How deluded we are, those of us who set the clock 10 minutes ahead, so that we can get to a place on time. It is the same kind of delusion that, after coloring one's hair, allows us to believe that the person staring back at us in the mirror is ten years younger! And the recipe for disaster? Attend a BITSAA event where you take a trip down memory lane; meet friends after twenty-five years. Allow them to convince you that you have not changed one bit in all these years! And then, full of nostalgia and the heady spirit of the evening, accept an open invitation from Vignesh to be part of the Chennai leg of BITS2Marathon the following morning!
And so it came to pass, that on what would have been an otherwise lazy Sunday, I was up at about 5.30 AM and dashing off to Marina, to be part of a motley group of runners. I did have a few fleeting moments of misgiving – those early hours of dawn when they say your head is at its clearest. Did I really want to go and test the limits of my already weak knee? But, I had mentally committed myself to this. Well, I can always stop at the slightest discomfort, I reasoned. And it was in that frame of mind that I landed up in front of a bunch of really eager runners!
I was glad for company – there was Ravi of the '75 batch who made me feel young again; and KKB of the '86 batch, who had ragging not been banned, might have run the risk of getting ragged - being mistaken for a fresher. How fit he was, we came to realize when he ran the 10K stretch with effortless ease, and then went on to cycle back home – a good 15 km away, while I staggered back into the car, grateful for a Sunday traffic, that did not require me to keep my legs pressed on the clutch for long periods!
We decided to run on the inner road adjacent to the beach, which thanks to the new enforcement was bereft of the beach cricket teams – I really miss them. BK had taken the effort to measure and mark out the 5KM route, which meant that we would be running from near the Lighthouse right up to Napier's bridge and back. The threesome who had planned to do the 10K run, got off to a brisk start followed by the rest of us. I discovered that 2.5 km can be really long when you have to cover that distance on foot! When I figured out I could not see the end of the road, I settled down to a more easy pace of one step at a time…one foot after the other…and remember not to land heavily on your left foot! Well, like the story of the tortoise, I can actually claim to have overtaken Vignesh at the end of 2.5 Km!!! I'll let him explain how! J
If there is one person who definitely needs to be thanked (apart from those who helped organize this event, of course), it is Suman, who very cheerfully, cycled up and down and made sure none of us felt dehydrated. The run back to base was far easier, as I drew comfort from actually being able to see the finishing point. As I looked up and saw the lighthouse, I allowed myself to be tricked into thinking that I was almost at the end of the run, and therefore need not stop for a breather! I must say, that really worked well for me!!! J After all, if one illusion can trick you into this run…why not use another to finish it manfully!!!
And so friends – I did it!!! After almost twenty years, I actually did something other than walk on a treadmill! And completed a five kilometer run! Of course, I'm dragging myself to office this morning! I have become aware of muscles in the body that I did not know existed – all of them vie for my attention – equally! Yet, I'm glad I got out there and did it! Conquered my paranoia about the knee!!! And actually enjoyed every moment of the run. Thanks Vignesh! And everyone else who helped organize this! And to KKB, the only familiar face – and the exaggerated stories to make my huge effort look quite normal!!! J
I was amazed to see mails pouring in from all parts of the world! And the kind of amazing response this has generated! But obviously - proud to be a BITSian! Anyone want to convince me about going the full distance?!! J
