I ran my first ever half-marathon on 29th December 2019. It wasn’t one of those organised events where you are expected to report early in the morning, with a defined route, water and glucose at intervals and people standing by the side to cheer for you, but just an effort from my side to push through the limits and what I was really capable of. This day has a special place in my memory palace. I seem to remember every single moment from the time I started till I stopped. It was a cold and beautiful morning, I woke up at 6:18 am, to be precise, a little apprehensive on whether I would accomplish the target I had set. As usual I got dressed, did my warm-up stretches and picked up my water bottle and phone. I was all-set to begin, there was a sudden sense of doubt and fear. Well, this was something I had never done before, it is but natural to think that we cannot do something we have never done before, that’s how our brains are wired. And since I’m a member of the Impostor Syndrome Club, this is how I always feel.
I managed to overcome those demons inside my head that were holding me back, and started at 7:25 am . It was a task that I had taken upon myself and I wanted to complete it at any cost. Now you are probably wondering how I planned out my route. To be honest I didn’t really have a route planned . I decided I will figure out something on the way. After all, Bangalore is a beautiful city right ?
The first 10K was fine, that’s my usual Sunday run . The prospect of 11K more was a little worrisome, but I was distracted by the music I played on my phone. I created a playlist of all the songs that I was ever inspired by, for such was the task I had to accomplish. I stopped a couple of times, but came back stronger every time. At 17K, the fatigue was real, I luckily found a shop selling tender-coconuts, I stopped by and quickly drank one. I just had to push through, 4K was no big deal. So, off I went again. These were the toughest 4K of my life. My feet were numb, shoulders too tired. I had to put it together, and so I did.
At 10:20 am, I had finally done it, I was hysterical . Now I could proudly say “21K , I have done it too!” . I found a place to sit and rest , I stretched, ate a few bananas and analysed the statistics of my workout. I was pleased beyond measure!
This is a digression from the tech-stuff , but it’s always best to strike a balance right ? This is what life is about, do what you find happiness in and live the moment!