A small hiccup and then, I am good to go finally!!

This is pretty much the penultimate (or possibly the last) post pre-AC 2011. So, here goes.

Well, the first emotion that surges through me as I write this post is RELIEF.  It is accompanied by anticipation, apprehension, excitement, nervousness, enthusiasm, among others in varying degree.

Mid last week, I received a bit of a shocker - the Brazilian embassy in New Delhi rejected my application for a transit visa through Sao Paulo - primary grounds being that I did not have sufficient funds to pay for an overnight stay in Brazil.  Well, no use wasting time.  So I had to act quick and fast.

Summarily, this involved getting my passport back from New Delhi and finding an alternate travel route.  All's well that ends well.  I rerouted my booking through Paris late last week and went this morning to the French consulate in Bngalore for a transit visa.  The personnel were very helpful and I received a Schengen visa in 6 hours.  The earlier tension has now considerably dissipated. 

To my fellow runners in the HRC, thanks for a great run yesterday.  I very much appreciated the SAG support and the arrangements. One of the best runs I have undertaken in recent times and very special as it was my final taper run.  I really am looking forward to running with you folks on my return. 

To all the well wishers on tumblr, twitter, the blog, the 4D blog and so forth - thank you all once again for your kindness. Allegorically, I am temporarily a happiness-sucking parasite - so whenever a happy thought or wish for luck from you all comes my way, I am just slurping it up into my brain store in one fell swoop - to release and use if and whenever I feel down during the run.  Keep them coming, I need recharge every so often ;-)

If I can, I will be writing next once I reach San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. 

You can follow me on the official AC2011 blog here.  Daily stage updates are available here.

As I keep mentioning, I am supporting the Nethaji Mercy Home in Chennai.  Full details here.  If you can, please do contribute.  Every bit helps.  The process is a bit winded [and I apologise, if we could have we would have made it simpler for all.  Ah well, next time for sure, I promise].

Thank you and god bless
S

10 days and counting. . . equipment, victuals and other assorted stuff

So I head out for the Atacam Desert in Chile on 2 March which leaves me with 10 days to wind up.  I am in a kind of taper phase, so ideally there should be no intense workouts any more.  Alas, wishes unfortunately are not horses and so I find myself in a state that needs me to complete one long run and two back pack walks, all in excess of 25 km this coming week.  Finally, I am looking forward to the HR club run on 27 February, where I intend to walk 10 km with all final gear strapped on).

Mentally, I am continually "genning" myself to the adventure* ahead ( *I first wrote task and then decided, that sine I wanted to make it a pleasurable experience, I would rather not think of it as a "task"). 

This coming week, I need to read up on all final instructions, course details, etc so that I am not unprepared.  Also, go through final packing lists, see that I am carrying all requirements and have not missed out on anything.  This will probably be a penultimate post, the next one likely just before I head out. 

So my equipment list reads somewhat like this.

Backpack - OMM Classic 32 litres
Sleeping bag - Marmot Atom
Headlight and backup - Princeton TEC EOS and Petzl Tikka 2+
Compass - Silva
Knive/Multi Tool - Swiss Army Classic
Whistle - Jetscream
Survival bivvy - Adventure Medical Kits Thermolite
Sunscreen, lipscreen and blister kit
Red flashing LED safety light
Jacket - Mountain Hardwear Compressor PL
Shorts/tights - CW-X shorts, underwear and tights
T-shirts - Patagonia Capilene 1 and Performax [the choice of the Hyderabad Runners, wink wink]
Shoes - Inov-8's Roclite 318 GTX
Socks - Injinji toe socks
Headgear - Philly Eagles cap and the AC buff
Fleece hat - Mountain Hardwear Microdome
Sunglasses - Oakley Radar

In addition, I am carrying food for six-seven days including freeze dried meals, nutrition fuels/gels, energy bars, electrolytes, salt stick caps, insta coffeee and creamer.  Primary brand of choice, which I have tested extensively is Hammer Nutrition's range - Sustained Energy, Heed, Recoverite, Endurolyres, Race Caps Supreme and Hammer Whey followed by Cliff Energy Bars (Chocolate Almond Fudge, very handy) and Nuun.  Dinner is a preset menu - Expedition Foods' Vegetable Tikka and Rice or similar for seven nights. Space permitting, I may also carry some salted nuts and dried fruits for in-run snacks.  The daily calorie intake is a minimum of 2,000 calories per day (I am at roughly 2,400-2,800).

