Place New Delhi
Event: ADHM 2008
I have been running since the age of 18-19 , that when I joined the Naval academy as a cadet. But somewhere, I was not the "athlete" kind and I was more an academics variety than an outdoor kinds. Nevertheless, we had to run 9-15 Kms every Sunday - we call it the cross-country race and it was a mad competition. I always managed to come somewhere in the last barely managing to complete the race.
So in 2008, I am posted at Delhi and thirty six years of age, and have managed to continue going for runs somewhat consistently say three - four times a week, but restricted to five kms and at the max 10 kms. Therefore, 21 kms will definitely be a first time. But I say to myself, as a cadet , I have done 15 comfortably... so another 6 will not be difficult... after all it is only a mind game.
So i prepared myself for running ... but just one month before the d-day, i observe a kind of black thorn in my leg ( sole of the feet just below the toes... exactly the place which impacts the ground .. and it is painful. I try to extract the thorn... and then I realise it is not a thorn but a corn.. basically my shoes were old and the continuous chafing has caused this problem. So i visit a doctor and she tells me to stop running and gives me a treatment of some lotion and corncaps and scrubbing everyday. The corn becomes worse and bigger and more painful. So I give up the idea of the half marathon. But I have already registered and collect my goodie bag and BIB . It was 300/= in 2008 for entry in ADHM. And we got a magnificent deal in the GOodie bag. Ther wer items in it worth at least 2000/= ... Things like face creams, shampoos, deodorant, chocolates... the bag was full.
On the marathon day, I woke up and since my house was close to Nehru park.. the starting point.. I could hear the noise of the crowd... that was the moment... I decided to go for it.. So i put on my socks and shoes and tried to run.. ouch... it was paining.. but then I said, I will get over the pain and get used to it once I start running.. So i left home with butterflies in my stomach not knowing what was going to happen.
At the site, there was pandemonium.... huge crowd, a lot of known faces and then the race started... I started off very well and very soon we were running on the roads towards the safdarjung airport and i was comfortable very soon.. I mean i got used to the pain in my foot. I slowed down my pace as i was not able to keep up with the guy who was running with me... I reached India gate and was psyched to see people in hordes already on their return leg. The distance seemed too long... I was feeling tired... and leg had started aching badly.. distance was about 13 km completed. So I did the most stupid thing ... I thought Ill stop anmd walk for some time.. and that was the point I got my thigh cramps... and calf muscle cramps... and toe cramps.. I was screwed... At this point I was overtaken by 100's of people... people in twenties... they are very young, so it was acceptable. But when I had an old man ( about late fifties or early sixties ) overtake me, I couldnt take it.. I strarted jogging again...but I could not keep up to his pace.. i spoke to him.. he says he normally does it in 2 hrs 10 min.. I was shocked... The horror of horrors i saw a verrrry old man running.. he was 83 years old... then i saw a man with an artificial leg running.. I have never in my life been more ashamed and humiliated than what happened here. I am a defence offcier who has undergone cadets training and today I am struggling to complete a mere 21 kms. What physical fitness are we talking about? So i managed to somehow limp and run and barely managed to reach the finishing point in 2hrs and 40 minutes. But I was elated and happy that i completed my first half marathon successfully... But I also understood that there is a long journey ahead of me and I needed to improve on my running tremendously...
