Random hits on the keyboard

The alarm rang; it was 4 am. I woke up and got ready for another half marathon. I was waiting for this run for weeks. I got ready; pinned my bibs '187' on my chest, tied my running shoes. There was no rain and it was cloudy - the perfect weather for a run. Early at 5, when I reached the Patan Durbar Square, I saw that a huge crowd had already gathered. I was among the many, many other runners, unlike in my office, where I am among a few runners. The vibes were incredible. Many were taking selfies in the middle of temples and old palaces. The running distance varies all the way from 1kms, 5 km, 10 km to 21.1 km. It was satisfying to see that the running culture is not only increasing but also exploding. I whispered my prayers to the gods around the square. The king, Yog Narendra Malla, was witnessing the event from the pillar at the centre.  I squeezed into the crowd at the starting line. I spotted some familiar faces; I knew no names of them, but I had met them in previous mara...

This past Saturday, I achieved another milestone in my running. I’m incredibly proud to complete a half marathon in under two hours. Not only was it my fastest half marathon, but I also broke my personal bests for 5K and 10K distances along the way and I’m thrilled to call it an achievement. The event, titled “Run for Protein,” was a lively gathering of thousands of runners across eight different race categories. I didn’t know much about the organizers, I joined purely for the joy of running. In fact, I barely knew anyone at the event, but that didn’t matter. What I truly loved was meeting other running enthusiasts—each one had their own drive to be there. The atmosphere at the stadium was electric, filled with runners spanning every age group, from energetic kids to seasoned athletes (and yes, older participants like me). At 6 in the morning, there were Zumba warm-up sessions, police music bands and cultural dances. The crowds and the noise heated the environment in the cold morning....

I have a desire to achieve another milestone. I signed up for the Kantipur Half Marathon. I had never attempted that long run. 21.1 km is a long distance, and I am less excited and more nervous.  On 18 May, I got myself ready. I tied my running shoes and reached Thapathali. The Prime Minister shot into the air to start the run. I ran through the crowd. The runners of 5km and 7 km sprinted ahead of me. I monitored my Garmin to make sure that I wasn't running too fast. I had a long way to run. By 6 km, I was already tired. I used to run more than this without feeling fatigued. I continued slowly. By the time I crossed 8 km, I saw the real runners returning from the midpoint. Oh, they're like superhumans. I trudged through the vehicle exhaustions until I finally reached the midpoint. Pausing for a moment, I took a leisurely walk and replenished myself with some much-needed hydration. My journey from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur was difficult and a return trip was going to be more diffic...

I feel accomplished. Today I had my the longest run. It was nice to be able to complete without weary feeling of fatigue, followed by usual office day. No competition and no deadline, just keep runing. I started with a podcast freakoniomics episode, very interesting discussion on Daniel Kahneman and his psychological economics. As I proceed, I felt tired, I switched to something very different - energetic. Yes, it was songs from Rage against the machines. I don’t have any rage. I kept going. Was it the playlist? 🤯  It has been one of my favorites bands for running.  Running has taught me many things about my body, my endurance, my strength and my areas of improvement. Not only in the sense of running, but overall lessons. I learn that action is much much more impactful than reading motivational books. I realise, anytime is a good occasion to start good thing. Consistency is the key. Most importantly, being healthy outweighs all other priorities.