Focus on Your Own Light

If you spend your time talking about others and pointing out their flaws, when do you focus on living your own life? 

Every moment spent highlighting someone else’s negatives takes away from building your own story. 

What you talk is what you are—your words reflect your thoughts and your heart. 

Life isn’t about tearing others down but about growing and finding your own path. Let go of the need to criticize, and you’ll see how much brighter your own life can shine.

Half Marathon - TTK 9

Race Day HM Plan

The plan was to follow this strategy:

First 5 km: Around 5:35 pace.

Next 10 km: Between 5:25–5:30 pace.

Next 3 km: Between 5:20–5:25 pace.

Last 3.1 km: "go with the flow."

The expected finishing time was between 1 hour 56 minutes and 1 hour 58 minutes.

Learnings

The plan, is just a plan. When it comes to execution the reality was different. Just after the first kilometer, I was already sweating profusely - 98% humidity. This forced me to reassess my strategy. I decided to stick to a steady 5:30 pace, occasionally adjusting the intensity slightly. For the final kilometer, I simply went with the flow. I was able to complete HM in 1 hr 55 min. A minute early than planned.

This experience reinforced what training teaches:

- The importance of assessing situations in real-time.

- Knowing your strengths and respecting your limitations.

- Rewiring thoughts to adapt to circumstances.

A big thanks to Guruji Gokul, whose guidance during training made this possible.

Thank You

I am deeply grateful to my Running Partners, Imshad and Purush, for their constant motivation and support throughout this journey. A heartfelt thank-you to the Burners running community for their encouragement on Strava.

Final Verdict

The decision to enroll in the 6-month training program was not easy, but it turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve made. The improvements were noticeable:

- Enhanced quality of sleep.

- Better breathing.

- Better core strength.

- Better overall health, apart from one viral infection there were no other issues - not even simple ones like headache, cough or cold.

Reflecting on my first training run, where I couldn’t finish due to acid reflux and had to give up, I realize how far I’ve come.

First Run

Final Run

73% of easy Runs shows the power of running slow. As the saying goes "Run Slow to Run Fast" is true.

The consistent corrections from my coach have been instrumental in this transformation.

In conclusion, the journey taught me that there is no secret formula. It’s all about:

- Consistency over intensity.

- Progress over perfection.

- Fundamentals over fads.

- And doing it all over again and again.

Running - What should be my pace?

I had this question when I did the first HM/FM. 

- What should be my pace?

- Will I be able to make it?

- Could I have run faster/slower?

Advise got from coaches (Gokul, Karthik, Ravi) are: 

- Know the battle field before the battle: for example. if you are on an unknown road, take time to understand it. get to know the ups and downs, rest areas, pot holes, fuel refill stations etc- where to slow and where to step on the gas. Once you have the gps it becomes easier to navigate.

- Training Period: use the training period to understand your body. when to hydrate, fuel. what type of hydration and fuel your body supports. your pace, do you need to a tag or can handle alone, your strengths and improvement areas, how long does it take to recover from strenuous activity. Use training period to get to know your body.

- Respect and understand your body: Do not go behind pace, timings. You should understand when to switch gears (fast to slow pace). Accept the improvement areas - discuss with the coach for specific additional training and diet (ex: back ache exercises, digestion problems like burps, stomach aches etc., including more fruit based juices, fiber based food etc ). The more you understand and discuss with the coach your body will improve.

- Process over Result: Result will only follow if one enjoys the process. Follow the plan rather than the mood. 

- Pace is relative: Pace at one location may work or not on other locations.Falls back again to understanding the battlefield and respecting your body.

In short: Use the training period and coach to understand your body. You will have the answer for all your questions.