My First Half Marathon

Dec 25, 2013 - A day I consider a very auspicious one. That's the day I started running! I could barely run 100 metres then but I made a start and haven't looked back since. Lighter by almost 7 kgs and post numerous runs, I am sure my body says 'thank you'. And as Mark Twain said, 'the secret of getting ahead is getting started' and am happy that I made a start and didn't give up!

After doing quite a few 10K runs, I decided it was time to upgrade and signed up for my first half marathon (for those who aren't aware, it's 21.1 kms). It was on the 21st of September, 2014 at the Kaveri Trail Marathon (KTM), Srirangapatna, considered one of the toughest trails in India. It's a beautiful trail along the river Kaveri dotted with vast green fields and amazing countryside. It's considered one of the toughest primarily because of the heat & humidity on the trail and the toll it takes on the runners. 

The following is a brief account of what was going on in my mind during that 2 hours & 26 minutes:

5th km - "This is like a walk in the park!"

10th km - "So far so good, I'm going to rock it!"

15th km - "Getting a bit tough but I think I'll manage"

18th km - "I could have slept couple of hours extra this morning"

20th km - "This is my last run".

21.1 km (just after crossing the finish line) - "I need to train a little better for my next run".

The satisfaction after completion is something that I cannot describe in words! Having completed this wonderful run, I am now looking forward to my next half marathon which is a little less than a month away!

That's the magic of running, you get addicted to it! Bring it on!