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.

The Lady with the Beautiful Smile... and a Noble Soul

The first time I saw her was at the BNP Ultra, where I was pacing a friend. My thought were she’s going to struggle cause BNP (or Borivali National Park) can be quite the daunting place to run. This was Jan (if I am right, grey cells seems to fail this ageing man) and the coolness helps. No matter the weather I still wondered if she could do it all. Thank God she proved me wrong (and the only time I’m happy to be proved wrong). She not only completed the race but she did it in style.

Over the year I’ve got to meet her at the Asic Training sessions, and she did join us for the monthly Bandra-NCPA Training Run. The more I met her the more I got to know her, the more I admired her. She has one of the most dazzling of smiles, and don’t let those greys fool you, she’s dedicated, and disciplined, never missing a training session. Working diligently with people much younger, never once flinching at the challenge thrown at her. 

There are runners who are known for ruling the podiums, there are runners known for incessantly posting their training’s and their selfies, there runners who run probably every race that’s there  to be run, but then there are those noble souls who are more than just about running, and medals and timings and posting, but are always there to support other runners. She is one such noble and beautiful soul.

She’s more than running, she’s always there to support her fellow runners. She got the permission done for the ARC Training session to be conducted at the Bandra Fort when the session would have to be moved else where. She’s an active member of the Society of St Vincent De Paul (SVP) reaching out to those who need help, the most vulnerable, irrespective of ones cultural background, social status  or religion. She also provides palliative care for those who need. All this in addition to her corporate job. Not to forget those beautiful birthday cards, she makes without fail, for every member. 

And yes her mum is a beautiful and amazing pianist and her brother is an awesome cook. Got the privilege and pleasure to meet them when she invited us over to her place for Christmas. It was a feast for the senses, the taste buds, ears, and evening of conversation.

It’s been a pleasure of getting to meet know her and many such beautiful and noble souls. One of the privileges of being a running soul is the opportunity of getting to meet such gems, to interact with them, to be inspired by them, and will continue to be inspired by them.

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.