Week 7: Day 5: REST

I had a comfortable rest today. I have no pain either in my shoulders of legs. I am supposed to run 19.2 Km tomorrow but I have planned to take rest again tomorrow and instead do my run on Sunday replacing my Cross training session.

Week 7: Day 4

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 30 min and 55 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

Today though I ran non-stop for most of the time I finished the 4.8 Km course one minute slower than my last personal best. I can realize that if I reduce my non-stop run and take a short walk whenever I needed I am finishing in a good time. But I am consciously trying to do a non-stop so that it will increase my stamina and also will give a good motivation.

I got exhausted too soon due to the humid climate of Chennai. I really hope I will increase my stamina in order to avoid this condition during race day.

Week 7: Day 3

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 9.6 Km           

Duration: 65 min and 55 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

It was an extremely tiring and exhausting run today. I could not run in my usual speed. I ran bit slow than usual but still according to me I finished in a decent time. I did not have a water-break during the course which means I have the ability to run continuously at least for 10 Km during worst situations. My stamina has increased for sure but I need to work hard to increase my speed and thereby set a good personal record. The race day is nearing and I need to prepare well and be determined to finish the race in a competitive time.

Week 7: Day 2

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 29 min and 42 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

Today’s run has been good in spite of the fact that I had pain in my shoulders. The pain has reduced a lot over the night. I did not feel much pain in the latter half of my run today. I finished 2 seconds ahead of previous run. But I felt very much exhausted today maybe due to the humid climate of Chennai.

I went through the previous course records for Kaveri Trail Marathon and there are lot of people who finish the HM in 90 minutes. For me with my current speed it will take little more than 120 minutes. I want to increase my speed bit more so that my run will be really competitive rather than just finishing in decent time. I will work hard a bit more to increase my speed.

Week 7: Day 1: REST

I felt extreme pain in my hands and shoulders due to the intense push-up exercises which I did yesterday after a long time. I expected this and I also know that this pain will go off in couple of days. Tomorrow’s run of 4.8 Km might be a bit difficult due to this pain. I hope this pain goes off soon.

Week 6: Day 7: Cross (Exercise)

Time: 6 am             

Duration: 120 min           

Place: Marina Beach, Chennai

Well the family run turned out to be different. The master taught us various exercises which will help us to run better. At the maximum I would have run for 3 Km with Aswin but it was really a very good experience. I felt more comfortably when running with Aswin. I think group running certainly has its advantages. If this is the case then I guess during the race day it will be really good for me.

The master taught us various exercises which was bit tough too. I did not feel much pain during the exercises but I felt it later in the evening. I did lot of push-ups today which caused pain in my hand muscles. I think if I start continuing these exercises every day I might feel even more fit than usual. I really hope this pain in hands does not cause any performance issues during my running sessions.

I have now completed 6 weeks of training. This last one week has not been a good one as lot of running sessions were missed due to several reasons. I would like to do a good job from next week without skipping or postponing my running sessions.

One good thing about today’s conversation with the master is that he said my endurance level is very good and that he pointed out few flaws in my running. He said I have to keep my shoulders loose and breathe out using mouth in that way I can get more out of my running.

I would like to carry forward all the learning and do a better job from next week.

Week 6: Day 6: REST

Since I need to do a long run tomorrow it’s a rest day for me today. Aswin’s running group has planned for a family run in which the group’s family members can run too along with them. So looking out for a good run for the first time with a group. I am hoping for a very good experience.

Week 6: Day 5

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 29 min and 44 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

Since I have to do a long run in the weekend which is for 11.2 Km I have decided to skip the 8 km run and instead ran for 4.8 Km. I had set a personal best by finishing in 29 minutes. This is an improvement of nearly 3 minutes. I am really impressed with my run today. I really hope this continues further and finish my race in a decent time.

Week 6: Day 4: REST

Disappointment today. I had not set the alarm properly due to which my today’s session is cancelled. 

Week 6: Day 3: REST

I should have done a run of 8 Km but since I travelled in the night I was not in a condition to run in the morning. I planned to run tomorrow. I have prepared a very different route this time and eager for tomorrow’s run.

