..when Santa ran a Half Marathon... ok 21 k

I have always known him to be a jolly soul, always cheery, a bit loud, ok quite loud. Someone so full of life, someone always ready to support and lend a helping hand to those who need it the most. Someone who will always cheer and motivate you the loudest, as big as his personality. Someone who reminds you (and for that matter, everyone else too) of a holly jolly soul from the North Pole.

As he had been training diligently, it was a natural progression for him wanting to attempt a Half Marathon distance (that’s 21 km, for the uninitiated), and it was good he was attempting this distance on a supported training run which meant there was no timing pressure, running at a comfortable pace. And so we egged him on and cheered him on, the day before, boosting his spirits, trying to keep his josh high, only to add to the pressure of completing it. And in the words of the man himself, it felt like giving a board examination.

So on the day of the run I was quite happy to see him alight the rick, greeting him with the enthusiasm I could muster (after all who wakes at 3 am on a Sunday morning and not run... the answer to that is a crazy Admin). So after getting the warm up done (while you go on a clicking spree) and giving the necessary instructions and clicking the group pic, while trying to balance yourself on a wooden plank like platform, off they went.

After waiting for them to pass by I went to my water station, but not before seeing him pass by. Reaching the water station, I began to work with my fellow volunteers to prepare the hydration before the runners begin to flow. So once the hydration was ready you and your fellow volunteers go about doing what you do best, be buoyed by each other’s enthusiasm and that of the runners who stop by to hydrate, to chat, to click a selfie. You continue to be your cheery self, shouting (if not literally screaming it out) “Water, Fast and Up”, irrespective whether the runner stopped, just acknowledged, or plainly ignored you.

As a large group of runner arrive at your station you get busy serving them water and Fast and Up, preparing Fast and Up, chatting with them, enquiring about their run and the Unpredictable Mumbai weather. You get totally caught with your volunteering responsibilities that you begin to wonder if he passed you by. You ask friends if they have seen him pass by, cause somehow at the back of the mind you have this nagging thought that he would be amongst the last runners to reach the station. But then no one had seen him, and he already passed by the previous water station (which had packed up and headed to the end point), you begin wonder if he decided to give up, after all Mumbai weather can be treacherous, and can never be easy to cover the distance, especially for a first time runner. 

Your fellow volunteers think they saw someone like him pass by, but somehow something nags you that he hasn’t passed by. You reluctantly wrap up your station as the last runner has passed your station. However, you ask your fellow volunteers to wait for you as you get rid of the garbage from your station.

As you search for a dustbin to dispose off your garbage, you see him. He looks tired and weary, a bit hunched, running at a slow pace. But doggedly determined to cover the distance he set out to do. I breathe a sigh of relief, and can’t help but smile and cheer him on loudly. He may have been weary but spirit is high and the josh burning bright. He was still his jovial, cheery, loud self. And yes you couldn’t help but wear a really broad smile. 

You quickly try to find a garbage bin, but then by the time you get back to your station he has already passed and proceeded on his way. You finally wrap up the station, hail a cab, and you head to the end point. On your way you see him go, renewed and refreshed but still determined to finish it. You inform the other water station to be on the look out for him as he would be the last runner to cross, and then they can wrap up the station once he has passed by.

Reaching the end point you’re  greeted by runners who have completed their runs. You go about chatting and socialising and doing what an Admin got to do, avoid posing for pics but always ready to click. So while the cool down stretches are being done you go click happy, but not before you get your face smeared with blue colour. By that time the volunteers from the last water station arrive at the end point, which meant that he has successfully crossed the last water station. When you enquire about the same with the volunteers, they confirm that he indeed had passed the last water station. So you know that by hook or crook he’s going to complete his first 21k.

You get busy making announcements and trying to get the runners to assemble, talk over their chatter and fit them in a single frame (which trust me, is not quite an easy task, unless you are willing to fall off into the Arabian Sea)! But then he’s no where in sight and it has been a while since the last water station team has returned to the finish point, making him miss a majority of the post race shenanigans. So you begin to worry again, if he would make it. But the low and behold you see him in the distance. You can’t help yourself but let out a loud cheer, encourage him, and then when he finishes you beam proudly as he  raises his hand in jubilation, a victory of mind of over body, of dogged determination, a victory for himself.

If I could tear up I would, and I fight that feeling. Making me wonder if you ever got that emotional on seeing someone complete a run! But then you know you did that day, when Santa decided and completed a Half Marathon!

The Jolly Running Soul

When out on your run you and you hear a voice calling out to you, don’t cower, don’t be afraid and runaway from it, it isn’t the voice of God calling out to you the way it did to Samuel or David. If you look you’ll see a short, slightly stout gentleman, with a slight potbelly and a balding crown, calling out to you, running towards you, waving at you with great enthusiasm. Don’t runaway from it, don’t assume he’s one of those crazies, just run to him cause your in for a really warm, genuine hug, one of the best you’ve experienced, one that the doctor recommended any day.

It’s easy to dismiss him as just another runner, but he’s so much more than that. He is disciplined and diligent, never missing a training session, never missing an opportunity to run (though his form when he does those drill may be far from perfect), you’ll always see him completing the mileage he set out to do.

But that’s not the only reason that makes him special. He’s such jolly, cheery and enthusiastic running soul, and his enthusiasm is infectious. He in many ways reminds me of a Laughing Buddha, always smiling, always cheery, always jolly. It so easy to get wrapped up in his cheeriness, his enthusiasm, his joy. He exudes a warmth that is felt in every hug, that fills your heart with joy, a recharge you never knew you needed, or your desperately needed.

