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Sunday, June 24, 2007

Back in action...

I could not ask for anything better today. I had one of my best runs of the year, it was raining hard all through, the breeze (actually strong winds) were also accompanying me all through and the rhythm was sublime. It was so good that I had a problem terminating my run (which i extended beyond the pre decided limit of 10km) of 12kms, I only wish I was not recovering from an injury, I could have easily gone on to complete 30kms+ today, it was truly very special.

Yesterday and today has been very good for me, I was feeling low all week, the sense of frustration was continuously mounting (thanks to the endless wait) and this came at just the right time.

There was water logging at most of the regular low lying areas on my route, around King circle and Dadar TT and the Shivaji park ground. I have shot a few pictures (could not click more for the fear of rain damaging the phone), esp the pre and post coffee break pictures of Shivaji Park, which tells you about the efficiency of the draining system at the ground. I was truly impressed, with the dramatic change, all in little over an hour (even though it was still continuously raining, though it had subsided considerably).

Things seem to be getting back to normal, now the final test will be tomorrow. I hope my legs feel normal and that will confirm that my recovery has been complete. Injuries can be very unpredictable, and the last thing I want to do it to take the recovery for granted. So now its going to be regular, consistent and substantial leg strengthening exercises for me.

9 comments:

beanz said...

hooray!

Your weather has even made the BBC news - looks bad in places.

@GirishMallya said...

Badly needed it. yes it was bad, lotsa deaths in certain parts of India. Bombay had very strong winds and continious rains, nothing very bad.

Anonymous said...

Glad you did not push yourself beyond 12KM as you are just getting "back in action" as you say.
Good luck with the next run - hope the recovery is done!
-GM

@GirishMallya said...

Hey Thanks GM. Just trying to be careful.

Anonymous said...

Great recovery Girish,given the really unhelpful weather conditions :)

About running in the rain, this brings about my next set of questions,since I currently just avoid running in rain:
1.What is risk of blisters in feet (esp 10k+ kind of distance).
2.are feet totally soaked throughout the run if not how to prevent?
3.Impact on shoes - do they last regular wet runs ?
4.what is your clothing like(diff from normal dry run?)

Also noticed you ran thrice in 2 days - same wet shoes or changed pairs.

I am concerned as Thane marathon may be totally in rain and and advice is very appreciated.

ps.also replied to yr mail .

cheers,
Sandhu

Anonymous said...

Also where are the pics?

Sandhu

@GirishMallya said...

Thanks. Hope its a full recovery and don't have a relapse.
There is no risk of blisters, just use Vaseline at all the friction points on your toes. Also, some blisters every now and then are unavoidable with distance running, with or without rain.
If its raining, they get soaked in no time. Its not really a problem, I have done half marathon distances in rain on multiple occasions.
There is no real impact on shoes, just remember to rinse them and dry them after each wet run.
Clothes are the same, I get drenched with or without rain during a long run (and I prefer that happening due to rains instead of sweat). I wear dry-fit singlet, running shorts and socks.
I changed shoes, would not recommend running with wet shoes and during monsoons it takes more than a day to dry. I have two pairs of running shoes at a time (round the year), it helps ensure that the shoes last longer.
Yes, Thane half marathon will be in the rains (its called Varsha marathon, so there better be rain). I did it last year. Its a well organised marathon and you should participate in it. Its good to try and do as many competitive runs as possible. Best wishes.
And yes, I have been lazy to get the pics posted on the blog. No excuses.

Anonymous said...

You just telescoped my running learning curve by all these insights and I..
..Just ran my first rainy 10k run!
It was just really cool and enjoyable and has opened up a whole new running horizons in my future.

To think all this time I thought rain running would be a squelchy/blistered nightmare.

You know it is great to be able to read abt same city/weather/gear for eg. your comment abt shoes surviving the wet runs gave me a confidence no ther opinion could (..we've grown with some crazy shoe
qualities here in the not so distant past :) )

Great pics.. now you do justice to the "Life in Mumbai" part of the blog title.

Thanks and good luck with preparation.
Sandhu

@GirishMallya said...

Thanks Sandhu for the kind words. Its all about sharing according to me...