I am also carrying a plastic plate and a fork as well as water bottles to carry 2.75 litres of water or more at any given time - Raidlight, Camelbak and Platypus are first choice equipment, having been tested thoroughly during training - they've survived quite a few drops, falls, etc with no damage.

In additon, stuff like tablet towels, wet wipes,  medicines, etc form part of the equipment I carry (there's more but let me not bore anyone with the details). 

The trick, now, is to pack all the above and see how the backpack weighs.  Ziplock bags and Sea-to-Summit's Ultra Sil Dry Sacks are gonna be heroes here!!!  Wish me luck ;-)  I am aiming for between 7.0-7.5kg on the back and about two litres of water up front!!

The only off putting news is that my polar wrist watch's strap broke so I will be carrying it close to me to measure heart rate.  The foot pod's going to be switched off as it has been acting up a bit recently and giving me wrong calibration (I will get this fixed, post the AC2011).  As regards, navigation - Garmin remains the hands-on favourite. I use a Garmin Oregon 550 and I just need to set the satellite and some related settings to position accurately in the South American hemisphere.  So distance, time, elevation and so on and so forth will be with this.  The 550 also comes with a camera so I will be clicking some snaps of way points, etc to link up to stuff that I will write during and after the event.

I will be likely subscribing to the communications package from the 4deserts store to be able to update my blog during the run and that will be the primary source of telling you all what I've been upto and my daily experiences.  The link to my 4 deserts blog is at:

http://www.4deserts.com/blogs/comptetior_blog_new.php?authorid=OTU3&blog=21

More later.
S

It's never too late to be grateful. . .

So, this post is a small note of gratitude.

Firstly, to the conductor of the "great gig in the sky" - thank you for giving me the mental strength to go through my training, day after day - for keeping me in good health and away from any injuries - for helping me overcome my fears - for helping me run distances that I have never run before.

Secondly, to my wife Nandita - thank you for putting up with my eccentricities and oddities these days, the least of which is having your sleep disturbed at 3/4 AM when I wake up to head out - for the sacrifices made on your time to accomodate me - for making me many meals through the day to keep my constitution up - for all the other endless things you do to help me stay focussed on my running objectives.  Love you all the more for it.

Next, to my son Atri, who is now too young to realise but - thank you 'dingwal' for unwittingly giving up your time away from me - for finding ways to keep yourself occupied when I am too tired to play with you - for welcoming me happily when I get back home exhausted after a long run.

Fourth to all my fellow runners at the Hyderabad Runners Club who've encouraged me these last 2-3 months - thank you ladies and guys for your support and words of encouragement, it really means a lot to me and keeps me going days after day - for giving me training tips - for running alongside me at times and for simply being there - your camaraderie, time and encouragement is very much valued.

Lastly, to all my friends and acquaintances who've supported me ever since I told them I was attempting the AC2011 - a very big thank you - there have been so many mails and calls from you all and I am sorry if I did not respond to each and every one of them but know this - it has been acknowledged from very deep within and I am grateful to you for your thoughts.

Stay cool
S

Five weeks to go. . . and a small diversion.

I ran the Mumbai marathon last Sunday and completed it in a time of 5.20.  Very happy as this was my first 40km plus run in a week that averaged close a little over 90 km.  The temperature was a mild 32-33C albeit accompanied by a sharp sun setting the tone for what I should expect.  I have been pampered these lst two months by the sub-20s temperature while training in Hyderabad.  Probably, I should start my weekend back-pack runs a little late when the sun is fully up, to get a truer measure of "fatigue quotient", what?  Better late than never, as the maxim goes.