Week 6: Day 2

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 32 min and 30 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

I was hoping for setting my personal best for the 4.8 Km but it was not so. I finished it in almost the usual time. I think I am always struggling for the first 6 Km after which I get more energy and I am able to run faster.

I am practicing Pranayama and meditation everyday without fail. I am consuming good amount of water and having nutritious food and fruits nowadays. I am more conscious on my food-intake which is the only source of energy for my run.

Week 6: Day 1: REST

I still have slight pain in the knee but whenever I take rest it gets alright. I hope slowly it gets healed once and for all. I am now very enthusiastic to continue with my marathon sessions. I am very eagerly looking out for a good run in Kaveri Trail HM.

Week 5: Day 7

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 16 Km           

Duration: 96 min and 22 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

Yes! And that is called as MAGIC!!! I could not believe that I was able to finish the whole 16 Km course in just 96 minutes. On the first hand I was expecting a cancellation of the session due to knee pain. Else I was expecting a half-course schedule. Else I was expecting a very bad running time.

The unexpected had happened. I found it very difficult to run the first 2.4 Km which was non-stop. After that I started to run non-stop every 5 minutes and walk for half a minute. That actually did wonders. Every time I walk for half a minute it gave me immense energy to run in a very decent pace for the next 5 minutes. This way I finished the whole 16 Km course in 96 minutes. Which means it took on an average 6 minutes to cover 1 Km. Normally I take around 7.4 minutes on an average during long runs.

The first half of 8 km was bit tiring but the second half of 8 km was actually easy. I felt as if I wanted run more and more. I am totally impressed with today’s run.

Of course I had the knee pain a bit after the long-run but after taking rest it was back to normal. The key is to take rest which solves the knee pain.

After returning home the first thing which I did was to register for the Kaveri Trail HM. I successfully registered and now I am feeling very much motivated to do my training session better so that I can finish the race in a decent time. Also I read from its website that the Kaveri Trail HM is a very tough course and it is going to be very challenging.

Whatever, I am impressed with the 16 Km run and I am confident I can finish a HM somehow in a decent time. That is what is important to me right now which will motivate me to continue with Full Marathon practice.

I thank God for providing me the strength out of all the odds which I felt the previous night. The “Dream Run” is going to continue with even more josh!

Week 5: Day 6: REST

I woke this morning with negligible pain in my right knee which is a good sign. I felt slight pain sometimes while doing certain activities but when compared to yesterday night today is much better.

I am now very much determined to go for a long run tomorrow for 16 Km. I planned to take a water break only after first 8 km. I am still worried if my knee pain arises tomorrow again during the run.  I planned to take only one water-break so that I am making myself accustomed to tough situations during the race.

I really wish that I finish tomorrow’s run in a decent time and thereby I will go ahead for registering in the Kaveri Trail HM.

Week 5: Day 5

Time: 10:30 pm             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 35 min and 17 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

It was a tough running session. I was able to run non-stop for 2.4 Km. After which my right knee started to pain intensely. Somehow I managed to finish the course in 35 minutes which is not at all anywhere close to my normal finish time.

I am so disappointed. My knee pain has been the cause of misery. I was almost limping after the running session. Now I am so worried if I would be able to do a long run on Sunday for 16 Km. If I have to take a week long rest then it means I might have to forget about Kaveri Trail HM.

After doing warm-down and stretching exercises I felt a bit better. I prayed to God to help me get out of this disappointing situation and somehow give me the magic to continue my training session without any hindrances. Let me see how things go tomorrow during the rest day. If there is a good improvement in my knee then I shall continue further, else I planned to take a complete rest for one week to help my knee to heal quickly and thereby does not cause any serious internal injuries.

Week 5: Day 4

Time: 10:30 pm             

Distance: 8 Km           

Duration: 55 min and 21 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

I could not manage to run in the morning due to a very early business schedule. I was so worried that I missed the session in the morning. I was very determined to somehow finish the session today as I have already postponed a session due to personal reason. I do not want to give yet another reason and skip today’s schedule.

So I ran in the night at 10:30 pm. I feared lot of dust on the roads but luckily it rained a bit in the afternoon which made the dust stuck to the ground. I still had the pain near knee but I was determined to run as I know this pain is going to heal some day but it is just matter of time.

