Aisa to aadmi life mein doich time bhaagta hain. Olympic ka race ho, ya police ka case ho. Tum kisliye bhaagta hain bhai?" If AB would have asked this question I would have answered Mumbai Marathon bhai. The confirmation mail that I had a running spot for the 8th edition of the Mumbai marathon came in on Aug 28th 2010 ( 4 months in advance ). At that point in time I was recovering from the knee injury I had, after completing the Pondicherry half marathon in Feb. So I knew I had my task cut out, to recover completely and then start my training for the famed Mumbai run.
The closure of NICE road to pedestrians was the biggest blow to those of us who used this as our training ground ! September saw a couple of runs in Lalbagh, my logbook shows a dismal 36 Kms as entry against the month of September, my average speed was at 8.75 km/hr and the knee did cry for attention ! . October was the month when myself and spot (Prasad) started being regular at the NIKE run club on Saturday mornings thanks to Harsha's MBA classes on Saturdays, we no more had to wait for him to show up and were now able to make to the runs dot on time ! It was towards the end of the month we embarked on a cycling adventure on which a lot has been already said. The long cycle ride helped and my knee pain decided to move out after 6 months of presence ! I had done around 60 Kms of running in October and my average speed was hovering between 8.2 and 8.5 Km/hr. November was the month when we got a little more serious about our training after we booked our air-tickets to Mumbai and ran a total of 116 Kms during that month. Average speed was inching towards 9 Km/hr. We carried forward the momentum in the month of December and ran a total of 106 Km. Except for breaking my wrist due to my over enthusiasm during a stretching exercise things were pretty much on track.
Vinay Kaushik ("the sherpa") fresh from his mountaineering training from Uttaranchal was our coach during our runs in Cubbon park. He included a lot of variety in our runs and made them interesting and a lot tiring. January was to be the month of long runs, the longest I ran was 16 Km and after that we made sure that we stayed injury free as we approached the event date. Training was fun, we did not follow any particular schedule, Saturdays after the run it used to be tender coconut/lime juice and many times Dosa/Poha ;-). we have made several discoveries during our eating/ drinking binge. The out of the world lime juice near DVG road (I still dont understand his reluctance to serve us just because we are there as soon as the shutters are up ! ) Tender coconut with lemons squeezed into it ( the rising cost of lemons soon saw an end to this ritual). Sunday runs were followed by guzzling tender coconut, we had consciously made efforts to limit it to 2 per head from the earlier 3. This still gave Harsha enough specimens to try out his various theories on judging the sweetness of the tender coconut based on colour ( His latest tip is go for the ones which have a shade of brown but not too brown on the outside! )
One more week to go and Harsha realizes that he has an exam on Saturday, the day we have booked our tickets to Mumbai, being accustomed to the shock,awe,surprise,curve balls thrown at me by my good friend I just managed to say "Oh" in response! He comes up with this crazy idea that he would take the 10:00 PM flight instead of the 11:45 AM flight which the rest of us would take, we would collect his bib number along with ours and he would arrive in Mumbai at 12:00 AM, sleep over at the airport, wake up the next day morning come straight to the run where he would meet us to get his bib number. Harsha went ahead and re-scheduled his flight to 10:00 PM. Thursday evening the phone rings and its Harsha, now what I wonder would he directly land from a chopper as the run starts ? I am greeted by a weak and a frail voice which resembles Harsha's . Harsha boy is down with fever and it was disheartening to hear that he would have to cancel his trip.
January 15th Saturday its Shakranthi and we would leave for Mumbai today. I would surely miss the home made pongal * sigh *. Bags packed and checked for the nth time that the shoes are there, the registration form is there, me and Anil head for the airport picking up Spot and SK (Patil) on the way. We check in at the airport and the flight is on time.
We arrived in Mumbai at 1:30 PM. As we got out from the airport we were pleasantly surprised by the weather, it was perfect, bright but not hot and humidity was non-existent. The waiting taxi whisked us to the World trade center near Cuffe parade where the Mumbai marathon expo was going on. We collected our running bibs and the goody bag and were out of the place by 3:30 PM. The next stop was Kamat restaurant at cuffe parade and we had a great tasting "Thali" for lunch. We headed straight to the place where Anil had arranged for our accommodation in Bandra. We settled in our respective rooms, quick refreshing and a cup of tea later we were heading along the next days run route. We drove on the famed Bandra-Worli sea link, caught glimpse of Mukesh ambani's Antilla ( the worlds most expensive house), Haji-Ali dargah, the daunting Peddar road incline which we would have to scale next morning. We exchanged glances when Anil who now had turned into a tourist guide said we have covered 75 % of the route. An hour in the car and we were still left with 25 % of the route ?! We crossed chowpatty, Marine drive and finally reached close to CST which would be the end point of our run.
