I came across 100 days of running on Instagram in January. The registrations started from January 26th and were open until April 26th. I was so excited for this challenge that I registered on the first day itself. The run was still three months away (April 27th to August 4th) but I couldn’t hold my excitement.
Before April 27th, whenever I used to get time, I kept reading about 100 days of running- what is it all about, when was it started and my most favourite- inspirational stories of people who had completed 100 days of running. Each person had a different reason for taking up this challenge, a different story of their own. Well, I will tell you my reason for taking up 100 days of running a bit later.
But one thing I can tell you right now is that 100 days of running was so much more than just running.
There are so many incidents I can think of right now. There were days when it got so difficult to make time to run. Thinking about them right now is making me grin from ear to ear because I ran anyway.
My 100 days of running started in Bhubaneswar, Odisha and even ended here but there was so much that happened in between.
It wasn’t even a week since the challenge had started and there was cyclone fani in Odisha. It got so bad that our hostel doors were shut. I used to run in my campus before that. When I went for a run in the morning that day, I just saw the locked door of the hostel and smiled. Smiled, because I was so determined about running and I knew nothing could stop me from doing just that. I ran in my hostel corridor that day and a few days after that.
The impact of fani was so huge that we were suggested to go back to our home till everything got back to normal. I went back to Mumbai and I ran there for about two weeks. I came back to Odisha for my exams only for a week. It was so chaotic- Fani after effects, my exams, prepping for Tawang (being my first trip as a trip leader), etc. but even between all this chaos, I never missed my run for once.
I was leaving for Tawang on 25th May and I had a flight to Guwahati at about 6 in the morning. I knew once I meet the entire group at the airport, I will not get time to run. I had to leave for the airport at 4 from my hostel. So, I got up and ran at 3 in the morning in my hostel corridor. Oh, what a run it was!
During my Tawang trip, it almost became a routine. Playing games with the entire group until late at night and getting up in the morning for run and then waking everyone up. There were times when it got really late for us to sleep but I had to get up and run in the morning anyway. And to be honest, though it was tough, I enjoyed every bit of it.
After 9 long days, it was time to go to Bangalore for my 2 months internship. I was living at a new place, where furnishing was still going on. So, the lift wasn’t working and my flat was on the top-most floor and I was doing my internship at Decathlon.
Everyday, I made myself understand that I took up this challenge for a reason and if I don’t run, the whole purpose of me taking this challenge would go into vain. During my 100 days of running, the support and motivation I got from my Instagram family was immense.
I even went for two weekend trips to Kerala during my internship. From running outside Cochin Airport to running in Fort Kochi to running by Cherai beach, it was indeed a lot of run (Oops, I mean fun.)
I remember, once I was having lunch with 3 of my colleagues and one of them asked me, where do you run? I looked at her with a perplexed expression and said, ‘wherever’. I did not have a particular place where I use to run- It was literally-wherever. From NIFT Campus to hostel corridor to Bomdila Monastery to Cochin Airport- Just wherever.
During my 100 days of running this was my journey-
Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Bhubaneswar-Arunachal Pradesh-Bangalore-Kerala-Bangalore-Kerala-Bhubaneswar.
Was it tiring? Absolutely. Did it stop me from running? Never.
Coming back to my reason for taking up this challenge. Well, you know, I am person who gets bored really easily. I keep switching from one thing to another with the blink of an eye. So, through this challenge, I wanted to see if I can be consistent towards something for 100 days.
Today, when I look back at these 100 days, I feel happy and proud. You know, when you think that something is difficult to attain, the amount of happiness you get when you achieve it is overwhelming.
Your mind is a crazy, crazy thing. If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed. For as they say, lukewarm is no good.
Until Next Time.
Love,
Pooja
Picture Courtesy- Sharan (sharanep)
Q&A of 100 days of running- https://youtu.be/nWy_Px6fv0A
HDOR Instagram Highlights- https://www.instagram.com/pooja_onegirlonejourney/?hl=en
