Battering
the body took by pursuing speed made the Hubli passenger revert to its USP. I
decided to run at a leisurely pace this Friday so as to conserve for the coming
weekend. I left for the run at 4:09 AM.
A
Santro standing askew with its full headlights on at the Haddows Road facing a
tree with a crowd of onlookers made me stop with concern. The guy who looked
like the driver spoke clearly meaning it was neither a case of drunken driving
nor one of sleep deprived driver. He politely refused the offer of calling an
Ambulance. The verbal disagreement I had with the walker near Gemini circle
(the one who addressed me as Mappilai!) which I call the Mukkalaat turned to Mulakat
after the guy addressed me as ‘Partner’ today.
The
next encounter of import today was when a person tried to attract my attention
by calling out to me near the Subhas Chandra Bose statue on Beach Road.
Stopping and retracing my steps, I realized it was a visually challenged man
who wanted help to cross the busy road. I helped him cross and in the process
learnt that Triplicane MRTS station opens out on Beach road there. My good deed
for the day done!
It
was light when I returned to the Beach road. The dog which has serious skin
infection and has shed most of his fur and is so weak that he is not even able
to scratch himself was standing pathetically. It makes one feel utterly
helpless when one encounters so much pain.
The
run was relaxed and completed at 7:28 AM.
On
Friday evening, nature put up a magnificent Sound and Light show. Now I understood
why ‘Mahaul banana’ is derisively called atmospherics. It had very little of
water to show for all its chest beating. But, the Corporation made a decent
puddle of it at most places on the route and wet roads were a comfort for the
soles when I left at 4:14 AM on Saturday.
This
also meant that there was enough of loose gravel on the road, the particularly
bad stretch was the stretch on College road connecting Sterling Road to the
Haddows College Road. I winced as I ran and would have put Basanto dancing on
broken glass pieces for her Hero in the movie ‘Sholay’ to shame. The strip
tease was restored to the Uttamar Gandhi Salai intersection!
When
I was in my second loop of the Island ground loop on the Swami Sivananda road, I
had the company of young kids warming up for their skating. It was nice to run
with them and their cheering. On the Mount road, right under the nose of Munroe
majestically astride his steed, when I turned right to salute Ganpati bappa, I found
two Military policemen trying to awaken a prone person. Not liking the tone of
it (Munroe a foreigner Civil servant who was an empathetic administrator would
have winced at how today’s native police are treating their own people!) I went
to enquire. One of the Policeman had passed his verdict without getting down
from his steed (read motorbike), the other was trying to wake up the person. I
went and tried to do an impromptu breathalyzer test on the charged person. He
was not guilty, he actually pointed to his chest and that too on the left side
and complained of pain. I told the policemen to leave him alone and asked the
pujari of the temple to talk to him in his language and get to know his
residence. We got him on to the pavement away from the harm’s way. He was not
there when I came in the reverse direction for my third loop. The pujari told
me that he had some water and walked off. He had no sympathy for such
stragglers as they lie around the temple and defile the place.
The
sick dog was looking worse today and I wished he could get run over so that his
miseries could end, maybe, animals don’t take short cuts like suicide. I was
confronted by a person who had met me at the Anna Nagar Tower Twisters
anniversary celebration asking me about the next day’s anniversary programme of
T Nagar runners. Though I had an invitation, as I was not familiar with the
location, I had decided to give it a miss. I must be frank, I did not want to
forego my full marathon on Sunday second week in a row. Too much exposure is
also not good!
I
finished my run at 8:52 AM, a 4:28 marathon!
A
little sore from the previous day’s run, but, determined to get a full for the
Sunday, I was at the gates at 4:26 AM. There was no rain the previous night
meaning a Sun drenched final hour run was in store. This also however meant
that the roads must be cleared of the loose gravel. The guard opposite the
complex opposite the Regional Metrological station was enjoying his communion
with Vasundhara Das seductively belting out ‘Vasigara-2’. I felt like I was
intruding on his dream. He looked up to greet me.
In
my first loop from Light house to Napier, I met Jhansi Rani’s husband who was
returning after completing his walk (they had actually vanished after my
encounter a few days back and I was worried I may have given them too much
Gyan!). It seems his wife had gone to her parents place and he was hurrying back
for his Sunday Mass!
Today’s
highlight was when I met @Sundar Purush accompanied by a 16 year old youngster
with him when I was in my second loop on the Flag staff house road. The boy it
seems has been running for a year and does 30K on weekends and is going into
his 12th standard. Now, that makes it two kids within the last two
Sundays who are into their 12th and their parents have no issue
about their taking up a strenuous sport of long distance running. I did my bit
in counseling in asking him to control his mileage so that it makes him alert,
but, does not put him to sleep. We ran the third loop and the stretch upto
Labour statue together. It was nice to see three generations or say ‘Kal Aaj
aur Kal’ running together. They took the parallel road from Labour statue. I
still had two loops from Napier to Light house and back after this stretch to
make my full quota.
I
was accosted by another runner when I turned for my second loop opposite Queen
Mary’s college. He works for Hindustan UniLever and we ran one loop together to Napier bridge and back
to light house. His Garmin gave verbal update with speeds as 5:30 to 5:45 per
Km during the run together. He said that he runs a half marathon on weekends.
We parted at Light house.
I
struggled through the last loop and I was deadbeat when I was crossing the
policeman standing outside the Commissioner of Police’s office. I needed a
drink of water and my system could not survive till the AVM pit stop. I asked
the policeman (Mr. C Prakash!) if I could get a drink, he gave me a jug full
from a well stocked can and the usual interrogation of my motive for run
started. He said if I can run 42K, then I could regular marathons. I asked him
what I get if I join events, he said ‘Medals’. I give him my philosophical take
that a satisfying solo run in worth more than any medal and that I will get
photographed with him when I meet him next with a load of all my medals! It is
difficult selling running for running’s sakes to non runners.
It
seems that the entire city wants to know why I run every day. I was asked the
same question by the parking attendant at Saravana bhawan near the AVM kalyana
mantapam pit stop. He asked me what I get by running so much and what is my
aim. I told him I wanted to do back to back marathons on
weekends even after I turn 100! I know he
must have taken me for a mad cap!
I
finished my run at 9:03 AM with both feet crying for rest. The programme for
the day was shelved and I just slept the whole day.
Monday blues
I woke up with a pain in both my toes
today and I took a break from run and am regretting it. Will make it up
tomorrow!
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