The Road to Gorai: Going Down a Road Less Taken

I have been down this road before

But never this way

There's something so familiar 

In this unfamiliarity 

Something so different 

Like I have seen this road

But never been down it like this before

So as we make our way

Slowly but steadily

Moving out from the city 

Onto roads that leads us past 

Quaint village houses 

A place where the grey skies 

Seem to have descended down 

To touch the land

Patches of salt pans and paddy field

Surrounded by the soothing greens 

And then like running on a heaving chest

We climbed and descended

With every breath the road takes

Running round the curves

You challenge us to keep up with you

Up the steep climbs

Cause you'll reward us at every turn

Like a master rewarding his faithful dog

So we keep up with this road

Making it up the climbs

Making the ascends on weary legs

Huffing and puffing and panting

But making it all the way to the top

To find another descend 

Followed by yet another ascend

But the reward is great

Cause the view of breathtakingly beautiful 

Making us feel blessed 

And leaving us in awe

So we steadily trudge on this road

Pass paddy fields and churches

Quaint little houses with the sea

In their backyard

Pass crosses and villages

People slowly awaking 

From their Sunday slumber

Pass ladies in lugdas 

And girls in green or similar attire

Boys dressed in their best

Men in their lungis 

As they made their way for Sunday mass

Looking at us funny stranger

Huffing and puffing

As they gleefully went on

And so went down slopes

Overlooking wharfs filled with boats

Making us feel like our very own Goa 

Without ever leaving the city

It was here the blue of the sea

Met the great greys of the skies 

Nothing furious, just gentle waves

Breaking on the shores

Once again we moved away from the sea

Down a road that felt oh so familiar 

Once again surrounded by the green

Brining up a familiar feeling

In an unfamiliar setting

Cause though the road was the same

Things have obviously changed

And then came the time to take the right

Making our way steadily to the beach

To the greys of the skies 

And the distant seas

(Cause it was low tide)

A welcome sight

But Signalling the end of the run

Making you feel glad

That 21k was now down

All that was left was memories 

From the run

Along with weary feet but a thankful soul

Inspiring the verses of this post

That shall never grow old

Confession of a Runnaholic

What's your running story?

Why do you run?

How did you start running?

How can you wake up at such ungodly hours just to run a couple of miles?

How can you run so much?

How can you pay so much just to run a race for a silly medal and some snacks?

These are few but familiar questions that a runner constantly faces. Truth be told, we really don't know the answers to most of them, and on this Global Running Day, we don't think we would be able to answer them. How do you explain to a non-runner the passion behind this mad addiction? Very often we don't remember why we started in the first place. It seems like eons ago that we started running, and now it has become part of our being, the life we live.

We run because we can, because we were born to run. We have been built for running. For our ancestors running was a way of living, a way of surviving, to avoid starvation or being the next meal. But over the years, thanks to progress, we have forgotten to run. Not anymore cause running is back with a bang. We are the running addicts, the runnaholics, who cannot do without running a few miles or kms.

Running knows no age. A true runner doesn't bother about pace or distance, give them a road and they will be content to run for a lifetime. There's no particular age to start running. 

There are many inspirational stories of runner, just waiting to be told, to inspire, to be heard. All you need to just scroll down to read their stories in their own words. Meet runner and listen patiently.

Running is not just a form of exercise, it's a way of life. It would not be an exaggeration to say that for a runner, it is as important as breathing. In running it as important to give back as you receive. To cheer and support as much as you receive, sometimes even more. For a non-runner, this would be difficult to understand and we don't think they ever will. But we are runners and will always run.

The road of life goes on and on

Out from my doorstep 

Into the great beyond

Where it will lead us 

No one knows

But down that road 

I shall go

With a spring in my step

And a smile on my face

The road of life goes on and on