Runner's Story

Hi, I'm Dr Arun Nayak. I'm an Orthodontist by profession, a photographer by heart and an endurance runner by mind!

This story dates back to the winter of 2008, when i developed symptoms of a Slipped Disc in my spine's lumbosacral region (lower back) largely due to bad posture and my overworked lifestyle, I stood at a reasonably decent 85 kilos for a 6 ft 2inch frame. As my condition grew worse, i would get severe shooting pain radiating down through the back of my right leg almost in every waking moment of my day. I tried complete bed rest and some exercises later but it only kept getting worse to the extent that i had lost muscle strength in my foot and calves, loss of sensation in my toes, and had developed a distinct limping gait. I had lost a major chunk of my confidence in carrying out even a routine day's work

Much in physical and mental agony, in Apr 2009 I decided to get myself operated against my family's wishes and that’s when things started getting better. I was out of hospital after a 1 night stay and was advised a set of exercises that I had to do to regain strength of my core muscles.

I had run the Dream Run in the 2007 edition of the SCMM and clocked a satisfying 39 min despite the crowds. I missed the 2008 and 2009 edition due to my bad back. I therefore decided to run the half marathon 2010 edition as my motivation to get fitter and better.

The energy of the day, the untiring cheering of the onlookers, the cold winter mornings and the sight of the galloping Africans made a perfect setting to carry me through the run. I also had a huge sense of reassurance when i bumped into my Marathoner Surgeon at the halfway mark and he was obviously delighted to see his limping patient actually hitting the road.

I made it a point to continue my exercises and decided a time target of 2 hr 30 min for the 2011 edition for which i registered. I almost choked in tears at the 20 km mark near Churchgate out of sheer happiness because I was way ahead of the target and finished the race with a PR of 2 hr 19 min.

Today, I am 2 months into training for the 2012 edition, I now stand at 80 kilos, fitter than ever and clocking 1 hr 53 min for a 20 km practice run. When i look back over the years, life has surely moved on, but, what has been and will always be a constant source of motivation, inspiration and purpose is the SCMM Raceday every January!!!

- Dr Arun Nayak

Marathon Man – My New Identity

At 53 years age, I ran my first half marathon in Mumbai at the Feb 15th 2004 PROCAM event, a day before my Silver Wedding Anniversary. Friends were wondering how I will run the distance but I had no doubt as I have firm faith in the Henry Ford’s quote-"Whether you can or you can’t either way you are right". My Mind had told me that "I CAN". The Run did wonders to my self esteem and I took a Life shaping decision that "As long as I can stand on my feet, I WILL run the Procam Marathon in Mumbai."

In 2005 too I ran the Marathon but my timing improved from 3 hours to 2 & ½ hours. The Marathon challenge had kept me on my toes through the year. Religiously going for my 8.5 kms run through Bandra every morning at 5 am. In 2006 however I developed a knee ailment due to my fondness for sitting in Vajrasana during meditation sessions and I had to sadly skip the Marathon respecting my orthopedic surgeon's advice. A four month Sanyas- abstinence from running took care of the knees. In 2007 Marathon, I was back further improving my performance.

Besides being a doctor myself, I also conduct Mind Power enhancing seminars. At one such seminar for ICICI Bank executives preparing for marathon, I was asked why I don't run the full Marathon. I replied in 2008 I WILL run the full marathon. That is how started my tryst with my new religion-Running the Full marathon every year.

It was only in 2007 September, that I located Prafull Uchil and Deepak Londhe of Striders. They worked on me systematically and at my first full marathon in Jan 2008 I fulfilled my dream of running the 42.195 kms distance in 4 hours and 55 minutes. I also came 9th in the senior veterans' age group. My entire family was so proud of this achievement.

2009 was however a low as in spite of my preparation, the heat and the muscle cramps zapped my performance and a person who has always advocated “DON’T EVER QUIT”, himself quit at 36 kms at Babulnath. I was like a wounded soldier and that day as I lay on the Asian Hospital Tent being given the physiotherapy by the devoted volunteers, I pledged that I WILL be back in 2010 and I will use the Marathon platform for doing good to the cause that has been so dear to me for last 2 decades- MILT Charitable Trust Bombay, which looks after the education of destitute in India.

I ran the 2010 full Marathon in 5 hrs and 19 minutes coming 11^th in the senior veterans. I also came 1^st in the WE CARE Charity drive collecting Rs 3.42 Lakh with the help of my friends in MILT. I also went to Delhi for the 2010 PROCAM organized Delhi Half Marathon. Frankly I did not enjoy running the half marathon anymore. I understood the meaning of the phrase-Tasting the Blood of running the full distance Marathon.

Came 2011 and I ran my 4^th full Marathon and came 15^th in senior veterans, clocking 5 hrs 21 minutes. I was supercharged as I was not only reinventing myself and reversing my aging process but I was inspiring a lot of my friends and students to stretch themselves by walking my talks.

2012 marathon provoked me even more as I have crossed the 60 years mindset of a senior citizen and decided to follow my marathon icon Bhai Fauja Singh who runs even at 100 years.

When I had run my first full marathon in 2008, Times of India had interviewed me and the heading was-Doc goes to Bihar for mental strength. Yes every year I go to our MILT Residential School at Simultala Bihar for 10 days Retreat. There in company of my Mentor Aporesh Acharya and the destitute boys of our school I sharpen my mental muscles because I know that in the ultimate analysis, it is Mind over money, Mind over matter and Mind over Muscle.

