Professor Suresh Govindarajan writes about the joys of running, which has helped him beat Monday morning blues and tough days at work, apart from keeping his health parameters in check
Suresh Govindarajan
At 39, I discovered that all my basic health parameters (blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels) were a little off. I added a 40-minute brisk walk (three or four times a week) to my everyday routine; it helped me bring these parameters down to control.
During a
sabbatical
in
Switzerland,
I
realised
that a
one-hour
walk did
not help
me
sweat.
So, I
thought
I should
run but
found
myself
huffing
and
puffing
after
100
metres –
I ran
way too
fast! By
the end
of the
sabbatical
year, I
was
running
three
kilometres
non-stop.
When I
returned
home to
IIT-M in
2007, I
decided
to take
part in
the
IIT-Morganised
Road
Race,
which
was
approximately
eight
kilometres.
I
continued
running
on
campus a
few
times in
the week
and by
2008, I
would do
long
runs for
about 10
kilometres.
In November 2011, Chennai Runners, a non-profit club started by runners, organised a half marathon at IIT-M. I participated in the 10K (kilometres) category, which was my first timed race. In September that year, I started keeping a tab on my runs via Runkeeper, estimating distances by drawing maps on the app, and estimating the average pace using my watch. According to stats on Runkeeper, I ran 119K during September 2011, as part of the prep for the MARG Chennai Runners Half Marathon. I completed 10K in 53 minutes in that event.
I took part in the race again in 2012 but as the crowds got bigger, I decided to stop running 10K events. That meant two things: either running a half marathon (HM) or volunteering for the event. I opted for the former. My first half marathon (21.095K) was on Dec 1, 2013, which I completed in two hours and twelve minutes (after cramping for the first time in my life). The second half marathon was at Auroville in 2014, which I finished in under two hours. I kept running half marathons regularly, averaging about 150-200 kilometres per month including training and events.
The perfect mile
I had no intention of running a marathon. I took to running for fun and was happy to be participating in half marathons. My friend, whose company was the main sponsor for the Chicago Marathon, wanted me to run with him on a sponsor’s entry. My initial reaction was to say no, but I ended up running the 2017 edition of the Chicago Marathon. For this, I followed Hal Higdon’s 18 week Intermediate 2 Marathon Training Programme, which involved running five days a week.
I had no idea about the pace with which I should run, but chose to keep it at 6:15/km (4hr 23 mins for the marathon). I was hoping to run at least one of the 20 miles at that pace but could never manage it. On race day, conditions were a lot cooler than Chennai and I found myself focusing on the effort; my pace was a lot faster than in Chennai.
As I neared the halfway point, I was on track for the half marathon PB (personal best). I then decided to slow down the rest of the way at 6/km which felt easy. I cramped badly in the last 10K stretch and had to switch to run-walk mode. I finished the marathon in four hours and fifteen minutes, which was better than what I anticipated. In February 2019, I ran a second marathon in Delhi which I finished under the four hour-mark (3:54:42) using the Advanced Hanson’s Marathon Plan. This was a perfect race, where I trained to complete it in three hours and fifty-five seconds. I achieved it with seconds to spare.
Training plans
I
typically
run five
days a
week
(it’s
six
while
training
for a
race) on
the
campus.
I finish
most of
my runs
in the
morning,
as I
wake up
at 4am
on all
days.
Occasionally,
I join
other
groups
for long
runs on
weekends.
I try to
do a
core and
strength
workout
at least
once a
week.
When
people
ask me
why I
run, I
tell
them,
“Some
people
smoke, I
run.” It
is an
addiction
and a
great
stress
buster.
On tough
days, I
make
sure
that I
lace up
and run.
Working
at IIT-M
is
complicated
and has
added to
my
stress
in many
ways.
Running
helps me
keep the
stress
levels
under
control.
I have
been
tracking
my runs
on
Runkeeper
till
date.
I also
post my
runs on
the
Strava
app,
which
helps me
connect
with the
running
community.
I have
been
running
almost
2,000
kilometres
every
year
since
2014,
and have
touched
2,000
miles in
the past
several
years.
The
progress
is
gradual
and at
the same
time, I
value my
rest
days.
The goal
is to
keep
running
in my
sixties
and
possibly
in my
seventies
too. The
feeling
one gets
when
they get
into a
smooth
running
rhythm…it’s
something
to be
experienced.
When I
am in
that
zone, on
such
runs, I
mentally
prepare
lectures
and come
up with
ideas –
mostly
wrong! –
for my
research.
One of
my close
friends
says
that
running
for me
is like
meditation.
I agree.
What
strikes
me the
most
about my
running
is the
discipline
with
which I
train. I
select a
running
plan and
stick to
it to
the best
of my
ability.
Failure
on race
day is
an
acceptable
outcome,
but the
failure
to train
well is
not. The
quality
to
accept
failure
is very
important
in my
line of
work as
a
researcher.
This has
now
translated
into my
running
as well.
Claim to fame
It was the start of the 10K race in December 2012. A bunch of kids pushed their way to the front; I asked one of them if they had run at least a kilometre. The answer was ‘no’. I asked them to go stand in the back. The serious look on my face must have caught the attention of this cinematographer who was shooting a Tamil movie. This made the final cut and I seemed to have appeared on the screen for almost 10 seconds. I had no idea until people told me that they saw me in the movie. It was the 2013 Tamil film Ethir Neechal, which was also about running.
