I had a vague idea of Auroville through books and other sources.But the idea of a run at Auroville was triggered by my friends Vedavyas B and Murali T.
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| At the start line ! |
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| With my buddy Madhan, who came all the way from Chennai to cheer me at the finish line :) |
They told me that this was a run that has no medals and no timing, no podiums. yet it was one of their best runs !! That intrigued me and since then I always want to run at Auroville.
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| Carb loading at Surguru ,Pondicherry :D |
Auroville Township : Auroville is a unique concept for a township envisioned by Mirra Alfassa (The Mother ). It is amazing how a barren piece of land in the borders between TamilNadu and Pondicherry has been transformed into such a unique place.Everyone living within Auroville (Aurovillians) do something based on their skillset and they get their basic amenities covered by the township. There is no concept of money within the township and no one owns any property. Its a collective ownership . You can find more about this place here : https://auroville.org/page/to-live-and-work-in-auroville
Matrimandir : While I was only thinking of my run there, my friend Poonam insisted that we go a day earlier to the place to experience the 'Matrimandir'. The Matrimandir is a place of quiet concentration..I've been inside many other places of spiritual calmness but the visit to this place (which by the way has nothing to do with religion) was somehting else. Without explaining much, I will just say that this place is a 'must visit'' item when you come to Auroville. Reservations for the week open in the start of the week .So please make sure you plan your visit and make the reservation accordingly.
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| In front of Matrimandir, Auroville. |
Besides Auroville, I loved walking round the French Colonies and my visit to the
Manakula Vinayakar Temple,
The Sacred Heart Cathedral ,
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral. |
With Jyoti, Poonam and Nidhi in front of the
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (estd: 1907) |
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| In front of the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception ( estd: 1791). |
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| The streets in the French Colony area were so beautiful. |
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| Getting ready to attack my Pasta before race day :) |
The Auroville marathon is also unique running experience.100% volunteer driven , the event does not have the usual bells and whistles of regular running races.There are no timing mats / time targets,no medals* or certificates. Participants get a BIB to come and experience the joy of running inside the trails of Auroville.
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| Mandatory BIB picture in front of route map with Poonam ! |
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| With runners from SBC Striders , Coimbatore. |
Race Day:
My coach Sivas only request when I told him about my plan was that I stick to easy efforts given that I completed a hard FM race less than 30 days ago. I stood on the start line with average preparation planning to maintain a 6:20 to 6:30 pace for the whole distance .
1-8km : The FM started at 5AM.It was pitch dark and runners got a torch to find their through the trails.The experience was unique.I enjoyed these first 45 mins.Though the FM is 2 loops of the HM route,this experience was unique and the HM run would not get to experience this.
8-21km : The sun was out and the buildings , school and the farms were visible.The trees, cool breeze and the clean air was a treat to run through.
22-28km : As I started the second loop,I had to navigate through the 10k runners who were on their own world experiencing the beauty of the place at their own pace.
28-34km : The route broke away from the 10k route and I found myself running alone. The shops and the street names were now visible..The streets had their names based on the 12 powers of the human Soul ('Humility, Sincerity, Gratitude ..) .The positive vibes of the place was catching on to me.
34-42km :
The long hours was starting to show it's effect.I was starting to feel exhausted. Meeting the SBC striders on this section kept my spirits high. The sun was getting harsh and this section was though.
I finally managed to complete the run with run/ walks.A couple of more long runs during the traing and good fueling could have made this section better but I have no complaints.
After 4:28 hours I crossed the finish line with happy memories of an amazing experience.
Pleasantly surprised to see Madhan ,who drove to Auroville from Chennai just to meet me at the finish line. Happy moment. Thanks a lot Madhan for making me feel special :)
My thanks to Rajesh Vetcha who convinced me to register for this event.I strongly recommend this run for all runners!!
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Post run selfie with Rajesh Vetcha, founder Hyderabad Runners
Me, high on endorphins :D
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Organisation: It's really well organised.Great on route SAG with medical personnel at alternate SAG points and a sumptuous carb heavy breakfast
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| The organisers surprised us with a souvenir medal at the finish point 😊 |
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Till we meet again! .
With my friends Poonam , Rajesh, Vijay Sena at La Courtyard, Pondicherry. |
