DRHM Chennai 2014

Enough is enough, I said to myself before I started to write down my experience with the 2014 Chennai Dream Runners Half Marathon. After waiting for weeks and getting constant updates on social media that my friends were being tagged in various albums, I could not find a single picture of myself. What a pity, considering everyone was clicking with those super sharp DSLRs and smartphones.

Like last year, we traveled to Chennai on the Shatabdi Express on Saturday, starting early in the morning from Bangalore. The train journey was fun; there were many familiar faces along with a few new faces from our group. Some who participated last year opted out this year, but in the end, we had almost the same number of people. I had a good sleep on the train this time and couldn’t participate in the ‘Gupshap’ (chatter). The journey to the hotel this year was very smooth compared to last year, as we had a local Chennaite with us. We got off the bus right in front of our hotel in Adyar.

We had a big and tasty South Indian vegetarian lunch at Sangeetha; the walk from the hotel was a bit long as we had to adjust to the hot and humid Chennai weather. I tried my best to avoid sleeping in the afternoon. In the evening, we had a long chat over tea and coffee at Anand Bhavan, discussing running and various upcoming events, like how and when we were going to participate in them. Suddenly, it started to rain heavily, which was refreshing and brought down the temperature a bit but raised the humidity levels. Dinner was a low-key affair for those of us who chose to return to Anand Bhavan. Some of our friends had dinner at the hotel and were not delighted with the service.

There was the Iran vs. Argentina group match for the World Cup, and I wanted to watch it, so I kept myself glued to the TV until halftime. It was a great defensive and tactical match from Iran, as they prevented Argentina from scoring until the last minute.

I woke up around 3:45 as we were supposed to assemble in the hotel lobby at 4:15. I had a banana, a Parx chocolate bar, some dates, and some water. Remembering last year, I tried to drink water the previous day to hydrate my body and kept my food simple. The moment I stepped out of the AC room, I realized that the morning was going to be tough. We jogged from the hotel to the starting line, which was around 1.6 kilometers away. By the time we reached the starting point, many of us were soaked in sweat. Personally, I dressed very lightly in a super-thin sleeveless vest to keep myself cool.

We started the run with fellow runners from my running group, and by the time we crossed the 2-kilometer mark, we were completely drenched in sweat. But the good part was that the sky was overcast, and we were maintaining a pace of around 5 minutes per kilometer for the first 8 or 9 kilometers. Along the way, my running buddy and I passed a few others from our running group who normally run faster than us. It was both a good and a bad sign – I definitely didn’t have a target. It could be a sign of running too fast now and facing physical problems later, or perhaps the weather was playing its part, and we were coping better than others.

Around the 9-kilometer mark, while running along the beach, my running buddy slowed down a bit, and I continued at a comfortable pace, no longer looking at my GARMIN. Around the 18th kilometer, I encountered all the slower runners and walkers from the 10K race and had to navigate through them as I passed.

Around the 19th kilometer, near Adiyar bridge, I noticed a local Chennaite from our group running very strongly and passing me. That motivated me to follow him, and I kept reminding myself of how a 2-kilometer stretch feels during our practice runs. I pushed myself to lengthen my strides. I did my best to finish strong and gave my all in the last 500 meters or so.

As I was relatively faster this time, there wasn’t much of a queue for the post-run breakfast. I drank several cold bottles of water, which were readily available. My roommate achieved a remarkable run in the 10K race, cutting his previous best record by 4 minutes to complete it in 42 minutes. He was celebrating his achievement. I called Pamela to let her know that I was fine and everything had gone well.

After about 10 to 15 minutes, as we began to regroup, someone reported that one of our group members was experiencing health issues and needed medical assistance. I went and stayed with him throughout the ordeal. He was dehydrated and collapsed after finishing the race while waiting in the breakfast queue. Anyway, he had a rough time with dehydration, which caused his blood pressure to drop, and he needed a drip. Being in the medical tent of a race provides a different perspective on the entire race and post-race celebration.

I met with LilyDi and SameerDaa for lunch at their home, and it was an amazing spread with many courses of fish.

As usual, the train ride back to Bangalore was uneventful, and many took a nap after a challenging race day.

I achieved a personal best this time, which I realized a bit late. For me, the ability to run and enjoy the experience was more important than the time. I believe a few key factors helped me get there:

• Train enough and train hard for the race, as races are full of unknowns.
• Taper down your training as the race approaches.
• Get sufficient rest, even if it means watching TV or reading a book to compensate for any lack of sleep in the hotel bed.
• Try to keep your mind away from ‘target,’ ‘pace,’ and ‘timing,’ and simply enjoy the run unless you are a professional runner.
• Dress appropriately and avoid experimenting with new gear on race day.
• Hydrate adequately but don’t overdo it, as I did last year, when I struggled in the last 5 kilometers. I carried a water bottle with me from the 6-kilometer mark onward and took small sips at regular intervals. However, I did not stop at many water stations, as I preferred to have water when I wanted. Some people can’t run with a bottle in their hand, so it’s better to stop at water stations and drink – find out what works for you.
• Don’t try to eat too much or indulge in fancy meals the day before the race.
• If you have plans to meet up with friends or relatives, schedule it for after the race.