TCS World 10K Marathon

Shiny black and smooth, her hair kept getting tossed about by the breeze as she ran...it had a pattern that was in sync with her every step...as she slowed down, her hair would slowly and gently come to rest and as she picked up speed, it would try and keep pace, throwing tantrums and getting unruly like a young child who is woken up from a slumber he has just experienced! I admired this rhythm for a while and by the time I came to my own, realized that I had lost sight of a fellow Boschler who was running beside me.

TCS World 10K Marathon, organized on the World Environment day, was an event that I was looking forward to, ever since I registered. It did not disappoint. I got up quite early for a sunday morning and entered the Kanteerva indoor stadium in time to see the 10K runners starting their sprint.

Colorfully decked up people from all walks of life - kids, senior citizens, quite a good number of foreigners, television crews, volunteers - made for a motley and eclectic bunch to run alongside. As we waited, the excitement in the crowd was tangible...I overheard this: A girl to her boyfriend: "Click good pictures and delete the bad ones. You are not uploading anything on Face-book without asking me". Though it was said in a tone that was a little reprimanding and endearing at the same time, I could not help but ruminate on the state of the poor guy...

The weather was just perfect for running - a gentle breeze and a cloudy sky with no trace of the Sun. Along the way, lost in the multitude, I felt as if I am being swept forward by a strong tide. Without struggle, I gave in and let myself be swept. Occasionally the spell was broken by somebody brushing past me, otherwise, its hold was complete. 

I am again thankful to a friend who once said, "Happiness comes in tiny packages" She was spot on. Today's package would remain fresh in my memory for some time to come. Thank you Bangalore and all fellow Bangaloreans who participated!

10K Conquered - ORRCA Marathon was an exciting experience

This weekend on Feb 6th, employees from several companies located on the Outer ring road in Bangalore (of which INTEL is one) came together under ORRCA (Outer ring road companies' association) to participate in a marathon that had the objective - "Create awareness amongst public to follow traffic rules and safety regulations and emphasize on BMTC Transport”. 

IT Potential apart, Bangalore is becoming infamous for its traffic woes mostly owing to the profusion of numerous private vehicles when the infrastructure is not able to keep pace. There is little that the Government can do except perhaps build flyovers and pitching for public transport through events like this. IT Professionals should also realize that they have a part to play in making Bangalore roads less congested. As influential members of the civil society, awareness of a problem should first lead to contemplation about potential solutions instead of wringing hands and frustration. 

 So, at 7.30 AM on a chilly Saturday morning, 300 + people gathered at ECOSPACE on the outer ring road for the run. This lends credence to the fact that people do come together for reasons that don't necessarily influence their self-interest or serve to advance their self-love. Adam Smith is supposed to have believed that public spirit is one such driver. There is also a piquancy that makes events like this appealing. That would, perhaps also be, one of the reasons for the good participation.

I had earlier participated in the Sunfeast Marathon but even then I had taken part only in the fun run - a distance of 5kms. But here thanks to my friend and colleague Jayakumar, I was ready to go for the 10 km long run. As we started running, there was a gentle cool breeze that caressed us and kept us going. At the half way mark, I was elated when our effort was acknowledged with a mark on our hands with a 'L' for Long Run (see the pic).

As we took a U turn to complete the run, thirst and exhaustion appeared to be winning over my Will. However, the sight of others persistently running ahead of me beckoned unknown reservoirs of energy and kept me moving. Meeting fellow employees during the course of the run in their casual selves walking/jogging/sharing a joke was an aspect that somehow made me feel less individual and more, a part of a huge collective.

After the run, there was a reiteration of the objective so that the focus is not lost. People came together to share the experience of the run and I could see a lot of beaming faces - a measure of the joy of the participants in running for a cause as well as an indicator of achievement. There was a performance by a band from CISCO after the prize distribution. 

I feel that events like this go a long way in mobilizing people together to rally for a cause. We need more of them especially in a place like Bangalore with its cosmopolitan diversity and civic problems. They are a good platform to goad people into action. I sincerely hope that more people embrace BMTC in Bangalore - the numerous volvos are definitely a success here - and the roads become less of a nightmare soon.

Run Bangalore Run – When the city was vibrant with joy!

“My race is just about to begin. Where are you?” a middle-aged lady on the phone presumably talking to a friend who had promised to come and encourage her. Nothing else can better sum up the energy that was on show at the Kanteerva Indoor Stadium, Bangalore on May 31, 2009. It was a day that the city had been waiting for. In an exhibition of uninhibited enthusiasm, a huge crowd of people, young and old, from all walks of life gathered on a Sunday morning to run. Several categories were there to participate in – the open 10K and the Majja Run being prominently successful!

A motley group of Non-Governmental organizations espoused the messages they wanted to get across. They ranged from being very specific to the very generic as a sample few of them that I can remember follow -

“Save sparrow, save Bangalore”

“If I can’t learn the way you teach me, will you teach the way I can learn?”

“Challenge autism”

“Let us knock out poverty”.

“I run for a cause bigger than the finish line”

I think this is the biggest achievement of the marathon and the organizers. Apart from emphasizing the importance of fitness, this goes on to show that volunteering is not as alien to the urbane and the young as is widely perceived. While most city folk on a Sunday morning would want to get up late and unwind, an event like this doesn’t happen often.

It was exciting to see many kids running along with their parents and wearing big smiles on their faces. I was initially at the entrance observing the crowd as it poured in. The glimpses of conversations – at times eloquent and at times subdued and private, the acknowledgment of a wave of the hand and the spirit of bonhomie that prevailed in general in a cosmopolitan city, I was like a silent spectator to all these, always listening and never retreating into myself.

As the wheel chair event kicked off, the holding area cheered in unison. Strangers’ cheering one another for the sheer joy of it is a rare sight and hence warrants mention all the more. I had, in a moment of spontaneity, prepared a chart with some messages that I felt, would be relevant to all fellow Bangaloreans. Pinning it on my back, I ran too, one in the sea of humanity that swept me with its rhythm, a tide that knew no class, caste, age and gender.

At the end of it, I felt immensely happy. When I heard a guy frantically asking what time it was, to measure himself against his standard, what more can I say? I salute the spirit of the city and wait for the next such event!