Dear Akanksha,
(when the days feel ordinary)
February 1st, 2026. Your first-ever 10K run. Nearly 15,000 participants. A 6 AM start in pitch darkness. And everyone in neon green t-shirts on empty roads.
Maa, Paa, your brother with his friends, your husband Nikhil, and a cousin, you all signed up at different times. You were the earliest, joining Akshay and some of his friends. You’d done a 5K a couple of months back, and honestly, when someone mentioned 10K, you didn’t think it through. Just said yes. You know, like: “Maine ek baar commitment krdi toh main apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta.” Full gangsta mode while signing up. Zero doubts.
I mean, you had been working out every day since June 2025. Regular. Conscious about what you eat, when you eat. You were in that age range where health becomes a priority. So yeah, you were chill about the whole thing.
Then, a week before the run, your father casually announced he’s gifting himself a 10K this year. Another rush of inspiration. Your friends signed up for the 5K around the same time, and that’s when you first thought, wait, is this going to be tough? Meh, you convinced yourself. You’re prepared. Nikhil signed up too, and you thought, this man barely runs. You’ll definitely be able to do it.
Thursday evening, you met those friends for dinner. One of them asked, “How’s the preparation going?”
“What, now I’m supposed to ‘prepare‘ to run?” you joked, but internally, you gave it serious thought. Damn. Preparation. Where in this town were you even supposed to prepare? The roads have vehicles going berserk, and the gardens have been encroached by dogs. Where? Where?
Nevermind, you told yourself. Let’s see where we stand.
The day before the run, you were on the phone with Maa. She said, “We’ve made light food for lunch, and dinner is just fruits at 7 PM.” The preparation made your heart skip a beat. That’s when it hit you — this is going to be a big deal.
That night, at peak anxiety, you asked Nikhil, “Will I be able to finish the run?” He paused. Your anxiety shot up another notch. But, well, Nikhil always pauses, so it’s normal. He finally said, “Yes, we’ll be able to complete the run.”
🙄This man with his few words! To make it interesting, you asked who’ll finish first. He said, “You!”
Uff, confidence all over the place. You slept peacefully after that.
D-Day
For such events, you always wake up before the alarm. Nothing different that day. There was nervousness, yes, but also this thought: you need to do this. And then begin preparation for a half-marathon🤓. You can see how you have fits of confidence, aspiration, and nervousness, all at once!
You had warm water, some dry fruits, and a biscuit for glucose in the car as you drove to your parents’ home, where everyone had gathered. The drawing room never felt so alive at 5:30 AM. Everyone in neon, some pinning bibs, others eating bananas, most keeping the mood light by joking around.
Parents, being parents, started rushing. “We’re getting late! Last time we did 10K, we were at the ground by 5:30 AM.” Yeah, they’ve done this before. You can’t catch up to them, I tell you. Such big inspirations, parents are. 🧿
The Run
The stadium ground was all neon. The grass seemed dull in comparison. Paa decided on a meeting spot for when you return. You clicked pictures in the dark, did some warm-up, and at 6 AM, the gates opened.
You begin from Nehru Stadium. Up until Palasia, you didn’t break a sweat. Easy peasy😉! You were gloating, chanting with the Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai. It somehow helps. There were people distributing water bottles alongside. You crossed them all, nonchalant.
Akshay, Nikhil, and you were pacing together initially. Once you reach LIG, no one is to be found. It was still dark, and you had to stare at the road to watch for blocks.
You took a left towards Pardesipura. You glanced at your watch, thinking you must be close to 5K. The Pardesipura stretch was tough. You crossed your 5K at around 40 minutes.
Things only went downhill from there! There were machines marking milestones and capturing time, damn, you felt like you couldn’t cheat🙈.
More glucose teams were there on the sides of the road. It was morning now. Roads were blocked for you; what a privilege. Some two-wheelers were fighting to cross. Most people standing had oranges, energy drinks, water, almonds, glucose tablets… You name it. It was cool to see people cheer for you.
What came as a shock was people running who were also cheering and making conversation, pushing everyone around with “go go go!” There was a boy with a saxophone at LIG on your return. You wanted to say kudos to him, but all you could manage was a sad thumbs-up. That’s how drained you were. No more chanting, no more adrenaline.
Yeah, you also strained part of your leg, so you stopped at least 5-6 times to stretch and then move again. People were recording views. You were having a tough time doing anything other than running. It was surprising to see such energy from all ages. Men and women in their 70s, talking to other people, while you could only breathe🙈.
This was getting real. You realized you should take a shot of glucose, which you did in the last 1 km. Not the wisest decision — you should’ve taken it earlier. After that glucose shot, things were better.
The Finish
In your group, you were fourth:
- Dhruv (your cousin): 1 hour
- Nikhil (to your surprise): 1:04
- Akshay: 1:10
- Akanksha (lazy bum): 1:25
- Maa and Paa: Within the next 10 minutes
The moment you entered the stadium, you saw your brother, arms open, hugging you. Then Nikhil literally lifted you. Biggest smiles on your faces. You went to get the medal and the banana. When you returned, you saw Akshay hugging Maa and giving her a peck, a beautiful sight. Paa came and gave you all the tightest hug ever.
Those moments? They describe everything:
- Never felt so alive
- Never felt so accomplished
- Never smiled brighter
- This is the reason you came back home, to live this, to live this together
Even today, almost a week later, you feel this is the life you want to live today and forever. 10K was tough and so brilliant. Of course, you looked at your stats and began talking about how you can improve your game.
So remember this, as a big, big milestone for you. A big achievement. Remember how capable you are.
Truly, until next time.
Akanksha
(let’s go for a run)
Diamond Dogs 
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