Wednesday Workouts and Indian Chaos: A Running Tale
Coming into Delhi from Gurgaon on my last run in India.
On a Wednesday, I typically have two runs - two interval sessions. I like it. It’s a big day, and I enjoy the somewhat contrary take on “hump day.” Why not make the middle of the week a bit more brutal? The intervals range from 1-5K or 3-4 minutes 'on', with 1-2 minute breaks. I’m getting quite close to the Nove Colli Run (round 2), so the volume is increasing. The other gear shift is that I’ve just done a lactate and VO2 Max test with Fletch. The test went well and showed a pretty significant improvement of 25 seconds per kilometre on my threshold pace;this is great and very reassuring as I work towards Italy.
There is a downside, however - my long slow runs are now a lot faster. Reminds me of that quote from Greg LeMond:
“It never gets easier, you just get faster.”
Well, last Wednesday was a bit different. Not only were the new splits going to test me, the bigger challenge was my location.I was in India. Officially, it was a family holiday -but it was also a great opportunity to double up as a training camp too. Heat training can be as beneficial as altitude, and it was HOT. We were in Udaipur, and the mercury was over 40°C.
There aren’t many people out running in India later in the day - and for good reason. It’s boiling. I ventured from the hotel, weaving my way along and through the traffic. If you’ve been to India, you’ll understand - or at least appreciate. If not, then take everything you think you know about roads, traffic, and vehicles and turn it upside down. It’s chaos. Traffic doesn’t flow in an orderly fashion - it flows like water. Vehicles (and I include cows and camels) move into every available void on the tarmac.
There’s a cacophony of horns - not alerting you to danger or imminent catastrophe. No, the horn is a constant audio accompaniment. It means many things: “I’m here,” “I’m coming,” “Get out of the way,” “I’m bigger than you,” or just plain and simple “Here’s a button - let’s press it.” The traffic kind of works. And the slightly more perplexing part is - you can actually run in it. A pedestrian on the M4 in the UK would cause quite a stir. In India, it’s almost encouraged.
So, I’m heading to the lake. I’ve got a handheld bottle with me, full of my trusty Tailwind, and a few rupees to buy some water to refill. The first 5K interval begins. Time seems to stand still. The heat is making my brain slow down - this is the longest 5K ever. I dodge cows, tuk-tuks, and the occasional overzealous motorbike rider who thinks a runner is such a novelty they want to swerve towards you. Bloody hell - I’ve got three more of these to go.
Interval two begins, just two minutes later. I’m heating up fast, not carrying enough water to waste any on trying to cool myself down. People are looking at me very strangely. This is getting quite bad now. Even the simple task of working out where to turn (so I finish my second interval back at the stall selling water) takes all my brain capacity. As I’m setting out for the third 5K, I make the decision that this is the final one. I’m not going to make it back otherwise.
Interval sessions in India in the middle of the day are officially a definition of madness.
I loved the rest of my training camp - I mean, family holiday. Running in India is off-the-scale mad - every single aspect of it. Where else would you find yourself running past an elephant walking down the middle lane of a triple carriageway? Or a herd of buffalo chilling in the shade across the whole road? Cows lolloping across as a lorry hurtles past. A man rolls down the window of his car - “Why you running?” he shouts as his car goes past, beeping its horn. Not a question I’d considered. Of course I was going to be running.
From Delhi to Udaipur, Jaipur to Jabalpur, it was an absolutely mind, leg, and lung-blowing adventure. People might question your sanity for running in India - you probably are - but I highly recommend it. Truly epic.
Oh, and a good tip: if you’re going to be running in a tiger reserve, my recommendation is to go running at midday. It’s too hot for the tigers, so you’re far less likely to have to sprint for your life!
Turns out the roads are quite quiet in the tiger reserve.