Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018
At 37th Km, the last climb of Peddar Road, when you just have to run the last 5km to reach home. Everything seemed to fall apart all of sudden, I got a bad hamstring pull in the downhill of Peddar road. The Pull was such that I stood still for a moment, held my hamstring which got stiff, eventually I fell on the road, got up to fall again. I was literally banging my head on the road, a target which was achievable a moment ago, was slipping away from my eyes. I was lying helplessly on the road, holding my hamstrings. Then Mumbaikars came to my rescue, I was given immediate attention, massage, stretching on my hamstring, salt pills, coke, and water, were offered immediately. It helped me to recover quickly from a show-stopper. I remember 3 gentlemen and one lady gave me support to stand, in that process I lost 7 precious minutes at 37th km. I began slowly walking again with a fear of another pull. People started cheering me, you feel like a hero, even though you didn't finish the battle, as if the finish line is in sight, 'come on Asif just 5k push' like encouraging words from crowd. It gave me much needed confidence to start slowly and gradually and I finished the last 5km at average 5:20 pace and completed the race, got a PR by 2 minutes, finished the race in 3:22:45..
Surely Marathon is an Unknown Beast!
I dedicate this run to the people of Mumbai. And this is the reason why I come to Mumbai to run each year (my 4th year in a row ). Without their support and motivation, I would have turned another DNF story, coming so close to the finish line.
It's truly said by Kathrine Switzer"If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon".
A finish line Picture with Bobby and Prasad. All happy faces.. :)