Took off late Sunday evening to HK with Nandita and Atri, for a short holiday and some work.  While there we went sightseeing to the Peak, DisneyWorld (for Atri), Po-Lin monastery (an oasis of calm near the hustle and bustle of HK) and a few other places.  We also caught up with Neha and Gaurav for dinner at this awesome restaurant called the Mask of Sichuan.  Can't thank you both enough for a fantastic choice of place and your wonderful hospitality.  Thank you so much guys, it was wonderful to have met you, god bless.

I also went to the RTP store and kitted myself out with lots of food (Hammer, Nuun, Expedition foods), some clothing accesories and a new pair of shoes, Inov-8's  Roclite 318 GTX.  These will be the shoes I wear on the main run, so a one-month break in period seemed reasonable.  Also, picked up a few pairs of Injinji moisture wicking socks to run in.

I plan to run/walk/train to about 110-120km a week for the next three weeks before I begin to taper down.  Training will be interspersed with cross training and some strength training for the back and shoulders as well as the mandatory pranayama/yoga.

Lots of final formalities as well to be undertaken - medical tests to be completed and sent, travel arrangements to be completed, visas to be obtained, et al.  The next fortnight promises to be busy busy indeed.  Good stuff!

I also intend to fill the back pack with the actual stuff I will be carrying during the race and do 3-4 dry runs over the next 2-3 weeks.  That should hopefully help me have a near accurate idea of the weight count under different combos and experiment a bit.  Will let you readers know how that stacks up as well ;-)

As you may know, I am running the AC2011 supporting the Nethaji Mercy Home in Chennai (see earlier post below).  Any contributions are gratefully acknowledged.

Closing this post with a verse from Dreamline, by Rush, one of my all time fave bands, ". . . they travel in the time of the prophets, on a desert highway straight to the heart of the sun.  Like lovers and heroes and the restless part of everyone, we're only at home when we're on the run, on the run. . . "

Best
S

A Humble Appeal, Please Read and Support

A very happy new year and a wonderful 2011 to you all!!

Sorry about the radio silence for sometime but as you will read below, I have been a bit busy working and training.  As you may know, I moved from Mumbai to Hyderabad over a year ago and I now work with primary agricultural cooperatives, farmers and rural citizens in Andhra Pradesh, India.

One of my pastimes these last few years has been long distance running, both for fitness and leisure. I am now participating in the Atacama Crossing 2011 or AC11 in short. The AC11 is a six-day six-stage race covering nearly 250 kilometres (or nearly 160 miles). It takes place in the heart of the Atacama Desert in Chile, South America. The desert itself is 15 million years old and 50 times more arid than California's Death Valley. The entire race will be held at least 1.6km (or 1 mile) above sea level. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius/104 degrees Fahrenheit, while night-time temperatures may drop to 5 degrees Celsius/41 degrees Fahrenheit. Joining me in this race are over 120 other people from 35 countries, including just one other person from India. The entire race is self-supported which means that each individual must carry his or her own gear, food and clothing for all days in a backpack. There are just checkpoints, plenty of water (at checkpoints and campsites), tents (at the campsites at the end of each stage) and medical assistance – no other outside assistance is allowed.  For more information, please visit http://www.4deserts.com/atacamacrossing/

There are over 20 charities that will be supported through AC11 and it is in this connection that I am reaching out to you all today.

I am running AC11 to support a charity for abandoned children and orphans called the Nethaji Mercy Home, situated at Chennai in India. This charity was started by a gentleman, Mr. A Muthukumar and his wife and is a sanctuary for several children who are either orphans or abandoned by their parents.

