21 Thoughts for the 42 .2 km Race! A virtual Tour
Many a joke has been made about how a runner feels during a marathon. Cartoons galore… as to how we put ourselves through this misery…the thought process. Here is a curated list of my favourite running quotes, depicting the progression of the marathon. Find your mantra here…
Km 1: CST…5.40 am…the national anthem…
Have a dream, make a plan, go for it. You’ll get there I promise. ~ Zoe Koplowitz
Km 3: Passing Nariman Point…we have run here so many times before…but today is a different day…
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle— when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. ~ Born to Run
Km 5: Enjoy the sea breeze and the high spirit of the runners…
Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there. ~ Bo Jackson
Km 7: Take the turn at chowpatty…the sea…the beach…so beautiful!
There’s not a better feeling than when you have found that moment of balance and harmony when both running and life come together. Then you know why you run and that you couldn’t live without it. ~ Joan Benoit Samuelson
Km 9: The small climb of Kemps corner and fly down Peddar road… remember to remain strong on the return!
Mind is everything: muscle – pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind. ~ Paavo Nurmi
Km 11: Haji Ali and the sea again…feel the cool breeze from the Race Course! Approaching Mela…and the half marathon runners will be streaming towards us…and we will inspire many…to be on our side the next year!
Run hard, be strong, think big! ~ Percy Cerutty
Km 13: At the beautiful Sealink…dawn!The most amazing sunrise is here…
We are different, in essence from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon. ~ Emil Zatopek
Km 15: Look at the city and see how the skyline has transformed! At the peak of the uphill there will be photographers waiting for you- the star…SMILE!
The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. ~ Horace Bushnell
Km 18: This is the downhill of the sea link…enjoy it…fly…and believe!
Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right. ~ Henry Ford
Km 21: And half the race is done…go for it!
If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it. ~ Priscilla Welch
Km 24: Shivaji Park…Enthusiastic crowd support and refreshing tree cover…happy times! By now you know pretty much who your running companions are going to be for the next 15 km.
The marathon is not really about the marathon, it’s about the shared struggle. And it’s not only the marathon, but the training. ~ Bill Buffum
Km 26: And the wretched loop at Worli sea face. Keep the focus!
Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about. ~ PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian
Km 28: The slog miles are about to begin. Keep the spirit high. Deep breaths and rhythmic action.
I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart. ~ Mike Fanelli
Km 30: The mood is sombre. And the mind may begin its mischief
There will come a point in the race, when you alone will need to decide. You will need to make a choice. Do you really want it? You will need to decide. ~ Rolf Arands
Km 32: The marathon begins here…
The marathon’s about being in contention over the last 10K. That’s when it’s about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what’s left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon. ~ Rob de Castella
Km 34: Feel the sun at Haji ali now… its all coming to an end…
Pain is temporary, Pride is forever.
Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional. ~ Haruki Murakami
Km 36: The dreaded Peddar Road!
You’re running on guts. On fumes. Your muscles twitch. You throw up. You’re delirious. But you keep running because there’s no way out of this hell you’re in, because there’s no way you’re not crossing the finish line. It’s a misery that non-runners don’t understand. ~ Martine Costello
Km 38: keep the momentum of the downhill high…and get strength from the adulation of the crowd!
You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don’t run and never will… those who run but don’t race…those who started training for a race but didn’t carry through…those who got to the starting line but didn’t in the finish line…those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You’re still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you’ve outlasted. ~ Joe Henderson
Km 40: You are on the last legs literally and figuratively! Fly past the historic buildings. Let them stand witness as you create your own!
The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop, but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy… It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed. – Jacqueline Gareau
Km 42.1: Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired…You’ve always got to make the mind take over and keep going. ~ George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian
Km 42.2: It’s over! You’ve done it! You can stop now…YOU ARE SUPER AWESOME! 🙂
Jitendra Shah
Perfect narration. Gives idea how to participate.
All the best for the coming Marathon on 17th Jan.2016
Ketan
Very well written and expressed. Who else other than you who could have put the perspective very well.
All the best for the SCMM
Parul
Thank you! ?
