The Convergence of Miles and Memories
Some weeks pass without us remembering much about them. Then there are weeks where every day seems to have a story.
This was one of those rare weeks where miles, travel, family, friends and a few surprises all came together in ways I had not planned. When I look back now, it was not just about the distances I ran, but about everything that happened in between.
A few days back, Krishnan Sir gave a call that we have to participate in Ooty ultra. In a matter of days, 25 people had registered out of which 20 of us eventually took part.
A dedicated WhatsApp group was formed for better communication. There were WhatsApp polls about accommodation, conveyance, practice runs, hill runs and so on. This would be the biggest gathering of the Free Runners community for a running event.
I registered for 60km. My previous longest was 50km, so this would be uncharted territory. Ooty Ultra is not just about distance, but also about elevation gain. The distance looks manageable on paper; the elevation does not. It is considered one of the toughest Ultras in India.
Day 1 – 19th March 2026 – Thursday – The 3:30 AM gamble
Some runs start early. This one started before the day did
My mother now knows that my Half Marathon is non-negotiable. She had told me a few days earlier that we have to go to my uncle’s home for lunch this Ugadi. She gave me enough buffer to not give any excuses.
A few friends and I had booked movie tickets. We planned to watch ‘Dhurandhar the Revenge’ at the 6:30 am show that day. This movie is 4 hours long. After a bit of mental math, I calculated that if I have to attend that lunch then there are only 2 options.
Option 1 – run at 3:30am and reach home by 6 am to be in time to watch the movie.
Option 2 – run in the night as I had done a few times.
Option 1 it was. As I was getting ready at around 3 am, My mother enquired about street dogs. I said they are friendly dogs and by now the dogs know me well to not bark.
This is the earliest I have run in Bangalore. It was obviously cold and the boulevard park near my home was empty except a solitary man walking his dog. After circling the boulevard park for 10 kms, I drifted towards Sankey tank. Street lights were lit almost throughout. Sankey tank was lit too, which looked beautiful.
It was fun to be out at that hour—I reached home at 5:57 am and enjoyed it thoroughly. I usually wake up early. Heading out around that time more often could add some variety to my time on the road.
The lunch at my uncle’s home was great. Every dish was cooked using wood or charcoal. It has nothing to do with the present situation of scarcity of cooking gas. My aunt cooks like this on auspicious days. Since I have sweets once a month, Ugadi became my sweet day for this month of March.
Day 2 – 20th March 2026 – Friday – Calm Before the Storm
Much ado about nothing, but the week was just getting started
I started late to get used to the heat. Mitresh told me about someone who covers 10km daily. This person was able to complete a 100km border run within the cut-off time. So, 60 Kms shouldn’t feel too intimidating.
I wasn’t worried finishing the race. Registering for this event was also an excuse to travel. I asked my mother to join because it would be a welcome change for her.
She had asked me several times as to how will I complete 60 kms. I told her that if I face any issues, I shall just stop. I just want to get done with completing 21 kms. I don’t think she was fully convinced, but she stopped asking after that.
Sometimes others worry more about our efforts than we do. For me it would be just another run, only longer.
Day 3 – 21st March 2026 – Saturday – The Road to Ooty: 36 Hairpin Bends and the “Bro Code”
After all the confusion, we were finally on our way
Many of Free Runners departed as early as possible for Ooty. My goal was to finish my Half Marathon first. I couldn’t give a specific time to others about my departure time. Hence, nobody accompanied me.
I saw Santosh and his twins leave with Dr. Vijay to Ooty during my run this morning. I was clearly late. I should have started early, but I also needed good sleep. It would take at least a couple of hours for me to reach home freshen up, pack and leave.
My mother had initially declined to join, as she couldn’t figure out what she would do. She pointed out that we would reach Ooty on Saturday night, I’d be running all of Sunday, and we’d leave on Monday morning.
But Ishaan had already done his shopping for Ooty—he had bought four shirts! So my mother had to get ready, if only for his sake. Meanwhile, my colleague Vandana said she would join to keep my mother company. By the time we finally left, our small trip had turned into a group of six—Vandana had brought all her kids along.
Vandana often points out that I drive too fast. She’s surprised that my mother stays silent about it. We entered Tamil Nadu and tackled those iconic 36 hairpin bends. I love roads like these—sharp curves, a valley on one side, mist in the distance—though Vandana’s heart rate told a different story.
I dropped them at the hotel and went to collect my bib, while Vandana frantically searched for a room. It was only my accommodation that was taken care of. Hotel Lake View, where most of us were staying, didn’t have any spare rooms.
As soon as I collected the bibs, I got a call from Krishnan sir. He said we will convert the double bedroom into a triple by adding an extra bed. This change will free up one of the rooms so the family can stay there. This was generous of him and fellow runners and a big relief.
Vandana was surprised with the speed with which each runner agreed to these adjustments. I told her that it’s the spirit of Runners. They all have a bro code. They never let you down.
I went to the dining hall to meet other fellow runners. Gopi Introduced me and my streak to a few present. I answered all their questions about my mindset, diet and so on. I told them about my previous longest run which was 50km run in 5 hours 35 min. A couple of them predicted that I will complete 60 kms in 7 hours and 7:30 hours.
I will be happy with that, as the 60km predictor on the website suggested I shall finish in 8 hours 37 minutes. I would be happy with anything under 8 hours.
‘Carb loading’ was the theme of the evening—the meal before a run is meant to be rich in carbohydrates. Almost everyone ordered some form of rice: dal khichdi, biryani, or curd rice.
A mathematician among us remarked, “The race starts at 6 am, so we have to leave at 5 am, which means waking up at 4 am, which means going to bed by 9 pm.” I went to bed at 9:30 pm. I was mentally set for tomorrow, which will be my longest run yet.
Day 4 – 22nd March 2026 – Sunday – The Race I Didn’t Know I Was Running
This was the day everything revolved around
I woke up at 2:30 am. I checked if my mobile and watch were charged, then slept a little while, waking up every half hour. This is normal for me. We had one toilet for three of us, and each of us used it twice. It was going to be a long day. I made sure to put the watch in ‘low power’ mode so it can last for the entire run.
We left at 5:30 am and walked 1.5 km to the start at the Ooty Boat House. I handed my jacket to Gopi for the baggage drop and hoped I would recognize it at the finish.
The weather report predicted a 45% chance of rain. Rain excites me—it keeps the air cool and adds fun. The morning was still cold, though I knew we’d start sweating within 2 km. I even showed Krishnan Sir and BG a picture from my Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon, where my sweat had frozen—so yes, one can sweat even at -20°C.
Many people from across India, and a few from abroad, had gathered at the boat house. There was the usual pre-race buzz. Someone I had met at dinner yesterday saw me and yelled, “7 hours!” I gave a thumbs up, suggesting I’d try my best.
The event was flagged off at 6 am sharp. The first 4 km were mostly flat, then came the real challenge. We had to run to Dodda Betta, the highest peak in Tamil Nadu. The next 6 km involved an elevation gain of more than 400 metres. The climb was long, but since it was early and my legs were fresh, it was better than my expectation. It was at this stage where many runners slowed giving me an edge.
Then came the descent—this was where I excelled. My thighs, calves, knees, and ankles felt great with hardly any pain. I left many runners behind. I am sure this route is scenic. However, my eyes were fixated on the road. I didn’t want to slip or sprain my ankles. Traffic was halted for us, and we traversed like kings.
The ‘Dodda Betta’ ascent and descent placed me in the top 20 or 30 runners across all categories. In fact, the next 14 kms had net negative elevation. I ran at a pace under 5 min/km for most of the initial downhill stretches.
Aid stations were set up every 3–5 km, and I decided to have something at each one. Santosh mentioned that to replenish glycogen, we might need 200 to 250 kcal every 3 km—that was just impossible. So, I settled for some fluids and few solids.
I missed one aid station as it was on the other side of the road. By the time I reached the next, 7 km had passed. I had spent over 40 minutes on the road. I was a bit more tired than usual and reminded myself not to skip another aid station.
After covering 15 km, there were fewer trees. We were warned that this stretch of 35 km was tree-less. The sun would hit directly, but the weather gods were kind. It remained cloudy and cool, making for an enjoyable morning.
Tea gardens dotted the route. If one got tired, it was easy to rest and enjoy the scenery. I saw a couple of Europeans returning from the halfway point—they had a clear 6 km lead over me. Soon I realized I was in the top 10. A small miscalculation, as it would later cost me first place.
I hadn’t done enough homework—I didn’t know the number of age categories. I heard there was no prize money, so I assumed top finishers wouldn’t be recognized. What I had calculated though was that the ascent of 1,850 metres meant a descent of more than 1,600 metres. I made the most of the declines, running fast to improve my time.
As I returned from the half way stage, I realised I was ahead of many runners. A runner asked if it was all downhill till we turn back. I stepped aside and told him, the uphill starts now!! So, the run was indeed gruelling.
About 12 km from the finish, I met a runner from Bangalore. He said even if we walked the remainder, we should finish under 7 hours. Steady inclines and declines continued almost until the last 5 to 6 km.
With another 6 km to go, we passed another 60k runner. A km later, he overtook me, repeatedly glancing back and adjusting his pace depending on mine. I wondered why. I decided to have some fun: when I ran, he ran; when I walked, he walked. An interesting cat-and-mouse game. I realized he was obsessed with finishing ahead of me—I was out of the rat race.
We eventually crossed the finish line. My time: 6 hours 43 minutes—much better than the predicted eight and a half hours. I removed my shoes and socks—oh, what a feeling! I had never felt so good removing them post run. After hydrating and stretching with the physio, I felt at ease.
The event was well organised, with enough hydration points, clear markings, and plenty of volunteers—hardly anyone lost their way. The only concern was hygiene at the aid stations. The cups were being reused. I wasn’t very comfortable drinking from them. I wasn’t sure how they were being cleaned between uses. Apart from that, the finish area was well arranged, with medical aid, physiotherapy, and food available.
I was about to eat when they announced the winners. I heard my name: “First Runner up goes to Bib No. S-1152, Mr. Rohit Maiya.” For the first time ever, my name was announced in a race. Finally, a medal after a few near misses over the past year. The man who kept glancing at me was first, just 70 seconds ahead.
Ah! If only I had known. He later said, “After observing your body language, I realized you didn’t know you were in contention for first place.” To make matters worse, Sudhakar, a fellow Free Runner, encouraged him to run faster. He didn’t realize I was right behind.
