2010 Mumbai Marathon. 12 years ago, I completed- my first marathon. Coming from a non-running background & with a sedentary life style, more than a decade back, then I believed that was it as a bucket list done. I had started my running journey only in October 2008 (an initial 1 KM with run intervals of 1 minute running / 1 minute walking). Non healthy lifestyle choices, a mind set of age factor, unhealthy diet, among others, running as an activity was never ever in the purview.

But as completion of my first marathon, the unbearable being of lightness, freedom & euphoric joy that came after completing 42.2K it was difficult to shake out. 12 years counting, 33 full marathons and Ultras (includes 10 done last year (2019), 1700 +km), shows what can be achieved with being relentless, focused, patience, persistence and a little madness. Looking back thanks to family, numerous mentors, coaches, friends that allowed me to be where I am. I may not look like a runner, but I AM A RUNNER!

I realized how closely running or being a runner signifies on personal and professional life. When anyone is driven by passion or a true need, life provides different attributes, known and unknown that comes to play. As in personal and professional life there will always be challenges, and it’s your choice how you face it. Even with the best laid plans and intentions there have been Ultras (50K+) I opted for DNF (did not finish), as in work and projects. But it’s also sensibility to know when to take a step back. To complete marathon, or any goal in life, there is a definitive goal to be worked on; 42.2K or 26.2M is a Marathon, and not stopping at 10K or 30K. There are no short cuts to reach your goals. Yes, it does matter, that you come to the start line, more than half battle done. But as the posting mentioned reaching a goal or any success is yours for taking and know that anything can be achieved by being relentless, focused, patience, persistence and a little madness.