The first 2 Km I was fighting with my brain to help me do a non-stop. I was sweating so profusely. I started imagining of stopping this training program and instead just relax at home as usual. But I know that this thought is coming out due to pressure on the body. My body is not used to so much heavy usage. But I asked my mind to “Shut Up!” and finished my course of 8 km.

The final 4 Km I guess was more convenient than the first 4 Km. I did not have water during the entire course. During the final 2 Km I felt as if my knee pain had vanished and that I have more energy to run. I finished the course in 55 min and 21 seconds. This is an improvement of 2 minutes compared to the 8 km run which I did couple of weeks back.

I am glad that I finished the schedule with determination. Tomorrow too I have no choice but to run in the night. I will take rest on Saturday and run for 16 Km on Sunday. I have no other choice but to tweak the schedule a bit so that I can continue this training no matter what.

I thank God for giving me the power and determination to run today’s schedule and thereby keeping my “Dream Run" alive!

Week 5: Day 3: REST

Well, I am supposed to run 8 Km today but unfortunately yesterday I reached home pretty late due to which I missed to wake up at the right time. I was too tired to go for a run. Hence I decided to postpone the schedule for tomorrow.

In a way it is good that I took rest today as my knee was still paining in the morning. At the end of the day I feel that my knee pain has almost gone now. I hope tomorrow morning I would be able to run in my normal pace. I planned to do Pranayama before going to bed.

I am looking out for a good run tomorrow morning.

Week 5: Day 2

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 34 min and 9 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

I was able to do a non-stop for only 2.4 Km today. I finished the course today at 34 min and 9 sec. I still had the knee pain and hence did not run in my normal pace. I really hope my knee pain heals quickly. I am very much eager to participate in Kaveri Trail HM and I wish this knee pain does not play any spoil-sport.

Week 5: Day 1: REST

It is good to have this rest day to help heal my knee pain. There is lot of improvement in the knee today but still I am not comfortable enough for an easy run. Let me see tomorrow if I can overcome this pain and perform a 4.8 Km run.

Week 4: Day 7

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 14.4 Km           

Duration: 107 min and 26 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

Today’s long run went very well. I did the whole course in a pretty relaxed pace so that I do not hurt my knee more. I did non-stop 3.4 Km two times. Due to my slow pace I finished the first 4.8 Km in 36 minutes which is 4 minutes more than the usual time. I finished the next 4.8 Km in34 minutes. My stamina and strength improved tremendously.

I was very comfortable running non-stop for 3.4. I felt a feeling that my legs wanted to run more and more. I did not expect this non-stop mode with this knee pain.

After finishing the course I felt lot of pain in the knee which got reduced after warm-down and stretching. But the whole day I felt the pain. I know that this will get healed over a period of time but it is slightly irritating to spend the whole day with this slight pain.

I am very glad that I have finished 4 weeks of Marathon training successfully. I will judge myself by the end of next week and if I am lucky enough I shall book a place for the Kaveri Trail HM. I am really pumped up now after seeing my performance today.

Week 4: Day 6: REST

I took rest today to heal the knee pain as I have to go for a long run tomorrow. Hence today’s walking session is replaced by a rest day. There is a slight improvement in my knee pain. I prayed  to God to help me get out of this pain and successfully complete tomorrow long run of 14.4 Km.

Week 4: Day 5

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 32 min and 22 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

Due to the pain near my knee I could not run with a good pace. I ran bit slowly. There was a slight improvement in my stamina today. I did not get exhausted soon. I ran non-stop for 2.4 Km. I finished the course in pretty much the same time as yesterday. I ran the final 1 Km with a good pace but it was hurting my knee.

I felt bit of difficulty while climbing stairs due to the knee pain. It is not exactly the knee but the bone beneath the knee. After doing warm-down and stretching I felt better. During the afternoon the pain was almost gone. But again right now in the night I am feeling bit of pain. But I am sure this pain will heal itself in couple of days.

I have planned tomorrow for a walking session and I will be doing my long run on Sunday due to the schedule which I missed earlier this week. Also it will be good time for my knee pain to heal and get ready for Sunday’s long run.

Sunday’s run is for 14.4 Km thinking of which I am very much scared. I am not sure how I am going to run keeping in mind the knee pain and the recent decrease in my stamina level. I started eating more and did Pranayama today. I pray to God to help me in finishing the 14.4 Km successfully in a decent time.

