Heyooos! It’s 11:14 PM and I want to write something shorter, cleaner, but still honest. Let’s do this.

3 things on my mind :

1. About my run :D This year, I finished my fourth timed race. I started with a 5K and somehow ended up running a 25K. I clocked a 21K personal best at 2:05 hours. Zero injuries this time, which feels extra special because the last time I ran a 21K at the Wipro Run, I did it with already-sprained knees. That was stupid. Extremely Stupid. This wasn’t.

See, running is a deeply lonely sport. You lace up, step out, and it’s just you and the road. No distractions. No witnesses. But marathons are different. Before the race, during it, after it, everyone is buzzing. Strangers cheer for you like they’ve known you for years. You high-five people mid-stride. For a few hours, the loneliness disappears.

This year was wonderfully chaotic. Running was the one constant through all of it. That alone makes me proud. Add to that a family with a high risk appetite and friends who kept showing up, and yeah, I’m grateful.

1. About Calcutta Marathon : I’ve only run marathons in two cities so far: Bangalore and Calcutta. I’ve heard stories about Bombay and Delhi, but Calcutta had its own… personality. Amazingly flat track (lest 3 flyovers which took the life out of you) But the traffic management was honestly terrible. Roads weren’t shut properly. Marathoners were stopped because traffic needed to pass. Imagine sprinting at your limit and being paused like a buffering YouTube video. We all collectively glared at a traffic cop while running past. Not our finest emotional moment.

2. About Post-run : I’ve been on a diet for almost three months now. Not the “I will never touch cake again” kind. More like, I run, so I don’t want to eat nonsense. Also, I assumed I was the only crazy Bangalore guy who flew to Calcutta just to run. Turns out the entire hostel was full of runners.

And whatte crowd. A 60-year-old uncle casually mentioned his 15 marathons. A 35-year-old guy told us his life story, only for us to find out he’s actually 48 and looks unfairly young. Another guy actually unfairly fuckin young - he was 19! One runner talked about how being cheated on in his marriage somehow turned him into a full-blown fuckboi. Another spoke about how deeply he loves his wife, who’s ten years older than him. Same hostel. Same night. Wildly different lives. That’s the thing. These conversations don’t happen in normal settings. You need shared exhaustion, vulnerability, and a little beer. Somewhere between sore legs and loud laughter, entire lores got unlocked.

![image.png](attachment:eaa53a43-59b0-4b14-836b-b7cda3e336e0:image.png)

And I walked away thinking: this is why I run.

Hey 👋 I am Anuj K Glad to have crossed roads. Here's a gift to have made so far :)