TVMM - Race Week

Finally, the race organizers of Trivandrum Marathon have sent some updates via email. I love reading these because it really amps up my enthusiasm and energy and is an important part of my ritual of getting race-ready.

They've sent the much awaited info on the bib expo venue, the race venue & details on the getting there bit, reporting times and flag-off times for the various events and - my favourite - the route map. I had heard, that last year the marathon was flagged off in the city and was run on a 10k loop that snaked through the city roads. I had been mentally prepared therefore to run the half marathon in 2 loops (extremely tedious & boring!). I was so happy to see, then that this year's route was a 21k loop which meant just a single loop half marathon (yay!). 

On a bonus note, the start point is from Shangmukham beach and the route that they've sketched may be the route along the beach towards veli - which offers lots more hope for a scenic, breezy, pleasant run than the city roads did. 

As always, I pored over google maps, obsessively trying to trace this sketchy route out on the "real" map. I think I've come pretty close to it. The angles of the route on my map is clearly not at neat, defined 90 degrees as shown on the race route map but it is a perfect 21.1k - and it hits all the landmarks shown on their map - Veli boat club, VSSC & All saints college. I'm going to assume its the right one.

Next, I would break the route down point-wise and figure out my ideal crossing time for various points - in case you were wondering, this is why I do this exercise in the first place. (I'm keeping this next task for another day.)

Race excitement aside, I am also greatly looking forward to visiting home - its been a while. I will leave on Friday evening and will have the whole of Saturday to relax with the folks - will have to nip down to the YMCA hall to collect my bib though. Post run on Sunday, I get to chill out and wind down at home and stuff my face with some awesome food - most likely parotta and chilly chicken! :-) Can't wait for this weekend to get here.