SCMM 2017 - Samarpan Dhyanyog's participation - January 15, 2017

The marathon theme

This year was the fourth year the Samarpan Family was taking part in the Marathon. Yoga Prabha Bharati (Seva Sanstha) Trust (YPBSST) got itself registered with United Way of Mumbai, the charity partner for the movement for the fourth year running, and this time we were given 30 charity bibs based on last year’s collections and we also got one premium bib for achieving level 1 based on their internal selection parameters. We had dropped down in the average collection per Bib and hence we got lesser bibs; also the enthusiasm which is seen in participation on the event day is unfortunately missing when it comes to fundraising!! We also had made a team under the able guidance of our Corporate Acharyaa, Ms Ruchita Dalal and Shri Malav Doshi to participate in the Jabong Costume/Skit Contest and in setting up a stage for promoting Samarpan Meditation. Hectic preparations and practice went in for the singing and the contest. It was great team work performed in a spirit of love and joy. The joy and energy displayed was something to be believed.....in the end all the hard work paid off, as we won two prizes in the Jabong Costume contest – one in the individual category, second place to Ruchitaji (Rs. 20000) and third place in the team event (Rs. 25000). Kudos to all the team members for a great job done. God and Gurudev Bless.

Costume winning team

 I had already registered for the half marathon as an individual when the registrations opened and out Trust registration happened much later. I had been running on an average 9km per day for about one month. This year training was erratic due to professional commitments and regular travel for guru-karya which resulted in interrupted training schedules. The cool climate which continued till about two days before the run was a big dampener as it changed into warm and humid on run day. I used to run non-stop for about 8 km at an average pace of 5.50 minutes per kilometre, but today I barely managed 4 km before starting on a walk-run strategy. At around this time last year I had reduced my weight to around 71kg, but this time for all kinds of reasons my weight had barely come down to 73 odd kg. L I had completed 21km in 2:39:00 hours, for my trial run on 31^st December, so I was sure of completing the race, but the challenge was to better last year’s time – which now appeared to be a remote possibility. The only thing I looked forward to was doing much better than my practice run if I could not come close to my last years’ time, which I did by just about a minute or so. Regular meditation and a diet of fruits and beyond that initial diet I was unable to maintain last year’s diet and was eating the usual stuff – only my dinner was two whole wheat breads with cooked vegetables which was same as last year. Just yesterday I had participated in a clean-up drive at Shivaji Park with Samarpan Members organised by WWEF and the BMC. By yesterday evening my lower back was protesting and my knees were screaming what with sitting on my haunches and moving around while picking up the rubbish thrown on the ground. Saturday, which was supposed to be a day of rest turned very hectic, as I left for office after the clean-up drive and then left for Thane on guru-karya – returned only by 6.30pm! So the rest was just in the mind!!

The ideal running temperature for good timings in a marathon is said to be 12 degrees celcius. It must have been around 20 degrees on Sunday morning plus slight humidity was there in the air. My running mates from my society were missing this year and I had to make my way alone. I woke up at 3.30 am and was in meditation for about 15 minutes. I got ready and took a 4.23am local and reached Lower Parel, then a BEST bus arranged by Procam to the venue. Due to the massive traffic jam, we were dropped more than a kilometre away from the venue and had to walk it down. I met our supporters from Amravati – I greeted them and wished them the best for the run.

In the Best bus free service to venue

1.5km walk to the venue due to traffic congestion

I had got ‘A’ section as I was participating as a ‘Change Runner’. This year too they had created 7 sections A to G based on finish timings of the previous year. It was already just 5.15am and the run was to start at 5.40am. When I entered the enclosure, it was already crowded. I went into the A section, sat down in lotus position waiting for the moment! At 5.30am the announcement came to move towards the starting line. The half marathon start was the biggest so far – with 14663 runners!!

At 5.40am the run started with the VIP and elite athletes being sent off first after which the junta was told to go. There was a huge roar of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ along with cat whistles from the runners and off we went. I hit the timing chip mat at around 5.41am. The start was very steady as I started running at the speed I had trained for. This year the run started off at Worli Sea face and then a couple of kilometres before we reached the sea link, the run was smoother and I got off to a smooth pretty fast running rhythm as opposed to what I was practicing at. The first four kilometres were at a pretty decent clip averaging 5.50 per km. After that the humidity got to me a bit and I walked for some time before starting off again. My first split timing at 5.7km was 32.48 minutes at an average speed of 10.43kmph, second split at 10.1 km was 1:05:28 at an average speed of 9.26 kmph. I completed the sea-link stretch – to and fro – pretty fast considering I also walked a bit and my 10.5km mark was reached in a timing of 1:08 which was well in line for matching my last year’s time. But you know how it is old bones and muscles get tired and the break-heart hill was yet to be climbed!!

This year, due to the lesser time I had for training, I changed my tactics a bit – I ran for 750 metres and if I had the strength I pulled on till I could then walked for 250 metres and then ran again and so on and so forth. I was well under the 2:30 timing speed and I should have finished in 2:25 or less, but I lazed out in the last four kilometres and walked more than I ran!! Thus, finishing in 2:38:43!!

