Welcome to part 2 of the run, in case you missed the first part, here it is https://www.saigiri.co.in/2021/12/bangalore-mysore-run-its-about-the-journey-not-the-destination-part-1/
The recovery massage ensured a good sleep of 4.5hours. I woke up at 3am and was getting ready, there was a knock on the door, and it was Sudhi (Guruprasad’s son), he gave his shoes to try-out and use it for the day 2 leg of the run. I was glad that it fit. He played a crucial role in volunteering as well as supporting me, ensuring I was comfortable all the time. I hope to get a chance soon to return this favour! It had been around 5 years since I moved to minimals, but the hurting toenail and the aching feet needed a immediate remedy. This was a risk I had to take, running in the thick sole shoes.
Maddur to Mandya (92km): A fresh start!
There was an air of positivity among the runners. We had coffee and a quick photo, then we were set off to the quest of one of the most important milestones of our lives. We started at 4:30am, walked for half a km, and followed the rituals of previous day of sticking together till day light. Ravi Yajaman, in his usual self, started to run. This annoyed me, I wanted to walk a good 2km before running. As others followed him, I was left with little choice. The shoes were very comfortable, enjoyed the cushioning. I just hoped to not face any secondary injuries sooner or later.
All the 12 were running, this was a delight to watch. We are extremely thankful to Ashish and team for the great support in getting our bodies in shape. We anticipated the upcoming assault of the sun and covered more distance early in the day. The josh was indeed high!
Dr Sharma and his group facilitated us at Mandya and served refreshments. We were humbled by their actions and are grateful for their support.
Maddur to Srirangapatna (120km): The joy and agony of Running..
We had to run another 10-12km for our breakfast point. The roads were wide, and shoes were comfortable, weather was friendly, I couldn’t ask for more. The group stuck together all along, volunteers at their usual best. The sun was showing up, the day had begun, and we crossed the 100km mark.
If anyone had told me 5 years back that I would run 100km someday, I would’ve laughed at it. Life is full of surprises, embrace it. The more I run, it reassures me that the problems and worries in life are miniscule. This makes my journey of becoming less attached to material things easier. Job is a part of life, not life itself, Family is a part of life, not life itself. It is easier said than done, nevertheless what’s this life for? It is to learn and evolve.
We are thankful to Rohit for getting us the breakfast. We loaded our stomach and prepared ourselves for the penultimate task of the day, to reach Srirangapatna by lunch time.
The sun was up and ready to challenge us, I was ready to suffer. Knee was nagging a bit, nursed it now and then. I was at the back of the pack, dreading the heat. We had the hydration breaks every 3-4km, volunteers were cheering and motivating us, our heroes. All the runners sticking together ensured smooth coordination for support vehicles, a fascinating norm throughout the day.
I and Maruti were together while the group was slightly ahead. We regrouped for the short break at Baireshwara, the sweet coconut water was a good recharge.
The group was already discussing about the next run, can they really be so crazy?
The walk-run followed. The flow of Cauvery water, the lifeline of Bangalore was enchanting to watch.
We withstood the heat and made it to Srirangapatna, the abode of lord Vishnu, my longest journey on foot (so far). I thanked for the opportunity to serve him this way. I could only see the bright and happy faces; we enjoyed the delicious lunch. We took a break, a short one though.
We knew a longer break would mean longer wait for the destination, however it also signified running in the zenith of sun. It is impossible to have all the situations favorable to you, on numerous occasions we need to find comfort in agony to reach our destination! We took a quick nap and were ready for the final ordeal.
Srirangapatna to Mysore(133km): Final battle and winning over yourself
A guy kept honking behind me, I was already on the extreme left of the road. Education is unworthy if it doesn’t teach empathy.
We were 13km from the finish, it would have been an easy run on any other day, and the countdown had begun. The group was strong while I was drifting away, thanks to the heat, it was becoming unbearable for me. I indulged in short runs and longer walk breaks. The worst was behind me, it did not interest me to push and go ahead. It did not interest me to impress others. I enjoyed the run and occasionally chatted with others during break.
The journey was going to end soon but not the cause. The words of Warren Buffet struck me.
“You don’t know whether you’re going to be born male or female, you don’t know if you’re going to be born infirm or able-bodied. You don’t know whether you’re going to be born in United States or Afghanistan. The ovarian lottery is the most important event in which you’ll ever participate, it is going to determine way more than what school you go to, how hard you work, all kinds of things.”
When life is so uncertain; we are very lucky to have the life we have.
The volunteers had found a shade tree for us to rest. The heat was taking a toll and drawing the last ounce of energy left in me. This break helped us. My fellow runners had same conditions as mine, they too were suffering, and it was just a matter of time. Time heals everything!
We continued!
7 years back, I had cycled to Mysore. It was my first 100km on an MTB and now, my first 100km+ on foot, is also to Mysore, A happy coincidence. I relived those memories and reached the final break point. Everyone was relieved, we were fortunate to have all the 12 runners here, a hit ratio of 100%. We were 4km away from making history- First group from RunAddicts to run 100km+ together.
After enjoying the final hospitality of volunteers, we swapped to our event T shirt and set in motion the victory lap. Mohan joined us for this last but beautiful journey. We recalled the challenges and reveled the fun we had over 2 days, thanked each other for being there during though times. It was an easy walk followed by a sprint to reach the destination.
The RunAddicts foundation facilitated us. Natraj ensured we faced the camera, though reluctant, recorded the moments of accomplishment. We were touched by the proceedings. Thanks to Gowtham, for accommodating us to refresh and the team for arranging dinner. The vehicles were ready to take us back to Bangalore. It was an end-to-end flawless coordination by the volunteering team. They did a fabulous job not just during the run, but before and after the run too, which is truly enviable.
I am confident that we are able to create awareness for this cause- Educate a Rural child. We will soon be distributing books to rural schools from the funds collected.
This is bound to bring a smile on them.
A good thought to a happy smile and everything in between was the journey.
I hope this run will encourage many people to take up fitness, the age of the running members is between 30 and 56, and you are never late to start/ continue your fitness journey. There is no better time than the beginning of 2022.
Your contribution can make a big difference to the lives of the lesser privileged. This will go a long way in supporting the education of rural children.
Kindly support this cause by making donation to
UPI ID: RUNAD7136.09@CMSIDFC
Credit/ Debit cards: https://rzp.io/l/g1zhh3A09v
I wish a happy and prosperous new year 2022 to all my readers!
