Sunday, January 10, 2010

….And I ran till NITC

It was a fire ignited by a challenge to cycle till home, some 2500 KM, and the movie home-alone-3 that I suddenly decided to run till NITC.

I had never run till there so had no experience about the distance and the terrain. I just got ready, tied by lace and went down the hill to IIMK-gate on my bike. I had also taken 20 Rs with me to buy chewing gums and water if needed and to pay for return bus fair. Parked the bike there and went to the main road. I was not sure how much I can run. I just started from the main road without thinking anything. When I had started running it was 7:17:00 in my watch. For initial 100 meters I felt a pain and stretch in the right side of my stomach. But I continued, and after running some more the pain reduced. This road is very familiar to me so I knew what all I can see. I made some mile stones in my mind and thought to reach those.

One of my friends had just discussed some hours back that the fastest runner in the institute runs from IIMK-NITC in 35 mins. So I just took the target of double the time 70 mins. It was really, not just running but managing your self, calculating each detail, motivating your mind, setting targets, deciding mile stones etc. I initially thought that even if I am not able to run till NITC, I will atleast walk till there. So, now two things were confirmed, distance till NITC and time 70 mins. The very first market that one sees from IIMK to NITC road is the Kunnamangalam-bus stand and the market near by. I crossed this market, it was fully busy and lots of buses and cars almost jamming the entire road. From there I strived to reach the road where the real road to NITC starts. A narrow road as compared to the former, there was less light on the roads. The only light one can see was from the houses nearby.
I was the only one running on that road and lots of vehicles were passing by. Many people from IIMK run to NITC, so I was thinking of encountering some known faces on the road. While running, I noticed so many houses and stores which I never ever have seen while my 1000s of drive to NITC. After running some 100 meters, I was light coming from one house on the left hand side of the road. There were many people standing, when I went near it was a retired surgeon’s home, some Dr Vigyan, which I had never noticed earlier. But now it’s some 10-12 mins, or it seemed to me that I have run a lot, so my mind was pushing to stop and run after a short break. I don’t know really what to do, so to distract my mind I started thinking about the cycle-ride from calicut-till jhansi. This worked for some 5 mins but now my mind was pushing hard to stop. I felt that more than physically, mentally I was not able to run. To distract my mind further I started adding masala to my cycle journey, and adding details. I thought that I will cycle in the nights (as my roommate Pati suggested) and will write blogs in that day. I will get a lot of followers etc. Then I thought that before reaching home I will call my parents and they will arrange a press-conference to well come me. Now I will have to speak in the press conference so the cycle ride has to be for some purpose and not just a bet. S I thought to dedicate my cycle ride to the unity of this country. Form Kanyakumari to Jammu one India. This thought gave me so many business plans, starting with companies sponsorships, such as reliance sponsoring for saying excellent coverage across the nation, nike for sports gears, Bournvita, Glucon-d for enery drinks, Hero for cycles etc. A nice and happy dream in my mind and I forgot that I was running. I started imagining myself as a youth icon of the country. Also decided to what all spots I will reach and to the friends I will meet on the journey. A cycle ride will be organized every year and I will lead it etc etc. Imaginations reached to national games.

But as soon as I stopped thinking I felt that I am running also and it’s a long way to cover. Then I forcefully tried my distract my mind and rethinking on the same or similar story. So I just started with the difficulties on the way on the cycle ride. I will talk to people in every state and ask them what they call Mera Bharat Mahan in their native language and will note it down to speak in the press conferences. Its funny, but its true that we all think lots of funny stuff which we never share to anyone. Anyway, now I remember there was a garage on the way to NITC and later a bridge comes. Some of the miles stones include that garage, the bridge, the house on the turning, the sign board of a jewelry advertisement on the other turning, a temple on the right hand side etc. The very first mile stone has to be the garage and I was not sure about the house. So, busy in my thinking I was just simply running on the road. Suddenly the journey become tougher as the slope of the road started increasing. Every step was taking more energy and it was chocking my body. Somehow I run and reached to the center of the inclined road, and on the other side was a downward slope so need not to put much effort. So, it was kind of a nice experience that if you have to put a lot of effort to achieve a target, then on the other side you will live a comfortable life.

