Back in radio contact

"Its good to feel like the past week was misty" commented a friend when I told him that I cannot believe its the 15th of November today, last time I checked, it was the 3rd.. or 4th.. The deshvaasi & I were driving around in circles near Bala's office picking up the packet of running bibs...

I have promised MSB a list, so here goes::

• Nov 3rd-4th:: Talk to the high school principal, security officer, transport officer, dean, OAT person, Gymkhana person, etc. etc. with last minute stuff for the race. Look at the rainy skies and feel the heart skip a beat. 
• Nov 5th 5 am: Get all pumped up and get a ride from KP to IIT for the 'Volunteer's Run.' Be a little late in getting ready so miss stuff like eating something, small bottle of water to carry, electrolyte...
• Nov 5th 6 am: Start running the worst HM I have ever run. Feel out of breath. Feel like passing out. Resist the temptation. Finish 10k and run in for bathroom break, for first time in a race, and re-set time goals. Run out and still feel out of breath. Receive reminder about feminine gender, uterine lining, and so on and run in again for bathroom break. Find none in that building. Climb up and down stairs and into another building. Beg sweeper lady to watch over & use men's loo, avoiding looking left, at the urinals (I hate urinals, as a concept). Run back out, and redo time goal. Still feel out of breath. Run slowly and breathe sigh of relief to find SLMP, and gatorade, in a car. Sip gatorade, re-set time goals in head. Take out Mars bar from pocket, peel of wrapper, find it falls down on the mud. Pick it up and trash it. Run ahead with gatorade in hand. See monkey from distance and freak out a bit. See monkey's bared teeth from close by and deftly chuck the gatorade bottle to side and stop running to swear at monkey, and to re-jig the time goal. Pull in to parking lot to find everyone, including the monster (reading Heidi and ignoring the world). Feel sad for my timing of 2:26 (moving time lower, doesn't matter). Sit down and die a little. Hate people for saying its okay. Hate husband for saying its not okay. Hate myself for resisting the temptation to pass out/DNF. Move on to coffee...
• Nov 5th 10 am onwards: Shop till I (literally) drop, for saris and dhotis and towels and blouse pieces in 10 different colours. Hate world. Watch rainy skies and try to still pounding heart. Walk through rivers of nasty rain water in T nagar, to temple. Think about leptospirosis. Eat dinner at Woodland's.
• Nov 5/6th 12-12:30 am: Receive call from Security uncle about fallen tree, right on race route. Panic call Guru RamDevji. Calm down and go to sleep again, in a manner of speaking.
• Nov 6th 3 am: Drag out of bed. Drink coffee. Change. Pack backpack. Kiss monster, and its look-alike-dad. Pop open car. Change mind. Unlock bike and bike over to IIT. Pick up stuff from deshvaasi's house. Cycle to OAT. Frantic calls. Rain water logging. Walk. Lift water thingies. Frantic calls again. No mikes. Yell a bit. Deal with late/wrong/fake registrations. Find monster a volunteer tshirt (big for both of us separately and together). Find all safety pins whisked away. Feel tired. Close up registrations. Go to monster. Hug her for strength. Take bike and go out on the race route, yelling encouragement. Run around fetching cups between aid stations. Deal with one girl with viral fever and camelbak requiring medical assistance, and then, not requiring it. Go find husband. Yell 'On track On track' having no idea if its true. Come back and give him a hug when he finishes (on track). Go back and try to find viral fever girl. Freak out when I cannot. Go to all aid stations to tell people about her. Freak out when I find her nowhere. Come back. Freak out a bit at OAT about girl. Sit down after they tell me she DNFed and went home. Play with children a little. Eat breakfast. Feel better. 
• Nov 6th Afternoon: Find monster is hungry again. Make her some french fries and eat some rice based thing myself. Nap. Succumb to headache on being shaken awake by monster. Drink coffee. Make lists. Shop for shirts and kid's clothes. Eat dinner at Saravana Bhavan. Pack backpack.... Move on from MARG Chennai Marathon. 

I am still at 6th! I have to list out the rest, but in my next blog post.