My favorite quote for the Procam Marathon-"People can't understand why a man runs. They don't see any sport in it. They argue it lacks the sight and thrill of body contact. Yet, the conflict is there, more raw and challenging than any man versus man competition. For in running it is man against himself, the cruelest of opponents. The other runners are not the real enemies. His adversary lies within him, in his ability, with brain and heart to master himself and his emotions."

My 2009 Mumbai Marathon made me understand this quote and I promised myself- “I Will Never Ever Quit” as I don’t run for myself but for those destitute boys for whom I am a role model.

I always wondered why Procam and Marathon came so late in my life but today I am grateful that they happened to me in this life time. I give the credit of my supreme fitness in the seventh decade of my life to my passion for marathon running. No doubt, I have a new identity when people point at me in Bandra every morning and say-“There goes the Marathon MAN.”

By the way my wife Bharati made a movie – a surprise gift for me on my 60th birthday and the title of her maiden production-“ Buddah Hoga Terra Baap”

- Ashok Khanvte

THE MARATHON EXPERIENCE

In 2008, I decided to run the marathon in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. It was a spur of the moment decision. I was located in a hamlet town near Mabaleshwar on the Mumbai Goa route.

My decision to participate in the grueling 42 kilometers race, met with much fanfare amongst my colleagues. I trained in the mornings after which I worked in the office till six in the evenings. After, which we played cricket and volleyball in the grassy field in our housing colony. As each day neared the marathon, I focused my 48 year old mind with a goal to complete the race.

Two days before, the race, I pulled a muscle on my right leg and decided to drop the race. After all with barely three months training starting from a scratch, I was ill equipped to take part in a fully fledged marathon. My colleagues convinced me not to back out.

The marathon began at 7:30 AM on a bright sunny Sunday. Rahul Bose and Shabana Azmi were there at the starting point to cheer the runners. The first five kilometers were comfortable with cheerleaders at specific locations cheering the participants in their colorful dresses and cheerful spirit. At the ten kilometers mark, my untrained hamstring muscles felt the strain and started rebelling. There were drink stations along the route, which soaked my parched lips and a much needed mobile toilet. Through my spent and befuddled mind, I could see that the entire city had come out on the sidewalks to cheer the runners. An elderly woman was doling out biscuits and chocolates. I came to know later that her only son had fallen prey to cancer the previous year. Anil Ambani participating in the half marathon was winding his way back and I waved to him.

At the half way mark I fell on the roadside exhausted in body and spirit, when just before me a little girl put out her hands appealing me get up and run. This angelic gesture strengthened my resolve to continue. Also I could not shatter the aspirations of my colleagues. Suddenly the marathon had achieved a different hue. It was a race allegorizing victory over defeat, good over evil, equality over injustice in a cruel world. I was not running just a race. I was symbolizing the camaraderie which would remain with time. I was running for my colleagues.

In marathon parlance, I hit the wall in the thirty kilometers mark. Down but not out, I valiantly completed tripping over the finishing line. I had fought with the devil and won. We all won, our dreams fulfilled. In time all my colleagues got good jobs including myself. For those brief moments as I crossed the finishing line of the Mumbai Marathon; time stood still. A battle was won.

- SANJAI BANERJI

Why should we RUN?

I understand running is good, but why run the MARATHON!??? The marathon is not just another physical activity, it is true when they say…”IT’S ALL IN THE MIND!”

It seems that one of the strongest driving forces behind determination is the belief that you will succeed. Let the path be difficult, let there be pitfalls, let there be temporary defeat, let your surroundings bog you down – the belief that you will ultimately prevail keeps you going. Only if you believe you will eventually succeed, it is worth the effort to take a more difficult path that requires determination

One of the biggest reasons that I decided to run the half marathon is that I felt I wanted to strengthen my determination in things completely unrelated to running.

21.1Kms seems long, to get the right perspective if one starts running from Churchgate along the railway tracks and reaches Andheri Station he would have run 21.63 kms. So that is the closest accurate approximate stretch of the Half Marathon that I can think of. Obviously, no major obstacles are overcome without practice; this gave me my first lesson that practice is a must; and yes continuous practice.

The first 7 kms are easy; you are running over the Bandra-Worli Sea link, the sun is about to rise and its cool and chilly. Thousands are running along with you in enthusiasm and excitement. This reminds me of the days when you just leave your college, take up a job and start working with extreme enthusiasm and absorbing the work energy around you. You take the pace and wait for what is going to unfold.

After 7-8 Kms as the muscles start getting tired one suddenly disconnects, forgets the surrounding and knows he is just a-third way through. He still has a long way and is unsure if he will last till the finishing line. The thought of not being able to complete the marathon slows you down. This showed me how small defeats or lack of confidence bogs you down and reduces your pace. The most important thing that was running thru my mind at this point was the finishing line and to reach the finishing line I couldn’t slow down.

After the 15 km mark, the climb of Peddar Road is grueling. The knee joints pain, arms get tired, muscles cramp and the head is spinning in the heat. If one stops here, he cannot move on, so stopping is strictly prohibited. This is when your, heart – brain – limbs start talking to each other. They have to now work together. The mind cannot want to run fast because the muscles will collapse, the muscles cannot want to run slow, because the heart is already beating hard. This is where I learnt how co-ordination within yourself and the activities you do helps for well-being in life. With this the ultimate goal of crossing the finish line is still intact and all parts of the body start working together to achieve it.

When you are done with 20Km, you know, you have achieved success and now nothing can take it away from you. This feeling is the best feeling of the marathon and which makes you want to run it over and over again.

The Marathon is not just a running activity it is a way, a method to strengthen your determination and to take that extra effort to achieve success in life.

- Vatsal Shah