The Chennai Dream Runners 10k - Race Recap

 

Both the Scientist and I had taken yesterday off, and had an extended weekend in Chennai. Thats why I keep thinking that today is Monday, not Tuesday!

Anyway, we reached Chennai on Saturday afternoon and hired a cab to get home!! We had decided that we'd leave for the packet pick up for the race by about 3 o clock so that we'd be there well on time. But BIL sent the car only at 4 and therefore we were running late. Add to it the bad traffic in Chennai, I was worried that they'd close down the BIB distribution because the website said they'd only be open till 5 p.m. Being unable to reach the Race desk in the hotel where the expo was on the Husband and I were prepared for me to forego the race.Boo!!! Meanwhile - both Chittu and I were running a severe cold and I felt like my head would explode in pain!!

Luckily thanks to the Indian Stadard Time - when we reached they said that the counter would be open till 6 p.m.Whew!!! I had left my id card back home and had another panic attack wondering if they'd refuse to give me the bib and the timing chip! Luck was on my side again and the kind folks at the Chennai Dream Runners Organising Team just gave me my packet without much fuss. Here's a relieved me:

We were going to meet the Scientist's friend -wife & kid at the mall, and so we drove to a new mall of Chennai. We chatted a little as we played bowling, had dinner and headed home. It started raining heavily on our way back and we had to wade through shin deep water to reach home from the curb of the road. I had intended to hit the bed early as the run on Sunday was to begin at 5.30 a.m which meant I had to be at the venue at 5 a.m. which meant we should leave home at 4.30 a.m. Early, is it not for a Sunday? But we reached pretty late and it was 11 by the time I hit the bed!

Again, there was destined to be a mess up in the morning. The taxi I booked landed up at 4.45  a.m. the route map to the start point would not load on the Scientist's phone, and once again, I thought I'd be late for the race! Adding to it, it was also drizzling and I was wondering if the race would be cancelled.

We made it to the race venue after some anxious moments. The Scientist was sweet enough to come along with me and wait as I ran the 10k, leaving a sleeping Chittu back home with FIL. Just before the flag off was announced, FIL called that Chittu had woken up and was crying for us, and it was not even 5.30 a.m. That did add to my worry, but I decided to keep it away!

I had aimed to run the 10k in 75 mins. I finished in 1:17 a personal best. Did I say, Chennai weather wa the most perfect that could have been for a marathon run??

The race itself was well organised. The roads were cordoned off to traffic and volunteers were handing out water bottles at the stations. I grabbed a bottle as I ran and constantly sipped water and kept washing my face.

At the 45 minute mark I had completed a 6k and a bottle of water. I also gulped down some electrolyte water, grabbed another bottle of water and ran along. I was feeling good.  Only I kept needing to pee from almost the beginning of the race. Even though there might have been a bathroom at one of the petrol pumps through which we ran, I chose not to stop for fear of slowing down. The weather was so good and I was feeling awesome. Around the 7 k mark, I slowed down and even took walking breaks as we ran over a flyover. My focus was on finishing on time and even though I really needed to pee, I forged ahead.

As I ran towards the finishing line, I looked out for the Scientist. I have run the fastes I probably ever have in my whole life! Here is me with my medal. I sure am proud of what I did :

 Post run eating went a bit out of control.But back at home, sanity reigns again! Running the 10k was only a part of the half marathon training plan. But my brain wants to still be so happy about it!

The Chennai Dream Runners Update

It was the most marvelous run I've had. The weather Gods of Chennai really showered blessings on us, runners. It rained pretty heavily the previous night. The air felt clean and the city was as cool as it could get. I finished the run in 1:17 which was fairly close to my target of 1:15.

Here is me postrun:

Believe me, the endorphins were kicking even 24 hrs post run. Such is the joy of running!

I will do a more detailed post soon! 

In the meanwhile, The sweet people at Indian Moms Connect have featurned my article on their site. Click here to read it.  The website is a great resource for moms. So head there and leave a few sweet words there, will you?

Chennai Dream Runners 10k - Am I ready?

Race day is almost here. Today was a designated 5.5 k run. But the knees were feeling a little painful, and so I decided to hit the gym and go on the recumbent cycle instead. I knocked off a 10k in 24 minutes :) Fast is it not? I guess that the purpose of the invention of the cycle! So a 10k with far lesser impact on my knee and hip joints. It is for this reason, that I can simply not wait to lay my hand on a good cycle sometime soon.

But I digress. The Dream Runners Chennai 10k is scheduled for Sunday, 5.30 a.m. We leave for Chennai tomorrow morning for packet pick up. I am guessing that the early start should protect us well from the harsh sun in Chennai.

My aim is to run this race in under 75 minutes. We shall see. I have been eating well and hydrating. Also stretching regularly to ease out trouble areas.I am nervous as I always have been before race day. Little butterflies in my stomach hoping nothing awful should happen.

This is going to be my fourth 10k- race. You can see my other pre-race day blog posts by clicking below. Wow!! I can't believe I have come so far. If someone even told me that I'll be doing this three years ago, I would have scoffed at them. May be I can call myself a runner? What do you think?

Do wish me luck. Hopefully I should be back with a good race recap! Meanwhile follow me @Sugarmeltdown on Twitter!


Pre Kaveri Trail Marathon -10-k post
Pre Bangalore Ultra 12.5-k post
Pre Countour Womens Day Run 10-k post

 

Friday, Chittu & Halfmarathon training :)

Boy! Am I glad its Fridayyyy!! I just want to be home, put my feet up, have someone cook me a healthy meal and lap up toddler glory before the whole thing is gone. Until now Chittu used his crayons to randomly scribble. Now he wants us to draw things so that he can colour. This brought tears to my eyes last night:

Can you see he has coloured the spots on the Giraffe that the Scientist drew for him?

I can't believe he is growing up so fast. I really want to be able to rent cycles at holiday destinations and cycle away with him. On one hand I cant wait for him to be all grown up, on another I want him to stay a baby forever! Hard, I know!

Half marathon training is underway, which means no missing workouts!! Yesterday though, the Scientist left insanely early for work and the toddler would not let me get past the warm up round. So I gave up and swapped yesterday as a break day instead of Saturday!

Today morning, though my body clock was ticktocking away from 5 a.m. the cool Bangalore weather coaxed me to stay in bed a half hour longer. It was however only 7 a.m.when I was done with a 5k in 35:40 a PR so far. Doing a sub 35 minute 5k would be cool no??? Although I recognise I have come a long- long way since I wrote this first treadmill running post :) One year of fairly consistent running has brought me to shave off 9 minutes since that first run! My legs feel strong and agile now. The focus will however be on staying free of injury.

The DreamRunners 10k event that I signed up for originally as a half marathon is due in Chennai on July 7. By running that I will fulfill my dream of participating in an event outside Bangalore. I am totally looking forward to that one. When I had registered for this one, I wanted to run the half marathon distance. But owing to injury, I stayed off serious long distance running( for me) for a month in between! I asked if I could downgrade and the folks were kind enough to met me do it!!! So 10k it is this time :)

So I'm expecting a low key weekend. What are your plans?