My New Found Passion : By Sudhir Shetty

| Wednesday, May 27, 2015 | |
Running was never my forte and as most of you who are in my FB Friends list must have read a snippet about my running. For those who have not read a quick glimpse of the same.
I started running thanks to my wife who participated in her first ever running/walking event Pinkathon last year. Her explanation and excitement after completing the event took me by surprise as I have never seen her like this. I casually discussed this with my colleague and he immediately registered me for the TCS 10K in 2014 and gave me 2 months to prepare for the run.

I was a regular brisk walker, used to walk for 1 hour. But now slowly added 0.5 KM slow jogging into my routine. Saw many youtube videos on long distance running. As the TCS date came nearer I was getting confident of running. TCS 10K my first ever long distances run at the age of ….. (age hidden for security reasons hahaha) I finished it nonstop in 57:47. WOW this run made me believe the saying
This first achievement gave me a big boost and there was no looking behind. I started practicing daily by running 7KM everyday and enjoying the same. Youtube & Internet gurus were giving me inputs like care to be taken pre and post run, stretches, hydration, ToDos and Don’ts on the day before a race which I was using it in my practice. Many events followed where in I participated to be precise 6 events in 2014. All these where my firsts. I took part in the first 12.5 KM the Ajmera Thump in Electronic City and here I saw a new version of running “The BareFeet Running”. Yes you guessed it right it was Bobby Thomas who flagged the event and was running bare feet. What caught me was his ever smiling face from start to end and after the race. Being a new comer I was intrigued by this new dimension to running and also the effortless running. I became a fan of Bobby. Then came my first Trail run which was the Kaveri Trail run and I decided to run the 10KM as this was my first trail so was not sure what was in store for me. It was an awesome experience I fell in love with this trail and midway I removed my ear plugs and instead of music from my phone I was listening to the nature’s music and enjoying my run. I was running for the joy of it and did not have any intention of any PB. When I was nearing the finish line I could see the clock and volla it said 53 something and I was like Gosh I am going to better my own timing of TCS and sprinted the last few meters to complete the KTM 10K in 53:42. I was elated and was waiting for my colleagues who also ran with me to share my excitement. Thanks to the big queue for the after run snacks and also the organizers plan for not releasing the bus back to Bangalore before the prize distribution. As we were desperately waiting for the function to get over and board the bus I heard my name being called as the First Prize Winner for KTM 10K in Seniors category. I could not believe my ears but my colleagues were dancing with joy and they were telling me to go to the podium. My first Podium in long distance running just after 7 months of starting to run. Arvind Bharathi of the RFL could make out that I am not believing it as just after finishing the race we were talking to him and I was telling how I enjoyed the run and how I would want to come over again and again. This was the best moment of my life as my previous 2 races my younger son used to ask me what rank or position you came and I had explained him about the finishers medals , but here is the first time I will be telling him that I came FIRST. The run upto the podium and back was awesome as many unknown face and people but having common linkage passion to run were congratulating me. I did not tell neither my wife nor my kids over phone about my Winning, I merely said the race was good and awesome is les a word to describe y experience. For once the journey back home from KTM seemed a very long one. I reached home and showed my family the certificate and the plaque. My wife was happy as it had always been her agenda like most of the wives to push me into some fitness regime since the time we got married in 1999 and here after 16 years her husband comes back home as a WINNER of KTM 10K and in a sport which he never participated even during school or college days.

The giggle on mine and Arvind Bharathi’s face says it all.

This is one race and event which is etched in mind and heart. After this I did my first HM during the Bengaluru Marathon and I did it in 1:59:18 followed by my first much heard about Bengaluru Ultra where I did 12.5 KM and one more Podium which was once again unintended and unexpected I finished first runner up in Senior Category clocking 1:05:16. Finally the last race of 2014 which was just an attempt to see how it is to run at night I did the midnight 10K. Two podium finishes and one HM under 2 or Sub 2 I had to run the SCMM as Mumbai is my first love born and bought up in Mumbai had to do it and I did the SCMM2015 HM and dusted it in Sub 2 by clocking 1:59:10. This is my new found passion which I am enjoying every bit of it. Since I am enjoying running long distance I cannot stop myself from talking about the same. I wanted to spread this bug to my other friends. I ended up starting a Runners Club in my company where though 50 people have registered but atleast 10 to 12 of them we meet one of the Saturdays and go for a run. Many of them are first timers and have already started loving this. I then moved my attention to my apartment complex and here luckily for me there were 2 seasoned runners who have run many HM and one of them done many FM and coupled with some new runners we have been successful in holding some fun runs, 10 round of complex T-Shirt challenge run and last but not least were able to motivate 20 ladies to register, practice and participate in the Pinkathon with some doing 5KM run/walk and some doing 10KM run/walk but atleast 5 ladies and 1 girl running the entire 5K ad one girl running the 10K. Btw my wify is one of the 5K runners.

I am in love with this phase of my life and I wanted to continue this passion of mine but wanted to do it properly under some guidance to ensure I am doing it the right way and injury free. This lead me PACEMAKERs thanks to Bobby for introducing me to this lovely bunch of happy runners. Thanks to Pani Sir I have had my firsts in the Tuesday & Thursday workouts – never done pushups, situps , crunches and lunges. I am a very bad at vajrasan. 400M laps were always an Olympic event watched by me in TV forget running it, sand pits were a place where my kids played to flex their palm muscles during the preschool days. Thanks to Pani sir and the lovely energetic PACEMAKERS I did this in the last one month. Pardon me for a long story but could not stop myself from sharing my experience of my new found love which is just 1 month away from its anniversary.

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