After a heroic effort at the Mumbai Marathon in January, I decided that I wasn't quite ready for 42-kilometre runs just as yet. I needed to have a few more half-marathons under my belt before I took the great leap and KL, my favourite city on the planet provided me with just the right opportunity.
Training for this half-marathon was by no means easy. I had to train in Bombay in the month of May, in hot and humid conditions, although the summer was relatively mild. And then came the monsoons in the second day of June and my training virtually ended. But I was able to stay healthy in the lead-up to the KL half-marathon and that's what counted the most.
The atmosphere at the Merdeka Square was electric. The authorities illuminated the Abdul Samad building in different and changing colours and that was the inspiration I needed. It felt different to run overseas and that too in a place that had almost no air-pollution. But my familiarity with KL helped me estimate distances better.
About half an hour in to the run, it started drizzling ever so gently and the warm Malaysian rain helped me get a spring in my step. The run started at 6:15 am and it was still pitch-dark on the roads of the great city but by the time the drizzling stopped and there was daylight, I was given a great treat by Mother Nature in the shape of a beautiful rainbow.
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As I crossed the boundaries of wooded and hilly Bangsar, I started to tire and the momentum and adrenaline were running short. It was at that moment that I saw a wonderful Sikh gentleman in his late-70s running hard. I wished him in the respectful Sikh way (Sat Sri Akal) and then powered ahead.
The run was so scenic, with us crossing some of the green neighbourhoods of the city, as well as the new Little India, and some of the great symbols of the city like the Petronas Towers and the KL Tower. And the closer I got to the finish line, the more I started noticing the encouraging fans and cheer-leaders. The crowd gave me the final burst of energy and I crossed the finish 9 minutes earlier than I did in Delhi last year. Being 10 kgs lighter than I was in Delhi helped me but not as much as I thought it would. The experience helped me understand that long distance running is as much about the mind and heart as it is about the body.
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I've joyfully replayed the wonderful finishing moments in my mind time and again. I kept telling myself that the Merdeka (Freedom) Square was close and that I would finish soon. "Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!!!!" I repeated that word in my head before I saw that finish line and all of a sudden, I sprinted past the line, hands in the air, knowing that I had run the best race of my life in my favourite city.
To the organisers and the people of Kuala Lumpur, all I can say is thank you for doing such a wonderful job and turning up in large numbers. In my humble opinion, there isn't a finer city in the world.
MERDEKA!!!!
Training for this half-marathon was by no means easy. I had to train in Bombay in the month of May, in hot and humid conditions, although the summer was relatively mild. And then came the monsoons in the second day of June and my training virtually ended. But I was able to stay healthy in the lead-up to the KL half-marathon and that's what counted the most.
The atmosphere at the Merdeka Square was electric. The authorities illuminated the Abdul Samad building in different and changing colours and that was the inspiration I needed. It felt different to run overseas and that too in a place that had almost no air-pollution. But my familiarity with KL helped me estimate distances better.
About half an hour in to the run, it started drizzling ever so gently and the warm Malaysian rain helped me get a spring in my step. The run started at 6:15 am and it was still pitch-dark on the roads of the great city but by the time the drizzling stopped and there was daylight, I was given a great treat by Mother Nature in the shape of a beautiful rainbow.
As I crossed the boundaries of wooded and hilly Bangsar, I started to tire and the momentum and adrenaline were running short. It was at that moment that I saw a wonderful Sikh gentleman in his late-70s running hard. I wished him in the respectful Sikh way (Sat Sri Akal) and then powered ahead.
The run was so scenic, with us crossing some of the green neighbourhoods of the city, as well as the new Little India, and some of the great symbols of the city like the Petronas Towers and the KL Tower. And the closer I got to the finish line, the more I started noticing the encouraging fans and cheer-leaders. The crowd gave me the final burst of energy and I crossed the finish 9 minutes earlier than I did in Delhi last year. Being 10 kgs lighter than I was in Delhi helped me but not as much as I thought it would. The experience helped me understand that long distance running is as much about the mind and heart as it is about the body.
To the organisers and the people of Kuala Lumpur, all I can say is thank you for doing such a wonderful job and turning up in large numbers. In my humble opinion, there isn't a finer city in the world.
MERDEKA!!!!
wow!.. happy for you!..
ReplyDeleteАджай, я горжусь тобой!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteМолоток!
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