The Nethaji Mercy Home is intended to nurture, protect and care for destitute children who are left in the streets and also children from poor and broken families. It promotes the total development of children through loving care in a homely atmosphere with adequate nutrition and healthy social interaction and education for all children till they are mature and old enough to venture out independently. For more information, please visit http://www.nethajimercyhome.org/

I humbly request you all to contribute as much as you graciously can to support the stellar service and work that Muthu and his team are engaged in. As you will all appreciate, the children need food, shelter, clothing and medical care. There are also expenses for various items including school supplies, personal hygiene and many other miscellaneous items required for the day-to-day operation of the orphanage.

Contributions can be made by Crossed Cheque or Crossed Demand Draft favouring the Nethaji Mercy Home, payable at Chennai. Please send any cheques or drafts to:

Nethaji Mercy Home
No. 12, Pandithurai Street
Kamarajpuram
Velacherry, Chennai 600042
Tamil Nadu
INDIA

If you prefer to transfer funds by wire, details are given below.  Please forward this link/post to anyone you believe would be happy to contribute to this charitable venture.

Thank you for your patient reading and also thank you very much in anticipation of your kindness and generosity. Your assistance is much appreciated.

God bless you all
Sumanth Cidambi

PS: Bank details as below.

For money transfers effected from India, please route to:
Indian Bank, Chennai, INDIA
Swift Code: IDIBINBBTSY
IFSC Code: IDIB000V013
Account Number: 474986058
Account Type: (Current Account)
Account Holder Name: Nethaji Mercy Home

For money transfers effected from the United States, please route through:
Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo), New York, United States of America
SWIFT Code: PNBPUS3N
Account Number: 2000191062434
FOR ONWARD CREDIT TO:
Indian Bank, Chennai, INDIA
Swift Code: IDIBINBBTSY
IFSC Code: IDIB000V013
Account Number: 474986058
Account Type: (Current Account)
Account Holder Name: Nethaji Mercy Home

Alternatively when transferring money from the United States of America, you can use:
Standard Chartered Bank (New York)
SWIFT Code: SCBLUS33
Account Number: 3582021188001
FOR ONWARD CREDIT TO:
Indian Bank, Chennai, INDIA
Swift Code: IDIBINBBTSY
IFSC Code: IDIB000V013
Account Number: 474986058
Account Type: (Current Account)
Account Holder Name: Nethaji Mercy Home

For money transfers effected from the United Kingdom/England, please route through:
National Westminster Bank (London)
SWIFT Code: NWBKGB2L
Account Number: 440/02/04442903
FOR ONWARD CREDIT TO:
Indian Bank, Chennai, INDIA
Swift Code: IDIBINBBTSY
IFSC Code: IDIB000V013
Account Number: 474986058
Account Type: (Current Account)
Account Holder Name: Nethaji Mercy Home

Alternatively, when transferring money from the United Kingdom/England, you can use
Standard Chartered Bank (London)
SWIFT Code: SCBLGB2L
Account Number: 0170885820
FOR ONWARD CREDIT TO:
Indian Bank, Chennai, INDIA
Swift Code: IDIBINBBTSY
IFSC Code: IDIB000V013
Account Number: 474986058
Account Type: (Current Account)
Account Holder Name: Nethaji Mercy Home

Come September . . .

September started very well. I wanted to start running/walking with weights as well as delve more extensively into the core area. The schedule for September therefore looks somewhat like this: 
Monday: Walking/running with 6-8kg weights - easy pace 7-8km/hr - covering a distance between 13-15km (cross country course on the treadmill)
Tuesday: Warm up run of 4-5km - strength training - Wind down run, 2km
Wednesday: Repeat Monday routine
Thursday: Repeat Tuesday routine, warm up variant being cycling for 30 minutes
Friday: Easy paced run, covering a 20-25km distance
Saturday: Easy paced run. covering a 25-30km distance
Sunday: Rest
The weekly routine is accompanied by yoga and stretches, primarily for the back as well as exercises for the core, about 15-20 minutes to a session.
So against this plan, how did I stack up. I managed to run a little over 85km through the first week, about half of it with a back pack weighing about 7kg. The Friday and Saturday runs also went off nicely as planned, only I was running on a treadmill at a slight incline. The weather has been very inclement in Hyderabad with rainfall in the early morning and I am hoping it gets better this week onwards.
The second week was a washout totally as I was vacationing and out the whole week at a family wedding, a full 4-day affair!!! I will restart again today.
Nutrition during exercise comprises Hammer's Perpetuem or Sustained Energy as well as Endurolytes and my body is adapting to these quite well. Plus, water intake of about 2-3 litres during the training itself.
All told, the first fortnight has been a sort of one step forward and . . . Well, onward and upward.
More later.
S

