I was often called the lazy bum of the family. Totally non athletic and far away from being robust in any way. When i enrolled for the half marathon and its 12 wk training i had never ever run even a mile. I enrolled only because i wanted Mohit to run and get into a regime. I came across an email about a training for half Marathon! I googled how much is a half Marathon! Such was my ignorance! 13.1 miles 21kms ! Thats how far my office is from home and it takes me a good 45 mins drive in peak hours to reach there. So am I thinking of running to my office. That seemed like an undoable task but regardless there was no harm in training. All i had to do was to ensure Mohit completed the run and my goal would be achieved. I joked with my friends that after 5 miles i would take an uber and reach the finish line.
The 12 weeks training started and to my shock the very 1st run the coach made us do was a 3mile! Each and every part of my bone cracked and pained for the next 3 days. Honestly i was the most difficult student for my coaches and also the most doubtful one. However thank God the coaches did not give up on me. Till the 8 miles week i use to have sleepless nights every Friday thinking how would i do the run on saturday morning and then something changed. By now my Saavn music playlist had grown and had all my favorite numbers. I was running with a free mind to beautiful terrain enjoying the music and i completed 9 miles. The training is only till 10 miles. Once you complete 10 miles its understood you would make it for 13.1miles on the race day. For me the self doubt had given way to an immense confidence by now. While I saw many others much better runners being nervous about the final run i was somehow at peace. I just felt i would be able to run and complete 13.1 miles.
The day of the final run arrived and we all reached Berkeley. Beautiful morning and an amazing crowd - 9000 runners and that euphoria. At the gunshot we started our run. Me and Mohit ran together for the 1st 2 miles, clicking pictures and sharing with our families back in India who were cheering and tracking us online - great moral boosters. But as is always the case my journeys are always the tough ones, it started to rain and it suddenly changed into heavy downpour. I had never seen such huge rain in the bay area before this day! To top it up it was so cold! and i have a problem - if my feet are wet and cold they cramp!!! If not cramping pneumonia was sure to happen! I looked up into the sky and said “Seriously God ?????”
It was all fine till the 7th mile and then rain got worse and my shoes and feet were drenched in water. At the mile 8 my mind started giving away with the fear that my legs will cramp any moment. If they cramped there was no way i cud even walk leave aside running. I would need to be lifted in an ambulance! Mohit was way ahead in the run constantly calling me to check on how i was doing but i dint want to disclose my fear to him and make him to stop. I messaged my family to pray and called my sister who was half asleep yet tracking my run. Cried in fear. I was already disappointed in anticipation that despite the hard work i would not be able to make it. She said U just run till u cramp coz the cramping wouldn’t happen today. I slowed down but continued to run. Somewhere at the 9th mile i heard from Mohit that he had completed the run! I was in tears Mission accomplished! My mind told me at this point - take an uber and get to the finish line. Lol.
10th mile dragging my feet i was at a huge crossroad with traffics stopped on all 4 sides and 6 cops in their black uniform standing very much in the same rain and clapping for me as i cross it!! That feeling i tell ya - I felt like Shahrukh Khan and the universe conspiring to help me finish the race... lol.The run had to be completed in 4 hrs else u would be disqualified.. I was amongst the last 100 from a total of 9000 runners who ran that day and completed my run in 3 hrs 40 mins!! I danced thru the finish line. I did it. Mohit and my coaches standing there to welcome. I had run not 13.1 but 13.5 miles actually in a heavy rain with drenched feet without cramping and without pneumonia.
Huge learnings from this whole episode.... You can achieve just about anything if you decide to ....Our brain cheats us.. Dont let it do that.... Dont fear cause most of the things you fear for dont happen... Have ur anchors ready who can motivate you :) and pull you up. A coach your teacher is important in life. This wouldn’t have been possible without their discipline and coaching. I dint realize when running became addictive or rather i should say meditative. A new profound joy of unleashing your energies in the right direction. Running frees you, cleanses your mind detoxifies you! We were born to run!
We are running our 2nd half Marathon on 21st May this year and i can assure i will finish it with better timing than 3hrs 40 mins.
It was all fine till the 7th mile and then rain got worse and my shoes and feet were drenched in water. At the mile 8 my mind started giving away with the fear that my legs will cramp any moment. If they cramped there was no way i cud even walk leave aside running. I would need to be lifted in an ambulance! Mohit was way ahead in the run constantly calling me to check on how i was doing but i dint want to disclose my fear to him and make him to stop. I messaged my family to pray and called my sister who was half asleep yet tracking my run. Cried in fear. I was already disappointed in anticipation that despite the hard work i would not be able to make it. She said U just run till u cramp coz the cramping wouldn’t happen today. I slowed down but continued to run. Somewhere at the 9th mile i heard from Mohit that he had completed the run! I was in tears Mission accomplished! My mind told me at this point - take an uber and get to the finish line. Lol.
10th mile dragging my feet i was at a huge crossroad with traffics stopped on all 4 sides and 6 cops in their black uniform standing very much in the same rain and clapping for me as i cross it!! That feeling i tell ya - I felt like Shahrukh Khan and the universe conspiring to help me finish the race... lol.The run had to be completed in 4 hrs else u would be disqualified.. I was amongst the last 100 from a total of 9000 runners who ran that day and completed my run in 3 hrs 40 mins!! I danced thru the finish line. I did it. Mohit and my coaches standing there to welcome. I had run not 13.1 but 13.5 miles actually in a heavy rain with drenched feet without cramping and without pneumonia.
Huge learnings from this whole episode.... You can achieve just about anything if you decide to ....Our brain cheats us.. Dont let it do that.... Dont fear cause most of the things you fear for dont happen... Have ur anchors ready who can motivate you :) and pull you up. A coach your teacher is important in life. This wouldn’t have been possible without their discipline and coaching. I dint realize when running became addictive or rather i should say meditative. A new profound joy of unleashing your energies in the right direction. Running frees you, cleanses your mind detoxifies you! We were born to run!
We are running our 2nd half Marathon on 21st May this year and i can assure i will finish it with better timing than 3hrs 40 mins.
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