5 Things to Do to Run The Mumbai Marathon

Here are 5 Important things to do Before / After Running a Marathon (Not Training!)

Everyone knows there are important stuff to do before you actually run a marathon. A marathon is on many fitness lovers/freaks/fanatics to do list - "in things to do before one dies". So what is the important stuff to do before a marathon other than registering, practising, reaching the venue of the run, etc.

#1 to do before the Mumbai Marathon

Find your running legs. Ensure that those pair of femur, tibia and fibula muscle bound essentials are in place and not misplaced. Oil them and preserve them till the D-Day when you can unleash them on the usual suspects. That means no overdoing stuff before the run but still having enough miles in the bank.

#2 to before cracking the Mumbai Marathon

The marathon gear is as important as the actual running. What will you have to show after a 21 or 42 km run? A very sore pair of feet and sorer muscles? Well no. You will be showing selfies holding your timing placard and or your finishers medal. And more pics of proof you have crossed the line with you at the centre. So get your designer gear ready, the ear studs, the tattoos, the designer tee, shoes, runner's belt, smile (better cosmetized), skull candy and the practised V.

It helps however if the gear is comfortable as well as stylish.

PS - Gears would also include getting together your run playlist! And that means keeping your phone charged!


#3 to do For the SCMM Mumbai Marathon

 If you have been practising for the marathon - you would know about carbo loading. CARBO loading. Yes you got it right. Find the group of friends who ran with you and the nearest biriyani joint to hog it post run to make up for the lost calories. Your metabolism will be so high - it will be your safest chance to have a plate of mutton to go with that beer AND Biriyani. And if thats not incentive enough for a LSD (long slow distance run) then I dont know what is!

#4 to must do for the SCMM Mumbai Marathon

Fill your chiller tray with beers. As everyone knows - resting after a long run is as important as running. And resting = chilling = chilled beer

#5 essential for the SCMM Mumbai Marathon

Arrange for a pick-up.  You have run the 21 kms...Would you like to be stranded without friends? No way! For one thing you would have blisters. It would be mid morning - and most probably the trains would be crowded. Get you own private vehicle to take you to your destination!


Run Safe, Run Happy and I guarantee you will enjoy the experience - whatever the outcome!

Can't a President Have Fun? : Obama Selfie Pic

 Obama Selfie - Cant a President Have a Bit of Fun?

Well apparently not. Not at a funeral, not with a pretty lady Prime Minister of another country, definitely NOT with a selfie and apparently NOT with the first lady Michelle looking disapprovingly away!

The list of DONTS for Presidents have increased. You DONT take a smiling selfie at a funeral.

As the Memorial proceedings of Madiba were going on, The Prez Obama interacted with World leaders as one is supposed to do. At some point during those  interactions, the President whipped out his phone and took a "selfie" with the pretty Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning Schmidt with Britain's Mr Cameron looking on. And the world (or the cyber world) erupted!

What followed was miles and miles of tweets, retweets, opinions. And more opinions on why is Michelle Obama looking so glum!

However what I feel is that - come on, the Prez is a person too - let him have his selfie! Madiba wouldnt have objected. And more to the point - it kept up with the spirit of celebrating Mandela's life!

Watching Old Man and the Sea with Tom Alter - Bhubaneswar

Well not exactly...

'"The ocean is very big and a skiff is small and hard to see," the old
man said.  He noticed how pleasant it was to have someone to talk to
instead of speaking only to himself and to the sea.'

I had an amazing experience recently, watching the "Old Man and The Sea" performed on stage by Tom Alter and supported by Sufi dancer Zia Nath.

Tom Alter did all the talking himself as he spent nearly 1.5 hours on stage enacting the famous role of the old man adrift on the sea. Alter' performance was of such intensity that one felt really adrift with Santiago on a skiff checking baits, tackling a marlin, fighting shark attacks, thinking about the day's baseball, DiMaggio and the boy. You knew the old man wouldn't give up especially when he reminisced about an arm wrestling match with a much stronger opponent that went on and on till the pectators almost left for work on the next day. Santiago' fight with the fish was beautifully interspered with such stories as a much adored novel came to life in an amazing fashion.

The play had a Sufi background and Zia Nath provided some beautiful moments of dancing. Her rendition at the end was of awestrucking, speechless quality (how many turns did Zia do - 5000? I asked her but she said she didnt keep count)

The play was by Shivani Tibrewala.

Talking about the play the next day, Alter likened Sachin Tendulkar's spirit to Santiago's!

The play was staged during the Times Literary Festival at Bhubaneswar last week and seeing the crowd and it's rapt attention I wondered why we didnt get more such plays at Bhubaneswar. As I write this veteran Theatre Artist Anant Mahapatra's group "Utkal Rangmanch" is producing Theatre in Motion with some great plays screened at Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. I can only hope Theatre in Motion also travels to Bhubaneswar!