Racelogue: TMM Holy Grail for Runners

I think I get addicted to the feelings associated with the end of long runs. I love feeling empty, clean, worn out, starving and sweat-purged. I love the good ache of muscles that have done me proud. 

- Kristin Armstrong.

I was in the same flights with 10 more Runners from Kolkata to Mumbai. We managed to get our seats re-arranged close by. As usual, Stewardess had to ask our group to keep calm. Probably next time Indigo is going to ban us all travelling together. Any we reached close to Mumbai and had to wait for 45 min the air for traffic congestion- an eternal problem of Mumbai Airport.

The euphoria surrounding TMM is huge. All the runners start planning for the next one. It's the Boston for Runners in India. And to participate is not a cakewalk, you need to qualify for ii. So part of year goes ensuring that you are part of it.

The registration being closed within weeks underlines the popularity of the marathon. Thanks to my TCSW10K I got the confirmation. TMM was 5th long race in the sequence after BSF, ADHM, ARFE and TSK25. I don't need to prepare anything special, just had be careful that I don't carry injury. My last long before the race was Kolkata Trails 2018. I ran 10k in this event to be sure not to overstress myself. I did a fast 10k which was good.

I started writing this piece before the TMM, trying to make it something different. Fast forward to Pre race.

P.C. Sandip Mojumdar

We disembarked from Aeroplane and collected the baggage and moved to EXPO. We came down to MMRDA ground at BKC , Bandra and took sometime to reach as the address in sms for the Expo and actual location were not same. 

The Expo was full with Runners from the city and country and beyond. First thing in a Expo- Collect your Bib and we did that. As I was collecting my Bib, I got call from Prasun Majumder informing he was late by an hr, we both were going to hole up at same place. After collecting the Bib, came out and met more of Kolkata Runners, decided to check the Expo out. Subrata Mondal and myself went out checking the stall and purchasing stuff we needed. By the time we cam back to Food stall area, customary Kolkata Runner photo ops was done. 

Prasun Majumdar and myself were staying Hotel Hiltop,  familiar to me. We went down there and took rest till evening. In the evening we went to check the starting point for HM Worli Dairy. It was walk able distance and took us about 15-20 mins. We sat on Worli sea face for some time and moved back. We made plans for trying a sub 2 or close to that.  As both of us would be in different holding area, if I caught up with him then I would be end up with sub 2 maybe. 

Anyway, i Had simple of roti and aloo jeera. I went to sleep getting the dess and rest ready for next big morning. At 1.30 on night my stomach decided to party which was not good news for me. I popped up a pill hoping to stop it. But it didn't work at that point of time. 2nd round of party at 3.30. i was quite undecided whether to go or stay back at hotel. Then decided lets go and see if I hold up then will try to run. 

P.C. Sayantan Dasgupta

Both of us reached starting  point around 5.10. We met Sayantan, Srilekha, Rajendra Patil, Garima, Debojyoti there. I went to my holding area E. As I was reaching the holding area , the runners were already released from holding area.

By the time I was on Worli sea face to starting point it was 5.43 , at the mouth of holding area Puru The Guru was standing there with his personal pacing flag and calling runners to join him for a sub 2 . Anyway, i moved towards the start point and started running in the dark. Moving about 300 m the Navy band was palying. As I started moving towards the sea link, i could see the lights. I was running here at steady pace, sipping water. About sometime plus I was on to the sea link and it was climb on, i could see many of runners started walking or slowing down, I also lost speed bit. As I climbed the L to the sea link, there was water on left for the runners. The sea link was dark at places. After sometime, Sayantan crossed him, i was going at pace of 7 here, i got water on right. I crossed to end of sea link and took the u turn for journey back. By this time i was losing pace. And after the u turn there was a climb once again. I kept to the right, hoping I would meet fellow runners from Kolkata. As I canme to L down I saw some Runners were peeing standing on the sea link , quite disgusting act. After this I saw Jay Mali tearing up on the sea link of FM runners. And after this I saw the Badal Gupta from Kolkata first of kolkata runners i saw, gave shout and waved. 

Moving ahead, next I saw Chao and Ashish running up next. As I started moving down to the world seaface I tried to take the benefit of down slope. 