Ashok Someshwar
Nice account of whats coming up and whats required in terms of mental resolve! Cheers and meet you at the start!
Parul
See you! All the best
Parvez
It’s just a year that I have started Running .. started with 1 km and it was hard to reach 5 km mark … and then 10 km was like dream …
Completed 3 Hm and few 5 km and 10 km in 2015 and now I feel I am addicted …
Still not grown enough to run Fm … but someday . Some time . Some where I will find my love of Fm …
But by the time I can very well relate to your words …
Keep inspiring the young running lovers like us …
Keep going
Parvez Virani
Parul
Yes. Aptly put. It is an addiction. We are high on life. All the best for you running and thank you for reading! ?
Rohit Gosalia
Beautifully expressed feelings of a first timer or all who finish, inspite of failing body but determined mind… loved reading it and relived my experience of having done it in 2015. Will try again in 2017
Parul
All the best Rohit.
SatishGujaran
Very well written , very informative . Keep up the good work & keep inspiring Parul .
Parul
Thank you Satish!
MoGo
Awesome write up. Superb presentation on mental, physical journey beckons!
Naresh Motta
Liked the writing. I vents my feeling . With razor sharp precision.
Thanks Parul Sheth for giving words to my feelings.
Parul
Thank you and all the best!
Sameer Gaikwad
I could re-live these moments year after year. Beautifully penned.
Parul
Thank Sameer!
Chetan Pujary
Hi Parul, I competed in my first FM last year. I was reliving the entire race as I was reading your beautifully written thoughts. Thank you 🙂
Parul
Thank you
Amit Prabhu
Hi Parul, SCMM 2016 is going to be sixth full marathon. While reading your article I relived every step I ran so far. You have aptly put the entire experience into words. God bless you….All the very best to you for your future endeavors.
Parul
Oh that’s awesome. It’s my fifth! Thank you and all the best. See you on race day!
Chaitanya
Brought out the feelings nicely.. All the best!
Parul
Thank you! All the best to you too!
Uday
Brilliant! Superb write up. ???
Parul
Thank you!
Fido
Well written write up. It takes us to the 42Km journey in few minutes. This year doing my HM. Will do my FM in the near future.
Parul
Thank you and all the best to you too!
rima shah
Beautifully expressed… Amazing quotes !!
Parul
Thank you!
Nilesh Varvatkar
Awesome writeup, will keep in mind on race day
Parul
Thanks and all the best!
Pratibha Wankhade
You’re super awesome!!!!! Parul.
Very impressive and tempting write up for me , running on the other side.
All the best for you run …scmm 2016
Parul
All the best! Hope to see you on the same side in 2017! ?
prashant P
Parul, Amazing write up,feel like i am running marathon.
Parul
Thanks 🙂
AMIT YADAV
Well written Parul, shall catch up on the Race day.
Cheers!!!
Parul
Sure. Looking forward. All the best!
Rakesh Charatkar
Remembered each and every word of this when I was running and truly inspired me to reach the finish line thanks a ton for this wonderful inspirational write up
Parul
Awesome! Thank you for reading and well done.
Abhishek Sharma
congratulations parul.
I will be running indore 21k marathon on 7th Feb-16. It would be my 3rd 21K run.
🙂
Parul
Oh nice. All the best! Have a good run ?
Priyank Dedhia
Im running my first FM this year, coming from Singapore , training alone here, missing my 5 gardens group, reading this gave me goosebumps, i was one of them the HM guys that you had passed through and inspired. Super quotes and writing. #youINSPIRE
Parul
Ohmigod! Thank you so much! And your first will always be special. :-))) all the best and enjoy the run!
Ajay Chhabra
Lovely write up Parul, enjoyed the journey, have been through it last year. History repeats itself..fore at least. Was down with ITB a week before TMM last year but managed to pull through in 5:23.
This year again, a week before TMM, met with a bike accident n HV injured right foot n knee. But I hope to stand at the start line..and more so, at the finish line, coz I know.. History will repeat itself??
Parul
Thank you Ajay. Oh well done…A marathon finish is fantastic! All the best!