I had once secured second place in a school race when I was in 2nd grade. This was only my second podium finish. My father would have been proud. He would have told the whole world about this. Wherever he is, I hope he is able to see his son win a medal at last.
This was the longest distance I have ever run (60 km), perhaps the highest elevation I have covered, and my first medal in all these years of running. Yet somehow, I wasn’t as ecstatic as I might have expected. Maybe it was because I had come so close to first place.
I didn’t even get the medal that day. Since I registered late, it will be mailed to me—a personalized one with my name on it.
Later, I reflected: if I had known I was racing for first position, I might have pushed harder in those final kilometres. But I am happy for the winner—he ran a tactical race, something I can learn from. In the end, I finished second, but I finished the race my way.
I spent a couple of hours at the venue. I talked to other finishers and exchanged one another’s experiences. I also received congratulatory messages. A few finishers were questioning me as to how did I run 60 kms with full pants on? I have majorly run in pants and I am comfortable in them.
I called my mother; she was surprised at my second-place finish. “How many runners were there?” she quipped. She wondered if there were only two runners for 60 Km!!!
They had gone for boating in the morning and now toward the Botanical Garden. I took the shuttle bus to meet them in the city. On the way back, an auto surprisingly fit all six of us and dropped us at the hotel.
Our room was buzzing with other finishers. Conversations centred on race arrangements; the major complaint was hygiene. Krishnan Sir said he saw volunteers dipping their fingers into liquids to test salt concentration. Yuck! He vowed never to participate in Ooty ultra again. Santosh, Vijay, and I agreed as far as hygiene is concerned.
Non-Ooty runners face a challenge. The event involves three different venues. The bib collection, start point, and finish point are all in different locations. The shuttle service from the finish point to the city centre was not very frequent. We had to wait for almost an hour. The organisers could consider arranging more frequent transport, even if it means charging a slightly higher fee.
After resting for an hour, I insisted to my mother and Vandana that I was physically and mentally fine. The night is still young, and we should explore the town a bit more. They agreed, with the condition that I wouldn’t drive, so we used local transport. On the way, the “7 hours” guy from the morning asked about my time. I said 6 hours 43 minutes, and he replied, “So I underestimated you.” I had underestimated myself too. I could only smile.
We visited a nearby ‘Ooty Chocolate Factory”. ‘Factory’ is just for show—the production happens elsewhere. There was an array of home-made chocolates and we were spoilt for choice. We bought wine and eucalyptus oil as well. Signature shopping in Ooty.
Finding a vegetarian hotel in Ooty was surprisingly difficult, and someone suggested Adyar Anand Bhavan as the only option. After a long auto ride, we finally had dinner there. Interestingly, on the way back I spotted a few more “Pure Vegetarian” hotels. Even minor hardships like these make a trip memorable.
As I drifted off, I felt registering for this ultra was a great decision. I got to travel, my colleague and her kids got a holiday, my mother got a welcome break, and the cherry on top is I earned my first ever medal. A long, tiring, yet memorable day.
Sometimes in running and in life, we don’t even know we are competing. We just keep moving at our own pace, and only at the finish line we realise where we stand.
Day 5 – 23rd March 2026 – Monday – The Streak Lives: Foggy Mornings in Lovedale and the Majestic Bison
Unexpectedly, this run turned out to be more memorable than the 60 km race
The ultra was done, but the streak was still alive. I surprisingly woke up early. My legs felt comfortable after moving around a bit. I opened the door; the weather seemed fine, but as it was still dark, so I dozed for a while. When I woke up again, I used the toilet making as little noise as possible and tried to do some stretches but couldn’t. The floor was cold and space was insufficient.
One of our trainer’s fathers had passed away, so we had to head back to Bangalore today. I realized I needed to fit in 21.1 Km either in Ooty or once we reached home. It was 5:50am and I was on the road. A friend of mine had recently opened a homestay near Lovedale railway station. It is about 10 km away. It was a perfect route for a Half Marathon.
I started slow, navigating the inclines and declines, and within 15 minutes my legs were moving faster. The morning run was a good decision. Fog hung over the beautiful landscape, tea gardens lining the route, making all we look magical. I messaged my friend but got no response. I ran to his place and continued toward Lovedale station. I took a few snaps and returned.
The previous night, my mother and Vandana had begun planning a Mysore trip — the zoo, the palace, and then straight to Bangalore. This morning’s run had reminded me how stunning Ooty is. I suggested we explore it instead. Mysore is just a two-hour drive, and we can go there any day. Each of them agreed.
Completing the run gave me a sense of relief—I no longer had to worry about it for today. I went straight to the dining hall. A few runners had gathered, and once again, Gopi and Krishnan Sir couldn’t stop sharing my “craziness” for 21.1 Km. They were genuinely surprised and congratulated me. My mother and the others hadn’t arrived yet, so the morning run hadn’t delayed our plans in the slightest.
We first went to Dodda Betta. Now I have a much better picture of how it looked than when I ran. After spending 40 min, we left for Lovedale railway station. The station master explained that only two trains ply that route, and no train stops there. People visit this station for the name “Lovedale,” and the area is often used for movie shoots.
We left for Coonor. After driving around for half an hour, all of us felt that it is the same scenery. So, we returned to Ooty. We grabbed a quick bite at Moddy’s chocolate shop—one of the oldest and most famous. We had various buns, sandwiches, burgers and pizzas which were enough to keep us going. By 3 pm, we were on our way to Bangalore.
The regular route was closed for non-Ooty drivers, so we took a longer path. It is more picturesque though. We passed tea plantations, lakes, and hills. Eventually, we reached a forest where we saw deer, monkeys, langurs, elephants, and peacocks. But what stole my heart was the bison. It looked majestic with its sinewy, armour-like body, grazing without a care or fear. I shall remember this glimpse for a long time.
As we approached Bangalore, Gopi suggested taking the NICE road to avoid traffic near Bidadi. I reached home by 10 pm. I received many congratulatory messages for the morning’s Half Marathon. Some even said it is greater than the previous day’s 60 km ultra.
Today’s run hadn’t been planned as anything special. I just wanted to complete it before the predicted rain and our travel. Sometimes a run isn’t about pace or distance—it’s about fitting it into the day. Sometimes you run not because everything is convenient, but because later everything becomes inconvenient.
I’m still not sure if the run deserved so much praise. Perhaps people appreciated not the distance or pace, but the consistency. The ultra was a single effort, but this streak is made of many ordinary runs, done day after day. Maybe the recognition was for all the runs behind it.
Day 6 – 24th March 2026 – Tuesday – The Calm After the Chaos
A tired body, a quiet run, and much-needed rest
I had a deep, restful sleep. Even though I woke up early, I didn’t get out of bed—I felt the body deserved the rest. I finally got up after 8 am and started only at 9:15 am.
I ran at a leisurely pace—it felt like the calm after the chaos. The goal was simple: cover 21.1 Km, no matter how long it took.
I didn’t meet a single runner today. Sunday had been hectic for both Ooty and Bangalore runners. We had three podium finishes in Ooty. We also had a couple more in another event in Bangalore. So, everyone was probably resting.
Tomorrow will be my 450th day—another milestone. For many runners, my non-stop running has perhaps become routine, even boring. I remember Sudhindra telling us that when I completed 50 consecutive days, it felt special, even extraordinary. At 100 days, there were even more superlatives—Strava was full of congratulatory messages. Over time, though, these milestones becomes repetitive.
Now, fellow runners ask, “When will he stop?” I used to reply to it as a joke, but now it may well be true: “I will run till I sprain my ankle.” This streak will end someday. Even I am looking forward to that day.
Day 7 – 25th March 2026 – Wednesday – 450 Days: The Quiet Strength of Consistency and Kind Souls
No celebrations, just another run and a few good friends
The week culminated in another small milestone. Who would have thought I would one day run 450 consecutive half marathons? There were multiple opportunities to end this streak. I could have stopped when I wasn’t feeling well after returning from Maha Kumbh or during Maha Kumbh itself. The passing of my father was another difficult time. Minor injuries, travel, rain, and other circumstances also presented chances to take days off.
Suresh inquired if I would be near Sankey Tank at 6:30. One of his friends, Chandrashekhar, wanted to meet me. I met a few others who made my day. We shared our experiences and talked about the Ooty experience.
Many who ran in Ooty were still missing. I should call them and check on their well-being. It is advisable to take a rest of 3 to 5 days. This is recommended after running a distance of 50 km to 75 km.
As I was approaching my 19th km, I met Raghu. He ran the last couple of kilometres with me. Once we were done, he went to his bike, got some water for me, and handed me a packet. It was another T-shirt to commemorate the run — what a perfect way to close the week.
What a nice soul Raghu is. He and his wife are important members for us runners. Raghu shows the same enthusiasm in celebrating every Free Runner’s success, except his own. He does so in his own simple and silent way. It is his way of conveying that I am here for you. It is his way of showing his love for the group. He does not need any audience.
Many times, he is the only person waiting for me on my milestone days. He has been present on all my milestone days except the 300th day. This was around the time when my father was no more. I was not in Bangalore then.
Raghu, if you are reading this, please know that we Free Runners are indebted to you for your compassion. I only hope that we are worthy of your kindness.
When I look back, I will remember the 3:30 am run and the heat run. I will also recall the drive to Ooty and the accommodation confusion. The long climbs and the runner who kept looking back will stay in my memory. Hearing my name for the podium was unforgettable. I will cherish the evening at the chocolate shop and the slow run after coming back. Finally, I will remember the quiet completion of 450 days.
The ultra was a big run. The podium was new. But the most memorable thing about the week was how running, travel, friends, and family all fit into seven days. It was amazing how these important elements of life came together in such a short time.
The medal came from one race, but the meaning came from everything around it. In the end, the streak does not end with a milestone. It simply moves on to the next day. And tomorrow like always, there will be another run.
Prelude: Fasting, Running, and the Question of Limits
Fasting is not new to me. There was a time when I lived on just one meal a day. These days OMAD is a popular acronym. My office hours were from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I would walk to work, spend the entire day on my feet, walk back home by around 5 p.m., and then have my only meal of the day. I followed this routine for almost a year.
Even now, I occasionally skip meals — sometimes simply because the food isn’t hot enough or I am just too busy. So, what you’re about to read is not a recommendation or a practice to imitate lightly. Running during or after fasting should only be attempted if you’re experienced and fully aware of how your body responds.
