running the trail

Running the CTMarathon

Last year I signed up for the CTM2013

On the morning of the race, I enthusiastically woke up the family.

“Get up, we have a long drive ahead. It says the venue is an hour from Chennai.”

Unenthusiastic groans reached me.

“It is too far—it is practically in Andhra Pradesh. They won’t have aid. You are old. You never mention on the form that you are asthmatic. There is no cell signal. If something happens we will never know.“

Finally the united front worked on my fears crushed me and my enthusiasm. I did not run.

 As the registration for the event in 2014 loomed I decided that “forewarned is forearmed.”

“Are there any hotels near the Red Hills where I can spend the night?”

The organizers said, ”There is dormitory type accommodation in the Gojan Business School.”

“My family won’t allow it,” I said “someone will come with me, I need a hotel.”

They found me a hotel and I booked a room. It seemed very cheap and they were offering free breakfast as  well. I kept silent about the charge for the room and we set out the day before the race. The hotel was just off the highway but no one seemed to have heard of it. We also passed it twice in our attempt to locate it. The problem was that a couple of the letters in the neon sign had fused. It read “S M Hot”

My grandson who was the look out on the left side thought it was an advertisement for a restaurant serving hot food!

We settled into the room only to find that they had not paid their cable subscription so all channels were blacked out with the notice ”channel unavailable due to non payment of dues!”

Grandson started a small agitation.

We got up at 4 am and followed a taxi with some other runners to the venue a half completed college with no electricity. A few focus lights had been set up on a generator. The bathrooms were dark and scary.

“I’ll go back to the hotel, sleep and pick you up after the race is over,” announced my husband.

I protested, ”It took us an hour to get here. It will take you an hour to get back and then an hour to return. I will take only three hours to complete---“

Husband and grandson said, “we can’t sleep in the parking lot.” And left.

Many wise “accompanying persons” did sleep in the parking lot. There was a lot of breeze and amazingly the place was mosquito free.

The race started in darkness. It was a muddy slushy red trail with a breathtaking view. The volunteers and photographers were excellent. Water ran out but since I always carry my own it makes little difference to me.

I finished in 2:47.

I had warned my family to take photos but husband and grandson were no where to be seen.

The breakfast was excellent. After  a good whack of kesari, idly vadai, pongal and hot coffee I started looking for family.

They finally turned up 2 hours later.

The lost the way, a van rear-ended them and then turned turtle on the highway, they had to extract the driver from the wreck, nothing happened to him, his van was totaled-----.

They never made it back to the hotel.

I climbed into the car and we reached.

Another calamity, the room key was missing.

By now I was quite irritated. I was covered in red mud and I wanted a bath!

“Where is the room key?” I asked.

“We lost it at the site of the accident.”

We finally made it home.

Yes you are right. No one wants to take me next year.