Runs & Rains

I like running in the rain because then no one can see me sweat. This is total BS. I like rains, running too & running in the rain takes me back to those carefree childhood days. Which happened when I went out for a run. But this is starting from the middle & let me go back to the beginning.

Till a few months back, life was easy. If I woke up early, I would go out for a run, walk or a bike ride. Till the fitness bug bit the wife & her friend. Rather, the friend who wanted to reduce her weight & thought of going for daily walks (as if this would have helped). All was well, till they decided to change their schedule from post-dinner to early mornings which is my preferred time. But one can’t argue with a wife, especially if one of her close friends is involved. After some negotiations (actually, a one-way dialogue), it was decided (by them, obviously) that they will have the 5:00 to 6:00 AM slot, as they had to return in time to get the kid ready for school.

With weather being good, I had returned to an active life by cycling in the mornings. But having woken up early today, I had ample time to go out & run. As part of pre-run routine, I walk about half a km to a tea stall, which not only primes up the body to the task ahead but also helps in catching up with friends who would be out walking or cycling or simply going to work. So it was today. I switched on the mobile data & turn on the GPS prior to beginning my run. And it started drizzling. Not wishing to spoil a mobile, I handed it over to the tea stall owner. And went for a short 4K.

A few metres & I was already drenched. By the rains & maybe, some sweat too. It felt good, being wet & running. The traffic reduces too, which helps. The cows move under the trees, which helps more!! And the temperature drops, making it very pleasant to run if one can avoid the puddles & ignore the wet road. One doesn’t even feel the sweat, assuming the effort has made one sweat. Or the rain may have washed away the sweat as the water didn’t burn the eyes or tasted salty.

The only negative part being I did not have my mobile with me but Runkeeper lets one log activities manually. You may be surprised I did not have any misgiving in leaving a premium flagship mobile handset with a roadside tea vendor. Firstly, I trust him as he provides me with hydration support after my runs. And not just hydration, this is also the place where I had my customary post-event drink after VIHM (read about it here - http://runfunetc.blogspot.in/2016/03/after-long-wait-hm-returned-to-baroda.html). Secondly, haven’t we handed over our country to another chaiwala? Surely a mobile phone cannot be more valuable than our nation. And I trust my chaiwala as much!!

As you know, we runners are not only sensible but also very particular about our safety. We always run against the traffic to avoid any vehicle coming from behind running over us. Now, I differ here when not running a loop (as was the case today). I run on only one side (to avoid crossing the road), so that while I follow the runners’ credo during one leg, i forget all about it on the return leg. But not really reckless, for two reasons. One, I run with the traffic when the legs are fresh so that I am safer when I am tired. Two, I run on the streets of Baroda & a vehicle can come from any direction. This is what this tempo, going for delivery of packaged water cans, did. To avoid taking a U-turn, this guy (as is the common practice) was driving on the wrong side. He was also very concerned about avoiding the oncoming traffic. So, he was driving right behind me & honking continuously so that I would give way. I had to give him an angry look before he overtook me.

Coming back to the tea stall, the friendly chaiwala handed me a small plastic bag to keep my mobile in as it was still raining. And I proceeded back home to begin my day on a satisfied note.

Running after a long time & I have spoken about everything else but my run! As this post is already long enough, I will give the briefest of specs. I did 4.1 km in 33 minutes returning a pace of a little over 8 min. Not bad, if you ask me!

Lessons from The Godfather for the Vadodara Marathon

The 2016 edition of Vadodara International Half Marathon (VIHM) was not different than the previous one. The sole reason why I would like the organizers to watch The Godfather! Some nuggets from the movie for the VIHM guys...

The previous time (2013), the event started much after the scheduled time because the chief guest arrived late & proceeded to give a long speech. This time, the participants had the same fears but the organizers were smart. Firstly, they did not announce any start time (thus, technically, the start was not delayed!). Those who queried (including me) were assured that the 15K & HM would be flagged off before the chief guest's arrival. What happens? The same old story... Reminds one of The Godfather, though I am not aware whether the organizers even apologized (but runners are not gods).