Runner's Log 31 July 2010

So this week was good training.  I ran a 25km circuit this morning across an interesting track - home all the way to a place called Lingampally with a turn and then onto a road that took me to the Vijaybhaskar Reddy Botanical Gardens.  Good weather and a fairly traffic free road for the most part helped a great deal.

Couple of points - the endurance levels are slowly increasing and I can feel it in terms of the distance I am able to cover without stopping for water or a breath break.  Secondly, the training tights are a real boon.  Thanks to CW-X, I do not feel uncomfortable running anymore.

So, in summary, I ran about 66km this week with a fair bit of strength and resistance training thrown in as well.

Music has been a brilliant companion - mostly rock and metal and songs themed around time and space.  Focused on running while listening to the music makes it more enjoyable.  I hardly notice the km slip by.

This coming week will be good as I will be testing an endurance fuel for continued use.   This will help me up the scale to an 80km/week level in all of August, patterned on a weekly 25-25-30 format.

More later

S

Runner's Log 24 July 2010

The last 10 days have been an on again - off again exercise.  Last Saturday, I managed to run about 29km, on what was a pretty straight road - from Home all the way to Lingampally MMTS, a quick u-turn and then upto the Vijayabhaskar Reddy botanical gardens in Kondapur.  The road was pretty much empty barring a few early morning travellers and buses.


During the week, I managed to run evenings Monday - Wednesday, clocking in about 44km so far, with a couple of days at the gym as well.  Have been off Thursday and Friday, which left me quite depressed and feeling like a sloth last night.  Running is a better high than caffeine and I go nuts without my weekly fix.


This morning has not started off well either.  It's been raining through the night and the roads are quite wet.  My usual haunt, KBR Park is also quite slushy and a bit slippery, so I gave the morning run a miss.  I am now looking forward to running later in the day, probably a short run of c20km or thereabouts, either in the open or on a treadmill.  Either way, need to get this sorted.


Next week onwards, the step up to an organised 70km per week starts in right earnest and I am confident of meeting that requirement properly.


Onwards and upwards, more later
S

Runner's Log - 14 July 2010

It's been almost over a month.  The last fortnight was not upto my liking.  I was ill for the most part and travelling severally so I could not keep to a schedule.  I did manage to run one long distance (25 plus km) in Bangalore which I quite enjoyed - all the way from the Forum Mall in Whitefield to Cubbon Park, off MG Road in the heart of the city.  It is one straight road (well, almost - if you were to excuse the mild curvature off Old Airport Road through to Trinity Circle).  I also bumped into a friend I had not met for almost 6-7 years during the run (he was coming opposite ways) and reconnected with him just today.  Felt good.

Recovered just two days ago from a week long spell of indigestion and general lethargy.  At the gym on Monday, struggled with the exercises and was feeling a bit giddy so I sort of took it easy.  I have a practice run coming up later this evening, roughly 12-15km so let's see what that does for me.

This week promises to be exciting - two long runs  and some fascinating yoga exercises.  Hmmm!!!

More later
S

Runner's Log 19 June 2010

This last fortnight was very good for me training wise. I have been running on alternate days, averaging between 15-18km on the weekdays and over 20km on the Saturday runs. The idea is to continue to build “distance-endurance” and therefore I am currently not too concerned about speed. The running highlights of the fortnight were two “long” runs.

