RunLondon

It is a bright, sunny and calm morning of 8^th October. I am mentally prepared for my second 'long distance' run. The first being JPMorgan Corporate Challenge which was just 5.6 Km but took 33m and 32s for me. This one is 10 Km and today I am aiming to perform better. I had few practice sessions of 8 Km and it took me roughly 48m that is 6m per Km. So I set a target of under 60 for myself.

I am in a 1245 wave. I had a relaxed start, woke up around 9'ish had my bowl of cereals and took 0945 train to Kings Cross. I knew that there are no changing facilities at Hyde Park (race location) so I decide to change into my running gear at Kings Cross. It isn't that cold so I can be in my running shorts. I walk to Kings Cross underground and go to Piccadilly line west platform. By the time I reach the platform, I came across quite a few North and South team runners in their respective t shirts. This race is North vs South and I am least bothered about the team. I know I am here to run and through that to collect some money for Fairbridge charity. In my mind this is also a run dedicated to my Dad, just wanted to do something before his first death anniversary in December.

The excitement has already started building up and I just wanted to go and run. It took roughly 15m to reach Hyde Park Corner station. I quickly come out of the station and enter the park through Elizabeth gate. I had never seen so many enthusiastic runners ever in my life. It seems everyone from North, South, East and West is heading to Hyde Park. Later I heard approximately 30K people participated. It indeed must be as I started making my way to the start line my pace slowed down. Few of them had already finished their run and few of them were about to do so. Many relatives and also not related to anyone turned up to be part of the race. I am following the start sign and just wondering that Northerners exceed Southerners. It is not true though just that I felt so.

I follow the baggage sign to check in my gym bag and then walk towards the warm up zone. Two teams had already started warming up and the whole scene is so inspiring. The warm up session is really a fun. The sun has come out and temperature is slightly higher than what it was in the morning. I felt so much better. After a quick warm up we all started walking towards the start line. I had to stop roughly 150 meters away from the start line. The wave was about to start. Seb Coe is here and some bloke is talking to him (by the way he is running for South and Paula Radcliffe ran for North in the previous wave. Incidentally both of them are Loughborough alumni). He told us in short about the Olympic preparations and also the fact that 2012 London Olympics is just 312 Sundays away. That sounds lot shorter than 5 years few months.

The much awaited race for me finally began. It was difficult to find the way in an initial stage. Some of them are finding the way and I am careful while I did so. I am taking it easy, nice and slow. First few kilometers were dead easy and in my mind I am looking for a 5 Km mark. The digital chip tied to my trainers is recording the time after every couple of kilometers. My breathing is stable and I am good till 5 Km mark. They had put water station just after 5^th kilometer and I am undecided as what to do. I decided not to have water and just push myself towards the finish line. In the process I overtake some and some overtake me. I look at them, most of them are young crowd but there are many in their late forties and I even see few of them in their late fifties. Some of them pushing themselves really hard and some of them not so hard. Some of them tuned to their iPods while some of them just running. I am just running and only one thing in my mind – to cross the finish line under 60m. I crossed 6 Km mark and then after a while 8 Km. The 8 Km was a psychological mark as I have done 8 Km few times and I know I should be able to do another couple of kilometers. I have crossed that and I am having a slight pain in my chest, don't know why but nevertheless I am continuing. I am also having a stiff neck (blame it on my pillow) and that is making my run worse. I am slowing down intermittently not to exhaust myself but it happens without knowing and when I realise I pick up the pace. It is hard to run at a constant pace unless you are doing it on the tread mill. In fact, I find it difficult to do anything at a constant pace over long period. It is always in cycles, everything has got peaks and troughs.

Slowly and steadily I cross 9 Km mark, I am relieved, damn sure that I am going to complete this race. The question remains – is it under 60? I sort of increase my pace and as I gradually move towards the finish line I see more people cheering on both sides. They are shouting giving support to all the runners. I try and capture these moments knowing this is what I am taking back. Finally I could see the finish line, I am excited and I increase my pace. Now I am taking that final sprint to finish line. People on both sides cheering and shouting and amid all that I cross the finish line. I go past and realise that I have forgotten to look at the time, I look back and calculate – 57m 10s. I smiled and said to myself not too bad.

I pack my bags and walk towards the tube station. On the way back, saw few people are still finishing, few of them walking and then running again. I wish them good luck and say good bye to Hyde park to arrive at Kings Cross. I reach home and my mobile beeps, I check who it is. There is a message from Nike RunLondon team saying I finished the race in 56m 47s. I smile again!