People always ask me why I still run. I’m not in the army anymore. I don’t need to keep so fit is what all my friends and family members always say. 5 years ago, my running journey started not due to interest or wanting to keep fit but in the end it has become what I am. Running has become me.
Run again? The thought shot through my mind like a bullet going through my heart. Okay, I’ll just do the bare minimum. After the session was over, I found out that the session was a trial to pick the runners for a competition to be held in 4 months time.
“Ouch!” I yelled as I was given a slap on my back by my buddy. “You really outdid yourself today. You told me you going to just complete the run in a leisure pace, but you actually went all out.” my buddy exclaimed in jest. “Really? Sorry, I got a little carried away I guess,” I grinned sheepishly.
Training which consisted of runs everyday, swimming or aqua jogging followed through the grueling weeks ahead. For the next few months, the runners selected were deemed untouchables at work. We were able to skip training with the company on the pretext that we have runs the next day. None of us were even held back when the company stayed behind for the weekend as we were representing an entity bigger than our company.
After a while I got burned out and the feeling of minimizing my efforts resurfaced. I don’t even care if I was going to be the first one to be axed from the team. Yet, whenever the feeling creeps in, I found that the senior and even the junior runners in the group pushed each other to whole new level.
In the end, the team manager had difficulties selecting the final team. But due to injury picked up by some of the key runners, I was given a chance to run in the competition.
Although the team did not do very well in the competition (due to some planning hiccups), the whole group finished in an impressive timing and as well as a team.
The incident has taught me quite a bit about life. Firstly it was the first serious gauge I had of my love/hate relationship with running. It was due to this incident that I just jumped and signed up for my first marathon at the end of the year. Secondly, I learnt that the right group or cliques will always push/challenge you to do your very best in whatever you do. Lastly the fact that I’m a fitness freak even though I have a huge set of lazy bones.
Nowadays I follow this philosophy for whatever I embark in life. Once my feet crossed the starting line, they will not stop till I find the end point.
