CHANDGARH STARTS RUNNING

I COULDN’T MYSELF BELIEVE IT WHEN I SAW THE TIMING. IT WAS 1:52:18... I KNEW I WAS HEADING FOR A SUB TWO….BUT 8 MINS EVEN LESSER!!!!!

I STARTED OFF WELL. THE CLIMATE AT CHANDIGARH WAS DAMN COLD. LUCKILY I HAD WORN TWO THIN LAYERS. FRANKLY SPEAKING THOUGH I HAD SWEATED A LOT...EVEN TOWARDS THE END I FELT I HAD JUST ABOUT GOT WARMED UP. IN FACT THE SWEAT WAS ONLY ADDING TO THE COLD.

A FANTASTIC COURSE TO RUN, ABSOLUTELY FLAT, WITH A VERY SHORT CLIMB JUST BEFORE SUKHNA LAKE, AT APPROX 16K MARK.THEN 2-2.5 K ALL ALONG THE LAKE MADE THE RUNNING ADDITIONALLY INTERESTING.

MY STRIDES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE RACE WAS COMFORTABLE AND I CONTINUED AT THE SAME PACE THROUGHOUT. I STOPPED JUST ONCE FOR 15-20 SECONDS AT 19 K TO SIP WATER, THAT’S ALL.

AT APPROX 500M FROM THE START A GUY CALLED ME BY MY NAME (OUR NAMES WERE ON THE BIB) AND JUST SAID “HI I AM MUTHU”….BETWEEN SHORT TALKS I REALISED HE WAS AN ARMY DOC.WE CONTINUED RUNNING AT A VERY COMFORTABLE PACE, DEFINITELY FASTER THAN SCMM…JUST 15 DAYS BACK. FOR THE FIRST 12 KM IT WAS A ROUTE ON THE MAIN ROAD WHEREIN WE KEPT MEETING THE FAST RUNNERS AND THE SLOW RUNNERS EITHER WHILE GOING AHEAD OR RETURNING.

CHANDIGARH LACKED THE CROWD THAT EITHER MUMBAI OR DELHI GAVE. BUT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. THOUGH THE START POINT WAS COLOURFUL WITH BLASTING MUSICIANS WHO SANG “SUNO GOUR SE DUNIYA WALO” AT LEAST FOUR TIMES!!!!, ENROUTE PUBLIC SUPPORT WAS MINIMAL. A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS ADDED TO THE CHEER PARTY.

SCMM 2009 GOODIE BAG HAS SPOILT US (FREEBIES) A LOT. STUFF WORTH A FEW HUNDRED BUCKS SEEMED TO ENLIGHTEN THE SPIRIT OF THE FREEBIES. WE EVEN HAD A TENDENCY TO COMPARE THIS YEARS GOODIE BAG AT MUMBAI AND COMMENTED. IN THAT SPIRIT……SHOULD I SAY CHANDIGARH OFFERED ONLY A COLOURFUL GANJEE. NOT A BINGO MORE NOT A VOILINI LESS.

EVERY HM AND FM FINISHER WERE GIVEN A MEDAL. A MEDAL, WHICH MATTERS A LOT TO A FINISHER, ESPECIALLY, ON BEING GIVEN AT THE FINISH LINE. AS YOU MOVE AROUND MUNCHING BISCUITS, ORANGES AND DRINKING WATER THE SWEAT AND THE MEDAL SAYS IT ALL.

POST RUN SAW A BIT CHAOS IN THE CERTIFICATE DISTRIBUTION SECTION…BUT I CONSIDER IT A JUST A TEETHING PROBLEM OR RATHER A TYPICAL IMPATIENT ATTITUDE.

INITIALLY I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY FOOL HAVING GONE ALL THE WAY FROM MUMBAI TO C’GARH FOR A RUN. AT C’GARH I REALISED IT WASN’T THAT (THERE WERE OTHERS TOO)—VAIDYANATHAN OF ICICI WAS ALSO THERE FOR 42 K, DR SHAJAN MATHEW HAD COME ALL THE WAY FROM COCHIN, ADITYA FROM PUNE, ONE FOM AHMEDABAD, TWO FROM GURGAON, A PACK FROM DELHI AND OF COURSE DR ASHIS ROY FOR HIS 101^ST RUN……THESE ARE ONLY A FEW NON CHANDIS WHOM I MET.

FOR A FIRST TIME CONDUCT, FULL MARKS TO RAHUL VARGHESE (RUNNING AND LIVING) FOR THIS EVENT.MY GUESS---THREE YEARS FROM NOW..CHANDIGARH SHOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST MARATHON SPOTS IN THE COUNTRY!! OR AM I TOO OVER EXAGGERATING. LETS SEE. HAPPY RUNNING.