To the person I once was, who weighed 98 kgs and struggled to run even 1-2 km at a stretch-
On 11th Aug, I completed my first-ever 10.5 km marathon (The Tuffman Marathon), my second marathon overall. I ran the entire distance with only two brief intentional walks of 8-10 seconds each—once at 5.5 km and again at 8.5 km. I also sprinted twice at my fastest speed: once around 9.5 km and then again towards the finish line.
Considering the distance from the race venue to the car parking, it was an overall 18.5 km day. And all of this was achieved on just 1.5 hours of sleep, despite sore knees from wearing formal shoes the day before. While I’m not proud of the lack of rest, I’m immensely proud of the perseverance that helped me push through.
Some may think running a 10.5 km marathon is a modest feat, but it’s a monumental achievement for someone who once struggled with weight and could barely run a kilometre.
That day, I defeated my past self to become a true TuffMan.
In the picture is my father, who ran the 5 km marathon just because I was participating. His support and presence made the participation even more meaningful.
