Spiels of a Quill

Related posts: Part 1: The easiest part of the job is done - signing up for a half marathon A couple of people that I talked to about what happened at the first run humorously laughed at me and brushed it aside saying "You have been idle for too long in life that you can't even do something as simple as this. Look at people around you; if they can do it so effortlessly, so can you. It is not a big deal. Stop whining and train harder- build up your stamina, and your lung capacity." It broke me from within to hear that- probably because I am conditioned to take negative criticism to heart , but I convinced myself that it might indeed be due to the lack of strenuous physical activities in the recent years. Maybe if I push myself harder I can get better, I told myself.   Two days later as I was getting ready for my second run with Team Asha, I found myself taking mental notes for a To-Do list: take deep breaths, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth,...

Today, I want to start telling you the story of my first ever half marathon. I know it is a cliche to do so, but please allow me to start with a quote: "  If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. " I never realized how true this quote by Fred DeVito is, till I signed up for the Biofreeze San Francisco  Half Marathon 2019 as part of Team Asha to raise funds for Asha for Education which is an NGO that supports the education of underprivileged children back in India. The race is over, but my journey isn't complete yet. However, I think it is important to get the narrative started - if not for anything else, merely to just share my story with anybody who is willing to listen. It was probably a hasty decision in the early days of the summer - one taken under the influence of people who had previously run for Team Asha. I always knew that I wanted to run at some point in life to raise funds for charity, but I wasn't mentally prepared to do it this...