Old Passion in a new Environment - about Running in India

Even before Covid and the lockdown in Germany I was addicted to running, yet the crisis fueled my passion even more. The feeling of being able to run for hours through the countryside, when breathing rate and steps align and you just follow your own rhythm. Thoughts are turned off, step by step, inhale, exhale. And even if this flow doesn't happen, I still enjoy the run through nature: the smell of the forest or the rain on the asphalt, the golden ears of wheat, the chirping of the birds, the cool morning air.

All these things do not exist in India. I have the choice between running on the treadmill or the road. When we leave the city for the weekend, I try to run in the countryside, but that is even more dangerous than in the city. In the countryside, the dogs are not used to runners and so I am prime hunting material for them and after only two attempts, I refrain from further running experiments outside Bangalore.

And running on the treadmill is exhausting. Even a slow pace is sweaty, but at the same time it is incredibly boring and the minutes drag on like chewing gum. So only one thing remains: The streets of Bangalore.

Luckily, after two months in India I find myself connected to a running group: the KTPO Champions with Neera as my coach. The group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 in the morning. We do a leisurely 1.5km - 2km run in, followed by a running ABC to improve technique. This is followed by a speed workout, an interval workout or - what I really don't like - hill repeats. The latter we do on a tiny hill just around the corner of our appartement. But if you sprint up that hill, you run out of breath pretty quickly. On the weekend, everyone does a long run individually. The group definitely gives me the motivation to continue running and not only meet like-minded people but made friends.

Running on the streets of Bangalore is still a challenge of its own. The left-hand traffic is no problem at first, after four months in India I am used to it. However, not everyone follows it and so there are some wrong-way drivers on the road. At intersections it becomes exciting and it is best to keep a 360° view, so you can not be surprised.

In addition there is the honking. There is the short honking for "Attention, hello, I'm passing, just so you know" and the long honking meaning "I'm coming and if you get in my way I don't give a shit and I'll just drive over you". I'm still not used to it and jump up half a meter in shock even at the short honking. Besides, everyone here just takes his right, even if he is not in the right at all. Cars just drive up from a side street onto the main road without looking and without paying attention to the little runner desperately hoping for his runners high.

And this is the status: number of runners Hhghs: 0, number of crashes:0, number of honking horns: 100000. I suffer, I puff, I run. And I look forward to the moments when my persistence and consistency will pay off. I'm looking forward to new races, new acquaintances and the next run through the forests of my hometown Mammendorf :).