The adrenaline rush while heading towards the finish line of a race and the feat of
completing it is best symbolized by you. Is that all you represent? Do most of us see
you the same way? It would be ungenerous and inadequate if anyone felt that particular
way. You symbolize passion, determination, strength, discipline, pain, tolerance,
patience, self-awareness, and this list is in no way exhaustive. I looked at you as a sheer
sense of accomplishment until my debut full marathon. This day is uniquely special not
only because it marks the accomplishment of a goal, an affirmation, a dream; but majorly
since the event made me realize what you symbolize, and how incomplete a race would
be without you. At mile 22, having 4.2 miles to go, my mind only visualized the medal
that I would receive at the finish line. At that point in time that was the biggest motivation
factor other than being a marathoner at the finish line. As I approached the finish line, I
saw my family cheering and encouraging me to sprint the last 1/10th of a mile. Just as I
crossed the finish line, all that I wanted was my victory emblem, not even a picture,
which is a huge compromise for a photo addict like me. I had pictured this moment for
years, and in each one of it I saw myself receive a grand medal and pose (of course a
different pose in each of the iterations my mind ran) with it proudly at the finish line. Who
would imagine that an established race would not have a medal for the finishers’? Tada!!
I was disappointed and furious. That was just not that way I wanted to feel after
accomplishing 26.2 miles on a bright sunny (rather scorching hot) day in India .My mind
that was strong enough to complement my body through the journey did not quite like
not being awarded a finisher’s medal. There could be a million reasons why I run, but
you are one of the biggest reasons, and you motivate me to run, challenge myself with a
new task every time, and you complete my races like nothing else. A club that I run with
had made medals for the finishers who were active members of the club because a lot of
runners were disappointed about the same. While I did a 10k another day, I received the
custom-made finisher medal from the runner’s club. I was excited, thanked my stars for
running the 10k, and that is when I felt like my first marathon was complete. Having said
that, you are irreplaceable, even by another one of your kind. Every time ever since I
look at you, I remember the complete journey towards a race, starting from the training,
injuries, scars, and the discipline, patience, perseverance that goes into training, and the
grand race itself. No matter how long the race is, any race would be incomplete without
you. And after quite a few races, here I am not just writing about you but finding best
ways to display you on the first wall that one faces as they enter my house since I am
not supremely happy with the make shift arrangement I have for you at the moment.
#HeIsWhyIRun#SoulMate
completing it is best symbolized by you. Is that all you represent? Do most of us see
you the same way? It would be ungenerous and inadequate if anyone felt that particular
way. You symbolize passion, determination, strength, discipline, pain, tolerance,
patience, self-awareness, and this list is in no way exhaustive. I looked at you as a sheer
sense of accomplishment until my debut full marathon. This day is uniquely special not
only because it marks the accomplishment of a goal, an affirmation, a dream; but majorly
since the event made me realize what you symbolize, and how incomplete a race would
be without you. At mile 22, having 4.2 miles to go, my mind only visualized the medal
that I would receive at the finish line. At that point in time that was the biggest motivation
factor other than being a marathoner at the finish line. As I approached the finish line, I
saw my family cheering and encouraging me to sprint the last 1/10th of a mile. Just as I
crossed the finish line, all that I wanted was my victory emblem, not even a picture,
which is a huge compromise for a photo addict like me. I had pictured this moment for
years, and in each one of it I saw myself receive a grand medal and pose (of course a
different pose in each of the iterations my mind ran) with it proudly at the finish line. Who
would imagine that an established race would not have a medal for the finishers’? Tada!!
I was disappointed and furious. That was just not that way I wanted to feel after
accomplishing 26.2 miles on a bright sunny (rather scorching hot) day in India .My mind
that was strong enough to complement my body through the journey did not quite like
not being awarded a finisher’s medal. There could be a million reasons why I run, but
you are one of the biggest reasons, and you motivate me to run, challenge myself with a
new task every time, and you complete my races like nothing else. A club that I run with
had made medals for the finishers who were active members of the club because a lot of
runners were disappointed about the same. While I did a 10k another day, I received the
custom-made finisher medal from the runner’s club. I was excited, thanked my stars for
running the 10k, and that is when I felt like my first marathon was complete. Having said
that, you are irreplaceable, even by another one of your kind. Every time ever since I
look at you, I remember the complete journey towards a race, starting from the training,
injuries, scars, and the discipline, patience, perseverance that goes into training, and the
grand race itself. No matter how long the race is, any race would be incomplete without
you. And after quite a few races, here I am not just writing about you but finding best
ways to display you on the first wall that one faces as they enter my house since I am
not supremely happy with the make shift arrangement I have for you at the moment.
#HeIsWhyIRun#SoulMate
The sketch is just as close to my heart as the medal; it took a lot of time and effort from a friend to sketch this beauty.
