Sunday, December 12, 2010

Nalliravil en Ninaivil...oru ottam.

Expressing solidarity - i literally experienced this feeling yesternight.
Yes. I am talking about the Midnight marathon that happened here in Bangalore on Dec 11, 2010.

Feeling sad and glad the same time - sad because I could not run and glad because I was there... there to support my fellow runners.
None of them expected me there... the runners would have continued to run just as they did when i was there, or maybe better, if I was not there, but that I made it there, made a difference, not to them but to me!
there I made it. I mumbled to myself... psycho super da....

But That I was there.... there to see it for myself. to see the interest kindled in again to run. How I felt sad I could not run yesterday was made up by seeing my fellow runners run past me. There I was screaming..."Running well folks, Keep running." and again and again... with each passerby.... now not anymore in general, but staring directly at each of the runners eyes, my earnest effort to make an eye contact, and let them feel my genuine reason to cheer up. The sight of the runners run by was dragging me in.I almost took off on my feet, but blame it on my right ankle that had gotten twisted on thursday while playing basketball in the office, it was still swollen, swollen big that I was managing only to drag my feet, reminding me why i was not one of those hitting the roads but there on the sidewalk, to get close to the runners, the young, old, grey, black, white haired, some even bald, the men and the women alike, everyone was running, sweating their heart out and I felt I was running in them. The restless energy in me, more than feeling sad for my inability to run, was pushing me to clap louder, look sharper and make a steady eye-contact and communicate. I was there to express solidarity. It felt so great.

Satish(Thalaivar) and Karthik(Kutty) were two runners whom I knew personally. We are a part of the SAP Roadies  - the runners and cyclist interest group in SAP Labs(SLI). We have run and cycled together in the last few months. Kutty was (to my knowledge) doing his first HM. That I could witness this feat of my fellow Roadie was a terrific feel. Agreat feel to complete a HM. I have had the high in KTM this year.

Thalaivar finished it well under 1 hour 45 minutes. the last lap was probably his best. giving a strong finish is a dream of any runner. and Thalaivar did it again :)

Did manage to see Bhaskar and Ashok and some other familiar faces from the running fraternity.
I am very new to this, honestly not even a year old and have done just one HM - KTM. I am a novice.

Keep Running...Run Run Run.

Thanks to Nettayan  for driving me to the venue and waiting for me till I decided to return back home at 3 a.m.

of course to Namrata for her patience: ) - reading this blog may give you a reason as to why I was what I was when you saw me yesterday night screaming relentlessly

P.S: The title of this blog is in tamil and is aimed at capturing the essence of what i felt yesterday being in the mid night marathon