On my way to Hyderabad

My running season just got a big boost as I have registered for the Hyderabad Half Marathon for Nov 26th. I also registered for the Mumbai Marathon, I'll be doing a half there. So, in all, lots of good times ahead in the coming days!

I have'nt been to Hyderabad yet, so it would be nice to wander around a bit, take a look at the Charminar, wander about the Golconda fort, and round it off with a visit to the Salarjung Museum. Another bonus from the trip which I recently found out would be an opportunity to watch the Hopman Cup qualifiers going on at the same time in Hyderabad. With Sania Mirza and Leander Paes playing together, I am sure there are going to be a few sparks flying around! The finals is there on Nov 26th, same day as the event.

I am training (well, if you can call a single long run in the week that) with a mental target of 6min/km, i.e. overall 2:06. Not sure if I will be able to hit that, but lets see, I will try to give my best. The Hyderabad route and its peculiarities is completely unknown to me and will be a wildcard, though the start time of 6:00 am would definitely help.

Mumbai is still distant on the horizon, Jan 21st, but if I stay motivated and train well, I may be able to break through the 2:00 hr barrier. And if I do that, I would surely run a full marathon next year, otherwise, it would be more practice till I break the 2.

UPDATE: Some updates on the Hyderabad event from the online running community:

Dharmendra D says : There is one long flyover just like in Delhi and Mumbai. Otherwise, the course is great. Mostly flat and the best part about last year's race was the weather. It was as if, the sun was waiting for us to finish.

The running spirit is yet to catch on big time in Hyd. So people give you a mostly bewildered look. The finish area is a little crowded and the start is fairly messy. Make sure you get a good start. There are fewer runners than in most events.