Exactly last year - I was running in the parks of Madrid with my Italian buddy to keep pace with age and fitness. The Mumbai Marathon for a matter of fact didn't even figure in the Top 30 to-do-list (Yes! Sleep did). Since then the transition from Madrid to Mumbai changed all that. To start with - Illness and irregular fitness schedule. Blame the endless unfinished road constructions, the ever so populous Mumbai's public transportation, the undying Mumbai humidity, and the pollution and not to forget stray dogs that start running behind you for 5 am jogs. But despite all that Mumbai is Mumbai - a city of billion dreams. I managed to get through the cruel 'change in weather' phase. I just could not risk running on the road early mornings, as I was already chased by the dogs twice, and so I started hitting the gym to earn my spot at the starting line up for the Standard Charted Mumbai Marathon 2011. The hectic travel to workplace never really helped me train regularly during the weekdays, but I did own the Sunday mornings. I made it a point to join my friend for a game of football and sometimes a little jog of my own early morning in the lanes of Ghodbunder Road just to keep pace with my stamina. With the injury niggle I was not fully committed and confident of the marathon registration back in August 2010, but since then trained well to gain an upper hand over my fitness and ended up reaching the venue despite not holding the registration number for the Mumbai Marathon. As I stepped outside the train station, all I could see was thousands of Mumbaikars in their tracks and shorts charged up for the grand event. It was also a pleasure to catch some Bollywood and Corporate names standing at a hands distance away, busy entertaining the media and the press. See, as I told you I did not register for the event as I was unsure of my fitness, but now that I made it to the venue, in my hunt for someone to help me register for this event, I came across this NGO Swayamsiddh - a parental organization for the mentally challenged from Aurangabad, and decided to run for them. I felt like I was on to something. I went with the intention of running solo with my curious something marathon outfit and my stop watch, but no where did it occur to me that I had be running for a cause at the mother of all races. Given the number of participants on the track, running the distance in one stretch was not at all possible, so had to stop in between to dance with the NGO kids and volunteers and then start running again. Nothing like running with thousands of other like-minded souls. The experience was unique and I am sure every story on the street from this day brings in pride and that of marathon glory. Next time I will make it to a point to hit the 21Kms registration button on time and get some of you lazy bones to train with me too.
Image Source: All images are used from internet.
