The Run- Dont give up

As I sit to write about the event that happened about 10 days back-I still smile and can feel the glint in my eyes.

It was the ITPL Sports Meet's first event for the last day. The meet had started 10 days back and had games like Football, Volleyball and all.. I was, of course, out of it all owing to my visit up North for a cousin's wedding. I had a hectic time from 12th-17th Feb. In a span of 5 days we
had been in 4 cities! And as soon as I came back I caught cold, and a bad one at that. A flowing nose and all that.. Now even as I was in Delhi I told mum that there is a Minimarathon in the Sports meet at office and I'd like to see if I could complete one. I had upped my interest in my fitness after gaining weight owing to the one month of bed rest after my accident in Nov. And I was really curious to see if I could run on road for more than 10mins-and better still complete a long distance run...

After coming back to Bangalore on 18th Feb early morning and joining office I immediately saw the mail that reminded me that I had absolutely no practise whatsoever for the run-if I choose to run. It was like a lot of times in the past where there was something I wanted to do but would opt out at the last minute for reasons I'd like not to remember. But since this is my online confession I think I was afraid- afraid to loose, afraid of my capability of seeing the event through to completion. And after my recent admission, to myself, of being a nut I thought to act like one!

So here I was, willing to run a minimarathon-not knowing how long it'll be, having close to no experience and definately no practice behind me. But I decided I wont let myself go on this one. So I called the event organisers to check when the Minimarathon would happen, and where it'll
happen. The race, they told me, would last for 4 Kms and was slated for the start of the day on the last day of the meet. I was initially amused at myself, the kind of mock I would give to a newface-trying to climb a mountain.

So I started to practice, I would run around the campus of the society where I live for 10mins each day and then head off to the gym. This went on from 19th to 23rd. Each day as soon as I would get up I'd drink a couple of glasses of water and head off to practice. I ignored the fact
that my shifts were such that I'd wake up around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. For me participating and completing the race had become more important than the Sun. As I was leaving office on the night of 23rd I told everyone that I'll be participating in the marathon the next morning and am competing to complete it.

When I came back home there was a show on VH1 on Mike Tyson and how he went on from a boy in a poor and notoroius neighbourhood to becoming one of the Best boxers of his time, about his coach, Cuss, I think, and the tough times he had. One thing that stuck with me was when Tyson is heard in the background saying something like," I have no quitting in me.." I went to
bed and could had hardly slept for 2 hours when I got up. I felt like I was going for the most important thing that had happened in the last 6 months (or more) after having got a job at the Big Blue. I streched and did my warmups. I ensured not to go for a run. I reached office in a cab
and went straight to where I thougt the race would start. I saw a couple of guys jogging in the field , in shorts and vests, obviously preparing for the day ahead. I smiled.

The guys were kinda sweet, one was Mani and the other Saikat, both working with ACS. It was 8:30 in the morning and the Sun had started coming up. They told me where I could register for the race-the registrations were due in an hour and the race to start at 10.

I went to my office and kept my stuff in my locker- change of clothes for after the run and all.. Now when I was leaving for office I thought what I should run in. I had practiced in shorts and wore them at the gym as well. But I thought it may appear too striking, the track suit pants were winning the race. But I decided to keep them-just in case. Now I was in office wearing a T-shirt, with a pair of shorts and trackpants on top of them.

I wasnt still sure of how many people would run and what I would run in and most importantly-would I be able to complete ?

I came out of my office to the field again and got to the area where entries were being taken for the run. I got my name in and got badge# 24. Cool, I thought, not many people are gonna run-less embarssing if I dont complete.

It was about 9:15am now and dunno wherefrom but people just surged in.. One registration after the other. People from different companies, ACS, Misys, and others I dont remember. I remember seeing someone with badge#61. Then I thought to myself that the most important thing would be to finsh the race and that relaxed me a bit. The next challenge was
to decide what to run in-tracks or shorts. And as soon as the thought came to me with so many people the choice was clear- it had to be shorts. And so we gathered a bunch of people(I later got to know that the race had 70 participants). We were given a brief of what to do and not(like push around-they didnt ask us not to kick anyone-guess I could have tried to do that) Anyways, the race was flagged off and we started.

We were to start from the ITPL complex follow the main road upto the Dell building (2.1 Kms from the start line) and then take a U-turn and run all the way back. We would get a white wrist band, we were told, at the U-turn which will be a proof that we didnt take any short cuts.
I clearly remember starting slowly, I was in the bunch of last 5- I just wanted to go slow so I could finish. I met Mani from ACS and we struck a good rythm. Together we crossed about 10 guys and then he gave in to the heat and exhaustion. He decided to take a break and I felt I could go on. So I did. A little ahead I saw a gentleman running barefoot-dunno how he managed that but I followed his footsteps. The rythm seemed to lessen the stress as I could focus on him and not me getting tired. Well together, me behind him, we crossed another 10-15 guys and then he caved in too. By this time we were about 400mts short of the U-turn from Dell and I saw participants coming back. I was initially shocked at being so slow. But I didnt loose heart- I wanted to complete-so I kept going. I ran upto the U-turn and begged, running, for a band. I wanted the band for myself as a souvenior-that I atelast completed half of it. And then I got it!

It felt great! I had completed 2.1 kms! But I wasnt too tired so I thought of carrying on and following someone's footsteps again. And I found my temp-mentor again. Together we crossed another 10-15 participants and many had quit by now too. But I could see some people ahead of me and I felt the want to win. suddenly I ran out of breath and felt I couldt go on anymore. Just then I heard myself say,"I got no quitting in me". I had no choice I had to keep running slow or fast I couldnt stop. By now I was overtaking breathless souls, people with hands on their hips, people bent over, people sitting on the sidewalks, but I had to go on. And then just outside the ITPL complex (about 400mts from the finish line ) I decide to run like hell. Life, I recalled was
to be lived and God had given me legs and I had to use them. I upped the ante and started sprinting. I now saw about 5 guys ahead of me in the next 100mts. I over ran them all and entered the ITPL complex. Now, the last 250-odd mtrs to go and I saw another 6-7 guys between me and the finish line. The sprinting over the last couple of minutes started to show up in my muscles and I just wanted to stop. But I couldnt. I had to go on. And I kept running one after the other I overtook everyone till I could see only 2 guys between the finish line and me. I could also see the organisers at the finsh line holding a ribbon. A comforting thought came to me-maybe no one has finshed the race so far, even if I carry on from here I would be third. I was wrong. But I didnt know it then and I quickly lost that thought.

For me, if I had to finish I had to give my best. And so the two guys ahead of me were also over ran by me. I remember people yelling and all but it didnt matter I couldnt rest. And then came the moment when I crossed the line and fell on the grass on the pedestrian's way. I gasped
for air, water, glucose, anything that could help. Now I started feeling my nose again and its inner wall was very dry. I didnt know for how long had I run and what, if any, position I got. But I did know that I gave it my best-and that is what mattered-although a prize wont have hurt
either. And so I lay there gasping like someone who was kept under water without any intimation for an inordinately long time and has been rudely pushed out of water after some time to enjoy the gift of air again. After about 5-10 minutes I got up and started to chat with another guy who I met near the Dell U-turn and who had just finished. His name was Pankaj and he was with Misys's HR. We got hold of a lady who was from the organiser's team,evident from her T-shirt. Out of curiosity we asked what position we finshed and she told me I that #24 came third with 18mins 28 secs.

I had ran my run and I didnt give up...