Ladakh Diaries: The Prelude to an Adventure

When you make your way through an expo (well the running kind), you normally make your way to the bib distribution centre, you collect your bib and you head back to your life. But then this was not your run-of-the- mill expo, it was the expo for the Mumbai Marathon. So in addition to collecting your bib, you socialise with all your runner friends, both in-station and outstation, and international (if you know any) and visit stalls. One such stall had something interesting and challenging to offer, and that was the one for the Ladakh marathon.

Now I would have overlooked it, cause I don’t fancy myself running up slopes, Running in the mountains, in fact, slopes and I share quite the love-hate relationship. But there was something alluring about the date, something alluring about taking up a challenge, that to on your special day. Something that would make you forget your dislikes.

So after a lot of mental deliberations and financial calculations (after all o had just done a vacation), the mind finally said go for it. So the decision was made, the tickets were booked, registration done, confirmation received, holidays applied and approved.

Flash forward 9 months later (no I didn’t deliver a baby, though always was one), struggling to  get my fat ass up and running, feeling a bit blue and under weather, I questioned my sanity about the entire undertaking. But I was all set to run in the highest of highs, a albeit a bit nervous (well make that hell nervous) getting set to run the hills, actually run the mountains would be more appropriate term, to go on a runcation. Although the head is filled with questions  whether I would be able to do it, but then a voice whispers and tells you to chill, you don’t need to race, just go there and soak in the experience, and hey it’s your day, so what better way to celebrate than taking up a challenge and ticking off one more item off that to-do list (that’s if you’re as crazy as I am).

So here I stand, on a cusp of another adventure, another challenge, another experience, all geared, all keyed, all nervous, ready to take on what lies ahead.

“All my bags are packed

I am ready to run

I am heading to Ladakh 

To have some fun

I’m so excited 

I could run right now

Cause I am leaving

To run a marathon 

That falls on my Birthday 

Don’t know if I’ll get this chance again

It doesn’t mind if I run fast or slow.

Cause I am going to Ladakh 

To run a half marathon.”