Vinay Kaushik ("the sherpa") fresh from his mountaineering training from Uttaranchal was our coach during our runs in Cubbon park. He included a lot of variety in our runs and made them interesting and a lot tiring. January was to be the month of long runs, the longest I ran was 16 Km and after that we made sure that we stayed injury free as we approached the event date. Training was fun, we did not follow any particular schedule, Saturdays after the run it used to be tender coconut/lime juice and many times Dosa/Poha ;-). we have made several discoveries during our eating/ drinking binge. The out of the world lime juice near DVG road (I still dont understand his reluctance to serve us just because we are there as soon as the shutters are up ! ) Tender coconut with lemons squeezed into it ( the rising cost of lemons soon saw an end to this ritual). Sunday runs were followed by guzzling tender coconut, we had consciously made efforts to limit it to 2 per head from the earlier 3. This still gave Harsha enough specimens to try out his various theories on judging the sweetness of the tender coconut based on colour ( His latest tip is go for the ones which have a shade of brown but not too brown on the outside! )
One more week to go and Harsha realizes that he has an exam on Saturday, the day we have booked our tickets to Mumbai, being accustomed to the shock,awe,surprise,curve balls thrown at me by my good friend I just managed to say "Oh" in response! He comes up with this crazy idea that he would take the 10:00 PM flight instead of the 11:45 AM flight which the rest of us would take, we would collect his bib number along with ours and he would arrive in Mumbai at 12:00 AM, sleep over at the airport, wake up the next day morning come straight to the run where he would meet us to get his bib number. Harsha went ahead and re-scheduled his flight to 10:00 PM. Thursday evening the phone rings and its Harsha, now what I wonder would he directly land from a chopper as the run starts ? I am greeted by a weak and a frail voice which resembles Harsha's . Harsha boy is down with fever and it was disheartening to hear that he would have to cancel his trip.
January 15th Saturday its Shakranthi and we would leave for Mumbai today. I would surely miss the home made pongal * sigh *. Bags packed and checked for the nth time that the shoes are there, the registration form is there, me and Anil head for the airport picking up Spot and SK (Patil) on the way. We check in at the airport and the flight is on time.
It was time to give the celebrities their share of attention and we headed straight to the Band stand to get our share of Bollywood. We took a long walk across the house of the rich and the famous. The small gathered crowd clicking away photos of Sharukh Khans house assured us that we were not the only ones who were awestruck by the blatant display of money power. We returned back to guest house at 8:30 PM. After wine & dine and a short walk topped with a paan we were all set to end our day.
Sunday Jan 16th, 3:41 AM I wake up, beating the alarm set for 4:00 AM. By 5:15 all 4 of us are ready in our gear, timing chip and bib in place. we walked down to the waiting taxi and headed straight towards the ground near the fire station where the start was schedules. 5:45 am we are part of the crowd which is rearing to go. Anil ambani along with his body guards arrives and walks past us towards the start line. The huge digital clock silently ticked towards the scheduled time of 6:15 am. The gun popped and off we were in the wee hours of sunday morning 21.097 Kms to cover.
It was still dark when we started, I ran along with Spot and SK at the start, Anil had hit the accelerator (floored it) from the word go. I wanted to run slow the first few kms. We passed the 1 km mark, the weather was perfect. After passing the 2 Km mark, the entrance to the sea-link was visible now. The view was picture perfect across the Mahim bay, the high rise buildings hugging the shore across the pinkish sky. At the 5 Km mark and we were right at the center of the sea-link, the huge suspensions cables running heaven-wards all around us. There were people encouraging each other "just 2 more km's and we are off the bridge its all easy from there" shouted one, "Power gel anyone" shouted another. I was enjoying the run, legs felt strong and breathing was easy. Km 7 marked the end of the sea-link we were on the Worli-sea face road, we went straight, took a U turn and came back. I saw the 8 km mark and also Spot running in the crowd, we both outstretched our arms and exchanged high-fives as we crossed each other. A few more meters ahead and I started seeing the full marathon runners making their way towards the sea-link, the admiration for then showed up as claps and cheers from folks running the half marathon. I saw Pani running along and shouted out his name and we exchanged waves. Bobby also from the Nike run club Bangalore and running the full marathon was right behind Pani and we again exchange words of encouragement. The 10 Km mark came up and I reached out for water at the water stop. There was a sigh of relief within as the half way mark was crossed. People from the houses lined along the running path were out in the open shouting words of encouragement, offering water,fruits as we ran past, a definite energy booster seeing these folks cheering us. I crossed the actress Gul Panag (who was running her 13th half marathon), photographers going on a clicking spree confirming her identity.
We crossed the landmarks which we had seen the previous day, the Ducati showroom, the Porsche showroom, Mukesh Ambani's Antilla. After the 14 Km Mark the Peddar road uphill showsed up, it seemed invincible but slowly and steadily I made my way past it. We are out running in the open but the tall building threw the blanket of their shadow covering us from the sun. After crossing the 15 Km mark the mind games start, how long ? why don't I see the next kilometer sign board ? want to stop ? take a break . I shooed away all these thoughts and continued running. The 16 Km mark was next crossed, the crowd cheered "just 5 more". 17 Km mark and we were in Chowpatty, a group of drummers were playing this amazing loop of beats, we moved on energized by the rhythm. The 18 Km mark seems to come after eternity, its a group of Bhangra dancers this time doing their jig and wooing us to go on. This was followed by a live band from a radio channel singing songs from "wake up sid ", 19 km mark is crossed. I picked up speed and cruised along, I could sense the end close by. We crossed the Taj mahal hotel and I knew the end was near. The cheering, the music, the beats were all getting louder now, I made the right turn along with other runners, and there it was the standard charted arch 200 m in front marking the finish line. Speed picked up automatically and I crossed the finish line, broke into a slow jog before finally stopping to look back as runners kept pouring in.
