After completing the dream run, a group of colleagues decided that we should go for a well deserved round of Beer. Normally, I am not a big fan of hard drinks but that day, I had a big craving of beer. The only problem was that due to Marathon event still going on, roads were closed and no cabs were available. That meant we had to walk a few more kilometers to get to the elixir of life. The sun was already firing its bullets of heat as temperatures rose above 32 degree Celsius. However, today wasn’t the day to quit but take challenges head on. We decided to walk as the place was only one kilometer away as per my colleague. He was in the lead and other four of us were following. After ten minutes of walk, I looked at him. He instantly knew what my gesture meant and smiled at me. “Just another 7-8 minutes walk” he said with a big smile to his face. I looked at my watch and lumbered on. By this time my whole body had started to protest on this deviation from the plan but I remembered all the motivational songs and pushed myself. My colleague continued to motivate me by telling another five minutes, the next right to the traffic light, just 500 more meters. Finally after a walk of 42 minutes, we reached the famous Cafe Leopold. The server looked at my face and quickly ushered us to a table and within two minutes the pitcher of beer was in front of me. I took my phone out and saw its health app. From the moment I had woken up that day to the moment when I sat down for Beer, I had completed 19003 steps with a total distance covered of 14.5 kms. “You see, you have done 1/3rd of Marathon” said one of the colleagues or “2/3rd of a half-marathon” said another colleague. “I swear to Hoegaarden, that in the next Mumbai half-marathon, I will complete the half-marathon” I said. “You said something similar last time about old monk and it nearly went bankrupt, just ensure you don’t do the same to this magnificent beer company” said the third colleague. All of them laughed in unison, every second of that laugh hit me hard and ignited a fire inside me. That moment I had decided, I will go for a half-marathon next year. Little did I know that this was going to be one hell of an year.
The Fat Runner 