Rebirth — A Running Journey
2019 — An Unforgettable Year
It was a day which every first time runner craves for. The city was Bangalore. It is known to be the best metro city in India for running, where weather is extremely supportive for runs. The culture of this city is addictive and colorful, and the humility of people here adds to its overall beauty and experience.
It was 4 AM in the morning and I was surrounded by a sea of human bodies who had their own motivations and reasons to slog through hours of gruelling running today. This was at the heart of the city, where we would be starting from Kanteerava Stadium and will run through the greenest part of the town breathing fresh air. In an hour of start, I had crossed the 10 KM mark and I was sweating profusely and trying to keep pace with marching legs around me. I had 32.2 KM left to go.
Flashback
Three years ago, I was just living and crawling through my life. It was monotonous, with no zeal, and no clear goals. I woke up every morning with zero enthusiasm and sustained through the week with frequent migraines. My mind and body desperately needed a big jolt and a rebirth. My mind was screaming for some kind of change, indeed a big change.
One day, I woke up and pushed myself to run 2 km, motivated by a video. Instead of a happy ending, I got pushed further back by a few months in my attempt to break through the shell I was in. The sudden run had triggered vertigo and brought me down for a week. I was lying in bed recovering from a failed adventure. The doctor I had visited made a comment with a bit of humour:
“Is umar me *Milkha Singh banne chale ho?”. English translation is
“At this age do you want to become Milkha Singh?”.
* Milkha Singh was a famous Indian track and field sprinter in 1960s
This setback scared me, but the burning desire remained intact. I stood up again after few weeks.
This time I started slow, took advantage of YouTube and sought guidance on what this journey truly requires. Consistent exercises and short (one to three) kilometer runs gave way to confidence and further goals. Meanwhile, I saw some folks running every day in groups in my residential society, but did not have the confidence to join them. I was not used to the pace they were running. Some of them had lean and athletic physiques, and the ease with which all of them chatted and laughed through the runs, made me conscious of the fact that I need to do more before joining them.
But life has its way to get you what you truly seek. Amongst all daily runners, one person was conspicuous by his running style — he did not wear shoes while running and he ran almost “daily”. I made up my mind one day and uttered “Hi” to this gentleman. That very moment changed the course of my life. This admirable person was Prasannakumar Nijalingappa, lovingly called as “Anna” and was part of a society running group named “Running Ninjas”. This may sound like an exaggeration but knowing this group did open up new avenues and helped me understand what our mind is truly capable of.
This meeting opened up doors for me to learn all about running. In my daily run with the group, I got to learn what warmup is before starting a run, post run stretching exercises, and the journey it takes to reach from one to ten kilometers. Weekly increases in mileage brought in new kinds of pain, both good and bad, and I learnt what it takes to recover from them without any serious injuries. Gradually, with this running group I was able to complete 10 KM over the months.
With every milestone, the discussion always started on “what next?” It became easy to increase distances with the support and motivation from this group. Climbing from 10 to 20 km was achieved in a few months. As expected, talk of a 30 km goal started. With support from friends like Chandra and Aashu, along with Anna, I was ready for 30 km events very soon. Eventually, I was able to complete a few 30 km events within a year of starting my running journey. None of this would have been possible without the support of “Running Ninjas”. Although the group majorly comprises members from one residential societies, it has some remarkably fast long distance runners and endurance athletes, notably, Vimal who is a Boston Qualifier (sub-three hour marathon) and Nirav who has completed Hawkman (15 km swim, 325 km cycling, 100 km run).
Moment of Joy!
With 10 km already covered, the next milestone was 20 km. Since I had covered this distance in a few events earlier, the confidence was high. I was able to complete it running and set my eyes on the next distance, 30 km. Mind started playing games and making your feet move through this stretch was challenging, but it was achieved somehow with positive thoughts and affirmations.
Bananas and glucose water which you get enroute, feels like amrit (nectar) on parched throat, as this is the only luxury you get amidst hours of running.
Last 10 km of a marathon are known to be the toughest when the body is extremely tired and it is your mind which plays the major role in getting your feet moving. Most first time marathoners are in the same state, baring those who have trained very hard for this moment. It was a mix of walking and short runs inspired by shouts and motivational words “Keep going”, “You can do it” from fellow runners. In this confusion, contemplation and self-talk, an hour passed by, and I could hear the loud music from the stadium as the distance left to be covered was only 1 km. Hurray! Finally, I could see the destination, a marathon goal which the “Running Ninjas” group made reachable and achievable through countless hours of practice runs and endless support. Crossing the finishing line, amidst the invisible positive vibrations of fellow runners was my “moment of glory”.
After taking a few pictures, the only thing I craved was a delicious breakfast at the venue, followed by my earnest desire to handover the medal of completion to my wife and daughter and convey the message “anything is possible”. I wanted to Thank them from the core of my heart for their support over many many months, my long absence from home and bombarding them with daily achievements and self-boasting :)
Why do people run?
Running requires no opponent, no club house and no equipment. You just need mother earth under your feet and any plane surface to put one foot after the other. In regular casual runs, you don’t compete with anyone and the camaraderie between runners is out of this world. Your competition is with yourself, with your past performance and with your mind. Every time I start running, it is never easy, but the satisfaction that follows minutes later is what I yearn for.
Topic of scientific benefits of running or exercises will fill up pages, but for someone new to this world will love to know that they will benefit from weight loss, better cardio health, better sleep, improved memory, better mood and energy.
Any sport that makes you sweat is beneficial, but running has a special place in liberating you from your daily worries and it gives you an immediate sense of achievement and freedom.
Give it a try, if you are not already into some kind of sport. Anyone at any age can start but it has to be attempted very very slowly. It will take weeks and months to make progress but it will all be worthwhile. You will bring home a rejuvenated mind and body, which has a positive influence on people around you.
Go for it!
“Arise awake and stop not until the goal is reached.” Swami Vivekananda
