Blog 1203: My first 2.2

"A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..."

Kaata the last bit of the quote if you please [:P]

History shall remember this, the 24th day of February, 2006, as the day when I ran/jogged/stumbled/bumbled/grumbled my way through my first 2.2 :)

This was my third attempt at running the complete 2.2. Here's a look back at all three attempts...

THE FIRST ATTEMPT
-------------------------

So I was thinking one day.
Remove that sneer you @#$&*#.

Yeah where was I...
Hmm...
*Realisation dawns*
Yeah so I was thinking and I realised that if I dont exercise now, I definitely wont do so once I get a job.
So one fine day I decided to go for a 2.2 with a friend.

Strategy: Go after dusk so that ppl dont recognize you.
Cool.

So there I was, about to leave RK's gates when suddenly, Mr. Naween Kumar and Mr. Chaks apparated from nowhere.
Now Mr. Naween Kumar and Mr. Chaks both being immensely familiar with the athletic tendencies of yours sportingly, immediately lapsed into a paroxysm and fell to the ground with the look of horror writ large on their faces.

Hmm... maybe that didnt happen.
Lemme rethink.
*realisation dawns*
Ya... so both decided to commemorate this historic event by joining us in the run.
Chaks was on his cycle... but what the heck... the idea was to join us.
Remember that 'mile sur mera tumhara' ad that used to feature on Doordarshan in the 80's?
Something like that.

We started running once we reached SN gate.
*winks*
And then we ran and ran and ran and ran.
And finally reached Gyan Ghosh.
And there we were spotted by Id and Atish.
Both felt instantly humiliated and crestfallen realising how limited their sports career was now that I'd started working out and hence, jumped infront of the ambassador passing by to put an end to their woes.

Hmm... no?
*sigh*
Will have to think again what actually happened.
*realisation dawns*
Ya... both did almost drop dead... but out of laughter.

What was that thing about 'with friends like these...'?

Anyways... Chaks on the cycle gave me constant tempo to keep running.
I think I took three breaks till Harry's and from then on, I walked.

Valiant attempt, eh? [:D]


THE SECOND ATTEMPT
--------------------------

Now this one is marked out by two very important events.
The first, and less inconsequential one, was that I ran till I got to Harry's and then took a break!
The second one was something like this...

So I and a friend were running the 2.2.
More like he was running and I was surviving the torture.
Hence, he was at least 40m ahead of me by the time I got to the Diro's bungalow.

I saw a girl and her parents walking in the opposite direction.
Please note their configuration: Mom adjacent to footpath, dad next and girl almost walking down the middle of the road.

The guy I was running with waved to her.
You remember what Newton said in his third law?
Reaction came from dad.
The configuration changed.
Mom then girl and then dad. [;)]

I duly studied the road when my turn to cross them came.
Considering past history, I think I shouldnt be naming the bandi here.

And that finally brings us to...


THE THIRD ATTEMPT
-------------------------


6.20 PM

I go to CFM to join the gang for a 2.2.
Here's the list of the brave men who set out to run tonight: Aashu, Anjai, Golj, Laddha, Sengu, Shailu and Vicksy.
And me :)

We start running after reaching SN gate.
Big deal. [:P]

Everyone decides to go for a run in Gyan Ghosh.
Two brave men decide not to take the soft option.
Two brave men who've been inspired by Rang de Basanti.
Two brave men who have what it takes to run the path less taken.
Anjai Dot Lal... and of course... yours athletically.
[:D]

To all the bhai log who had gone to Gyan Ghosh, please be calm... banging your monitor wont do you any good. [:D]

Dot, btw, has well documented experience of maroing a 2.2
Yeah...
So we bhaated and ran till we reached Vegies.
Braving the temptation to enter Vegies and eat, we soldiered on.
Stopped bhaating as well.

Dot tore two leaves from a tree.
Gave one to me.
I didnt know what to do with it.
He made a blast with his leaf.

I kept thinking.
After running for 5 mins more, I gave him mine too.

Running and running and running, we reached the Diro's Bungalow.
My breathing had become very heavy.
Felt like stopping.
But... in front of the Diro's bungalow?
Impossible.

Tempo se.
Reached Harry's.
Now I just had to stop.
But...
Dot: " Dude... you cant stop infront of SN, right?"

*realisation dawns*
Right.
Impossible.

By now, I'm as good as drunk.
Dot: " They're renovating this entrance to SN na... why the fuck"
Me: " Coz guys have to go wait there na... they must have a nice place to wait"
We both grunt our agreement to this line of thinking.
Has to be true.

I countdown the metres in the last stretch.
200.
190.
150.
175.

40
30
20
10
*Humpf*
*Hew*
*Whew*
*Phew*

Dot:" Gym chalna hai... baaki sab wahin honge abhi"
I look disbelievingly at A Dot.

Come back to wing.
Have a bath.
That makes it another first in a long time.

7.45 pm
Go to mess for dinner.
Aashu, Golj, Laddha, Sengu, Shailu and Vicksy returning from gym.
Like two lost groups of warriors meeting after the war.
We do a victory dance around a bonfire.

One of these days, I'll try sticking to the facts.

PS: Aaj hi Krishna ki app Michigan mein lagi hai.
My sympathies to IBM.
[:D]