I had started about 3 weeks before the event, knowing that I would eventually do it but making sure the body too had some kind of a hint of what it should expect in the next one month to come. Up at 6 and a jog for about half an hour made sure I was comfortable with the half way mark after which I was looking at allowing my so called determination (which I never trust) to take over and get me across the finish line.
I loved the mornings and waking up to them, the roads were wet from yesterday nights rains and the freshness of those moments were when I think of it worth it all. I realised the best way to do this was to not treat it as an exercise but to enjoy the run and allow it to be a treat for the body. I also figured that the first one kilometer was the most difficult till my body adjusted to the smooth flowing movement.
Chrysallis too was getting happier, the money being collected for a good cause was slowly but surely trickling in, the last few days before the run was turning out to be more of a flow than a trickle and we were all happy. The team of 14 runners kept sending out encouraging mails, some of them did a trial walk arounf the route and we were all pepped up by the cause and the newness of the venture. This was to be my first mini 10k marathon and I was looking forward to it. With it planned to be such a big event, there was a lot of admin work being done by the organisers backend which meant we were to collect our running tags, goodie bags and sign in a couple of days before. It was great to see the coordination and the professionalism with which the event was being churned out (atleast to the participants eye, everything was running smooth though I know the organisers would have had a tough time behind the screens as it happens for every suc h event). Over the last few days of the my so called practise, I was doing between 4-5 kms in half an hour comfortably and set my self a target of finishing the run in an hour and 15 min.
The open 10k run was to start at 8:10am and knowing that the traffic would be ridiculous as well as my hunt for parking would get more difficult if I reached late, I decided to be at the venue atleast an hour before the start. To my luck all the roads were blocked for the run and the parking lots organised for this particular event was just not accessible, I would have had to do a complete circle of about 6-7 kms just to get there and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it in time looking at the beeline of traffic which was headed that way. The weather was pleasant and it didn’t look like the sun would come out anytime soon with a slight cloud cover making it perfect weather for the run. I parked about 2kms from the venue and treated the walk as a warm up of sorts. What this allowed me was to gain inspiration from the above 65 years category of runners who had started early and the sight was just amazing. There were cheerfully walking and shouting slogans, there was a group of people who were a part of a laughter club who had joined and were doing their laughter club routine while doing the walk; one elderly gentleman was off at a comfortable jogging pace giving it all he had and there was this wonderful old lady with a stick and who had to be helped at walking, smiling and walking one arm around her friend who was supporting her. This old lady went about 300 metres before turning back and walking back to the start line and I couldn’t but admire her for her effort, here was a lady who looked easily to be atleast 90, not only taking part but enjoying it!
Just thinking of Krishna participating in the wheelchair marathon was enough; it gave me a certain sense of pride to be running along with him. Of course the very thought was also enough to make sure that I don’t stop for loss of face to myself than to anyone else. Motivation is a strange thing and I guess you need all kinds to kick yourself into action!
Mayank, Dev and I were together and were pinning up our running tags, drinking sips of water and waiting to start the run. The small gates in Kanteerava stadium opened and a surge of participants started off. The more I watched in fascination at the enthusiastic runners, the more it looked like a fountain of multi coloured cola fizzing and gushing out of the bottle when shaken before the cap is removed. There they were, out in the open, finally let loose and of they went like mice let loose from their cages. Flags waving, cameras flashing, shouting in excitement, calling to their friends, re adjusting their running tags, drinking up water, slowly the line of runners traced through the stadium tracks and over to the outer rings before pouring over into the roads of bangalore and onto the pre marked and pre defined race course. I waited my turn, no pushing, no shoving and when I finally kicked off my run, I glanced up at the start clock which was already 20 min ahead. “That’s not a problem”, I thought since I had my time piece counting down my time to finish (if I did, that I wasn’t sure of at the beginning of the race). Mentally I had put in a plan and thought it wise to run 900 metres, walk a 100 metres and repeat the cycle through out. Like we all know, the thought is great but when it comes to actually doing the activity all the thoughts and plans are shed aside and instinct takes over.
