Untold Story of a Running Marathon! -Running for Change

This story started in 2008; I vaguely remember sitting in the Loreal office when one of my colleagues, Snehal Gawande, spoke to me about this Standard Chartered Marathon. I had no clue about it, but we just enrolled. This was my 1st step towards running a half-marathon(21km). I had no idea how I would run that much distance. Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM), now known as Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM), is the most prestigious marathon in the country, and runners across the country participate in it. Thousands of runners. It was pleasant weather in Mumbai- Azad Maidan. I had a butterfly in my stomach; I felt like I wasn’t ready. I was starting to notice cramp symptoms (while there were none). I gathered all my courage and put my 1st foot forward; every single step was a battle (in my mind) complete. It took much effort to ignore those thoughts and push on. A whole lot of effort. I tried to distract my mind and remember why I was running. ?I finished my first half marathon in 3.15 hours. I could hardly walk post-finishing, but the feeling was so amazing. It felt like I had conquered Mt. Everest. I was glad that I didn’t have a heart attack while running for 21 km. I promise I will do better next time, and I did that. My timings were getting better than every year. I completed my Best Half Marathon in 2010 in 2 hours and 11 min. Thus, my journey started!!. I started registering for half marathons and 10km runs (at least 1 in a year). After running 1 half marathon every year, I wanted to stretch myself in a year. Then, I took a 2 years break due to pregnancy. It has been more than 15 years; now, I run 3-4 half-marathons a year and a few 10kms. This became a normal course for me every year and my sense of pride. It was my time for me.

But this year, it was different; with all excitement, I registered for the TMM half marathon 2024 without realizing?I might have my cycle on the same day. Standing at the start line of a marathon with many doubts but hope to finish it. The race started, and I could feel heaviness in my legs after only a few kilometers. But I kept running at my pace. After crossing the Bandra-Worli sea link, I felt a sense of pride (I was nearing 10km completion). I heard a few volunteers shout half done, half to go !! But I could feel my heart sinking and cramps in my abdomen; my mind started playing games, but with full determination, I finally finished the half-marathon in 2.41 hours.

Here comes another Half Marathon - ?L&T Sea Bridge Marathon 2024- Thousands lace up for the first-ever marathon on Atal Setu,- India's longest sea bridge. I didn’t want to miss this golden opportunity to run against the breathtaking backdrop of Mumbai's skyline, make my way across the bridge, bring communities together, and honor the spirit of teamwork of the people who created this masterpiece.?? This time, the aim was different, and the thought was different, “Running to make change, Running to thank people who made many of our lives easier by building this masterpiece.? Finally, the day was here on the 18th of Feb 2024, an action-packed day with a sense of excitement.? And put my best foot forward; I knew this was back-to-back (TMM), and I needed more willpower and strength (my monthly cycle was on). Once again -Cramps on both legs. Excruciating pain. Heaviness in legs. I wanted to give up. It was just 3kms away from the finish line, but it felt like it would take an eternity to get there. My mind was playing the devil’s advocate, cajoling me to stop, to feel comfort again, and to give up. While under all the negative chatter and physical pain, a voice told me to keep on going. It was faint, but it was there. Thanks to this voice, I passed the finish line within 2hours41mins (maintained my pace). Seeing the finishing line, I brought my hands up high and ran through. What a surreal feeling! Feelings of awe, happiness, surprise, exhaustion, and relief hit me at once. Never did I think that I would finish. I had proved to myself that I could do the impossible. ?It was straight up and down the road with view cutters blocking the beautiful sea and cooling breeze! But could gather great speed due to mind-boggling climate.

More than this, I had a pleasant surprise that was unique to me, and I thank TOI for this. My name was engraved in the newspaper on the 19th of Feb 2024. Thanks to my Boss, Anup Agarwal, for unveiling this surprise to me. For a moment, I couldn't believe myself. But then that was true...

Nothing is impossible if we set our eyes on it and put our soul into it. The far-fetched goals also become realistic when we start biting them bit by bit. Every day gives us an opportunity to begin a new life. Running applies to life in many ways. It taught me many things. Here's what I realized after running.

1. Don’t give up. If I had listened to my negative thoughts, I would have given up and not finished the marathon. I stuck through the whole way. It felt amazing and surreal to finish the race. In life, there will be naysayers and haters. What’s important is to stick with your intuition and keep on going. Sticking through the whole process will yield huge rewards.
2. You can achieve anything you put your mind to. I never thought that I could run 21kms in a day. Not even 3kms (big difference). In my eyes, I did the impossible! If you have the will, you will find a way.
3. Change happens outside of your comfort zone. If I stayed in my comfort zone, I would have never accomplished what I did. For change or growth to happen, you embrace it outside of your comfort zone.

I’m proud of myself for finishing a marathon. It has helped me change for the better. Now, I realize I’m capable of more.