I was fortunate enough, thanks to Artificial Intelligence – the strong recommendation system of Instagram and my network of acquaintances, to obtain the registration link for the Inaugural run for the Wipro Bengaluru marathon. The inaugural run was a prelude to the main event on 6th Oct 2024, which is why registering was free of cost. As an added benefit for those who are punctual, there was T-shirt distribution on a first-come-first-serve basis of up to 1500 T-shirts. Unexpected meetings, an extra kilometer, and quite a number of unforgettable memories –a few snippets of the events I want to share in this post.
Getting ready for Race: Planning, preparation and luck
There were two categories for the inaugural run: 5k and 10k. I had registered for the 10k as practice for my upcoming Half-marathon – the Uru Midnight run organized by Mountain Festivals. My initial attempt to register using the Instagram link was unsuccessful for some reason, which I didn’t bother to figure out. I received a link later forwarded by one of my friends, Ramakrishna, whom I know because he runs regularly in the morning.
Just a day before, on Saturday, I had participated in the industry-institute conclave, where one of my colleagues, Isha, was also an attendee. While returning to the hostel from the conclave, the conversation about the next day’s plans popped up. That’s when I learned that Isha had also registered for the same. Hence, we decided to go to the venue together the next morning by metro and reach Kanteerava stadium by 5:30 AM. I had planned it all – to walk towards Sandalsoap factory metro station by 4:50 to reach Sir M Vishveswarya Metro station, from which the reporting venue was just 2 km approx. – a perfect walking distance for pre-warmup. But there was a very big loophole – I had totally missed the fact that the next day was Sunday and that the metro would start only after 7 AM. Luckily, I met Ramakrishna on Saturday evening, who realized this, and I quickly booked a cab for the next morning. He was coming with his friend Sandeep (I got acquainted with him later in the morning), but they had not decided on the mode of transport then. The cab was booked – and we all woke up early – infused with enthusiasm, and reached the venue – well in time to be in the queue for T-shirts. Proud of the fact that we were punctual, we collected the T-shirts and took a mandatory selfie before the run.
Phases of the Run
There was a Zumba instructor who made us do the warm-up shortly before the run, and the run started at 6:40 AM. I set up my Strava activity to Running mode and started off to increase my pace, overtaking those who were running slower than my moderate pace. I had no strategy, no specific plan for this run – except for posing nicely whenever I saw someone taking photos of the runners. As I reached the initial phase of the run, wherein my body was set to an equilibrium pace, and there would be rare occasions of overtaking, the density of fellow runners decreased. Running much ahead of me were professional runners whose practice and training were clearly demonstrated by their running technique and physical build. I saw a Punjabi guy – whose vibe matched that of Milkha Singh. We met each other quite a number of times – and I made sure to make a gesture of hats off when I realized that he was much ahead of me on the looped running track. My gesture was to respect the hard work and training they demonstrated, and in return, he smiled back – indicating a clear picture of humility, no ego, no arrogance – just pure sportsmanship.
As I raced ahead, I could see a running crowd, but much behind in the loop. However, I was running alone by that time; there were runners much ahead of me, running alone as well, and there were a few behind me, again running in solitary. I lost track of the runner in front of me, and there came a crossroad, and I was confused about which road to take. That’s where I took a wrong loop which cost me an extra km of the run. However, after completing the loop, I had already run 10 km and wondered why the finishing point was not approaching. That’s when I realized – “Oops, I took a wrong turn…” but still continued my run, visualizing myself as Goku (a character from the Japanese Anime Dragon Ball Z) running on the snake way to save the earth. By the time I reached the finishing line, I had already run 11 km. More than that, I had broken my personal record for a 10 km run.
Breaking personal records again reminds me of Goku – who always pushed his limits to gain more energy, power, and speed, to save the earth.
Relishing the Post-Run Moments
There were already queues for breakfast when I completed my run. Soon after, the Zumba instructor started a cool-down session, which I joined after my own cool-down stretches. I was super hungry by then, and as I walked towards the breakfast queue, I met Isha again. Although she had already had her breakfast, I made her to stand in the queue with me to get an extra plate for me – and she had to because a friend in need is a friend indeed. The breakfast was amazing – unconventional shaped idlis, a sweet upma, and normal upma with sambar and chutney – two plates of mouth-watering delicious cuisine that I devoured with ecstasy. After breakfast, we took some pics to cherish the memory of the run. Overwhelmed with the satisfaction of completing the run, content with the tasty breakfast, and happy for securing a free T-shirt, we walked towards the Sir M Vishveshwarya metro station and reached Sandal soap factory metro – from which IISc was a walkable distance away.
Joy of Achievement
Infused with the happy hormones released after physical activity, I was feeling so happy, light, and enthusiastic. Completing this run not only marked an achievement added to my diaries of self-development but also made me feel grateful to be able to run and be healthy, boosted sportsmanship spirit, helped me develop respect for those who work hard and train, and made a few amazing memories with friends.