The Mumbai Marathon

https://tatamumbaimarathon.procam.in/

On the 19th of January 2020 I shall be attempting my first major physical endeavors in my entire life. Running a mini marathon. 5.9 KM of it.

I am filled with apprehension of course, but I am also filled with a certain determination. I am filled with doubts. But my inner strength is emerging a louder voice.

I am compelled to write this today - as a woman, as a professional. I am quite sure that there are many here on this LinkedIn platform who may have / be facing the same situation.

From College to a profession and then learning the subtle nuances of that profession is a journey. Then mastering it and climbing the career path to its pinnacle takes quite a lot of dedication, time and constant up-gradation of skills, industry specific knowledge build up. Finally converting all that to hands on the table value addition that you bring to work is what makes you the professional that you are.

I went through pretty much this same process and so there was not much room for anything else. Let alone get into physical fitness or anything close to it. Especially in the life of a woman. She is welcome as a professional in an organization but then she has to play the sheet anchor role of a home maker - mother and wife and sometimes daughter in law (in the case of those living with in laws as often times happens here in India).

Now at this level of professional life also comes in the necessity to look after the physical side of one’s existence and there I realized that I have to invest my time and energies to. The genteel walks when one has time, the today I will diet and not have a comprehensive eating plan might not do. I realized that one can push the body to its limits when it comes to not keeping it in the shape that we are meant to keep it. But when it begins to revolt – the price could be too high to pay.

So like everyone else who is mortified of bad health and its fall out – hospitals, medicines, doctors and what have you – I decided to take physical fitness, diet and eating habits seriously.

In the process I realized that the best gift that Heaven ever gives you is a fabulous piece of engineering called the Human Body. Look after it well – maintain it – then it is the best servant you can ever have. A great body will provide you with the impetus for a better working mind and that can give you the keys to your dreams.

Hitting the gym, cutting out the unnecessary stuff from my plate and then dreaming of doing something that I never did before became a goal worthy of achieving.

So now – here I am preparing to run the mini marathon in Mumbai on Sunday the 19th of January 2020 and I thought I must reach out to all the working women here, all those wonderful balancers and to all those fathers, too, to all those who look at their college physiques and wonder if they can ever get near there.

Trust me when I tell you – anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

If you are in Mumbai running the Tata Mumbai Marathon ping me here and I would be delighted to meet you.