I checked my mobile and Anil had left a message that he had finished the run and was inside the holding area after the finish line. I made my way into the open ground got my share of refreshment and the finisher medal. Met Anil there and found out that he had a great run completing the run in 1hour 49 minutes !! A sub 2 hour time is what separates a good runner from just another runner. We are all proud of Anils exploits. Three cheers to him. We shall get there along with him sometime soon. After some stretching and relaxing inside Azad Maidan, We met spot and SK who had completed their run. It was photo time now. We posed against the half marathon route map got a few snaps and had to go through a sea of people to get out of the grounds towards our parked taxi. It was awesome to see the enthusiasm among the participants. The young and the old alike participated in large numbers and made this event a great success.
We headed straight to Kamat hotel had a hearty breakfast exchanging our experiences during the course of the run, the funniest turned out to be when Anil got confused noticing the crowd shouting out loud his name and urging him to go on, how do they know my name wondered Anil, turning around to find Anil Ambani close at his heels ! We reached our guest house by 11:30 AM. After freshening up we headed towards the airport. To complete the "Mumbai experience" we had the Vada Paav at the airport along with khichidi for lunch. Checked into the airport tried to relax over a cup of coffee while the legs pleaded for mercy !
At 5:40 PM we walk out of the airport terminal to find Harsha dot on time waiting with his car to pick us up. Things like these happen once in a blue moon, should have clicked a snap, my bad. Overall it was a great experience, the big city, the atmosphere, the crowd, the "Mumbai spirit", the near flawless organization of the run. We would be back stronger, faster with friends and family to "feel the spirit" as the Mumbai marathon tag line goes. Special thanks to Anil for making this trip such a pleasurable one, to SK and Spot who were great company before, during and after the run !
We crossed the landmarks which we had seen the previous day, the Ducati showroom, the Porsche showroom, Mukesh Ambani's Antilla. After the 14 Km Mark the Peddar road uphill showsed up, it seemed invincible but slowly and steadily I made my way past it. We are out running in the open but the tall building threw the blanket of their shadow covering us from the sun. After crossing the 15 Km mark the mind games start, how long ? why don't I see the next kilometer sign board ? want to stop ? take a break . I shooed away all these thoughts and continued running. The 16 Km mark was next crossed, the crowd cheered "just 5 more". 17 Km mark and we were in Chowpatty, a group of drummers were playing this amazing loop of beats, we moved on energized by the rhythm. The 18 Km mark seems to come after eternity, its a group of Bhangra dancers this time doing their jig and wooing us to go on. This was followed by a live band from a radio channel singing songs from "wake up sid ", 19 km mark is crossed. I picked up speed and cruised along, I could sense the end close by. We crossed the Taj mahal hotel and I knew the end was near. The cheering, the music, the beats were all getting louder now, I made the right turn along with other runners, and there it was the standard charted arch 200 m in front marking the finish line. Speed picked up automatically and I crossed the finish line, broke into a slow jog before finally stopping to look back as runners kept pouring in.
I checked my mobile and Anil had left a message that he had finished the run and was inside the holding area after the finish line. I made my way into the open ground got my share of refreshment and the finisher medal. Met Anil there and found out that he had a great run completing the run in 1hour 49 minutes !! A sub 2 hour time is what separates a good runner from just another runner. We are all proud of Anils exploits. Three cheers to him. We shall get there along with him sometime soon. After some stretching and relaxing inside Azad Maidan, We met spot and SK who had completed their run. It was photo time now. We posed against the half marathon route map got a few snaps and had to go through a sea of people to get out of the grounds towards our parked taxi. It was awesome to see the enthusiasm among the participants. The young and the old alike participated in large numbers and made this event a great success.
We headed straight to Kamat hotel had a hearty breakfast exchanging our experiences during the course of the run, the funniest turned out to be when Anil got confused noticing the crowd shouting out loud his name and urging him to go on, how do they know my name wondered Anil, turning around to find Anil Ambani close at his heels ! We reached our guest house by 11:30 AM. After freshening up we headed towards the airport. To complete the "Mumbai experience" we had the Vada Paav at the airport along with khichidi for lunch. Checked into the airport tried to relax over a cup of coffee while the legs pleaded for mercy !
At 5:40 PM we walk out of the airport terminal to find Harsha dot on time waiting with his car to pick us up. Things like these happen once in a blue moon, should have clicked a snap, my bad. Overall it was a great experience, the big city, the atmosphere, the crowd, the "Mumbai spirit", the near flawless organization of the run. We would be back stronger, faster with friends and family to "feel the spirit" as the Mumbai marathon tag line goes. Special thanks to Anil for making this trip such a pleasurable one, to SK and Spot who were great company before, during and after the run !