I began regular fasting during the Covid period as one of the measures to stay fit. I started fasting once every fortnight on Ekadasi, the 11th day of the Hindu lunar calendar — a day traditionally observed as a fasting day by many Hindus.
My fasting window usually looks like this:
If Ekadasi falls on January 14th, I have dinner on the night of the 13th, fast through the entire day on the 14th, wake up on the morning of the 15th, complete my Half Marathon, and only then break the fast with breakfast. This creates a gap of roughly 36 hours between two meals. (I do have water though)
People often ask why I run while fasting. The truth is, it wasn’t planned that way. I started running long before I began fasting regularly. During one phase of Covid, I ran at least 10 km every single day. Regular fasting began months — maybe even a year — later. Ekadasi simply happened to intersect with my running routine.
Running 10 km while fasting was manageable. A Half Marathon, however, is a completely different ball game. Running 21 km on the day of fasting is difficult, but running it the day after fasting — with nothing but water in your system — is where the real challenge begins.
Over the course of my 365-day running streak, I steadily adapted to running on an empty stomach. On January 14th, 2026, I ran my fastest Half Marathon on 36 hours fasting — my first where the average pace dipped below 6 minutes per kilometre. From the very next day, something clicked. I found myself consistently running Half Marathons under 2 hours.
Then came Ekadasi again — and more importantly, Dwadasi, the day after — and I still hadn’t consumed anything except water. If I wanted to continue my sub-2-hour Half Marathon streak, I would have to do it on this day as well. This was on 30th January 2026 – my 396th day of consecutive running. If I run under 2 hours today, it will be the 15th consecutive day of running a sub-2-hour Half Marathon.
That morning, the question wasn’t about pace or distance anymore.
It was simple: Can my body support me in this quest?
I woke up knowing the answer would only come if I treated it as a challenge — and ran.
Anything Well Started Is Half Done
I went into today’s run with a clear intention: treat it like a race and finish a half marathon in under two hours. That meant holding an average pace of 5:40 min/km or better.
The added twist? I had been fasting for more than 30 hours—only water since dinner on 28th January 2026. No fuel, no caffeine, no shortcuts.
The Plan
I knew this would be mentally easier if I had company, at least for a few kilometres. After running on empty stomach for so many days, I also knew that the first 10Kms will be easy, but the final 10 or 11 Kms is where the real game begins. I reached out to five fellow runners beforehand, hoping someone would join me. Strangely, none responded. I prepared myself for a solo effort. I need an average pace of 5:40 min/Km or quicker for a sub 2 hour Half Marathon.
The Start: Exactly What I Wanted
I started at 7:15 AM, and almost immediately ran into Mitresh, who was out for his fast run. He joined me for the first 2 km, and we clocked them at under 5:30 pace. That was the perfect launch—controlled, confident, and decisive.
After Mitresh peeled off, I stayed disciplined. My goal was to hold that pace for at least half the run—about 10–11 km—and I did just that. I briefly crossed paths with Sanjeev, who is still recovering and running in the opposite direction. A fitter Sanjeev would’ve made things easier, but sadly today wasn’t that day.
Settling Into the Grind
I ran loops around Boulevard Park for about 9 km before taking my first pit stop at home for water. From there, I headed toward Sankey Tank.
At the 10 km mark, my average pace was 5:30 min/km—better than plan. I knew that even if I slowed to 5:50 for the second half, a sub-2 finish was still well within reach. But I didn’t want to rely on late heroics.
I was hoping to latch onto someone running faster, someone who could pull me through the tough middle miles.
The Tough Patch
Around 13 km, fatigue finally showed up. The pace dipped, and my average crept up to 5:32. By the time I reached Sankey Tank, there was no one around to run with. I was running on willpower now.
I pushed on toward ‘Mint Masala‘, hydrated again, ran toward ‘Cauvery Theatre‘, turned back to Sankey Tank, completed half a lap, and turned toward home.
At this point, I had logged three consecutive kilometres slower than 5:40. Yesterday, Lokesh had run with me at a 5:00 pace; today I caught a glimpse of him, but he was far ahead but didn’t stop him. My solo run continued.
Trusting the Course
When I reached Sadashivnagar Police Station, my average pace had slipped to 5:35 min/km. This is usually where doubts creep in—but I knew the route well.
From here, the terrain tilts slightly downhill.
I trusted the two Gs – Gradient and Gravity.
It worked.
The gradient helped me claw back precious seconds. I stopped briefly at my office to hydrate properly, then headed home for the final stretch. From Sadashivnagar onward, my average pace held at 5:37 min/km—just enough – well more than enough.
Mission Accomplished
I crossed the finish knowing I had done it.
- Sub-2 hour half marathon ✅
- On an empty stomach ✅
- Mostly solo ✅
I averaged 5:36 min to a Km finishing the Half Marathon on fasting condition in 1 hour and 58 minutes. And with that, I completed my 15th consecutive sub-2 hour Half Marathon.
Not every run needs perfect conditions. Sometimes all you need is a clear goal, early commitment, and the patience to trust the process—especially when it gets uncomfortable. This is perhaps my first run where I planned things so meticulously. I don’t plan so much even during running events. Nevertheless, I was completely famished. A few people who see me running regularly told me that they have never seen me so tired. Indeed. I was not even able to talk properly. My voice sounded choked.
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I was taking part in an organized run after quite a while. Having missed the Mumbai Marathon, I registered for Mahethon, organized by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Completing this run would mark my 391st consecutive Half Marathon.
I woke up early, finished my morning chores, stretched my legs, and was ready to leave by 5:00 a.m. for the 6:00 a.m. run. Strangely, the organizers wanted participants to arrive 90 minutes before the start, at 4:30 a.m.!!! Manipal Institute is usually very punctual in most of the things they organize, but just before 6:00 a.m., the microphone was handed over to the local politician to speak a few words, but she spoke a few sentences, so the race eventually started at 6:01 a.m.
I have been running well since the past few days. Even though my current streak is nine consecutive sub-2-hour Half Marathons, I had no specific goal for this race. After the first couple of kilometres, I realized I was running at a pace of under 5 min/km. A few months earlier, I had achieved my Half Marathon goal of running under 1 hour 50 minutes. One of my long-standing goals has been to run 10 km under 50 minutes. Over many years, my best for 10km has been stuck for 50 min and a few seconds. Whenever I reach a personal best, my time improves by only a few seconds. I have been unable to break the 50 min barrier despite several attempts. I decided to give my everything for the first 10 km and then complete the Half Marathon based on the energy I would have left.
As soon as I had run the distance of 10 km, I knew that I had achieved an important personal goal. I didn’t know the exact time, but I knew that it was a sub 50 min 10K!!! It’s fascinating how the mind works. After achieving that goal, my pace automatically settled down. For the next few kilometres, I ran at a pace of just a shade under 5 min/km, before accelerating over the final 4 kilometres to try and improve my performance over the Half Marathon as well.
What followed was mind-boggling for a runner like me.
I bettered my Half Marathon personal best by more than six minutes. According to Strava, my finishing time was 1:41:43, and my 10 km split was 47:45—over two minutes faster than my previous best. I couldn’t believe I had improved upon both my Half Marathon and 10K times by such a margins, especially since I run every day and always assumed that running faster required a very structured approach. I missed a medal in Half Marathon in my age category as I finished fourth. Had I taken part in 10k, I would have got a medal!!! This is the third time that I have missed one. I am still in the hunt for an elusive athletic medal. The last time I got a medal was during a shoe race while in 2nd grade.
https://strava.app.link/jSEPPoFad0b
What a moment it was. It was a feeling of achievement, accomplishment, and of course relief. Yes relief ,as the weight of running under 50 min for 10 km was weighing in my head for several years. One of those monkeys is out of the back. I will no longer have to worry about 10 km. I only have the goal of Full Marathon left in me. I want to run that under 4 hours. The last time I had an ankle sprain so couldn’t fun faster.
There were several after thoughts. Should I have taken part in 10k and then run the remaining 11k at a normal pace just to complete the Half Marathon? I ran with full pants. I usually switch to shorts during races, but this time I somehow forgot. I would have finished a few seconds or a minute earlier. That would have been closer to 1 hour 40 min!! Should I have run with a mindset of breaking my personal record? It doesn’t change any equation now, but I should perhaps be well prepared for the next race. Or should I just run the way I ran today with an attitude of “Ignorance is Bliss” and leave the rest to destiny?
One of my fellow runners remarked, “What if this isn’t even your real pace, and you could do better with a specific approach?” But who knows. I’m sure no one would have bet a pie on me running a Half Marathon every day for an entire year—but perhaps this consistency has helped me more than I realised.
I remember Manoj Bhat once telling me that to improve pace, two things are vital: lose weight and increase mileage. He said that since I’m doing both, these personal bests aren’t such a surprise at all. He is one of those few fellow runners who never discouraged me in this streak of mine and in stead gave advise as to how can I improve day on day. I was still sceptical though of improving my timing to such magnitude.
The day became even more special because Ishaan ran his first proper run, completing 3 km in style. He is six and a half years old. He is one of the youngest and the cutest who ran the event. I accompanied him for the 3 km run. He was full of enthusiasm. I was afraid where he will clash with so many runners and asked him to slow down. He didn’t care, he just wanted to run as fast as he could. He missed a medal in the school athletic event a couple of days back, but got one on a much larger arena making his school proud, his class mates envious and and his family joyous. And Ishaan was simply ecstatic. He still goes to school with the medal in his bag just to show if someone asks.
25th January 2026 — a day both of us will remember. It is the beginning of many things to come.
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Today being the first day of one of the most important Hindu festivals, Navaratri, I remembered to have attended Chandi Homa which was conducted by one of my friends. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed that neither in my 50 years of existence nor my mother’s and her sister’s more or less 75 years of their existence have we ever witnessed anything of this magnitude; this was fit for the Kings. I thank my friend (who does not wish to be named) for inviting me and my family for this once in a lifetime Divine ritual. We were truly blessed to have been his guests. It was performed with the able guidance of his energetic and knowledgeable mentor Shri Dinesh Guruji and several of his disciples.
For those friends of mine who are foreigners, ‘Homa’ is a fire ritual, also known as Havan. How do we communicate with Gods? As per our puranas, there are a few ways and Fire is a medium in which Humans can communicate with the Gods. ‘Agni’ or the God of fire is the divine messenger. Each homa is performed with a specific intention. This is the simplest way I can put it across.
