The heading of today’s blog is inspired by the iconic statement made by the protagonist in the movie Forrest Gump, ‘S##t happens’, incidentally it is also boldly emblazoned on a regular beach side walker on Marina whom I cross every day. Yesterday, I was politely stopped by an elderly gentleman (he revealed his age proudly during the course of his advisory to be 75!), he sincerely tried to dissuade me from running every day. I heard him patiently and wished him good health and that he should wish me that I continue to run like this for the next 20 years and seriously rival Fauza Singh’s exploits.
Just as I was celebrating 40 days of continuous running, the ginger ballet over the wet Marina sidewalks seems to have strained my glutes. This brought the Hubli Passenger to a grinding halt putting paid to ambitious plans for overhauling Michelle’s exploits of 194 days uninterrupted effort. I remember the last time when I was counting days was when I had just quit cigarettes, some improvement this! I think the real liberation happens when we stop counting!
I find interesting denizens of night when I start my run. In the last one week, twice a triad of the significant ‘other’ gender pass me on their scooty. They seem to proclaim why should only ‘Boyz and ‘Girlz’ have all the fun. The lead member progressed from shy smiles to waves and finally yesterday she made the statement ‘Does your feet not hurt running barefoot?’, I was reminded of the famous Raj Kumar dialogue in the movie Pakeezah where seeing the exposed bare feet of Meena Kumari he famously said something similar!
Now I do not brace myself when I hear two wheelers approaching from the rear with kids making loud noises, the majority of them now do a slow fly-past with mock salutes as they pass by. I have also become less jumpy on hearing rubber against road screeching in case it is one of the new gangs yet to be domesticated by the charms of the Hubli passenger.
Apart from the runners and walkers who regularly cross me at fixed locations on the Marina, there has been a new addition, this lady laboriously, but, regularly runs by when I am on my way back after the run. We generally meet on the Savera flyover. My friend Ramkumar Sundaresan was with her one day when they crossed me, must find out her story from him! Her determination is admirable!
Pain in the glutes is a real pain, last three days the Hubli passenger had to be grounded! I found the courage to restart the narrative after a slow and painful, but, a regular quota nevertheless today. None of the regulars commented on my absence and here I was brooding the last three days that I must have been missed! Is it their good naturedness that keeps them from proclaiming my slip!
When I crossed a group of youngsters today, I started to react as is my wont when I heard some in the group doing a catcall! Lucky I did not, others in the group put them wise and I earned a salute as a bonus.
The first part of the run was very tough as I was sweating profusely, but, no respite due to the muggy and still weather. The air got cooler and there was even some slight drizzle in the second half of the run. The Sun came out in the end to have the last laugh when I was at my weakest. Hope I am able to recover for the run tomorrow. I met the old man (yes the 75 year old! Who thought I am overstraining for my age!) and glared at him, he did not get the message and smiled back politely!
Ram Rajagopalan is after me in his usual persistent and persuasive way to get to flag off the Marina Minnals Long run this Sunday. I hate these as this appears to be the youngster’s polite way of promoting me to the Margdarshak Mandal. I may huff and puff, but, I plan to run for many more years and would not take the hint to graduate to flagging off status any time in near future! On a serious note, hope this niggle does not altogether keep me off my run on the Sunday!
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