A Fall Run

The air is crisp with anticipation for the winter. The leaves are still green but you can start hearing some crunching beneath your feet on an off the road run. Ten minutes into the run you start feeling the warmth. It is your own time and place. There is hardly anyone around. You take off the t-shirt and let the warm sun, cool air and mild wind play on your skin, teasing out familiar sensations…you have been here before. 

You are in a zone which is comforting and exhilarating at the same time. The legs are moving, carrying the load with comfort and joy. The joy of being alive and well. You take a deep breath of gratitude…that you can partake in this pleasure of running on a fall morning. How much or how fast are of no concern. There is no agenda. No competition to prepare for. You are running because you love it. You are running because you can. It is that simple.

There is water body on both sides of the running path. You get a glimpse of a kayak in the water. No there are two of them….then there is this duck that dives in and disappears in the water. You pick up the pace a little bit. The organism is feeling even more alive and well. You straighten up a bit, have a stronger hand movement and fall into a stronger pace… a little more engaged physically, a little dreamier mentally. A bicyclist passes you by. No words are exchanged, just a mild wave of hand. But you saw his face. You understand him. There are some runners approaching. Two beautiful women.  As they float by you, you steal a glance of their flat bellies and firm legs. You let your eyes rest on them for a few moments. Again a friendly wave. A few strollers, walkers, runners, bicyclists later you see this bunch of college guys, only in shorts, running like gazelles. Long strides, heads held up nicely, on a brisk run. These dudes are going fast. Lean and mean. No fat bobbing up and down anywhere. Just wonderful running machines. It is a fantastic sight. Reminds you of why you like to run. Just the beauty of the body engaged in a concerted effort of motion and rhythm. You pick up the pace a little bit more. Try to run smoother and faster. After a few minutes you fall back into the comfortable pace again. Just keep moving. Breathing in the air deeply and exhaling the fatigue. It is turn-around time now. You know it instinctively. You look at the watch…it’s been thirty five minutes. It is going to be a good one hour run overall. May be seven or eight miles. Your mind calculates it automatically. You know exactly how you will feel at the end of the run while you stretch. Aware of the effort, but not exhausted. Just the right feeling.  It is almost like having your third drink. The perfect feeling. Not too much or too little.

On the way back you speed up and slow down a few times. You pass some beautiful people. You start becoming aware of your legs a little bit. You remind yourself to straighten up a few times. Your remind yourself to enjoy the scenery a few times. Green trees, water all around you with some rowing boats. The small pebbles on the road. A few birds flying about. Now there seem to be some more people on the path. Mainly walkers. A few more runners, some pushing themselves laboriously, some banging their feet hard, some a little on the heavier side, some fashionably dressed. You like them all. They are part of this club. They all feel what you feel somehow. A shared passion for running. The Sun feels a little warmer on the skin. The air feels a little cooler through the sweat. You look up the road, seek out the mile markers, look at the watch, wave to other runners, look out for some athletic groups and keep on running. Then the last stretch. A strong effort. You push forth hard and go into a sprint, sucking hungrily on big gulps of air, trying to stretch your stride even longer and making your legs earn their keep.

At the end of it all, there is a lot of panting and a release and you lean over trying to catch your breath. There is a satisfaction in your heart. It was a nice Fall run.

Ironman - the Foundry

This is a strange title for this article. But I will deal with it later…

First, the fun part. I successfully finished my first Ironman, by participating in the first ever US Ironman Championship in NYC on Aug 11, 2012. It was a thrill beyond belief. It was exciting, fun and challenging.

The journey started 8-10 months back when I signed up for the event on a whim and a fancy. I was totally not prepared for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run that it takes to finish the event. But I figured I would manage somehow.  What followed was trying get my head around the preparation for the event. I could barely swim two lengths in the pool then. Had no experience in open water and had recently bought a used bike.

It took some figuring out for sure but now being on the other side of it here are a few things that I learnt from it.

1.       Goals Matter : In-fact they are all that matter : Whatever area of life we look at, anything meaningful can only be achieved by going after a preset goal or target. Why do we then assume that fitness and good health will just somehow flow in…? One must consider fitness goals like we do professional and financial ones. Infact fitness pays dividends way beyond and long after money exhausts its limits to affect your life in a positive way.

2.       Handling Fear : Fear is very real. Having panicked twice in cold and open water, my fear was about  “getting breathless in deep open water”. Once I recognized it, I mentally prepared for it and overcame it by doing exactly what I was afraid of. The half Ironman event in New Hampshire was where I was able to break through the very real “wall of fear” in earnest.

3.       Sometimes you alone are not enough: In my last race there was a point when I started to get concerned as to whether I would be able to finish. So I found someone who was feeling stronger than I was and let him lead me in the run. I shut off my brain and just did what he was doing. Running and then walking when it was very hilly. In about 5-10 or so miles I got my second wind and was able to manage it on my own thereafter. Interestingly by that time he needed some support. So we both carried each other when we needed it..figuratively speaking. This was a huge learning for me. We all grow up on the diet of silent macho heroes who make it happen by themselves… all the time. So knowing when one needs help and having the humility to ask for it is a big sign of strength  in my opinion.

4.       Nothing succeeds like success : Events like Ironman, Marathon, Mountain Climbing are particularly nice because they are discrete events with boundaries, that one can isolate in one’s mind and draw inspiration from in times of duress.  We will all fail sometimes or will have our back against the wall. This is life. But to be able to go back to this specific point in your life where you overcame significant odds and got a victory, can provide a huge lift to sagging spirits. On the positive side these little successes will always propel you to achieve more in all areas of life.

5.       The Foundry: Ironman event and preparation to me was the Foundry where future dreams were forged.  Yes I have the next goal. It is big and audacious. But I ain’t telling you yet…You tell me yours first J