Below are a few pics one can see to know what I mean. The pictures may not justice for what I saw and experienced by just being there. Such elaborate arrangements of humungous scale and size literally stunned me: massive Rangolis, Giant Homa, eclectic offering to the deity, all of these I had only heard or read of at most watched it on Television. Now I have bragging rights to have physically witnessed a spectacle of massive proportions and performed with such perfection.
The best of fruits, flowers, silk clothes, gold ornaments, all of which were presented to the deity in the form of offering it to the fire, the medium through which the deity will receive it through Lord Agni.
During the most powerful Chandi Homa, chants are recited from the ancient text DURGA SAPTASHATI. Also known as Devi Mahatmyam & Chandi Paath, Durga Saptashati is a sacred collection of 700 verses across 13 chapters of Markandeya Purana. As we can see, not everyone can perform something of this magnitude. Once upon a time, it was only the Kings or a few Elites who had the capacity to perform a Homa such as this, therefore hardly anybody would turn down an invitation. My good friend forced me to attend this along with my mother. I had to reschedule a few of my engagements to attend it and am I so glad to have made it.
Devi Chandi is considered the presiding deity in Kalyuga. Devi Chandi is the embodiment of Durga (energy), Saraswati (knowledge) and Lakshmi (resources). The 3 energies represent 3 energies of creation. All actions fructify when the 3 come together. Participating in Chandi Homa gives benefits of worshipping ALL THE DEVTAS. Therefore, the Chandi Homa helps one achieve success in ALL ASPECTS of life – be it material, spiritual, personal, financial, mental health, physical health and so on”. One of the main reasons however why we do these offerings is mainly to express our gratitude to Goddess Durga who is the mother for the whole creation and the one who provides for all her children and protects them at all times.
If more people come forward and do so, it is believed to solve the well being of the geography as in Village, Town, City, State, Country and so on. The Kings used to perform for the well being of their Kingdoms, but since we live in democracy, the onus is on us to perform these rituals. Let’s for a moment assume it does not do any of these things mentioned above, even then, a form of awakening is observed in most of who graced the occasion. There can be more awakenings as more people perform such Homas. These awakenings (related to good thoughts) will only help in preserving our identity and culture.
As soon as Chandi Homa came to and end, there was sudden cloud burst. This is considered a good Omen wherein the deity has accepted our request and the offerings. The day was positive throughout. We had a good lunch before we left for the day.
Finally, I take a bow to my friend who too the opportunity to conduct Chandi Homa so selflessly, and has directly or indirectly blessed and awakened so many people, which in itself is a great step towards ‘Nation Building’.
Long Live our culture and Long Live Bharat.
Whenever someone asked me, “What’s your lucky number?”, I would answer ‘Seven’. I don’t know why or how it became my lucky number. Incidentally, a lot of 7-LETTER words became important in this weight loss journey of mine.
My mother had gone to the pharmacist opposite my home to get some medicine, but my mother had forgotten to carry her purse, so she said to him that she would send the money through her ‘son’ or me. The pharmacist remarked, is he the one who is fat with a big STOMACH? My mother initially said ‘No’, but then, after a bit of thought, “well, that must be him”. How did I end up like this? There was a time when my nick name was ‘Skeletor’, obviously named after skeleton. My ribs were visible if I were topless. I was the famous guy who ran away from the Biology laboratory! Today I faced the other extreme.
I had this habit of watching TV while SITTING on the sofa. After sometime, I would lay on the sofa while still watching TV. Once the TV is switched off, I would just sleep on the sofa till dawn. Friends, these three (Sofa, Sitting and TV) are responsible for my situation. Sofa is perhaps the worst thing in my home and Sitting is perhaps the worst action. It hurt my back; the severity lasted 2 to 3 weeks, but it took a couple of months to get rid of the pain completely. I lost practice of running and walking or any form of exercise. I didn’t venture out even after recovering completely. Don’t get me wrong, I groove outdoors, I enjoy working out and exercising, but blame it on INERTIA. All the while, I never stopped eating and as a result, I had piled up so much weight that I wonder who else referred to me as “that fat man with a big stomach”. I weighed at least 89 Kgs at this time. (Pics below for reference)
Trip to Odisha
Side pose – I am the one of the left – during my surprise birthday party Dec 2020. I thought I was a master at hiding my tummy, but this picture speaks volumes. The thickness is in spite of trying to hide my paunch.
I shall now confess that I must have surely weighed beyond 90 Kgs but I consciously didn’t check my weight when I was in that zone. I made a quiet exit whenever the family was on a weight checking spree. I abandoned all forms of exercise until one day Covid hit the world and I was confined to four walls. I had to painfully close my rented office space in both RMV II Stage and Koramangala. I was forced to stay indoors; I had to progress to “work from home”. All my classes went online. It was now that I didn’t wanted to stay at home. One fine morning, I finally stepped out of home in the morning to run. I had put on so much weight that I was unable to even jog properly, so WALKING was the best bet. I met a lot of people after a long time. Apart from exchanging pleasantries, one common remark was that I have put on weight. That’s when I realized that the weight was truly and surely visible.
This is when the journey to reduce my weight started. I initially started walking every alternate day. During the first wave of COVID, Government announced complete lockdown. I downloaded this app that gave some points for running or exercising at home. I started skipping 5 times a day, for 15 to 18 minutes each time wherein I used to skip 4,000 to 5,000 counts accumulating 20,000 skips a day. This was my first real workout after the Inertia. I would be inundated with sweat by the time I finished skipping. It was the quantum of sweat that made me realise that I was indeed doing the right thing to lose weight. Once the lockdown was lifted, I would first skip 5000 times and then venture out for RUNNING or walking. I could see that my body became responsive to running, slightly became flexible and I was able to run as I used to many months ago. I set this routine for some time and I saw that my weight was gradually reducing. It was around this time that I got in touch with Santosh and through him I became part of Free runners, an informal WhatsApp group of runners who motivate each other. I downloaded an app called Strava: one of my biggest motivator to run every single day. In addition to running, I joined Taekwondo classes. My daily routine was set – Wake up at 4am, a bit of Pranayama (breathing exercise) start my run at 4:30 am, reach home at 5:30 to 5:45 am, Taekwondo class from 6am to 7 am, and walk another 5 Kms with my mother from 7:15 am to 8:15 am. I participated in longer runs during weekends and non-Taekwondo days. I looked forward to these 3 to 4 hours of bliss every single day.
“79.8 Kgs” I exclaimed. I announced my weight to my family only when I saw that it was below 80Kgs. The routine of skipping, walking, running, taekwondo helped me shed more than 10Kgs in a matter of 4 to 5 months. Now for the twist in the tale – I had just about started going to my coaching centre to teach my students face to face. Life seemed normal and a lot of people gathered enough courage to venture out of their homes. I too attended a music concert one evening – my first and big COVID related mistake. One day, parent of one of my students called me to check if I were fine as her son had fever, cough and suspected COVID. I said I was fine, but none of the parents wanted to take a chance and life was back to online. The 2-week affair with face-to-face teaching had come to an abrupt halt. The next day I was not able to smell the aroma of ‘Ghee’. I thought to myself the Ghee was of bad quality. In a few minutes, I realized that I could not even smell my own poop in spite of drowning my face deep into the commode. I had lost the sense of smell – one of the symptoms of COVID. I called my cousin, Shamantaka, who is a doctor and explained to him about my situation. He told me that I shoudn’t bother getting tested as the result is not reliable at the moment. He was worried about the test showing negative to COVID. He asked me to treat myself as if I have COVID. I confined myself to real 4-walls for the next 3 weeks. No running, walking or skipping. Other symptoms of COVID crept is such as cold, fever, cough, body pain etc. I self isolated myself for 3 weeks. My parents, who had had their first dose of vaccine and my neices were at home. All were safe by the time I recovered. I had not put on any extra weight.
Anti body test revealed that Covid had indeed been successful with me. It affected my running by spared my life. I was told not to exert myself for a few days, but the fact is that I could not run even if I wanted to. I could not run for more than a few metres but I decided that come what may, I shall cover 10 Kms a day even if I have to crawl. I had this Cult like following towards scaling 10 Kms every single day. If I were busy in the morning, then I would walk or run in the afternoon or evening or even in the night. A few days I would cover 10 Kms in two instalments. Even when I twisted my ankle, I didn’t give up running; I wore crape bandage for a few weeks and continued my sojourn. I gradually improved and it took a few months before I could regain my strength and run as I used to. The fraternity of free runners came to my mental rescue. I can’t thank them enough and the tribe has been pillar of mammoth support till today.
One day my father announced that he is going to have only MILLETS for the next three months. One of his friends had told him to include Millets in all his meals and it can work wonders for his overall health. For those who do not know my father – his motto in life is “My way or the Highway”. We were not too worried about the change in diet, but what we were curious about is ‘Who is this friend that my father listened to?’ Our diet changed overnight. I don’t remember eating Rice or Wheat for those three months. I hopped from one shop to another jostling for Millets, Millet flakes, Millet noodles and Millet flour. It was Millet dosa or idly or Roti in the mornings, boiled/steamed millets (just like cooked rice) in the afternoon and Millet flakes or noodles in the night. It worked wonders: my father lost weight, his sugar level subsided and he felt better overall. My mother didn’t enjoy much but had to toe my father’s diet. I was neutral but I welcomed this change. Since I didn’t have the taste for millets, I ate less millets and more vegetables and other accompaniments. I ate less than a quarter of these cereals compared to my regular intake of rice. This diet of 3 months worked wonders as my habit changed for good. I now consume less cereals even if it is rice or wheat.
Around this time, I used a bulk of my free time in watching a lot of videos and reading various articles associated to running and fitness. I realized the benefits of FASTING. I had cut down on eating extra but now and then a few extra calories would be consumed due to festivals or special occasions. I believed that Fasting would nullify these extra calories. The question lingering on my mind was when do I start. The great Hindu calendar has the 11th day of the lunar phase called EKADASI, where a lot of Hindus observe Fasting. I chose one of the Ekadasi’s to Kick start my Fasting. This day of fasting comes once a fortnight. I consume only water during fasting. If I have dinner today, my next meal is breakfast on the morning of day after tomorrow. If you do a quick calculation, it comes to around 36 hours. I do not change my routine on these days: I continue running and do all other activities as I normally would. As a result, I do run 10 Kms and sometimes Half Marathons on empty stomach. I am happy that it is now become a part of my life. During this process, I shed another 5 Kgs. I weighed 75 Kgs!! Down by 15 Kgs.
