Running in Mumbai
One of the great benefits of living in India is time. Maria our maid and Mansoor combined with living in a rented apartment give us the gift of time. Back in Australia, much of my weekends would be taken up with transporting kids, contributing to the household chores and maintaining the house and garden. In India, I have none of those responsibilities, it is effectively outsourced.
With this gift, I now have the time to do the things I like to do. For example, I have learnt to play the guitar, I blog but I also get to run. I know, I can run long distances at home too but, by the time I have finished, I don't normally have the energy or inclination to do battle with the lawn mower or sand the weather boards of the house in preparation for painting.
Now Mumbai is not the best place to run long distances. The roads are chaotic, some areas have a smell "that will out last religion", it is hot and humid and the air quality during running season is sometimes akin to running in a bush fire zone. The group has self-sustained with a great range of people to run with over a number of years. Getting out on a Sunday morning for the long run is a highlight of the week.
The main running event during the year is the Mumbai Marathon so most are training for that along with the various races held in the lead up. I don't race. I have never seen the point of paying someone $50 for a T Shirt I don't want when I can just strap on my shoes and run 21 km whenever I want to. For me I want to get fit for my high altitude ski trip to Kashmir.
My attitude is a little confusing for some of my running mates who are committed racers. Between then they have managed to win the Women's Open Amateur Marathon and Men's Age Group Half Marathon along with various podium finishes and wins in smaller races
The attendees come and go as they cycle through India but the characteristics of the group remains remarkably the same. All of us do some other form of training during the week to suit personal goals but it is great coming together to benchmark your progress. There is a certain level of competitiveness as there is not a huge difference between abilities and fitness levels. Given the heat and humidity, it can become a little bit of a lottery as to who does well and who struggles on the day. How much imported wine you have drunk the night before also plays a part and anyone of us can be desperately searching for a toilet at any time.
The normal route is from Olive, a well known restaurant in Bandra to either Naramin Point or Fort and there are various routes that we can follow to vary the distance from 17 km to 26 km. The common factor in the routes is the the Juice Store at the entry to the Mosque at Haji Ali where we stop for a re-supply in the hotter training months or farewell those who want to cut the run short and get into a taxi home. We normally kick on over Peddar Road Hill past multi-million dollar 26 story private homes down to Chowpatty Beach to Naramin Point
Now I said that the roads are chaotic but if you leave Bandra between 0530 and 0630 it is not to bad. The route that we follow is the main training route along which you encounter a very large number of locals training for the Marathon and various shorter distance races that occur at the same time. Many Clubs set up water point along the route every weekend. The best sight is a group of very slow moving Mumbai Police Officers who have a multi-car armed escort blocking the traffic for them along the route
The season starts when the rain stops. At this time you manage to collect the keen runners from the new expat arrivals. You are punished for Summer holiday excess during the October heat, a 6 week hot period after the rain has stopped and before Winter. From November, it gets progressively cooler up until the Mumbai Marathon at the end of January before heating up again in March. By then time April arrives the heat has taken all the fun out of it again. The group thins out then people start to depart India in June in accordance with the normal expat cycle of life.
With this gift, I now have the time to do the things I like to do. For example, I have learnt to play the guitar, I blog but I also get to run. I know, I can run long distances at home too but, by the time I have finished, I don't normally have the energy or inclination to do battle with the lawn mower or sand the weather boards of the house in preparation for painting.
Now Mumbai is not the best place to run long distances. The roads are chaotic, some areas have a smell "that will out last religion", it is hot and humid and the air quality during running season is sometimes akin to running in a bush fire zone. The group has self-sustained with a great range of people to run with over a number of years. Getting out on a Sunday morning for the long run is a highlight of the week.
 |
| Phillip, Michael, Steve and myself. Notable exceptions from the Class of 2013/14 are Andrea. Lene and Christian |
My attitude is a little confusing for some of my running mates who are committed racers. Between then they have managed to win the Women's Open Amateur Marathon and Men's Age Group Half Marathon along with various podium finishes and wins in smaller races
The attendees come and go as they cycle through India but the characteristics of the group remains remarkably the same. All of us do some other form of training during the week to suit personal goals but it is great coming together to benchmark your progress. There is a certain level of competitiveness as there is not a huge difference between abilities and fitness levels. Given the heat and humidity, it can become a little bit of a lottery as to who does well and who struggles on the day. How much imported wine you have drunk the night before also plays a part and anyone of us can be desperately searching for a toilet at any time.
The normal route is from Olive, a well known restaurant in Bandra to either Naramin Point or Fort and there are various routes that we can follow to vary the distance from 17 km to 26 km. The common factor in the routes is the the Juice Store at the entry to the Mosque at Haji Ali where we stop for a re-supply in the hotter training months or farewell those who want to cut the run short and get into a taxi home. We normally kick on over Peddar Road Hill past multi-million dollar 26 story private homes down to Chowpatty Beach to Naramin Point
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| The whippets at the Haji Ali juice bar re-supplying for Peddar Road Hill |
The season starts when the rain stops. At this time you manage to collect the keen runners from the new expat arrivals. You are punished for Summer holiday excess during the October heat, a 6 week hot period after the rain has stopped and before Winter. From November, it gets progressively cooler up until the Mumbai Marathon at the end of January before heating up again in March. By then time April arrives the heat has taken all the fun out of it again. The group thins out then people start to depart India in June in accordance with the normal expat cycle of life.
