tu na jaane aas paas hai khuda...tu na jaane aas paas hai khuda...
(You just didn't notice, but there is supreme power all around you...)
this was the song that was playing on my earphones, when I lifted my foot off the ground at the blow of the start whistle...
then, i close my eyes for just a moment...
smell the dirt slowly starting to rise above the ground...
feel early morning October chill in my lungs...
...see magnificent pine trees as if they too were here to cheer
...notice the almighty Orange sphere of life, peek from behind the mountain ranges
... a quite, a unique & peaceful kind of quite, (if you try to, you'll hear it) interlaced with 5000 something strong feet, stomping the Earth around you
and, after thoroughly soaking yourself in all of the above, & perhaps your sweat & tears even, you open your arms and embrace the cheers, from smiling and happy faces as you cross the finish line for a picture perfect moment...
Running the Yosemite Half Marathon turned out to be a profound experience for me. As i sat by the camp fire, night before the run, i wasn't able to sleep with excitement for the next day, so i took a few trips down the memory lane, keeping my camp fire kindled to keep me warm outside, as my heart stayed warm within realizing how amazing life has been all around me, & how blessed i truly am.
All this warmth sure did attract some visitors, fellow campers, some even 4-legged ones who, i believe, were a domicile there (had a family of deers walking around, i'd like to think they were deers, based on the height at which i saw 3 pairs of amazing bright eyes shining back at me when i turned the flash light in the direction of all the rustling, if it wasn't Monsieur Deer & Family, apologies O merciful wilder beasts & thanks for not making me your dinner!)
In the words of a Mr. Terry Chiplin, a running coach i happened to share sometime with, how lucky and blessed we are, we are here! lots of people aren't! not everyone can run! not everyone has the physical and emotional strength to put themselves through what we are able to and cherish what follows the monumental task of galloping through those miles...indeed I am blessed, thankful and happy to be here, i said to Mr Chiplin...also, his words of wisdom on running downhill helped a ton! (Chiplin's wow:- when running downhill, lean forward & take faster smaller steps you will slow down automatically instead of leaning backwards and longer steps which will put more stress on your knees and hamstrings!)
Sneha (my little sister) and I woke up super early, geared up and stood at the starting point at 7 in the morning, and started the run shortly after, the actual run was a blast! With little to no training she managed to finish just a minute slower than me, but it's never about that eh! (haha) she finished it & i am proud of her!
on the trail, as I looked around, there were all kinds of runners alongside, And as in life, here too, you saw some stronger than you, some not so much, some better able, some not so much, no matter where you found yourself in this running cohort, you always created a place for yourself, & hence an opportunity to be motivated & to motivate, to find an anchor and to be someones support as well, a smile, a glance, small gesture of thumps up, was enough for someone struggling to put a smile on and pull through! just as it was enough for me, and i felt proud that i made that happen for a few!
people ran in costumes and tutus.
I cheered SuperMan! and then passed him ;) you know, the fastest man from Krypton! with curtesy & smile of course! ;)
There were some local families that came out near the finish line with kids & toddlers and were motivating everyone to finish strong, they brought out their pans and pots and created music!! they didn't know me, they didn't know what was going on within me in those last few miles, Yet, they seem to some how feel the struggle, they saw my spirit, to me it felt like they saw my fight and they came out and said "you know what buddy you aren't alone, i am with you, so let's do this...."
this very subtle but very significant boost helped a lot of us runners who were feeling a little alone in their journey...especially since we left our dear tall ponderosa pines left behind in the last 3-4 miles...
I didn't run to achieve anything, I ran to prove everything, within.
When i run, i float, on my ocean of emotions, carrying along my weight of memories, some painful, some happy, some of love, deep selfless love...
As each milestone passes by, this weight depletes, little by little, healing happens & heart starts to fill up with more love and appreciation, creating new memories that include pleasant thoughts, smiling faces, sights of green luscious leaves, trees & deers!
we all have our reasons to pickup running, some do it for fun, some for health, some find it the only way to be...
to me, running for those 13.1 miles is about endorsing my determination, that burning agitation, my struggle, my fight, my agony, my emotions, my turmoils in moments, moments so frustrating,
as if I was trying again and again to retaliate, and push back the ones who tried to hurt me, said words that crushed me from within, hurt my loved ones, made me a little stubborn perhaps, so stubborn i look unbreakable, unstoppable, stronger than ever before, to take on what comes my way each day at a time...each fight at a time...
when i run, i re-live moments of extreme pain, joy, sadness and happiness all at the same time,
allow them all to pass through me,
to overwhelm me even, and then,
I assimilate all of my courage, stamina and strength,
till everything within me becomes a knot,
And after that moment,
my grit knows no bounds,
I refuse to stop, refuse to slow down...