There I was, happy and light. It had been a decade or more since I weighed so less. I was able to wear a lot of my pants and shirts which I had not worn in more than 12 years. But no matter what else I did, I didn’t lose any more weight. I now concentrated on my running. I was able to run 10 Kms under an hour quite consistently and I was also able to run Half Marathon non-stop. Both these feats were an achievement for me. I used to run 21 Kms in about 2 hrs 35 min. Over a period of a few weeks, my time improved to 2 hrs 16 min and it just got stuck there. People suggested a lot of things, such as run where there are trees or run where there is less elevation and so on, but I just couldn’t improve beyond this time. I thought I had reached my saturation point and should be happy with it.
One of my nephews, Tejas, had quit sugar for good. He said he feels better and fresh does not feel lazy throughout the day. I decided to quit sugar soon to check if it helped my running. I stopped consuming sugar on 12th November 2020, a day after my Niece, Varsha’s birthday. This meant, no sugar, no jaggery and no honey. I shall resume consuming sugar if my time does not improve. My room cum office is on the first floor and every time I came down for any reason, I used to go to my favourite room, the kitchen, then to my favourite drawer, and then into my favourite boxes and pop in a few biscuits, cookies, sweets and other junk. My hand would invariably go into those boxes even now, but these boxes are now empty. Whenever I buy anything, I take pains to check if it has added sugar and buy only those items that are devoid of added sugar. My running and fitness did improve. My time for Half Marathon stood at 1 hr 53 min: an improvement of 23 minutes in just under 6 weeks. So, I pledged to continue remaining sugar free forever except for special occassions. I have consumed sugar on an average once a month. Did it affect my weight? Yes it did. Although losing weight was not the reason to quit sugar, it is a welcome bonus. The comments had changed from “You have put on weight” a year back to “You have lost weight” six months back to “You look sick!!” I shall live with that compliment. They genuinely seemed concerned and enquired about my health. Their concern made me feel good. If the fat was then visible, the loss of it is also clearly visible. I had lost 6 more Kgs and I now weighed 69 kgs. I weighed below 70 Kgs for the first time in over a quarter century!! My mother never imagined that she would see a day like this.
Sugar is mankind’s single biggest enemy. I have now abandoned all bakery items, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc etc etc. from my menu. I limit consuming sweets on festivals and some special occassions. The best part though is that I don’t have any craving for sweets. It has not been as gargantuan a task as I thought it would be. The sweets I otherwise consume now are fruits and dry fruits. I don’t drink coffee, tea nor milk. I neither consume processed juices nor areated drinks such as Coke or Pepsi, I avoid fresh juice and milk shakes. If I do come to your home, just give me water. I am a big fan of tender coconut though. I have introduced a lot of veg protein in my diet such as hung curd, beans, legumes, tofu and paneer. It is quite a challenge for vegetarians to take 100 grams of protein a day.
Over a period of my research into avoiding sugar and fasting, I learnt that one of the most important elements for good health is taming INSULIN. If one keeps eating several times a day, then insulin does not get any rest and thereby gets overworked and stops releasing Insulin when we want it to. Our organs need rest, to keep us healthy. Fasting is one of the best ways to provide rest to our organs. Whenever I fast, there is around 36 hours gap between the two meals.
The sugar we consume is akin to poison as per many experts in this field. Sugar and alcohol have the same effect on the body except that we don’t feel tipsy. Sugar contains 50% Glucose and 50% Fructose. GLUCOSE is the essence of life and it can be digested by each and every cell in our body. Fructose is quite the opposite. Fructose gets deposited on our liver as fat and the only way to burn it is through Fasting. This is a great human survival mechanism. A few thousand years back, when food was not abundant, humans would consume fruits during its season and all the Fructose would get settled on the liver. When food was scarce during winter, Fructose would be the source of food or energy. Now food is available all year round, we just have to avoid it. Fructose through raw fruits is fine but we should limit fruit intake as well.
If one can live without consuming fruits, it is not big deal. My close friend, Sudarshan has not touched fruits in all his life and he is fit as a fiddle. If one can live without grains, that’s also fine as carbohydrates are similar to sugar. It is a misconception that Fat food causes Fat in the body. It is sugar or carbs that causes fat in our bodies. As one of the Ted talkers put it wisely, we should avoid GPS – Grains, Potato and Sugar. One can easily lead a healthy devoid of any of these.
As of today, my weight keeps hovering around 69 to 72 Kgs. I have to change my wardrobe as most of the clothes look saggy on me. Many people come to me and enquire about my health. Many wouldn’t believe that I lost weight voluntarily. I have rejoined a gym so that I can put on some muscles.
There are my best performances across various distances: 10 Kms in 50 min., Half Marathon (21.1 Kms) in 1 hr. 53 min. and a Full Marathon (42.2 Kms) in 4 hr. 12 min. I run anywhere from 70 Kms to 100 Kms a week.
In a nutshell, my weight reduced by more than 20 Kgs in a year through:
- Walking
- Running
- Millets
- Fasting
- Avoiding Sugar
If I want to improve my running further, I have to shed another 5 Kgs. I have to figure a way out. I would like to explore Triathlon, Iron man challenge in the coming years.
My before and after pics. I am wearing the same pant and shirt for reference.
I don’t want to forget this trip; hence this write up.
A bit of background: I run frequently in Bangalore and participated in quite a few runs/races. It is usually 10 Km or Half Marathon (21.1 Kms). I got introduced to Mr. Sivabalan Pandian, a 64 year young man who has in the last decade, completed more than 650 Marathons across the world. He had conducted a marathon series in Bangalore called 22 cube marathon – a 22 day event where one can run various distances on any day or every day. I wanted to participate in a Half Marathon, but he requested me to run a Full Marathon. It was only my second Marathon of my life, and my first in about a decade. I was quite surprised with my time of 4 Hrs 25 min, 16 sec. It was this performance that encouraged me to register for Mumbai Marathon. I would be running in Mumbai Full Marathon after 10 years.
After completion of my 2nd Marathon. It is an honour to be awarded by Pandian Sir.
Day 1 – 13th Jan 2023
I got a call from Ayaana’s mother who invited me to her home. After collecting my running bib and goodie bag, I left for her place.
My first stop in Mumbai. Hari and I came here together from Airport.
There was a huge traffic jam involving two trucks, so someone suggested that I take a suburban train from Kurla station. I took a share auto to Kurla station. The person sitting next to me was also carrying the goodie bag.
I : Are you running full marathon or half?
He : This is for my boss.
I : Okay
observing that I have a suitcase
He: Where are you coming from?
I : From Bangalore
He: Have you come from Bangalore just to run?
I : Yes
silence for a few seconds. After about 15 seconds
I : You must be thinking that I am a mad man, isn’t it?
He: Ha ha ha, I thought so, but how can I tell that to you?
We both erupt laughing.
The suburban train is popularly known as ‘Mumbai local’. I re-lived the Mumbai local experience all over again. I took the train from Kurla to Kharghar. I got a warm welcome to their home. I have seen Ayaana, her parents and brother online (on Zoom) so I didn’t feel uncomfortable at any time. Everyone have been waiting for me. Her mother is into stock market. She looks like a scientist at work with an array of monitors around her. Even I was engrossed into and was trying to understand what was happening in different monitors. Ayaana, one of my favourite students has been waiting for more than an hour to have lunch with me. I had a wonderful Lunch – The Paneer dish was one of the best I have had. I was served great food throughout the stay including Evening snacks, Dinner and breakfast the following day. I learnt a lot about their family, how her parents met for the first time, when they got married and a bit about Meerut, where they hail from and all the sweets they get from Meerut. It has been slightly more than a year since I had given up sugar. (PS: I am not diabetic and I love sweets) But I had promised Ayaana that the day I come to her home, I would eat sweets. I got to nibble into a few sweets shipped all the way from Meerut. Ayana and her family are great hosts; they made me feel comfortable as though I were a part of their family. Ayaana vacated her room for me. The top floor of the pent house is where I slept that night. Mumbai looks so different in Kharghar: it is so distinct compared to the old or as a few say ‘real Mumbai’. But I wonder if anyone wants to live in ‘real Mumbai’, once he or she has lived in ‘Navi Mumbai’. Ayaana’s home is even better as one can see sight of hills and it is situated in such a place that no building will ever be built next to theirs, so there is no dearth of sun and light and fresh air all day and all year.
I never realised how little she is till I met her.
Ayaana’s mother looks like a scientist at work.
Day 2 – 14th Jan 2023
After a good night’s sleep, I had a short run early in the morning with one of friends of Ayana’s father in Central Park. I am told it is one of the biggest parks in India or Asia. I had one of my favourite breakfasts – alu parathas. Spending an hour in the Jacuzzi a day before Marathon is really refreshing. It relaxed my calves which had shown signs of cramps. I left their place with beautiful memories. I have seen the family a few times over Zoom, and I had told Ayana long back that I shall be coming to Mumbai to run a marathon and that I shall certainly visit her place. I never imagined that I shall spend such quality time at her home with her family.
Early morning run at ‘Central Park’
I got a pack of special sweet from Meerut. Ayaana’s mother dropped me to Railway station. I bade goodbye to my hosts, promising to meet again and thanking for the hospitality.
Wonderful family. Treated me as one of thiers.
While I was in Kharghar station, Shriram, my cousin Shilpa’s hubby called me and invited me to his house. My sister and I used to meet Shilpa often whenever we used to visit Mumbai on our journey to Nigeria. Shriram knew I was in Mumbai through my WhatsApp status. He said that I have to broadcast “authentic Maharashtrian lunch at Shilpa’s home” as new WhatsApp Status. How I wish, but this was a day before my Marathon and I was compelled to decline the offer of food but told him that I shall drop by. I deposited my luggage in the hotel near CST (Chathrapati Shivaji Terminus) and left for Thane to visit them. It was my first time in Thane, the most populous district in Maharashtra. I shared my live location with Shriram who was my live Google Map till I reached his home. It was great to see them after a long time. Shriram has an aura of warmth around him; anyone would feel comfortable with him. After talking with them after about an hour, it was again “What will you have”? I had to eat something, and Shilpa said she will prepare anything I want to eat and gave me a lot of options. I chose Uppit. One must have Uppit made from North Kannadigas or South Maharashtrians; they are the unparalleled. I left for the day, giving an assurance that I shall have a complete Maharashtrian meal sooner rather than later.