The first was in Bangalore, last week. My route was Home (Koramangala 1st block)-Koramangala Inner Ring Road-Domlur-Command Hospital-Trinity Circle-MG/Cubbon Road-Chinnaswamy Stadium-Cubbon Park-Church Street-Vellara Junction-Johnson Market-Adugodi Signal-Forum Mall-St. John's Medical College-Sarjapur Road-Aishwarya Departmental Stores-Home, a total distance of c21.73km in a little over two hours.


The second was this morning, in Hyderabad. My route was Home (Road No. 14)-Jagannath Puri temple-Road No. 45-State Gallery of Fine Arts-Inorbit Mall-Hitech City Main Road-Mumbai Road-Gachibowli-Miyapur Road-Botanical Gardens-Kothaguda-Shilparamam-Hitech City Road-Road # 36-Jubilee Hills Check Post-KBR park periphery-Home, a total distance of c29.2 km in a little under three hours.


This morning’s run was a bit more tiring than usual, primarily because (a) I was running a distance greater than 25km after a very long time, (b) zero electrolyte replacement during the run leading to a higher fatigue level and quicker burnout (mistake, I know), and (c) it was a new route for me and the road undulates like crazy at several points during the run. My hamstrings and buttocks are still sore ;-).


On the electrolytes, am waiting for the Endurolyte shipments to arrive next month, which should definitely help up the game a few notches. As for the route itself, I had driven with Atri yesterday AM and scoped the entire route I was planning to take. I recently purchased a Garmin unit, the Oregon 550 and used it to create the track with all waypoints and so on and so forth marked up. It rained quite heavily last night and the roads were wet or still water logged, so I did get a bit drenched what with the oncoming lorries spraying water on the roadsides - a definite mood dampener. All told, an experience of a kind, ha!


I have also been able to work out at the gym regularly, currently concentrating on my core, back and shoulders. It’s strange because I’ve never really appreciated resistance and strength training but I can see the benefits, having practised this for a little over a month now. The results are slowly but surely beginning to show in my running. The endurance levels are slowly improving and I am able to maintain a steady 8-9kmph pace for over two hours, without any major pain in the hamstrings, glutes or lower back.


This upcoming fortnight, I intend to add a bit of yogā and prānāyāmā to the routine. The yogā should help strengthen the back and spine and the prānāyāmā will help cool the body during the workouts.

This evening, I intend to celebrate a bit on completing the first 25km after many many months.  Nandita and I are going out to watch the ongoing FIFA world cup at a local sports bar and I'll probably have a few beers to mark this milestone.


Will write again soon. Onward and upward. . .
Cheers
S

Runner's Log 6 June 2010

It's been a great fortnight.  I have managed to run only 100km but have been able to increase my endurance levels a good notch upwards.  Also, something new for me, long runs inside - on the treadmill with a fair degree of incline - have enabled me to complete a gruelling 15m hill run yesterday, one which was quite a steep climb.

I've also started weight and resistance training - for the back and core primarily and for the chest and arms as a supplement - preparation for running with an 8-10kg backpack ;-).  Soon, I hope to be able to start running with 3-5 kilos strapped on to my back.  I can feel my core getting stronger slowly and steadily and the plank exercises have helped in great measure.

Monsoon's coming to Hyderabad, so most of the training for the next month or two will mainly be indoors. Am also looking forward, post monsoons, to a testing out a new pair of shoes - the Roclite 318GTX - as these will be my running pair for the main event.

The upcoming week promises to be exciting. . .  Have a 10 mile tomorrow, followed by some core work.  Travel mid week so the chance to run elsewhere for a good distance along a new route, although I do not much appreciate the street dogs that keep chasing me in Bangalore in the early hours of the morning.

Anyways, will post an update next week or so.

