The joy of completing a long distance run is unique in its own way and the satisfaction that a runner gets after finishing the run is quite exotic. I am an established amateur half marathon runner and successfully completed my fifth half marathon recently by running the Delhi Half Marathon 2009.
I trained myself on 30 Oct 2009 by doing a 9 mile jog before leaving for Delhi the next day. In the process I stretched a few ligaments on my left knee and was experiencing some pain. I consulted my family doctor and he recommended a couple of pain killers and advised me not to run but seeing my determination and the eagerness to take part he told me to wear a knee cap while running. I had those pain killers the same night and felt a little better. I was determined to run the Delhi Half and there was no looking back at this point.
I packed my stuff the previous night and departed for Delhi the next day (31 Oct 2009) by the morning 7:40 SpiceJet flight. I had company on the same flight, a fellow Chennai runner ( Purushotam) was also taking part in the Delhi Half Marathon. He reserved a seat next to his,messaging me the details of the seat number and asking me to get the same seat. The flight took off on time and I relaxed myself completely during the journey. We landed at the IGI Delhi airport by 10:30 and drove off straight away along with Purushotam's friend (a veteran runner)to the DLF mall, where they were distributing BIB numbers and goodie bags.
All of us collected our stuff and on our way back we met Shankar and Narayan,two more runners from Chennai who had come to take part in the event. I greeted them,wished them luck for the run and left for my cousin sister's place at CR Park. I must tell you that CR Park is one of the posh areas in South Delhi and is predominantly a Bong (Bengali) place. CR Park hosts the biggest and the best 'Durga Puja' every year in Delhi.
I made sure that I took complete care of my leg on Saturday,having those pain killers as advised by my doc and massaging my knee gently. My brother in law,Sarath and my cousin sister both had also registered for the run by my cousin sister backed out in the last minute because of some personal commitments. They have a neighbour whom they called Bhutia and he was also to take part in the run. I had my early dinner and went off to bed early.
The D day finally arrived and we (myself , Sarath and Bhutia) got dropped at the start point by Bhutia's dad. This was even better because we didn't have to scout for an auto in the wee morning hours.We purposefully got off the car one Km ahead of the start line and did some warm up exercises. There was a huge crowd at GATE no. 4,the gate via which we had to get to the start point. By the time I started my run the digital clock was showing a time of 7:34:10. I began my race slow and steady,making sure that I do not stress my left knee too much.
By the time I completed 4 miles the Ethiopians and the Kenyans were on their way back,having completed 14 Km. I was simply stunned by their pace and kept wondering as to how do they maintain the same pace throughout the complete run. These guys are SIMPLY AMAZING! The climate was cold and pleasant,ideal conditions for running and I did a 5.45 miles at one go before slowing down to a walk. I could do this because I was running with a lot a people and the motivation to beat my own timing inspired me even more. It was good to see a lot of people take part in the run and the all the more there were more women running the half marathon.
My knee ached at times but my will to complete the race kept me going. My inner mind was constantly reminding me that I can do it and there should be no giving up now. I set myself little time-distance targets and tried to keep up with it but I could not abide by it 100%. I completed my entire run in 2:40:44 hrs and was quite thrilled by my accomplishment. My main goal was to finish the race well within the stipulated time limit and at the same time not straining my knee too much. I thank God for giving me the strength to complete the race.
The race was well organized and there were water stations at every 2 km so there was no paucity of fluids. It seems Sharukh Khan had come for the Great Delhi Run (which is a 7Km run) but I did not get a chance to see him. Shit man! missed the best opportunity to see him. My brother in law completed the race in 2:19:41 hrs. After the race we received our finisher's medal and walked out of the place to get back home. The funny part was we didn't get an auto for almost an hour, we were tired and the sight of seeing autos streaming past us with passengers in it added to our frustration. At last a noble man gave us a lift till Khan market and we got an auto from there. My cousin sister greeted us when we got back home and served us hot 'Peserette Dosas' for breakfast.
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