The ‘Accidental Marathon’

Physical fitness and exercise have always been a rage. We generally see a spike in this activity around the New Year time. There is no parking space near the gyms and yoga classes, for the first week at least. The running tracks are crowded like flea markets. People are hustling and bustling like there is no tomorrow. This is all, thanks to the outrageous New Year resolutions made by three quarters of the world population. They hog throughout the year and keep postponing getting back into shape till the next year!

To overcome this rush and for the sanctity of the Runners’ Association, some kind people keep organising runs throughout the year. So, any weekend you feel the urge to get going, pull up your socks, tighten your shoe laces and get going, literally. There is no dearth of the number of races that one can sign up for. There are several support groups, to promote this noble cause.

Thanks to the social media, it feels like every third person is running. And running and running. And no one knows where they are reaching. Are they returning home? Their nose held high up in the sky, with long strides, they look down upon the other unsuspecting strollers and purposeful walkers and even the trying-very-hard joggers. They are literally like the James Bond of the racing track. There you are, enjoying nature and appreciating the colours of the spring and there they go whooooosh past you.... leaving you all shaken and stirred, admiring them with jealousy at the core.

I was one such victim. Walking around in my scenic neighbourhood, chitchatting with my friends every evening, taking pride in my stride, I would feel like I am doing the world a favour. The talk part was definitely a stress buster, but the walk part was a stressful fluster. I knew something was amiss. The scales kept in my house would just not budge. And then this running gang with fancy shoes and fancy apps would add to my misery.

 Finally, I mustered all my courage and decided to approach them. It was a fine summer weekend. I strapped on my finest ‘gear’ to feel my best. They were glad to have their clan grow. I was welcomed under their kind canopy of enthusiasm. All I could hear were heavy words like pace and sprint and hydration and stamina and strength training and the likes. I was clearly intimidated by their knowledge and awareness. In a good way, of course! I knew that I had come to the right people.

They stressed upon the importance of warm-up and stretching. They demonstrated the same with variations for all. The first few days went in limping around whole day, almost like Donald Duck. There were times when it felt like quitting is an easier option. Easier does not always mean the right option, though. This is where having a support group proves most beneficial. The spirit and encouragement that they exude is infectious.

And then, life happened. The first thing that we easily give up, based on our other priorities, is taking care of ourselves and postponing our wishes. So, even though I had aimed for running, but was reduced to crawling, at times. The fitness regime went on and off. There were several new beginnings. But when you see the pounds drop, you are motivated to eat cleaner and live healthier. I managed to participate in a 3K society run. It was an out-of-the-world feeling.

One fine day, we got the opportunity to participate in a corporate run. Let us call the company, 'The Hare And The Tortoise', for the sake of anonymity. These are generally well organised and well managed events. I asked my dear hubby, who had also gotten into jogging/running, to sign me up for a humble 5K run. He signed himself up for 10K. We both managed to practise regularly, a bit, in the night, for about two weeks. I would jog and walk for 7kms. And then the run eve arrived. We picked up our bibs only to realise that I am up for 10K, and not 5K. That was the biggest shocker ever.

I felt like how a runner feels when he/she skips the warmup or how he/she has loaded on carbs the day before the run or forgets the stretches after the run. I was left with no option. The whole world had seen me jog around; to whom I had proudly announced that I have a run to accomplish. I was lost-on-the-track types.

There was hardly any time to be mentally prepared, forget being physically prepared. I was being teased by hubby, but encouraged by my kids and friends. I had no other option but to give it my best shot. The next morning, we left in the dark for the venue. In the whole anxiety, I happily forgot to carry my ID card. We had to wait outside the gate, with the security guard giving us looks of unbelievable carelessness. The Cloud came to our rescue. No, it didn’t start raining suddenly. I meant, the online storage. 

We walked a kilometre to reach the registration counter. And there, another bomb was dropped on me. I wasn’t allowed entry since I wasn’t from the corporate world. My registration was done through my hubby. There was this loophole in their system. I wasn’t the only one from this category. I had another friend to give me the boost required to fight for our cause. The trigger was when they mentioned that since you don’t have an ID card of a work place, you won’t be allowed inside. After this whatever happened.... well, they asked for it. 

We started with how dare they call us non-working. I pride in calling myself a Domestic Engineer. Our job is more unpredictable and more demanding than any existing corporate job. We had Indian Government approved ID cards and that’s all we need to prove our identity. We are not bound by company tag names. We have left our children sleeping at home. We are shivering here in the January pre-dawn cold. We are here to run, and run we will. I even told them that if I am not allowed to run in your event, I will run on the pavement of your pre-decided track. We are harmless ‘runners’.... just let us run. Probably it was our tone or the dark, eerie ambience or our determination.... we were finally allowed!

And the energy was palpable and the atmosphere ecstatic. We had already missed the warmup session, but trust me, we were too charged up. And then, it dawned upon me again that I have to finish a 10K run. This is it. I just made up my mind to finish it, irrespective of the time that I take to do so. I told myself that I will crawl, if needed, but I will finish it. We still had mentors of our running group with us, handing out last minute tips and tricks to survive our first-ever ‘big’ one.

To my surprise, it was quite a smooth run. The pleasant weather was a catalyst. The other fellow runners were inspirational. And I sub-consciously kept a tunnel vision. And, finally, I could see the finish line. I did not have to crawl. I finished the run, and how! The photo sessions followed. Hubby tried to make me eat and drink all the healthy post-run essentials, but I was on a different high.

‘Accidental’ that it was... the first run is always special. It wasn’t an actual full marathon, but it seemed like one.... to me. It is all in our heads. We need to believe that WE CAN DO IT. Pretty much, half of the battle is already won. We have signed ourselves up for the next two months. And this time, I am getting into it with the awareness. I will finish it... crawling, if I must.