Personal Blogs
Recently I went through a minor surgery and I was advised to avoid running for 3 months. This is the blog on how much running I am missing.
I remember myself running when I was in nursery there was a ground in front of my grandmother’s house where I used to run on the green grass. I remember running in the school building during the lunch breaks and even participating in inter-school athletics events in primary school but I was never a performer or podium finisher.
Then when I joined Sainik School, Satara, there were tonnes of memories as sports was our first objective; I would have even chosen it over exams but thanks to the school during the exam time sports activities were not there. I remember doing PT even when XIIth standard were allowed to miss it. I believe physical exercise is a must for not just a healthy life but a fresh mind. Cross country running was a regular activity in the school.
During my GATE preparation, I remember running 4-5km daily in the morning. Even after joining IIT Bombay, I occasionally used to run from the lakeside through hostels, staff quarters, and academic blocks, ending at Hostel 8 (Woodland) - I would rank it as one of the best running routes.
Played a lot of football from school to college to IIT to company. But when I jumped into the startup journey finding time for football became hard as it would require a long commute based on team’s availability. This is where I took road running as a recreational activity and ideal for stress buster.
It started from my first 10km in PRBM event in 2015 where I completed the distance in 1 hour 6 minutes. That was the race where my ego was crushed by looking at different runners over-taking me; although they didn’t seem fit to me. When I finished the run I thought I did well then to see people completing more quickly and/or longer with a strong finish. There I realized the running world is all different.
Read Why we run blog which lists so many benefits of running.
Following are some of my running activities which were special to me
| Year | Event | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 10k Balewadi PRBM | My first 10k |
| 2017 | 21K Satara Hill | My first 21k - 2:45 |
| 2018 - Sep | 21K Satara Hill | 2nd SHMM 2:14 |
| 2018 - Oct | 21K PRBM | My first Sub2 21k - Barefoot |
| 2019 - Jan | Tata Mumbai Marathon FM | My first FM |
| 2019 - Aug | Airtel Hydrabad Marathon | My first FM with minimal running gears |
| 2021 - Aug | 31 days of running | 5x5km, 6x6km, 7x7km, 8x8km, 4x9km runs |
| 2022 - Feb | Pune International Marathon | My first night Marathon - 4:49:05 |
| 2023 - Jan | Burgman Kolhapur | Half-Ironman Distance 2km swim, 90km cycle and 21k running |
| 2023 - Sep | 100-Day barefoot Running | My first 100-day running challenge |
| 2024 - Jan | Tata Mumbai Marathon FM | 2nd TMM FM - PB 4:43 |
| 2025 - Jan | Tata Mumbai Marathon FM | 3rd TMM FM - My first barefoot FM |
| 2025 - Feb | Tata Ultra Lonawala (50 KM) | My first Ultra Marathon |
I generally try to prepare 3-4 months a year for one long distance event, which could be a marathon, half-Ironman, or ultra marathon. During other times, I am part of group activities from NCRunners, whether its cycling trips, running group activities, strength training sessions, swimming sessions, or 100 Day Challenges.
These 3 months will be my longest break from running. While the physical impact is minimal, the mental void is significant. Running has been more than just exercise for me - it’s been a constant companion through different phases of life, from the green grass of my grandmother’s house to the roads of Mumbai. The absence of those morning runs, the rhythm of my feet hitting the pavement, and the clarity that comes with each kilometer is what I miss the most.
I am counting down the days until I go barefoot again and hit the road. Until then, I will hold onto the memories of all those runs and look forward to creating new ones.