Week 4: Day 4

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 6.4 Km           

Duration: 44 min and 53 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

Today I had really a tough time finishing the course. My exhaustion level was way too much than usual. I started to think about forgetting about my “Dream Run”. Such was the condition of my body. Somehow I managed to finish the first 4.8 Km in the same 32 min. I finished the course in a decent time though I felt extreme exhaustion. I have no idea why my stamina has decreased.

During the run I felt pain near my knee joint on the right leg. I felt the pain almost the whole day though it is very much tolerable. I am bit worried about completing tomorrow’s 4.8 Km. I prayed to God to help me in completing the training sessions successfully and do a marathon race. My fear is growing day by day but I am very much determined to run a marathon. I will do it no matter what.

Week 4: Day 3: REST

Since I ran in the night yesterday and decided not to run again during night I skipped today’s running session. I will run for 6.4 Km tomorrow instead.

Week 4: Day 2

Time: 10:30 pm              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 32 min and 15 sec           

Place: Electronics City, Bangalore

Today for a change I ran in the night. Unfortunately there was lot of pollution due to which I was breathing a bit uneasily. But I maintained a very good pace during the first 2.4 Km after which I walked for a bit and continued to run again. My exhaustion problem has come back again. I have not been doing Pranayama for couple of days due to which I guess am facing this problem. I finished in 32 min and 15 sec which is almost the same finish time like last run. I have decided not to run during night time anymore in Electronics City.

Week 4: Day 1: REST

Yippy!!  Every week starts with a rest day which I really like. It helps me to relax and gives me more strength and stamina to perform better next time. 

Week 3: Day 7: Cross (Walking)

Time: 7 am              

Distance: ~4 Km           

Duration: 40 min           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

I had a very nice walking session today. I just did for 40 min as I had some important stuff to do today. My legs did not have any pain and all seems to be well. 

Week 3: Day 6

Time: 6 am             

Distance: 8 Km           

Duration: 57 min and 6 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

I started off pretty well. I could run non-stop only for 3.5 Km. I felt too much of exhaustion and it sweated like rain. Not able to figure out why I felt so much exhausted. Maybe because I did not do Pranayama for couple of days. I think I should do Pranayama every day without fail. I started the jog-walk combination. In between I ran for around 2 Km.

I did not feel any compelling thirst during the entire course but I feel that I could have done better had I got a water-break. I finished the entire course in 57 min and 6 sec which is a decent finish.

After going home I felt burning sensation in my nipples. After Googling I found that this phenomenon is called as Runner’s Nipple which happens due to the friction between the nipples and T-shirt with sweat. Next time I planned to wear a band-aid during my long run. Let me see if I feel the same during the short-runs next time and take necessary measures.

Good thing is that there was no specific pain in my legs. 

Week 3: Day 5: REST

It’s a rest day and hence had a nice relaxation. I chalked out the route map for tomorrow’s 8 Km run. I have planned to run non-stop for 4 Km. Also I am not going to take any water-break during the entire 8 km run. I planned to run in full pace for 2 Km. Let us see. 

Week 3: Day 4

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 32 min and 38 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

Today I did a non-stop jog for 3.8 Km. I completed the course with an improvement of half a minute. I ran for the final 1 Km again with a short walk in between. I have made some progress today too which prompts me to do even more next time.

Tomorrow is a rest day and on Saturday my long run is going to be only 8 Km which is comparatively small to the usual long-runs. Anyway I shall plan for some tough targets to achieve this time.

Week 3: Day 3

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 6.4 Km           

Duration: 45 min and 29 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

I started the jog in a pretty easy pace. I did a non-stop jog for 3.5 Km which is .5 Km progress and also .5 Km less than the goal which I had set yesterday. So it evens out.

I completed the first 4.8 Km at 33 min which is again a progress of half a minute compared to yesterday.

I literally ran in the final 1 Km (with a short walk in between) which helped me to complete the course in 45 min and 29 sec. I am very happy that I was able to run at a good pace. I feared that my legs will not help me to run but it proved the other way.

I did not take a water-break during the entire 6.4 Km course and I was also pretty comfortable without it. This proves that my stamina and strength has increased.