Once upon a time, Vadodara International Marathon (as it was then called) was acclaimed as "Smallest City, Biggest Marathon". I believe, this made the organizers strive for a massive participation every time the event was held. Of course, political compulsions also played a major part in this (let us not dwell on these). But does a large crowd translate into a great event? If one goes by the previous two editions of VIM/VIHM, it’s a big NO! The organizers should realize the runners don’t care for the no. of participants (even if it is a world record) but how the event is conducted (in every respect). And it is the feedback of the runners that makes (or mars) an event's reputation.

The politicians who come to flag off the event may appreciate the large gathering & would be all praise for the organizers for the efforts put in. But are they aware that the crowd put in place are mostly school kids who have been forced to participate by the schools? I doubt it. But the serious runners, who are the heart of such events, who come in at 5:30 AM to find kids in school uniforms are not taken in by such gimmicks. And quite vocal about it too. Especially the outstation ones who compare this with events in their home towns or other places. I will not be surprised if it comes out that there are very few repeat outstation participants at VIHM/VIM.

Had the organizers had along the route while the event was in progress they would have witnessed people waiting at intersections to let the runners pass. The waiting crowds increased with time at practically all intersections. Did someone miss a train? Was someone late for work? Who cares? But people have a life beyond a marathon too, and an equal right to civic infrastructure. You simply can’t inconvenience so many people at a time. One person arriving late & thousands were troubled. For this realization to take place, the organizers have to get off the stage & on the streets. While many runners felt guilty about this, did the organizers also feel so? I don't think so, for this was a repeat of the last edition.

An event organizer’s 1st priority should always be runners. If the runners feel good after an event, they will generate enough positive feedback to bring in more runners the next time round. And once the runners come in, the sponsors are sure to follow (not to speak about the politicians). Somehow, the VIHM organizers work the other way round. They first bring the politicians on board to grace the event flag off, which helps them pull in the sponsors. They get so busy caring for the guests & sponsors that they forget the essence of an event - the runner. Maybe, runners are simply the performing artists in this circus called VIHM.

Many events are filled up even before the 1st posters are put up. Forget about the biggies (SCMM, etc.), some smaller events like Zendurance Nashik (http://runfunetc.blogspot.com/) & Daman Wind Marathon (http://runfunetc.blogspot.in/) have their own set of devoted runners who return religiously year after year. Zendurance doesn't even put up posters in Nasik town about the event, yet the event receives plenty of positive feedback. VIHM makes up for this absence of fan-base by compelling school students to participate in large nos to create records. Well, the records do last!! Which makes one wonder whether the organizers are themselves confident about how the actual event will play out. Least likely, if you ask me.

An event of this magnitude which uses civic infrastructure is not expected to be perfect. There will always be some issues, major or minor, as it is difficult to envisage everything that can go wrong. But to repeat the same old mistakes makes one feel that the organizers are simply not bothered about it. Had the organizers considered the goof ups as a personal insult, they would have ensured the flag off took place as scheduled. Couldn't they have asked the chief guest to give away the prizes which was also a photo-op that the politicians long for? With so many prizes on offer, they could have accommodated more politicians as well as speeches. Alas, the event was just a side show to the flagging off ceremony.

This one is for me (and other runners as well). Here was an event in my hometown, which helped me avoid the hassles of managing logistics for an outstation event. Despite being a small town, here are some people who have worked hard to make this event happen. Shouldn't this event in itself be an occasion to celebrate, rather than cribbing about all that could have been better? Rather than complain about what wasn't, I will enjoy what is, next time the event takes place. Bring on the next edition of VIHM/VIM, I will be there!! (Hope it’s not on 11th December 2016, as that would clash with the Goa River Marathon.)

Picture Credits: SM addicts on Facebook & WhatsApp

Disclaimer: Maybe, not all the above quotes are from The Godfather (but still relevant for VIHM team)