So there I was running with the crowd, weaving through the ones walking, I was suddenly thinking to myself, “this feels more like an obstacle race than a marathon, oops sorry lady… passing through… man that guy runs fast, hope he stays steady… wow check out those legs… hubba hubba!. ” Many a time, I found myself hopping over to the pavment and running past the trees on the side simply because the roads were blocked with slow runners and walkers. Up and down, left side and then the right, move some more to the right, run straight 20 steps before going through the practise again. The first 2 kilometres were run well, I felt the first beads of sweat forming and it felt good. I passed Diana and Cynthia on my way here also saw mithila and Dhananjay who were standing on the side of the road cheering all the runners and pepping everyone to keep going. Thanks so much guys for the inspiration and support! I could feel the positive energy all around, people of all ages and sizes, chating and laughing, some very focused o ntheir running, others on their breathing, a few even on their mobiles… and here I was in between all the chaos, fitting I nperfectly, loving every moment of it.
From the beginning of the race, I felt my bladder asking for permission to let loose but where to go in the crowd, where were those toilets that had been promised to be kept enroute. Suddenly I spot a sign board and it encourages me to hurry a little more and it was a complete disappointment when I got there. One movable toilet each set on the sides with a long line already in front of me. Without wasting any time and confident of holding on, I continue running along and now when I look back at this moment, I can help but laugh myself silly yet knowing that focusing on the bladder definitely helped me conquer a few kilometres without stopping! There I was focusing on my breathing and holding on for dear life hoping I don’t lose control crossing over the 5 km mark and slowing down to catch my breath and grap a small bottle of water which the organisers had setup at convenient locations all along the route. I could see Sumit completely red in the face and jogging with his new shoes and gave him a thumbs up. I later surprised myself by going back to the place where I walked and it was less than 400 metres, I had run the rest of the stretch! There on Kamaraj raod where I walked, is a busstop where buses don’t stop but a small group of elders had gathered to cheer the runners and as I passed them, one old gentleman stood up and shouted ‘Bharat Matha ki jai!!’ half amused, half acknowleding his support, I carried on smiling to myself.
My brain refused to allow myself to throw the bottle like most of the other runners and there I was running with a small towel in one hand and an empty bottle in the other, one eye keeping a look out for a toilet which didn’t have a line and the other searching for a dustbin to throw the bottle! There there there! I spot a brown small bin kept in the corner and the bottle is rid off as I continue my slow but steady jog. Almost 6 kms up and I’m feeling very good about this run, I remember myself talking to myself in my head now believing that I can run the remaining entire distance.
Across towards Vidhana Soudha, passing both the magnificent buildings and quite a lot of the crowd who have started walking by now, I remember slowly weaving through and my tired mind asking for a separate lane for runners so they don’t have to do this criss crossing between people. In front of me, I saw two small boys from the army school being encouraged by I presume their PT coach or elder brother to continue running and it was wonderful to see both of them though tired giving it all they had in steady measured footsteps. I am sure they had not stopped through the run and my heart went out to them. Slowly passing them by, a little after the 8km mark, I spot Vikram with his camera clicking away again and hope that he’s got a few good snaps of me. I almost missed Heena as I passed her and heard her shouting encouragemnent over my shoulder.
I slow down for another bottle of water near an ambulance parked on the side and walk the distance of finishing the bottle. After looking around a little for a dustbin, I gave up on it and kept jogging through. There it was, I could now see Kanteerava Stadium and put on a little burst of speed looking to reach the finish line faster. Glancing at my watch, I could see that it was 5 min to an hour of jogging and I knew I could finish by the 70 min mark. Crossing the finish line felt great exact of the dot of the 70th minute and there I was, next to Mayank with whom I had started the race. We had started and ended the race together! My legs felt fine, we fought through the crowd of tired but happy marathon runners who were ecstatic on having finished, to a corner were a few army men dancing away after finishing the run to some nice street music. We waited for the entire team to slowly come, taking their time and decided to head to welcome back India coffee house who had opened again much to my delight. After a heavenly breakfast of dasas, egg sandwichs and amazing coffee, I slowly allowed myself to sink in the fact that I had completed my first mini 10k marathon and was feeling good about it.
Thanks all for supporting my run, we as a team were able to collect about Rs 1.25 lakhs which will be going to the children and the gifting activity we do every year. The target this year is to gift and make atleast one lakh children feel special and after this run, I know anything is possible. We’ll get there and we’ll get there smiling!
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