Date: October 15, 2023 Time: 05:10 Hrs Place: JLN Stadium, New Delhi
Disclaimer: The
following narration is based on true events and any resemblance to any living
being is truly intentional. The author has left
no stone unturned to boast his leg's heroics. Please ignore the unsolicited gyaan and a few Hindi words scattered here and there.
Same crowd as it was in 2019, probably more. Same colors too, orange/pink/blue/yellow/green and more, I
mean the T-shirt color. So here I am, standing in the holding area and waiting
for the gun. First Airtel(Oops Vedanta) Delhi half marathon(HM) post-covid.
Although my first HM after COVID was IDBI earlier this year. Ok, Apollo Tyres. The world has changed post-COVID, including the title sponsor of these events. What used to
be Airtel and IDBI earlier has now become Vedanta and Appollo tyres respectively.
Typically, my running calendar starts with Airtel HM in October, followed by the TCS full marathon (FM) in January, and ends with IDBI HM in February.
So, what between March to
September, well my legs do train. But like normal(read lazy) human beings, my
training started mid-July this year. Annually my belly increases by a few inches
by July, goes back to its original position by December and the cycle continues.
I had broken this cycle by not running at all in the last 3 years, let’s see if the
cycle can be broken the other way too. Did a sub 2(less than 2 Hrs) HM in
February with a month's training and the goal this time is sub 1:50. Did not
follow the training schedule as planned but koi nahin. Did a 50-minute 10k last Tuesday, my last training run. It was a great confidence booster for my legs. That
was also officially the last run with my TomTom Adventurer GPS watch. The
company has discontinued its running watch business on Sep 30, 2023. Just an FYI.
For every
runner, the day before the race day is very important. I had my hair cut and trimmed my toenails. My legs would not like to carry even a single extra milligram and it will decrease the air resistance too. And shaved too, want to look good in the race day photos. Had dinner by 8pm. Chose my running tee(bright Orange) and my shorts. Took
out my new running shoes, somewhere between pink and orange. Let me tell you,
choosing the right running shoe has become a task in itself, pronation/supination/flat
foot/cushioning/toe box and whatnot, and not to forget the prices. These big
brands are building their empire on our sweat and, at times blood too. My right leg's big toenail is still black 😊. Oh yeah, forgot to share, it was the India Vs
Pakistan day-night match in the cricket World Cup yesterday. Boring match, one-sided. With sweet memories went to bed at around 10:30 pm. The alarm is set for 2 a.m. as the HM starts at 5:20 in the morning. Had to struggle to sleep, normal
phenomenon with me and runners in general.
Woke up sharp at 2(not sure what to say, morning or night), but all fresh. After the usual morning rituals including the bath, was at the dining table at 3:15 a.m., this happens only on the race day. Had two freshly prepared hot Aloo sandwiches (courtesy mom), good carb loading. Could have gone for third, but stopped myself thinking have to run in a couple of hours. Runners are always hungry, remember that character in Tom and Jerry, the little nibble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXKVgQZFUfA), loves the way he pats in delight after eating.
But let me explain. We runners don’t eat so much because we are hungry. We eat because we think we have run a lot and hence are very hungry. It's in the mind, that insatiable hunger. I love running and eating, they balance each other. I run to eat Chole-bhature/Rajma-chawal/Kotu-ki-pakori(obviously this is not the complete list) without any guilt. Just in case you don’t know one of these names, believe me, you are missing something in your life. I am here for your help, ping me.
3:35 am, left for the race venue,
it’s around 40 Km from here. Picked
Sandeep en route. Sandeep and I have been running buddies for the last 14 years. Have
run most of my HMs/FMs with him. I have known him since my last organization. My
last organization (apart from Mr. Kalmadi who organized the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi) had a big role in getting me into running. They had a
fantastic running culture like the annual 6K race, sending large contingents for Delhi and Mumbai marathons. Sandeep was
the champion there. Those were the days; the present organization has a lot to
catch up in this area.
4:20 a.m. reached JLN(Jawahar Lal Nehru) stadium. After
parking the car and all those security checks we reached the warm-up area. The
warm-up area was hustling and bustling with runners but still looked slightly
dull this time. The usual loud music to set our adrenaline pumping was missing.
After waking up a few sleepy muscles and releasing the excess bladder pressure,
we walked towards the holding area.
And here I am standing with thousands
of maniacs. Soul and sole, both raring to go. No butterflies, my legs don’t
worry about HM distance anymore. The target for today is somewhere between
[1:49-1:53) (the closing round bracket is intentional). 5:20 a.m., everyone on their marks, and here goes the gun.
