Soaking up another Marathon!

“You’re a rockstar

You’ll sail through easily”

These simple words brought a quite reassurance, and with it a calmness that you sorely lacked in the past years. For the first time, in a long time, running a 42k didn’t seem daunting, definitely not easy, but you are up for the challenge. You had prepared for it, you had pounded the slopes of Kanheri, courtesy Dylan and Pankti, and now you were all prepared to execute it. It was this preparedness that brought a quite confidence, and these words reiterated this thought. So even though you were nervous, you were not worried about the task ahead. Not even waking up to a slight uneasiness from indigestion could send you in a tizzy.

Thanks to Dylan, you sneak into the A holding area (shhh... let this be our little secret), and thanks once again to Dylan, you are off to a flying start. Normally starting off at a quick pace (say sub 5 pace) would get you all panicky, but this time around it didn’t (ok you didn’t have a full grown panic attack but the thought you were going too fast did kind of cross the mind).

You try to keep up with Dylan (the key word out here being “tried”) till your bette noire, the slopes of Peddar Road put a distance between the two of you (with Dylan being more adept with tackling the slopes as efficiently as possible). So from Peddar Road, the gap between the two of you grew more, with you unable to pick up and shorten the gap.

So you’re on your own, but you try not to panic. You continue going at your own pace, which you know has dropped thanks to runners overtaking you. But once again you try not to panic (making you wonder if you would start to panic of trying not to panic, now how ironic would that be). So you run at your own pace and how your body feels (as a great sage, ok Dylan, had advised you), and you surprise yourself by the calmness you feel (quietly wondering if this is what inner peace feels like). You’re not panicking seeing the people overtake you, or give into temptation of going quicker, you just surprise yourself by not having a full blown panic attack (though it crosses your mind if you should not have started from A (was this karma come back to bite you in the you know where)).

 So you just keep running, running, running, what do you do, keep running, running, running, getting your inner Dory out, till you reach the Sea-Link and see all the Half Marathoners on the other side. For the first time since you started running the Full, you’re running it under lights, under the predawn skies, with no sign of the rising sun as yet. The Mumbai Marathon being the only time you get to run on the Sea Link, you’ve got savour the moment, but after while it seems to go on and on and you just wished it would be end.

On the way you have people shouting slogans of the patriotic and religious nature, trying to rouse runners, lift their spirits. But then at times this may seem superficial and can be kind of annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my country and my city, but I really don’t feel the need to scream it out loud. And we all are humans first. Let’s face it, TMM, mirroring the city, is a melting pot of people of all religions, gender, social status, orientation, nationality, ages, why should only one religious deity be chanted. Was itching to say “Sacred of Jesus... Pray for us” (which, let’s face it, would be more apt, after all we need those prayers), but somehow you refrain yourself from stirring the pot.

As you exit the Sea Link (finally, phew), you cannot help but marvel at the Mumbai skyline, that’s slowly awakening through the haze of  mist, or smog, with a tinge of crimson, as the sun tries to break through the pre-dawn skies. The end of the Sea Link also marks the halfway point. Half done, half to go. You’ve got half the work done within two hours, now comes the difficult part.

And just as this thought crosses your mind you feel a tightening in your feet. Not something you wished would happen but something you know you need to be prepared. So it’s either run and risk injuries, or adopt a walk-run-walk strategy, which is more apt till your muscles loosen up. All the while you keep spraying your leg.

As you hit Worli seaface once again (a loop that you really can’t fathom why is it the way it is), you have the Elite runners pass by. In another first, you are catching them not on the return but them on their onward journey on to the Sea Link. You wonder how far ahead are you? But then both the 4 hours ka bus has already passed you (there goes your hope for a sub four finish) and you can see the 4:30 ka bus led by Satish sir, on the other side. You then consign yourself to the fact that at the rate which you’re going you’ll be done in 4 hours 30 minutes or more (which was what you were targeting in the first place). 

By know your feet feel sore, and you feel a  dull pain in your toes making you wonder if it’s possible for your toes to just fall off, or at least develop a fracture. But then, no matter how tired your bodies feels, there’s no complaining of why have undertaken this arduous, torturous undertaking, or maybe they’ve just given up on you. Whatever the reason there’s a thought in your mind that keeps you going. You are determined to get it done, by hook or crook, for yourself, for the one who inspires you on.

