Like I said, I'm participating in Nirma Champions League (NCL) '06. Yours truly shall be seen in action in 100 and 200 m race. Not only that, I shall also be participating in the 4 x 100 m relay (teams yet to be formed) and the Marathon.
MARATHON
The word inspires respect. I just love the idea of running long distances. It is not enough to be a mute spectator of such events to understand what the runners endure during the event. The breathlessness, the perspiration on your forehead, the pain in your thigh muscles, the constant hitting of the hard ground against your soles... It is all a mind game at its best. When in spite of every sweat, every pore of your skin and every molecule of oxygen in your body shouting for you to stop, you refuse to give up and set yourself to run another km, that is the spirit which makes a marathon what it is. It is difficult to explain in words the feeling of quiet confidence that one gets after having run a sizable distance. You can almost feel the blood rushing through your veins.
There has of course been a surge in national interest in the sport thanks to the Mumbai Marathon which has now become an annual event. The NCL version of the Marathon is of only 10 km, but that too is a great ask. Tell me about it. I've just about started running 2 km at a stretch, and I'm completely out of breath at the end of it. However, I'm confident I'll be able to finish many more than 2 km on the final day.
The participation also brings with it a wave of curiosity, praise and nay-sayers. These days, the moment people get to know that I shall be participating in the marathon, they have one of 3 reactions.
Reaction 1: Marathon?!! Wow!! So, have you started practicing? How many kms can you run at a stretch?
Reaction 2: Marathon?! Amazing yaar. Cool. Aur koi daud bhi raha hai kya? I'm sure you'll win. Haan, theek hai, maybe you don't have the stamina right now, but I'm sure you'll make it by the time D-Day arrives.
It really feels nice when someone shows confidence in you. And so, let me add this that is a TOP OF THE WORLD feeling when you're running, breathing hard and telling yourself not to give up and someone spots you and shouts out "Come on, Shekhar... come on... You can DO it!!" Those were the exact words of a senior as I ran past the badminton courts today, and I think the elated feeling gave me enough energy to run for a quarter of a km more!!
Reaction 3: Abe, you aren't participating in any event worth mentioning, then why this daudne vaudne ka nautanki?
My reaction to the negative comments? Silently indifferent.
I run since I like running. It is one of the simplest things to do. All you need is a decent pair of shoes and an attitude that says "I'm not gonna give up".
MARATHON
The word inspires respect. I just love the idea of running long distances. It is not enough to be a mute spectator of such events to understand what the runners endure during the event. The breathlessness, the perspiration on your forehead, the pain in your thigh muscles, the constant hitting of the hard ground against your soles... It is all a mind game at its best. When in spite of every sweat, every pore of your skin and every molecule of oxygen in your body shouting for you to stop, you refuse to give up and set yourself to run another km, that is the spirit which makes a marathon what it is. It is difficult to explain in words the feeling of quiet confidence that one gets after having run a sizable distance. You can almost feel the blood rushing through your veins.
There has of course been a surge in national interest in the sport thanks to the Mumbai Marathon which has now become an annual event. The NCL version of the Marathon is of only 10 km, but that too is a great ask. Tell me about it. I've just about started running 2 km at a stretch, and I'm completely out of breath at the end of it. However, I'm confident I'll be able to finish many more than 2 km on the final day.
The participation also brings with it a wave of curiosity, praise and nay-sayers. These days, the moment people get to know that I shall be participating in the marathon, they have one of 3 reactions.
Reaction 1: Marathon?!! Wow!! So, have you started practicing? How many kms can you run at a stretch?
Reaction 2: Marathon?! Amazing yaar. Cool. Aur koi daud bhi raha hai kya? I'm sure you'll win. Haan, theek hai, maybe you don't have the stamina right now, but I'm sure you'll make it by the time D-Day arrives.
It really feels nice when someone shows confidence in you. And so, let me add this that is a TOP OF THE WORLD feeling when you're running, breathing hard and telling yourself not to give up and someone spots you and shouts out "Come on, Shekhar... come on... You can DO it!!" Those were the exact words of a senior as I ran past the badminton courts today, and I think the elated feeling gave me enough energy to run for a quarter of a km more!!
Reaction 3: Abe, you aren't participating in any event worth mentioning, then why this daudne vaudne ka nautanki?
My reaction to the negative comments? Silently indifferent.
I run since I like running. It is one of the simplest things to do. All you need is a decent pair of shoes and an attitude that says "I'm not gonna give up".
8 comments:
"i am not gonna give up.."
attitude or shoes ..;-)
my best wishes are with u ppl dear..
( and with the spectators too.. help him with all the cheers )
its called pushing urself to the limit. to explore urself.
ask someone who gets the joy in running kms. or cycling ruthlessly. or driving motorbike in rally.
its quest to explore the unbound within ourself. just the medium changes , the way changes.
the religion, ok so called "religion" guides through rules n pathways..
this religion of a sportsmen guides all along to know himself.
i think the quest is the same in both cases.
trash_u: First of all, a BIG thank you.. ;)
And dude, you put it down much better than I ever could have.
What a moment to say
'Nike! Just do it!
(Yes.. I'm paid by them :D)
hey cool man... thts one thing i always felt i m not capable of.... running long distances though i can walk endless miles over the same
badia hai...
illiterate sneha: //What a moment to say 'Nike! Just do it!'
Sorry, but will only have to accept the last 3 words of your encouragement. Just bought a new pair of shoes, and they're by Reebok. Hey, "I am what I am." *Shrugs* :)
amit: //though I can walk endless miles
Hey, I love to walk too, and that is what prompted me to think that I could take on this challenge. Have walked a couple of times from Calcutta to Tarakeshwar barefoot, Tarakeshwar being a village in Bengal with religious significance. The distance is 40 km. So, you get the idea where I got my endurance training from? ;)
:) i am proud of you...
all the best, fellow martian.
*solemn look*
May the light of Planet Mars guide you to success.
Yeh normal earth ppl se kya mukabala....unko hara kar aa!!!
anonymous: Thanks :)
moonwalker: Thanks a ton. Once a Martinian, always a Martinian, eh? :D
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