Running for the real sake of running! Mann-Meet ! and the shout out ...."Bardoli !"

The shimmering eyes, the galloping feet, the never fading smile and the curious expressions, is what best describes this duo!

Brothers in arms as they are, are the faces of future of running in this part of the running world.

I always shouted out “Bardoli..!” when the 10k runners makes fly by past us slow 21k runners after their delayed start of about 15 to 30 minutes in any event.! And each and every time I have shouted, they have raised their hands and waved acknowledging the cheer. ! This particular routine adds a great cheer in me and somehow and I don’t know why the nervousness of a race turns into joy then onwards!

In VCHM this time, there was some confusion at the race start, and when we were about to reach second km mark, we saw the antelopes of 10k lead pack darting ahead, and Meet was among them and we tried to cheer him too but he was too busy to listen !

Then after a very short while, there was this left behind antelope jettisoning past us, asking Amishbhai in who’s bus I was travelling, “ketla jan gaya aagal..?” (“How many have gone ahead?”)

Amishbhai replied instantly to the familiar voice without having seen that "it doesn’t matter now, just go!"

So it was a bit of confusion state we thought for 10k lead pack now, and then we were off to our own stuff for the run ahead, at a slow and steady pace.

Meet managed to get a podium, and Mann also tried best but his late start costed him the place in the lead. Having known this, I was sad that the deserving chaps could not get it. But it was just another race i thought !

Walking back to the stay places, we caught up with the duo and the most appealing thing that I notice which I always knew there was, was their innocence and a “just another race” attitude !

The shimmer in the eyes the same, the ring in the voice the same, the innocence in the smile the same !

Races come and go, these types, a very rare breed I would say, be the same!

Not only their bodies are light, but they don’t have any baggage in their minds too !

Stay this way guys !

God bless !