Overall it’s a very good progress for me accomplishing various targets in a single day. Still in a corner my mind says that I have to find a way to reduce my lap time even more. Personally I am very much satisfied and I am looking forward for more action.

Since I literally ran the final 1 Km my calf-muscle pained a bit but it disappeared after stretching. I felt very sleepy almost the whole day. I think I should go early to bed from tonight.

Tomorrow is a 4.8 Km course and I planned to jog in an easy pace for the first 3.8 Km and run for the rest 1 Km. Also I planned to increase my non-stop jog to 4 Km. Let me see how far I can achieve these.

Week 3: Day 2

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 33 min and 30 sec           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

I woke up bit late by ignoring my alarm and hence skipped Pranayama. I started the jog in a good pace but around 1 km I reduced my pace and instead I decided to give more preference to continuous run. I ran continuously for 3.1 Km which is a very good progress. I felt that my exhaustion level has come down. My breathing pattern was good and I could feel that I was breathing smoothly. I guess the credit goes to Pranayama. 

I just walked for around 200 meters during the entire course. I finished the 4.8 Km course in 33 min and 30 sec. Though there is not much progress in the time I am happy that I could attempt for continuous run. Tomorrow I shall try for 4 Km non-stop run.

I was pretty confident that I would be able to finish the course under 31 minutes but it was a surprise that I finished at almost last time’s lap-time. Though I made non-stop run for 3.1 Km I think my pace reduced considerably. In a way it is good that I am increasing my non-stop distance and also there is very good improvement in my stamina level.

Tomorrow my plan is to give importance to non-stop 4 Km with an easy pace. Once done I shall increase my pace at the last 1 Km. Tomorrow’s is a 6.4 Km course. Another important thing is that I am not going to take a water-break at 4.8 Km. This way I will get used to drinking water every 5 or 6 Km which is how generally water-stations are spaced during marathon races.

So lots of plan has been devised for tomorrow. I pray to God to help me in achieving my goals as planned.

Week 3: Day 1: REST

I had a perfect relaxation. I have chalked out the route map for tomorrow’s run of 4.8 Km. I have bought sporting apparels from Adidas to make my running experience better. I have planned to run continuously for 3 Km and I have mentally prepared to overcome the feelings of exhaustion for the same.  Let me see how far I can succeed in my attempt.

Week 2: Day 7: Cross (Walking)

Time: 7 am              

Distance: ~10 Km           

Duration: 82 min           

Place: T.Nagar, Chennai

I walked for 82 minutes in pretty fast pace. There are no pains anywhere in my legs. Everything seems to be normal and fine. In my next 4.8 Km run on Tuesday I have planned to increase my pace a bit more and extend my continuous run for at least 3 Km. I shall also mentally prepare for the same. I planned to tell my brain that any pain any exhaustion any second thoughts are all due to the comfort level of different physical parts. My brain should not accept those calls and not to trigger any panic button. My brain should not mind those calls and just run, run, run and only run. Let me see if this works out.

Tomorrow is a rest day and hence I shall chalk out route map for Tuesday in such a way that it will help me to enjoy my run and not to concentrate on my physical pain and exhaustion. I am practicing Pranayama every day. I think my nostrils are more efficient in inhaling and exhaling. I hope this helps me to overcome frequent exhaustion.

Next week’s long run is not really a long run. It is only for 8 Km and hence I shall postpone my registration after 2 weeks. I am in a dilemma whether to participate in 10K race or HM race. Let me decide on these 2 weeks later. Right now running a 21 Km race seems to be a Herculean task but at the same time seeing my steady progress I think I can really make it. It requires additional efforts in improving my pace, reducing my exhaustion and preparing me psychologically fit.

I know that I can make it and eagerly looking forward for each and every session. My enthusiasm to run more is increasing day by day but still my ultimate goal of running 42 Km is pretty scary. I pray to God to help me in achieving my “Dream Run”.

Week 2: Day 6

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 11.2 Km           

Duration: 81 min 59 sec           

Place: Marina Beach, Chennai

After performing Pranayama at home I reached Marina Beach at 6 am. The climate was good but not much wind. I feared a humid temperature but it turned out to be a good one. I could run for 2.4 Km continuously. I finished 4.8 Km in 33 minutes which is an improvement of 1 minute. I am really glad that every day I am making some improvement.