Sorry pain, you just will have to wait, I have a half marathon to finish...
I run because i can, next best thing to flying, that i can do with my limbs, and feel like a falcon...
and that's how i remember my experience at the Yosemite Half Marathon, how about you? :)
(You just didn't notice, but there is supreme power all around you...)
this was the song that was playing on my earphones, when I lifted my foot off the ground at the blow of the start whistle...
then, i close my eyes for just a moment...
smell the dirt slowly starting to rise above the ground...
feel early morning October chill in my lungs...
...see magnificent pine trees as if they too were here to cheer
...notice the almighty Orange sphere of life, peek from behind the mountain ranges
... a quite, a unique & peaceful kind of quite, (if you try to, you'll hear it) interlaced with 5000 something strong feet, stomping the Earth around you
and, after thoroughly soaking yourself in all of the above, & perhaps your sweat & tears even, you open your arms and embrace the cheers, from smiling and happy faces as you cross the finish line for a picture perfect moment...
All this warmth sure did attract some visitors, fellow campers, some even 4-legged ones who, i believe, were a domicile there (had a family of deers walking around, i'd like to think they were deers, based on the height at which i saw 3 pairs of amazing bright eyes shining back at me when i turned the flash light in the direction of all the rustling, if it wasn't Monsieur Deer & Family, apologies O merciful wilder beasts & thanks for not making me your dinner!)In the words of a Mr. Terry Chiplin, a running coach i happened to share sometime with, how lucky and blessed we are, we are here! lots of people aren't! not everyone can run! not everyone has the physical and emotional strength to put themselves through what we are able to and cherish what follows the monumental task of galloping through those miles...indeed I am blessed, thankful and happy to be here, i said to Mr Chiplin...also, his words of wisdom on running downhill helped a ton! (Chiplin's wow:- when running downhill, lean forward & take faster smaller steps you will slow down automatically instead of leaning backwards and longer steps which will put more stress on your knees and hamstrings!)
Sneha (my little sister) and I woke up super early, geared up and stood at the starting point at 7 in the morning, and started the run shortly after, the actual run was a blast! With little to no training she managed to finish just a minute slower than me, but it's never about that eh! (haha) she finished it & i am proud of her!
on the trail, as I looked around, there were all kinds of runners alongside, And as in life, here too, you saw some stronger than you, some not so much, some better able, some not so much, no matter where you found yourself in this running cohort, you always created a place for yourself, & hence an opportunity to be motivated & to motivate, to find an anchor and to be someones support as well, a smile, a glance, small gesture of thumps up, was enough for someone struggling to put a smile on and pull through! just as it was enough for me, and i felt proud that i made that happen for a few!
people ran in costumes and tutus.
I cheered SuperMan! and then passed him ;) you know, the fastest man from Krypton! with curtesy & smile of course! ;)
There were some local families that came out near the finish line with kids & toddlers and were motivating everyone to finish strong, they brought out their pans and pots and created music!! they didn't know me, they didn't know what was going on within me in those last few miles, Yet, they seem to some how feel the struggle, they saw my spirit, to me it felt like they saw my fight and they came out and said "you know what buddy you aren't alone, i am with you, so let's do this...."
this very subtle but very significant boost helped a lot of us runners who were feeling a little alone in their journey...especially since we left our dear tall ponderosa pines left behind in the last 3-4 miles...
I didn't run to achieve anything, I ran to prove everything, within.
When i run, i float, on my ocean of emotions, carrying along my weight of memories, some painful, some happy, some of love, deep selfless love...
As each milestone passes by, this weight depletes, little by little, healing happens & heart starts to fill up with more love and appreciation, creating new memories that include pleasant thoughts, smiling faces, sights of green luscious leaves, trees & deers!
we all have our reasons to pickup running, some do it for fun, some for health, some find it the only way to be...
to me, running for those 13.1 miles is about endorsing my determination, that burning agitation, my struggle, my fight, my agony, my emotions, my turmoils in moments, moments so frustrating,
as if I was trying again and again to retaliate, and push back the ones who tried to hurt me, said words that crushed me from within, hurt my loved ones, made me a little stubborn perhaps, so stubborn i look unbreakable, unstoppable, stronger than ever before, to take on what comes my way each day at a time...each fight at a time...
when i run, i re-live moments of extreme pain, joy, sadness and happiness all at the same time,
allow them all to pass through me,
to overwhelm me even, and then,
I assimilate all of my courage, stamina and strength,
till everything within me becomes a knot,
And after that moment,
my grit knows no bounds,
I refuse to stop, refuse to slow down...
Sorry pain, you just will have to wait, I have a half marathon to finish...
I run because i can, next best thing to flying, that i can do with my limbs, and feel like a falcon...
and that's how i remember my experience at the Yosemite Half Marathon, how about you? :)
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