last 9 years, in some form or the other. Started with 6-7 KM dream runs, did a couple of half-marathons and graduated to full-marathon in 2010. Mumbai never disappoints me. This year is no different.
Left for Mumbai on Saturday, the 18th morning with a group of runner friends (We call ourselves - Runners For Ever, RFE), experiencing a bunch of pleasant surprises en route. Indigo Airlines pilot welcomed the runners aboard (more than half of the passengers were runners), gave an exclusive weather update for runners before landing and wished each runner personally while disembarking in Mumbai. Startbucks at the Mumbai airport wished me while handing the coffee. How do they know! Our T-Shirts speak a lot. :-)
We, the RFE, spent rest of the day ultra cautiously, eating very selectively and making sure that we are completely relaxed by the end of the day. Our menu typically swings between extremes during those 2 days. The day before the run, we are ambassadors of Saatvic Diet. After the run, non-vegetarians among us don't allow anything vegetarian close to their plates :-)
Sunday, the 19th started at 3 AM with a quick and light breakfast. We were at azad maidan by 5 AM. Each of us got into our favorite routines before the run. Some do warm-up run, some stretch and some do aerobics. I got into my usual one. Just stare at others, let the mood take me over and wait for the gates to open at 5:40 AM.
I started the run with my usual run-walk-run mode with 9:1 splits (repeat of 9 minute run + 1 minute walk) at an average pace of 6:30 minutes per KM, which works out to 9.2 KMPH. Sustained the same pace till 34 KM. Dropped my pace slightly at the killer hill on Peddar road at 35 KM and maintained the same for rest of the run, finishing 42.195 KM in 4 hr 42 minutes. But for the 7-8 KM stretch of Bandra-Worli sea-link, entire course had cheering crowds offering drinks and snacks. Such support is nowhere to be seen in rest of India, and is not so common even outside India (Among the runs that I did, only Berlin Marathon comes somewhere close to it). So far, my best Marathon moment had been that little girl offering candy at 38 KM in 2011. I got a candy this time too, around the same place, but from a 10 year old girl. Apparently, she has grown up a bit too fast :-)
A day after returning to Bangalore, I read a not-so-pleasant experience of one of the most seasoned runners from Bangalore. He pushed himself a bit too much in Mumbai and almost lost consciousness at a stone's throw from the finish line. But, somehow crossed the finish line, only to land on stretcher a moment later. Fortunately, everything seems to be alright after the timely medical aid. The more saddening part of this story is, reading comments of several recreational runners about this incident. Almost all of them claim to be inspired by his performance in Mumbai. I, as usual, fail to get the point. With all due respect to his indomitable spirit and his achievements, I claim that this incident reinforced the concerns that I expressed in my write up: Dilemma of a Recreational Runner.
I can't thank my RFE gang more for making these runs and trips extremely pleasant and totally worth looking forward to. We already have lined up the next in Pondicherry, Auroville Marathon on 9th Feb. Just a couple of more weeks to go!
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