Keep Calm and Run Along… *With Caution*

Running in the morning with thousands of fellow runners is always such a pleasurable experience. The cause.. the energy.. the sound of hundreds of foot thumps around you which makes you want to go faster and harder!  … well usually that it what it is. Very often it gets interrupted by some smarty-pants who thinks he is Usain Bolt or Haile Gebrselassie (I sure hope people know the difference between the two!)

I ran the latest edition of the TCS World 10k last week and I found myself drafting this post while running. TCSW10 is perhaps Bangalore’s largest run and there are THOUSANDS of people running. I realized that it is very easy to judge a person’s character while they run. Running exposes you in a certain way. Very often I have come across much older gentlemen running away to glory while you are huffing and puffing and trying to push through. They slow down and encourage you.. give you a little cheer and you find a new wave of energy within you that you didn’t know existed. There is one person I’ve come across in many runs who runs while pushing a wheelchair with who I think is his autistic son. That is perhaps, one of the most inspiring sights to see while you run. (Dear Man-Who-Runs-With-His-Son, if this post ever reaches you, I salute you. You really are an inspiration).

While you have these amazing people making running a wonderful experience, you have a few kinds of people who make it… well.. a little difficult.

Here are a few types of people I have come across while running….

1. I’m The Champion!!!!

*Chariots of fire theme song playing in the background*

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You lace up. Slowly looking up straight into the camera, full of determination. This is what you have been waiting for. All those hours of training (perhaps not). All those sacrifices (perhaps not) everything you have worked for culminates to this very moment. You are ready! You are ready to take the streets by storm. You will kill your PB come what may. You will elbow people if that is what it takes. You will shove and trip others, scream in their ears to get out of your way because this run is all about YOU. Who cares about the others who have also spent hours training (perhaps more), Made sacrifices (perhaps more) and the run is equally important to them (perhaps more). Caring about your fellow runners is such a waste of YOUR time. So what if you burn out half way and actually not finish the run, YOU are THE champion!!!! Bwahahahahaha!!!!

 2. Dust Bins!! How LS! 

Why should I shave off two seconds off my time to throw the bottles and caps in the dustbins?? That’s just like soooo LS! Yea.. I get it that people can trip or twist their ankles and sometimes get seriously injured because of the stuff I’m throwing around, and not to mention how much extra time the organizers have to spend clean up the mess I’m making, I will not be caught dead throwing things in the space marked ‘Use Me’. Like.. are you from another planet or something??!!??

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3. The Theory of Changing Lanes and Slowing Down

Let me make it very clear. I am from Bangalore. I drive in Bangalore and I run in Bangalore. Just like I don’t care about giving signals while changing lanes or slowing down, I WILL not do the same while running either. Stopping to tie shoelaces has to be done in the middle of the street, just like you stop to fight in the middle of the street. Why bother changing when it works for me?? What’s that now? I will come in your way and you might trip and hurt yourself, loose your rhythm.. that’s your problem buddy.

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4. Yeh Road Mere Baap Ka Hai (This road belongs to my Dad)

Wow!! This is such a pleasant morning. My best girl and are actually here to run, but running is like so tiring you know. She just told me about this guy she met yesterday.. blah. blah blah..Umm… what’s that noise I hear? People trying to run while we walk.. awwww… that’s so cute! Go around us or go back. We have so much to talk about! Good luck getting us out of the way.

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5. Arrrrrgggg… Thooooo!!!

Water! Phlegm! Orange seeds… any seeds!!! What a wonderful array of things to shower my fellow runners with. Who said that was disgusting?? Hahahaha!! You’re so funny! 😀

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Dear fellow runners.. we are a strange breed of people. We enjoy torturing ourselves by waking up at unearthly hours in the morning and running around in circles. I can’t explain why, but we love it!  Running is a wonderful sport and don’t let it fool you, it is not a solitary sport. We are all on the same team. Don’t make an experience which is already harrowing, worse. Also, you don’t want this post to be about you right? *wink**wink*

Happy Running… now get out of my way!