mumbai marathon 2011

Another year and my annual half marathon………

This was my best – with 2 hours and 9 minutes, its my ticket to the full marathon in 2012 (yes I know I said it last year too-but this year I’ll do it!)

This year has been a year in which my running has taken me to a whole new level and vice versa…..starting with the running group I joined. Nimisha- who is Rima’s friend initiated me into this group-she made me comfortable and has become a great friend. So with “Savio’s Slaves”(Savio is our trainer-an accomplished marathoner and a wonderful human being) I trained for the Delhi run, which was in November. As a result I was ready for the distance a full 2 months before the Mumbai run-so I could polish my timing and the like for Mumbai!

Running with this group has been a great learning experience. Running has become a way of life for most of us-but to see the level we can push ourselves mentally and physically-that’s amazing- just when you think you’ve hit an all time high-we need to find a way to go beyond that! The key is how does one find the motivation to achieve?

So one runner in particular-Suvir-he is a good runner-and a better talker-there has been no run when he has been quiet for more than a minute continuously on any of our runs-be it a short 9k one or a grueling 21k. Somehow I found him-and we have run together ever since- and he has made me pick my pace and ensured that I complete each run. My most memorable runs this year have been with him: my first long-16k run and my longest -25k run.

This motley group has a common passion-which borders on madness. I met people who train for ultra marathons-50k races and also others who are running the 90k uphill run in South Africa in may this year-a complete mountain run. The more I interact with them I realize that people really challenge themselves-and create new boundaries………

So, with then I pushed mine with time and distance several times and discovered a new way to live. I came out of my comfort zone and decided to challenge myself.

To quote from a book, “Dare to Run”, by an ultramarathoner: “The words of John Bingham ring true: “The miracle was not that I completed the race, the miracle was that I had the courage to start it.”

These amazing words inspire me to continue running and to expand my horizon-and go for it!

The difficult we do immediately, it’s the impossible that takes time!

I have been on a long journey……and this seems to be an end- and this end is a beginning ….

So thank you all for all the support you have given to me over the years- and this includes my children, arnav and sanjana, my parents, my inlaws, rima,sandeep, my friends,sukhpreet, nikita , aparna and nimisha and a whole host of others who give me their good wishes and ruin their Sunday morning sleep to cheer me………