Nervous?? Me????

A week ago, I asked for your good wishes and positive vibes, as I tackled my first ever trail run in the Himalayas. And you all came up trumps.

This weekend, I’m back again, once asking for thoughts and prayers and good luck, as I tackle the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon tomorrow, my first road race since March 2019.

March 2019!

Yikes.

That race was a 5km, so I haven’t actually run a long distance race since February 2019, when I ran the Delhi Marathon.

In the course of the ensuing years I have:

1. aged
2. had major surgery
3. had a zillion silly injuries
4. and…kinda lost my nerve for road racing.

So…yes…I’m understandably worried about tomorrow 😛

For those of you quietly wondering “Why the drama?” “Why run at all, if you’re not in shape?” here’s the thing:

1) I hope to run an ultra next year – hopefully 55km at Doc Chauhan’s La Ultra in Ladakh.

2) Therefore running a full in Mumbai in January (that’s 42km) would seem to be good preparation

BUT.

Theres always, always a but, right?

3) In order to run Mumbai, I need a timing certificate not later than October 2019.

4) Which I don’t have, because of above mentioned surgery and injuries.

5) Which means I need a timing certificate quick quick.

6) So I decided to apply to run the Delhi Half Marathon.

7) But the same rules applied for this race – I needed a timing certificate not later than October 2019, so I was stuffed again.

8) Luckily for me – SERIOUSLY lucky for me – the Delhi HM (tomorrow’s race) has a special application category for women without a timing certificate.

9) Whew!

10) Applied.

11) Fretted.

12) Breathed a sigh of relief when I was accepted under that category.

SOOOOO…tomorrow, it is a case of back to Square One. Literally.

I am in the last starting zone, zone F.

In order to qualify for Mumbai, I have to run my race tomorrow in under 3 hours, a time I have (without sounding boastful) never needed before, usually clocking in around the 2:05, 2:07 mark, but that was then and this is now, and that is why I NEED ALL THE POSITIVE VIBES I CAN GET!

I’m not being in the least disrespectful about tomorrow’s race, which I am oh-so-grateful to have got into, but I am running tomorrow. Not racing.

I need to cross that finish line in under 3 hours.

I need that certificate so I can get my road running back on track.

So, yup – that’s why I need bucketloads of positivity. Please 🙂

To those of you whom I met today at the Bib expo – it was SOOOOO good to see you all, and to hug and wish each other for tomorrow.

Here’s hoping we all have a safe, fun run.

(And here’s hoping that I get that darn timing certificate after SO much planning!)