I finished the whole 11.2 Km in 82 minutes. I took the same time last time to complete 9.6 Km which is again an improvement point for me. At the end of the session I just felt the calf-muscles a bit tight but there was no pain in general.

I think there is also a psychological part involved while running. It is the fear of exhaustion. I think it’s a fake feeling whenever I think that I am exhausted. Even Aswin told me that we might think that our body will not support long distances but we just need to eliminate that thought and keep running. I think that is true. Next time I am going to push myself for a continuous run of 4 Km. This way I can overcome the fear of exhaustion and also improve my lap time.

I shall see my improvements till end of next week and shall register for Kaveri Trail Half Marathon race. I really hope that I prepare properly for the race and finish it in a decent time.

Tomorrow is a cross training day and I have planned to walk for one hour.

Week 2: Day 5: REST

Well, it was a perfect rest day. I relaxed well and chalked out the route map for tomorrow’s long run of 11.2 Km. I learnt Pranayama from Akshaya. It is a pretty easy yoga and I hope my inhaling and exhaling gets better so that my lungs can work efficiently. I am expecting a good experience along the sea-shore. Good night folks.

Week 2: Day 4

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 34 min 5 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I started my run with an extra pace but not consciously. I could run in this pace for around 500 meters after which I run the rest 2 Km in jogging pace continuously. I felt exhaustion but this time I tried not to walk and pushed myself to run continuously for 2.4 Km.

Today I tried to inhale and exhale without keeping my mouth open. By doing so I was able to run continuously. I observed that if I exhaled through my mouth I am getting exhausted easily. I am not sure if this is a correct procedure to breathe during a run. Anyways I have planned to learn Pranayama from Akshaya tomorrow so that my breathing will be even during the run which will help me to achieve long continuous runs.

I finished the course one minute earlier than yesterday. Looks like I am improving by one minute as each day progresses. I am not sure if this is a good progress or not, but I feel it very encouraging as I started this training with around 45 minutes for 4.8 Km. I have made a huge progress so far which is very exciting to see.

I still have that pain in the front bone in the leg but it is comparably less today. And regarding the pain near the toe in left-leg, I think it has almost healed.

I am eagerly looking forward for Saturday’s long run of 11.2 Km. It looks really a mammoth task but I am really excited to do it. I pray to God to help me finish the course successfully. This time I have planned to do my long run in Marina Beach, Chennai. I am so very excited about that as it is going to be really a wonderful experience to run along the sea-shore of Marina Beach. I am just worried a bit about Chennai’s humidity factor. This time’s long-run is going to be hard which is going to test my stamina and strength. I am going to take it easy and will not try to set any personal best. I should make sure that I will not get dehydrated and keep myself calm and steady.

I am nervously excited for Saturday’s long run. It is going to real hectic stuff and so I have planned to relax completely tomorrow. Let us see how it works out.

Week 2: Day 3

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 35 min 5 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I started today’s run with an extra pace. It was almost equivalent to running but a little slower. I could run in this pace only for around 500 meters after which I resumed in my jogging pace for the next 500 meters. Exhaustion started pretty early today. I pushed myself to run in increased pace whenever possible.

I finished the course at 35 min 5 sec which is more than a minute improvement than yesterday. I felt happy that I finished in a better time but at the same time I was totally exhausted.

After reaching home it started to pain on the front portion of the bone beneath the knee. Though it is not extreme pain I could feel the pain only if I put my fingers on it to check the bone. I think this probably is due to the extra pace which I pushed myself today. It might have added more stress to this bone. Anyways I am hopeful that this will get healed on its own in a day’s time.


There are neither any thigh or calf-muscle pain. I felt perfectly alright the whole day. Tomorrow I planned not to push myself for the extra pace so that I do not hurt my bone further.

Week 2: Day 2

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 36 min 27 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I started to run in an increased pace than the usual. I felt very comfortable for around 500 meters after which due to exhaustion I started to jog in normal pace. I did not walk though. I alternated between normal and pace jog continuously for around 2.2 Km. Later on it’s a mix of pace jog and walking.

