Run like a Child... the Joy of Running

Sometimes you’ve got to slow down to really learn to appreciate life and its finer points. And this goes for running too. We are all caught up in improving forms, achieving podiums and PBs, running races for medals and timings, that we forget the joy of running, forget the joy that running brings.

Today ran 5 kms, but ran one of the best 5 kms of my life. No didn’t achieve a PB but i did achieve a PH, I.e. personal happiness, and that’s all because the company I had, the brilliant pacers that paced me throughout the five kms, those awesome lil runners.

So we ran with unbridled joy,hi-fiveing, chitchatting and cheering runners irrespective of age, or the group they ran with. I learned some running moves they teach at football coaching. We constantly chatted the whole way, petted doggies on the way, clicked loads of selfies, and all this without the energy dipping much, the Josh was indeed high. They brought smiles on people’s face that passed by, they ran, jogged, brisk walked, cheering people on, giving them thumbs up, telling me (as opposed to asking me) the breed of the dog we passed by, every dog we petted. Every km was met with a huge cheer, a big achievement. Their enthusiasm was was contagious, affecting those who saw them, their joy was pure, making you wonder where did we loose this joy in all the numbers we keep chasing, all the races we keep chasing, we keep running.

Today these little ones showed me that there’s joy to be found in running, a happiness, an excitement we seemed to have lost as we started taking running more seriously, chasing timings and PBs and medals and podiums and all the glam sham that goes with it. We seemed to have lost this joy, it’s time we reclaim this joy back. 

Got to thank these lil ones for showing what’s the joy for running, how to run like a child with unbridled joy, to find happiness in every step, to spread happiness and cheer with every step. Thank you lil ones, cause I know I had the time of my life, in those 5 kms I felt I ran an ultra, in an awesomely good way. Thank you lil ones, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Running the Highway

I have been running now for well over eight years, and not once have I run the highway. Ok, not in its totality, maybe just partially. Well today I can tick that box off.

When you run the highway you keep your ears open for the vroom of those pesky bikers who keep racing their machine. You keep ears open as vehicles zip by you at well over 60 miles an hour, should you misjudge (or they misjudge and knock you down). So you run in a single file, keeping pace with each other, constant lookout for each other, cause on the highway you are each other’s support.

As long as we are in the vicinity of Aarey, the air has this coolness about it, there’s a nice light breeze in the air (all the more reason why we need to save Aarey from the greed of the politicians and builders). But the moment you moved away from it , the heat and humidity begin to hit you, gradually at first but then like a ton of bricks falling on you out of no where. Despite the heat you soldiers on, you continue going, even though your vest clings on to you from the sweat, and sweat drips from your pants as if you have peed in them, you continue on, running in a single file constantly on the watch out for each other , constantly supporting each other, at least till you join the MRR runners at Mahim. 

Now there was a plan to take every flyovers. So you crossover and take the slope, keeping a lookout for traffic, trying not to be run over. They seemed to go on and on, once up you run for a km or more, or say it may seem, before you got off before taking the next one. You thought you would have muttered some curses or hexes under your breath, but surprisingly you made it through. Maybe it was thought that it would make running on inclines simpler. But then Peddar Road would sure be a pain in the back.

So after running over 12 km your see the first MRR Runners (it wasn’t that we hadn’t see runners on the way) the water station felt like a relief, cause the heat seemed to get you, and your legs felt sore and tight, almost lead like. You greet your friends as you see them, sometimes even passing them, only to be passed when you slowed down.

At Haji Ali you are greeted by tea runners as they go by. You see a group of trail runners who seemed to have lost their way and found themselves on the road instead of a trail. After some light moments and selfie clicking, it was off to face the dreaded Peddar Road.

Now reaching the inclines of Peddar Road the leadden legs refused to run, so you walk your way up that slope, but then that was the plan after all the flyovers. The sun slowly reaches its apex making you pull your cap down to avoid its glare. By now, thanks to the heat and humidity, fatigue sets in and it seems like you have hit the wall well ahead of the 30th km. So you have to resort to walk and run, more like more of walking and little jogging.

On Marine Drive you begin to feel the brunt of the October heat. You are now more walking than crawling (cause you’re no longer jogging either), afraid to pull a muscle but the determination to complete it fuels you in. So you walked, crawled, jogged right up to NCPA. Having slowed down meant that I had to miss the group pic and show Sammy all the love (but then that’s for the women to do).

Finally reaching NCPA all you wanted to do is collapse and fall a sleep at the very spot Where you collapse, but Sunday’s meant that NCPA was a Runners mela. So you meet greet, enthusiastically talk with friends, be introduced to new runners, strike conversations, socialise, smile and preen for photos and selfies (more of selfies). So after having one crazy time, and helping rid off the trash it was time to join your fellow runners at Pizza by the Bay for breakfast and then head back home, with your head held high for the mileage you achieved despite the heat and humidity.