 And if you believe that helps always comes when you need it the most, and help presents itself. Just when you think you too caught up to run, your friend Omkar comes to your rescue and helps to loosen your tightening muscles. When you hit the much dreaded, but much maligned Peddar Road, you are greeted with a warm hug by your buddy, the beautiful Cheryl. And to top it all, and literally at the top, your buddies at the MRR cheerzone make you feel like a literal rockstar, cheering your as if you’re a celebrity (and you soak in all their cheering) and pampering you with water, selfies, chocolate sneakers, oops and snickers, ans a yummy drink.

After all the pampering at Peddar Road it was time to tackle the last strenuous stretch that’s Marine Lines. You want to make a dash for it but your sore cramping feet keeps pegging you back. In the end you have to run-walk, well mostly walk-slow jog, cause the moment you try to pick the pace you feel your muscles tighten up, and then you have to walk till you loosen it up. Throughout the ordeal not once do you complain, you just remind yourself why you’re doing it and you continue to soldier on.

By now the dream run has been flagged off and it’s a carnival atmosphere on the other side of the road, a contrast from those completing their runs, or struggling to complete their runs (which would be my case). But then the Dream Runners continue to cheer you on. On the way you see your friend Jayshree soldiering her way, not letting the hands that life dealt her, get in the way, doing it with a smile. You cheer her on, and she smiles and calls out to you, to which you retrace you’re step to give her a hug, and through that hug she passes on an energy that pushes you on. 

 By now your feet smells of Relly spray, soaking in it. You finally reached your the second MRR cheerzone which incidentally is combined with your friends from the Asic water station. Once again you get help from your friends who continue to spray your leg. All you want to do is thank them all and just hug them all without bothering about your time. Though they try to remind you about your time but you aren’t quite worried about it.

After all the hugs and thank yous, it’s off to finish the race. By now the Elites are just about to finish their race, and for the first time you get to see them run by twice, and they are literally poetry in motion, leaving you mesmerised as they go by. 

By now you have a glimmer of hope that you could yet finish within your target 4:30, so you keep pushing on, though cramps keep slowing you down. To keep your spirit high you jokingly make your annoyance known to your friends who cheer your friend Pooja and overlook you.

By and by the finish line is now in your line of sight. You try your best to finish strongly but once cramps have you pegged back, causing you to literally hobble over the finish line. You then see your time and you know you’re satisfied at what you have accomplished inspite of the hurdles of the day. You can’t help but smile, a weary smile thanking the thought that helped you push through.

At the finish line you meet Pankti (who finished a shade earlier than you), and then Rohan. So you have the gang together, just missing the leader of our madness, who surely has crossed that finish line way before us all. On Pankti’s insistence we collect ice packs but then head to collect our medals and thepla, before the crowds besiege the distribution area, congratulating friends and runners we meet along the way. As you collect your medals, both the Finisher and Inspiration, you can’t help but smile and the thought of handing over the medal to the one that inspired you, who’s thoughts and words helped you soldier on.

You collect your bags, meet Dylan and Nikki (though you forget to get a pic of the entire gang), you go on to take silly pics, cause face it, when did Dylan ever take a serious one, and he looks fresh as daisy despite of his blistering 3:39 finish. 

So with that you have another TMM in your bag, another FM under your belt. You realise that you came so close to achieving a PB, and maybe, just maybe, a sub 4. The thought stings you a bit but then you’re determined to come back stronger,  train harder, relax a bit more, and who knows a sub 4 could always be a possibility, within your grasp. So for now it’s back to the drawing board and for now you have sweet memories till next time when you’ll have the chance of making new memories.

P.S.  No runs is ever possible without the tireless support of those volunteering at every water stations, aid stations doing such a splendid job, the true back bone of any race. A special shoutout to my MRR family and friends at the Asic cheerzone. Always grateful to the Spirit of Mumbai that’s always on full display, cheering and supporting every runner. Thanks to my two pillars of support, Dylan and Pankti, without who’s help and support  I wouldn’t be ready to tackle another Full at TMM. Lastly and definitely not the least, to the one who’s words fueled me on, who’s example spurred me on, who inspires me. In the end a big THANK YOU to all involved.