He such a loving and warm soul that no matter which side of the road you are on he will always call out to you, cheer you on, greet you with his warm smile, and if you should find yourself on the same side of the road, will grab you in a bear hug. Seeing him always brings a smile on ones face.

He is truly one of the few runners who is always cheery when you see him, always smiling, always supporting and cheering your on. Someone you can’t help but smile with him. Truly unique person, a gem, a one of a kind runner, a true Jolly Running Soul.

Tinker-Tailor, Sailor-Runner

He knew that he would be a sailor, from a very early part of his life. They said he had sailing in his blood, salt in his vein. He knew he would be a sailor long before he could walk, let alone talk. He could talk sailing, he could walk sailing, he could laugh sailing, live, eat and breathe sailing. Sailing was all he ever wanted to do, a sailor he was meant to be. He was naturally drawn to the sea. He longed for it, like the deserts missed the rains. And in the end that was what he was destined to become, what he became, a sailor.

But things were about to change, take a new turn. No he wasn’t going to ditch sailing, he was just about to add a new dimension to his life. She came into his life, and with her she introduced him to the world of running. They couldn’t be more different from each other, like chalk and cheese. But she brought running into his world. She was a popular runner, socially very active, well known on the marathon running circuit. She clicked selfies as much as she was asked to be part of it, or even participated in races (or even more). She regularly ran races and was constantly asked to be face of races.

He on the other hand had no social media presence, was not on social media, had no inclination to be on it, apart from his phones messenger through which he managed to keep in touch with those he needed to be in touch with. He had no intention of coming on board. But what he did take from her was a love for running.

Being a sailor, he already had the physicality down to a pat. He was physically conditioned to running and worked to strengthen himself. He was a more practical person, he liked to read up, apply and improve, rather than going out there and just race. He preferred having a scientific knowledge, doing it the right way and using the correct from. He liked reading and getting to understand the science behind a method, before he applied it, he wanted understand the nitty-gritty, every aspect of running, and when he applied it, he did it with unwavering discipline and focus. He discovered being at sea didn’t stop him from training. All he needed was a treadmill, he could even use the deck of the ship to run laps. Being on the ship also gave him access to the best running gears, when his ship made port.

Over the course of time he gathered quite a vast amount of knowledge from all his reading and experience, that he was more than willing to share, to discuss and debate on it, to guide others. He didn’t keep this knowledge to himself. He was more than willing to share as much as he gained. He couldn’t match her popularity but for those who knew him, loved him and respected him. He was more than willing to help those who needed it, to support those who needed the support. Like a sponge he absorbed the knowledge, the experience that were to be gained from those around him and he put it to good use. He gave without a second thought. 

He continued to train, adding a new aspect to training, barefoot running, running the way humans were meant to run, discovering his capability, finding out how much he could push himself, learning about himself and running, improving his running and with him helping others. Becoming a running soul, supplementing the salt in his veins, adding another dimension in his life, another layer, becoming a Sailor-Runner.

The Man with the Bandana

The first thing you notice about Dylan is his damn bandana, the man without his bandana is totally unrecognisable. So now you understand how Clark Kent kept his identity a secret with just glasses, or the moustache disguise of Hindi films.

The next thing you notice is that he talks a lot, well not when he’s running but he talks a lot. When he runs he’s talks lesser than a Dylan standard, in fact Pankti and I jabber a lot more during runs, so much that we have been told of be quiet when training in BNP.

He’s quirky, crazy and a cartoon. I’ve never seen a running pic of his where he isn’t pulling face or sticking tongue out, just generally being his Dylan self. Or when he tells his client that he got late because of traffic, that being he is self-employed and the only traveling he does is from the bedroom to the hall. 

At the Awards Nite, he’s your go to man for hydration (cause he is behind the bar, I mean in charge of the bar).

But peel off these quirks, these things that you see, there’s more to him, and the more you get to know him the more he will leave you amazed, and yes with a smile on your face. From being confined to the bed for almost year (due to a life threatening ailment), to hitting the road to take his life, ans stay active (hope I got this part right), he sure has come a long way. For those who don’t really know him, it’s easy to write him off as yet another quirky, crazy runner, but to those who do know him, know that he’s pretty focused,  dedicated and disciplined runner who runs to a plan. This is evident from his sub 4 finish at this year’s full at the TATA Mumbai Marathon.

He’s not one of those runners who’s just focused on their run, or is socially active with his training. He’s there to help and guide you to the extent that you can eat his brains (for a change). Whether running on the highway or at BNP, he’s got your back, constantly turning to check on you, especially when your pace begins to slacken and you start to fall behind (dang if I didn’t have to take a toilet break I would have not lost him and would have gotten a better timing). He’s there to reassure and perk you up when you feel like your mileages are low, giving sage like advice (not for the first time) to not compare your mileage to that of someone else.

I have been blessed to know and be inspired by so many wonderful runners, and awesome humans, be it my buddy Croydon, Sayuri, Sharad, Eugene, my MRR Family, Asic family, Malad family (dang I am quite the family boy, I mean man), and I wish i could give them all an inspiration medals (Procam can we please have more than one inspiration medal), but for now, Dylan buddy, this ones for you, cause you deserve it, cause you inspire (and make me perspire, running up and down Kanheri), cause you’re so worth it.