The staircase is still not done. The basement - I don't even enter it yet. And we might have an infestation of, of all things, crickets. But this place felt so sweet to return to... I think I am aging. You could have knocked me down with a feather even five years ago if you told me I would yearn for home so much.
The Netherlands was just amazing. Lots of things I loved. Most of all, renting a bike (thats a bicycle, folks, a slightly rickety creature in my favourite colour - grey) and riding all over the city, admiring the bike lanes, and the views.
My Bangalore trip prior to that was great, I was at a Society of Women Engineers meet. I *might* have gushed a bit about how it was super not to be a gender minority for a change. My presentation was much loved it seems. Tried to run inside ITPL but that sucked.
I have met innumerable awesome people these past ten days. In no specific order, the security guard at ITPL who has promised to do reiki (what that means I don't know!) so I can run better in my next race, and win a prize. The Emirates on-board lady who gave up her veggie meal so I wouldn't starve. The young woman at the Hotel desk who blushed pink when I told her her city was beautiful... And yes, three policemen.
But more about that in a later dedicated post. Since I have been remiss so far in mentioning this, and I recently read that article about how its yawn inducing to hear people talk about their races in excruciating detail, I will be brief.
I ran the Hyderabad Full Marathon a couple weeks ago. In Hyderabad. The course was super tough (for me) with lots of elevation gain - rolling hills and flyovers. I was a little concerned about my poor training (thanks to being sick with that awful chest congestion thing for weeks). But I did okay. Plus the family was there cheering me on which felt great.
I finished in 4:39 and am the fourth woman. Which makes it seem like I missed the 3rd place cash prize by a whisker. NOT! The third place woman, finished almost an HOUR ahead of me. There were only 18 women registered in total so you do all the math. I am cool. It was a tough course and I did my best.
I give a lot of gyaan of late about training and so forth. My training for my first full - the Mumbai marathon in Jan 2012 - was sharp. Sensible, but sharp. No speed work; some tempo, lots of solid mileage, plenty of core and leg strengthening. I did speed work this time but I was not happy with any of the other parts of my training.
And it shows. If not in the timing - which is decent overall - in my recovery. In Jan, 11 days after the full, I ran a PB half marathon. My ankle hurt a bit but I was in great shape otherwise. I am not now. I have also traveled almost continuously since the marathon, but still.
So its back to the drawing board now as I figure out and fix my training regimen. Oh well. I am back now and sitting up in my bed and using my own home wireless and the child is annoying as ever sleeping in orthogonal direction to prescribed. Plus no one is trying to sell me water "mit gas" for Euro 3.95.... I am counting my blessings for sure...
The Netherlands was just amazing. Lots of things I loved. Most of all, renting a bike (thats a bicycle, folks, a slightly rickety creature in my favourite colour - grey) and riding all over the city, admiring the bike lanes, and the views.
(It was brutal on the ass but an exhilarating feeling on the high bridge!)
My Bangalore trip prior to that was great, I was at a Society of Women Engineers meet. I *might* have gushed a bit about how it was super not to be a gender minority for a change. My presentation was much loved it seems. Tried to run inside ITPL but that sucked.
I have met innumerable awesome people these past ten days. In no specific order, the security guard at ITPL who has promised to do reiki (what that means I don't know!) so I can run better in my next race, and win a prize. The Emirates on-board lady who gave up her veggie meal so I wouldn't starve. The young woman at the Hotel desk who blushed pink when I told her her city was beautiful... And yes, three policemen.
But more about that in a later dedicated post. Since I have been remiss so far in mentioning this, and I recently read that article about how its yawn inducing to hear people talk about their races in excruciating detail, I will be brief.
I ran the Hyderabad Full Marathon a couple weeks ago. In Hyderabad. The course was super tough (for me) with lots of elevation gain - rolling hills and flyovers. I was a little concerned about my poor training (thanks to being sick with that awful chest congestion thing for weeks). But I did okay. Plus the family was there cheering me on which felt great.
I finished in 4:39 and am the fourth woman. Which makes it seem like I missed the 3rd place cash prize by a whisker. NOT! The third place woman, finished almost an HOUR ahead of me. There were only 18 women registered in total so you do all the math. I am cool. It was a tough course and I did my best.
I give a lot of gyaan of late about training and so forth. My training for my first full - the Mumbai marathon in Jan 2012 - was sharp. Sensible, but sharp. No speed work; some tempo, lots of solid mileage, plenty of core and leg strengthening. I did speed work this time but I was not happy with any of the other parts of my training.
(I loved the last 100m stretch inside the stadium; saw child and husband, and sprinted)
And it shows. If not in the timing - which is decent overall - in my recovery. In Jan, 11 days after the full, I ran a PB half marathon. My ankle hurt a bit but I was in great shape otherwise. I am not now. I have also traveled almost continuously since the marathon, but still.
So its back to the drawing board now as I figure out and fix my training regimen. Oh well. I am back now and sitting up in my bed and using my own home wireless and the child is annoying as ever sleeping in orthogonal direction to prescribed. Plus no one is trying to sell me water "mit gas" for Euro 3.95.... I am counting my blessings for sure...
6 comments:
You came to Hyd & didn't call! *sob*
SB - sorry man. It was I-Insane. I took a train. Barely slept (blame child). Was super worried. After the race of course it was just enough that I was coherent. Child had a test the next day so we had to prep for it in the taxi and oh well. Next year I will be back and more social for sure! (i have to meet at least four dear friends there!)
Huh. (In the meantime, I of course will let you know if I'm in Chennai. This year it looks unlikely, but who knows?)
Congratulations Preeti! Everytime I slack off and think I'm not made to be a runner (I'm not...), you put up these stories and I get brainwashed into it all over again. A fourth may not sound like a big deal to you, but you ran a full marathon which is such an accomplishent! On Hyd. slopes, that too. I don't think I know too many other women (leave alone Indian women) who can do this at all, leave alone do it well. Now I _have_ to suck it up and try wake up tomorrow to prep for that 21k...
Hey, Had a glance of you as you zipped by when we were in line to start the half marathon. Kudos on completing that rigorous trail. Heres to many more of these in the future.
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