I completed the 4.8 Km course in 36 min and 27 sec which is a minute’s improvement compared to the time which I set on last Friday’s long run. I was too much optimistic about finishing it in 30 min but that proved to be wrong. I know that my lap time will reduce slowly and steadily. I am glad that I made some improvement today. I really hope tomorrow’s run will improve even further.

I did not feel any pain after performing stretching exercises. My legs are now very much used to running. I have to somehow tackle the frequent exhaustion due to which my lap time gets reduced considerably. Akshaya has planned to teach me Pranayama which is considered as the ultimate breathing yoga. Next week I shall learn from her.

I still feel the slight pain near toe in left leg. I wish it soon gets healed in a week or so.

Week 2: Day 1: REST

Week 2 has started and as usual the week starts with a REST. I relaxed well and took more fruits and vegetables. Tomorrow I am planning to increase my pace if possible and try to finish in a better time. But I am not going to force myself too much. I shall try if only I feel comfortable. I am not going to strain too much.

Week 1: Day 7: Cross (Walking)

Time: 5 pm              

Distance: 4.5 Km           

Duration: 48 min           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I could not do walking in the morning as it was raining. Instead I did it in the evening at around 5 pm. Before setting out for walk I had an apple and also did the warm-up exercise as usual. I walked with fast pace for 48 minutes. I did not feel much pain during the walk and there was neither exhaustion nor thirst. It was a smooth walk. I just had some pain in the calf-muscle but it too vanished after doing the warm-down exercises.

The whole day I have bit of pain in my left-foot near the toe. I guess it is due to some extra stress in that particular area. Hopefully it should get alright in couple of days.

Tomorrow is a rest day and hence I am eagerly waiting for Tuesday to come to do a 4.8 Km run. I have planned to increase my pace if possible. I am not going to force for the pace as I think stamina will build slowly but not overnight. I can already see increase in my stamina these days.

I am very much interested in participating in the Kaveri Trail Marathon and finishing the Half Marathon in a decent time. Let me see how I fare up for the next couple of weeks and I shall decide about participating.

I am getting hunger very often these days. I am consuming more fruits, protein rich and carbohydrate rich diet.  

Alas!! One week of marathon training has successfully completed. I am happy that I could make it. I pray to God to help me in achieving my “Dream Run”.

Good night.

Week 1: Day 6

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 9.6 Km           

Duration: 81 min 56 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I woke up with great enthusiasm to run my first long run of 9.6 Km. I had a banana before leaving home. I started the jog pretty nice. On reaching a distance of 1 Km I felt a bit exhausted and hence started walking a bit. I was bit disappointed that I could not jog continuously for at least 2.4 Km like last time. In fact I hoped that I would be able to jog continuously for 4 Km.

Today I felt exhausted very frequently though my jogging and walking pace comparably improved. I could not exactly figure out why but I guess maybe I should take more food. When I was around 3 Km mark I kind of decided that I will quit the course immediately for today.  But something made me to continue the run.

I reached half the course of 4.8 Km in 37 minutes today which means I have improved by 2 minutes. This means that my jogging and walking pace has increased a bit which is a very positive sign in spite of my frequent exhaustion. After reaching 4.8 Km I quickly had couple of sips of Gatorade. This is the first time I am taking something during my run. Gatorade quickly quenched my thirst and boosted my energy.  Well, you might wonder from where I got the Gatorade to drink. I have parked my car in a place in which I have stored my Gatorade. This is my start-point, end-point, u-turn and water-station. After having a quick sip I started for another 4.8 Km.

I had serious doubts if I can really finish the second half of the course. Whenever I felt exhausted I took no second thoughts and started to walk. This has been my strategy and it seems to work fine for me. After the short walk I get a boost in energy which helps me to jog with a good pace. In fact I felt that my jogging pace tremendously increased in the second half of the course though my walking activity was very frequent.

Finally I finished the 9.6 Km course in 81 minutes which means I took 44 minutes to finish the second-half. I am really impressed about this as I assumed that I would require more time to finish the second-half.

On an average now I am running for 8 Km/h which I heard is the normal pace. I have maintained this pace even for 9.6 Km which means my stamina helps me to maintain the pace almost the whole course.

Today I did not feel any pain in my legs anywhere while climbing the stairs to my home. In fact my legs were so free that I felt more comfortable climbing the stairs. This astonished me. I expected lot of pain due to the long run but it is completely the other way round.

