Friday, May 23, 2008








How a marathon humbles you: the miracle of start, finish and everything in between

Change, its touted, is often not gradual. Epiphanies, topple-overs and ‘aha’ discoveries are an integral aspect of the process. Mine came as I crossed the finish-line of my first half-marathon! The learnings of the experience are too many to ignore the muse who is nudging me to share them.

There is a pattern here- if one observes people who succeed at efforts at making huge changes in their physical appearance eventually take it up notch by notch so that the sense of accomplishment of losing weight and gaining health is continually reinforced by other victories like running a marathon. But as I flirted with the thought of joining the cult of running-junkies it was more than just a sense of victory that provided the impetus. It was the hope based on anecdotes that the experience of actually running the race would be transforming- I am proudly not disappointed.

Hypothetically, running to me was putting on your shoes and hitting the road- but there is more technology involved in it than that. It is the right running shoes that match the arches on your feet, dry-fit clothing that keeps you dry, as you become more tech-savvy it is your i-pod in your Nike shoes encouraging you to run an extra mile everyday of the training, the hand-held GPS that prevents you from getting lost and your heart-rate monitor watch that provides the pace you should maintain. More than the fascinating technology it is the indispensable discipline that gets you on the road every day of the training plan – rain, wind, snow or sunshine.

But as everything else in life others as a source of support are pivotal for accomplishing the goal. Be it your trainer, your running-buddy, your running-club or even strangers on the road who smile and nod encouragingly as you huff and puff down your way- its difficult to go very far if you are alone. The only advantage of trotting your way in isolation is the birth of some of the best ideas and solutions you might be struggling with in other aspects of your life- the adrenalin from the run is conducive to finding those elusive answers.

Running also changes your relationship with time and food. You soon find out there is no ‘bad’ time for a run, and all those carbs that were your enemy in past life are your best friends to keep you on the go.

All this though is miniscule compared to what the d-day entails. The energy, the excitement and the camaraderie on the race-day is worth every ounce of discomfort during the training. You wonder why by-liners come with their children, dogs and friends, sometimes in pouring rain, just to cheer on the runners and incase of good Samaritans even hand out energy bars and jelly beans. The chain of low-fives along the course is good enough to keep even the most enervated one going on. The encouragement continues with fellow-runners. You get into some of the most interesting conversations, tips for successful completion, and wide-eyed appreciation for mentioning it’s your first race. Being passed sometimes by fifty-somethings in fighting shape is what pushes you on while other times its watching runners with their legs in braces who are oozing of determination to reach the end.

Stepping across the finish-line is undoubtedly the most overwhelming part of the entire story. There are sighs of ‘having arrived’, cheers and embraces and for us novices simply the choking feeling of ‘have I really done this?’ All the excitement, food, music and beer, momentarily zones out as you realize there is nothing one cannot do!

Living through the experience you also realize that not only is it addictive but its contagious. The runners-high almost ensures that you would want to do this again and then again, this being compounded by genuine inquiries and wishes by everyone who cares even an iota. Those who are a witness as you live through the change feel encouraged to emulate. As you enjoy the salt-stung eyes, quivering legs and ‘I think I will pass out’ on a steep-hill effort, it dawns on you that the best thing about long-distance running is that most of us are not in it for the fierce competition and hating other runners- its one of the few occasions in life when you perform beyond the challenges of the circumstances and you finish it ‘together’. The learning that you are running for the finish-line even when someone else has reached it first is worth all the effort!!

3 Comments:

Blogger Arun said...

Awesome!!!
Inspiring stuff. I have started my training plan this week, and really excited to get back to running shape. All the wedding, honeymoon and post marital bliss has resulted in some major inertia for me...Hoping to break that, and this post really adds to the motivation!
Keep running and stay away from injuries!

4:41 AM  
Blogger SwatRat said...

Proud of you!

2:30 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Fabulous stuff !!

good job .. way to go .. ;)

1:24 AM  

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