The Bengaluru 24hr stadium Run 2021 - The prep

Since the last one in Feb this year, which I called 24h of happiness (report here), it has been another balancing act of new job pressures, mileage, long runs, family, strength training and Covid of course.

Chennai Runs

Between quarter closes and late Friday night meetings, I did manage a few notably training runs.

Series of 50km runs in Chennai, waking up at 3am and charting a route, dodging the cops, looking for water in petrol pumps and shirtless and dripping bucket loads of sweat.

Nandi Hills and back

Then, I took another shot at a Nandi hills and back run. I was doing so well when I reached the foot of the hills, but was turned around since "I was doing this alone" and there are "Cheetah's in the forest" and the forest guards turned me back. I made it a 80km run with over 400m of elevation climb in the end.

Lord of the Ring Road

This one was special too - was on my mind for a while. Got the courage to try this. With Jay and Vignesh, started from near Hebbal at 7PM in a heavy drizzle, managed to keep the crazy rain run go on till we got rid of the night traffic till about 10PM. Were welcomed by great weather and broad 6 lane white topped roads till silk board by midnight. I dropped my companions here and pressed on for rest of the IT corridor, running in the now empty dedicated bus lanes reaching Hebbal at 3AM. What a run that was!

UAS 100

Most recently, I also ran a 100 laps around a local UAS ground to get used to the monotonous. The weather in Bangalore has been fantastic and it played out during all my training runs this year.

Spartan Sessions

Strength training sessions, an hour+ thrice a week, were all trying to reach and train all those muscles and muscle groups to come together in a crescendo for the party that is a 24hr run. Coach Umashankar and Devi Prashanth Shetty were really making it count.

I am in great spirits (less than 6hours for the race to start), just need the legs to take me the distance. Wish me luck!