What do you usually say when you think you have overridden all the odds of something you thought wasn't achievable?.... "I did it!"

Yes. :-) I completed the Half Marathon at the SCMM. How much time did i complete that in? A little over 3.5 hours. Too much is it? Well... i am still cherishing the thought that i managed to complete it, i'll take care of the timings in the next one. I had gone in with an intention of pulling out after the first 4 kms or so... i had zero preparation behind me and shoes that are best fit for a trek rather than a run.

But i also had an intention of giving my best shot towards covering as much as possible, which eventually happened to be the complete race. I attribute this to the spirit of the city and its people.

Thousands of people had turned up to run the half marathon.. something i had not expected in this category. And there thousands more cheering for you on the banks of the road. Those on the run are always an inspiration for you to go that one extra mile, but those cheering are the ones that really pump the adrenalin into your blood. They could have as well been silent spectators.. or better still sit on a couch in the living room in front of the TV and pronounce "WHOA!" in the best possible manner. But they chose to make a difference... to come out of their opulent hideouts, and help give that feeling of satisfaction and achievement to strangers like me.

Probably thats what they call the "Spirit of Mumbai".

Thank you folks... You are as much a part of this success as i am.

P.S. I love this City, and I have seen this Spirit before.. during the 26 July (2005) floods in Mumbai when i was stuck on the road about 25 kms from my home, which turned out to be a long long walk.