Cheers

S

Runner's Log 23 May 2010

Woke up yesterday at 4:00 AM to get ready for the first of many long runs.  The course I am training on is not high altitude - Hyderabad is situated a little under 1,800 feet above sea level - and is called the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Park (you can google it) or KBR Park as the locals know it by.  The park has two tracks, the first is the outer track runs along its circumference and the second "inner" track.  The tracks have been created by breaking through rock.  The inner track is for the early morning walkers and is relatively flat and almost mundane to run on.  So. . .

I prefer the outer track for two reasons, first - its less crowded (especially at 4.30 AM!!!) and second and more importantly - it is almost like a mini trail that goes up and down, undulates and winds about quite a bit.  The distance, measured end-to-end is 10.4 km (if one starts at the main entrance opposite the TDP office, goes all the way up to the Jubilee Hills end and back again, it's roughly 8.2 km plus another 2.2 km on the other side).  A run anywhere between 12-15 km on this course is great for improving endurance - I've been able to knock off 30-45 seconds per km on a 1/2 M, running on plain tarmac after running here.

The running kit comprised a light running tee and shorts made of moisture wicking fabric (essential as morning temperature gets to about 28-30 C by 5.30 AM and climbs rapidly thereafter to about 35C by 7 AM). Shoes were my trusty Reebok Premium Running DMX Shear - It's everything Reebok has advertised.  I have been using these for over five years now and find them to be the best for long distance road runs with a little bit of light trail running thrown in as well.  Speed, distance, time, heart rate et al measured by another old faithful of many years - the Polar RS 400.  And for company, an iPod nano with some rock tunes.  Hydration comprised two bottles of water (one fortified with concentrated lemon juice) which I carried with me through the run and sipped off frequently.

There's two places I dread crossing on the track - the first is sort of diagonally opposite the Puri Jagannath temple at Road 12 which is a series of 50-60 steps at a steep incline.  This crossing takes my heart rate up from a stable 145-150 to nearly 180 in a span of 30-40 seconds, phew!!! The second is a cement stairwell that comes up a little ahead of Road No. 45 which has  a similar effect on my heart rate.  For those runners who are familiar with South Bombay, the uphill climb on Peddar Road near Jaslok Hospital and the closely following Kemps Corners flyover are a picnic - they start gradually and are not really in-your-face like the two I described here.  That said, there's a real sense of achievement completing these two sharp stretches and soldiering on.

The scenery is not much to brag about but includes some small stretches of frangipani and some lush greenery that I quite like, its the closest I come to running through a trail.  I finished the first 10 km lap in 1 hr 6 minutes (including a warm up walk of about 1/2 km) and was feeling a little numb but thought I'd push myself for the next lap which I completed in 48 minutes flat taking overall time to less than 2 hours.  Was surprised by a bonus - Iron Maiden's "Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner" and Metallica's "Orion" randomly looped twice on the run.  Ha!

Dead beat after this run, so stretched for nearly 20-25 minutes before I headed back home. Feet held up well although the hamstring muscles were a little chaffed but recovered well overnight.  My biggest fear was losing my toe nails again (they've chipped off and regrown over the years and there's always that irritation when the nail's busted and the underpart is exposed).  Anyways, will start taping my feet soon on the longer runs.

Today was relatively simple - a 4 km run at 10 km/hr pace followed by 10 minutes of cycling at the gym followed by an hour of stretches and yoga for the back and core.  Worked out indoors and was spared the heat and dust.

Plan to run another 16-18 km tomorrow to make the most of the early morning hot weather before the monsoons set in Hyderabad.

Cheers
S

Its (T)raining again. . .

Started proper training yesterday for yet another of my runs.  Ran about 17km in under 2 hours.  Good to know I have not lost touch (yet)!!!  Thankfully no blisters.  The route remains the same - KBR park's outer running track.  Temperature in the AM is about 27-28C while it gets to about 38-40C in the evenings. 

Note to self:  Need more hydration and electrolytes. 

More later.