At Peddar Road, up break-heart hill the weather suddenly became cooler and I kept pushing myself to avoid getting cramps in the cold – I walked briskly, jogged a bit, walked and went up the hill. After the hill the downward jog was pretty fast and comfortable as my muscles warmed up again.

About 5km from the finish as we came onto Marine Drive I enjoyed the sunrise – an orange ball of flame visible on the horizon. This year there was a High Court order restricting the band sound level to 55 decibels and hence the enthusiasm and cheering of the bands was a bit subdues. I did not see any of our Samarpan Family near Hindu Gymkhana, but further down I saw our stage being ably manned by Malavji and the music team by Hrishikesh Joshi and team. On seeing them, suddenly I was energised and started running with my left hand raised to them and there was a loud roar as I passed them. Pratapbhai was clicking photos and many thanks to him for clicking these photos as these are my first running photos in the SCMM in the last 13 years!!

The last kilometre was proving difficult as even though I had the stamina and strength for some strange reason I was walking. After coming to the flora fountain turn it became extremely crowded for the last 800 metres to the finish. I tried running but it was difficult to weave through the mass of people so I had to walk, jog, side step and try to make my way through. From the two hundred metre mark I went to the extreme left and sprinted down to the finish. Time taken 2:38:56 (official 2:38:43). My Garmin watch said I had run 21.270 km rather that 21.097 which is what the course distance is supposed to be.

This time the arrangements were different. The exit was on the road adjacent to Azad Maidan – as soon as we entered on the left was the recovery tent where volunteers were applying pain balms and massaging tired muscles. I kept moving on and found out that the medal distribution and refreshment counter was at the other end of Azad Maidan – the Metro end. I could not go to the Procam Marquee which was located at CST bus stand this year as the volunteers kept asking me to go further down and take the subway – but the route to the subway was blocked – hence I could not go to the Marquee for refreshments and massage. I had just collected my Finishers medal when I got a call from Jitendra Makwana who finished in 2:28:03, I met him, and after he collected his medal we left Marine Drive where our Trust had taken a stage for propagation of Samarpan.

We reached Marine Drive at around 9.30am and joined our gang out there. There was a lot of enthusiasm and dancing with the youth – young and old kids – having the time of their life. I met Khamankarji and family with Krishna on stage belting out songs. At around 10.15 our Bib runners came to the stage and the party began in right earnest with Anuragji going on stage and joining in the singing and dancing – for about 15-20 minutes it was a complete jam session with Samarpan Marathon songs being sung with high energy and a frenzy of dancing taking place with the prize money cheque being taken on stage and shown to the public. Shambhu who was dressed as Mother Earth was a star attraction as the passers-by were keen on taking selfies and photos with him. To me he was the star of the day as wearing that heavy costume and waving his hand and dancing all the time was, to say the least tiring, but the smile on his face and the joy on display was amazing. This year was unique in the sense that we had three really senior citizens taking the stage, with the first from the Harmony group reciting Rabindranath Tagore’s poem – ‘The mind is without fear and the head is held high’, the second was Mr. Arun Doshi, who is a part of Mumbai Philharmonic, he came and played the mouth organ with five popular tunes which had the crowd singing and dancing along with him. Mr. Umesh Paiji as a token of appreciation said we should give him our T-shirt, so I ran and called him back, and he was given the T-shirt by Anuragji. He was so overwhelmed by the respect and love shown that on the spot he donated a sum of Rs. 11000 to our Trust. He asked us to collect it from his office in Bandra Kurla on Tuesday, but about half an hour later he returned and handed over the cheque to me. Awesome!! The third was another gentleman in his late seventies who came and sang two John Lennon songs with such enthusiasm and professionalism – I am sure he must have been a professional singer in his youth. This variety added a new dimension to the mornings festivities!

The costume winners on stage with Anuragji

The band in action

Dream Run start

Krishna belting out songs with the team

Shambhu - the Star attraction!

 At around 11.05 Anuragji left after participating in a group photo and we all dispersed thereafter. Deepali and I went to Churchgate station and caught a Borivali local. I had to get off at Dadar as maintenance work was going on the first track, and had to walk home from Dadar station!! That day I must have walked/run more than 28 km!!

A big thank you to Ruchitaji, Malavji, Deepaliji, the youth who designed the costumes and make up and last but not least Ambareeshji for providing the theme for the skit and of course Swamiji for ensuring that we won the contest!! A big thank you to Anuragji for coming and gracing the occasion. Also thanks to sadhaks from Kutch, Chennai and Amravati for coming all the way to Mumbai to support our cause. Of course a VERY BIG THANK YOU AND JAI BABA SWAMI to all the sadhaks who thronged Marine Drive shouting their support, singing songs, dancing and waving flags and banners – it just goes to prove that there is great strength and harmony in collectivity!

See you in Rajkot for our very own Samarpan Marathon this November!!

– JAI BABA SWAMI