The race that wasn't!

A couple of weeks back was the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego. That's the race I've been training for since March. Running is a strangely addictive thing. I think all runners, on some level, are a bit neurotic. You always want to run that extra mile, a faster split, and push yourself more than you thought u normally could. I think people who are passionate about their running tend to love everything about it. At some point, we are just consumed by it completely. It isn't about where you start or finish. Just the run itself, the rhythm, the surge of energy and adrenaline, the challenge, the pain, the fatigue, the joy.....its liberating!!!

As a physical activity, it is as pure as it gets. The sheer beauty lies in the simplicity of it all. Its one of those rare sports which is still untouched by drugs and controversy and will remain so. For me its a lot about breathe control. It determines my speed, how quickly I fatigue, how far I go etc. I've reached a stage where on most of my runs I can run without going out of breathe till the very end when I tend to sprint. You always feel refreshed and pumped after a long run. More so after races. Infact, running in races is so much fun, when you're surrounded by thousands of people, spectators cheering you on, just motivates you so much more. It also gives your running routine a sense of purpose.

Anybody who has trained seriously for a marathon would know the joys and pains involved. And the most important thing to know is when not to push yourself too far. Its a lot harder than you think. Marathon running is more mental than physical! As luck would have it, I had a stress fracture of my tibia less than 3 weeks before the race and could not run it. Its a classic over training injury but it was also partly due to the fact that my shoes were half a size too small. It is more than a little disappointing to not be able to run a race which you've worked hard for. When you've pictured it a thousand times in your head. Waking up early every weekend, no late nights, never missing a run, heck even missing out on long weekends :).

So I was still down in San Diego to cheer the 18000 or so who did run the race. Here are a few pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prahlad/sets/72157605568661093/

And I have no complaints coz I cant wait to get out there and do it all over again, without getting injured ofcourse!!