The whole mass started moving forward. My legs and the two leopards(one on the
chest and the other one on the left shoulder of my T-shirt) crossed the start line. The fingers
started the timer the moment the foot landed on the first timing mat. It’s still dark
and my legs are not a fan of running in the dark ‘koi nahin, seh lenge’.
That’s me between ‘G’
and ‘L’ at the start line, 30m into the race.
As usual, there is a lot of elbowing and crisscrossing at the start, lane driving is completely prohibited. A few of my fellow runners who
might be aspiring for some aggressive timing and are unfortunately behind the
pack, are breaking all the traffic rules. But my legs
are rule-abiding drivers. They just squeezed in between the two runners in
front with a ‘good going guys’ exclamation, to navigate through them. This continued for a Km till my legs got their own space to run. Km 1 done in 5 mins 38 sec. And here is this patch
of approximately 100m which I truly hate but has become a necessary evil. I
mean seriously, you want runners to run on these uneven concrete bricks(see
below). It's torture, especially for the knees. Given a chance, I would surely sue the race organizers (seh lenge
continues)
My T-shirt is already soaked with
sweat. Mornings start to be cooler by mid-October in this part of the world,
but this year it’s still hot. I am thirsty. Oh yes, I haven't had any water in the last couple of hours. Volunteers are there on the roadside distributing water bottles, but I
have deferred the urge to the next energy drink station. See who is overtaking me
now, the 1:50 bus, could not match their pace. Someone shouted, ‘Jai Mata Di’(it is the first day of Navratri today). Definitely, we need blessings from the goddess. Also
hearing loud roars of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’. Even I repeated the words in
my heart. But I have a question, please help me find the answer. Why do runners
exclaim ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ during the race and why do bands play ‘Ye
desh hai veer jawanon ka’ at almost all Indian weddings. One answer
that I can think of is, that maybe both runners and the groom find their situation
to be similar, that of going on a war 😊.
Km 2, a girl is overtaking me. I
mean she is not the only one doing so, but she definitely caught my attention. Her running
posture is great. Straight, slightly leaning forward, looking ahead, landing
perfectly. She must be one of those 50. Wait, you will know which
50. Km 4. Energy drink station. Decided to take one from the last volunteer to
avoid congestion. Looks like there is another brain that decided the same. The
person sprinted from my left and grabbed the cup I am going for. The two hands collided, no damage done, just that some liquid spilled on my shoes. No apologies from either party, the other party continued. I just paused and
grabbed another cup. It’s not that my legs need energy, just that rather than
gulping down plain water, wanted to taste this lemonish-coloured liquid.
Km 5 done in 26:20. A barefoot
runner in dhoti and kurta is running past me, with ‘Pradip Senapati’
written on his back. I cheered him, ‘Kya baat hai sir, jabardast’. He
smiled back with a thumbs-up and ran ahead. I love cheering my fellow runners. There are two
reasons, first, it shifts my attention from ME to OTHERS. Secondly, when they
smile back or reciprocate, it energizes my legs and my pace increases. Let me come back to this topic again. By the way, today I am not that vocal, not sure why. I
guess Mr. Senapati was the first one whom I cheered. Anyway, Senapatiji could
not maintain his pace and I regained my position. Nonetheless, running in
dhoti that too barefoot is an awesome effort, respect him.
Km 8. Dawn is breaking. It is India
Gate on my back and Rashtrapati Bhawan in front, presenting to you the ‘Kartavya
path’. This segment is no doubt the most picturesque on the whole route. Km
10 done in 52:20. My mathematical brain said sub 1:50 is possible. And if I know my
legs, they always get better in the second half of the HM. Overall the most
favorable conditions to run; with beautiful surroundings, the body all warmed up, Sun is
around the corner.
That’s my running gait. The leg behind gives a forward push and the front foot lands on the balls just below the knee, with a slight forward lean and looking ahead. A volunteer poured a few milliliters of H2O on me using a water gun. I did not see it coming hence first reaction is ‘What the …’, but I actually liked it. By the way, there are a few cooling chambers too on the route where runners can just run through them. I avoid using them, the disadvantage of wearing specs. Km 12, Sponge Station, took one. I took off my specs and wiped the NaCl and other salts deposited on my face and arms, while still maintaining the pace. Squeezed some water over my neck(seeing others doing the same). Aaah, bad idea. The T-shirt soaked it and became slightly heavy and sticky(Seh lenge still continues).
