It’s 5 am in the morning. We were all in Chattanooga with my Doctor son and his family. He was participating in a triathlon with two other team members and he was doing the swimming leg. To offset the cold he had bought himself a slick wet- suit, as the river he was swimming in could be really cold, even though it was summer. I stood along with his wife and baby daughter and screamed and cheered for him, when he emerged from the water, running to connect with his team mate, who was going to cycle the last lap of the race.

While standing on the side, my son told me to look at the calves of the participants, to see their ages and I nearly had a heart attack with what I saw. There were runners in their 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and YES, ‘80’s too. Both men and women.That was when I was staggered into making an effort myself since I am a chronic diabetic. If they could run, surely I could too!

“ Look at them Ma! “ said my son, “ they are much older than you and they are running 20k and you can’t do 5?? You were a National level athlete, why can’t you help yourself by getting out and running? Running can burn off those sugars lurking in your body killing your internal organs.”

The boot was on the other foot. I would encourage my sons like that and they reached Asian level and this doctor guy won an Asian competition too. Now it was his turn to get his mother going, the tables were turned and I liked it! And if a cardiologist could advise me, well let’s give it a try I thought. I bow to his superior knowledge and skill.

I began running everyday in his community of homes. Just 2k everyday, but being a sprinter I found the long distance intimidating. I could not run 2 k at a stretch. I was used to speed running, not jogging. A 100 metre sprint up Hayes Road. Then Cash Pharmacy to Bishop Cottons girls, stop, walk and catch my breath till the start of SBI. Run again and turn the corner upto St. Joes, stop and walk past the gate of the school and so on. Slowly the distance seemed to become larger and my breathing less laboured with the regular running. And anyway it was less stress on my knees.

Then the Catholic Club began a 5k run. “ Join!” said my son, “ go and give it a shot. Walk when you tire and take Dad along,” he said. It’s been four years and I am enjoying the 5 k runs the club organises for its members and it’s just once a month. It’s a nice little fraternity of runners who just enjoy the run and don’t bother about competing. If there are competitors they have to compete with themselves. There is a group who begin walking earlier too, as the runners can catch up in no time.

The broad sidewalks or pavements which have been gifted to the city by TENDER Sure have also played a big role in many of us, willing to run on the road. I would only stick to the treadmill before in the CC, which can kill you with boredom. So glad the sidewalks have opened up and given us a chance to run. And here too familiar faces are nice to see and wave hi too.

The Bamburies cold storage couple and their dog, say Hi, a Sindhi lady with a huge stick to whack any stray dog coming to nip her asks “ where were you for so many months?” a grey haired friend who is returning from a Bangalore Club swim smiles good morning, a grumpy lady with her yappy pom scowls at my pepper spray, and pulls her dog back, that’s good, and best of all a champ swimmer who we grew up, with struggles with her two strong dogs, who seem to be walking her, rather than the other way around.

The only disgusting point I have to be mindful of is the dog poop dotting the pavements, left for the poor old sweeper man to clean. The corporation is coming out with rules soon to fine these owners and hopefully the poor old man won’t struggle any more, cleaning the poop, like in the Western countries.

So, get out there and run and remember age is only a number. Better to exercise and keep fit and avoid medication for as long as one is able to work off the sugars.