Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people. - Randy Pausch ( 1960-2008 )

About


The Runner

With brother and father, Men’s Health All Terrain Race 2009

In my more than two decades of existence I had assumed many roles and gained many passions - geek, open source advocate, graduate student, volunteer, turtles right advocate(yes) - and a lot lot more. I must admit though, I never thought that “runner” and “weekend racer” would fit into this already long list. That is, until I was already out there, pounding-the-pavement, wind-in-my-face, overtaking-and-being-overtaken, crossing-the-finish-line during Halloween 2008. That short, unassuming, not-even-prestigious event would set me off in a journey that has already taken me to hundreds of racing kilometers, several cities and provinces, instances of pain and disappointment, and moments of triumph and jubilation. The great thing is that the journey is not yet over - and only God knows where it would take me still.

The Why

I run for the challenge. I run for the fitness. I run to define - and be defined. I run for the freedom. I run for many different reasons - and I must say, I haven’t gotten them all down on my list yet. Because from time to time, I still find new reasons to keep on running. And I certainly hope I would never stop finding.

What I particularly like about running is that it is limitless. As a tagline says, “Runs end, running doesn’t”. There is simply so much distance to master and conquer, so many places to see and run on.

The Dream

It is my dream to run around the world. More specifically, I dream of running in as many cities as I can, each time in the distance/event venerated by all runners: the full marathon. My ultimate running-related lifelong dream-quest is to complete the World Marathon Majors, or the five most prestigious marathons in the world: Berlin, New York, London, Chicago, and of course Boston. That is going to be challenge, not just physically, but financially as well. But that is why its called a dream-quest and a lifelong one at that. I guess I would just have to figure out things on the way. As a 5:20 4:28 marathoner, I am certainly one to talk about Boston, but needless to say that that goal has always driven me and continues to drive me. And I think I have lots of time left to work on it. I do hope to get there before I get too old or DOM-ish for this though:

Taken from Runnersworld.com: The Girls of Wellesley

For now my immediate goals are simpler: improving my times, breaking the five hour barrier and finishing the Milo Marathon. Baby steps, baby steps. The time for dealing with Heartbreak Hill would come, but for now, my struggles mostly revolve around McKinley Hill, shinsplints, pulled hamstrings, insufficient water stations, incompetent race marshals and getting to race venues on time(and with sufficient sleep).

The Site

I am a runner, and this is my website. This is where you’d find my stories, adventures and misadventures, and thoughts that related to running. It started out as a part of my personal website until I realized that the sheer amount of running related posts necessitated that I “spin it off” for the benefit of myself and its readers. I put this up as a venue where I could share stuff that are running related - my experiences, lessons learned, and yes, sometimes, just plain inanities and nonsense. This is where you could follow me as I move towards achieving my ultimate running dream. A venue for sharing - that is my plain and simple goal. If others would find my experiences and lessons learned useful(or even just plain entertaining) though - that would be great. If they would find it inspiring - then that would be wonderful. I never shy away from an opportunity to affect a positive change in the world.

I am runner, and this is my journey…