I am not sure if anyone can relate to this, but I realized I love ‘training’ much more than ‘racing’. As the race day approaches, while my running buddies feel relieved that the training cycle is over, I feel a bit sad that the training cycle is ending. If you can relate to this, give me a high-five.
The training cycle for the New Delhi Marathon is not very different from my previous cycle for the Chicago Marathon. Though I couldn’t achieve my goal at the Chicago marathon, I was very happy with my fitness gains. So it made sense to continue with a similar plan, as my goal remained the same (3:18 finish). I chose a 12-week Pfitz training plan. During the 6 week period between Chicago and the New Delhi Cycles, I worked on my speed with some track work and strides.
The key lessons from my Chicago cycle - build pace awareness of the goal pace, and being comfortable mentally in the latter half of the race. To that end, I made a few minor tweaks in my 12 week cycle, which otherwise was a repeat of the 2024 Delhi training cycle.
Two weeks into the training I ran the Vizag Navy Marathon to assess my fitness. A personal best of <1:35 finish was a big confidence booster. Four of my long runs had a significant portion at goal pace, the longest being 24 km at goal pace.
I ran two tune-up races during the cycle - the first one being the Half at Mumbai Marathon, which I finished in 1:34:15 (personal best), and the second was a self-supported 10K at around threshold pace. Based on my Mumbai Half, I was confident that I could pace myself for a 3:18 finish goal at Delhi.
My 3 week taper was similar to the past cycles. The focus was on speed and intensity, with gradual reduction in volume. I have limited my carb-loading to just 2 days before the race day. I also focused on sleep, and learned some interesting techniques that helped improve my quality of sleep.
The majority of my training runs were with Harish, who was also on similar goal pace. Thanks to my training partners at KTPO Bengaluru, this cycle was incredibly enjoyable. A friend who came from the US to visit family in Mysuru even traveled to Bengaluru just to pace my 24km goal-paced long run. What more can be said about running and friendships? All my training is open and can be seen on Strava. The plan I used itself is available for free on RunStrong.
I traveled to Delhi on Friday afternoon so that I could get decent sleep on the penultimate day. I stayed in a hotel with my training buddies, which made the experience comfortable and helped calm my nerves.
Having run this event four times, I knew my Saturday routine by heart. My day began with a short shake-out run in the morning, followed by a carb-heavy breakfast, and then a visit to the Expo. The Expo was lively this year, featuring more stalls and seemingly increased foot traffic. Meeting a running friend and visiting the Korean Cultural Centre, which is just a stone’s throw away from the hotel made it a relaxed day. Delhi’s weather was as pleasant as it could be. I spent the rest of the day planning my paces, memorizing key milestones, and visualizing the race.
For nutrition, I stuck to rice, dal, and yoghurt, and I drank electrolytes throughout the day. I finished dinner early, pre-booked cabs, wished my friends good luck, and went to bed by 9 p.m.
One of the challenges of marathons in India is the early start times. A 4:15 a.m. race start meant waking up by 2:30 a.m. Although I’ve run many races at these hours, it still sucks. I had my oatmeal breakfast and reached the start on time. There was a definite chill in the wind, though it wasn’t too cold. The AlphaFly 3 was my go‑to racer for this race. The 42KM store GeekOnFeet singlet, Nike Aeroswift 2‑inch shorts, and Decathlon arm sleeves completed my race‑day gear (not a paid promotion).
A short dynamic warm‑up routine - followed by a jog, a few strides, a gel, and an exchange of encouraging words with my friends - ensured I was fully warmed up and race‑ready. Although there were no corrals, the start line was well managed.
While I’ve toyed with the idea of negative splits, my final pacing plan was to run positive splits. A 1:38 finish in the first half, followed by a 1:40 finish in the second half, would ensure I reached the finish line within my goal time.
