This evening was different. I had increased my chance to run in Mumbai Marathon, courtesy a good soul. I was feeling happy that I reached home early. I was hungry. Post some snacks and tea, the hunger contained, I planned to hit the asphalt. Was feeling powerful and eager for a run.
I looked around my stable- there were the good old Nike - Blue ones. I call them the Old-man-blue. Old-man-blue came to me from a Nike store in Bangalore in May 2009, and was the right partner for me to tackle my over-pronation - I had suffered bone contusions and was out of action for about 2 months.
He have served me for more than 1100 km so far. We ran together in the Chennai Marathons, ECR marathon, Auroville marathon, Bangalore Ultra, Sunfeast 10K's between 2009-2011.
He become ugly, soaked in the red dusts of the Bangalore Ultra trail, and never recovered his charming white and blue again.
About 2 months back, the ol' folks of my stable - both pair of nikes had lost their soles ( souls?)... The black cushion at the palm of the right shoe peeled out (for old-man-blue during a run), the red one ( who I call lady-in-red) during my travel to Chennai.
The lady-in-red stayed back in Chennai, and is currently in my brother's custody. Old-man-blue lay in the dark recesses of my shoe rack. I was trying to visit a Nike store to repair for more than a month, but could not. I went to Reliance footprint instead and ended up buying a pair of Asics (which I call the new-kid).
And suddenly, it dawned, that our good old cobbler in the neighbourhood could fix. I took old-man-blue to this shanty of a shoe-garage, and Missus-Cobbler, pursed her mouth and said, it would cost 70 Rs. She said, the black cushion will be pasted and she will stitch them to be stronger. I was skeptical, but nevertheless, put the old-man-blue on the operation table. The lady, chewing paan all the while, said - come back in half an hour.
After the new-kid took me round for a 30 minute run, I visited the shanty again. Missus-Cobbler asked me to wait for another 15. I was waiting like a worried relative outside the op-theater.
10 minutes passed. Missus-Cobbler called out - and showed her works-woman(!)ship to me. Old-man-blue was looking good - pasted and sewed up with black thread. Ugly, but he could walk or run with me after all.
I looked around my stable- there were the good old Nike - Blue ones. I call them the Old-man-blue. Old-man-blue came to me from a Nike store in Bangalore in May 2009, and was the right partner for me to tackle my over-pronation - I had suffered bone contusions and was out of action for about 2 months.
 |
| Old-man-blue! |
He become ugly, soaked in the red dusts of the Bangalore Ultra trail, and never recovered his charming white and blue again.
About 2 months back, the ol' folks of my stable - both pair of nikes had lost their soles ( souls?)... The black cushion at the palm of the right shoe peeled out (for old-man-blue during a run), the red one ( who I call lady-in-red) during my travel to Chennai.
The lady-in-red stayed back in Chennai, and is currently in my brother's custody. Old-man-blue lay in the dark recesses of my shoe rack. I was trying to visit a Nike store to repair for more than a month, but could not. I went to Reliance footprint instead and ended up buying a pair of Asics (which I call the new-kid).
And suddenly, it dawned, that our good old cobbler in the neighbourhood could fix. I took old-man-blue to this shanty of a shoe-garage, and Missus-Cobbler, pursed her mouth and said, it would cost 70 Rs. She said, the black cushion will be pasted and she will stitch them to be stronger. I was skeptical, but nevertheless, put the old-man-blue on the operation table. The lady, chewing paan all the while, said - come back in half an hour.
 |
| New-kid |
10 minutes passed. Missus-Cobbler called out - and showed her works-woman(!)ship to me. Old-man-blue was looking good - pasted and sewed up with black thread. Ugly, but he could walk or run with me after all.
And today he joined me for the 5k. We both exploded into a good start, slow middle part and a classic finish.
As I write, old-man-blue smiles from his place in the shoe rack - always on the top - ' I am still around for many more miles'. I wink at him with tears in my eyes. Old-man-blue!
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