Category: runner
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How Serious Are You About a Race If You Reach the Race Location and Realise You’ve Forgotten Your Gear?
If I were asking this on race morning, I could forgive someone for forgetting one small item. Race-day nerves are real, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. But if you are travelling to a destination or mountain race, where the organisers have been repeatedly messaging you about mandatory gear, and you still arrive without…
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Mountain Training Week
Finally, back in the mountains for some much-needed mountain-leg training. I missed this last year and went to Chiang Mai UTMB without much climbing-specific training. I had planned to head to Rishikesh or somewhere similar after VDHM, but an unexpected bout of dengue meant that even my training was limited for a while. This isn’t…
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Quality Over Quantity in Training
The racing season in India is getting underway, and the past few weeks have already given us a glimpse of some impressive running achievements – by some incredibly dedicated runners, and a few who perhaps weren’t quite as dedicated as they would have us believe. It has also shown how differently people interpret the idea…
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Monsoon Training: Late Starts and Treadmill Run
August is the rainy season in Delhi. Unlike places like Kerala where I am from, the rain here is not so pretty… Delhi simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle this much rain. Drainage is inadequate, roads flood, and once the water rises, already-broken roads can become quite dangerous. And with climate change, the weather…
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July Training: Slowly Finding My Way Back
After a dip in training during June, July was all about getting back into a consistent routine. The weather certainly didn’t make it easy. The month began with relentless heat, and finding the motivation to wake up early was a challenge in itself. This training block has been focused on recovery, and I promised myself…
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Another Training Block Done — But Was It Enough?
I signed up for the Edinburgh Marathon late last year thinking, “Okay, one marathon for 2026.” Usually, my calendar is simple: a half marathon in February, followed by a marathon in summer (spring elsewhere in the world). Last year it was Boston in April. After missing out on Manchester registration this year, I settled for…
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Enjoying Small Wins vs Dealing with Friction of Perfectionism
September didn’t start well for me. Was starting to get annoyed with some allergies from the monsoon in August and that got extended to September… I had rashes throughout and my cold was not going away… a bloodwork came back with some levels dangerously off limits and that got me really worried… Doc asked me…
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Running Through the Heat: Suffer Now; Slay Later
Running in hot, humid weather isn’t glamorous; it’s sweaty, slow, and often uncomfortable. The air feels thick, your legs feel heavy, and motivation? That tends to evaporate with the morning mist. But ask any seasoned runner, and they’ll tell you: summer suffering builds fall strength. When you train in the heat, your body works harder…
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Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate During Winter!
Many runners forget about hydration during winter because they don’t feel as thirsty as they do in summer. In colder temperatures, your body reduces its thirst response by up to 40%, even if you’re dehydrated. This makes it easy to forget to drink water. Staying hydrated is just as important in cold weather even if…
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2024 Year in Review: Running & Life
That was a 5 star year! Sometimes, life throws curveballs that test our strength in unexpected ways. 2023 ended with its share of disappointments, leaving me unsure of what to expect from 2024. But as the year unfolded, it turned into something extraordinary. Certain achievements were planned, and I had put in the hard work…