I was running continuously and had decided that will stop half a way, after reaching some of the identified milestones. But, my eyes was continuously searching for the garage to know that where I am exactly. The garage didn’t appear but a turning came. I was busy thinking and walking, then suddenly a car came and someone from the car shouted, I don’t know what-but I think may be to run off the road. So for some time I ran down the road. Running on the side path way of mud was much better than running on the road. Only merit of the road was the continuity, where as on the side way there were stones also.
After running some 25 mins or so, I saw the bridge, but the garage didn’t came so was little confused. The sight of the bridge gave me a feeling of joy that I reached here but the upward slope also gave me a tough time to reach the bridge. The next lesson I learned that to achieve something one needs to put real labour, else dream will remain a dream only. I ran till the bridge, but it is a narrow bridge and so many vehicles passing from both directions simultaneously that there is almost no space left. I remember when a bus crossed me and I had no space to get aside and had to stop. So I just tapped my feet, till the bus crossed and started again. Once the bridge was crossed, I literally didn’t know, where I was going, how much I will run and where I will stop. But I continued running for some more time. I reached to a spot where our bike has brooked-down once, after running some 5 more mins I reached another familiar spot and this one is the real where the bike has broken-down. So, analyzing all these small details continued my journey.
Next mile stone was the house on the turning, but after running a long way, it didn’t appeared.
It was already some 45 mins passed since I have started running. Now there was no story to divert my mind, I was feeling thirsty, my legs were weak, shoulders started paining, and felt stress in the spinal cord. All of this started simultaneously, then I had to convince my mind that it not real and I am just feeling like that. I tried to remember several stories, some motivational quotes, but didn’t worked. Then I touched my hairs and it was not fully wet so I gave a logic to my mind that see, its still not too much to stop and run for some more and then we will stop. I was feeing as I am another person convincing my body, mind and other organs to run. What was making this task tougher was the upward slope. After some while a temple on the right hand side of the road appeared. It was another mile stone so I was near to my destination.

I continued and then the legendary turnings came, after which there is a straight road to the NITC-ground and swimming pool. This was a tough task to cross the turning in this condition. I promised my mind that once we cross the turning we will stop and pushed it to run till the end of the turning. We all our labor once we have crossed the turning, we both decided that now its NITC where we shall stop. The journey of pain and labour became the journey of joy and glory. I was feeling as if I am the first person to ever accomplish this tough task and so was running uninterrupted. But I think I am the first person in FPM@IIMK to do this. All these thoughts were giving an energy to run. Yesterday while running in campus, I had removed my t-shirt on completing 10 rounds so was feeling to do the same. With all this I crossed so many houses, sign boards etc. Then I crossed the NITC-cricket ground, there was some light in the ground. From a distance it was appearing as a small lake. When I reached near it was some fencing of green cloth and lights which were giving this feel. The hotels on the roads passed by and I crossed the doeacc center, the statue of Jesus and came the cross way to NITC and lovely restaurant.
I thought I can stop here, but why now when NITC is just a KM away. I further pushed my self to reach NITC. I ran some 200 meters and there was a hostel on the right hand side of the road. Next was a turning and another hostel and building. I think it was a college of pharmacy if I correctly remember. Pushing a little more I saw the NITC-bus stop and yes, this is where I had to reach. I put all my energy to reach the bus-stop, but didn’t stop there. Form there I pushed a little more and reached the NITC gate.

Finally I am at NITC, single attempt, one go……….and its completed.

Today I learned that its your mind that is blocking you and not the physical limitations. You can achieve any thing you wish. Only thing is that to wish what you really want and put real effort for it.
Other thing was that we have such a long life and so much time but how many times we did some thing that we remember for rest of our life. I will remember this journey for atleast another 5-10 years I think.

You can achieve any thing you wish just start working for it…………….

5 comments:

Ankita said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ankita said...

Awesome.. An Excellent Job..
Sir jee tussi chha gaye..
padhkar hi itna accha lag raha hai,so i can understand ur feelings..very good..very very brilliant attempt..M proud of U..

Ankit Agarwal said...

Great job running and a great one at describing in exact detail how you felt while doing it. I'll be waiting for the cycle trip post.

Ashutosh Shukla said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ashutosh Shukla said...

Shuklajee first of all i would suggest u keep glucon D,mineral water and some cookies with u before going on such spontaneous expedition.

Second your future plans are wonderfull and fantastic really inspiring lekin yaar tu itnee door tak cycle se jayega uncle bahut gussa honge and unty to pakka petaai karengee or high kamman :) se permission le lena.sach bolu I feel now you become very mature guy and always ready to crack very 2 hard nuts.Keep it up man...........:)

Thought of the day

Positive thinking can change anything and anyone. It only humans who have achieved all what you see and that to in one life time. So nothing is IM-POSSIBLE, its just your mind that is binding you.