Will be back soon for ‘Authentic Maharashtrian Meal’
On the way back, I got a call from Priyanka, seeking my arrival. I had to take a “dheemi local” or one of the slow suburban trains that stops at all stations, to Matunga. My third house on the festival day!!! I have met her father several times with whom it is always a pleasure to talk to. There is no dearth of topics with Priyanka and her father around. It is such an irony that I happened to see their home for the first time and Oh, what a lovely home. It is an Eighty-year-old building, older than her father, and the living room was one of the largest I have seen in proper Mumbai. The home has its own old-world charm. A lot of our conversation revolved around that building they reside in and how it is being managed these days. I shall visit this place again whenever I am in Mumbai.
Priyanka and her father – always a joy to meet you both
I had made it very clear to Priyanka that I would not have anything to eat as I have to run a marathon the next day, but there is no end to hospitality. I had to leave and take rest, but she made me wait till the food arrived. She assured me that I will be eating something light and healthy. Her family’s roots are in Gujarat and she lives in an area called Matunga which is like a mini South India. It houses not only a lot of South Indians but also many South Indian restaurants and temples. She said that she will not serve me South Indian food as I am from South India and she will not provide any Gujarathi fare as I will be leaving for Gujarat the next day so it will be authentic Maharashtrian food. I had Pithale Bhaji Bhakar, Kothimbir Vadi and Kharwas and thick curd. I wish I had taken a pic of the dishes. I was happy that I still felt light after whatever I ate throughout the day. I got dropped to my hotel where I would spend the rest of the time hobnobbing with other guests who were all runners from other parts of the country. This is one of the other reasons why I booked this hotel. To meet other runners apart from the fact that it is close to the race venue.
Day 3 – 15th Jan 2023
This is the big day. The day of Mumbai Marathon. I had last run 10 years back. Since the place I stayed is hop, skip and jump from the race venue, I didn’t have to worry about waking up too early. I left the hotel at 5am for the race that started at 5:15am – gives you an indication about how close the place is to the race venue. As soon as the race started, I realized I didn’t have any food/nutrients. Ayaana had packed a few dates and I thought I would have that before the race but ended up having a chocolate bar that was distributed as a part of promotion. The running route had changed a bit due to road construction here and there. I wanted to give it all I had and I think I did. I slowed down at around 30 Km mark. This is the third Marathon where the 30 Km mark has proved to be my Nemesis. I had run 32 Kms in 3 hours. If I had to achieve my target of running under 4 hours, then I have to run the last 10 Kms in 60 minutes. I thought I had reached a point in my running life of running 10 Km under an hour any time. I had not factored the last 10 Km in a Marathon though. I remember giving this gyan to people “You slowest run is faster than your fastest walk”. I thought let me just start running, even it is slow and did just that. This Full Marathon takes you to a lot of roads in Mumbai, but ask anyone who has run this Marathon to name them, he or she will utter just one road – ‘Pedder Road’. I ran and ran till the the famous or the infamous ‘Pedder Road’: The steepest road of the run. I saw a young boy shouting at me “Common, common”. He held a placard which read “Pedder Road is over”. I could not help but smile at him and I started running again and this time did not stop till the end of the race. The locals really pepped us up. As I recall, a lot of families with their parents and children had descended at the running route to encourage us by sharing food, chocolates, juices, home made sweets and so on. A young boy was playing drums. “You are my inspiration” read another placard. How I wish I could talk with them, take pics of these wonderful people, but I had the pressure of time – sub 4 hours was playing in my mind.
My fastest Marathon ever. I have to shave 12 more minutes in my next marathon.
I could manage a time of 4 hours 12 min. I was a bit disappointed, nevertheless my personal best. My whole body was aching. The physio at the recovery centre somehow managed to ease my pain in the legs and back. After collecting the medal and having breakfast, I returned to the hotel. I met the owner and I told him about my missed opportunity at running sub 4 hours. “So I shall definitely see you next year then. You would come to challenge your time”, he remarked. I must say that the staff at the hotel where I stayed, ‘Hebbar Heritage Home’, took efforts to provide a bed for me. All the rooms were filled so they provided a bed in a big hall just for me. I can’t thank them enough for going out of their way for my sake.
I had to leave for Surat. Devanshi has been inviting me for more than a decade. I would finally meet her and her family today. I was chit-chatting with the staff at the hotel and I lost track of time. I wanted to board the suburban train to Bandra Railway Station but I realized that the I was late and searched for a taxi. My train was at 1:25pm and I boarded the taxi at 12:45pm. I told the driver to take me as fast as he can. The driver did all that he could possibly do. He drove swiftly and even jumped a signal, but in spite of his heroics, it seemed as if I would miss the train. I was thinking of excuses to give to Devanshi. He dropped me off at 1:20pm but it was the wrong station. Bandra terminus is slightly less than a Km from Bandra station. A share auto dropped me at 12:24pm. I had to go to Platform No. 5. A coolie saw me running with my suitcase and told me that he would help me with my luggage and he will not charge more. The train started moving the moment I boarded. Coolie charged Rs. 200 after bargaining, slightly less than the cost of the train ticket 😊. I only had Rs. 100. He requested one of the railway staffs to give Rs. 100 and I later transfer the money electronically. The railway staff had this wicked grin on his face. I acknowledged that I have been looted.
I finally found my coach after passing through a dozen of them. The body pain persisted and I was stretching my arms and legs throughout the journey, much to the amusement of my fellow passengers. The train reached Surat, 30 min behind schedule. I saw Devanshi for the first time in almost 15 years. She asked me about my agenda. I said she can decide about my agenda for the next 18 hours I would be in Surat. Devanshi is married to a Jain, a practicing Jain to be precise. Of course they are pure vegetarians, but they also don’t consume roots such as potatoes, beetroot etc. The day I arrived was a special day for Jains and who wouldn’t cook nor eat anything green that day. They were wondering as to how to feed me. I said I actually wanted to experience these things and I will more than welcome these special days and special food associated with it. I had a wonderful dinner devoid of greens. The dinner looked ‘Red’: I shall not elaborate any furhter. I last met Devanshi around 15 years back. We had known each other for just a couple of months where I used to teach a bunch of people gearing to work in a call centre. It is quite amazing that we are in good touch after all these years. She was then a struggling young graduate trying to stand on her two feet. Today both of she and her husband are successful entrepreneurs and blessed with a wonderful daughter. After reminiscing for a few minutes about my stint in Surat, I resigned to bed. I saw myself limping to bed.
Devanshi’s multi talented daughter. It was a pleasure interacting with her.
Day 4 – 16th Jan 2023
I was still limping as I woke up. During my previous stay in Surat, I lived in one of my other trainees home for close to 3 weeks. I called Kashyap, but he was participating in a cricket match and could not speak with him. I tried calling a few others, but to no avail. I had typical Surti breakfast comprising of Locho, Khakhras, and Ponk (a Gujarati snack made from tender roasted sorghum grains mixed with sev). A heavy breakfast that would keep me full till dinner.
“Eat in Surat, Die in Kashi” is a popular saying. It must be true as Surat is the only place in the world where I left home and put on weight. Couple of hours before I boarded the train was devoted to shopping for snacks. What to buy, where to buy, how much to buy – all these inputs were intimated to Devanshi by Priyanka. Devanshi’s husband, Kevin charted a map, figuring out the best route to go to 3 places and railway station. I first bought pineapple ‘Mattha’, a few Khakhras, Bhakharwadi, and finally Ghari, traditional sweet of Surat. What a wonderful short and sweet stay in Surat.
I had Lions share of the breakfast the couple just looks on.
‘Ponk’ – I remember having this just once or twice before in North Karnataka.
The loot from Surat.
The train to Mumbai was bang on time. My flight got delayed so I walked from ‘Vile Parle’ railway station to Airport. I had a chat with Satish sir before leaving for the Marathon for a few last-minute tips. I told him that I have decided to live on Vada Pavs a day before Marathon. I said “I shall have Vada pavs to load carbs”. He said, “Hope that’s a joke”. I actually thought it is the simplest way to load carbs in Mumbai. He asked me to be away from fried stuff till the race is over and after the Marathon I can eat whatever I wanted. I had my first and possibly the last Vada pav of the journey in the airport. Quite an awkward place to have, but I finally had one.
Finally!!!
I realized that the flight had delayed further. This flight was supposed to leave at 2:30pm, then 7:15pm, then 8:15pm and now 9:30pm. I went to the lounge and had some food. I happened to meet Pradyumna, my fellow runner from our running group. Half the lounge was filled with runners from different places. We both struck a conversation with one of the attendants working in the Lounge or rather he started enquiring about us.
Attendant : Do you keep coming to Mumbai often?
We : No, we came to Mumbai to run
He seemed completely clueless
Attendant : Where were you guys running?
We : Don’t you know that there was Marathon in Mumbai yesterday?
Attendant : What is Marathon? From where to where did you run?
A bit surprised at his query.
We : From CST to CST!!
He thought for a while and after a bit of calculation
Attendant : I see, so you ran a hundred metres?
We : Bro, complete 42 Kms
He was a bit perplexed?
Attendant : Where all did you run?
We told him the entire route
We : Did you really think that we came all the way from Bangalore to run just 100 metres?
Attendane : Since you said CST to CST, I thought that you ran from one platform to another!!
The flight finally took off at 10 PM. I reached home at around midnight. Finally, the memories of this trip are penned forever.
I delayed publishing this article for exactly a decade as I had not run a marathon since 2013. I didn’t want to change the title either, so in order to be politically correct, I decided to publish this after I run my second marathon. I didn’t know then, that I would take so many years to run my next Marathon. I ran my second marathon only in September of 2022 and my third marathon in Mumbai on 15th Jan 2023. At the time of publishing this blog, it is exactly 10 years to this day that I ran my first ever marathon on 20th Jan 2013.
I used to like this question which used to come on Discovery Channel. I don’t know if it were part of an advertisement. The question was “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” I loved that question so much that I was looking forward to doing something new. This time I was about to embark into something new: an unchartered territory for me.
I wanted to run a half marathon (HM), but when I decided to register, the registration for HM was closed so if I had to take part in this event, it had be a full marathon (FM). So I registered for a full marathon and tried to prepare for the same. This was also a reason to travel to Mumbai. My sister, my BIL and two wonderful neices live there at the moment. I had about two and a half months at hand.
