Race preparation — to run or not to run ???

 My last run was on Friday, 13th March. (What a day to end the training 😀).

I finished my slow, easy recovery run around 5:30 pm. Little did I realize that the next 24 hours were going to be crazy.

When I came back home, my mom asked me if chapathi with potato/green peas curry was fine for dinner. A bit of background here — in the previous month, on both occasions when I had chapathi for dinner (once with green peas and once with dal), my bowel movement had been erratic the next day. Multiple visits to the toilet as well.

But since I had planned to run my half marathon distance on Sunday evening, I said it was fine. (The real reason, of course, was that I love this combination.)

Well… less said about me hogging at dinner, the better.

Come Saturday morning, and as expected, my bowel movement went for a toss. A couple of visits to the toilet by mid-morning.

Then came the bouncer.

Mom said the next day was Ugadi, and she was planning a special lunch — including chakkara pongaland vadai.

Wow. This was a combination to kill for.

Now the problem started.

I was in two minds. Should I run the same day (with my bowel already unsettled), or move it to the next day? But after a heavy festive lunch, I knew it would be extremely difficult to start a half marathon run at 5–5:30 pm.

After training for 14 weeks, I didn’t want to miss the run.

Unfortunately, this was the only available window in the next three weeks. If I missed it, I would have to push the run by three weeks. That didn’t feel right, especially after training hard and tapering well.

The real bouncer came at lunch. Mom said Ugadi was not the next day but a few days later. But unfortunately, i had planned something for the next day. 

So, the run became today or may be 3 weeks later. This almost forced me to narrow my decision to “ today”. 

This increased my anxiety.

All afternoon, the same question kept going through my mind:

“ to run or not to run. “

One more visit to the toilet post-lunch didn’t help in making the decision.

Finally, around 2 pm, I told myself — let me at least start preparing. If I feel good, I will run.

So I got my hydration pack ready, mixed electrolytes and carbohydrate powder with water, and kept it in the fridge for the run.

Next, as part of my pre-run routine, I started sipping 500 ml of electrolyte water — to be finished over the next 2 to 2.5 hours — to stay hydrated.

Around 4:30 pm, one more visit to the toilet.

Somehow, by 4:45 pm, I felt comfortable.

So I decided — I will run.

I got into my racing shoes, strapped on my hydration pack, and stepped out at 5:00 pm.

The next two and a half hours were going to be the challenge I had set for myself four months ago.

With a prayer on my lips, I closed the door and stepped out.