Ready or not, Mumbai Marathon is here

Unedited raw version of the column Run&Bee published in Hindustan Times on 11th January 2020.

Week 79: Ready or not, Mumbai Marathon is here

If a problem is fixable, there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. — Dalai Lama XIV (and many others are credited with this quote but it was Calvin who perfected the art of worrying.)

Mumbai Marathon is only a week away. For many runners in the country, it is the Mecca of marathon running. And for good reason. The city of Mumbai comes to a halt for the duration the marathon is on, and Mumbaikars host all the participants as their own guests who come down from all over the country. I recommend that any runner who runs marathons should experience this marathon at least once, not so much for the organisation of the event but more to see what India is and again can be about. 

Do worry, you’ll soon be in Mumbai nagri with all that heat and sweating away to glory and beyond.

For runners going from of north-India, Mumbai marathon can easily turn out to be a nightmare inspite of all their training and planning. It’s been freezing in Delhi NCR, with new records being set for the cold. Whether runners have been running wearing multiple layering of clothing or braving it out in their singlets, it’s yet pretty chilly.

Temperatures in Delhi at the time of running has been about 8° to 12°C. Over next week it’ll range from 8° to 18°C throughout the day.

From these temperatures to be running in Mumbai’s hot and humid conditions will be a shock for anyone.

Whereas in Mumbai, even at early morning, when you get to the start line, it will be 25°C. Over next week, temperatures would range from 20° to 28°C.

Hence, at Mumbai don’t stress much about achieving your personal best.

Plan should be to have that smile pasted on your face from ear to ear from start-line to the finish. Just enjoy the run. For that, more than ever, you will need to have a strategy in place. 

Whatever gets you to run.

Let’s first assume you have been training for 4-6 months. You possibly have run Delhi Half Marathon or other half or full marathons. Then the only challenge will be the drastic change in weather conditions. If you haven’t already booked your flights, please fly into Mumbai at least on Friday to get used to the heat and humidity of Mumbai.

Calvin hallucinating after having landed at Mumbai airport for Bye Bye Mumbai Marathon.

You’ve done your distances but you yet need to go for an hour long jog (focus on time on feet rather than speed at all) on both Friday and Saturday to get used to the air. Spend more time outdoors rather than being stuck in AC rooms. Breathe in that Unhealthy Mumbai Air, which actually is better than Hazardous Air of Dill-Walon-ki-Dilli.

Let us have a bit of a plan. We just need to figure which side goes up.

If you haven’t trained as well as you should have, it is what it is.

Whether you believe it or not, to save our lives, when shove comes to a push, anyone of us, on any given day, can run 21 kms. You need to understand that the human body is designed to run upto 28-34 km, just that marathon distance happens to be slightly longer than that. Its around this distance that most people hit the wall. Heat and humidity will make it come visiting even sooner. 

To beat the wall, we need to play ball with our body. There is no point to fight it. It’s too late to now work on your endurance but here is a race plan that would help. 

Pack your stuff the evening before.

The day before the race day, you need to get a few things ready and packed that you might have not thought much about in last few weeks while running in Naarth India. If need be, shop for them. That could count as acclimatisation.

It will be hot and sunny pretty soon after you start, definitely for those doing full marathon, you do need to have your sun-shades ready.

For folks like me, who have prescription glasses, it can get tricky. Way back in 2010 (or some random year) while I was pacing a friend, I remember wearing my prescription sun glasses to the start. Not necessarily advisable, but that could work for you too.

If I were you, I would even have a cap with me. Have change of ₹200-500 just as a back up. Definitely have change of clothes for after the run.

You should have a sip or two of water at each aid-station from the very beginning.

Electrolytes will become important in these conditions so have them at alternate aid-stations. As for energy gels or bars that you are used to, have a sip or bite every 4 kms.

Get to the start line with that crooked line going up. Or you could really be focused too like Hobbes.

Start slower than what is comfortable for you. Keep that easy pace for first 5 minutes. Don't get carried away by folks who are too quick in the beginning. Either they have trained too well or maybe they have no clue what they are doing. Let them be. You follow your plan.

Break the run down into smaller units. You’ll savour the journey when you don’t overthink. Just take one step at a time. The finish-line is bound to come.

At 5 kms mark gauge your situation as to how are you feeling, does it feel comfortable, is there too much in store etc. Reset speed / pace from 5 to 10 km based on how you feel. 

Plan at 10km should be to be feeling very good. Reassess how you feel at 10km and reset pace accordingly till 21km. It is ok to be slower than your training runs. Remember that at half mark only one-third of the job is done. You need to be ready to take on next two-third.

You might be feeling great, but from 21 to 31km go slower than what is comfortable. If you go out too quick right now, you'll have to pay in last 10 km.

When you get to 31km mark, jump up in joy as now you are not quitting. I want you to dig in deep and forget physical pain. Just keep a steady pace till the end.

Congratulate yourself at the finish for an amazing job.