I used to run about 7 Kms a day and on a few odd days, upto 10Kms. I enquired several people about running a full marathon (42.195 Kms), and almost everyone said that I was not prepared for it. Two people have inspired or given me hope that “I too can run”. One of them is my GMAT student, Anjana: I was still teaching her when I registered for this Marathon. She took up running after she became a mother and has since run several marathons. I texted her that I had enrolled for a Full Marathon for which she called me and started shouting at me: “Have you gone mad?” My reason that I was late to register for a Half Marathon did not convince her. Nevertheless, she asked me the kind of shoes I had and guided me what to buy, wear in order to run a Fuuull Maaraaathoooon
The other person to inspire me is my classmate from school and College, P G Sanjay. I saw his Facebook post one day that he ran a Full marathon in about 4 hours 27 minutes. At that time, I could run 10 kms in 72 minutes. He had run 4 times the distance at a faster pace than mine!!! He was the first one I turned to when I registered for the marathon. I had long chats with him one day and he said, “if I can run a marathon, then anyone can”. This is exactly what I wanted to hear. He told me about his experience and forwarded me a chart to prepare. It seemed simple, but then there is difference between ‘simple’ and ‘easy’. It was all about how much time I had at my disposal. According to him, one must have run 30 Kms to 35 Kms a couple of times at least, to attempt a Full Marathon. Alas, I had not run more than 10 kms at any stage in my life. Over the next few days, I attempted long runs and these were one 16 Kms run and another 17 Kms run.
I consulted another friend of mine, Dwarka. He is an avid cyclist and good at fitness. Even he said I am prepared for a half marathon but not a full. Nevertheless, he asked me to get involved in circuit training every alternate day. I had to work out for 7 muscles parts : chest, biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, thighs and calves. I had to do 2 different exercises of 3 sets for each muscle part and each set comprising or 15 repetitions. I had to choose the weight for each exercise which is equal to 60% of my dead lift capacity. That is, if i can lift a maximum of 100 Kgs for a particular exercise just once, then the circuit training for that exercise should be 60Kgs. I should take no more than 15 seconds break between any two exercises, but I can take a few more seconds if my pulse beats more than 25 times in 10 seconds. I have to complete the entire circuit training in 45 minutes. I am not alien to Gymnasium, so I didn’t find it too difficult handle; I rather started enjoying it.
I got introduced to a Marathon runner who lived near my home. She has run marathons across the world. “You are taking a chance” she quipped after listening to my running history. She told me to modify my running route a bit so that I also experience a bit of uphill and downhill. She also told me about the nutrition I have to take for a long run like this: Beetroot juice, sprouts and a few other things. I tried to implement, but the right vegetables and other ingredients were not available at home. I abandoned the nutrition part before even starting it properly but I changed my running route to experience a bit of gradient.
A few weeks into my preparation, I experienced severe pain around my knees. I couldn’t even run a few furlongs. I visited an orthopedic on my own speaks volumes about how I felt about the pain. He gave me a patient hearing; he asked me if it hurts when I don’t run. I said it doesn’t. He said that if it ached only when I ran, then there is nothing wrong with my legs. The legs are just not used to this much of running and thereby this pain. He said that I should continue running despite the pain so the body get used to it. True to what he said, over the next few days, the pain started subsiding. The more I ran, the better I felt. By the time I boarded the flight to Mumbai, I felt supremely fit. I had never been fitter.
I took a flight to Mumbai and went to my sister’s home. I just relaxed till the day of Marathon. My sister and brother-in-law were to take part in Half Marathon. A Half Marathon running bib was available and my BIL’s friend asked me if I want to change my plans. There was no way in backing out of Full Marathon. I have been dreaming about it for a while and it would be a dream come true if I eventually complete it. Moreover, my father had broadcasted about my participation to the whole world. What will I say if someone asks about my Full Marathon experience?
I took the special train to Chathrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). Everyone in the train were participants of the great run, especially the Full Marathon. Half Marathon starts from another venue but ends in CST. It was walking distance from the railway station. A little over two thousand runners had taken part in the FM. I spoke with a few runners who were carrying the timing flag. I reached out to the one who had 4 hrs written on his flag. This is called the 4 hour bus. He gave a few chewys and said we should consume it whenever we are out of energy. I just had to follow him to complete the course in 4 hours.
Race started and the 4-hour bus who vanished in a matter of time. Then I followed 4:30 hour bus and then 5 hours bus like a relay. I ran non-stop for 8 Kms before I started walking for the first time. I guess it was Pedder Road that made me slow down. From then on it was a combination of running and walking. By the time I crossed the Bandra-Worli Sea link, even the 6 hour bus had crossed. I had 3 to 4 chewys by then, which was perhaps a bit too much. I thought I would get instant energy, but I experienced a kind of churning in my stomach. It was reason enough to slow down. I however approached the first half Marathon with relative ease completing in slightly more than two and a half hours. I had never run or walked so much at a stretch ever and now I had to repeat this distance. The second half marathon was tough to say the least. I felt so exhausted that I drank water at every water station. I took all help such as ice packs, spray, etc along the way. One of the runners enquired about the shirt I was wearing. I wore the colours of an NGO called “Cheshire Disability Trust”, the place I frequent to teach people with disabilities. We exchanged numbers and he said he would get in touch with me to see how he can contribute to this Trust.
This is one race where one can see the Elite runners literally zip past the regular runners. It was a sight that can either encourage you or discourage you. I was struggling to jog and these runners galloped past me and went out of sight in a jiffy. It was not easy for them as well as I saw a few of the Africans stepping into an ambulance ending their race.
The most exciting part of the race is the people of Mumbai. When you feel almost fatigued, it is these people who lift you up. A man came to me and gave me salt and biscuit. He said the salt helps retain water and good for running. This knowledge was alien to me. The energy of the Mumbaikars is good enough reason to run this marathon. They were cheering us for hours every where our route entered the civilian areas. Children lined up with their parents, encouraging us by sharing their favourite chocolates and biscuits with us. I shall forever be thankful for enthusiastic Mumbaikars.
I had run for 4 hours covering 30 Kms. The knee pain had come and gone when I was practicing for this run, but I never realized I had a hip joint as well. What sort of Karma was this? God decides to tell me that I have a hip joint at this time?? My movement came to a sudden halt. Every step I took was excruciating. It was so uncomfortable that I envisaged myself calling an ambulance and end my run. In the hind sight it was the right thing to do, but I was more worried about what my father would tell his friends if they enquired about my marathon experience. I decided to chug along while the whole world overtook me. The final destination seemed endless. I saw many runners of different shapes, sizes, age groups struggling to complete the elusive and exclusive Marathon. Here I saw a runner who had carried the 4-hour flag in the beginning of the run limping. He said he has torn a muscle and could not run but he wanted to complete the distance. There are enough crazy people on this planet!!!
Finally, I saw the 40km mark. I smiled for the first time in more than an hour. After seeing number 3 at the tens digit for so long, the digit ‘4’ gave me a new lease of life. Then came the 41Km mark and then 42Km mark. I had run, walked and limped for 6 hours but in spite of it there was sudden spring in my feet for the final 100 metres; I ran so fast that it could put even Usain Bolt to shame. After 6 hours, 6 minutes and 11 seconds, I completed my first ever marathon.
A lady garlanded the beautiful medal around my neck which I wore it with pride. It was comforting that I recovered within a few minutes of resting. I continued to wear the medal till I reached my sister’s home. A lot of onlookers asked me about it during my journey back home and I told them about my accomplishment. I reached my sister’s home to applause and standing ovation. I checked my weight and I realized that I had lost 5 kgs during this six-hour ordeal.
My good friend Sudarshan had put on Facebook about my run. He was the first person to know about the completion of my Marathon. He was more happy for me than I was for myself. Dwarka called me from airport asking about my experience. He was leaving for US that day. P G Sanjay left a message on Facebook enquiring about my time. Anuradha, the manager of the NGO whose colours I had donned was happy for me. I had become a minor hero for a few days. Congratulatory messages poured in from everywhere. I got a mention about my feat in our nearby club (much to my reluctance). It surely was an enriching experience, something I shall cherish for a long time. It was a dream come true for someone who was born with Asthma. I hope this is just the beginning.
“Tomorrow is a ‘holiday’ because of ‘Holi Day’!!!”, our principal’s words echoed through the morning school assembly. There was no reaction from the students. With exams round the corner, an unexpected holiday was the last thing we expected. Our confused principal repeated the words a bit louder “Tomorrow is a ‘holiday’ because of ‘Holi Day’!!!”. It was then that news sunk in and shock waves started to have its effect on us. We cheered and jeered and praised our principal more than required in the hope of securing an additional holiday. Alas, one day is all we got.
Baldwin Boys High School is one of those schools which loves to give holidays for every occasion. Out of 365 days in a year, our school used to function for only 180 days. We would get holiday if our school won a tournament; if Government declared 4 days holidays due to Cauvery River dispute, our school would give 8 days off. There was no reason to not like Baldwins.
On the day of Holi, festival of colours, a few of us decided to play with colours. We pooled in a bit of money and one of us was able to sneak out of the school for a few minutes and get colour powder of different hues. It is a simple game of colours: mix the colour in water, and splash it onto others. We went about chasing our reluctant friends and throw colour at them. As they fell prey to colours, even the hunted joined the bandwagon and within minutes, we had a sizeable crowd, able to be noticed. We spent the best part of the day chasing our friends across all three play grounds, disfiguring their appearance by applying colours on their faces and body. Someone shouted that it was his ‘Imported’ shirt, from Dubai – we would not care. We made sure that he would not be able wear that shirt ever again. It was real fun to say the least.
In a matter of time, colours were not just on our bodies but all over the school campus. There was a trail of colours wherever we went. It was one of the best festivals I enjoyed in school. As time passed, we knew at the back of our minds that we were enjoying slightly more than required. Although we were celebrating and soaking ourselves in the festival mood and spirit, there was an inkling feeling that we had crossed the line of discipline and we all might get reprimanded in some way or the other. Our minds said we should tone down but our hearts said ‘just live the moment’: just like in the movie “Shawshank Redemption”, where the hero, Tim Robbins plays the music through the loudspeaker to his prison mates in spite of knowing that he would be in trouble, we also wanted to enjoy the festival of colours to the fullest before we get punished. It is quite relatable, if Tim Robbins is each one of us, then the prison is our campus, the music is the colour, the prison mates are our boarder friends.