Coming down and started moving towards the Worli Dairy, I saw 2.20 pacer cross me and then 2.30 next 2.40 as I kept struggling. As I was near the Worli Dairy some one said Hello from behind me, I turned to see Abhilasa from Happy Feet Howrah. She chatted a bit said she was with 2.50 pacer and decided to.move up a bit. She asked if this was my first 21k, and I told no. She questioned why I am in back, told her not well. She joined back 2.50 bus , who took water break of 10 secs at Worli Dairy. I saw Saurav and Sourav on other side, followed by Rakesh. 

This was point my body refused to move, I had to think of  good things and tried to caox it to run.But legs were feeling heavy, shoulders were paining and was having headache. I decided to walk as either do that or had to give up. I started walking   11km onward, going ahead a bit saw Prema running on other side.

As I moved up, decided to enjoy the views. I could see Mumbaikars all out on street supporting the Runners, offering water, oranges, salt, placards, shouting. I met few more Kolkata Runners on the way. 

As I neared to peddar road, first thing to come out was F***k. It was going to kill my time. I looked into my Tomtom, and calculated what time I am going to finish. I recalculated the pace I needed to maintain to finish within cutoff time.  In between tried to run, could manage hardly 300-400 metres before resort to walking. I could some runners overtaking. I don't remember where on Peddar road, some was asking how long was the marine drive and some one answered back Three and half km. 

The Peddar road  was torturous, my calf muscles were aching, I was continuously having water, alternating with ORSL. I could see Runners around me struggling, walking, few time.they would go ahead, then stop have water and again behind me. This was cycle, I observed for quite a few times. 

There was something which I found amazed, one person was waiting with medals in his hand. As some runners were approaching he began shouting and garlanded them with the medal. I could see they were known faces.

The road looked never ending and Sun was up on the head and the weather was humid. I kept walking, trying to keep a pace of 10. 

I found lot of mist Chambers , generally I avoid those as don't like to waste time wiping my glasses. But this time visited as many as possible, but many were not functioning properly. I could see sponges lying on the raid at.many places.

Reaching the Marine drive felt like celebration and I could check my watch to see how much km covered and how much left to cover in. Here in marine drive, some of FM runner passed up, could see. As I was crossing Chowpatty seaface, Anjali Saroagi crossed me, and she was doing FM. See her, got motivated and ran about 800 metres. Near Maharastra Bal bhavan, I crossed about Amarjeet Singh the Blind Runner, he was guided by 2 people with him. I was walking behind him, I could hear the 2 guides describing him the surrounding and he would comment after each description. I followed him about a km or so, then I went into jog and walk routine. 
For people who don't know him, here is more about him.

The road seem  never ending and I was really tired. Mind said give up but heart said don't give up now. I didn't dare to sit anywhere in case some first aid catches me and put me into ambulance.

Coming to Nariman it was really painful with Sun shining on your face and you don't have the energy to run till the cover. I could see many runners with finishers medal coming down the course to cheer.

Looking back into my splits, last  two km had 11 min/km and 10min/km, 19th km had 8 min/km where I ran about 800 metres. As I neared to end point, ran about 400 metres to finish. 

As I moved towards the recovery zone, my legs were aching and I simply didn't have any energy left to stand.  went there got bit stretched. And I went to collect my medal and  refreshment which was quite pathetic .

Prasunda came looking for me and both of us moved back to hotel, we used the local train to move back to Dadar. I was sitting on the floor at CST, while he got the tickets. Somehow managed to reach hotel without any incidents. Meanwhile, learned that Yasho had got dehydrated and was hospitalised. Prasunda dropping me to hotel, went to get him released from Hospital.

TMM was grill for me this time, lesson was learnt. Saw the spirit of Mumbai, one word only comes out is AWESOME. Next year I will not be running as the dates are clashing, some day I will come back. And the above blog is not an example to replicate, this is one off incident which people need not follow. This is an extremely wrong example.  I managed to run a 10k a week after this and only reason is I don't abuse my body other than the above incident and my tummy can vouch for that.  As mentioned earlier I got addicted to feeling of emptiness, tired and hungry.

#TMM #MARATHON #KOLKATARUNNERS #RUNNING #HALFMARATHON