Running in Auroville
I’m really glad I am a female when my daughter and I go to
marathons. Everyone needs to use the toilet before the race starts, as they
have often driven long distances. The queue for the men’s toilets is always very long (more men than women run)
but we women are able to get in and out very fast. (That is probably why I saw
two men watering the trees along the picturesque trail of the marathon)!
There was also a little six year old cutie (looked just like
a Barbie doll) who was dressed in a pink track suit and very busy throwing a
temper tantrum. Apparently there was supposed to be a kid’s run of 5 km. It had
been postponed to February 15 (the next Sunday). This meant her father was running
a half marathon, while she had to sit with her mother at the visitors center
waiting for two hours (or longer ) for him to finish!
As I was trundling along (many people walk faster than I
jog) I found that the trail was interspersed with cattle traps. I have a morbid
fear of getting my foot stuck in one of those. At each trap I stopped, held the
side with both hands and proceeded cautiously. At the second trap I found a
young male runner resting on the bar doubled up and head down.
“Are you in pain? Is it cramps?”
“Oh no he said, I can’t move. I ran 5 km last month, it was
easy, so I thought 5X4 is 20 so I signed up for the half.”
“Just put one foot in front of the other and keep pace with
me, when we reach an aid station we can stop.”
The aid station was 3 km down the road. Unlike other
marathons there were only two cyclists keeping tabs on the runners. Since so
many people in Auroville cycle anyway, it was difficult to distinguish between an ununiformed volunteer and a resident!
After the aid station and some spray on his legs, he plucked
up enough courage to hobble the rest of the way!
Part of the trail was gravel and stones. My heart went out
to the barefoot runners whose feet were beginning to give way.
There was burfi , chocolate, oranges , bananas electrolytes
and water but the sun soon became merciless.
By the 18th kilometer I started to dream of a
hearty pongal and vadai breakfast.
At the 20th km I realized that full marathoners
(luckily not me) had to do ANOTHER LOOP
of the same muddy gravelly hot trail!
I struggled to the finish line really late to find NO MEDAL
NO BREAKFAST NOTHING!
My tired body did not feel “the joy of running!”
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