India running is huge in a country that has so much to offer to our sport.
I have a lot of friends who are Indian and I already know folks in India love middle to long distance running.
They also know how to do it well.
The national record for the marathon in India is 2:12:00 for men (Shivnath Singh) and 2:34:43 for women (O. P. Jaisha)
World-class times. I was always aiming to get down toward 2:12-14 range for the marathon but humbly retired with a 2:19:35 PR.
India has a rich culture of running. There are over 900 road races annually held within the country.
There are smog and pollutions problems there like many large countries but that doesn't stop athletes from getting out the door.
Running clubs are all over the country with over 20 in Delhi alone.
There are marathons run everywhere in India but the distance itself hasn't caught as much ground but is changing.
How Can RunDreamAchieve help?
If you seeking India running tips I'm confident in my capability to get you to the race in better shape and faster.
Here are RDA there are over 500 posts on the archives page and growing.
Most of my content is free although I did create 5K to marathon training schedules for athletes.
These are great for beginner to advanced level runners from all over the world.
I've been competing since 1992, have run numerous races from the mile (PR: 4:19) to the marathon (PR:2:19:35).
My goal as a consultant and mentor to my readers is to provide solutions to pain points you face.
I can relate as most of what others runners deal with I had to learn to overcome as well.
World-Class Consulting
I was very fortunate to have been mentored by some of the world's top coaches such as Lisa Rainsberger (1985 Boston Marathon champion), Dr. Joe Vigil and Jack Hazen.
The RunDreamAchieve mission is to give back to the running community.
You are welcome to stop by the about page if you'd like to learn more about my running background.
That being said I wanted to write a post providing some india running tips that.
The Hindustani running community is enormous and have so much to offer our sport.
The Indian people are disciplined, focused and crazy about running as we here in America are.
Pain Points Most Runners Face
- Holding pace for the duration of races
- Fueling problems (not drinking enough or too much)
- Pacing (going out too hard and fading)
- Confidence
- Motivation
- Patience (not getting results fast enough)
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There are just some of the pain points I have worked with athletes from around the world to correct.
Holding Pace For The Duration of Races
The biggest issue here is simply not spending sufficient time training at or below the pace you are seeking to hold.
It could be a 5K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon. The fundamentals are universal across all distances.
The shorter the race the more anaerobic output is required which means a great deal of sprinting.
You cannot prepare for a marathon doing repeat 200's.
Yes, it will develop your leg speed but it will not prepare you for what a 26.2 mile race feels like.
The way to prepare for any race is to focus on the goal pace you are seeking to race at and get comfortable being uncomfortable.
The trick is getting your body adapted to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up in your blood stream.
This is why the Kenyans make it look so easy.
They have very high lactic acid tolerance because of their high intensity training.
Remember, quality over quantity.
This is very difficult for many india running specialist and athletes from other countries to master.
More is not always better.
Fueling Problems
This was a big one for me in marathons until I learned what to do and finally broke the 2:20:00 marathon barrier.
You cannot sip in the longer races and expect a good performance, period.
Don't neglect this.
Grab a couple cups at each station. We already know the cups are usually small they hand you and most of the fluid is thrown out as we run by.
There are water stations usually every 3 miles in these races.
Shorter races the stations are much sparingly used.
Races of 5 miles and longer it is essential to get enough calories in you during the race.
I created a course for runners seeking to break the 3 hour marathon where I cover this extensively. The Sub 3 Hour Marathon Pro may be a great fit for you.
Pacing
This is a very tricky subject.
I would advise athletes to error on the side of caution if you are not 100 percent confident in your fitness.
I hit the first half marathon in my 2:19:35 marathon best in 1:07:09.
My half-marathon best (to this day) is 1:07:06 so I was only 3 seconds off of my half PR.
That being said, I was confident I could run with the lead Kenyans at the 2007 California International Marathon.
You have to have a game plan of how you are going to pace yourself.
Most of the world's top runners and performances come from negative splitting.
This simply means the second half of the race is run faster than the first half.
You can be a better judge of how you want to pace yourself in your future races based on your preparation.
It is very difficult to hold back when you are fit.
Make to check out the RunDreamAchieve Academy where I teach runners to get faster using the same techniques I used to drop huge amounts of time.
That being said, you can be in super shape and still blow up in a race.
Confidence
One of the biggest dream stealers is naysayers who ruin your confidence.
I remember a 2:16:00 marathoner I used to train with who told me to quit.
He told me this while I was still a 2:43:36 marathoner.
His rational was partially true in that to be a world-class marathoner 2:43 simply wasn't fast enough to compete at the national yet alone the world stage.
I would have never run 2:19:35 had I let his comment get the best of me.
You really have to focus on your short and long-term goals.
Find something that is going to get you out the door regardless what the weather is like.
There are India running teams you can join in your country.
Get involved with the people on these teams and network.
You will grow in confidence and be taken out of your comfort zone.
The result will be a new personal best at your local India running event.
Motivation
This ties in with confidence but motivation is not taught.
Motivation can be enhanced by surrounding yourself with the right people.
It can be affected by weather and by other racers in your race.
If you lose contact with a group of runners it can dampen your motivation.
That being said, strong-minded runners always know runners that take off can come right back to them in the race.
Write down your running goals, envision what you want to do in the sport and use these to motivate yourself.
There will be times you have little energy and drive.
Focus on the goals you have set for yourself and surround yourself with the right people.
This helped me significantly.
Patience
I can help any runner at any race distance in overcoming this major pain point.
Patience is learned and takes many runners damn near forever to fully understand.
I think you fully understand patience after you retire from competing and jog for fun rather than race.
It took me basically 18 years to master the marathon distance.
I ran 2:43:36 in my debut starting in last place at the 2002 NYC marathon. It was for a charity. I started in 32,189th and finished in 253rd place. The rest is history.
I was intimidated to say the least but it took from November of 2002 to December of 2007 to go from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35.
Patience is the key to running success.
You have to continue to adjust your training habits, learn what works and factor in what doesn't.
There is much more in-depth, specific training posts I have written about here to view on the archives page.
Pick the topic and review our various postings.
I am currently working on building a E-course on how to break the 3 and 4 hour marathon which will be coming soon.
I continue to listen to my readers and their needs so please contact me if you have something you'd like to see here on RDA.
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