Mumbai Marathon...

So I run the Mumbai Marathon tomorrow and I'll admit I'm scared. I tried to train for it in my own way but as I got closer to D-Day I only started panicking. A couple of times I almost made up my mind to do what I do best when faced with a problem... avoid it and run away from it (pun unintended)... yes with great shame I admit there were dark days when I almost decided not to run the marathon and chicken out... however then I would remember all those people who trusted me enough to part with their hard-earned cash to sponsor my run and I would rein in my wayward thoughts and focus on the task at hand... At times I  was almost in tears with frustration that there was no way in hell that I was completing the marathon...

Then on one such dark day I received an email from a dear friend from Scotland, he trained me on my first job with my current company and I call him my Scottish Dad and he too takes a paternal interest in me. Though he retired a long time ago we still are in regular contact and as it happened he was the first person to sponsor my run...Coming back to the present, his mail was actually in response to my email wherein I had mentioned something about being scared and all he said was "GOOD LUCK, and just enjoy it. Hope the weather is kind to you". They are such simple words, but to me it was like I was shown the path to Nirvana, I was like, why am I stressing about this run, and killing myself thinking about the worst case scenarios, like me fainting or not completing the race....why don't I just concentrate on dressing up, showing up and  enjoying it for all its worth!!!

From then on that is what I have been doing,  going out of the way to make myself have fun and enjoy the race. Like joking with my colleagues that in a worst case scenario if I am the last person on the track, I will become a TV celebrity as the news channels will follow me and have a caption running on the screen "Will she complete this race, keep watching as we provide live minute by minute coverage of her crawl towards the finish line..." with an arrow pointing to me on the screen...

Then there were others who gave me tips on how I could ensure that I complete the run, one suggested that I should carry a length of rope and wear roller skates and as soon as one of them super fast African runners ran past, I must lasso him and roll towards the finish line and as I neared the finish line I must pull the runner back and push my self forward thereby ensuring that I came first!!!, quite a novel thought I must admit and what is even more surprising is that it came from boring accountants, I never knew we could think so creatively. Then there were other who made me promise "cross your heart and promise that you will finish the race, no matter how long it takes ....do it for us!!!". The love and goodwill that I feel around me is enough to make me feel special that I'm determined to complete the race while ensuring that I enjoy it all the way...

Then I went SHOPPING for my running gear and got myself the following: an arm-band for my mobile and ipod, running t-shirt, running tights and super comfortable sports undies. The undies nearly gave my mom a heart attack. I had washed and left them out to dry and she happened to come into my room and saw the shorts fluttering in the fan breeze, she gave them such a scandalized look and wailed, 'Are you going to be wearing these when you run the marathon !!!!?. My lightning fast response prevented her from collapsing to the floor in a heap. It was only when I showed her my running tights and assured her that the shorts would be worn underneath the tights that she relaxed. I was like, how could you even think that I would run about town wearing those tight shorts, have you ever seen me in so much as Bermuda shorts that I would consider wearing the nearly there shorts for my run ???....Never mind these small distractions...

As a wise man would say, what have I got to lose if I don't complete the marathon other than my ego being ground to dust, but my ego is nothing compared to the memories I shall make tomorrow in case it all goes well...

Bring it on I say...
I know I shall live to see another day...