Hyderabad, You Beauty

Hyderabad is hands down my favourite course so far — rolling, unpredictable, and full of character. Everyone had warned me it was tough, but I strangely thrive on inclines. Flat roads bore me or burn me out. Thank my early childhood training for those strong quads and calves!

Now for the messy truth — my prep was patchy. Life got in the way. I barely squeezed in five short runs in the two weeks before the race. My coach @harican, rightfully concerned, told me to treat Hyderabad as a holiday, not a race. He even tried to convince me to just enjoy the food, do some shopping and leave the running for later.

But I’m not wired that way. If I’m going, I’m running. So we struck a deal — I’d treat it like an LSD, take it slow, listen to my body, and if anything hurt, I’d grab an auto back to the hotel. Fair.

The lead-up to race day was all good vibes — great company with my fellow Pettai Rappers (Rajan, Captain, Ashwin, Prakash, Balaji, Velu Sir, Suresh Sir, Vijaykumar Sir, Jyothi Ma'am, Hamsini, JD, Karthik), who shared stories from their training and past Hyderabad runs. We even squeezed in a screening of Coolie, which set the mood perfectly. It also happened to be my coach’s birthday, and he sent me off with just two words: ‘Rock it!’ — the only key I needed, he said. He was right. After a solid night’s sleep, I woke up calm, energised, and unusually clear-headed, carrying those words with me all through the race.

This was only my 3rd HM — after FCM and TMM — both of which had me tangled in race plans and timing anxiety. This time, I ran free. No pressure. No watch-checking. Just great music (Hello, Carnatic Run Playlist), hydration, gels, and gut instinct.

After my usual pre-run routines and stretches, I was wading through Coral A and ran straight into my coach, standing with Balaji and Velu, both of whom had trained hard for this race. I lingered with them until the clock struck 5:30:00 - and we were off. Normally I’d burst out of the gate, but this time I held back, starting easy: 10K in 69 minutes, just warming up.

With my longest run in months being 13K, I braced for the familiar struggle and the inner demons that usually show up around that point. But this time — silence. My body felt strong, and before I knew it, I was cruising past 15K. I picked up pace, stayed steady, and for the first time in any of my HMs, I needed no breaks. No cramps. No panic. Just pure rhythm.

I flowed through the course, one kilometre at a time, while time quietly faded away. By the final stretch, I was completely in the zone. Crossed the 2:15 pacer, entered Gachibowli stadium grinning like a kid, and finished at 2:14:11 — my most effortless HM yet. Calm. Controlled. Completely present. For the first time, 21K didn’t feel endless — the time flew, I enjoyed every step, and I didn’t want it to end. I just wanted to keep running!

Just past the finish line, was our PR contingent. My coach looked bewildered. “How do you do this?” he quipped. Honestly, I don’t know either. But I do know this — I’m slowly learning to follow through. To stay the course. To grow up as a runner.

Hyderabad’s route was abstract, wavy, and wonderfully unpredictable — much like my own running journey. But there is something special about it. If I ever do a full marathon, I might just come back here.

This race was a turning point — not for the time, but for the temperament. I didn’t overthink, didn’t chase ego, didn’t burn out. I just ran. And that’s growth.

Today felt like a gift from the running gods, one that I am incredibly thankful for. Truly grateful for a coach who patiently puts up with my erratic schedules and occasional disappearances, yet perseveres because he believes. And for this wonderful community that always shows up, has each other’s backs, and makes every run so much more meaningful.

At brunch after the race, just as I was about to indulge in vodka shots with Rajan and Hamsini (coach, if you’re reading this, look away), the phone rang — it was coach. We all burst out laughing. The timing was priceless. I promised him no more races this year, just steady, consistent running and becoming better with every step. This time, I intend to follow through.