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Part 8 – Cutting it too Close
Not everyone who likes to be an Indian would prefer to hold an Indian passport. Apart from the hassles that one gets involved in procuring it, the real reason has been in the poor consular relations established by Ministry of External Affairs all over the world. Many countries improved their diplomatic relations to secure on-arrival…
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Part 7 – Training for the Comrades
One of the often posed question to me, before as well as after the Comrades was about my training. It is quite difficult to say why I don’t believe in training for an event – either I cannot train well or I don’t believe in it. Training specifically for an event is like pursuing education…
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Part 6 – The Barefoot Experiment
I surely know the hundred petals of a lotus will not remain closed for ever and the secret recess of its honey will be bared. Running is a simple sport; But the choice of a good running shoe isn’t. The choice of appropriate running shoes is a hot topic of discussion, both on the run…
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Part 5 – The Humble Lessons
It was my songs that taught me all the lessons I ever learnt; they showed me secret paths, they brought before my sight many a star on the horizon of my heart Bruce Fordyce, nine times winner and thirty times finisher of Comrades Marathon, wrote a brilliant piece on the “Arrogance in The Comrades Marathon.”…
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Part 4 – Registering for the Comrades
In the early morning thou wouldst call me from my sleep like my own comrade and lead me running from glade to glade In March 2011, Amit Sheth came to Chennai to launch his book ‘Dare to Run‘ and also participated in the 5th anniversary of Chennai Runners, the following day. He delivered an inspiring…
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Part 3 – Running Beyond a Marathon
Ultra marathon, in simple terms, is essentially running more than 42.195 Km – a definition that is inconclusive though. Some are satisfied with going past that number whereas others love to stretch to the maximum distance that they can cover or the maximum number of days they can run. My first attempt to run beyond…
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Part 2 – The Ultra Runners
It is the most distant course that comes nearest to thyself, and that training is the most intricate which leads to the utter simplicity of a tune. Ultra marathon runners – “Fat people who just can’t run very fast; but have a high tolerance for boredom.” My personal experience of meeting Ultra marathon runners tells…
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Part 1 – Comrades – An Introduction
Either you have work or you have not. When you have to say, “Let us do something,” then begins mischief My earliest introduction to the word ‘Comrade’ was when I attended a Bank Trade Union meeting with my father. It was certainly not my introduction to ‘communism’ in any manner. I could barely follow the…
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Thou hast made me endless…
Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali A week after running my first (and almost definitely, the last)! Comrades Marathon, I am still left with one unfinished agenda – writing my comrades experience. My writing…
Running and Beyond 