Km 14, the Sun is peeking out from
behind the India Gate. Having another 3-second break to gulp down a cup of not-so-tasty
so-called energy drink. In 2010, my first HM, they gave us Gatorade, it used to be
tasty. I loved that orange flavor. Now I guess Gatorade has become popular and
does not need branding anymore in such events. Hearing the ‘Tu bhaag Milkha…’
song in the vicinity. Milkha Singhji was a decorated sprinter of the Indian army and is
popularly known as ‘The Flying Sikh’. He used to run marathons at the young age
of 90 too. Remembered him and kept moving. 500 meters ahead now I am hearing ‘Laila
O Laila…’, the new one. Sorry Milkha sir, but my legs responded to the song instantly. I
am quite sure, even his legs would have liked this one more. But seriously, it’s
not about the lyrics. It’s the beats/music that matter to the overworking legs, causing
the adrenaline rush through them.
Km 16. A runner with grey hairs and
Vikram written on his back is stopping a bit. I went past him and cheered ‘Vikram
sir, come on’. Immediately this guy switched back to running mode. He
replied ‘I was planning to stop, but now just for you will run to the
finish line’. Let’s discuss the topic we deferred at KM5. Generally, I
motivate two types of runners. First, one who looks done and dusted and needs some cheering to rejuvenate their fading spirits. Second, who looks special, in terms of running style, appearance, etc.
Mr. Prajapati belonged to the second category. There is an occasional risk with the first category. I don’t like the ones who overtake me after getting egged on by me. And here something
similar is happening. This guy is fast, really. My legs are putting in extra
effort to match his pace. I told him ‘You are running great’. He opens
up ‘My personal best is 1:38, but today my knees are hurting’. Despite
that, he is running fast. We two struck up a conversation. He is from Gurgaon, OK Gurugram. He ran a 70 Km ultra marathon in Ladakh last month. After running
for a Km together, he took a water break and said, ‘You continue, will meet
at the finish line’. My legs lost their pacer, koi nahin isse bhi seh lenge.
To get the company of someone running more or less at your pace is a blessing, that too in
the final stages of a race.
Km 17. Caught the 1:50 bus and ran past it proudly. Sub 1:50 is definitely on the cards. With 4 km left, I ordered my legs to go full-on. Breathing has become more prominent now. I am still inhaling with my nose but exhaling with my mouth, that too forcefully. So, let’s understand what my current state is? Am I low on energy, not at all. Am I tired, no. For me running is about 2 L’s, Legs and Lungs. My legs are still strong enough to run another 10K. I guess I have to train my lungs to breathe more deeply. For now, everything is in control. Km 19 is done in 1:37:27. Time to press that extra boost button. No cheering anymore, no looking at the watch, all focus on the finish line.
1000 meters to go, switched to sprint mode. The finish line is visible after the last turn. 200 meters, collected every ounce of energy, and running as fast as my legs can in these final few meters. Legs hit the finishing mat while fingers paused the timer. The runner in front of me just stopped at the finish line, clicking photos. My legs applied the emergency brakes. Legs and so the body came to an abrupt halt. My legs are no longer in that 'seh lenge' mode. I turned back, walked to him, and said with a stern(read angry) look, 'Give way to others'. But I am back to my normal self. I think there should be a no-stopping zone of let's say 10 meters, immediately after the finish line. No one should be allowed to stand still in that part. Finish hard, ease down, and move forward. Seems like I have a few things to share with the organizers.
Approaching the finish
line
I looked at my watch, it's showing 1:47:25. Mission accomplished. I am elated and proud of my legs. Certainly, I am their biggest fan, well done Champs. Almost always they exceed my expectations. Have you noticed how intelligently I have covered up my self-boasting? Walking ahead. Time to get the hard-earned finisher medal. The volunteer congratulated me with a broad smile on his face and handed me a towel. Another one placed the finisher medal around my neck. Feeling like I am THE ONE. Drank a few cups of the same lemonish liquid to replenish the lost salts. Took two water bottles. Washed my face and gulped down the rest. Oh, there is a bag for the finishers. Let's see what's inside. Two bananas, a few chocolates, one Nimbu-paani I guess, etc. Bananas have already disappeared, checking the chocolates.
It’s time to relish and rejoice in this special feeling. Soul and Sole both are at rest, at least for some time. Even those training runs in the morning, they are also very special. They give me that ME time and I feel that energy post the run which keeps me moving for the rest of the day. Not to forget, it gives me the license to eat what I want😋. Just soaking in this moment. Soaking some dust too. It’s a crowd of around 20K present in the stadium. They should have sprinkled some water to avoid the dust floating around. Kya isse bhi sehna padega? No, not at all. After clicking some photos together, we are heading back home.
That's the report card of my legs. The pace increased with the distance. This will be hard to replicate on January 21, 2024. Remember? it will be a Full Marathon, 42.195 Km. Can't wait to be at the start line. Till then stay healthy, keep running, and Sayonara. And miles to go before I sleep.
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