So here it was, finally I did complete my pro 10k. In early 2018 when I was told by my Neurosurgeon, Dr Sathish , that running is good for the brain and of course good for the body , I literally took it as a laugh.
I was into some gymming and some cycling and some sports but not really obsessive or regular in any. Though I had started out as a morning person getting up around the 5:00am. I dint really have a regular exercise routine.
But my every visit post surgery to Dr Sathish , he was always insisting that I start running and by December 2018 he was almost coercing and asking if I was coming for the upcoming mid night marathon that I think he flags off or presides being a Sr rotary Member…I said yes I will come. Having just started walks in the morning and an occasional jog I was not very confident I would go for the marathon and that too for a midnight marathon.
So the day came and passed and I dint go for it.. but somehow it hit me and made me feel little awkward that I could not go for this inspite of telling his to him and thus I made a little resolution that I should start running and maybe go for the next one..of course like many new year resolutions this too would not make it thus far . But then Corona came and Driving or Roadtrips took an absolute stop. Thankfully we had just moved into a complex which had a nice outdoor cricket field which also had a running / walking track around it.
I started doing a few rounds of that field and very soon over a few months I was running 30 minutes at a stretch which honestly I never knew I could and believe me all of you can too. Just do it.
Soon running indoors became monotonous and I started running outdoors. Taking advantage of my morning habit I started routine runs for 20 – 30 minutes almost 3 times a week.
Within months I completed a 5k and started doing regular 5ks. Finally with a great leap of faith one day I completed a 10k in 1 hour 20 minutes . Since that day I have done a few 10ks and when the TCS run got announced I decided to go for it. I was very sure that I would not fail this one like the midnight marathon and hence for the last 4 weekends I have been attempting 10k every sunday so that the TCS run would not feel overwhelming.
After collecting the BIB the previous day , the crowd there and the buzz also got to me…and I started looking forward to the Sunday 10K TCS Run. But the night before the Run it started pouring cats and dogs. I had my doubts about the early morning event as the run was to start at 5:30 am. which means with traffic and parking restrictions I had to leave home by 4:15 am max.
We left at 4″20 am after persuading Karen( my wife) to drop me in the drizzling rain near the venue and of course in the middle of her slumber but she did drop me and as I made my way in the drizzle towards the stadium the crowd there was huge. The rains obviously did not stop anyone or their josh. Following the crowd I moved it, pinned my bib and started dot at 5:30 am bustling in the crowd within the stadium premises which was all puddles and slush. But as soon as the crowd hit the road, things got better, people got running, the slight rain was just adding to the adventure and the romance. I love running in the rain so it helped.
Kanteerva Stadium on Run Day at 5:00am. No dearth of motivation. Great to See this.
The crowd was running , some walking , some laughing but there was dedication and there was passion all round.
We crossed the epic MG Road and reached the chinnaswamy stadium at the 5k mark. We ran the next few kms into cubbon park and suddently we were 9 kms done and looking at the home stretch. soon crowd along the way was cheering all of us , 500 metres to go, 400 metrs to go , 300, 200 and the final 100 meters.
We touched the finish line and remembering coach benett from the nike running club. “There is no finish line”…but todays finish line was reached, it was done.
Thats it. so completed the TCS 10k run and made myself and Dr Sathish Proud I hope. Running is so liberating , so fulfilling and starting from a couch almost to completing a 10k in my middle years , Thats Something… 🙂
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