Often the barrier is in our minds. We have come across this line many times. Well so did I. But when you are placed in a situation when you have to cross them. Thats when the cookie crumbles. You start getting the jitters. You start doubting it and mostly all these leads to delay in action. We think we can prepare better some other day. We will come back another day to slay it. But mostly that day never comes. When life gives you the opportunity to do something which you have prepared for mostly, don’t hesitate, do it. If you are scared, do it scared. But doing it is the key.
I had planned 3 months from the start of this year to complete my 1st half marathon. I have been running on and off but not technically training under any coach or joined any club etc. I have been doing the 5k and 10 k pretty consistently. Then one fine day, i just felt good and closed a neat 20k, albeit it was purely motivation and a fluke most likely but then my body took it. and I knew that to stretch it by another 1.2 kms would be do able and not impossible.
So with the experiences of many runs behind me and the careful thought to avoid any negatives the previous day, I quietly decided the dress that I would wear, the route I would take and the food I would eat by when the previous night etc. Important to run lite in the stomach though not completely empty.
I got up at 430 am and did the normal chores of drinking a glass of warm water, made myself some tea and with 2 biscuits slipped a nice warn cup of tea. At 530 I got dressed, my nike react shoes all laced up, the bottle of water filled which I did not carry during the run, but left it in my car at my finish line.
With a 6-7 minutes warm up in the dark, I adjusted my time on the watch and started the half marathon guided run on the nike run club app. I put spotify “all out 80s hindi” album on my playlist and started off.
The first 3 kms in the dark and nice breeze with slight drizzle was good. I felt comfortable and easy. The music the motivating voice of coach benett in the NRC app kept me going at a nice pace. Slowly as I came towards the rainbow hospital junction the day light came strong, the highway traffic little more for an early Sunday morning. I continued past our church road, past yamalur junction and towards HAL. By now I was doing over 8kms and it started feeling tiring. I was looking forward to the 10 kms mark so that I could turn around. But this was a 21.1 km and hence I decided to go further then the 10kms mark and wait for app to guide me my half-way point.
Exactly near the HAL Market junction the half-way mark came and nicely I turned around the HAL junction in the new tarred road .Glad to have reached the half-way mark. From here, my mind was suddenly motivated and the voice inside told me…”you have done half of it..go for the next half, however tough, don’t stop. Glory waits at the other end. That kept me going.
My legs were starting to hurt and as I passed the traffic in the opposite direction, I was cognizant that my speed and reduced, My knee was hurting and I was almost drooping down. I pulled myself up and started to look front, arms crossing beside me not stationary. As I turned towards the church road, I felt good. This was the Quiter part of my run and seeing few other morning walkers gave me a dash of motivation. But it was beginning to hurt.
I crossed the highway and as I made towards the 15 km mark…I was feeling really tired. My breathing was ok but my back and legs were hurting. I knew it was going to be tough but facing it was torture. But the glory at the other side did not let me stop. As I crossed the kundala halli metro station, I entered the last 3 kms, I had the momentary doubts that I would give up at the last mile.The thought of the ending was actually making me more nervous so I started not to think about it. I slowed down and kept at a pace which felt little more comfortable. By now I was really tired. My legs were giving up and my knees was hurting.
Seeing the last stretch towards my finish line and my car in sight gave me that last push of adrenaline to continue to finish what I had started. To complete what I dreamt of for months. To achieve what was impossible to me a few years back.
Hearing Coach benett saying the last 20 meters was so satisfying. And finally, the last few meters to the finish line. To touch my car after the completion of the 21.1 kms half marathon. I had actually run 200 meters more as my car was parked slightly away.
I stopped. I thought. Immersing myself into the world which only I knew how important it was. Running is a deep connection between yourself and the world in which only you two exist.
I had completed the half marathon Run. Kudos to myself. And to more starting lines. Everything is impossible till it’s done.
Comments