There are moments in endurance running that go beyond pace, distance, or personal bests. Moments that stay with you—not because of the finish line, but because of what you felt when you were nowhere near it.
Let me recount two such events in this post -
Somewhere Around 35 Km
The first was during the Vagamon Ultra, a 60 km trail run through some of the most rugged terrain in Kerala. I was running with UltraR and Cheetahji—our trio, moving mostly in silence. The 35 km mark had that surreal feeling: you’re too far in to stop, and yet the finish feels impossibly distant.
That’s when she appeared.
A woman, dressed in modest clothes—likely from a very humble background—stepped out from the side of the trail. She carried a bag and without a word, offered us some kind of fruit I’d never seen before. Instinctively, I shrugged and moved on. So did UltraR. But Cheetahji paused. She was speaking rapidly in Malayalam—none of us understood a word—but there was something in her tone. Slightly irritated. Assertive, even.
Eventually, we all stopped.
We each took one of the fruits. It was pink, crisp, juicy, and incredibly refreshing. We later learned it was called Chambakka, or water rose apple.
We tried offering her some cash—after all, we’d assumed she was selling something. She refused. She wasn’t asking. She was just giving.
Later google search showed Chambakka is full of electrolytes, fiber, and natural sugars. We each had 4–5 and immediately felt a lift—not just in energy, but in spirit. A little miracle, right when we needed it.
And the funny part? Just minutes earlier, UltraR and I had been joking about needing divine intervention to finish this run. We were in the land of Lord Karthik, but at that point we figured even his father, Lord Mahadev, would have to intervene to get us to the end.
Who sent that woman?
Who knows.
Sometimes, the forest answers back.
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The Loop That Teaches You Everything
The second moment came during a 12-hour stadium run. The format is simple: you keep running non-stop for 12 hours on a 400-meter loop. Over. And over. And over.
But while we were doing 12, there were others running for 24. Even 48.
There was one runner doing the 24-hour format—already 12 hours in when we joined for the night shift. And he looked wrecked. Sunburnt. His armpits were brutally chafed from the earlier heat. He looked like a man being torn up by the run.
UltraR and I looked at him, half-joking: “Why’s he still going? I’d have taken a break. Maybe even called it off.” The pain looked that bad.
Later in the night, I found myself running beside him. I couldn’t help but ask:
“You’re so badly chafed, man. You must be in serious pain.”
He looked at me, let out a soft chuckle, and said:
“Achha hai na… neeche kuch nahi hua. Agar thighs, taang ya ghutne mein kuch hota toh kaise daudta?”
(“It’s good, no? At least nothing happened to my legs. If something had gone wrong there, how would I have run?”)
That face. That moment. That line—it’s tattooed in my mind.
That’s what real attitude looks like.
Not denial of pain—but clarity of focus. He wasn’t distracted by what was broken. He was busy using what still worked.
And he didn’t just survive. He finished the 24 hours. In fact, he picked up speed toward the end.
That runner’s name is Chinmay.
Today, he’s a good friend—and sometimes, a mentor. Based out of Pune, he’s possibly the only person who has been running non-stop for over 2,000 consecutive days. Through illness. Through storms. Through life and work and everything in between.
He just doesn’t stop.
Because his mindset? It’s exactly where it needs to be.
Two Miracles
One moment gave me a fruit I’d never seen—offered by a stranger with nothing but generosity.
The other gave me a line I’ll never forget—from a man who chose belief over excuses.
Two kinds of miracles.
One from the outside.
One from within.
Both reminders that sometimes, you don’t need everything to go right—you just need to believe that something still can.
--“Grateful to Sailesh Boss who’s been nudging me for the last three years to pen this down—this one’s finally for you.”--