This whole day I did not feel any pain in my legs. I think my legs are now getting used to these long distance runs. I can see lot of improvements in my leg’s strength. But I am little bit concerned about the frequent exhaustion which happened today. I could run only 1 Km continuously. By looking at the improvements in my pace and strength I think I can overcome this problem sooner or later.

So far, so good. I am enjoying this training schedule. I really hope I can participate in the Kaveri Trail Half Marathon race.

Tomorrow is a cross training session. According to Hal Higdon we can choose activities like swimming, cycling or walking. I do not know swimming and I do not own a bicycle. So my only choice is walking and so I have planned for an hour long walk. See you tomorrow.

Week 1: Day 5: REST

I woke up with relatively no pain. I felt as if I want to run but I should follow the schedule. So I took a complete rest. No exercises, no walking, no jogging, nothing.

I went through various marathon events that are yet to happen in the near future. I am considering participating in Kaveri Trail Half Marathon race which is scheduled on 16^th September.  As per my schedule I should be ready for a half marathon by 9^th September.  Hence am planning to juggle those two weeks such that my training schedule does not get affected.

I feel very excited as well as nervous to participate in a half marathon. I would like to finish 26K in 1:30 hours. But that is way too optimistic. I shall come to know about my best possible finish time after couple of weeks. I will register for the event only after seeing my performance. Also I should be lucky enough to get registered before it gets sold out.

As of now I am really excited about tomorrow’s 9.6K course. I have already decided my route and I really hope I get more stamina and strength to tackle such a long run. I pray to God that I should finish the course successfully.

Week 1: Day4

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 39 min 55 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

To my surprise I did not feel much pain when I woke up. So I enthusiastically did my warm-up and started the 4.8 Km course. I tried not to force myself into the comfort zone and I pushed myself to jog continuously as far as possible. I jogged for 2.4 Km continuously!!! I am impressed. I can see the stamina building up slowly. The rest 2.4 Km was a combination of jogging and walking. My exhaustion level at the end of the course was little less than yesterday. I would have done 75% jogging today.

After doing warm-down and stretching exercises I felt more comfortable. I did not feel much pain in my legs today as compared to yesterday. I feel that I have got more strength in my legs than before and I feel physically fit too. And that is really a good sign.

Tomorrow is a rest day which will help me to recover from the slight pain which I have right now. So far Hal Higdon’s training schedule perfectly suits me. Thank you Sir for the great schedule which you have crafted.

Week 1: Day 3

Time: 6 am              

Distance: 4.8 Km           

Duration: 46 min 14 sec           

Place: Electronic City, Bangalore

I woke up with more pain in my thighs. For an instance I even thought of dropping the plan to run today. However due to my interest for marathon I planned to give a try and see. After doing warm-up I felt a bit comfortable. After I started jogging I did not feel much pain. I was comfortable enough to jog. To my surprise I jogged continuously for 1.2 Km. I felt really happy by seeing the improvement in my stamina. After that I felt more exhaustion so I started doing more walking than jogging.

I reached the end of course at 46 minutes and 14 seconds. This means today I took 2 more extra minutes than yesterday to complete the same distance. Well, I am not much disappointed as I initially thought that I could not even walk today. Felt really good after seeing myself jogging continuously for 1.2 Km.

After reaching office my legs started to pain more. My foot, thighs and calf-muscles were very tight and I could not walk normally. It took some effort to climb stairs. I felt the pain even during the night and I kind of decided not to strain myself and take rest tomorrow. But according to the schedule I should go for another 4.8 Km tomorrow. But at the same time, whenever I do warm-up I get some relief. So let me try the same tomorrow morning but I am really doubtful because of this pain.

I had a word with Aswin today about my progress. He reminded me of certain exercises to get rid of pain which I forgot to do. Tomorrow I should not forget to do these exercises as my pain is worsening. I told him about my first day’s experience and he replied that my stamina is real bad. Then I understood that though it is good not to strain myself too much I should at least try not to fall into a comfort zone. Tomorrow I shall try to push myself to more continuous jogging. But on the first hand I am even doubtful if I can walk tomorrow. Let us see.

I prayed that I should finish this training course successfully.