On Your Marks, Get Ready… Go!

Whether it is the 5km, 10km or the half-marathon you are running at the IDBI-2016 here are some superb last-day tips for you. Before I begin, I would like to remind you that if you are running the half-marathon tomorrow I hope you will have selected your free pacing band for the target times of your choice that I spoke about here. Print, laminate, cut, wear, pose and run! The video is here.

For many of you this might be your first race, for others it might be just another one added to a growing list. For some it might be about taking in the wonderful sights, for others it might be about obtaining a PB (personal best) and, for yet others, it might be about pacing a friend to help them achieve their PB. You might be from Mumbai or from out-of-town but here are some tips especially for you.

These are some final thoughts from me to you about this race:

• I went to what was a launch event run on 17^th April 2016 to motivate others to run tomorrow. That was well organized so I hope the main race tomorrow is too. There were only a few hundred runners that day, and there are like to be about 20 times as many participants tomorrow, so please pray that there won’t be any hiccups but do allow for glitches and try to not let them affect your mood
• If you are from out of town and used to running in Mumbai only during the SCMM in January, then here’s some sobering comparison with the SCMM:
  • The temperature is likely to be about 6-degrees Celsius higher than during the typical SCMM race in January
  • The humidity is likely to be about 83% rather than 55% of the typical SCMM race in January
  • The winds are likely to be more like 20kmph rather than the gentle 3kmph you would have faced during a typical January SCMM
  • As there is an 80% chance of rain, beware that your shoes, socks and everything else will get heavier, and that will slow you down
  • Be aware also, that if it rains, there are likely to be more participants who will be running for fun, and so you will need to keep your cool if you are trying to overtake and they don’t give you way as efficiently as you think they could
• On the other hand, compared with the SCMM:
  • You won’t have the elevation of Peddar Road to deal with and
  • You won’t have the elevation of the Sea-Link (twice in 2016) to deal with
• If you are running the (10km or the) half-marathon, you are going to face the monsoon winds on Marine Drive. This is likely to help you (but you won’t be able to tell) between the 13-15km markers. However, these winds are highly likely to be a noticeable struggle to deal with between the 17-19km markers (just when you don’t want to face more struggle!)
• Life is full of twists and turns. The half-marathon has 21 turns of which 7 are pretty much like U-turns. If you are focusing on a blistering pace, this is something to be aware of. I won second place in a half-marathon last October with almost 60 turns so I know it’s not a lot of fun. But that’s not why I told you, soon after that race, why you need not run!
• Because the overlaps in routes between the 5km, 10km and half-marathon are significant, and we don’t know how diligent the stewards will be, please memorize the route yourself. Empower yourself because race stewards pose two risks:
  • If you are fast and ahead of the pack, you might get sent the wrong way (I’ve won a race because I memorized a route in another city and my primary competitor, who was from that city and noticeably faster, was sent the wrong way).
  • Race stewards are known to get bored after a while and the very runners who need our help (the stragglers who are in need of motivation) get confusing (or no) signals from stewards – I pointed this out when I told you why I don’t care much about your podium finish
• When memorizing the route, please note that the official route map does not have the distance markers in precise locations on the graphic (notice, for instance, the oddly short 1km between 17km and 18km) but we can pray that the actual kilometer markers on the route will be appropriately placed (and that they sync beautifully with your GPS device)

What next?
The usual… Rest your legs well, sleep on time, and eat/drink sensibly today. Remember what I said about process for performance barely 10 days ago? Give that more thought too! Enjoy the day and have a wonderful experience.

Dr Purnendu Nath spends his waking hours focusing on helping individuals and organizations reach their goals, to make the world a better place. He speaks, writes and advises on topics such as finance, investment management, discipline, education, self-improvement, exercise, nutrition, health and fitness, leadership and parenting.