VCHM 2016 :
The best teaches you to be better!
I have already shared my
first 10k experience just a little while ago before going to the VCHM this
time, and don’t want to repeat, but it was a great start to the events in
running. Since the runs started to become longer and so did my blogs, there was
a specific request from some close buddies in running to keep my stories
shorter. My suggestion to those friends is that they can take some walking
breaks if they feel out of breath while reading this blog.
Valsad was again a
refreshing turn in my running that had started at VCHM only in January 2016
about 10 months ago. I had not even touched a total of a 30 km in my running, just
a couple of weeks ago, and ZAP …a direct order came indirectly from the
"psycho" in form of a polite statement in the core exercise
group,…”DD can run a 10K in Valsad”. The “can” was to be read as “will”. It’s a
big puzzle how the “Psycho” manages to mark each and every person he is guiding
so closely! “Psycho” knows all his or her weaknesses and strengths, when it
comes to running, the best performances and the way he or she looks at the
running. The devil is in the details as they say and only the passion can drive
a person to such details. In short, he truly deserves the customized name on
his Summit Saputara Tee Shirt..!
I was on my nadir on the
emotional front due to the loss of a best friend and running and the fellow
runners have lifted me up. I am on the way in the search of the zenith now that
keeps climbing on me as I keep running up towards it, negotiating the ups and
downs of the “rolling hills” that one encounters early on the route to some
regular amateur running.!
Well there were already a
lots of ups and downs in these 10 months till next Valsad event came up and it
felt like a lifetime I would say clocking that 600 km plus which was a poor
average by the standards of how the early plans to the first year looked like.!
The elaborate planning is
definitely very good and has to be the goal, but in my case, as the very
anxious person I am, the numbers started giving me a bad headache. The
emotional stress coming out of a big loss in life losing a best friend, the day
to day activities which used to be great fun had become a stress inducing factors
and that too very silently. After fighting such a bad intolerable condition
that started immediately after the Surat Night Marathon in February 2016, I was
helped up once again by the close friends in running team to get back on the
road. I would mention all of them in the thanksgiving at the last.
And came the SCHM, the
home turf, the starting point for a lot many Surti Runners, including my towing
van Nish, and what a wonderful time I had being there in the team contributing
with some efforts and converting the stressful organizing in to joy of working
in a great team.! Team SCHM is a hell of a unit to be with.! I have never seen
people doing so much of hand holding to total strangers and that too
collectively thousands of them, just to bring their journey to running easy.
Right from the most irritating questions on the helpline to some tedious tasks
like arranging smallest of the stuffs, and from running the route endless times
to tearing their hair out in anxiety of getting the most beautiful medals on
time; it was such a selfless team work for the cause! Surat is indeed lucky to
have you SR.!
After a wonderful SCHM
time, the spirits were up and legs were fresh by a deliberate plan to not to
have any exquisite training plans and a simple looking plan called “JUST RUN”,
prescribed by the coaches that by the time had come to know that I was an
unusual customer in the arena! Hyper like SCRAT the squirrel and yet confident
in my own world of daydreams like SID the SLOTH. (in the movie series “Ice
Age”), I was a good amusement for the running buddies I feel and enjoyed the
transition towards a fitter me, slowly.
Valsad being revisited,
the nervousness was way less than the first time. For practice, I accompanied
the Big Brother Nish, my towing van who was in full force preparing for his
Full Marathon in Mumbai, in three to four runs. Meanwhile a few of team PRAYAS
volunteers, who got inspired from the grand show of SCHM for which they had
volunteered, also registered in 10k Valsad, in a happy push at the VCHM
registration counter at the SCHM expo. So the gang landed in Valsad on Saturday
evening looking forward to a good time.!
Joy of meeting friends
like Prasadbhai from Valsad Racers, and the usual company from Bardoli runners
and the spirited Surti Runners gang was a great incentive for the event. The
warmth of the hospitality and helpfulness of the organizing team members was
symbolized by the super-hot-spicy-sweet tasty “Ubadiyu” that we became
beneficiary of, on the even of the race at the venue, filled with a strong
positive cold breeze of the Teethal beach. While talking to Apubhai who always
lifts up the ‘Spirits’, and is always on the ‘high’ of a race to be run, the
tone was set. It was all causal chit chat and meeting up and the nerves were
settled. Nish had planned to run with me to not to let me go behind the last
race SCHM timing. But we were not thinking much about that. It was all happy
smiles all around.
Race morning was good,
with meeting up the speedsters of SR, who were all pumped up to burn the roads,
I was happy that I was running and hoping better after the turmoil I had during
the journey till my third HM. The simple and calm words by Pranavbhai reminded
to me “what was the purpose” commandment and it really helped to exhale
whatever left of nerves I had. It was peaceful happy and not anxious as
earlier.! May be in one word it’s called “confident”!
The route was superb,
rural setting which I love and the volunteers were very good to reach out to
the runners. We started and my task was very easy..! What I had to do was just
to follow the commands of the towing van.! After the 14km, I was asked to put the
watch in the pocket, as I get a lot anxious seeing the stats, the run after
that was really enjoyable due to the route and cheer. Chatting along but I
could feel that we were going a bit faster than the practice pace, I
deliberately did not think much about that. Was unhappy when I wasn’t able to
help Arvind Sir who was walking on a ramp and had pulled a muscle badly.
Stretching or a careful physiotherapy
was what he needed and there was none around. Had it been anything else in our
scope we would have helped. The ups and downs of running, and learning with
each event is what running is all about.!
The last two kilometers
were going to be a dash and was up for it, and when we crossed Preety ma’am and
Niravbhai just chatting away walking with their pacing plan as a bus, and they
were fresh like as if they have been walking all along.! It was good to pass a
2.30 flag, I will be frank about it. The last sprint was a bit taxing but I was
literally pulled up by the towing van, who was made to sprint by a smack with
the pacing flag pole on his gluts by the “psycho” who was already there back at
the 20k mark after finishing his 1.50 run..!
What I remember last was
his words..”push for 2.20”…..and the next thing I remember was the finish
line…everything in between was just a fast forward zoom.!
“2.19.!!!” Announced the
towing van and it was a good hug at the finish to celebrate again.! What was
more important was a strong finish, and while he looked normal and good to go
till next 21, it took a little while for me to settle. Pranavbhai greeted me
immediately approaching to us with a gentle smile and a satisfaction on his
face looking at me repeating HM after a delayed and a stuttering start at
running. He said all are on their personal best and sub 2 queue was longer than
any queue to the ATM..! Medal, refreshments, greetings, pictures were added joy
thereafter but a feeling of improving was the biggest medal one can ever run
for.! And I felt it !
My power rangers for the
journey so far are the usual culprits, The “Psycho” and The “Towing Van” and
the Samaritans like Dr Dharmesh Mevawala, Dr Gunjan, Dr Nipun, Dr Roshan and Dr Sanket and Dr Nehal. This was a special run
for me as I have come out of a personal fight and now looking forward with chin
up.! Can’t thank enough to everyone involved with me in this journey, but would
surely name the gangs…LCG Core group, SVNIT gang and all the friends at SR..!
Thanks for running along.!