We were tired and hungry and just then the lunch bell rang. We all ran towards the dining hall but better sense prevailed over us. We looked at each other, we agreed that we were quite shabby for the dining hall standards and took a unanimous decision to wash ourselves clean before dashing into the dining hall. We scurried towards the big bathroom but to our horror, the taps were dry; nothing new for us, but today we needed water more than ever. Someone sucked through the taps to get the blocked water run through, but there was not a drop of water in the tank and we just didn’t know what to do. As we approached the dining hall, one of the P T masters saw us. He made a face as if we had stolen his kidney. He gave us a lecture and asked us “Are you all kids?”. Of course, we were kids; almost all of us had barely entered our teens. We kept silent; we were mature enough to know it was a rhetorical question. We were waiting for orders to eat something, so we just wanted to get done with the lecture. In a few minutes, another P T master came, then NCC master joined them, then our warden, then the dietician; it looked as if they were eagerly waiting for some fun. They went in a huddle discussing something seriously while we glanced at each other trying to comprehend the magnitude of our crime. Warden was the target as his boys had done something terrible. “Food is getting cold”, was the only thing on my mind. I never liked hostel food; vegetarian food got step motherly treatment in our hostel, but on that afternoon, I was so hungry that I would have eaten even cold food.
The ensemble scanned us thoroughly and just as we were wondering about the outcome of the great huddle, one of the wise men asked us “Who started?” Is that all they came up with from that huddle, I thought, just two words. But yhey were prophetic words indeed – quite frankly, I was a bit rattled at this question. This question would test our ‘Unity’. The staff kept scanning us to check who will be the first one to buckle. We were not afraid of any of them except for Mr. Ward, one of the PT Masters and he was the only one not present that day (what luck); he owned a cane that a few swings of that would create such art on our skins that would put Picasso to shame. “Call Mr. Ward”, said one of the staff. This one statement petrified almost all of us. Once again, all of us were looking at each other, hoping to get sympathy from one another and trying to figure out how to escape caning from Mr. Ward. The only way of course if by naming the culprit.
Just then, I recollected a story my father told me about how the members of a union in a factory he worked at were so united that, all the members preferred and took a pay cut rather than name the culprit among them. Now, for the first time in my life, I was part of a union, a “Holi Union” whose unity was being tested. “I will take a few canings from Mr. Ward rather than reveal the name of the person who got the colours”, I resolved. That seemed the right thing to do as even we were partners in crime. There was no guarantee that the rest of us would be spared anyway. I silently prayed to God to give me strength to withstand the pain that would follow. “Who started? From where did you get the colours?”, he thundered again. Nobody uttered a word. He asked the same question, this time individually, to each one of us and all of us uttered the same three golden words – “I don’t know”. It was indeed a crime those days for a boarder to go out of the school campus without the warden’s permission. If that culprit were to be identified, he would have one hell of a day with parents or guardians being summoned and what not. We knew the importance of unity that day. It was amazing to note that none of us relented to any questions asked by the staff. “I don’t know” seemed to be the ‘mantra’ of the day.
Our warden ordered us to enter the dining hall and stand in a single file. We paraded into the dining hall much to the amusement of the other ‘clean’ friends enjoying their meals. They all had a good time making fun of us and passing witty comments. Within minutes, to our surprise, the Principal came visiting us. We don’t see or talk to our Principal often and now his physical presence seemed more towering that usual. Given a choice, we would have preferred Mr. Ward’s caning to confronting our Principal. None of us mustered the courage to make eye contact with him. Even he lectured for a few minutes. The only sentence I understood was that he will never give holiday for Holi in future. That really didn’t matter, but we have to pretend as if that holiday was important for us. If the holiday was indeed denied the next year, our contemporaries knew whom to blame.
We were awaiting our sentence as we knew that we will not be left scot free. The principal told something to the remaining staff and left the scene. Now the punishment for playing Holi is that we will be provided lunch only after we were “colour free”. We all looked at each other and whispered to one another – ‘Is that all’. We once again had to pretend as if it was a harsh punishment: we made sad faces and as soon as we turned our faces away from them, we were beaming with joy; a sense of achievement was written on our faces. The “Holi Union” had passed the test with flying colours. With no water in the tank, we had to approach that one source of water: a borewell in one corner in the small field. All of us collected our soaps and mugs, stripped ourselves till our underpants and sprinted to the water source. This image is still intact in my memory. Just imagine a bunch of 12-year-olds to 14-year-olds in just their underpants, and rest of the body smeared with colours, scampering for water as if they had never seen water before. It would have made a spectacle for anyone!!! This mammoth bathing session was a sight to behold. We enjoyed playing with colours but getting rid of colours was even more enjoyable.
What a perfect ‘Holi’
The bunch of boarders have remained united ever since. We will continue to help each other forever. As one of my friends remarked during one of the first reunions, if school mates studied with each other, we boarders lived with each other. We were indeed a family.
The following is a series of Whatsapp status I had shared whenever I met my Boss. I am from Bangalore, India and I run from my home to Sadashivanagar, through new BEL Road almost every day. There is a small and beautiful lake in Sadashivanagar and that’s where I used to meet this woman. An enigmatic lady who made me want to meet her regularly.
Hope you enjoy the slide show.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Makara Sankranthi to everyone.
A couple of those who wished me on the eve of Sankranthi enquied if I know how to fly kites and if kites are flown in my city. It reminded me of my time in Gulbarga when I lived with my Maternal Grandparents and Uncle during my primary school days. I currently live in the city of Bangalore and unfortunately, I have flown kite just once in this city. I heard that flying kites require a formal permission from the police today.
I remember visiting Gujarat during this festival season a few years back and kite flying was seen in every nook and corner of the city. It was vibrat indeed but we also witnessed adverse effects: kites stuck on trees, electric poles and wires, street lights, top of buildings that it took away the beauty of the city, not to mention enormous casualty caused to the birds. No wonder that kite flying is banned in Bangalore.
When I was in ‘Gulbarga’ though, Kite flying was serious business. People no doubt enjoyed flying kites, but the involvement was at another level. What was more enjoyable is targeting others’ kites in the vicinity and bringing it down to make it your own.
One of the incentives of having lived in tier-2 cities, towns and villages is that the interest and involvement is far greater even when doing the smallest of things. I haven’t seen so much involvement in flying kites in major cities. We never bought kites in Gulbarga, we made them. Check out the ingredients.
- Colour papers – for Kite and its Tail
- Flexible sticks – usually from the coconut broom or bamboo
- String – 10 metres to 30 metres
- Glass powder – as much depending on the length of the string
- Gum – specific gum for the thread
- Gum or cooked rice
- Spool – for the string
- Cloth – long enough to tie around both the hands for two people
I was part of the neighbourhood cricket team; this team could also be called kite team, marble team, gilli-danda team and so on. We friends pool in a bit of our pocket money to buy these ingredients. If the team works together, the process mentioned below will take around 2 hours.
The string we get is quite strong but not strong enough to cut the strings of rival kites, so we have to make our string stronger and more importantly sharper. We first collect dry leaves, twigs, stems, barks that are strewn on the nearby streets or parks; we collect a few bricks and arrange them such that a vessel, lent to us by a friend’s mother, could be supported. We would then light the dry leaves and twigs and pour some water into the vessel and allow the water to boil. The string is then soaked in boiling water. Once the string has absorbed the water, excess water is removed and the gum or adhesive is poured into the vessel. When the string becomes sticky, we apply glass powder on to the string. This is a delicate and the most important part of the process and one has to protect one’s hands by tying a cloth around one’s hands. The cloth mentioned under the ingredients is used to tie our hands not only at this juncture but also while flying the kite, else we will just cut our hands. The string is now hung around the trees or clothline and allowed to cool and dry. Once the string is dried, it is rolled around the spool.
Any boy my age in Gulbarga would know how to make a kite. The paper is cut in a shape of a Kite or a Rhombus and the flexible sticks, one made into a semi-circle and one left straight are stuck along the diagonals. The two sticks are tied with string and gum or cooked rice is used as adhesive to paste the stick and the paper.
Quite an art, isn’t it. The expert amongst us will tie the string to the kite. There is a complete geometric process to it. Once the Kite, its tail and string are all connected, we check the direction of the wind, and see which kite should be targeted and accordingly choose an appropriate place to begin our hunt.
We don’t wait for Sankranti to fly kites. It is flown whenever the wind plans to visit us. One or two who take the responsibility of flying the kite cover both their hands with the cloth. One of us would hold the kite and try to lift it helping it to float with the help of the breeze, and one who has the string will pull it towards himself to help it lift with the drag, once it lifts to a particular height, the breeze will push the kite further and the boy with the spool will roll spool to release the string.
This to and fro game of pulling and releasing the string continues till the kite has flown above the trees and buildings, as that’s when the kite gets unobstructed supply of breeze, marking the onset of our poaching extravaganza. The swifter one pulls the string towards oneself, the higher the kite flies , else the kite flies horizontally and it falls reach the height required to poach rival kites. If our kite goes around rival’s kite, then we can more or less cut the string of that kite. An element of skill is required to fly kites and poach, therefore the best among our team flies the kite and rest of us resort to being spool operators, navigators and commentators, but all the while, everyone’e eyes are glued to the kite.
Sometimes, when we cut a rival’s kite, it flows off with the breeze instead of clinging on to our string, so we chase the kite to see where it lands. A bunch of us are ever ready for such a scenario. The kite lands sometimes on rootops, sometimes on trees and sometimes ot top of moving vehicles. There is a lot of fun involved in chasing the kite as we all run in different directions and see who gets it first. The one who gets it becomes the hero of the day. It is also a team effort as it is difficult to ascertain the landing of the kite, so if one misses, the other one gets it. There are times when we have chased a kite for kilometres and we get a huge sense of accomplishment when we get the rival’s kite intact: much like the WWF wrestlers who take the rival’s belt. But there are times when we have just missed it. I remember a time when a the kite haf fallen on the busy road and we were trying to get close to it when a vehicle ran over it. Many-a-times, when a kite it stuck on a tree, the kite is invariably torn and there are times when we lost it to the winds.
There was a time when I was finally elevated to fly the kite but, the string has cut my palm inspite of tying cloth around my hands. I presume the padding was not thick enough. I almost hunted down a rival kite once but due to duel between the two, both the kites perished; it was such a ‘so near yet so far’ moment. Kite flying was fun indeed. It gave us a kind of joy to cherish forever.
15th Jan 2022
Rohit Maiya's Blog 