This is a chest thumping post. I am warning you.

I have unlocked a new level in my life. I have run 1,000 KMs.

This was done over the last 2.5 years starting Nov 2012, averaging 6 Kms per run at a nice middle aged man’s pace of 6.5 ( pace is the number of minutes it takes to cover 1km ).  I can hear you saying – nothing big to crow about – but hey – this is me I am competing against – not Usain Bolt – and as a competitor I am tougher!

I am not a consistent runner. During monsoon I stop running and eat lot of onion pakodas. Also just a few months back my shoe was stolen, or for any lame excuse the devil in my brain will throw at – I will agree immediately, and I will declare an off-day.

It has been a constant battle between the Angel and Devil in my brain. And no clear winner has emerged of far. But I want to show this devil – inspite of you I have accomplished something really big.

I have so much to tell – but will tell one thing I found in this journey of 1000 kms. About Human body – how it is amazing and how it heals by itself.

I over do at times – like this year beginning when I took a drastic resolution. I am going fully carbon neutral. So I cycled to work, climbed stairs up and down ( between the 2 offices one on 3rd floor and 5th floor ), and full day did the standing desk. And to make matters worse purchased Puma Mobium – a front foot striker shoe which increased my pace drastically – and got a 5 to 6 pace. I am basically a 6 to 7 pacer. Felt I was a champion and did a few runs around 5.3.

And I got severe pain at the place where the leg fits into the ankle. Especially when I climb down stairs, or even at random times when I get up from a chair. It was terrible. I could not run anymore.

I went to see a doctor this Jan 2015. [ Entire 2014 I did not visit one – thanks running! ]. He said it is over use, and something got inflamed – take these pills over a month. Took the pills over a month – nothing improved. I kept postponing meeting the doc again. Was afraid he will order a CT scan.

I waited one more month. During this period my Puma shoe got stolen. I felt so damn guilty that I did not buy another one. Feeling lazy is awesome – and the devil kept whispering – tomorrow and tomorrows kept coming infinitely. I completely stopped running from Jan to March end this year. The pain was not fully gone – but was constantly reminding me – that it is still there. The devil started whispering – your running career is over dude, just sleep. And I stopped running completely.

Finally – I mustered courage to put money on another shoe – the wife also felt bad for the shoe lose so she encouraged me on the purchase – and this time I went back to my old faithful – Nike Free Run – I had started suspecting it was the Puma shoe ( or rather I should blame my ego ) that damaged my foot-ankle.

I did a few runs in the new shoe – and a mild pain was there during the initial runs, but after a few runs it was totally gone and I don’t remember anymore how the pain used to be. Today I did a 8.5km – and absolutely no pain anywhere in the system.

The more I run – the body adapts itself I guess – and strengthens automatically at places where it is weak. This has happened to me so many times. My shin splints, knee pain etc. all went away – the more I ran.

The “loose it if you don’t use it” adage is apt.

1,000 Kms. Bangalore to Mumbai distance. Don’t mess with me 🙂