Lessons from marathons that have nothing to do with running
Reflections of an amateur runner
As someone who grew up watching my father and his friends get consumed by the ‘cult’ of running, I was always intrigued. These were not high performance athletes but rather middle-aged white collar executives who had chanced upon a hobby that had taken over their weekends and minds. What drove them to take on 10Ks, 21Ks, 42Ks, an ultramarathon? It couldn’t just be a means to keep fit — else they’d stop at 5K, maybe 10K? I was convinced this had to be something much deeper.
However, as I headed off to university I parked these thoughts in the recesses of my mind. The years that followed, were the most formative in my life. I made friends for a lifetime, we stayed up long nights, discussed interesting ideas, ran cultural fests, got exciting jobs offers and masqueraded as seniors who enviably had our lives “under control”. And there I found myself, in my final semester , looking into a mirror with a distinct sense of anything but control. I couldn’t recognize the image of an overweight 21 year old who was constantly out of breath. I was shocked that I’d let myself go that far. This had to change! I needed an activity that I could do every day and without the need for company.
And that’s what got me into running — a purely dispassionate need to get fit. Three years in, I’m so glad that I took it up. The reasons have nothing to do with the weighing scale and everything to do with life.
Crossing the chasm of inertia
My first day running was by far the most gruelling. As I neared the 500 metre mark I distinctly remember my lungs giving up, legs throbbing with pain and mind lost in light headed delirium. It was the encouraging smiles from fellow runners that helped me power through. As I neared the 1K mark I remember thinking ‘2K doesn’t seem so hard’. And huffing and puffing past the 2K milestone, I was confident of reaching 3. I eventually ended the run surprised I’d nearly got to 4!
That feeling never goes away. The first couple of kilometres of a marathon are significantly more difficult than the rest. As your rusty body squeaks with every stride, your mind dangerously wanders to the thought of failure. But sure as hell, as you power through and run past the 2K mark you begin to feel comfortable in your stead, hypnotized by the harmonic pitter-patter of feet on concrete as the cool breeze reassuringly rustles through your hair.
Any meaningful pursuit in life begins with a daunting chasm. Running has helped me overcome the fear induced inertia and take the leap.
Consistency trumps talent
Although cliched, this is something that struck a chord with me earlier this year. It was the Mumbai 21K Half Marathon and my go-to strategy was to gun-it early on to build a buffer for the final stretch of the run. Given my infinite (and uninformed) wisdom, I just assumed this was the right approach. But this time was different. Albeit fit, I was in the worst shape I had ever been in the last three years since I started running. Nearing the 1K mark I vividly remember accepting the arduous battle that lay ahead. But as I turned the corner onto the iconic Sealink Bridge, a glimmer of hope caught my eye. An official pacer! (Note: Pacers are experienced runners who help amateurs achieve a preset target. In this case, 1hr 45mins)
Although 1:45 was way faster than my personal best, I decided to hang on for as long as I could. Kilometre after kilometre, we hit the 5 min/km split required. As we hit the 10K mark, I had never felt this good ever before. Around 15K, I thanked the pacer and slowed down as we approached a gruelling uphill stretch of the run. I ran the remainder of the run at an easy yet consistent pace eventually crossing the line with a personal best of 1:49. A whole 5 mins off my previous best! How was this possible. I was 6kgs heavier, 2 years older and in no way as fit as I used to be. The only variable? A consistent pace — unflinchingly hitting the mark every kilometre. Sitting perplexed at the finish line, I was deep in introspection. Had something as simple as consistency helped me achieve this?
Consistency is why hustle trumps talent. Why Rocky beat Apollo Creed. Why every Beatles album shot to the top of the charts. Why Zara sells out every season. And why all eyes turn to Cristiano Ronaldo in the final minutes of a tied game.
Finding your North Star
Life’s a rat race! Anyone familiar with the Indian education system would swear by this. On my graduation day, I felt quite pleased about my position in the race. I’d gotten into an IIT (known for acceptance rates under 1%) putting me in pole position. I’d done arguably well through university handing me the race lead. And on receiving a job offer from McKinsey & Company, I could almost see the chequered flag. Out in the real world, I was in for a stark reality check. Not only were there 1000s of clones of me, but there were also considerably more who were wildly accomplished and didn’t fit any archetype for success we were taught to recognize.
My first organized run forced me to rethink this idea of success further. On completing my first official 10K, I saw a variety of outcomes at the finish line. The “winners” had run it in 30 mins. The “runners up” in 45. And the vast majority in over 60. What was hard to miss was the smile on every runners face. I was stunned. This broke every notion of competition I’d ever known — and as I walked around the arena, I realized why. Several runners invariably asked me 2 questions. The first — “What was your timing?”. The second — “What was your target?”. The second question was deeply profound and something I ponder over at the end of each marathon.
Life is about setting your own targets, placing your own goal post and finding your own North Star ⭐️
