Its been a fluctuating path to Marathon fitness. Some weeks that seem heavy and others that seem light. Four weeks back i thought i was training too heavy and draining myself. I would not look forward to a run as much, more so for the strain it caused. It was good enough that i stuck to delivering the time-goal for all the long runs. Three weeks ago the over training showed off its bad side and i fell ill. A case of weak immune coming out of a strained body, and i missed two runs. The rest days during the illness helped the body recover. Nature has its ways. When i got back to training the next week, there was a little loss of stamina but body felt better. I had hoped that i survive the 29km long run that weekend which i did. This was also a week where i included walking into every run. It seemed like the right thing to do - to finish and conserve than to indulge and burn-out. At this stage of training one thing i realised is that if your body is calling rebel, then you should just pull your horses back a bit, which i did. The week after , which was a week ago, had a reduction in running distance as training prescribed. I felt a certain improvement in run quality. By now i had acquired enough confidence in hydration and diet to have a fast recovery, while i maintained run quality. And i guess it was the combination of all these weeks of learning that came together this week, which is also the peak training weak, the one in which i run the maximum total distance. 8km, 16km & 8 km on weekdays and 32km on weekend. And at this point, i don't know if its too early or too late, i realised i have discovered running form. The weekday distances are over. I managed to run these with efficiency better than any run in past. I never felt the need to walk, my heart rates were lower, finish times steady and recoveries fast. And now i wait for Sunday morning when i run the big finale of this training - the grand 32km. There could not be a better state of body and mind for me going into this big run. This week so far, that was high on physical and mental stress (also, for various reasons), has toughened me in manner that i wonder if its a bit fanatic ( the kinds you find in some extra happy families, religious gatherings or competitive sports. the Too-good-to-be-true kinds). I am trying to curb it to the levels of modest-self-assurance, which is what i prefer. However in all this, there is no denying that my body has finally attained the form that it should. This, coupled with some consistent support from people who matter has put me into a state of peace that pays you a visit once in a while, making you hope that it stays for a little longer than it does.
I hope too.
Coming to the Grand 32km waiting this Sunday. I am hoping more than finishing it, that i have a fair amount of energy left. Enough to tell myself that i will last another 10km, three weeks later in the agonising Mumbai heat. My online coach says i would be in a very bad shape when i finish. But i have a feeling he is wrong this time. I think i just stepped a bit above his average marathon rookie, for the first time in his 18 week training program.
It must be the modest-self-assurance of my running form :)
all the very best... :)
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