By Vishakha Singh
Executive Director, Aurora Comms
In July 2009, a friend of mine called and said, “I’ve been thinking of running the marathon and I feel like going for it this year.” I exclaimed, “Wow! Brilliant, go for it!” To which she replied, “...but I was thinking of having you as a partner to practise for it!” I’m sure she remembers the silence that followed. “Me? Er… well…” and I mustered the courage to admit, “I have been a nincompoop at sports all my life and I can’t even run a kilometer”.
“Don’t worry, I know you need training too, we will do it together!” she assured me. Our original plan was to do half of the ‘half-marathon’. That way, we wouldn’t appear as doing the ‘Dream Run’ but later slip into the cheering crowd at Worli seaface and quietly walk back home. But this was before we met Savio, our trainer, marathon-winner and a man dedicated to the spirit of running. Training under his patient attitude and perseverance didn’t work as many wonders for our limbs, heart or lungs as it did for our minds. The result - both of us finished the race (half marathon, of course) in about three-and-a-half hours. Crossing the finishing line was my first dose of a drug called ‘winning over oneself’, and I am confident it is stronger than any marijuana if I ever smoked it. Today, I am addicted to this drug. Last year, at my second half-marathon, I pushed my timing a bit. Bragging rights, which have been injected in ample doses during all these years of marketing, are practised naturally while replying to compliments on being fit: “I run ..(pause).. the half-marathon.” This has turned into such a wellrehearsed moment; with the statement coming simultaneously with the tucking in of the tummy and a corner smile with the thought bubble, “You have no idea how pathetic I am.” Smoking pot must be somewhat like this overflowing pride.
Like marketing focuses on packaging, I have allowed these marathon moves to give me the licence to own all the running paraphernalia imaginable. It doesn’t matter how well you run or whether you’re consistently improving your timing, it’s all about your waist band, your best shoes, attire, arm band, running glares and what not. The dark side to all this is the hard work that the lungs have to do. It requires disciplined efforts of putting your legs and lungs to practice, which means running more than two days a week, strength training, dietary and sleep discipline. Besides, nincompoops like me need to put in that ‘extra bit’. It also means slowing down on the best of spirits you possibly want to imbibe, specially during the party season at the year-end.
Closer to the race day, it also means giving up on late Saturday evenings and gearing up for the long run on the mornings after. Since I live and run in South Mumbai, I earn myself another chance to brag - to drop a casual remark on Anil Ambani’s running style or his entourage.
That said, long-distance running is a challenge, with more highs than you can imagine, where endurance is the key word. It intensifies your mind, body and soul. Get addicted!
(Vishakha Singh is practising to be a long-distance runner. To keep her bragging rights intact, she intends to try and finish the Mumbai half-marathon in Jan, 2012)
Feedback:vishakha.singh@acomms.in