KM 1 to KM 21.1 (Planned 1:38:00, Achieved 1:38:12 - Avg Pace 4:39 min/km)
The first half was very comfortable. I quickly passed the crowd by the second kilometer and had ample space ahead to settle into my rhythm. I maintained an easy effort by nose breathing until about the first 10 miles. However, as I passed India Gate on the return, nose breathing became difficult, so I switched to free breathing.
I caught up with a pack of 5-6 runners who appeared to be with a similar pacing strategy as mine. Although I initially thought that would help, it had the opposite effect. One runner in the group was blasting music from speakers, which distracted me, and a couple of runners were arguing over the racing line. I slowed down a bit to distance myself from the pack so I could focus on my run.
I stuck to my fueling strategy of taking a gel every sixth kilometer (at 6, 12, and 18 km). I alternated between Fast&Up Classic Vanilla, SIS Beta Fuel Orange, and Fast&Up Zesty Lemon flavors. Kudos to the race organizers for setting up hydration stations every kilometer and providing small water bottles. I finished the fast half 12 seconds behind plan, but I was happy with the run so far - comfortable and paced according to strategy.
KM 21.1 to KM 32 (Planned 0:51:00, Achieved 0:51:50 - Avg Pace 4:44 min/km)
After finishing the first loop, the vibes were good, and I finished 22 km strong. As I entered Lodhi Road, the street lights went off, and I began to slow down. Although my energy levels were fine and the effort felt good, I was still puzzled by my slowdown. I tried increasing my cadence, but that didn’t help much. The smog from burning leaves around Lodhi Garden worsened the situation, and I continued at paces in the high 4:40s.
At about the 27th km around Khan Market Road, Harish overtook me. We ran together for a couple of kilometers, but it appeared that Harish was much stronger, so I asked him to pace his own race.
At the 30th km, I took my fifth gel, and I regained my rhythm. By the 32nd km, although I was a minute slower than my goal pace, I knew the goal time was within reach. It was just 10 more kilometers - and this is what I had trained for throughout the cycle - finishing the final kilometers at goal pace.
Final 10.2 km (Planned 0:49:00, Achieved 0:49:00 - Avg Pace 4:45 min/km)
I caught up with Harish by the 33rd km and continued at a comfortable pace, overtaking many runners who were slowing down. Seeing half-marathon runners around the 36th km boosted my spirits. I took my final gel as we pushed for the last six kilometers. Despite my efforts, my pace wasn’t coming together as intended. Perhaps I was content that I could BQ anyway, or I was experiencing brain fog. Maybe a shot of caffeine could have helped? A refreshing cheer from Nakul (All In Running) helped.
We were on auto-pilot till the saibaba temple, and it was only in the final kilometer that I could push a bit. We crossed the finish line together, my finish time was 3:18:51, my personal best and BQ.
As I took the turn towards the finish line, the only thought that crossed my mind was, “I am BQ’d.” A moonshot goal from a few years ago was now within my grasp. Elated and with emotions running high, it all felt like a dream come true.
At the finish line, we hugged each other and were warmly welcomed by Vivek (who finished 3:12). It was time to celebrate, and it was wonderful to see the finish line buzzing with emotion. Soon after Aditi finished super strong, earning yet another BQ. Pavan, Harish and Raji BQ’d; and our entire group finished strong with many personal bests.
I met many runners from Bengaluru and Hyderabad - friends from Strava and other races. We posed for pictures and called it a day.
One key lesson I learned is that a good training cycle isn’t just about the runs - it’s about every supporting effort, from mindset and nutrition to strength training and the careful planning of race week. I haven’t started planning my next set of races yet. I will work on my speed and run a few local running events. I have been dealing with a few niggles with my left ankle and hamstring, and it is time to make it right.
This finish gave me confidence that I could set a moonshot goal and could achieve it. Now onto training, and time to think of my next moonshot.
Aravind is a techie, running geek, and a marathoner. He loves all things technology and technology in running, with special interest in running form analysis. He is the co-founder of GeeksOnFeet.
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